The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Rebecca Hume with you on this Monday, October 14th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening,
Britain set to simplify visa process for Chinese visitors.
Experts call for international support in destroying Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.
Death toll in India temple stampede rises to 110.
Business, China's September inflation rises to a 7-month high.
Sports, Boston Red Sox defeat the Detroit Tigers.
Entertainments, Donnie Yen’s action thriller premieres in Beijing.
Plus Special reports goes to the East Asian Games as the Chinese dominated swimming events get into full-swing.
Weather
Strong cold front to sweep China
A strong cold front is set to sweep most of China in the coming days.
Forecasters say most northern, central and southwestern regions are likely to see strong gales and a plunge in temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees Celsius.
Shandong may see temperatures drop by as much as 12 degrees.
Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 4 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow sunny with a high temperature of 16.
Meanwhile Shanghai will have light rain tonight, with a low of 16, also light rain tomorrow, with a high of 22.
Lhasa will have light rain tonight, 6 degrees the low, showers tomorrow with a high of 15.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 32.
Kabul, sunny, 26.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 23.
Canberra, sunny, 19.
Brisbane, sunny, 25.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 22.
Top News
UK to simplify visa application for Chinese visitors
Anchor:
Britain has announced plans to simplify it's visa application process for Chinese visitors.
The announcement comes as British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, is in China for trade talks.
CRI's Su Yi has more.
Reporter:
Under the new plans, Chinese visitors who are applying for the EU visa do not need to submit a separate UK visa application if they sign up with selected travel agencies.
Currently, Chinese visitors heading to the European Union can apply for a single visa which comes under the passport-free Schengen zone.
However, they are required to apply for a separate visa to travel to the UK.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London who is now making his own separate visit to China says the visa changes should also make it easier for Chinese people to study in the UK.
"London is home to more Chinese students than any other city on earth, outside China obviously. And I very much welcome what I am hearing from our government about trying to increase those numbers. Five years ago I said when I came here that I wanted to see an increase in those numbers coming and it's happened, it's gone up by 149 percent, just in the last year it's gone up by 12 percent, the increase of Chinese numbers in our city."
Meanwhile, the UK is also mulling to expand the door-to-door VIP visa application service to other Chinese cities.
The service, which is currently runs in Beijing and Shanghai, allows the applicant to submit a visa application from home without visiting the immigration office.
Osborne, who is accompanied by a trade delegation, says his visit is about strengthening the understanding between the two countries.
"One of my tasks this week is to explain to British people just how far China has come, how sophisticated your businesses are, how advanced you are in the fields of hi-tech and science. One of my principle goals this week is not just to increase British investment in China, but to increase Chinese investment in Britain."
China is one of the major markets for UK's tourism and trade.
In 2012, the UK issued 210,000 visas to Chinese visitors whom in return brought over 300 million pounds to the country.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
Tough immigration bill ignites debate in UK
Anchor:
A new immigration bill just passed in Britain which will require hospitals to check patients' immigration status has sparked controversy among the general public.
CRI's Alexander Aucott has more.
Reporter:
Under the tough immigration bill past just last week, real estate agencies, private landlords and healthcare providers will be forced to check the immigration status of their clients.
Landlords may face fines of up to 20-thousand pounds if their tenants are found to be illegal immigrants.
Immigration Minister Mark Harper says the new bill will stop migrants from using public services to which they are not entitled.
However, Dr. David Lloyd, a member of the British Medical Association, says the background check will take up valuable time in medical treatment.
"It does mean that there is an awful lot more bureaucracy involved, so we have got to spend an awful lot more time checking on people, at a time when they are most vulnerable."
The bill will also require temporary migrants such as overseas students to make a contribution to the National Health Service to prevent so-called "health tourism".
Meanwhile, illegal immigrants from non-European Union states will be deported.
The bill comes as the Home Office has promised to reduce net migration from non-European countries from 176,000 in 2012 to fewer than 100,000 before the next election in 2015.
