The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Rebecca Hume with you on this Friday, October 11th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang calling for deeper cooperation between China and Thailand.
OPCW is awarded the 2013 Nobel peace prize for its work in Syria.
UN Security Council gives the go ahead for a plan to rid Syria of chemical weapons.
Business, China's growth rate now predicted to exceed 7.5 percent.
Sports, Federer in danger of missing out on the ATP World Tour Finals.
Entertainments, Glee’s Corey Monteith’s tribute episode airs in the US.
Plus, Special reports takes a look at Thailand and why it has become such a popular destination for Chinese tourists.
Weather
Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of 11 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow cloudy with a high temperature of 23.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 19, sunny tomorrow, with a high of 26.
Lhasa will be clear tonight, 4 degrees the low, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 18.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, showers with a high of 31.
Kabul, sunny, 24.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 27.
Canberra, sunny, 23.
Brisbane, overcast, 27.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 19.
Top News
Chinese Premier calls for deepened cooperation with Thailand
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for deepened cooperation between China and Thailand.
The Chinese Premier made the comments during his address to the Thai parliament during a three-day official visit to Thailand.
"China is willing to work with Thailand to implement the action plan of our strategic partnership and boost cooperation in all fields. We are aiming to bring our bilateral trade to 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2015. Thailand is abundant with rice products. And we will support Chinese companies to import 1 million tons of rice from Thailand in the next five years."
Li says China is also mulling whether to set up a RMB settlement bank in Thailand to boost bilateral trade.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Premier has announced that China is ready to hold talks with Thailand over visa exemption for regular passport holders.
Thailand is the first country within ASEAN to start such talks with China.
Railway projects are also expected to be a new key cooperation area between the two countries.
During his speech, the Chinese Premier highlighted the close ties between the two countries.
"Thailand is one the most popular overseas traveling destinations for Chinese tourists. The Chinese film 'Lost in Thailand' has set a record high box office sale in China. I heard that the film has been translated into Thai and screened here in Thailand. I am not advertising for the film, rather I am advertising for the friendship between Thailand and China. "
Earlier, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan said he expected Li's visit to "add some new contents" to bilateral cooperation.
The two countries agreed to build a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership last year.
Thailand is the country coordinator for China-ASEAN relations.
The Chinese Premier is expected to meet Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra later and attend the Chinese high-speed railway exhibition in Bangkok.
The visit is the second leg of Li's Southeast Asian tour.
China is now the largest trading partner of Thailand, with bilateral trade reaching nearly 70 billion U.S. dollars last year.
First cross-Strait peace forum pools political wisdom
The first non-official political dialogue between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan has opened in Shanghai.
The cross-Strait peace forum aims to rally political wisdom and expand consensus between the two sides.
The current cross-Strait forums mainly focus on economic, cultural and social issues.
Mainland Taiwan affairs chief Zhang Zhijun attended today's opening ceremony, calling the peace forum a breakthrough in overcoming difficulties.
He stressed that no matter how big the cross-Strait political differences are, the one-China framework should never be allowed to waver or be harmed.
Shu Chin-chiang is a scholar from Taiwan.
"The forum is a good start. We hope to take this opportunity to reach a consensus between the two sides. This forum will play a positive role in the cross-Strait security and peaceful development. It will also contribute to the accumulation of political mutual trust in the future."
The peace forum's agenda includes complicated and sensitive cross-Strait issues involving political relations, external affairs, military security and peace framework.
OPCW awarded 2013 Nobel peace prize
The international chemical weapons watchdog currently overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons has won this year's Nobel peace prize.
The Nobel Committee says the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is honored for its extensive work to eliminate chemical weapons.
The Hague-based OPCW was established to enforce the 1997 Chemical Weapons convention.
It recently sent inspectors to oversee the dismantling of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.
UN Security Council okays plan to rid Syria of chemical weapons
The UN Security Council has officially approved plans to eliminate Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.
The move officially authorizes the joint mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations.
The OPCW is already on the ground in Syria and has begun the process of destroying the stockpiles.
The process is expected to last until the middle of next year.
The mission is expected to consist of around 100 experts and will be based in Cyprus.
White House Welcomes House Republican's Offer
Anchor:
The US government is describing a Republican offer to temporarily raise the government's debt ceiling as an encouraging sign.
The offer comes less than a week before the US government is set to go into default.
