The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Paul James with you on this Monday, September 16th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening.
The US, France and the UK have agreed to put forward a new UN resolution to ensure the Syrian government gives up its chemical weapons stocks.
Australia's new Prime Minister has unveiled his new cabinet line-up.
Prosecutors in Beijing are calling for the death penalty for the man accused of killing a little girl in a dispute over a parking spot.
In Business, we'll tell you how the markets have reacted to word one of Obama's former top advisors will not be in the running to take over at the US Federal Reserve.
In Sports, Peyton has won this round of the battle of the Manning brothers in the National Football League.
In Entertainment, Bob Newhart finally has an Emmy statuette to add to his mantelpiece.
Weather
Beijing will have showers tonight with a low of 18 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow light rain with a high temperature of 23.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 22, sunny tomorrow, with a high of 29.
Lhasa will be cloudy tonight, 9 degrees the low, also cloudy tomorrow with a high of 21.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, with a high of 32.
Kabul, sunny, 29.
Over in Australia
Sydney, rainy, highs of 24.
Canberra, rainy, 17.
Brisbane, thundershowers, 27.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 16.
Top News
US, UK and France agree to new UN resolution on Syria
The United States, France and the UK have agreed to issue a tough new United Nations resolution on Syria.
The resolution will be designed to try to put additional pressure on the Syrian government to handover its chemical weapons to the international community.
The UN resolution will also call on Syria to grant immediate access for UN weapons inspectors.
Speaking at a news conference in Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry says non-compliance should not an option for the Syrian government.
"takes away from Assad one of the tools that he has been using against the opposition, against the people of his country, to subjugate, oppress their aspirations for freedom and for opportunity and for a role in the governance of their country. That will be taken away from him. And that will, therefore, make the opposition safer."
Kerry also says the US side is maintaining the option of military intervention if the Syrian government doesn't comply with the resolutions.
The new united-front among the US, France and the UK comes despite pledges by the Syrian government to hand over its chemical weapons stocks to the international community.
Meanwhile, UN inspectors are reportedly due to release their report later this Monday on the alleged use of chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus last month.
That alleged attack reportedly left over 14-hundred people dead.
Australia's new PM unveiled his cabinet
Australia's new Prime Minister has unveiled his new cabinet.
Tony Abbott has only made minor changes to his opposition line-up.
"It is I believe one of the most experienced incoming ministries in our history, and I think it's important to have experience as you move from opposition to government. Our task, as you know, is to purposefully, methodically, calmly implement the commitments that we made to the Australian people in the election and to respond intelligently to the events of the day and I believe this is a team more than up for that task."
One of the early tests the new Australian government will be whether to allow a proposed 2.7-billion US dollar takeover of bulk grain handler GrainCorp by a US company.
Abbott admits many lawmakers are uneasy about allowing foreign access to Australia's agribusiness.
"I also want people here and abroad to understand that Australia welcomes foreign investment. It's got to be the right foreign investment, it's got to be foreign investment which is in our national interest. But one thing we can't do is build walls against the world. If we build walls against the world, the world may very well build walls against us and we don't want that to happen."
Abbott, who campaigned on being focused on Asia, says his first international visit will be to Indonesia to talk with authorities there about asylum seekers.
South Korean workers return as SKorea and NKorea factory reopens
The Kaesong industrial complex jointly run by North and South Korea has reopened for a trial run.
Some 800 South Korean workers have returned to their jobs at the industrial park.
"We would exchange greetings to each other, because we're glad to see each other, and we will try to cooperate and do our best."
"I am very happy that the Kaesong Industrial Complex is reopened and that I can go there again. I am glad that I am able to work again, and hope all works out well in the future."
Seoul's Unification Ministry says operations at the industrial park will resume sometime after the trial run.
The complex was shut down by the North 5-months ago.
The two sides agreed to reopen the park last week after several rounds of talks.
It is located just north of the heavily armed border separating the two Koreas.
Kaesong Industrial Complex was established in 2004.
It employs some 54-thousand North Korean workers, and is one of the only sources for hard-currency for North Korea.
Seoul, Pyongyang exchange final lists for family reunion
Seoul and Pyongyang have exchanged the final lists for planned family reunions.
The Korea National Red Cross says 96 South Koreans can participate in the event, which is scheduled to run for 6-days at the Panmujom Truce Village starting on Wednesday of next week.
