新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2013/09/17

The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
Paul James with you on this Tuesday, September 17th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening,
France's foreign minister has met with his Russian counterpart to try to come to agreements in connection with the situation in Syria.
Authorities in Washington say they believe a lone-gunman is responsible for a mass shooting at a Navy shipyard which has left over a dozen people dead.
The largest emergency response since Hurricane Katrina is underway in the US state of Colorado amid massive flooding there.
In Business, Foreign Direct Investment here in China has slowed significantly through August.
In Sports, American Zak Johnson has taken the BMW golf championships.
In Entertainment, a 3D version of the film classic "The Wizard of Oz" has been screened in Hollywood.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will have moderate rain tonight with a low of 18 degrees Celsius.　Tomorrow light rain with a high temperature of 24.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 24,　sunny tomorrow, with a high of 30.
Lhasa will be cloudy tonight, 10 degrees the low, also cloudy tomorrow with a high of 21.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, with a high of 31.
Kabul, sunny, 30.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 26.
Canberra, rainy, 18.
Brisbane, sunny, 28.
And finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 18.
 
 
Top News
 
 
French and Russian foreign ministers meet on Syria; China addresses UN inspector report
 
France's foreign minister is in Moscow for a meeting with his Russian counterpart.
Laurent Fabius has travelled to Moscow to try to convince the Russian government to support a trilateral UN resolution to be put forward by France, the United States and the UK.
The resolution would add additional pressure on the Syrian government to hand-over its chemical weapons to the international community.
Neither side would say whether any consensus on that issue has been reached.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow via an interpreter following their meeting, Laurent Fabius says they've discussed a number of issues, including the agreement reached between the US and Russia connected to the dismantling Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles.
"We have to translate this progress by the text. And with regard to organizations connected to chemical weapons, and also within the security council, so that we can define a number of mechanisms that will lead to common decisions. We have discussed this important subject, and will carry on talking in the next few days."
That agreement sets a time-table of the middle of next year to dismantle the stockpiles, and threatens UN sanctions if the Syrian government fails to comply.
At the same news conference, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has held to the position that it's too early to say who is responsible for last month's sarin gas attack in the suburbs of Damascus.
"The inspectors did not have a mandate to determine who is responsible. It was the ?? dependent issued by the UN General Secretary. It's not fully implemented. They have to go back to Syria as Ban Ki-moon said to investigate the situations in March in Allepo and other parts of Syria. We believe the reports about chemical weapons use should be investigated, even those that happened."
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has also issued a new statement in connection with the release of the new UN inspectors report.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.
"The UN fact-finding group has been working in complicated conditions in Syria, and provided a timely report. China appreciates their efforts. We attaches great importance to the UN report and will seriously study it."
The United States contends the report is further proof the Bashar al-Assad government is responsible for the sarin gas attack in the suburbs of Damascus.
The US side says the attack left over 14-hundred people dead.
 
 
PIK callin with Li Guofu
 
For more on siuation surrounding Syria, CRI's Nathan Wakelin-King spoke earlier with Professor Li Guofu, Senior Research Fellow with the China Institute of International Studies.
…
Professor Li Guofu, Senior Research Fellow with the China Institute of International Studies, speaking with CRI's Nathan Wakelin-King.
 
 
Students back to school in Damascus
 
Anchor:
The civil war in Syria has seen thousands of children killed and over a million forced to leave their homes as refugees.
However, some students in relatively undamaged areas have now returned to school.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter:
It is Lilas and Mohamad's first day back to school after the long summer break.
"Today is the first day of school. I came to learn. When I grow up I want to be an engineer to build my country."
"When I grow up I want to become a soldier to offer something to my country."
They appear unperturbed by the ongoing conflict in their country.
But for those attending schools like the Nahla Zaidan school in the suburbs of Damascus, much has changed since they were last in a classroom.
Some of the students at the school are internally displaced, and are staying with families not their own.
At the same time, schools are struggling to absorb the increased number of children migrating from conflict zones to safer areas.
Sawssan Farah is the head teacher at Nahla Zaidan.
"The classrooms are packed. For example, we used to have 35 children, but　now there are 40 or more, sometimes even 50 in the classroom. As for the fifth and sixth grade, the number may be 60."
However, the children at the Nahla Zaidan school are the lucky ones.
A recent UN report is suggesting many children, especially girls, don't get a chance to go to school due to a climate of insecurity and fear of attacks.
More than 3-thousand schools had been damaged or destroyed in the conflict.
Almost 1-thousand more were being used to house displaced people.
Two million children have dropped out of school, including the one million who are now refugees.
This has left many of the children suffering from depression-like symptoms.
"I am depressed and I am so sad and my soul is tired, because of these things, because my family is far and nobody here can feel like my mom. And I missed them so much, but what to do?"
Many children have lived through heavy bombardments of their cities, fierce fighting between the rebels and government forces, and an alleged chemical attack in a suburb of Damascus.　
Valerie Amos is the UN's humanitarian chief.
"The humanitarian situation in Syria currently is dire. We now have a situation where 6.8-million people in the country are in urgent need of help. That's nearly a third of the population."
More than two million people have fled the country since the civil war broke out over 2 years ago.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
 