Around 800,000 undocumented immigrants are believed to be living in the UK at the moment.
However, Cornelia Meyer, an immigration analyst based in London has expressed doubts about the effect of the bill.
"I don't think it will be effective; all that will happen is you will push them underground, and you will have an underclass in the underground."
Immigration has long been regarded as a sensitive political issue in the UK given the country's cuts in public expenditure.
Some local media speculate that the new immigration law is just a pre-election gimmick to win more votes.
The new bill is expected to go into effect in January next year.
For CRI, I'm Alexander Aucott.
Visa Exemption to Bring a New Wave of Chinese Tourists to Thailand
Anchor:
Both tourists and tourism industry insiders are expressing optimism about the possibility of bilateral visa exemptions between Thailand and China.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter:
On the heels of the original proposal by Thai authorities, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has told the Thai Parliament in Bangkok his government is willing to hold talks about bilateral visa exemptions for tourists from the two countries.
Li Keqiang says visa exemptions for regular passport holders will offer Chinese and Thai tourists more convenience and promote more people-to-people exchanges.
Thailand is the first country within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to enter discussions with China on this issue.
The China National Tourism Administration contends China has become Thailand's largest tourism market.
About 3-million people traveled between the two countries last year.
That number is expected to rise to 5-million if visa exemption policy comes into effect.
Applying for a Thai visa takes between three to five days and costs about 240 yuan for Chinese citizens.
For most Chinese tourists, the cost is not the issue.
"It's not only about saving time and energy. Visa-free travel means we can simply pack our bags and take off at any time. It's a new holiday-making experience."
Travel agencies are seemingly equally optimistic about the visa-free policy.
Wang Pengju, from U-Tour, one of China's largest travel agencies, says he looks forward to seeing this development go through.
"It will definitely bring huge benefits to Thailand as a travel destination if the policy takes effect. First of all, there will be a remarkable increase of tourists. It will also boost the travel market."
The proposed visa waiver is likely to change Chinese travel patterns.
Wang Wei with the Thailand Tourism Administration Office in Beijing says instead of joining packaged tours, Chinese tourists are more likely to create a "Do It Yourself" trip.
"DIY tours are growing more popular among Chinese tourists [traveling] to Thailand. The number of DIY travelers is on the rise. They account for about 30 to 40 percent of total Chinese tourists that went to Thailand last year."
Thailand is becoming a popular destination for China's middle-income holiday makers, as the country has a solid reputation and can accommodate tourists at a relatively low cost.
For CRI, I'm Jordan lee.
Dismantling Syria's chemical weapons faces difficulties: political analyst
Experts have called for international support as Syria's chemical disarmament is facing a number of challenges.
Shadi Ahmad, a Syrian political analyst in Damascus, says the lack of funds is a major drag-down in the disarmament.
"Given the tough economic situation now, Syria cannot afford to dismantle the chemical weapons all by itself. The whole international community should be responsible for the problem, especially the Western countries whose economic blockade has caused such bad economic condition in Syria."
He says the ongoing clashes between the Syrian government and opposition has also hindered the UN mission.
"If the experts from the OPCW and the UN want to investigate the areas that were controlled by the Syrian opposition, then we have to turn to those countries who are supporting the opposition, countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Stated and France, if they can ask the opposition to let the experts in."
Earlier, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons called for short-term ceasefires to allow the group to carry out their work.
OPCW officials say clashes in opposition-held territory have prevented the team's access.
Syria's membership in the Chemical Weapons Convention formally takes effect on Monday.
The country is required to destroy the entire chemical arsenal by mid-2014.
Death toll in India temple stampede rises to 110
At least 110 people are confirmed to have died following a stampede in central India.
Some 100 others were hurt in the incident which took place at a Hindu temple in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
Police inspector Dilip Arya says the stampede began after rumors circulated that a bridge at the temple was going to collapse.