Pyongyang is allowing 100 people from its side to visit family members from the South.
Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to restart the family reunions in August at the request of South Korea's President.
Family reunions had been part of the reconciliation process between the North and the South for nearly a decade from 2000.
However, the reunions were cancelled in 2010 amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Japan issues heavy rain warnings due to typhoon
Meteorological authorities in Japan have issued heavy rain alerts for parts of central Japan following a severe tropical storm making landfall earlier this Monday.
Hiroshi Yokoyama is the chief of Japan's Weather Prediction Division.
"We have issued an emergency warning of heavy rains for Shiga, Kyoto and Fukui prefectures. And it is potentially expected to worsen as the day goes on. In these regions this is an unprecedented heavy rainfall. Please take the necessary precautions to protect yourself."
Man-Yi has already left 3 people missing and close to 30 others hurt.
Flood and gale warnings are now in effect.
Man-Yi is packing winds of over 160-kilometers per hour.
The storm is forecast to continue to roll through central Japan before running out of steam near Japan's northern island of Hokkaido early Tuesday morning.
Over 320-thousand homes have been warned they may be forced to evacuate.
Man-Yi has also forced the cancellation of over 500 flights.
Death toll in Mexico's rainstorms rises to 21
Mexico is being pounded by severe weather on both sides of the country.
The combination of Hurricane Ingrid and Tropical Storm Manuel have already left 21 people dead.
The stronger of the two, Ingrid, is currently churning in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to make landfall in central Mexico overnight.
It's bringing with it storm surges of between 3 to 5 meters, which forecasters are warning could create heavy destruction along Mexico's east coast.
This has prompted authorities to evacuate thousands from their homes.
"We are safe, but now we don't know what is going to happen because when the flow starts to decrease, it drags everything with force."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Manuel has been downgraded to a tropical depression as it makes landfall on Mexico's southwest.
However, it's still dropping heavy rain along the country's coastal regions.
The stormy conditions have also prompted some communities to cancel the country's Independence Day celebrations for Sunday and Monday.
The same area was hit by another tropical storm last week, leaving 13 people dead.
Death toll in S. Philippine crisis jumps to 62
The death toll from the over-week-long standoff in the southern Philippines has reached 62.
Philippine authorities say most of those killed are members of the Moro National Liberation Front movement.
This is the group that stormed the city of Zamboanga, taking close to 200 locals hostage.
6 Philippine military and police officers, as well as 5 citizens, are also among the dead.
Authorities also say over 60 of the rebels have either surrendered or have been captured in the standoff.
The battle began after government troops prevented the group from raising its flag at City Hall in Zamboanga.
The rebels contend this represents a violation of the recent peace accords which has granted additional autonomy to Muslims in the region.
Engineers start to raise wrecked cruise liner off Italian island
Engineers have begun the process of trying to remove the Costa Concordia cruise ship from the coast of Tuscany.
The salvage operation is one of the most complex and costly operations ever attempted.
The 290-meter-long cruise ship has been laying on its side for more than 20-months off a small island along the Italian coast after it capsized after hitting rocks near the shore.
Engineers are trying to right the ship and float it, despite the 70-meter gash along its hull.
The final price-tag is expected to come in at around one-billion US dollars.
Environmentalists are concerned the salvage operation could break the ship apart, potentially spilling tons of toxic waste into the sea.
32-people were killed in the accident.
The Capitan of the ship is facing manslaughter charges after failing to call for an evacuation in a timely manner.
He also abandoned the ship before all the others managed to get off.
China's First Tourism Law Carry Out on 1 October
Anchor:
Tour prices at travel agencies here in China are on the rise ahead of the launch of this country's new tourism law, which is set to take effect October 1st.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter:
People that are interested in tours may have found great differences in tour fares before and after October 1st. The increase for international tours is 50 percent, while prices for domestic tours are up by between 20 and 30 percent. So does the rise have something to do with the enforcement of the new law? Li Lei is a deputy director of the Policy and Legal Department of China National Toursim Adminstration, or CNTA.
"Travel agencies attract tourists by offering prices lower than the actual costs of services; before taking them shopping in designated malls or participating in traveling activities with extra charges. These profiteering strategies compensate costs incurred for what are generally known as 'Fare Free Tours'. Their twisted management style goes against the laws of a market economy and will also negatively impact and harm tourism in a healthy market."
