The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Paul James with you on this Monday, November 4, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
A Chinese national from Hong Kong is among 6 people killed in a boat capsizing in Thailand.
Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is set to stand trial later on this Monday.
Israel's defense minister is warning of a potential renewal of violence from the Gaza Strip.
In Business.... China's Premier has been soliciting expert economic opinions ahead of this weekend's forthcoming plenary session.
In sports... Novak Djokovic has taken the Paris Masters title.
In entertainment... Rihanna is now sharing a record with The Beatles and Elvis Presley .
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
Weather
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 16 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 5.
In Shanghai, it will be cloudy today, 20 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 14 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 15, and tonight will be cloudy with a low of 1 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 24.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 17.
And in North America
New York, sunny, with a high of 10 degrees.
Washington, sunny, highs of 14
Houston, sunny, 21.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 29.
Toronto, sunny, 3.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 23.
And Rio de Janeiro will be overcast with highs of 29 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Tour boat sinks off eastern Thailand, killing 6
One person from Hong Kong is among 6 people who have died following the capsizing of a boat in Thailand.
Two other Chinese nationals have been injured in the accident.
A ferry was on its way to the Thai beach resort of Pattaya from the island of Koh Lan when it started taking on water.
When passangers noticed the water rushing into the boat, they scurried to the upper decks of the boat.
This upset the blast, causing the ship to capsize.
One Chinese national, two Russians and three Thai citizens are among the dead.
Survivors say the passenger ferry didn't have enough life vests.
Mohammed Morsi to go on trial
Anchor
Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is due to go on trial later on this Monday on charges of inciting murder.
CRI's Li Jing has more.
Report
Mohammed Morsi is on trial along with 14 other Brotherhood members on charges of inciting the killing of protesters who massed outside his presidential palace in December.
The protesters had been demanding Morsi call off a referendum on the constitution drafted by his Islamist allies.
Morsi's trial follows a wide-scale crackdown on the Brotherhood and its Islamist allies.
Thousands have been arrested in the crackdown.
Dozens have been killed in the unrest following Morsi's ouster earlier this year.
The trial is likely to bring Morsi's supporters back to the streets, as they have been threatening to disrupt the proceedings with protests.
"This trial is in vain because Morsi is the legitimate president. And they are accusing him of spying for Hamas. All of this is an invention of the military."
"The trial is appropriate. Of course Morsi made huge mistakes, both with the Egyptian people and with the reputation of Egypt both nationally and internationally. I hope that the trial turns out to be fair."
The military has joined the police to secure Torah Prisons Complex, where all the arrested top leaders of the Brotherhood are being held.
Morsi, the country's first democratically-elected president, was deposed in early July.
He has been locked in detention since then, with almost no contact with the outside world.
Morsi is expected to represent himself at the trial.
Mohammed el-Damati is a lawyer representing the Muslim Brotherhood.
"The streets are on fire, but there are some factors that will increase that fire. For sure, the presence of Dr. Morsi in the dock is one of these factors that will increase the feeling of revolution."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Cairo pressing for reforms.
His trip there comes following a decision by the Obama administration to cut off its annual military aide to Egypt.
Speaking as part of his trip, Kerry does say the US government will continue its support of the current interim government in Egypt.
Kerry has avoided mentioning Morsi's trial.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
Masked extremists storm Kosovo polling station
A group of men have attempted to disrupt local elections in Kosovo.
Serbian state TV is reporting a group of more than 10 masked men stormed a polling station at an elementary school and harrassed election staff.
Krstimir Pantic is a mayoral candidate.
"They started smashing ballot boxes, throwing ballot papers around, insulting members of the election commission, and one older woman was seriously injured, because one of the attackers hit her with a chair. We heard that one woman had also been injured, her leg was broken, and this shows the bestiality and arrogance of the attackers."
The group was eventually dispursed by authorities with tear gas.
Serbian authorities say the attackers are members of an extreme-right Serbian group which opposes any Serbian involvement in the local elections in Kosovo.
The Serbian government has asked its ethnic population living in Kosovo to take part in the local elections, even though the Serbian government does not recognize Kosovar independence.