"Some people spread a rumour that the bridge was falling. Their objective was to reach the temple quickly. They were unable to go due to a massive crowd. This led to the stampede."
Some other eye-witnesses say the stampede began after police began using their batons to try to prevent people from jumping the queue.
"Some people got into a fight. One group attacked another group which in turn, retaliated. People got agitated. There was chaos and people began to run helter-skelter. Police then baton charged the unruly crowd. Some people began to shout that the bridge had collapsed and there was utter panic. There was no chance of escape and some people jumped into the river."
In February, another stampede killed at least 36 Hindu pilgrims, who were part of the world's largest religious festival.
Security tight in Moscow after mass demonstrations
Authorities in Moscow are on high alert in the city's downtown core, following mass demonstrations on Sunday.
Over 200-people were arrested after rioting broke out south of the Kremlin complex.
Earlier in the day on Sunday, angry demonstrators stormed a vegetable market in the area, searching for the person they believe is responsible for murder.
Police tried to restore order to the area, but demonstrators eventually turned on police.
Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev is vowing to restore order.
"Literally tomorrow, activate the work in relation to all of the vegetable warehouses, which are a constant source of tension, especially in the districts that circle those warehouses. I am asking the head of the Moscow police and I'm asking all managers... to quickly deal with these warehouses, bring about order."
Angry protesters contend a migrant worker working at one of the vegetable markets stabbed a young Russian man to death after an argument earlier in the week.
The suspect then fled the scene.
Foreigners living in Moscow have been advised to avoid going into public areas in the city.
Israel uncovers underground tunnel leading from Gaza to Israel
Israel authorities are freezing the transfer of building materials to Gaza, after the discovery of another tunnel leading from the enclave into Israel.
The Israeli military says it believes the 1.7-kilometer-long tunnel has been used by Hamas to launch attacks inside Israeli territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"I want to praise the soldiers of the Israeli army for uncovering the terror tunnel from Gaza. Part of our policy is robust anti-terror action, both in foiling and in intelligence actions, proactive action and responsive action. "
The Israeli government has subsequently blocked 70 trucks loaded with shipments of cement and gravel from entering the Gaza strip.
The discovery is the latest in a series of tunnels that have been uncovered over the years leading from Gaza into either Egypt or Israel.
The tunnels have been used to mostly smuggle goods and people in and out of Gaza.
Home-base senior care become a model
Anchor
With the number of elderly people on the increase here in China, care of the elderly has become a hot topic.
As CRI' s Xie Zhao reports, home-based senior care is a model that has been introduced here in Beijing.
Report
Beijing resident Mr. Ba says he wants to spend his later years in a nursing home.
"One-child generation has much burden to support seniors. I am considering the nursing home when I am getting old. If my kid becomes independent, it's ideal for me to live in a nursing home. "
An increasing number of senior citizens like Mr.Ba say they want to live in nursing homes, to help ease the burden placed on their children.
According to the Civil Affairs Ministry, the number of seniors in China is soon set to surpass 200 million.
However, there are only around 40-thousand nursing homes nationwide.
Shuang Yu Nan Li Community in Haidian District has introduced a pilot model for senior citizens and the disabled.
The government currently funds the model to set up a senior care centre and select a professional institution to enter the center through the bidding.
CAJ Senior Care Services is a professional care centre which has set up a branch in the community.
Many seniors living in the center say they are satisfied with the service.
"The employees' service attitude is good. They have certified qualifications. There are dining tables, barbershops and a hospital. I think the center is good."
"I am content. It's good. It's convenient for us to see doctors."
Li Ang, head of CAJ Senior Care Services, says his company can use rent-free buildings offered by the government.
So residents living there pay low fees to enjoy a professional service in the community.
"There is a series of services regarding home-based care, including domestic nurses, rehabilitation exercises, personal care, relaxing massage and accompanying the seniors to see doctors."