 
Mass shooting at Navy Yard kills 13
 
Authorities in the US capital have ruled out a second suspect in the mass shooting at a US Naval shipyard.
Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.
"One of the suspects is being no longer a suspect. We've continued to pursue the possibility of there being another shooter - we don't have any evidence, any indication at this stage that there was yet another shooter."
The shooting has left at least 13 people dead, including the gunman.
30 others have been hurt in the rampage.
"I was on the phone and someone came over and said hey this is not a fire alarm, someone has been shot in the building. So we ran out around trying to get people out of the building. As we were exiting the backdoor we noticed him down the hall. He stepped around the corner and we heard shots. As he came round the corner he aimed his gun at us and he fired at least two or three shots. It was just crazy."
The gunman has been identified as 34-year old Aaron Alexis from Texas.
Alexis was a defense-industry employee.
So far authorities have not offered up any possible motive behind the attack.
US president Barak Obama says Alexis targeted both civilians and military personnel.
"They know the dangers of serving abroad. But today they face the unimaginable violence that they wouldn't have expected here at home."
The FBI says Alexis used a valid pass to get into the navy shipyard, which is located less than four miles from the White House.
 
 
7 killed, 19,000 homes damaged in Colorado flooding
 
The death toll from unprecedented flooding in the US state of Colorado has now reached 7.
Around 19-thousand homes have been damaged or destroyed in the massive torrents brought on by days of relentless rains in the mountainous area near the city of Boulder, which is north of Denver.
Authorities say around 1-thousand people remain unaccounted for.
However, that number continues to drop as more and more people are located and rescued.
Authorities say this is the largest rescue operation in the United States since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.
The heavy rains and flooding have destroyed 30 highway bridges and has left 40 others damaged.
This has cut off communities and forced rescuers to employ helicopters to reach people stranded in the rugged region.
Authorities in Colorado say the damage being brought on by the storms may take months or even years to recover from.
Colorado's governor has already contacted US President Barack Obama for more additional federal disaster funding.
 
 
3 dead, 5 missing after typhoon makes landfall in Japan; new typhoon in western Pacific
 
At least 3 people are dead and 5 others missing after tropical storm Man-Yi made landfall in Japan through Monday.
The powerful storm hit central Japan and cut its way north through the country through Monday and overnight.
The heavy rains and wind brought on by the storm have damaged over 500 homes in different parts of the country.
Over 100 people have been hurt by the storm.
Man-yi dumped some 500-millimeters of rain in certain parts of central Japan before finally dying out in northern Japan this Tuesday.
Meanwhile, another tropical storm is brewing in the western Pacific southeast of Taiwan.
Usagi is currently developing into a severe tropical storm.
Forecasters are predicting Usagi will gain Typhoon status in the next 24 hours as it tracks its way to the Balintang Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines.
It's unclear at this point whether the storm will continue to track toward Chinese territory.
 
 
Fukushima deal with 1-thousand tons of rain water
 
Japanese authorities say they've managed to deal with over a thousand tons of rainwater at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The rainwater accumulated in a concrete dike around the hundreds of storage tanks brought on by tropical storm Man-yi.
Masayuki Ono with plant-operator TEPCO says they've checked the water for radiation before pumping into the ground nearby.
"With regard to water with high concentration levels (of radiation), these are being pumped away. Those (water) that have been assessed as being rainwater, are being discharged."
Ono says any rainwater containing radioactivity exceeding an allowable limits has pumped into the additional storage tanks at the facility.
Japanese science minister Ichita Yamamoto says the additional water at the plant won't affect their plans to clean-up and decommission Fukushima.
"I explained that Japan deeply accepts the influence it made to international society, and is committed to dealing with the decommissioning of the Fukushima-Daiichi, including the countermeasures to decontaminate water with responsibility. I think IAEA general director Yukiya Amano understood this."
The comments from Yamamoto have come following a meeting with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Monday.
 
