新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/11/01

 
The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
Paul James with you on this Friday, November 1, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The Chinese government is offering new comments and a new characterization of Monday's deadly suicide attack in front of Tian'anmen.
Relief supplies are being organized following a strong earthquake yesterday in northeast China.
The Chinese government is demanding answers from the US following reports its embassy and consulates here in China have been tapping Chinese phones.
In Business.... fuel prices are coming down here in China.
In sports... the quarter-final slots are being filled at the Paris Masters tennis tournament.
In entertainment... British band "The Prodigy" is going to headline a major festival in Austria next year.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will see showers today, with a high of 12 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 5.
In Shanghai, it will be cloudy today, 23 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 17 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 11, and tonight will be overcast with a low of minus 1 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 24.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 17.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 19 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 22
Houston, thundershowers, 26.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 29.
Toronto, moderate rain, 17.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, moderate rain, 23.
And Rio de Janeiro will have moderate rain with highs of 23 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China firmly opposes, combats terrorism: FM spokesperson
 
The Chinese government is offering up a new response to this week's terrorist attack in the heart of Beijing.
Chinese authorities are now describing the attack in front of Tian'anmen on Monday as a -quote- "a rigorously planned, organised, premeditated, violent terrorist attack."
At the same time, the government says it is resolved in fighting terrorism.
Chinese Foregin Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"China is a country under the rule of law. The Chinese government protects the rights of Chinese people from all ethnic groups, including freedom of religion. It is absolutely necessary to punish violent terrorists harshly according to the law in order to defend the sanctity of the law, to maintain social order, and to protect basic human rights. No responsible government with an awareness of the rule of law will tolerate violent terrorist activities."
Three people, believed to be members of the ethnic Uyghur population from Xinjiang, plowed their vehicle into the crowds of tourists infront of the Tian'anmen Gate in central Beijing on Monday, then lit their vehicle on fire.
The attack left 5-dead, including the attackers and two bystanders.
40 others were injured.
The motivation for the suicide assault remains unclear.
However, Hua Chunying is cautioning about trying to draw a link between the Chinese government's religous policies and the attack.
"We oppose linking terrorism with a particular country, ethnicity or religion. It is extremely erroneous for some individuals to link a handful of radical violent terrorists with China's ethnic and religious policy and to attack China's ethnic and religious policy on that pretext. And it involves ulterior motives."
So far 5 people have been arrested in connection with allegedly helping plan the deadly assault.
 
 
12 injured after quakes in NE China; strong quake strikes Taiwan
 
Authorities in Jilin say at least a dozen people have reported injuries after a pair of earthquakes hit the northeastern province late yesterday morning.
A moderate, 5.5-magnitude quake hit shortly after 11am near the city of Songyuan, which is about 100-kilometers north of the provincial capital, Changchun.
An aftershock measuring 5.0 on the Richter Scale hit shortly after.
While moderate, the quakes struck at a shallow depths of under 10-kilometers, which amplified the shaking.
None of the 12 injuries being reported are believed to be life-threatening.
Around 14-thousand people have been moved out of the quake zone for their own safety.
Provincial authorities are organizing tents and other provisions to help deal with the situation.
Meanwhile, Taiwan has also been rattled by a strong earthquake.
The 6.3-magnitude quake hit last night around 8pm near the city of Hualian on the east coast of the island.
While strong, the quake on Taiwan reportedly hasn't caused any serious damage or injuries.
 
 
China on blue alert for Typhoon Krosa
 
Chinese authorities have started an official alert ahead of Typhoon Krosa, which is now churning in the South China Sea.
The Typhoon has just crossed over the northern tip of the Philippines, and is tracking westward into the South China Sea.
As such, meteorlogical authorities have issued a blue-alert for the storm.
This is the lowest of the 4-tiered color warning system.
Forecasters in Hong Kong are predicting Krosa is going to maintain its Typhoon status as it rolls through the South China Sea this weekend.
However, the latest tracking models are predicting the Typhoon is likely to spin southward away from the mainland and Hainan by Sunday.
The storm, which is currently packing winds of 120-kilometers per hour at the center, is likely to force significant disruptions to shipping through the South China Sea before it eventually burns out.
 