The Haidian district government plans to sponsor the launch of 60-community senior service centers by the end of this year.
The Chinese authorities have set the goal of ensuring all urban communities and half of rural communities have daytime care centers for seniors by 2015.
However, Zhan Chengfu, an official at the Ministry of Civil Affairs says less than half of that task has been accomplished.
"The goal is not achieved well based on facts. The goal of urban community home-based care service is achieved by 41%, while 17% in rural areas. "
Zhan says the central government will invest 3 billion yuan before the end of 2015 to speed up construction projects of senior care centers in rural areas.
The ministry will also urge financial authorities to improve subsidies for the elderly to purchase care services.
For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.
Biz Reports
Asian stocks
Asian stocks mostly fell today, as American lawmakers struggled over an accord to raise the U.S. debt limit and restore government operations.
But China's shares ended at a one-month high on Monday as stronger-than-expected September consumer inflation offered fresh evidence that the world's second-largest economy is on the mend.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.4 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index increased a quarter of a percent.
Hong Kong and Japan's market was closed for a public holiday.
Elsewhere in Asia, South Korean shares ended slightly lower on Monday as uncertainties remained over negotiations in the United States over the budget plan and debt ceiling.
The benchmark (KOSPI) fell 0.2 percent.
Singapore's Straits Times Index was down half a percent.
And Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4 percent.
China's Sept. inflation rebounds to 3.1 pct, PPI drops 1.3 pct
New data shows that China's annual consumer inflation rate rose to a seven-month high in September, fuelled mainly by a surge in food prices.
Consumer Price Index, CPI rose 3.1 percent during the month, from a year earlier, up from 2.6 percent in August.
The figure was higher than market expectations of a growth rate between 2.9 percent and 3 percent.
In the first nine months, year-on-year CPI growth stood at 2.5 percent on average, well below the government's full-year target of 3.5 percent.
Last month, food prices rose 6.1 percent year on year, while prices of non-food products, including clothing, home appliances and daily necessities, moved up 1.6 percent.
Meanwhile, China's producer price index fell 1.3 percent in September from a year earlier, compared with a 1.6-percent drop in August.
The index, which measures inflation at the wholesale level, has been in negative territory for 19 consecutive months.
However, the pace of the decrease has been easing for four straight months.
Third-quarter GDP growth data, along with industrial output, fixed-asset investment and retail sales, is due on Friday.
Chinese company to invest in surrounding business of Manchester Airport
A Chinese firm is set to become part of a nearly 1.3-billion US dollar business park project, which is going to be built adjacent to the main airport in the northern city of Manchester.
The Beijing Construction Engineering Group is among 3 groups teaming up to build the park.
The announcement was made during UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's visit here in Beijing.
"It's impressive because it's an 800 million pound joint venture between the Beijing Construction and Engineering Group and Carillion, and I think by the way this is the first investment by Beijing Construction in the UK and it is incredibly welcome. For we see China's remarkable economic success story, not as a threat, but a huge opportunity for our country"
With 5-million square feet of operational space, the development is said to be the largest of its kind in Europe.
It also marks the largest infrastructure investment in the UK since the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The project is expected to create more than 16-thousand jobs for the area.
Live call-in with Mike Bastin on Osborne's trip to China
For more on China-UK relations and George Osborne's trip to China, we are joined on the line by 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 budgets reward funds for air pollution treatment
China's central government has budgeted 5-billion yuan, or 814-million U.S dollars, for rewarding air pollution treatment efforts in several regions.
These regions include the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong, as well as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Allocation of funds to the regions will be made after the end of the year and will differ based on each region's pollution reduction target, investment in pollution treatment, and rate of PM 2.5 decline.
China September Exports Unexpectedly Drop in September
New figures from the Chinese government are showing a dramatic decrease in exports through September.