 
S. Korean man killed in bid to reach DPRK once seeks refugee status in Japan
 
Authorities in South Korea are revealing more about the man who was shot and killed by border guards on Monday trying to cross into North Korea.
Lieutenant General Cho Jong-sul with the South Korean Army says the man, dressed in civilian clothes, ignored warnings from guards to return to the South.
"The commander quickly approached the scene and warned him three times to come back. When the man disobeyed the warning and continued to try to cross the river, soldiers took out personal arms from the guard posts on the river and shot him."
The South Korean military says the 47-year old man had previously tried to seek refugee status in Japan in June before trying to cross into North Korea.
The authorities also say the man made similar requests in other countries as well.
The South Korean military has not provided any insight into why the man was trying to flee South Korea.
The man was shot and killed Monday afternoon after diving into the Imjin River in an attempt to cross into North Korea.
The South Korean military says while some 25-thousand North Koreans have managed to get across the border into the South following the Armistace 60-years ago, they contend its rare for South Koreans to try to enter the North.
 
 
Afghan president promises fair elections
 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai insists the forthcoming presidental elections in his country will be held on-time.
Karzai says putting off the elections would be hazardous.
The statement comes a day after the opening of the candidate registration and nomination process in the country on Monday.
No papers were filed on the first day.
This has raised concerns that would-be politicians in the country may be rattled by the potential for violent retribution by the reminance of al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Karzai is promising that all political parties will have candidates in the running in the forthcoming polls.
The election of the new President and provincial councils is scheduled to be held on April 5th.
Many in Afghanistan are concerned the vote won't be held on-schedule due to the lack of security in many parts of the country.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stocks 
 
Markets here in Asia ended trading in negative territory as investors sit tight ahead of the forthcoming meeting of the US Federal Reserve and the impending stimulus pull-out that it will most likely bring.
The markets here in China took their biggest hit since July on the news that FDI growth has slowed in August.
The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 2%
The Shenzhen Component Index fell by 1.9%
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 0.3%
Elsewhere here in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.7-percent
South Korea's KOSPI lost 0.4-percent, led by losses in shares for Samsung, which is expecting disappointing revenue figures for the second quarter.
The Straits Times Index in Singapore virtually flat.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 also gained less than 0.1-percent following the release of the Reserve Bank of Australia's September minutes.
 
 
FDI growth rate falls in August compared to July
 
Foreign Direct Investment into China has slowed through August.
New data shows 8.38-billion US dollars of FDI flowed into China in August.
This represents a year on year increase of 0.6-percent, which is dwarfed by July's year on year growth rate of just over 24-percent.
The first 8-months of the year has seen FDI inflows of close to 80 billion US dollars.
This is a 6.4-percent increase compared to the same period last year.
So far this year, Chinese authorities have approved less foreign-invested enterprises than during the first eight months of last year.
In the breakdown, direct investment from the US has increased 18-percent year on year.
FDI inflows from the EU are up 4.3-percent.
 
 
58 companies targeted to curb overcapacity
 
58 more companies here in China are being forced to cut excess production by the end of the year.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says the companies on the list are mostly energy-consumption firms in the steel, cement, printing and dyeing sectors.
This is the third time the Ministry has made demands on companies to reduce overcapacity.
At the same time, the Ministry is also warning local governments that transferring the excess output to other regions isn't an option to meet its requirements.
 
 
Morning Call-In China-Arab State Trade
 
Anchor:
The first-ever China-Arab States Expo has completed its 2nd day in Ningxia.
The first day yesterday saw the signing of contracts worth about 42-billion US dollars.
The volume of trade between the two sides has doubled 9-times over the past decade, hitting 720-billion US dollars last year.
For more on this, CRI's Rebecca Hume spoke with to Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily.
…
Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily, speaking with CRI's Rebecca Hume.
 