CRI's Washington correspondent Xiaohong has more.
Reporter:
White House press secretary Jay Carney says the Republican offer is "at least an encouraging sign."
The proposal by House Speaker John Boehner would raise the government's debt ceiling for a short period of six weeks, allowing the government to pay its bills until November 22nd.
Carney says President Obama is likely to sign such a short-term bill, as long as there were no conditions attached, even though he would prefer a much longer duration.
"The President strongly believes it would be are preferable if Congress were to pass a bill that would ensure that the United States can pay its bills for a longer duration, longer than the hypothetical 6 weeks that is currently being discussed."
Republican leaders are proposing the six-week increase to the nation's 16.7 trillion dollar debt ceiling as a way of avoiding a first-ever U.S. default on its debts.
In return for passing the bill, the Republicans are demanding the President sit down an negotiate on other issues.
House Speaker John Boehner.
"It's time for leadership. It's time for these negotiations and this conversation to begin. And I would hope the President would look at this as an opportunity and a good-faith effort on our part to move half way to what he has demanded in order to have these conversations begin."
The proposed deal does not address the current government shutdown.
the Republicans are insisting to sit down and talk while White House demands an unconditional clean budget bill to reopen the government.
Despite this continued impasse, the markets have responded positively to the likelyhood of the US avoiding default.
The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P all surged in late-day trading on the back of the news.
Xiaohong, CRI, Washington.
IMF, World Bank warns negative impact of a US debt default
Anchor:
Despite indications US lawmakers are not going to allow the US government to go into default, the heads of both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are warning a default would have a severe impact on the global economy.
CRI's Li Jing has more.
Report:
Speaking at the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank, IMF chief Christine Lagarde says a U.S. debt default would have far-ranging impacts on economies across the globe.
"We know and you know by now that failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause serious damage to the U.S. economy but also to the global economy as a result of the spillover effects."
The U.S. political impasse has been dominating the discussions at the Washington meetings.
Lagarde also warns the global economy is in a slow and unbalanced recovery.
She's calling on Europe to clean up its banking problems and forge ahead with a new banking union.
"Concerning the Euro area which is finally climbing out of recession, we believe that it needs to finish cleaning up its banks, forge ahead with a banking union and break down some of the barriers that are still an obstacle to growth and job creation."
Lagarde is also pleading for better policy coordination among IMF member countries, noting the different economies are highly inter-connected.
At the same time, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim says their analysis of the "near miss" in 2011 when U.S. lawmakers narrowly avoided default was a real 'eye-opener.'
"Even a near miss will have a real impact on developing countries. And so we are watching carefully and we just urge all policy makers to move quickly to come to some resolution, because the impacts are going to be severe."
Meanwhile, Jim Yong Kim says the World Bank has also set a new goal of reducing extreme poverty to 9-percent by 2020.
A new World Bank report says around 400 million children still live in extreme poverty worldwide.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
China Europe investment forum concludes in Shanghai
anchor
The "Go to Europe" Investment Forum has concluded in Shanghai.
One of the focuses of the forum was how Chinese enterprises should face challenges in Europe and how they can then overcome them.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
Report
Europe is China's most important trading partner, while for the E.U, China is second only to the United States.
According to statistics released by Price Waterhouse Coopers, China's investment for the E.U surpassed the E.U's investment for China in 2011.
However, Qi Mei, counselor at the department of European Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, says Chinese enterprises "Going to Europe" are still facing multiple obstacles, which are hampering those enterprises from carrying out their projects.
"Europe has set up technical barriers in many sectors and it lacks a standard approval procedure for foreign investment. It often abuses the antitrust investigations. Visa and residence procedures are very strict and the labor law is not flexible".
Recently, China and the EU solved their solar panel disputes. Chinese manufacturer Yingli was involved in the disputes.
Yang Ming, associate general manager at the company, says the disputes have influenced their shipments to the E.U.
"Last year, the shipment to the E.U probably accounted for 60% of shipments in total. But this year, the shipment will decline to around 40%".
But Yang Ming says they consider the disputes to be a catalyst which led to them taking concrete measures in response.
"We began to transform and upgrade from a photovoltaic module manufacturer to a comprehensive power supplier. With the market becoming fiercer, we sped up technological progress and cut the costs to consolidate our competence in the market. Meanwhile, we are tapping into domestic and overseas markets, such as Africa and Latin America, so as not to simply rely on the E.U market."