While most analysts had been expecting exports to rise by around 6-percent last month, official stats show exports actually fell 0.3-percent compared to the same month last year.
This is down dramatically from the 7.2-percent export growth in August.
Headline News
UK to simplify visa application for Chinese visitors
Britain has announced plans to simplify it's visa application process for Chinese visitors.
The announcement comes as British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, is in China for trade talks.
Under the new plans, Chinese visitors who are applying for the EU visa do not need to submit a separate UK visa application if they sign up with selected travel agencies.
Meanwhile, the UK is also mulling to expand the door-to-door VIP visa application service to other Chinese cities.
The service, which is currently runs in Beijing and Shanghai, allows the applicant to submit a visa application from home without visiting the immigration office.
China is one of the major markets for UK's tourism and trade.
In 2012, the UK issued 210,000 visas to Chinese visitors whom in return brought over 300 million pounds to the country.
Russian PM to visit China next week
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is set to pay an official visit to China next week.
It is a regular annual meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government.
Medvedev will also hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Chinese foreign ministry has called China and Russia each other's most important strategic partner ahead of the visit.
China's Sept. inflation rebounds to 3.1 pct, PPI drops 1.3 pct
New data shows that China's annual consumer inflation rate rose to a seven-month high in September, fuelled mainly by a surge in food prices.
Consumer Price Index, CPI rose 3.1 percent during the month, from a year earlier, up from 2.6 percent in August.
The figure was higher than market expectations of a growth rate between 2.9 percent and 3 percent.
Meanwhile, China's producer price index fell 1.3 percent in September from a year earlier, compared with a 1.6-percent drop in August.
The index, which measures inflation at the wholesale level, has been in negative territory for 19 consecutive months.
China budgets reward funds for air pollution treatment
China's central government has budgeted 5-billion yuan, or 814-million U.S dollars, for rewarding air pollution treatment efforts in several regions.
These regions include the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong, as well as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Allocation of funds to the regions will be made after the end of the year and will differ based on each region's pollution reduction target, investment in pollution treatment, and rate of PM 2.5 decline.
Strong cold front to sweep China
A strong cold front is set to sweep most of China in the coming days.
Forecasters say most northern, central and southwestern regions are likely to see strong gales and a plunge in temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees Celsius.
Shandong may see temperatures drop by as much as 12 degrees.
Newspaper Picks
Xinhua
"China to shoot films for all its minorities"
The State Ethnic Affairs Commission has announced that the government will produce at least one film for each of its 55 ethnic minorities.
These films will showcase the culture and life of the people and improve people's understanding of them.
Films featuring the ethnic minorities have been popular in China since 1950s, such as the "Liu Sanjie" featuring Zhuang ethnic group and the "Five Golden Flowers" telling the stories of five Bai ethnic girls.
The commission said such minority-themed films are rare nowadays, noting more than 20 minority groups have not been put on films yet.
China News Service
"'Early to Bed' app tricks night users"
A sleep-aid app called "Early to Bed", which urges users to stop playing with their cellphones and go to sleep, is growing popular among smartphone users.
The app provides "Defer" and "Go to sleep" options for a set bedtime. If users choose "Defer," every five minutes the app reminds them to go to bed until they click "Go to sleep." If users open other apps after choosing "Defer," it sends rude messages urging them to go to sleep.
If users stay up too late, the app also automatically releases preset information such as insulting comments about them on Moments, a software platform for Wechat that shares user information with friends.
The developer of the app says it helps solve the "universal problem" of people using cellphones at bedtime, rather than falling asleep, and helps users improve their sleep habits.
India Express
"'Sunday night blues' plague 75 per cent employees"
A new research has found the distress of returning to work after a weekend causes more than 75 per cent of employees to experience 'Sunday night blues'.
For nearly half of them the angst is so distressing that it makes them want to find a new job.
The research is based on surveys of more than 3,600 employees worldwide.
Just 22 per cent of those surveyed said they are never nervous about returning to work after a weekend.