Li adds that the tourism law will ban Fare Free Tours, which will cause initial tour prices to rise. However, the rise is a normal reflection of the elimination of 'hidden rules' in the tourism market and a rational return to standardized management.
The thing that worries Chinese tourists most is the hidden costs, like forced purchases and other extra charges. No effective system has been established for addressing these complaints once they are encountered by tourists. Liu Xiaojun, Director of the Policy and Legal Department of the CNTA, says that such costs will become transparent with the enforcement of the new law.
"The old hidden and unfair costs will be brought from the underground to the surface, and the old illegal income will go public under legal management. Consumers will be able to see where their money goes. This is a rational return, rather than a price rise."
Liu Xiaojun suggests tourists should spend their money wisely and not fall for tricky purchases or participate in travel schemes with extra charges.
Jiang Tianbo is the Secretary General of the China Consumers Association.
"Tourists should be careful with low prices. Some people think 'the cheaper the better' and take prices as their criterion for tour choices. But there is no such thing as a free lunch. So tourists must be careful when signing contracts. Read carefully through every item and keep a rational mindset."
Staffers from the National Tourism Administration say that, among the severe competition between a total of 26 thousand agencies around the country, rising prices will also mean the loss of consumers. Most agencies will not try to make things worse.
The administration also stresses that it will investigate illegal business conduct, such as foisting tourists with increased prices to make up losses.
For CRI, this is Lucy Du.
Beijing court hears baby-killer case
Prosecutors here in Beijing are recommending a death sentence for the man accused of killing a young girl over a parking dispute with the child's mother.
Prosecutors in the case note that Han Lei allegedly committed the crime less than a year after being released from jail for a different offense.
His trial began today in Beijing.
Han Lei is accused of getting into an argument over a parking space with the child's mother on July 23rd in southern Beijing.
In a rage, Han allegedly grabbed the girl, who was nearly 3-years old, and slammed her to the ground.
The girl died of her injuries a few days later.
Han Lei was arrested a few days after the incident after fleeing the scene.
The man who allegedly helped him escape later turned himself in.
Prosecutors are recommending he be sentenced to 2-years in jail for harboring a fugitive.
No verdict has been delivered in either case.
The cars of tomorrow at Frankfurt Motor Show
Anchor:
"Concepts cars" are hitting the floor at the ongoing Frankfurt motor show, showing off their outlandish features and futuristic designs.
And as CRI's Hu Jia reports, at least one of the vehicles has been designed specifically for the Chinese market.
Reporter:
Among the 70 world premieres at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show, new cars powered by batteries or hybrid gas-electric systems with flaunting technology are the shiniest and hottest.
Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan, is launching its "Friend-Me" concept car, targeting the young Chinese urbanite: single, male and enjoys driving around at night with a car-full of friends.
Etienne Henry is the vice-president of product planning for Nissan.
"It is essentially targeted at the Chinese market in terms of size, proportion. This is a sedan, but this is a very modern sedan. That's what we wanted to investigate with Friend-Me."
Linking the car to the Internet, smart phones or GPS services is billed as a theme of the show.
Car manufacturers in the US and Europe are testing technology that will allow automobiles to communicate with each other and the surrounding infrastructure.
Mercedes calls it "car-to-x communication." The new technology will warn drivers when an overturned truck is near and issue alerts when you're heading into oncoming traffic well before you're in the thick of it.
2015 may be a more likely date to experience this tech firsthand, but Citroen has confirmed that its concept car, the Citroen Cactus, will be ready for production by next year.
Based on the Citroen C-line, the first version of Cactus will come with air capsules on the sides, front and rear to protect against scratching.
Frederic Duvernier is the designer of the Cactus.
"The main idea behind the design was to create a car with no worries, no stress, and a relaxed car: simple, practical, strong, protected, and very comfortable."
The Cactus utilizes Citrion's innovative "Hybrid Air" system, which uses the car's kinetic energy when decelerating to store compressed air into tanks. The stored air is then released as energy to spin the car's front wheels. Citrion says that this reduces fuel consumption during urban driving by up to 45 percent.
The Frankfurt Auto show runs through next Sunday.
For CRI, I'm Hu Jia.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Stocks here in Asia opened the week on a mixed note.