Yang Ming says when the company goes about tapping into new markets, they not only need advanced technology, they also need to promote their brand.
They have successfully promoted their brand through sponsoring important football events, such as 2010 FIFA World Cup.
When it comes to Chinese enterprises going into Europe, Yang elaborates upon his company's experience.
He says Chinese enterprises should comply with the contracts and respect foreign staff.
"Firstly, credibility is very important, especially in Europe. In 2010, the market in Italy exploded. Some Chinese enterprises did not fulfill their contracts with German customers. They sold the products to Italy in order to make more money. But our company still complied with the contracts. In 2011, the market in Italy became weak, and the German customers did not trust them any more. Secondly, you should respect and trust foreign employees working within the company."
Aside from Yang Ming, many participants also shared their opinions during the forum regarding the question of how Chinese enterprises should approach difficulties in Europe and how to overcome them.
The forum concluded on Friday.
For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao in Shanghai.
Libyan Prime Minister returns to his office after being breifly kidnapped
The head of the Libyan Congress says the security situation in the country is under control.
The comments follow Thursday's abduction of the country's Prime Minister which lasted just a few hours.
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was snatched from his hotel room by a number of gunmen.
He was later released unhurt.
"We hope this matter will be treated with wisdom and rationality, far from tension."
The kidnapping was originally said to be members of the Libyan Revolutionary Operations Chamber.
This is the Libyan militia tasked with protecting Libyan lawmakers.
But after Zeidan's release some 6-hours later, the Militia denied it played a role, despite originally saying it was behind Zeidan's detention for corruption charges.
The bizarre incident comes on the heels of a US raid in Libya this past weekend, which captured a Libyan man said to be the mastermind of the 1998 US embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya.
The Libyan prime minister has come under heavy criticizm amid accusations he was complicit in allowing the raid by US Special Forces to take place.
Despite this, Libyan National Congress President Nuri Abusahmain says citizens, foreigners and diplomats have nothing to fear in Libya.
Italy says all bodies recovered from sunken boat in Lampedusa
Italian authorities say they have recovered all bodies from the ship that sank off the coast of Lampedusa Island last week.
A total of 309 bodies have been recovered.
155 people survived.
Italian government says all the victims will receive a state funeral.
It's believed the boat originated from Libya, and was made up mostly of migrants from North Africa.
The man suspected of captianing the boat has since been taken into custody by Italian authorities.
10 killed in hosptial fire in Japan
Ten people have been killed in a hospital fire in southern Japan.
Eight of the victims were patients at the orthopedic hospital in Fukuoka, the other two victims were hospital staff.
Police say eight others were injured in the blaze which started while patients were sleeping.
An eyewitness who lives near the hospital recalled the incident:
"I thought something was strange and when I came down, and then there was the distinctive smell of a building fire all around. When I looked out, the Abe hospital was completely black from the first floor up."
Police say the fire started on the ground floor of the four-storey building and took over two hours to put out.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Asian stock markets have risen on hopes the US will reach a deal on raising its debt ceiling, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street.
Stock indexes in Japan, Australia, China and Hong Kong all gained.
Chinese shares closed higher buoyed up by sectors related to development zones and foreign trade.
According to Shanghai Securities News, Shanghai municipal government will release a plan later this month to reform state-owned assets and enterprises.
The newspaper also said China's central bank has finished formulating a detailed plan concerning financial reform in the newly-established pilot free trade zone in Shanghai.
The news prompted rises in the sector related to development zones.
When the market closed, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 1.7 percent. The Shenzhen Component Index increased 0.6 percent.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 1.2 percent.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1.5 percent.
South Korea's KOSPI was up 1.2 percent.
Singapore's Stait Times Index added 0.3 percent.
Australia's ASX 200 added 1.6% and South Korea's Kospi was up 1.2%.
China's growth rate to exceed 7.5 percent: central bank official
A senior Chinese central bank official says the Chinese economic growth rate is expected to be above 7.5 percent this year.
Yi Gang, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, has annouanced the growth rate is likely to be above 7.5 percent and could even reach maybe 7.6 percent.
He also says the problems of shadow banking and local government financial vehicles are now under control.
China's economy is showing signs of stabilization, helped in part by government measures to shore up growth, including lowering taxes for small firms and quickening infrastructure spending.