 
China and Kuwait discuss deepening economic cooperation
 
Also at the expo, a China-Kuwait cooperation forum has been held with 300 officials and economic leaders from both countries.
Li Jinzao is China's Deputy Minister of Commerce.
"China and Kuwait's capitals, technologies, markets and talents are mutually complementary. We can see a bright future with deepening our cooperation. During the current period of economic downturn, we can work together and make trades the new engine pushing the development of both countries forward."
Abdullah Al-Owaisi is with Kuwait's ministry of Commerce and Industry.
"The trade volume between China and Kuwait surpassed 12 billion US dollars in 2012. China has become Kuwait's biggest trading partner. The government of Kuwait with our parliament also introduced multiple laws on finance and trades, in order to keep up with the open world economy, as well as to enlarge our openness and transparency and attract cooperation."
Kuwait is the guest country of honor at the expo in Ningxia's capital Yinchuan.
 
 
ABP from China to Establish Global HQ in London
 
Anchor:
Chinese commercial developer, Advanced Business Park has announced plans to set up its global headquarters in London.
This follows ABP's decision to make a major investment in the UK's capital earlier this year.
CRI's London correspondent Tu Yun has more.
Reporter:
By announcing the incorporation plan, ABP becomes the first major enterprise from China to establish global headquarters in London.
ABP Chairman, Liu Weiping.
"The 2012 London Olympics has greatly inspired us. ABP believes that London is the ideal place to develop our global business as it has the advantages of the right time zone, good environment for businesses, and the strength of finance, information, and education services. London will host our global headquarters, while Beijing will become the center of our Asia-Pacific operations."
ABP runs a couple of headquarter-based projects in such Chinese cities as Beijing and Shenyang.
In May, it signed a deal to transform the Royal Albert Dock in East London into a business hub for Asian businesses looking to expand in Britain and the rest of Europe.
London Major Boris Johnson says he expects the one-and-half-billion-US-dollar project and ABP's latest move to establish its headquarters in London may inspire other Chinese investors.
"We have seen confidence flowing into our city from around the world. But the most extraordinary investment of all is the new business district for London, the ABP project that is going to transform the Royal Albert Dock. And that's a 35 acre site that will ultimately generate 6 billion pounds for the UK economy. And I'm very confident it's going to work and people will see what's happening in London, see what ABP is doing and want to follow suit."
ABP's headquarters in London will have a hundred staff, including corporate strategy, finance, research and development sectors.
For CRI, I'm Tu Yun in London.
 
 
Tencent and Sogou team up
 
Chinese internet giant Tencent has formed a surprise partnership with Sogou, the online search unit of Sohu.
Tencent is investing 448-million US dollars in the firm.
This will make Tencent the second largest shareholder of Sogou after Sohu.
The deal will see Tencent's Soso search business merged into Sogou.
Internal sources have revealed that Tencent is likely to bulk up its share of Sogou to 40 percent from the current 36.5-percent.
Baidu still maintains the dominant role in the domestic online search market, holding nearly 80-percent of the market share.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
French and Russian foreign ministers meet on Syria; China addresses UN inspector report
 
France's foreign minister is in Moscow for a meeting with his Russian counterpart.
Laurent Fabius has travelled to Moscow to try to convince the Russian government to support a trilateral UN resolution to be put forward by France, the United States and the UK.
The resolution would add additional pressure on the Syrian government to hand-over its chemical weapons to the international community.
Neither side would say whether any consensus on that issue has been reached.
Laurent Fabius says they've discussed a number of issues, including the agreement reached between the US and Russia connected to the dismantling Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles.
That agreement sets a time-table of the middle of next year to dismantle the stockpiles, and threatens UN sanctions if the Syrian government fails to comply.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has held to the position that it's too early to say who is responsible for last month's sarin gas attack in the suburbs of Damascus.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has also issued a new statement in connection with the release of the new UN inspectors report.
The foreign ministry says China attaches great importance to the UN report and will seriously study it.
 
 
Mass shooting at Navy Yard kills 13
 
Authorities in the US capital have ruled out a second suspect in the mass shooting at a US Naval shipyard.
The shooting has left at least 13 people dead, including the gunman.
30 others have been hurt in the rampage.
The gunman has been identified as 34-year old Aaron Alexis from Texas, a former defence-industry employee.
The FBI says Alexis used a valid pass to get into the navy shipyard, which is located less than four miles from the White House.
 
 
FDI growth rate falls in August compared to July
 
Foreign Direct Investment into China has slowed through August.
New data shows 8.38-billion US dollars of FDI flowed into China in August.
This represents a year on year increase of 0.6-percent, which is dwarfed by July's year on year growth rate of just over 24-percent.
So far this year, Chinese authorities have approved less foreign-invested enterprises than during the first eight months of last year.
 