A career advice expert said with Monday morning being notoriously stressful, she doesn't think anyone is truly happy to see their weekends come to an end.
To reduce Sunday night stress, the expert advise employees to take time on Friday to make sure they are set up for success the following week.
The Jakarta Post
"Jakarta plans to control mushrooming street vendors"
The city administration intends to impose a moratorium on street vendors as part of its efforts to control their rapidly growing presence.
The number of street vendors, who mostly occupy streets and public spaces alike, in Jakarta, has grown vastly.
The city recorded that the number of street vendors in Jakarta had reached over 90,000 in 2011. Among it, nearly 80,000 were illegal.
The city governor expressed his optimism that the administration's efforts would not be fruitless, since the figure in 2011 was lightly higher than in 2010.
Special Reports
Chinese swimming team seeing off the golden ten years
Anchor:
The East Asian Games are winding down in Tianjin, while swimming events are in full-swing.
Rising star Ning Zetao claimed his first international gold after winning the mens 100 meter freestyle. He just barely missed beating the Asian record he set at the National games one month ago.
CRI's Li Jing has more from Tianjin's aquatic center.
Reporter:
The Chinese swimming team has clinched a total of 20 golds out of 28 after the first four days competing at the East Asian Games.
The medalists include London Olympic champions Ye Shiwen and Jiao Liuyang, who won a bronze medal in an unfamiliar event, the 50-meters butterfly race.
The 22-year-old Jiao gave up her spot in the 200-meter-butterfly, which is her specialty, so that younger teammates would have a chance to compete.
Cui Dengrong, the coach for gold-medalist Lu Ying, says the team is now faced with the challenge of finding new anchors.
"We will have to start looking for new talents after Tianjin. All my A-listers are getting old. Two of them, Sun Xiaolei and Zhong xinxian have already retired right after the National Games. So putting together a new team will be the next challenge."
Xu Qi, who has been heading the national swimming team since the Beijing Olympic games said competitions are important for discovering new talents.
"Since 2003, nurturing new talents has been a focal point of our work. 2008 on, we began holding 4 to 5 national competitions among the B-listers to find out the new talents every year. The program has yielded good results, most of the high-achievers you see here were selected through those competitions."
But Xu was quick to add that he has the same concerns with Lu Ying's coach, since over a dozen medalists on his team are now retiring.
"We are faced with the daunting task in next year's Rio Olympics, really tough situation. Though we are doing well here at the East Asian Games, not to mention last year's London Games, but obviously many great simmers are leaving this year, most of them being the main strength of the team for years now."
This year has been particularly busy for the national swimming team.
There were only a few weeks between the FINA World Swimming Championship and last month's National Games in Liaoning.
And than two weeks later, the East Asian Games began.
Cui said after the East Asian Games, there is lots of work to be done as Chinese swimmers will soon be put to the test again.
First comes the Asian Games in Inchon, South Korea next year and then the Rio Olympics in 2016.
For CRI, I am Li Jing.
Sports
Boston Red Sox come from behind to defeat Detroit Tigers in second game of ALCS
Beginning with Baseball..
AND the Boston Red Sox made an amazing turn around to sneak a victory from the Detroit Tigers 6-5.
The two sides have now won one game a piece in the American League Championship Series.
On the night David Ortiz performed wonders just when the Red Sox needed it most, he slugged a grand slam in the eighth inning to bring the score level with the Tigers..
Though he was happy with his performance the batter confessed there was a bit of luck involved too:
""You know, I just tried not to do too much, man. I try to put a good swing on the ball…If I was tell you about thinking about hitting a grand slam, I'm lying to you now. Just trying to put a good swing on the ball and thank god it happens."
John Farrell the Red Sox manager, said he was pleased to see his side never gives up even when it was looking hopeless at some stages.