Mainland exchanges ended down, led by losses in shares of material producers, banks and airlines.
The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.2 percent.
This is the first time in six days the Shanghai exchange has finished in the red.
The Shenzhen Component Index lost 0.3-percent
But down in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng gained 1.5-percent on the heels of news about who won't be taking over as the new head of the US Federal Reserve.
Elsewhere here in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei gained just over 0.1-percent
South Korea's KOSPI surged 1-percent.
The Straits Times Index in Singapore had a big day, rising 2-percent in value.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.5-percent.
Obama accepts Larry Summers withdrawl from Fed candidacy
US President Barack Obama has accepted the withdrawal of Larry Summers as a candidate to become the next chair of the US Federal Reserve.
Summers is a former senior advisor to Obama.
Many had tipped him as the likely candidate to replace Ben Bernake.
However, Summers' withdrawal comes after a fierce and sustained campaign against his candidacy.
He's been widely accused of siding against stronger regulations for derivatives trading.
Unregulated derivatives trading was the catalyst for the global financial meltdown in 2008.
Summers' withdrawal has seen the US dollar weaken against all other major currencies.
At the same time, US Treasury futures have climbed 0.8-percent.
His withdrawal leaves current Fed Vice chair Janet Yellen and former Fed vice-chair Donald Kohn as the only-others left in the running.
Call-In Pension Reforms
Anchor:
In an effort to try to cope with this country's aging population, the authorities have unrolled a pilot project to encourage people to take out housing endowment insurance.
Housing endowment is reversed mortgage insurance which allows seniors to draw a pension until they die by mortgaging their properties to financial institutions.
This comes as the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to surpass 200 million in the coming year.
For more on the issue, CRI's Rebecca Hume spoke to Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
…
Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics, speakign with CRI's Rebecca Hume.
Zhu Min on Shanghai Free Trade Zone
It's being reported regulators in Shanghai have been approaching major banks, including HSBC, Standard Chartered and the Bank of East Asia to set up operations in the new Free Trade Zone in the city.
It's being suggested the move to lure the banks in is part of a broader attempt to make the Renminbi freely-tradable by companies operating inside the new zone.
This is part of a broader attempt by the government to liberalize this country's finance sector.
Zhu Min is the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.
"It is very crucial for China to create the interest rate formation mechanism. After all interest rates are not the benchmark rate decided by the central bank. It has to go through the process of say from market-led short-term interest rate then to settle at a long-term rate reading. Thus it will guide or direct a rational expectation by companies and private investors over the rates. Without the formation mechanism, the reform on interest rates is impossible. Meanwhile, we need to establish deposit insurance system to protect the savers."
Meanwhile, it's also being reported PayPal has been invited to set up operations in the new Free Trade Zone in Shanghai to try to develop it into an international e-commerce area.
China extends pyridine anti-dumping investigation
The Ministry of Commerce is extending anti-dumping investigations into pyridine imports from Japan and India.
The ministry has decided to extend the deadline of the investigation by two months to near the end of November.
Authorities are looking into whether Japanese and Indian imports of Piridine to China hurt domestic producers.
Pyridine is an organic compound which is used in the production of pesticides, drugs, animal feed, food additives and other chemicals.
China Telecom cuts subsidy for new iPhone
China Telecom announced subsidies for the new iPhone 5C and 5S, which are around 15-percent less than those offered for earlier models.
A downpayment of 44-hundred-88 yuan will be required for any China Telecom plan with a 16 gigabyte iPhone 5C.
The 5C ios the newly released plastic covered model, which is designed for lower cost users.
Iphone 5S customers will need to pay 52-hundred-88 yuan upfront for the higher-end model.
The reduced subsidy is being viewed as a sign that China Telecom and its competitors are trying to reduce their own overhead costs.
This could hurt Apple's ability to further penetrate the market here in China.
Apple released the updated iPhone 5S and the cheaper 5C last Tuesday.
It's the first time the company held a launch event here in China, which is the world's biggest mobile phone market.
Apple has been losing ground to other international players such as Samsung and LG here in China.
It's also been under pressure from locally-produced mobile-phone makers.
HTC cuts 20% of US work force
Taiwan smartphone maker HTC is cutting one-fifth of its US-based work force.