Israel DM says Hamas preparing itself for renewal of violence
Israel's defense minister is suggesting Hamas is preparing to launch a new round of attacks from Gaza.
Moshe Ya'alon says Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has arming itself through a honeycomb of tunnels.
The comments come following an explosion inside a tunnel this past week which left 5 Palestinians injured.
That explosion alerted authorities to the tunnel.
Israeli forces then launched an assault, leaving three Palestinians dead.
Israeli authorities say the men killed were bomb and tunnel experts.
Tunnels have become more prevalent since the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip began in 2007.
Pakistani politicians criticize US drone attacks on Taliban
Pakistani politicians are criticizing the US drone strike which killed Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud this past week.
The drone strike on Friday came as the Pakistan government is attempting to negotiate a peace agreement with Tehreek-e-Taliban.
This is the formal name for Mehsud's organization.
Pakistani interior minister Chaudhry Khan says the US strike has jeopardized proposed peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Taliban.
"First and foremost, the government of Pakistan does not see this drone attack as an attack on an individual, but as an attack on the peace process. In the last seven weeks we tried to evolve a process through which we can bring peace to Pakistan, and what have you done? You have scuttled it on the eve of the day."
Meanwhile, Pakistani politician Imran Khan, one of the most vocal critics of US drone strikes, is threatening to block trucks carrying supplies to NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
Khan's party runs the government in the Khyber pass.
The Taliban has rejected peace talks with the Pakistani government following a US drone strike killed the group's second-in-command in May.
Pakistani officials regularly criticise the attacks as a violation of the country's sovereignty.
However, the Pakistani government is also known to have supported strikes in the past.
The Bother of Bitumen in China under Discussion
Anchor
Chinese researchers are warning bitumen from asphalt roads is causing serious environmental pollution in this country.
CRI's Katharine Xu has more.
Reporter
Over the past decade, China has been rapidly developing its expressway system. As the number of new roads continues to rise, disused pavements are being dug out with their asphalt surfaces left exposed.
Secretary-General of China Highway and Transportation Society Liu Wenjie revealed at a recent conference on recycling asphalt, that only ten to twenty percent of asphalt from disused county and village roads is being used in the construction of new roads.
At the meeting, Liu warned of the danger of intense pollution from not recycling these asphalt materials.
"In the past, when a road fell into disuse, construction workers would dig it out and lead asphalt waste scattered around. This contributed to China's low efficiency in recycling asphalt resources. This situation mainly existed due to the lack of an asphalt recycling mechanism, and the absence of good innovation technologies at the time. Disused asphalt constitutes not only a huge waste problem but also leads to severe environmental pollution."
Liu Wenjie added that today, remarkable progress has been made in large metropolitan areas in China, with 60 to 70 percent of waste materials from express roads in cities being recycled.
The new development should help further innovations in asphalt-recycling technologies in both government-run laboratories and private high-tech companies.
Zhejiang Lanting Hi-Tech Company has been dedicated to researching asphalt recycling since 2001. Chairman of the Board of Directors Yang Linjiang introduced an asphalt-recycling technology invented by his company.
"One of my company's main achievements over the past dozen years has been our successful development of a technology that guarantees zero-pollution from a recycling process where disused asphalt remains are burnt twice."
Yang Linjiang also explained that recycled asphalt has been proved to be no less effective than new asphalt material. He promoted his company's technologies and equipment for recycling asphalt in a speech which attracted the attention of both domestic and international experts.
Mr. Adegboyega Ajani, a program officer with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, said he hopes such technology may be introduced to other developing countries, including his native country of Nigeria.
"Definitely what have been developed by Lanting high-tech Company is very useful for our program, and also to promote such kind of practices under the south-south cooperation framework in other parts of the world."
At present, Japan and the United States take the lead in recycling road waste: Japan uses 85 percent of recycled road debris for new construction projects while the US uses 80 percent.
The meeting, jointly sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Energy Conservation Environmental Protection Association, aims to promote technologies for recycling asphalt from pavements in China and other developing nations to reduce construction waste and better protect living environments.