He was thrilled that his star batsman performed so well:
"As we've seen, we're going to play it to the final out. David (Ortiz) so many times has come up big, whether it's regular season, postseason, none bigger than tonight."
Game 3 on Tuesday will feature Tigers ace Justin Verlander pitching against John Lackey.
Chinese men's basketball team comeback against S Korea to reach East Asian Games final
And now another come-back story as the Chinese men's basketball team beat South Korea in the basketball semi-final at the 6th East Asian games.
Showing a great deal of heart and fighting spirit the team rallied from an eight point deficit in the fourth quarter, to score 22 points to South Korea's five and clinch the victory.
The Chinese coach said they had some troubles leading up to the match in terms of preparation and a few injuries but he is proud of his players.
In the final they will face Chinese Taipei who beat Japan 103 to 74 in their match.
Looking at the medals table and China have extended their lead still further, The hosts now have 129 Gold medals, almost four times more than Japan in second with 39 meanwhile South Korea are third with 33 gold medals.
Warriors Bring Cares to Migrant Workers' Children in Beijing
Two NBA teams the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers will put on a pre-season game on Tuesday night at Beijing's MasterCard Center.
A day ahead of the game the Warriors visited a primary school for migrant workers' children.
As part of the NBA Cares charity activity, the team donated a reading and learning space to the school.
The Warrior's top star Stephon Curry led the donation ceremony:
"We are excited to be here to help celebrate your new NBA Cares reading and learning space, so that you can also have fun on the basketball court as well. We hope these resources will help you continue to grow, play every day and be healthy and strong, listen to your teachers and take advantage of these brand new books to learn something new every day."
After the ceremony, NBA legendary stars Tyrone Bogues and Dell Curry gave a basketball lesson to students.
Along with Tuesday's game in Beijing, the two teams will have another pre-season game in Shanghai on Friday.
Jhonathan Florez wins Wingsuit Championship in China's Hunan province
Staying in China, Colombian wingsuiter Jhonathan Florez has been crowned the champion of the Second World Wingsuit Championship.
Florez made a jump of 23.40 seconds at Tianmen Mountain in Hunan Province. Second place went to Noah Bahnson of the USA and in third was Vincent Descols of France.
Unfortunately there was a dark cloud cast over the competition after Hungarian wingsuiter Victor Kovats plummeted to his death last week during his final practice jump.
As a mark of respect for Kovats the organizers decided not to jump from the side of the mountain where Kovats made his jump and the competition was cut from three to two days.
Francesco Bruni beats Ben Ainsley in 2013 Argo Group Gold Cup
In sailing,
Ben Ainsley has been defeated at Bermuda's Hamilton Harbour by Francesco Bruni in the final of the 2013 Argo Group Gold Cup.
The assembled spectators were treated to a display of match racing at its best when Bruni's Luna Rossa crew lined up against Ben Ainslie's 2010 champions, Argo Group crew, for one of the tensest finals seen on the tour this year.
After the race Sir Ben praised his opponent:
"Francesco and his boys sailed really, really well and we had to fight very hard to get ourselves back into the game and take it to the final race but I think that probably the deciding factor was the starts and Francesco did a much better job than I did in the starts today. I had a bit of a difficult day and that put us in a hard spot."
This is the first time in the Argo Group Gold Cup's 76-year history that the competition has been won by an Italian.
Alonso breaks F1 all-time points record but concedes Championship defeat
And finally in Formula One...
Fernando Alonso has broken the all time points record in the sport after finishing fourth in this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.
The Spaniard, who's been racing for 12-years, said he was pleased to beat the record previously held by German Seven-time World-Champion Michael Schumacher but conceded that this year's world championship was probably out of his reach.
The race was won by Schumacher's compatriot Sebastian Vettel, who's race started with a slight tangle.
But he was able to keep his head to power on for victory go 90 points clear of Alonso with only 100 still available.