The move has sent its shares tumbling.
HTC is making 30 of its US employees redundant.
Despite the small number of job cuts, the companies shares have dropped 4-percent in response to the news.
HTC has been struggling in the face of stronger competition, with its sales tumbling more than 30-percent so far this year.
The United States' was HTC's largest market until last year.
The company will still maintain 120 US-based staff.
The company employs around 17-thousand people world wide.
Inidan Inflation Jumps to six month high
Indian inflation has surged to a six-month high in August, ahead of economists expectations.
The whole-sale price index has gained 6.1-percent year on year.
This is ahead of July's figure of 5.8-percent.
This is largely due to the sliding rupee, which has pushed up imports costs.
The figures come ahead of newly-appointed central bank governor Raghuram Rajan's first monetary-policy decision, which is scheduled for this week.
Rajan has stated his priorities will be to reign in inflation and increase India's foreign-exchange reserves.
Headline News
US, UK and France agree to new UN resolution on Syria
The United States, France and the UK have agreed to issue a tough new United Nations resolution on Syria.
The resolution will be designed to try to put additional pressure on the Syrian government to handover its chemical weapons to the international community.
The UN resolution will also call on Syria to grant immediate access for UN weapons inspectors.
The new united-front among the US, France and the UK comes despite pledges by the Syrian government to hand over its chemical weapons stocks to the international community.
Meanwhile, UN inspectors are reportedly due to release their report later this Monday on the alleged use of chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus last month.
That alleged attack reportedly left over 14-hundred people dead.
Obama accepts Larry Summers withdrawal from Fed candidacy
US President Barack Obama has accepted the withdrawl of Larry Summers as a candidate to become the next chair of the US Federal Reserve.
Summers is a former senior advisor to Obama.
Many had tipped him as the likely candidate to replace Ben Bernake.
However, Summers' withdrawal comes after a fierce and sustained campaign against his candidacy.
He's been widely accused of siding against stronger regulations for derivatives trading.
Unregulated derivatives trading was the catalyst for the global financial meltdown in 2008.
Summers' withdrawal has seen the US dollar weaken against all other major currencies.
At the same time, US Treasury futures have climbed 0.8-percent.
His withdrawl leaves current Fed Vice chair Janet Yellen and former Fed vice-chair Donald Kohn as the only-others left in the running.
South Korean workers return as SKorea and NKorea factory reopens
The Kaesong industrial complex jointly run by North and South Korea has reopened for a trial run.
Some 800 South Korean workers have returned to their jobs at the industrial park.
The complex was shut down by the North 5-months ago.
The two sides agreed to reopen the park last week after several rounds of talks.
It employs some 54-thousand North Korean workers, and is one of the only sources for hard-currency for North Korea.
21 dead after SW China road accident
Authorities in Sichuan are reporting the death toll from a traffic accident has hit 21.
A bus collided with a heavy-duty truck in the city of Dazhou in eastern Sichuan early Sunday afternoon.
The collision sent the bus into a 3-meter deep river.
The sand and cobblestones the truck was carrying then spilled on-top of the bus.
Only 3 of the 24-people on the bus managed to survive.
12 of the victims were students.
The driver of the truck was also killed in the crash.
Authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the accident.
Newspaper Picks
China Daily
"World's highest civilian airport starts operating"
The world's highest-altitude civilian airport started operating on Monday in Southwest China's Sichuan province, dramatically shortening travel time between "the last Shangri-La" and the provincial capital.
Daocheng Yading Airport, located in Daocheng county, Garzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, will cut the traffic time between the county and the provincial capital of Chengdu from two days by bus to 65 minutes by plane.
The airport is 160 km from Yading Nature Reserve in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Yading is known as "the last Shangri-La" and "the last pure land on the blue planet" for its scenery.
Located 4,411 meters above sea level, it became the world's highest civilian airport, replacing Bangda Airport of Qamdo in Tibet autonomous region, which is 4,334 meters above sea level.
Daocheng Yading Airport will initially run a daily route between Chengdu and Daocheng, with a one-way ticket fare of 1,600 yuan.
The airport also plans to open routes connecting the county to other cities like Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xi'an in 2014.
Shanghai Daily
"School's attempt to deter puppy love criticized"
A middle school in Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province has kicked up a storm of protest over a new rule that bans students from getting "too close" to fellow students.