 
58 companies targetted to curb overcapacity
 
58 more companies here in China are being forced to cut excess production by the end of the year.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says the companies on the list are mostly energy-consumption firms in the steel, cement, printing and dyeing sectors.
This is the third time the Ministry has made demands on companies to reduce overcapacity.
At the same time, the Ministry is also warning local governments that transferring the excess output to other regions isn't an option to meet its requirements.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
China Daily
"ID checks for express deliveries in Guangdong"
People in Guangdong province are to be asked for ID cards when sending or accepting express deliveries, to clamp down on illegal and dangerous packages in the mail.
The move will be piloted in Huizhou and Zhuhai by the end of the year.
Authorities have acted in the wake of an increase in the number of cases involving drugs and inflammable and explosive materials being found in the mail recently.
Couriers will have the right to refuse packages from customers who do not provide ID cards. Licensed companies will be given ID readers linked to the public security networks, allowing police to access the information.
Guangdong is the third area on the mainland to introduce the ID requirement for express deliveries, after Zhejiang and Yunnan provinces. The province handles more than 1.5 billion items of express mail a year.
Shanghai Daily
"Fudan University develops more secure smartphone system"
Fudan University scientists have developed a new mobile phone operating system to prevent breaches of a user's information.
It is based on the Android system.
Yang Min, a professor of the Software School of Fudan University, said many mobile applications access and leak users' information and even rack up additional financial charges when in operation. But the current Android system does not help users understand each application's intent and stop leakage of vital information.
To improve the security of smartphones, Yang's team developed a new operating system based on Android which lets users see all sensitive operations of an open application, from accessing the contact log to sending messages to access the Internet.
The users will be alerted of an application's intent in terms of ongoing sensitive operations, helping them decide whether to shut it down or not.
BBC
"Health kick 'reverses cell ageing'"
Researchers say going on a health kick reverses ageing at the cellular level.
The University of California team says it has found the first evidence a strict regime of exercise, diet and meditation can have such an effect.
The strategy is structured around a whole-food, plant-based diet, moderate daily exercise, yoga-based relaxation and stress management.
The study looked at just 35 men with prostate cancer.
Those who changed their lifestyle had demonstrably younger cells in genetic terms.
But experts say although the study in Lancet Oncology is intriguing, it is too early to draw any firm conclusions.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Reverse mortgage elderly care/Michael 1602
 
Anchor:
Initial indications are starting emerge that it might prove difficult to begin implementing the new reverse mortgage policies in certain cities here in China.
CRI's Li Dong explains.
Reporter:
A reverse mortgage allows elderly people to borrow money against the value of their home.
No payment is required until they die or move out of their homes, then the lender can claim the home or the family of the deceased can repay the money with interest to keep it.
A report on a finance information website Caixin Online says that a source from the Ministry of Civil Affairs calls it good news to both the elderly and insurance companies.
But Meng Xiaosu, one of such elderly care method advocators, says finance companies have their worries.
"The insurance companies have a few worries. First, property price may fall. This may result in the price decline of the pledge. Second, urban residential ownership is, by law, limited to 70 years. In some places, it's only 40 to 50 years. This complicates financial institutions' calculations of the value of mortgaged homes. The third worry is the unclear property ownership. What if the children of an elderly person refuse to move out after the elderly pass away?"
It's difficult to make an asset evaluation standard to turn people's property into how much they are worth.
Besides, the operating of a reverse mortgage mechanism requires the efforts of finance companies, property dealers, the public welfare department and insurance companies. It's also very demanding to supervise all parties involved.
The lifespan of most of the reverse mortgage products currently in the market is about 10 years; no wonder the elderly worry that these financial options are unable to provide long term services.
While overseas, professional finance companies will workout a proper lifespan for their reverse mortgage options based on statistics—at most, giving 20-year plans.
The majority of the Chinese people take property as family possession. Property should be inherited by the next generation.
Traditionally, it's hard for the elderly to accept the nature of such an elder care method. One interviewee says:
"I have children. They are expecting to inherit my property. If I use the reverse mortgage to get a loan from the bank, of course I can live a better life. But when I die, the bank will take back my property. My children will blame me."
The State Council decree says the country's population is rapidly aging. It has more than 194 million citizens over 60 years old, and this will rise to more than 300 million by 2025.
There is also a gaping hole in state and local pension accounts. According to Caixin Online, by the end of 2011, private pension accounts were running a combined deficit of around 2.2 trillion yuan.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Zach Johnson wins BMW Championship
 