For CRI, I'm Katharine Xu.
E-commerce Platforms Competing for Double 11 Day
Anchor
Ahead of so-called Singles' Day on the 11th of this month, online sales have already begun peaking.
CRI's Liu Min has more.
Reporter
The leading e-retail platform, tmall.com, has promoted its fifty-percent-off discount to lure consumers. They are also trying to attract buyers through social media. Vice President of tmall.com Wang Yulei says more than 20 thousand online stores have joined the Single's Day campaign.
"The number of stores going to join the Double 11 Day promotion has doubled. We haven't got a final number of how many products going to be on sale yet. But so far, we've seen many more products planned to be put on shelves with discounts."
During last year's Single's Day, tmall.com, together with taobao.com, reached a record high of 19.1 billion yuan in sales volume, which considered a hallmark in the e-commerce history of China.
Singles Day was first started by Chinese college students in the 1990s as an antithesis to Valentine's Day, a celebration for people without romantic partners. The timing was based on the date: Nov. 11--or double 11--for singles. Unattached young people would treat each other to dinner or give gifts to woo that special someone and end their single status.
But now, the Singles Day has been promoted as a kind of grand craze just for the shopping season kicks off, thanks to thousands of discounted products being promoted online.
Taobao.com was the first big e-retail platform which used the double 11 idea to promote sales. Taobao.com reached one million yuan worth of sales volume on that day in 2009, when they first promoted the Singles Day idea. In 2010, that volume increased to 936 million yuan. The figure climbed up to 5.3 billion yuan in 2011, putting huge demand on shipping services, also an iconic moment in e-commerce history. The figure doubled in 2012.
The potential for large profits is seducing other e-commerce competitors to get their piece, such as jd.com and suning.com. Manager Li Xi, from JD.com, says they've also got their own strategy to compete on Double 11.
"During this year's event, we will carry out small trials with some brands, including time-honored brands and department stores."
In many department stores located in Chongqing, customers have already found tmall.com logos attached to products being sold in stores. Customers are very happy to try on the clothes in real stores, and make an order online to enjoy the discounts. Deputy Secretary-In-Chief, Wan Donghui, of China E-commerce Industry Association says this is the trend of commerce to come.
"More and more companies in traditional industries or more retailing companies are forging commercial models of OTO, which is from offline to online. For example, the franchise stores are opening their online stores, while online platforms are cooperating with offline stores. I think the trend is, quite obviously, beneficial for everyone."
E-commerce is considered to be elbowing out the traditional retailing industry, but the reality is both sides are learning from each other.
For CRI, I'm Liu Min.
Rare solar eclipse takes place in America, Europe and Africa
A rare solar eclipse has taken place across North America, Europe and Africa.
It was first visible in the southern United States and then travelled across the Atlantic and onto Africa.
The majority of the total eclipse occurred over the Atlantic Ocean.
But one of the best views was in northern Kenya.
"It only hit me yesterday that it was going to happen today, so I didn't prepare myself, but I borrowed a pair of special sunglasses, filtered sunglasses, from somebody I saw next to me, and then actually managed to see it, so that was, yeah, that was worth it, that was very worth it."
Sunday's solar eclipse was a rare "hybrid" of an annular and total eclipse.
The extent to how much the moon blocks out the sun is different depending on where you're viewing it from.
China completes final assembly of first deep-sea mobile workstation
Chinese engineers have completed the final assembly of this country's first deep-sea mobile workstation.
Testing is set to get underway in short-order.
Weng Zhengping is an engineer with the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.
"The deep-sea mobile workstation is similar to the space station. This workstation weighs 35 tons, and can operate for 12 to 18 hours under the sea. There are currently six staff members. The mobile station can hoist, lay and move heavy objects by itself, and it can even dispatch robots and order the robots to perform specific duties."
Engineers spent a decade designing and building the deep-sea workstation.
The Chinese deep-sea submersible Jiaolong set a record last year by submerging to a depth of 7-thousand-62 meters in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific.
Biz Reports
Anchor
Let's get a preview of what's set to take place in the business world this week.