 
Car insurance policy causes debate in China
 
Anchor
While insurance companies here in China have been finding ways to avoid recouping the repair costs to vehicles damaged in natural disasters, at least one manufacturer is moving to try to help out its customers.
CRI's Liu Min explains.
Reporter
Liu Fang is a car owner living in Fujian Province; his car was destroyed by typhoon Fitow. According to the insurance company, he didn't purchase the water-log policy and he can't get any compensation for the engine damage.
"A car's engine is the major part of the vehicle—the most important part. But the insurance doesn't cover the waterlogged engine. This is so unfair. Can they still call it full-coverage vehicle insurance?"
As Fitow raged, the city of Wenzhou was reported to have more than 3000 cars submerged in water or hit by falling objects like trees or crashed walls. However, according to the People's Insurance Company of China, only 6 percent of the cars had water-log insurance; the rest of the cars were without protection, since those owners didn't buy the water-log policy.
Many car owners found it unfair.
"We are not insurance experts, but we can judge things based on the social consciousness and morality. We give so much money to these insurance companies--we are your customers. Now this natural disaster happens, and you don't compensate me. I think there are problems in this industry."
Zhu Yi is the Director of the Property Insurance Administrative Department of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission. She says the commission is working to protect policy holders' rights.
"The China Insurance Regulatory Commission is planning to set up a complaint hotline for consumers. We will set up a uniformed system to regulate the entire insurance industry on vehicle insurance policies and procedures."
But obviously, the action from the Insurance Regulatory Commission falls short of being any use to anyone.
Some car manufacturers have already taken actions to assist car owners and reduce their losses--Mercedes-Benz is one of them.
Nicholas Speeks is the President and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Corporation.
He says:
"Without our customers, we can't be a sustainable business. These are the people who placed trust in us, and we wanted to show our concern, and also try to help them in practical terms; and it's a recognition that everything we do in this country depends very much upon the good will and trust of our customers. So that's why we've been trying to help them, very small, but at this particular moment."
Usually car engine problem and broken glasses are not covered under the full-coverage policy. There are another up to 16 hidden additional policies to be added to get real full protection for one's car.
For CRI, I'm Liu Min.
 
 
China demands U.S. explanation on reported phone tapping
 
The Chinese government says its is 'seriously concerned' about new reports US intelligence has been tapping phone calls here in China.
The Chinese side is demaning an explanation.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"We urge foreign missions in China and their employees to strictly abide by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and other international conventions, and not to engage in any activities incompatible with their duties and status that may hurt China's national security and interests."
The comments come amid new reports the United States has about 80 intelligence collection sites worldwide, including in China.
The report says the U.S. embassy in Beijing, along with its consulates in Shanghai and Chengdu, are engaged in phone tapping.
The same reports also say intelligence agents are using their diplomatic status as a cover.
The US routinely provides its agents working abroad with diplomatic credintals.
 
 
Lawyer says Edward Snowden to start career in Russia soon
 
Former NSA analyist-turned whistleblower Edward Snowden is set to embark on a new career later on this Friday.
Snowden's lawyer has confirmed the 30-year old is set to start work at a "big Russian company" later today.
While his lawyer has refused to disclose exactly where Snowden will be working, Russian media is reporting Snowden may be at VKontakte.
This is a Russian version of Facebook.
The company's founder had previously offered Snowden a job after he gained his temporary asylum in Russia.
Meanwhile, Snowden's lawyer says his client is not going to comment on the current phone-tapping scandal his former employer, the US National Security Agency, is currently involved in.
Through information leaked by Snowden, revelations have begun surfacing of the NSA collecting the phone conversations of millions of Europeans.
The NSA is also accused of tapping the phones of numerous European leaders.
The head of the NSA has denied the allegations.
However, the reports have begun straining ties among the US and its European allies.
 
 
Iraqi PM warns terror comeback as he seeks U.S. arms
 
Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki is warning terrorism fueled by the civil war in neighboring Syria may spill into his country.
As such, al-Maliki is looking to procure U.S. arms to combat the rising insurgency in his country.
Maliki has made the revelation while speaking at the U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington.
"And, because if what happens in Iraq is not dealt with, it will expand, and what happens in Syria, if not dealt with, will also expand, and what happens in any country where the virus of terrorism lives, this virus will spread. But, we say this is the responsibility of the international community."
Maliki contends a power vacuum being created by the political turmoil in the Middle East has created a "second chance" for terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda, to exploit the situation.
 
 
24 killed, 87 wounded in violent attacks in Iraq
 
Another wave of violence across Iraq has left another two-dozen people dead.
The series of bombings on Thursday has left close to 90 others hurt.
A number of the bombings have taken place in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala, which has been the scene of an increasing amount of violence in recent weeks.
Diyala runs from eastern Baghdad to the Iranian border, and has been a hotspot for militant activity ever since the US-led invasion.
Iraq has been gripped in some of its worst violence since the height of the insurgency against US-led coalition forces in 2007.
Over 6-thousand Iraqis have been killed in violent attacks so far this year.
 