In golf,
Zach Johnson is the winner of the rain-delayed BMW Championship.
The 37-year-old made a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the tournament to finish with a 6-under 65.
"I'm not so sure I fully grasp it. The depth and parity we have on this tour, in the world in this sport is second to none. It's just extremely difficult because everyone is playing at a high level and there are so many incentives to work and get better. I'm just thankful - it's been ten years and hopefully many more and I've got a great team."
Johnson finished two shots ahead of second place Nick Watney.
But Johnson's 10th career win came at the expense of Jim Furyk who topped the leaderboard on Sunday night, when the final round was pushed back a day.
Furyk had hoped to end a three year PGA Tour drought, but his 13 under overall was only good enough to secure a third place finish.
However, one consolation for Furyk was the historic 59 he carded on Friday. He was only the sixth player on the PGA Tour to do so.
The top 30 points leaders are now looking ahead to the upcoming FedEx Cup and its 10 million dollar bounty.
Johnson's first place finish means that he'll be heading into next week's tournament at East Lake as the no. 4 seed.
Luke Donald just barely booked his ticket for East Lake after four straight birdies on the back nine boosted him from no. 54 to no. 29.
Tiger Woods will enter as the number one seed. Henrik Stenson is no. 2, followed by Masters champion Adam Scott, Johnson, and Matt Kuchar.
 
 
Liverpool and Swansea managers comment on draw
 
Liverpool and Swansea held each other to a 2-2 draw yesterday, but both clubs say the tie gives them positive momentum for the upcoming English Premier League matches.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers saw his team move back to the top of the League with that draw.
"It is a point..early stages I know but it takes us back to the top again and keeps our momentum going from January really. Our run and our form has been excellent and in the next couple of weeks we have got one of the best strikers in the world coming back into the group."
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup said he was pleased with his team's performance in the latter part of the match.
"Well, a great performance I will say. Very important...this first game of seven in less than three weeks. We have the four Premier League games plus the two Europa League - plus the one in the League Cup so, to start like this with a good result against a good side, especially with that performance in the second half - I think it is great to move on from that."
Swansea are 13th after taking four points from their opening four matches. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur trail Liverpool by a single point.
 
 
Italy gets past Spain at the European basketball championship
 
Over in Slovenia, the European basketball championship is underway.
Last night Italy overcame a 15-point deficit to push Spain into overtime and win 86-81.
Spain had the help of NBA star Marc Gasol's 32 point and 10 rebound double-double, but it still wasn't enough to stave off the Italian offensive onslaught.
The two-time defending champion Spanish team fell to fourth place in Group F, and will face Serbia in the first quarterfinal tomorrow.
In another game, Croatia took Greece into double overtime, before finally winning 92-88.
Croatia will be looking to earn a spot on the podium for the first time since… in the quarterfinals against Ukraine on Thursday morning local time.
Also last night, Finland defeated hosts Slovenia 92-76.
 
 
MLB reschedules match after Navy shootings
 
In the MLB,
The Washington Nationals postponed their game against the Atlanta Braves after the fatal shootings at the Washington Navy Yard, which is located just blocks away from the stadium.
The shootings left at least 13 people dead and many more injured.
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo expressed the team's sorrow over the tragedy.
"You know, extremely horrific act happened very near to the ballpark. Our neighbours at the Navy Yard, our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims over there and to all the people affected by this. We felt it was inappropriate to play a major league baseball game with such tragedy right down the street."
The game was rescheduled for the tomorrow night local time as part of a double-header.
 
 
Brazil launches nationwide womens football league
 
Brazil is bringing back its womens football league.
The country's football confederation and federal sports ministry collaborated to organize the league, which was officially launched yesterday.
The tournament will include 20 clubs, divided into four groups. The competition begins on Wednesday, with the final set for December 1.
State-owned lender Caixa Economica Federal is picking up the four million dollar bill for team travel and tournament logistics.
This is the fourth time the nationwide league has been revived, the last time being in 2006 with the Taca Brasil de futebol feminino.
Sports officials and football fans are hoping the tournament will give a boost to womens football.
Brazil's men have brought home five World Cups, but the ladies best result was a runner-up finish at the 2007 FIFA womens World Cup in China.
 