Here's CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter
On the Wall Street, Twitter will be the focus of everyone's attention this week when the social media company goes public in the market's most anticipated IPO since Facebook.
Twitter is expected to price its IPO on Wednesday evening and begin trading on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Twitter has plans to sell 70 million shares for between 17 and 20 dollars.
This would value the online messaging company at around 11-billion dollars.
Another event that will grab investors' attention will be the US Labor Department's release of its non-farm payroll figures for October on Friday.
The announcement was delayed by the 16-day partial U.S. government shutdown in early October.
This week's economic indicators also include factory orders on Monday, followed by the ISM services index on Tuesday.
On Thursday, the United States' third-quarter GDP and weekly jobless claims will be released.
In addition to the unemployment numbers, U.S. personal income stats and the consumer sentiment index are due on Friday.
Also on Friday, U.S. Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke is expected to speak on a panel at the International Monetary Fund.
Meanwhile, central banks around the world are expected to make key announcements on interest rates throughout the coming week.
The key meeting is in Frankfurt on Thursday when the European Central Bank will announced whether its going to lower its key interest rate or opt to provide more cheap loans to the region's banks.
Here in China, the party's Central Committee will gather this weekend for its plenary session.
It's widely expected a new range of economic reform policies are going to be issued on the outset of the meeting.
Chinese premier solicits expert opinions on economic growth
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says the slowing growth in this country poses a major challenge to job creation.
He also says the country will need to achieve a "golden" balance between structural adjustments and growth.
Li Keqiang's comments have come while meeting experts and entrepreneurs at a work conference.
"As a big country with 1.3 billion people, there is no certain pace of development that can cope with so many difficulties and problems, especially preserving jobs. China needs to find a "golden balancing point" between upgrading the economy and maintaining a reasonable growth rate to ensure further job creation.
China's GDP has come in at 7.7-percent through the first nine months.
This is higher than the government's full-year target of 7.5 percent.
Li Keqiang also says there is still ample room for reform.
"China's reform has entered the "deep water area", and the government must forge ahead without hesitation because reform is conducive to the fundamental interest of the people as well as the healthy and sustainable development of the economy."
The comments from the Premier come ahead of the party's Plenary session this coming weekend.
It is expected the authorities are going to unveil a wide-range of reform policies at the forthcoming session.
Live call-in with Mike Bastin on China's non-manufacturing PMI
Anchor:
New data shows activity in the service sector here in China has expanded at its fastest pace in 13 months through October.
The National Bureau of Statistics is reporting the official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 56.3 in October from 55.4 in September.
Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.
The non-manufacturing PMI covers services such as retail, aviation and software, on top of the real estate and construction sectors.
The service sector makes up around 45 percent this country's economic growth.
Services overtook manufacturing as this country's biggest employer in 2011.
Sunday's release of the service sector figures follows the release of the manufacturing PMI on Friday, which shows factory activity has expanded at its fastest rate in 18 months in October.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
1. Which industries in the index are leading the growth of the PMI in the past month?
2. Based on the data for the last 20 months, the non-manufacturing PMI has outperformed the manufacturing PMI, does this imply the government's efforts to move away from investment and exports to domestic comsumption have actually worked?
3. If we look at the two indices together, are we safe to say that the Chinese economy will meet its growth target of 7.5% for the year?
Back Anchor:
Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
Britain's CBI raises economic growth forecast
A British lobby group is suggesting the UK economy is recovering at a "slow and steady" pace.
The Confederation of British Industry is predicting growth this year of 1.4 percent.
This would be up from the 1.2 percent forecast in August.
Britain's economy grew by 0.8 percent through the 3rd quarter, marking the biggest quarterly gain in the past 3-years.
At the same time, the CBI lobby group also says businesses in the UK would prefer to stay in Europe and reap the benefits rather than leave.
The comments come as the British government tries to negotiate a new deal with the European Union.
If he can secure a new deal, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged a referendum on the UK's relationship with the EU by 2017, provided the Conservative Party wins an outright majority in the next election.