 
No date set for Syria conference
 
Anchor
As the wrangling to try to create an international conference on Syria continues, the effort to rid country of chemical weapons does remain on-track.
CRI's Li Jing with the details.
Report
The United Nations concedes there is still no date set yet for a planned conference on Syria, which has been tentatively set for sometime this month.
UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky does say the UN is working hard to try to drum up support for the proposed session.
He has confirmed UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi will be meeting with both US and Russian officials this coming Tuesday in Geneva to "take stock of the preparations."
Doubt has been cast about whether the proposed Geneva II conference will take place.
Despite diplomatic reproaches by various parties, the exiled Syrian opposition remains divided about whether to attend the meeting.
Factions within the group remain adamant the negotiations can only take place if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agrees to step down.
Assad is unwilling to do that.
At the same time, Assad himself says any political resolution can only be found once the international community stops arming the rebels.
As all this takes place, the Russian government has released a new statement, saying it will support anyone who has the popular support within Syria to be President.
But while the politics appears to be in stalemate, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says Syrian authorities have completed the destruction of the critical equipment it has used for producing chemical weapons.
OPCW spokesman Michael Luhan.
"The Syrian government has completed what we called functional destruction of its entire chemical weapons making apparatus and water mixing filling equipment for use for sarin gas, so it no longer has the capacity to manufacture new chemical weapons agents and has not the capacity to utilise the precursor binary chemicals for sarin gas and to load those into munitions."
At the same time, the Chinese government has confirmed two of its anti-chemical experts will be involved in the eventual destruction of the existing chemical weapon stockpiles in Syria.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun.
"They will head to Syria to join the mission of verification and destructing of Syria's chemical weapons, required by the OPCW. Next, the Chinese army will, according to the arrangement of the Chinese government, provide assistance to the mission within its capacity as required by the OPCW."
Under an agreement Syria has signed with the OPCW, Syria's entire stock of chemical weapons is scheduled to be destroyed by the middle of next year.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
 
 
Pakistani PM says talks with Taliban start
 
The Pakistani government says it's begun peace talks with the Taliban.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has made the revelation while meeting with British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in London.
However, the Taliban is denying the reports.
The Taliban is reportedly ruling out any direct reproach from Islamabad.
The militant group also says no government envoys have travelled to the tribal regions in northwestern Pakistan where the militant group is based.
 
 
Road extension links China's last county having no highway access
 
Anchor
A highway linking Medog, the last roadless county in China, with neighboring county in Tibet has formally opened to traffic, ending the county's isolation from the outside world.
CRI's Wu Yanping has more.
Reporter
Medog, a county in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, is the last of China's 21-hundred counties to be connected by a highway.
The 117-kilometer highway to Zhamog Township in the north of Medog will give locals easy access to the rest of the country.
Oyang Longmei, an express station owner, says she hopes the new highway will bring a better future for her business.
"When the highway opens and the mountain road to the county is not cut off, I think Medog will have great chance to develop."
Getting into and out of Medog used to be a dangerous journey.
Travellers had to climb two snow-capped mountains 4-thousand meters above sea level where landslides and collapses were frequent occurrences.
Local people called the rugged path out of Medog the "monkey road," as only people who were light and flexible like monkeys could make their way out of the mountains.
Project leader Zou Zongliang says the highway is crucial to improving transportation throughout China's western plateau region.
"During construction of the highway, we took advantage of advanced technology and the experience gained during the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. The highway is a landmark project in improving transportation in China's western plateau region."
Medog, which means "secret lotus" in Tibetan, is noted for both its scenery and weather.
Surrounded by mountains, it is humid and rich in resources.
In the 1960s, China started to construct the highway with a low-cost highway completed in 1994.
However, this was destroyed by mudslides one day after opening to traffic.
The highway cost 1.6-billion yuan, or about 263-million US dollars.
For CRI, I'm Wu Yanping.
 
 
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 declined again on Thursday as investors try to digest the Federal Reserve's latest policy statement.
When the market closed,
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.5 percent.
The S & P 500 lost 0.4 percent.
The Nasdaq shed 0.3 percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX was up 0.1 percent.
Despite the lower finish to October, the month has been positive in New York.
In October, the Dow advanced 2.8 percent, and the S&P 500 increased 4.5 percent while the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 3.9 percent.
On the economic front, the number of Americans who applied for jobless benefits last week decreased by 10-thousand from the previous week.
Moreover, the Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index for October has unexpectedly risen to 65.9 in October from 55.7 in the prior month, hitting its highest point since March 2011.
--
European stock markets moved mostly higher on Thursday.
Among country-specific indexes, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 broke a five-day winning streak, down 0.7 percent.
On the month, the index gained 4.2 percent.
France's CAC 40 rose 0.6 percent on Thursday supported by the banks.
The CAC 40 gained 3.8 percent in value for the month.
Germany's DAX climbed 0.3 percent, marking yet another an all-time closing high.
Germany's main index increased 5.1 percent through October.
 