Q&A on China, EU agree to 45 bln Euro currency swap
Anchor:
The Chinese government has signed a 350-billion-yuan currency swap agreement with the European Union.
The agreement is for the next 3-years and could be extended if both sides agree.
This move is expected to provide liquidity support for the yuan within the Eurozone and is a means to try to help deal with trade promotion and settlements.
More recently the Chinese government also signed a 100-billion yuan currency-swap extension with Indonesia.
To date Chinese government has signed currency swap agreements worth 2.2-trillion yuan with 22-different countries and regions.
For more on the latest cuyrrency swop with the EU, I spoke earlier with Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
…
Back Anchor:
That was Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
China September Auto Sales Surge 21% on Japanese Rebound
New data shows that China's passenger-vehicle sales rose 21-percent in September to an eight-month high, as Japanese automakers rebounded.
Wholesale deliveries of cars, multipurpose and sport-utility vehicles climbed to 1.6 million units last month, the most since January.
Total sales of vehicles, including buses and trucks, gained 20-percent to 1.9 million units last month.
In the first nine months of the year, 15.9 million vehicles were delivered, putting sales on track to reach the 20-million units for the full year estimated by the association.
China-North Korea commodity fair opens in Dandong
A China-North Korea commodity fair has opened in northeast China's Liaoning Province as part of the Second China-North Korea Economic, Trade, Culture and Tourism Expo.
This year, a record number of 130-exhibitors from North Korea attended the event held in the city of Dandong.
Commodities from the North are mainly light industrial products and agricultural products.
For North Korean exhibitors it is their largest foreign economic and trade event.
Exhibitors are looking to co-operate with Chinese enterprises.
More than 90-percent of North Korea's foreign trade companies have their representatives at the expo.
Foxconn admits labour violation at China factory
The world's largest contract electronics maker Foxconn has admitted student interns worked shifts at a factory in China that were in violation of its company policies.
The firm, which makes products for some the world's biggest brands, has recently come under scrutiny for it's labour practices.
Foxconn admitted to hiring underage interns at the same unit last year.
Foxconn is used by most of the big technology giants around the world, including Apple, Sony, Microsoft, HP, and Nokia.
German inflation down to 1.4 pct in September
Germany's inflation decreased slightly in September to 1.4 percent, the lowest in five months.
Official data showes the decrease was mainly due to the price development of mineral oil products, which dropped by 6.5 percent.
For the whole euro zone, initial data from the European statistical office Eurostat, showed annual inflation in September came in at 1.1 percent.
The European Central Bank has decided to maintain the interest rate in the common currency area at an historically low level of 0.5 percent.
Headline News
China, Thailand to hold talks on visa exemption
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says the Chinese government is ready to hold talks with Thailand over visa exemption for regular passport holders.
Li Keqiang made the announcement at the Thai Parliament.
Li Keqiang says visa exemption will bring more benefit to people from the two sides.
Thailand is the first country within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to start such talks with China.
First cross-Strait peace forum pools political wisdom
The first non-official political dialogue between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan has opened in Shanghai.
The cross-Strait peace forum aims to rally political wisdom and expand consensus between the two sides.
The current cross-Strait forums mainly focus on economic, cultural and social issues.
Mainland Taiwan affairs chief Zhang Zhijun attended today's opening ceremony, calling the peace forum a breakthrough in overcoming difficulties.
He stressed that no matter how big the cross-Strait political differences are, the one-China framework should never be allowed to waver or be harmed.
The peace forum's agenda includes complicated and sensitive cross-Strait issues involving political relations, external affairs, military security and peace framework.
China on alert for Typhoon Nari
China has issued a yellow alert ahead of Typhoon Nari.
The 25th typhoon this year is expected in the middle and eastern parts of the South China Sea on Saturday noon.
Nari comes on the heels of Typhoon Fitow, which caused havoc in Zhejiang province killing 10-people.
OPCW awarded 2013 Nobel peace prize
The international chemical weapons watchdog currently overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons has won this year's Nobel peace prize.
The Nobel Committee says the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is honored for its extensive work to eliminate chemical weapons.
The Hague-based OPCW was established to enforce the 1997 Chemical Weapons convention.
It recently sent inspectors to oversee the dismantling of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.
UN Security Council okays plan to rid Syria of chemical weapons
The UN Security Council has officially approved plans to eliminate Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.