The Chunhui Senior High School has said maintaining "too close contacts" with schoolmates — both of the same sex or the opposite gender — will be viewed as severe violations.
According to the rules, students will be kicked out of the school and fined the same amount as their tuition fees.
A photocopy of the new rules has been uploaded on the Internet. Netizens have given the thumbs-down to the rule, arguing how the school can figure out "extreme close relation" and fine the students.
Education professor Zhou Qi of Wenzhou University said the school should not intervene too much when students make friendships with each other. A better way to curb puppy love was proper education and more care, he said.
The India Express
"Early talkers more likely to drink as teens"
A new study has found children with advanced verbal abilities are more likely to drink as adolescents.
Finnish researchers conducted two surveys of twins, including some 5,500 families.
The twins were surveyed about their smoking, drinking and drug habits at least four times between ages 11 and 25. The twin in a family who started talking first, who read first and who was more expressive as a child was also more likely to start drinking first.
It's reported the language-alcohol link held true for both surveys of twins; the set born between 1975 and 1979 and the set born between 1983 and 1987.
Children with advanced language skills also drank more often, and became more intoxicated when they drank. Also, they were more likely to report a "sensation seeking" personality trait.
Special Reports
China-Kuwait youth match promotes football in the western hinterland of Ningxia
Anchor:
As a sideline activity of the ongoing China-Arab State Expo currently underway in Ningxia, a friendly youth football match has been held between China and Kuwait.
CRI's Zhang Ru has the details.
Reporter:
It was an exciting night at the Helanshan football stadium in Yinchuan, as legions of roaring Chinese fans tried to drown the lively band singing from a the lonely stands where the Kuwaitis had gathered to cheer for their national youth team.
And while the Chinese side came out with a 3-1 victory, match is also a ringing reminder that the host city Yinchuan and the entire Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region doesn't have a professional team.
The team that beat the Kuwaitis is actually a youth team from Liaoning.
Local fans have been craving a return of football after the local team was disbanded some 13 years ago.
"The Helanshan football club has been badly missed. Now it is eastablished i am full of good faith that it will become a school of good professional players in the future. One day they will make Yinchuan proud, and maybe even make China proud."
That's 40-year old Li Xiaoning, a hardcore football lover who has represented the city's under-49 amateur team in many national championships.
He says its now upto the young people in Ningxia to help stage a comeback in the region to develop a team which can compete on the Chinese professional football scene.
Zhang Shaolong is the Secretary-General of the Ningxia Football Association.
"Our youth football falls hugely behind those in the richer cities and provinces. But in the last couple of years, we have put our effort in campus football. Now football has reached a much wider youth base."
But as the ill-fated previous team has shown, professional football nowadays is all about business.
Zhang Shaolong says selling tickets for professional football in Ningxia won't be a problem.
However, he says securing sponsors will be.
"We lost the provincial team sponsored by the government years ago. Now club football has developed for as long as 20 years in some places. But we don't have a professional club, a club that runs as a business."
While the 3-1 loss for the Kuwaiti national youth team undoubtedly stung, the fact the team was brought to Yinchuan as part of the China-Arab States expo is thought to be encouraging.
Given that Kuwait is try to explore investment opportunities in Ningxia, locals in Yinchuan are hopeful football could be one area to direct the Gulf Arab nation's wealth.
For CRI, this is Zhang Ru.
Sports
Serbia through to Davis Cup Final
Janko Tipsarevic's three set victory over Canada's Vasek Pospisil gives Serbia the 3-2 win in the 2013 Davis Cup semifinal.
Earlier Canada's rising star Milos Raonic battled world number one Novak Djokovic. Djokovic broke him down in the sixth game, taking a 4-2 lead.
Djokovic ended up winning after over two hours on the clay court.
That left the two teams tied at 2-2, forcing one finals singles match.
Despite the loss, the Canadian team had an exciting push to the semifinals, with upset wins over Spain and Italy.
Serbia booked its place in the final for the first time since winning the Cup in 2010.
They will host defending champions Czech Republic in November.
Peter Sagan wins Grand Prix de Montreal
Slovakia's Peter Sagan broke away to win of the Grand Prix de Montreal in Canada.
The team cannondale member crossed the finish line in 5 hours 20 minutes and 7 seconds. Beating second place Simone Ponzi by a slim four seconds. Canada's Ryder Hesjedal came in third.