 
China Cuts Oil Product Prices
 
Fuel prices are coming down slightly today here in China.
The average retail prices for gasoline and diesel is coming down by 0.06 yuan per liter.
As part of the current pricing system, Chinese authorities have to adjust domestic prices if the average price of crude oil changes by at least 50 yuan per metric ton over ten working days.
 
 
China Approves CNY 5.3 Bn RQFII Quota and USD 1.0 Bn QFII Quota in October
 
New stats show Chinese authorities authorized 5.3 billion yuan worth of investment quotas for Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors in October.
This bring the overall RQFII quota to just under 140-billion yuan.
In addition, just over a billion US dollars worth of investment quotas have been granted to six Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors in October.
This year's QFII quota has now reached 48.5-billion US dollars.
Meanwhile the State Administration of Foreign Exchange is also allowing one Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor to invest some 1.2-billion US dollars in overseas markets.
114 so-called QDII's have been allowed to invest some 81-billion US dollars overseas as of the end of October.
 
 
Corp News w Doug
 
Anchor
Let's check in with some of the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
Doug Young joins me on the line.
He's an associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
[China Construction Bank In Talks To Buy Brazil's BicBanco]
Internal sources reveal that China's No.2 lender China Construction Bank is in advance talks to buy Brazilian lender Banco Industrial e Commercial.
BicBanco has a market value of 778 million US dollars after its shares rose 62 percent after takeover reports emerged in local media.
Talking points:
--How well positioned the Chinese lenders in the Latin American financial market till now or why now?
--Brazil has long been one of the hot spots of China's Foreign Direct Investment, how do you see the financial collaboration will benefit infrastructure investment projects between the two countries?
--If successful, it will be CCB's first major global M&A deal, do you think this is a signal that domestic focused Chinese lenders are beginning to looking abroad for business? As Agricultural Bank of China is also reportedly in talks with a Hong Kong bank.
--What do you think now are the strategy for the big-4 banks here in China in terms of competing on a global stage? Do they have differentiations despite the aggressive purchasing deals inked, particularly ICBC?
[Alibaba to Pay User Data Fees for Mobile Taobao, Laiwang]
Alibaba, China's e-commerce giant, is offering free data packages that will allow customers to shop with their cell phones or tablets.
It announced that China Mobile users in Guangdong and China Unicom users in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Hunan will have free access to up to 2 gigabytes in November and December.
Mobile users in those areas can apply for the data package when using Alibaba's apps for the company's Taobao Marketplace, Tmall.com, Laiwang and Alipay.
Talking Points
--We know that 2 of the most internet flow spenders go to social media interaction and mobile games. So how much of an impact will this free offer by Alibaba actually boost its mobile shopping traffic or how attractive is this package?
--Speaking of the platform which Alibaba has emphases, Laiwang, it seems like a rival to Tencent's WeChat, what's your opinion on the new app, in terms of market position?
And the app do have some features like burn after reading, interest groups, does it more of a social networking platform or a business heavy e-commerce bazaar?
---How do you think Alibaba will enable its advantages to help floating the new Laiwang?
Back Anchor
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters
 
 
U.S. Senate GOP blocks Obama's pick to head housing agency
 
Senate Republicans have blocked US President Barack Obama's nominee to take over the Federal Housing Financial Agency.
Obama had tapped current Democratic Congressman Mel Watt to take over the FHFA from Edward DeMarco.
DeMarco has been the interim head of the US Housing Authority since 2009.
Republicans want DeMarco to remain in the position, as he's already been involved in the effort to shrink mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The GOP argues DeMarco is better-suited to help the US government divest out of the two firms, as he's a technocrat.
Mel Watt is a career politician.
Lawmakers in the US have been debating whether to divest out of Fannie and Freddie.
The US government had to prop up the two mortgage giants with billions of dollars of public money to avert the entire collapse of the US housing market during the height of the economic turmoil in 2009.
While the US government is still owed billions from the two firms, Fannie and Freddie are well on their way to repaying their public loans.
 