The move officially authorizes the joint mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations.
The OPCW is already on the ground in Syria and has begun the process of destroying the stockpiles.
The process is expected to last until the middle of next year.
The mission is expected to consist of around 100 experts and will be based in Cyprus.
Newspaper Picks
Xinhua
"Chinese vote on public holiday arrangements"
The Chinese public has been voting online about the country's public holidays, with many wanting current arrangements to be changed.
The government set up a poll on China's major news website portals including Sina, Sohu and Tencent on Thursday.
Results from Sina showed nearly 82-percent of voters are unhappy with current public holiday arrangements.
Over half believed arrangements for long holidays, such as the seven-day National Day holiday which makes the weekend a working day, should be scrapped.
This year, the Sunday before the national holiday and the following Saturday are both normal working days.
Global Times
"Migrant jobs turnover"
An annual report on China's human resources has revealed half of Chinese migrant workers have changed their jobs within the past 1.75 years, and one in four have done so over the past 7-months.
The report by the Social Sciences Academic Press also shows jobs for migrant workers last two years on average.
The report also noted that 40 percent of Chinese college graduates from 2011 left their jobs within half a year after graduating, up 7-percent year on year.
The Guardian
"Raise driving age to 18, says government-commissioned report"
Passing a driving test and getting a licence is a rite of passage for many teenagers in Britain. But they may have to wait an extra year.
A report commissioned by the government recommends probationary licences should be issued from the age of 18.
Currently a provisional driving licence for a car can be applied for three months before the applicant turns 17.
The proposals suggest a 12-month "learner stage" during which drivers would have to clock up 100 hours of daytime driving practice under supervision, and 20 hours at night.
Nature World News
"Mum's Drinking Habits Linked with Poor Grades at School"
A new study from Australia established a link between mothers' drinking habit and their child's poor grades in school.
The study, conducted by researchers at The University of Queensland, included data from over 7-thousand English children.
The team found even moderate levels of alcohol consumption negatively affected their kids' performance at school.
Studies on heavy alcohol intake during pregnancy show alcohol severely affects a growing baby's brains.
One related research had found that heavy alcohol use during pregnancy shrinks the child's brain while another study had found even moderate drinking during pregnancy lowers the baby's IQ.
The present study found that kids of mothers, who drank during pregnancy, got lower grades.
Researchers said that the heavier the alcohol consumption during pregnancy, the worse was the child's performance at the test.
Special Reports
Thailand Attracts Chinese Tourists by Liu Min
Anchor:
Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, is visiting Thailand, further boosting bilateral economic ties between the two countries, including tourism. China has become Thailand's biggest tourist market, and Thailand has become one of the most attractive destinations for Chinese tourists.
Liu Min has more.
Reporter:
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, is visiting Thailand at the invitation of the Thai government. His visit to Southeast Asia country has drawn attention from the tourist industry on both sides, which are expecting further boosts in each other's tourism markets.
Pu Yue, manager of Thai traveling services for Ctrip.com, says that services targeted for the Chinese market have vastly improved.
"In the past, introductory tourism brochures were mainly in French, Japanese and English. Now, nearly every scenic spot in Thailand has Chinese brochures. They also provide local Chinese tour guides for non-group travelers to understand the local history and culture. Chinese travelers contribute the most to the local tourism industry."
To date, China has become Thailand's largest tourism source-country. According to the most recent statistics from China's National Tourism Administration, the number of people visiting Thailand during the first eight months this year was 28.4 million, a 107 percent rise compared with the same period of time last year. The number of Thai visitors to the Chinese mainland has also grown, with about 420,000 people visiting in the first eight months.
Pu Yue adds that, with its many attractions and reasonably low-cost accommodations, Thailand is a choice holiday destination for China's middle-income travelers.
"We give Thailand a special distinction—it's a "low price with rich experience" kind of destination. It's been a popular destination among European travelers for the same reason long before the Chinese started coming in droves. For example, you can stay in a five-star hotel in Thailand quite easily, and the cost is the lowest in the world. With the same amount of money you would spend on a cheaper vacation elsewhere, you can really get the most out of your money in Thailand."
As a well-established tourist destination, the Thai government has never stopped coming up with innovative ideas to lure visitors. Media manager, Wang Wei, from the Thailand Tourism Administration Beijing Office, says they are also targeting China's luxury tourists, who would get much more out of a vacation in Thailand than in other locations..