This year's Tour de France victor, Chris Froome, came in 28th overall.
A major crash at the beginning of the race decommissioned some of the cyclists.
Team Sky's Richie Porte and Jonthn Tiernan-Locke both opted to retire from the race, although they were able to rejoin the peloton.
Afterwards, Porte vented his frustrations on twitter, saying it was a shame that "some tool with no concept of respect wiped a few of us out."
Rain delays the BMW Championship
The final round of the BMW Championship has been suspended after heavy rains swamped the fairways at Conway Farms.
Jim Furyk holds a one shot lead at 13 under 200, but will have to wait until tomorrow to try and achieve what would be his first PGA tour victory in three years.
Steve Stricker is one shot back in second, and Brandt Snedeker is sitting in third at 11 under.
"It was weird. We thought we would get some golf in, because it didn't look like it would rain too bad, just had some cells pop up that were pretty severe. They did a great job of trying to get us out there and play, but they just couldn't get it done."
Furyk, Stricker, and fifth place Tiger Woods are among the 22 players who weren't even able to tee off for their final round.
Six players managed to get through their final round, including Rory McIlroy. The former number one pared the final hole for a 68.
"It obviously hasn't been the season that I wanted, but you know I have four weeks off now to work on my game a little bit. I still have a few tournaments left to try and put a positive finish on 2013 and move into 14 with a little momentum."
This is the fourth time this year that a PGA Tour has been pushed through to an extra day.
Peyton Manning emerges victorious from latest Manning-showdown
In the NFL,
Peyton Manning threw two touchdowns to best his little brother Eli, when Denver destroyed the New York Giants 41-23.
That was the third time the two Mannings clashed, and Peyton emerged 3-0.
Denver's Knowshon Moreno rushed for two touchedowns and 93 yards on 13 carries, to help Denver win its 13th straight regular season game.
Also this mormning, the Seattle Seahawks routed San Francisco 29-3.
The Green Bay Packers beat Washington 38-20.
Miami defeated Indianapolis 24-20.
Dan Carter is out of the remaining Rugby Championship matches
In Rugby,
All Blacks Dan Carter is out of the rest of the Rugby Championship.
For six weeks, the star flyhalf will be sidelined with a shoulder injury, which he got from a hard hit by Springboks hooker Bismarck du Plessis over the weekend.
Du Plessis was sent off for a second yellow card offence after he elbowed Liam Messam in the throat.
The All Blacks went on to beat South Africa 29-15 in that test at eden park.
Carter is the world's leading points scorer, and New Zealand will have to make up for his loss in their upcoming two rugby championship matches and third Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia.
New Zealand closes in on the America's Cup
Now for a sport that doesn't get a lot of attention… sailing,
Emirates Team New Zealand are out front in the America's Cup, the historic race between the defending yacht club and the challenger.
New Zealand pulled ahead of defending champion Oracle Team USA on the fourth leg to win Race 10 by 17 seconds.
After nearly capsizing in race 8, New Zealand recovered to lead 7-1.
They only need two more wins to claim the Auld Mug for the second time in nearly two decades.
Oracle Team USA had brought the cup back to the United States in 2010 after a 15-year absence.
The first cup was awarded back in 1851, making it one of the oldest trophies in international sports.
Hoffenheim advance to seventh with a win over Borussia
In football,
German club Hoffenheim moved up to seventh with a 2-1 win over Borussia.
That was the team's first home win of the season, despite the absence of Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino.
Also over the weekend, Atletico Madrid added another victory to their so far untainted La Liga season with a 4-2 win over Almeria.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone made several changes to his team, swapping Raul Garcia for Arda Turan and Tiago Cardoso for Mario Suarez
And Uruguayan centre-back Jose Maria Gimenez made his debut for the team, replacing Joao Miranda who was out sick.
Champion pilot Paolo Zantelli dies after powerboat crash
Italy's UIM F2 powerboat racing pilot Paolo Zantelli died after two powerboats collided during a grand prix race near Milan.
The champion pilot was knocked unconscious during the crash and died later in the day after he was rushed to a local hospital.
The 48-year old was Italy's leading expert in powerboat racing, after a successful 17-year career in the IUM F2.