Suntech to Sell Main China Assets for $492 Million to Shunfeng
Suntech Power has agreed to sell its core assets in China for three billion yuan to smaller rival Shunfeng PV.
The deal comes as the once-world's largest solar-panel maker attempts to pay back creditors after defaulting on billions of dollars worth of debt.
Suntech, which has struggled amid the global overcapacity in the solar panel industry, defaulted on 541-million US dollars worth of bond payments in March.
Suntech was the first privately owned mainland company to list in New York.
Berkshire Hathaway profits jump
Berkshire Hathaway is reporting a huge jump in profits through the third quarter.
Warren Buffet's firm is reporting its annualized net profits have risen 29 percent to 5 billion dollars in the three months to September.
The company says this is mainly due to its investments at the peak of the financial crisis in General Electric and Goldman Sachs, boosting profits by 1.2-billion dollars.
Berkshire Hathaway's revenues have increased by 13 percent to 46.5-billion dollars.
Berkshire owns about 80 companies in various fields such as railways, clothing, furniture and jewellery firms, among others.
The company also has major investments in companies such as Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo and IBM.
Headline News
Tour boat sinks off eastern Thailand, killing 6
One person from Hong Kong is among 6 people who have died following the capsizing of a boat in Thailand.
Two other Chinese nationals have been injured in the accident.
A ferry was on its way to the Thai beach resort of Pattaya from the island of Koh Lan when it started taking on water.
When passengers noticed the water rushing into the boat, they scurried to the upper decks of the boat.
This upset the balast, causing the ship to capsize.
One Chinese national, two Russians and three Thai citizens are among the dead.
Survivors say the passenger ferry didn't have enough life vests.
Chinese premier solicits expert opinions on economic growth
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says the slowing growth in this country poses a major challenge to job creation.
He also says the country will need to achieve a "golden" balance between structural adjustments and growth.
Li Keqiang's comments have come while meeting experts and entrepreneurs at a work conference.
China's GDP has come in at 7.7-percent through the first nine months.
This is higher than the government's full-year target of 7.5 percent.
The comments from the Premier come ahead of the party's Plenary session this coming weekend.
It is expected the authorities are going to unveil a wide-range of reform policies at the forthcoming session.
China service PMI expands at fastest pace in over a year
New data shows activity in the service sector here in China has expanded at its fastest pace in 13 months through October.
The National Bureau of Statistics is reporting the official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 56.3 in October from 55.4 in September.
Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.
Sunday's release of the service sector figures follows the release of the manufacturing PMI on Friday, which shows factory activity has expanded at its fastest rate in 18 months in October.
Mohammed Morsi to go on trial
Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is due to go on trial later on this Monday on charges of inciting murder.
Mohammed Morsi is on trial along with 14 other Brotherhood members on charges of inciting the killing of protesters who massed outside his presidential palace in December.
The protesters had been demanding Morsi call off a referendum on the constitution drafted by his Islamist allies.
Morsi's trial follows a wide-scale crackdown on the Brotherhood and its Islamist allies.
Thousands have been arrested in the crackdown.
Thousands evacuated in western Germany city for WWII bomb defusing
More than 20-thousand people had to be moved out of their homes as authorities in the German city of Dortmund defused a World War Two-era bomb.
The nearly 2-ton bomb was successfully defused.
The unexploded bomb was dropped by Allied aircraft during a bombing campaign in the western German region toward the end of the war.
Thousands of unexploded bombs from World War II are still believed to be buried in Germany.
Newspaper Picks
BEIJING NEWS
Subway failure times will be limited
Summary
A new plan is in the works for better traffic management on Beijing's Subway system.
Authorities contend the subway's punctuality rate will be higher than 98.5-percent.
This comes following 3 signal failures this past month which shut down lines 10 and 5 for long durations.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Guangzhou embraces The Color Run
Summary
The Color Run has taken place at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center, with some 10-thousand people taking part this weekend.
Participants all began dressed as white, and were doused with colored powder to create a kaleidoscope of different colors.
GUANGZHOU DAILY
Headline
Gold Ransom
Summary
It's now been revealed a businessman from Fujian paid some 185-kilograms of gold to secure his release after being kidnapped in Shenzhen in September.