"In recent years, the Thai Tourism Bureau and local tour companies have promoted unique high-end packages, including golf tours, spa experiences and even medical services. For example, tourists can undergo good, safe, reputable cosmetic surgery procedures here, which have gained great popularity among Asian tourists, since the cost is not high."
Despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential identity with its own unique culture, history and a carefree people who maintain a relatively relaxed lifestyle. According to statistics from ctrip.com, up to 60 percent of their customers chose to go to Thailand without a tour-group to enjoy a slower-paced, more enjoyable traveling experience.
For CRI, I'm Liu Min.
Sports
Federer risks missing out on ATP World Tour Finals for first time in 12 years
In Tennis
Roger Federer now faces a tough task to make it through to the end-of-season ATP World Tour Finals for the 12th consecutive year after being dumped out of the Shanghai Masters by Gael Monfils of France.
But despite his recent poor run of form the Swiss star said he remains hopeful of making it through:
"I could have done many things better. I could have done many things worse today so I'm just going to move along. I'm going to finish strong. I believe that there is not much time left but if I do qualify for London (ATP World Tour Finals) that gives me an extra shot there. I usually play well at the indoors, so I hope that this year is going to be one of those years again."
Gael Monfils is tonight facing defending champion Novak Djokovic who powered through to the quarter finals following his straight sets victory over Fabio Fognini last night.
Rafa Nadal also won his match in straight sets and will tight play against Federer's compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka.
Detroit Tigers beat Oakland to go through to ALCS baseball
In Major League Baseball
The Detroit Tigers shut out Oakland 3 to nothing last night to win the decisive fifth game of the American League Division Series.
In a superb display of pitching prowess Justin Verlander struck out TEN batters and only gave up two hits to seal the victory.
The hard-throwing right-hander said it's been a tough season but all his hard work has paid off:
"You know I worked my butt off all year, to try and get consistent and get myself where I need to be, and I feel like it finally paid off at the end of the year you know, it wasn't easy, it was a battle for me all year long, I feel like I was finally able to make a couple of adjustments that I needed to make and get myself to be consistent."
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning, when Detroit star third baseman Miguel Cabrera belted a two run home run to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
Tigers closer Joaquin Benoit came in for the ninth inning and completed the 3-0 victory for Detroit.
With this win, the Tigers advance to the American League Championship Series for the third straight year, the first side to do so since the New York Yankees from 1998-2001
Game 1 of the ALCS starts tomorrow in Boston.
LPGA Malaysia Il-Hee Lee retains one shot lead
In Golf
South Korea's Il-Hee Lee retains a one shot lead after two rounds of the LPGA in Malaysia.
The 24-year-old managed to avoid all of the water hazards at the Kuala Lumpur country club to end the day with a six-under-par round of 65.
America's Lexi Thompson had a storming day on the green putting seven birdies and an eagle for an impressive round of 63 taking her into second position at twelve-under-par overall.
Last weeks LPGA champion, Feng Shanshan, remains writhing striking distance two shots off the lead. She also shot a round of 65 on the second day.
Seven way tie for first at Portugal Masters Golf
And in the men's golf, SEVEN players share the lead in the European Tour's Portugal Masters.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson leads the group who all shot a seven-under-par round of 65 in the near perfect conditions on the first day.
He said that restraint is key on days like this:
"Yes, you've got to be patient as well, there are a lot of birdie chances out there, you known a lot of the holes especially when it's calm. But you've got to be patient, you can very easily got ahead of yourself and start throwing the toys out of the pram when they don't go in. But you just got to wait and be patient, like I said and wait for the birdies to go in. It's tough out there when the wind blows, but when it doesn't there's a lot of chances so you've got to take them when they come."
Nine other players were tied for second after shooting a round of 66 and more than half the players went under par.
Female Formula One test driver Maria de Villota found dead in hotel room
Former Formula One test driver Maria de Villota has been found dead in a hotel room in Seville in her native Spain.
The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
The 33-year-old tested with the Marussia Formula One team until a horrific accident in July last year in which she collided with a lorry during testing.
The daughter of ex-Formula One racer Emilio de Villota suffered severe head and facial injuries and lost an eye in the accident.
She is credited with doing a huge amount to promote women in racing and was reportedly in Seville to launch her autobiography.