 
US aviation authorities approve use of electronic devices aboard commercial flights
 
US authorities are making changes to their airport safety rules to allow air travelers to use most electronic devices throughout commercial flights.
Michael Huerta is the head of the US Federal Aviation Administration.
"I am pleased to announce that airlines can safely expand passenger use of portable electronic devices during all phases of flight. In some instances of low visibility, about one percent of all flights, some landing systems may not be proven to tolerate the interference. In those cases, passengers may be asked to turn off devices. "
However, the FAA is maintaining its restrictions on mobile phone calls.
Under the new rules, airlines can allow passengers to use electronic devices during takeoffs and landings.
"Well I think for a business traveler it's a convenience, but at the end of the day you got to trust somebody, on good faith that the rules are made the right way so I adhere to them. If that's my smallest inconvenience in life I think I'll be okay."
Most new airliners are expected to meet the criteria, but the changes won't happen immediately.
Internet connections, email exchanges, texts or downloads will still be prohibited below 10 thousand feet.
 
 
Eurozone jobless rate remains at record high of 12.2 pct in September
 
The jobless rate in the euro area has remained at the record high through September.
The European Union Stats office is reporting the unemployment rate has stood at 12.1 percent in September, which is unchanged from August's reading.
This is the highest level of unemployment in some 9-years in the eurozone.
Meanwhile, the jobless rate for the wider EU region sits at 11-percent.
This translates to around 27-million people in the EU being out of work.
5.6 million of them are under the age of 25.
Greece tops the jobless figures at 27.6 percent, followed by Spain at 26.6 percent.
 
 
Eurozone's CPI down to 4-year low in September
 
Inflation in much of Europe is on the decline.
New stats show the inflation rate in the eurozone is expected to decline to 0.7 percent in October.
The CPI for the countries that use the Euro came in at 1.1 percent in September, marking the lowest level of price growth in some 4-years.
The price of food, alcohol and tobacco are up 1.9 percent year on year in October.
Service prices have increased 1.2-percent on an annualized basis.
But at the same time, non-energy industrial goods prices are only up 0.4 percent month on month.
The cost of energy industrial goods is down 1.7 percent in October compared to the previous month.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China firmly opposes, combats terrorism: FM spokesperson
 
The Chinese government is offering up a new response to this week's terrorist attack in the heart of Beijing.
Chinese authorities are now describing the attack in front of Tian'anmen on Monday as a -quote- "a rigorously planned, organised, premeditated, violent terrorist attack."
Three people, believed to be members of the ethnic Uyghur population from Xinjiang, plowed their vehicle into the crowds of tourists infront of the Tian'anmen Gate in central Beijing on Monday, then lit their vehicle on fire.
The attack left 5-dead, including the attackers and two bystanders.
So far 5 people have been arrested in connection with allegedly helping plan the deadly assault.
 
 
No date set for Geneva conference on Syria: UN spokesman
 
The United Nations conceeds there is still no date set yet for a planned conference on Syria, which has been tentatively set for sometime this month.
UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky does say the UN is working hard to try to drum up support for the proposed session.
He has confirmed UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi will be meeting with both US and Russian officials this coming Tuesday in Geneva to "take stock of the preparations."
Doubt has been cast recently about whether the proposed Geneva II conference will take place, given the stated positions of both the Syrian government and Syrian opposition.
 
 
Severe storm lashes large part of Texas
 
A strong storm has been lashing parts of the southern US state of Texas.
Heavy rains and powerful winds have been pounding parts of central and southwestern Texas.
This has created flash flooding and power outages across many parts of the state.
The flooding in the state capital of Austin has forced a number of people from their homes.
Houston has also been hit by heavy rains, sending a number of local creeks over their banks.
So far no fatalities or major injuries have been reported because of the storms.
 
 
U.S. brings in tech giants to help fix Obamacare website
 
Three US tech companies are putting their reputations on the line to try to help out the Obama administration.
Administration officials have confirmed techs from Oracle, Google and Red Hat are now working with the US government to try to fix the government's Obamacare website.
The rush on the system, on top of just 2-weeks of testing before its rollout on October 1st, has left healthcare.gov virtually cripped.
 