"I had a very, very poor start - I think it was right between Romain and Lewis. I clipped a little bit the front wing, I think Lewis had a puncture after that. I couldn't go anywhere. But after that we were patient enough, looked after the tyres and had incredible pace towards the end."
Vettel could claim his fourth straight world championship victory at the Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi in two weeks time.
Entertainment
Special ID' Packs Punch at Beijing Premiere
Chinese action-packed police movie, "Special ID," starring Donnie Yen, has premiered in Beijing.
Yen's co-stars, Jing Tian and Andy On, attended, along with Yang Kun, singer of the movie's theme song.
Set in Shenzhen, Donnie Yen plays an undercover cop with lots of combat fighting involved, including Thai boxing, judo and karate.
Yen says he wanted to impress the audience with thrilling fight scenes.
"The role I play is a cover cop who looked outwardly is a rascal. I take other actors' performance into consideration. I think for a long time about how to impress my audiences freshly. I don't think the highlight of the film is about me. Instead it's the team work of our team."
Chinese actress Jing Tian plays the role of female police woman.
At the premiere she admitted playing the role was like a dream come true.
The movie reportedly cost over one-hundred-million yuan to make.
"Special ID" explodes onto screens across China October 18th.
Ge and Feng team up again
Chinese Actor Ge You is to be a frequent face on China's big screen during the New Year movie season.
This coming New Year, he is set to be back as a love-hungry man keen on climbing the social ladder.
In Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's comedy "Personal Tailor", Ge plays a man from humble origins, who suddenly gains fortune with a patented invention.
Trying to attract a woman from the upper class, he hires a trainer to help him improve on his general etiquette.
Actor Fan Wei as well as actresses Bai Baihe and Li Xiaolu join the cast.
"Personal Tailor" is set to hit Chinese cinemas on December 19.
'Gravity' continues to dominate N America box office
Science fiction thriller "Gravity" has held up well in North America and extended its No. 1 placing into the second weekend of business over the weekend.
American film star Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play the lead role.
The Warner Bros. science fiction and space drama film is estimated to have taken in 44.3 million U.S. dollars in ticket sales over the weekend.
That is down 21 percent from it's opening weekend over the national holiday.
The Sony/Columbia Pictures' a real-life sea pirates saga "Captain Phillips" outpace pre-release estimates to finish at the No. 2 slot.
The film, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks, was screened at over 3-thouasnd theaters in the United States and Canada.
Sony Pictures' animated film "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" ranked the third place.
Composer Hans Zimmer on the Fence About Returning to Superman Franchise
Academy award winning composer Hans Zimmer says he's not sure whether he'll return to work on the sequel to this summer's Superman film Man of Steel.
Zimmer, who created an entirely new score for Superman this year, says his problem is coming up with ideas for the Batman element to the sequel.
Academy Award winner Ben Affleck will be appearing as the Caped Crusader in the next Superman installment meaning Zimmer has his work cut out for him.
Zimmer has had some tough shoes to fill writing a new score for Superman by having to follow fellow composer John Williams' legendary score from the 1970s.
Miley Cyrus grabs top slot in UK single and album charts
American popstar Miley Cyrus is topping the charts in the UK notching up both a number one single and a number one album in the British music chart this year.
Cyrus is also the first person to simultaneously top two categories in the Chart.
Her latest track, "Wrecking Ball", went straight to the top spot in the single charts.
Her fourth album, "Bangerz", also reached number one in the albums chart.
The result is the best yet for the 20-year-old singer.
Cyrus scored her first number one hit in the British singles chart in August with "We Can't Stop".
Her success pushed last week's number one single, "Counting Stars", by U.S rock band OneRepublic, into third place.
American rapper Eminem secured the second slot with his new single "Berzerk".
A quick recap of headlines before we go，
Britain set to simplify visa application for Chinese visitors.
Experts call for international support in destroying Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.
Death toll in India temple stampede rises to 110.
Business, China's September inflation rises to a 7-month high. |