The gold, worth some 43-million yuan, has since been recovered.
10 people have since been arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
FUZHOU-BASED STRAIT NEWS
Headline
200 million elderly
Summary
An Aging Development forum has been held here in Beijing.
Among other things, the forum has heard that China has over 200-million people over the age of 60 as of the end of September.
China Daily
Headline
Beijing to promote visa-free stays
Summary
Authorities here in Beijing are planning to detail a new promotion of its 72-hour visa waiver to attract more transit passengers.
As part of the plan, authorities are considering offering discounts at hotels and shopping areas for tourists.
Visa-free tourists aren't allowed to travel outside the capital during the three-day visit or extend their stay.
Shanghai Daily
Headline
NYU widens recruitment
Summary
New York University in Shanghai has begun accepting enrollment applications for next year, and is expanding its recruitment to all mainland students.
The school is all-English.
The tuition fees remain unchanged at 100-thousand yuan per year for Chinese students and 45-thousand US dollars a year for international students.
Global Times
Headline
Fatal bridge collapse arrest
Summary
Prosecutors in Sichuan have arrested 13 people who are accused of being responsible for a deadly bridge collapse in the city of Jiangyou on July 9th.
The 13 people include seven officials from the local traffic management department, along with six project contractors.
Special Reports
How to Bring Chinese Books to the World?
Anchor
As part of an International Book fair taking place in the Turkish city of Istanbul, Chinese publishers and writers have been discussing how to more effectively make Chinese books more universally accepted.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter
Although more and more Chinese literary works are being translated into foreign languages, there are still many difficulties in getting Chinese books onto the mainstream global market.
Jing Xiaomin works with China Intercontinental Press, a leading Chinese publisher specializing in translating Chinese books into foreign languages.
"The amount of foreign readers who are interested in Chinese books is not much. The small circulation leads to higher costs comparing to domestic publishing, which harms the enthusiasm of Chinese publishers. So we need government support for going out."
Bai Bing, Chief Editor of China's Jieli Publishing House, says Chinese publishers need to do better when it comes to communicating with their foreign colleagues.
"For example, we can introduce Turkish writers and their works in most influential Chinese literary magazines and vice versa. Such a long-term communication and understanding is the precondition of copyright business."
One of the biggest challenges is the variations of the languages itself.
Nermin Mollaoglu is a Turkish literary agent.
"I wish we have more books translated from Chinese into Turkish, but I think the big problem is we don't have enough translators from Chinese into Turkish and other way around. So we need to have more and more translators, and we have to invest for this translation. And after this translation, Turkish people will discover modern Chinese literature."
The guest of honor at this year's Book Fair in Istanbul is Wu Shulin, the deputy director of China's General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio Film and Television.
"It is a good opportunity to intensively display the culture of a country. So it is a notable platform for cultural exchanges nowadays. Only when you go outside, exchange or even clash with others, you can have your own position."
In the end, Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun says the key to having Chinese literature become more popular abroad is to ensure the writing is solid.
"For Chinese writers, the most important thing is dedicating to their next works. The best way for the world to accept us is not simply going out, but sitting in front of the desk and producing good works."
For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.
Sports
Djokovic wins at Paris Masters
In tennis,
Novak Djokovic claimed the title at the Paris Masters after defeating defending champion David Ferrer in a high-power straight-sets battle.
Ferrer led 5-3 in the first set, but Djokovic fought back and won 7-5.
The second set was a repeat of the first, with Ferrer looking like he was going to take it, only to have Djokovic swing the momentum back his way.
"Well it means a lot of course, it's one of the biggest tournaments in the world and to win every 1000 event Masters Series is a fantastic success. Obviously considering the fact that it's just before (the) last week of the season and that, you know everybody, including myself, is a little bit tired physically, mentally, but in the end of the day I managed to have a great week and I'm very happy about it."
The world number one ranking is within Djokovic's reach once again.
The Serb just has to retain his ATP World Tour Finals crown in London and win the Davis Cup to knock Rafael Nadal back to number two.