 
Chinese foreign minister visits former French president Chirac
 
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has made a stop-off in Paris to visit "an old friend" of China.
Wang Yi has met with former French President Jacques Chriac.
The Chinese foreign minister has described the 81-year old Chriac as a "long-time good friend" of China.
During his time in office, Chriac forged tight ties with former Chinese leaders Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao.
He made several trips to China, often taking time to take special tours to see this country's historical relics.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Governments vow to enhance security
Summary
Central security authorities are making a new promise to enhance the protection of medical workers.
The statement is in response to an incident last week which saw a doctor in Zhejiang stabbed to death by one of his patients.
His death has caused national outcry about violence against doctors.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Parking spot purge
Summary
Authorities in Beijing's Chaoyang district have cleared over 4-thousand illegal parking spots.
Many of the spots cost 10 yuan per hour.
As a result of the purge, district officials claim they will be able to add another 20-thousand parking spots both over- and under-ground.
GUANGZHOU DAILY
Headline
Guangzhou to trial on waste disposal fees
Summary
In an attempt to better handle waste in the city, the city of Guangzhou is brining in a new set of waste disposal fees.
The cost to homeowners will depend on how much garbage they throw away.
However, the exact details are still under discussion.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Gas prices coming down
Summary
Fuel prices are coming down slightly today.
Both regular gasoline and diesel prices are coming down around 6-fen per litre.
While it won't mean much for drivers, move is required of the government under its current pricing scheme.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Bomb threat arrest
Summary
A suspect is in custody after calling in a bomb threat to Changsha's airport in Hunan.
The threat forced the emergency landing of two planes and delayed the departure of two others.
This is second false-alarm phoned into the airport in Changsha this week.
This past weekend, someone called in a report a number of airplanes arriving in Changsha were carrying dangerous chemicals.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Gansu city banning GM seeds
Summary
The city of Zhangye in Gansu has reportedly banned the use of genetically modified seeds.
Experts quoted in the article say the ban is at odds with regulations from the central government.
They also say the move is unwise, as GM foods can increase earnings for farmers.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Vaccine gets WHO nod for global use
Summary
A vaccine manufactured by the Chengdu Institute of Biological Products has received WHO pre-qualification.
Its expected the vaccine will eventually be used to immunize children in South Asia against Japanese encephalitis, which is potentially deadly.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
China's Courtship with Raw Oysters
 
Anchor
A growing number of so-called Oyster Festivals are popping up here in Beijing, as raw oysters are becoming an increasingly popular delicacy here in China.
CRI's Lucy Du explains.
Reporter
Briney, creamy, sweet, fresh….the oyster has for thousands of years epitomized the essence of the ocean.
A single oyster filters up to 10 litres of water per minute and the mineral composition, salinity, temperature, pH and algea content of the habitat all goes into orchestrating the taste of each little sea creature.
Whilst cooked oysters are a well-established staple in the cuisine of China's coastal regions, demand for the raw stuff on a half shell is rallying.
Beijing's Hatsune restaurant has been running its very own Oysterfest since 2011.
Flying in from Toronto for Wednesday's festivities is Patrick McMurray, the Guinness World Record Holder for shucking, or de-shelling oysters at 38 per minute.
For McMurray, oysters are more than just a tasty treat.
"Oyster mussel and Clams, the top three sustainable sources of protein for humans to eat. They filter phytoplankton out of the water. Which clarifies the water and makes plants grow and the whole works. And they're packed with algea, great protein source and source of zinc. Great for humans to eat its excellent stuff for you."
Putting on a display of his shucking skills, the seasoned shucking champion explained his oysterlosophy.
"It's a sport like curling is a sport where you get to drink beer and wine whilst you're competing at the same time. It steadies the hand."
This year, the festival included seven types of oysters from France, New Zealand, Australia
China is a major oyster producer, yielding over 3.6 million tonnes as of 2010.
Raw oysters are the most nutritious, but they also pose the risk of potentially lethal bacterial infections.
Saftey issues have domestic consumers looking overseas for raw oyster produce.
Andy Wong is the owner of Hatsune,
"Chinese oysters haven't matured to the point where they are extremely clean and fresh and sustainable. They don't have the method to produce extremely clean oysters."
Earlier this year, the China Daily reported that a sample of oysters in Guangzhou contained up to 20 times the legally stipulated levels of the metal cadmium, a common industrial byproduct.
Environmental threats are a global concern.
The 2010 BP oil spill continues to harm the oyster industry in the Gulf of Mexico but the dangers are not limited to industrial accidents.
McMurray says the increase in demand for oyster coincides with escalating risks posed by environmental change.
"When you see something like the BP oil spill, 70% of the area were affected but 30% were not. You worry about that type of thing all the time. Look at what's happening with Japan as well. We are finding radiation which is going to flow to British Colombia. I am also looking at greenhouse gases and the acidification of ocean waters. Greenhouse gases get into the water and the first thing that goes is exoskeletal invertebrates. Shelled creatures. Oysters will get soft and they won't be able to grow."
Humans have been feasting on oysters for over 2000 years. Aphrodite entered the world on an oyster shell, Casanova reportedly ate 50 for breakfast.
All great loves require nurture, and sustaining the world's long love affair with oysters means prioritizing ocean protection sooner rather than later.
For CRI, I am Lucy
 
 
Sports
 
 
Wawrinka, Ferrer, Djokovic, and Federer through to quarterfinals at Paris Masters
 