Entertainment
Zhang Yimou new movie "Gui Lai" begin filming
Chinese director Zhang Yimou has appeared in Beijing for the launch of his new movie "Gui Lai".
Gui Lai, or "return" in English, is adapted from Yan Geling's novel "Lu Fan Yanshi".
It tells the story of a couple forced into an arranged marriage in China in the 1960's.
The film stars Chen Daoming and Gong Li.
Both have worked with Zhang Yimou in the past.
Gong Li came into international prominence through Zhang Yimou's films in the late 1980's.
This is the first time Gong Li and Zhang Yimou have worked together since the 'Curse of the Golden Flower' 7-years ago.
"Gui Lai" also marks Zhang's return to literary-based films in over a decade.
Creative arts Emmy winners announced
American comic icon Bob Newhart has won his first Emmy award more than 50-years after his first nomination.
The 84-year-old veteran has been honored at the Emmy creative arts and technical ceremony for his guest role on "The Big Bang Theory".
In the last season of the TV sit-com he played Professor Proton, a down-on-his-luck host of a children's science show.
Newhart's long TV history includes six Emmy nominations for his self-titled program "Newhart" which ran in the 1980's.
However, he never won.
In addition to Newhart, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn of "Project Runway" have taken the award for outstanding host for a reality show.
"Undercover Boss" has also won for outstanding reality program.
HBO's Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" took eight statuettes.
It was the night's top-winning individual program at the ceremony.
The movie will compete for seven more nominations at next Sunday's Primetime Emmy Awards.
Emmy creative arts ceremony honors technical and other achievements.
The primetime Emmy award ceremony, which focuses on the TV shows and the lead actors, will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris this coming Sunday.
12 Years A Slave Wins Toronto Film Festival
The film '12 Years A Slave' has taken the top prize at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film, based on the 1853 memoir of Solomon Northup, tells the story of how he was forced back into slavery after becoming a free man years earlier.
Previous winners of the top prize in Toronto, including 'The King's Speech', 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Silver Linings Playbook' all went on to win Academy Awards.
The film has been made through UK director Steve McQueen and US actor Brad Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment.
Pitt was in attendance for the film's premiere and opened up about his relationship with the UK director.
"We were big fans of Steve McQueen from Hunger and we started talking to him about what he most wanted to do next and he asked the question, asked the question that no American asked, why aren't there more films about slavery? And that's what he wanted to do."
The runner-up at this year's Toronto International Film Festival is Stephen Frear's "Philomena", which stars UK legend Dame Judi Dench.
Julianne Moore joins Hunger Games
Julianne Moore is joining the cast of the Hunger Games.
The 52-year-old 'Boogie Nights' star will appear on screen in the third and fourth instalments of the film as a rebel leader.
The Hunger Games tells the tale of a group of teenagers forced to fight to the death in a televised event.
The latest installment in the franchise, 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' is set for release on November 21st.
The first instalment of the franchise raked in nearly 700-million US dollars worldwide.
Arctic Monkeys land fifth number one
Rockers "Arctic Monkeys" have earned their fifth UK number one album with 'AM.'
The assention of 'AM' to the top of the UK album charts is the first time an independently-signed band has achieved 5 UK number-one albums.
'AM' sold 157-thousand copies last week.
Only "Daft Punk's" 'Random Access Memories' earned a better first-week in sales this year, shifting 165-thousand copies in May.
Billboard names Pink woman of the year
Billboard has named Pink its woman of the year.
The pop singer will receive the honor at Billboard's annual Women In Music event on December 10th in New York City.
Pink's sixth album, "The Truth About Love," has sold 1.7 million albums since it was released last year.
It launched three Top 10 hits, including the Number-1 jam "Just Give Me a Reason."
Past recipients of Billboard's woman of the year award include Beyonce, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
Pink is currently on her international "The Truth About Love Tour."
That's it for this edition of the BJH
A quick recap of the headlines BEFORE WE GO...
The US, France and the UK have agreed to put forward a new UN resolution to ensure the Syrian government gives up its chemical weapons stocks.
Australia's new Prime Minister has unveiled his new cabinet line-up.
Prosecutors in Beijing are calling for the death penalty for the man accused of killing a little girl in a dispute over a parking spot.
In Business, former leading Obama advisor Larry Summers is no longer in the running to take over at the US Federal Reserve. |