Guangzhou Evergrande defeat Wuhan Zall 5-0
In the Chinese Super League,
League champions Guangzhou Evergrande capped off their title-winning season by stomping Wuhan Zall 5-nil yesterday.
After a quick 90 seconds, Brazilian striker Elkeson knocked in the opening point off an assist from Rong Hao.
Wuhan couldn't match the point, and failed to defend Evergrande's strikers who mercilessly attacked the goal for four more points.
Up next for Marcello Lippi's side is a home game against FC Seoul in the second leg of the AF Champions League final.
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In the English Premier League,
It was a scoreless draw for Everton and Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend.
Everton's Seamus Coleman and defender Jan Vertonghen both called foul when they went down in a tangle. Both appeals for penalties were turned down. Everton manager Roberto Martinez thought Coleman's lack of theatrics lost him the free kick.
"Seamus gets impeded, the only thing is that he doesn't over-react, he doesn't look for the penalty, just gets back on his feet and that probably allowed the referee not to have to make a decision. But he was clearly impeded and it should have been a penalty. That doesn't mean we would have scored it, but that's a different matter."
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And in the Russian premier league,
It was an unusually quiet atmosphere when Lokomotiv Moscow defeated Spartak 3-1. The two teams were playing behind closed doors on orders from the Russian football authorities, after the crowds violent rampage during last week's Russian cup tie between spartak and Shinnik Yaroslavl.
NBA and NFL updates
In the NBA, a lot of games taking place this morning.
[LIVE UPDATES]
And week 9 action is taking place in the NFL,
Nick Folk kept a perfect season with his four field goals when the New York Jets upset the New Orleans Saints 26-20.
Linebacker Tamba Hali and cornerback Sean Smith both converted turnovers into touchdowns to help the Kansas City Chiefs win their ninth straight game 23-13 over the Buffalo Bills.
And Tony Romo threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-23.
Sebastian Vettel triumphes at Abu Dhabi GP
Over the weekend in formula one,
Newly crowned drivers champion Sebastian Vettel triumphed once again at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
That was the Red Bull driver's seventh win in a row, which matches a record set by Michael Schumacher in 2004. After all that winning, you'd think Vettel would be used to it. But he said each win is special, and he dedicated his Abu Dhabi performance to his biggest fans, his parents.
"It means a lot. Obviously I spent most of my time racing in front of them when I was a small kid and obviously now there are slightly bigger toys and more people watching, but it is very special to me that they were here this weekend, and I love them very much and want to dedicate the win to them today."
Mark Webber started in pole position, but it only took Vettel a few seconds to blow past his teammate. He then proceeded to smoke the rest of the field, winning by a 30 second margin.
And not that he needs the points anymore, but Vettel is now 130 points ahead of his closest rival Fernando Alonso.
Dustin Johnson wins at Shanghai's WGC-HSBC
In golf,
Dustin Johnson had the biggest win of his career at the WGC-HSBC championship in Shanghai.
The American closed with a 6-under 66 to win by three shots over Ian Poulter for his first world golf championship title.
"You know, I really came through here because it could have been another one of those days that I had at the US Open or at the PGA (Championships) where I just kind of had some let downs there - but I knew I was playing good golf and just to believe in myself and to keep on playing. I am playing good so, you know, I just keep doing what I am doing and I played really good golf when I needed to coming down the stretch."
Johnson finished three clear of England's Ian Poulter, and four clear of Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell. Rory McIlroy finished at 15 under for a sixth place tie.
Australia defeats Fiji in group A at Rugby League World Cup
In rugby,
Australia outmuscled Fiji over the weekend for their second win in Group A at the Rugby League World Cup.
The Aussies fell behind after an early penalty from Alipate Noilea, but then cruised to victory with a 34-point run in the freezing rain.
Despite being unable to answer with a single try, Fiji head coach Rick Stone said he was proud of his guys.