In tennis,
The battle for quarterfinal slots was on during day four at the Paris Masters.
Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Nicolas Almagro to advance to the final eight. That victory also means the Swiss player still has a shot at qualifying for the ATP finals.
David Ferrer is through after beating Gills Simon of France.
Novak Djokovic dropped the first set in a tiebreak to the USA's John Isner, but the former world number one came back and cleaned up with the next two sets 6-1, 6-2.
And Roger Federer, another former world number one, defeated German player Philip Kohlschreiber in two sets, 6-3, 6-4.
That win set Federer up for another clash with Juan Martin del Potro, who beat him at the Swiss Indoors just last week.
---------------------------------------
And Britain's number one Andy Murray spoke about his return from injury yesterday.
"Well, I'm planning on going to Miami to train over there in a few weeks. But in terms of getting back on the match court, that depends on how my body responds to getting back on the tennis court, which, you know, I'll have a better idea in the next couple of weeks."
The two-time grand slam winner had surgery in September for the back problems that plagued him during the 2012 clay-court season.
 
 
Red Sox manager John Farrell says World Series title is for the people of Boston
 
In major league baseball,
For anyone who did not catch the results of yesterday's world series game six, the Boston Red Sox won the game and the world title along with it.
The Red Sox beat the Cardinals 6-1 at Fenway Park for their first world series title win at home since 1912.
Red Sox manager John Farrell said the win fulfilled the duty he thought his team owed to the people of Boston, after their city was shattered by the marathon bombing.
"In a time of need, in response to a tragedy, you know, I go back to our players understanding their place in this city. They kind of, for lack of a better way to describe it, they get it. They get that there's, I think, a civil responsibility that we have wearing this uniform - particularly here in Boston//I'm sure that everybody in our uniform they'll look back on the events that took place and the way things unfolded as a special year. There's no way we can say it any other way."
It was a remarkable turnaround for the Red Sox, who were rated as a 30-1 underdog to win the title last winter. Now they have the distinction of being one of only two teams to win the world series just one season after finishing in last place.
 
 
Chicago Bulls to host New York Knicks
 
In the NBA,
The Chicago Bulls are looking to bounce back from their season opening loss to the Miami Heat when they host the New York Knicks this morning. Tip off is at 8am.
And also later today, the Golden State Warriors will take on one of their California rivals the LA Clippers, who also opened the season with a loss to the Lakers.
 
 
French clubs boycott matches over impending supertax
 
In football,
The French football league is in commotion over the government's proposed "super tax".
The French government wants to institute a 75 percent tax on those earning an annual salary of more than one million euros, footballers included.
Ligue 1 clubs are upset because they figure the tax would lead to a loss of about 108 million euros at the end of the season, since the brunt of the financial responsibility would have to be shouldered by the clubs rather than the players.
Footballing bodies have threatened a strike in Ligue 1 and 2 as a protest against the tax. The last time matches were suspended for a strike was back in 1972.
 
 
Formula One drivers look ahead to this weekend's Abu Dhabi GP
 
In Formula One,
Drivers are getting ready for the seventeenth round at this weekend's Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel has already wrapped up the title, but the race for second and third is still on.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso currently holds a 24 point lead over third place Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus.
"Well I think we need to be realistic, knowing that we didn't have the chance this year to fight for the championship, in the beginning of the year we were a little bit closer, but then we were not quick enough and we are fighting now for all the targets, which are the constructors' championship, the second place in the drivers' as well, which is obviously not the main priority when we started the season, but is still a good target to achieve and a good thing for the team."
The Abu Dhabi circuit has held four races, and only once has a driver won it starting from pole position. That was Vettel back in 2010.
 
 
Rory McIlroy has a strong start at Shanghai's WGC-HSBC Champions
 
In golf,
Rory McIlroy opened his WGC-HSBC Champions campaign in Shanghai with a seven under par round of 65 for a two shot lead.
"Yeah it was good. I played very well, controlled my ball very well for the first twelve or thirteen holes. Hit a couple of loose shots coming in that I got away with but it was nice to birdie one of the last couple to shoot seven under. Great start to the tournament and right where I want to be."
Phil Mickelson was looking strong, but had a severe setback on the eighth hole, where he ended up in the water twice, wasting nine strokes on the par five.
Defending champion Ian Poulter also struggled and only managed an opening round of one-under par 71.
 
