zGuangzhou Evergrande, the triple Chinese Super League champions under the rein of world famous coach Marcello Lippi of Italy, made history of winning the AFC Champions League title for China for the first time in Guangzhou on Saturday.

It is also the first time for a Chinese club to stand on the Asian top podium since China introduced professional soccer 20 years ago. 

In the second leg of the final, Guangzhou Evergrande tied FC Seoul 1-1 at home, taking the trophy on away goal advantage (first leg: 2-2).

Lippi, who had directed Italy to win the 2006 World Cup and coached Juventus to claim the Euro Champions League title, became the world's first coach to collect both European and Asian club crowns.

 

China issues higher Typhoon alert as Haiyan nears

China issued a level three emergency response Saturday to prevent damage from the approaching Typhoon Haiyan.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters urged provinces of Hainan and Guangdong as well as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to keep a close eye on Haiyan and upgrade their precautions. 

All fishing boats were urged to return to ports by noon on Saturday. .

Haiyan, the 30th and strongest typhoon to hit China this year, arrived at the eastern area of South China Sea Satuday evening after having wreaked havoc in the Philippines. It has left at least 138 people dead, while over four million people were affected in the Philippines.

 

China's inflation grows 3.2 pct in October

China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, grew 3.2 percent year on year in October, up from 3.1 percent in September according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The NBS data also showed China's producer price index, which measures inflation at the wholesale level, fell 1.5 percent in October from a year ago

 

Iran urges powers not to miss "exceptional opportunity" in Geneva talks

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has urged world major powers not to miss the "exceptional opportunity" for a deal with Iran in ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva. 

He said in Tehran that his country has participated in the Geneva talks with determined and positive will, adding Iran is ready to address the logical concerns over its nuclear program.

Rouhani emphasized that any kind of suspension and sanction against Iran is not instrumental for solving the nuclear problem but will complicate the process.

He said Iran believes that "the only solution to the problem is dialog based on respect and mutual trust.

 

U.S., Israel lose voting rights for failing to resume funding: UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced Saturday that the United States and Israel lost their voting rights at the organization for not paying due contributions since November 2011.

The United States and Israel stopped to pay their dues to the UN cultural organization in protest of UNESCO's decision to accept Palestine as its 195th member.

Israel denies involvement in Arafat death

Israel has strongly rejected Palestinian claims that it assassinated former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Israel's denial comes after a report from Swiss forensic experts that said Arafat was likely to have been poisoned with the radioactive substance polonium.

 

China opens key party session, reform tops agenda

The Communist Party of China (CPC) kicked off a key meeting i Beijing on Saturday, with a discussion on comprehensively deepening reform top on the agenda.

The four-day Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee will deliberate on a draft decision of the CPC Central Committee on "major issues concerning comprehensively deepening reforms." 

The document, which pools the wisdom of the whole Party and from all aspects, has been widely expected as a tone-setter for the world's second-largest economy to advance the reform that has lasted for more than three decades.

 

China reports 4th H7N9 case since Sept.

A 64-year-old farmer in east China's Zhejiang Province has been confirmed to have contracted H7N9 bird flu, bringing the total number of avian influenza cases in China to four this autumn.

China had reported 134 cases by the end of August, with 45 fatalities, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

 

Discipline watchdog launches poll on clean government

The discipline watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has launched an online poll to gather opinions on anti-corruption work and the construction of a clean government.

The survey is being conducted on the website of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and respondents can submit answers to six questions by registering only their age and profession. 

The CPC leadership considers corruption one of the most pressing and serious problems that the Party must solve.