"yes really proud. Absolutely. We were playing the Kangaroos and they're a terrific side, full of some really good players. Look we were probably a bit disappointed in some of the things that we did in attack. We probably needed to throw a little bit more attack at the Kangaroos to score some points. We didn't come up with a try which we were disappointed with, but defensively and the way we handled the conditions, yes pretty happy."
The downside for Australia came when backrow Luke Lewis dislocated his shoulder late in the game after colliding with a metal pole. That injury will take him out of commission for the rest of the tournament.
And over in Tokyo,
The All Blacks destroyed Japan 54-6. It can undoubtedly be classified by a thrashing, but if it's any consolation to Japan, it wasn't as bad a thrashing as it has been in the past.
Entertainment
Nazi looted artworks found in Munich
If confirmed, this would be one of the largest discoveries of looted art in history.
Reports are emerging that a collection of 1,500 artworks confiscated by the Nazis during the 1930s and 40s have been recovered in Munich.
Works by Picasso, Matisse and Chagall are said to be amongst the finds, which is estimated to be worth a total of over $1.3 billion US dollars.
The Nazis deemed almost all of modern art degenerate and un-German, siezing, destroying or forcing owners to sell them during their control of Germany.
The artworks were found when tax authorities investigated Cornelius Gurlitt, the son of a Munich based art dealer.
Upon a search of his home, they found the collection of the artworks, many of which had been listed as having vanished during the Nazi era.
There are international warrants out for at least 200 of the paintings.
Rihanna makes Chart history with Eminem
Rihanna has become the 3rd ever artist to top the UK singles chart seven times over seven years.
The star is joining the ranks of Elvis Presley and the Beatles with her latest achievement.
The singer clenched the number 1 spot with her collaboration with Eminem, "The Monster".
(The Monster)
The track beat competition from One Direction to the top spot to give Eminem his first UK number 1 in 7 years,.
The single is lifted from the rapper's upcoming album Marshal Mathers LP 2, which is set to drop tomorrow.
ASAP Rocky releases new MV for "Angels"
(ASAP)
US rapper ASAP Rocky has unveiled his latest music video.
"Angels" shows Rocky and ASAP Mob riding around the streets of New York on BMX bikes wearing ski marks.
They are also seen robbing a convenience store and beating people up before chilling in the woods.
The video is co-directed by Rocky and Luke Monaghan.
"Angels" is cut from Rocky's debut album Long.Live.Asap. which entered the charts at number 1 upon its release in January.
Rocky has been working on an instrumental album of ambiant mash-ups using Wu Tang samples and classical music.
The mixtape, which is to be called "Beauty and the Beast: Slowed Down Sessions" is scheduled for a surprise release very soon.
"Long Walk to Freedom" premieres in South Africa
Nelson Mandela bipoic "Long Walk to Freedom" has premiered in South Africa.
Helmed by Justin Chadwick and starring British actors Idris Elba and Naomi Harris, the film was screened simultaneously on small screens in Johannesburg at a black-tie gathering.
Amongst select audience members are three generations of the Mandela family as well as Mandela's former cell mate
Nelson Mandela was jailed for life for opposing White Minority rule during Aparheid South Africa and incarcerated in an island prison for 27 years.
Upon his release, Mandela was voted President in South Africa's first ever democratic election.
The 35 million dollar South African production is based on Mandela's 1994 autobiography of the same name.
Michael Fassbender to join "Trespass Against Us"
Michael Fassbender is in talks to join upcoming gangsta flick "Trespass Against Us".
The "Prometheus" star is slated to play Chad Cutler, a man aching to distance himself from his family's criminal activities.
The film will be the feature-length debut of British director Adam Scott.
Following frequent previous collaborations with the British electronic duo, Scott has enlisted The Chemical Brothers for the soundtrack.
(Chemical Brothers)
"Trespass Against Us" is set to start shooting in the UK next spring.
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
A Chinese national from Hong Kong is among 6 people killed in a boat capsizing in Thailand.
Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is set to stand trial later on this Monday.
Israel's defense minister is warning of a potential renewal of violence from the Gaza Strip.
In Business.... China's Premier has been soliciting expert economic opinions ahead of this weekend's forthcoming plenary session.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing, hoping you'll join |