 
England looks ahead to weekend test against Wallabies
 
In rugby,
England will host Australia tomorrow in a test match at Twickenham.
Lee Dickson will be starting at scrum half despite it being only his tenth cap for England.
But head coach Stuart Lancaster defended the lineup decision, saying his starting 15 were chosen strictly based on current form.
"I think form has always been the overriding factor in selection for me to be honest. Lee Dickson's got a lot of credit in the bank with me, this is his tenth cap now in about 18 internationals I've been involved with. At the start of the season in a competitive position, he's the one that's really shined for me so, difficult decision for me because we've got quality scrum halves in Danny Care and Ben Youngs but on form, and form along, I think Lee nudges it."
Australia is desperately in need of a win this weekend, especially a win on English soil.
The Wallabies lost their test series to the visiting British and Irish Lions 2-1 this summer, and then went on to lose four of their six rugby championship games.
Also, the New Zealand All Blacks are in Tokyo this weekend for a test against Japan.
For the Japanese squad facing the Kiwis has always been something like facing Goliath. In their two previous tests, the All Blacks destroyed Japan 145-17 and 83-7.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
The Prodigy to headline Snowbombing 2014
 
(Prodigy)
The Prodigy have been announced as the headliners for next year's Snowbombing festival.
The legendary Austrian sports and music festival will be taking over the ski resort of Mayrhofen in April of next year.
Joining the lineup are British electronic duo the Chemical Brothers
(Chemical Brothers)
The Grammy award winning band said that they were very excited to perform at such a unique event.
Snowbombing boasts proximity to fifty pools and saunas, all against the wonderful alpine backdrop.
Since kicking off in 2000, the week long evemt has featured musical heavyweights like Fatboy Slim, Pendulum and Dizzee Rascal.
Rounding up the lineup this year are Mercury nominees Rudimental, Drum and Bass masters Chast and Status as well as dance establishment Groove Armada.
Snowbombing 2014 will run from April 7th to 12th in Mayrhofen, Austria.
 
 
Addams Family return in Animation form
 
(Addams Family)
It has been announced that The Addams Family are to return for a reboot, but this time in animated form.
The famously creepy clan are set to be produced by Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun, with the graphics closely based on the original cartoons by Charles Addams.
Addams created the single panel cartoons featuring the spooky seven way back in 1938 and the series was published in the New Yorker until Addams' death some 50 years later.
The characters have inspired TV shows, two films and a Broadway musical since its conception, with probably the most famous interpretation being the 1991 film starring Christina Ricci as Wednesday.
"Corpse Bride" writer Pamela Pettler will be penning the screenplay and whilst the project is still in its early stages of development, this is definitely a space to watch.
 
 
Paulina Garcia talks Golden Bear win with "Gloria"
 
(Gloria)
An unconventional story line, compelling characters and unexpected twists - the ingredients for an intriguing film and "Gloria" has all these.
The Chilean-Spanish drama is landing in cinemas after working the festival circuit, winning star Paulina Garcia the Golden Bear for Best Actress at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
Directed by Sebastian Lelio, the story follows Gloria, a 58 year old divorcee who plunges into dating and partying only to be left feeling empty and lost.
That is until she meets a 65 year old ex-navy officer and begins a love affair that throws up a new set of challenges.
Garcia says that she worked hard to get under the character's skin.
"It's interesting because I don't like to transform myself for acting but anyway, every time that I work I transform my whole body. It's not that I use make-up or change my hair or something too much. I think, as I was working from the very beginning I tried to understand how she waits in life, do you understand that? How she walks in life, the wait is very important for me because it's something very different from my way of walking in life."
The film has been widely praised for its intimate and honest portrayal of a middle aged woman's pursuit of happiness, a topic often left unaddressed on the big screen in the warm, compelling way Lelio manages.
"Gloria" has been chosen as the offocial Chilean entry for the 86th Academy Awards and the film opens at UK cinemas today.
 
 
First ever Russian 3D film arrives in Chinese Cinemas
 
(Stalingrad)
More news on World Cinema and Russian war epic "Stalingrad" has arrived in cinemas here in China
Back in 1993 audiences were treated to a German film by the same name which saw the brutal battle through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland.
Now, two decades later, the story is told through the Russian side with the addition of IMAX 3D technology.
The first Russian film completely produced with 3D technology, the film focuses on the battlefield friendship between five Soviet soldiers who are desperately defending a strategically vital apartment building against far-better armed Nazi occupiers.
The film is partly based on Vasily Grossman's acclaimed 1959 novel, "Life and Fate", which was suppressed by the Soviets and only published in the perestroika era.
Made with a budget of $30 million, the film has been selected as the Russian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards.
 
 
 
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
The Chinese government is offering new comments and a new characterization of Monday's deadly suicide attack in front of Tian'anmen.
Relief supplies are being organized following a strong earthquake yesterday in northeast China.
The Chinese government is demanding answers from the US following reports its embassy and consulates here in China have been tapping Chinese phones.
In Business.... fuel prices are coming down here in China.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing, hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together!