Maria de Villota was very popular in the paddock and, as news of her death spread, many drivers and teams have taken to twitter to give their condolences to her family, ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Asian Games medals table update
And finally a quick look at the 6th East Asian Games.
The hosts China are well clear of the rest of the field they now now have an incredible 79 gold medals.
That's more than three times more than South Korea in second place with 23 followed by Japan in third with 16.
Entertainment
Glee Corey Monteith Tribute Episode Airs
The profits made from the music on Glee's tribute episode for late actor Corey Monteith will go to one of Monteith's favorite charities, Project Limelight.
Project Limelight is a free performing arts program for young people living in the inner-city of Vancouver.
The episode picks up weeks after Monteith's character on the show, Finn, dies of causes not made known to the audience.
The writers, cast and crew did not want to make a spectacle of Finn and therefore Monteith's death, but instead wanted to focus on how his death affected his friends and family.
The episode has already aired in the US and featured actress Lea Michele, who dated Monteith in real life, performing a solo version of 'Make You Feel My Love.'
Other songs appearing in the episode include The Band Perry's 'If I Die Young,' and 'I'll Stand By You,' as well as 'Seasons of Love' from the musical Rent.
Monteith passed away in July after a heroin and alcohol overdose.
Paul McCartney Holds Surprise Concert in New York
Music icon Sir Paul McCartney has held a surprise mini-concert in busy New York's Times Square.
The ex-Beatle stunned workers, tourists, fans, locals, and passers-by with the short set.
The 71-year old rocker tweeted details about the impromptu show only an hour before taking the stage.
McCartney and his band performed only a few songs from his new album titled New, which comes out in a few days.
The plaza quickly filled with people who took their phones out to document the unannounced event.
McCartney recently joked he invented the selfie and photobomb back in the 1960s during his time with the Beatles.
On October 9th he performed a special show and master class for 4-hundred lucky teenagers at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens.
Musician Lorde Holds Top Spot on US Charts
16-year old New Zealand pop star Lorde has kept her reign at the top of the Billboard 100 chart with her new single Royals.
She beat out Katy Perry's Roar and Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball to maintain her second week at number 1.
The song has been the subject of major controversy lately after American blogger Veronica Bayetti Flores posted an article claiming the song is racist against black people.
She points to lyrics, which reference gold teeth, and Cristal champagne as evidence and writes, "We all know who she's talking about," when she references those things.
The post has received a massive backlash with fans and other writers coming to Lorde's defense claiming Flores' interpretation of the song makes Flores the one guilty of racism and cultural ignorance.
Whatever, the song is great.
Yoko Ono Honored with Honorary Icelandic Citizenship
Japanese artist Yoko Ono has been made an honorary citizen of Reykjavik, Iceland.
The City Council Executive Committee of Reykjavik bestowed the honor on Ono October 9th in the capital of the country.
Jon Gnarr, mayor of Reykjavik city, said Ono's contribution to peace and human rights issues in the world is unique, and her outstanding work has pointed a light of peace on Reykjavik.
Let's hear some of Ono's outstanding work he's talking about.
Ono spoke at the ceremony thanking everyone for the honor saying everytime she visits the country she is reminded of what's important in life.
A memorial for late ex-Beatle and partner of Ono, John Lennon, called the Imagine Peace tower sits on Videy Island in Reykjavik.
The tower has been lit annually since 2007 on Lennon's birthday, October 9th, and stays lit until the day he dies, December 8th.
Auction for Breaking Bad Items Reaches Nearly $1-Million
A mega fan of the hit TV series Breaking Bad has spent 9-thousand US dollars to own the pair of underwear actor Bryan Cranston's character Walter White wore for the show's pilot episode.
Other Breaking Bad memorabilia was auctioned off such as the inscribed copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, which sold for a whopping 65-thousand 5-hundred dollars.
The infamous bell belonging to the character Hector Salamanca sold for almost 27-thousand dollars.
The auction raised almost 1-million dollars in total.
The items are now on display at the Museum of Moving Image in New York and will be shipped to the winners on October 27th.
A quick recap of headlines before we go,
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang calling for deeper cooperation between China and Thailand.
OPCW is awarded the 2013 Nobel peace prize for its work in Syria.
UN Security Council gives the go ahead for a plan to rid Syria of chemical weapons.
Business, China's growth rate now predicted to exceed 7.5 percent. |