 
Manu Tuilagi apologizes for prank
 
Putting bunny ears on someone during a photo is a pretty harmless prank, but maybe not the best idea when your target is a Prime Minister.
British and Irish Lions centre Manu Tuilagi has apologized for putting bunny ears on David Cameron, during the teams visit to Downing street yesterday.
The prime minister was posing in a group photo with the rugby team to celebrate their victory over Australia.
Tuilagi took to Twitter to express his remorse, saying "apologies for messing around on Lions photo. No offence intended. Great Day at Downing Street. Thanks to Prime Minister for hosting us."
This isn't the first time Tuilagi has gotten himself into trouble for lack of judgement.
The England international was fined 3000 pounds by the Rugby Football Union after he jumped off a ferry during England's World Cup campaign in New Zealand two years ago.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
'The Wizard of Oz 3D' premieres in Hollywood
 
The 3D version of "The Wizard of Oz" hsa premiered at the new TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The film originally premiered in 1939.
It propelled its then-young starlet Judy Garland to stardom.
The release of the 3D version marks the 74th anniversary of the classic film.
As part of the celebrations, 95-year old Ruth Duccinim, one of the film's original actresses, has attended the premier.
"Now there's only two of us left out of all the munchkins so today I'd like to honor all the other 122 small people."
Young Modern Family star Rico Rodriguez also walked the red carpet.
"I am like beyond excited, 'Wizard of Oz' is a household movie in our house, sometimes we just say hey you know let's watch the movie, then we watch. we're big fans, and to be able to see it in the theater such an honor especially at the Chinese Theater."
"Newsroom" star Marcia Gay Hardin also took in the screening.
"I brought all my kids and a couple of from the neighborhood as well. I love it, first of all this movie alone is such a legend, it's just a genius. And this is 3D, you kidding me, at the same place where it opened? What an honor, what a gift to be here."
The screening has taken place at the first ever IMAX theater in Hollywood.
The Hollywood IMAX is the largest in the world.
The new 3D version will hit cinemas across the US on Friday.
 
 
US 'Thanks For Sharing' premiere
 
Gwyneth Paltrow's new movie 'Thanks for Sharing' has premiered in Los Angeles.
The comedy follows the lives of 3 men who struggle to overcome sexual addiction while navigating friendship and romance.
"Well I think because historically 40 year-old women have been grandmothers. Now we are sort of changing the time frame. For me I want to embrace my age, I'm going to be 41 in a week. I'm so happy to be a woman, and to have amazing woman in my life. I don't mind my wrinkles, but you know I want to stay healthy. To look as good as I can without looking crazy."
Paltrow plays the lead as a mother of to two young children, a role she says she can relate to.
"You know I'm so dedicated to my children, since I had them I do one movie a year."
"Thanks for sharing" also stars Tim Robbins, Mark Ruffalo, and Pink.
It opens across the United States on Friday.
 
 
TV star Neil Patrick Harris on hosting the Emmys for a second time on Sunday
 
The host of this year's Emmy's has been speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's event.
"how i met your mother" star Neil Patrick Harris is promising a good show this weekend.
"We are here at the world famous Magic Castle here in Hollywood. The home of the Academy of Magical Arts, which is I think the premier organization of magic -- of which I'm the president. The Emmys are going to be great fun this year, I think. We have a lot of exciting things that have never happened before."
Patrick-Harris says he's hoping to do things differently from the last time he hosted the Emmy's in 2009.
"I'm not going to sing and dance again for an opening number. Elton John is performing. Oh, there's a cool performance by a hot chick that I don't know that I'm supposed to say who it is yet, but she's blonde."
The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on September 22nd on CBS from downtown Los Angeles.
 
 
South Korea G Dragon talks about his new album
 
South Korean rapper and songwriter G-Dragon has been talking about the release of his new album 'COUP D'ETAT.'
The album contains energetic new songs such as 'Crooked' or 'Niliria'.
"There are feelings you get from the title, something fierce, agitative, something violent. I combined such various images that I feel when I hear "COUP D'ETAT" into my album."
The young rapper also took a new creative turn in producing the music video for 'COUP D'ETAT.'
"It started from the idea 'let's make more artistic video'. You exclude various moves that you're good at, maintain simple and still mood in one costume, get rid of various camera techniques so that various things can be simple."
The South Korean artist also says he's starting to get more recognition abroad, particularly in American music industry.
"It's not just about expanding my career there, what's more important is how much I can achieve after entering there, and how much recognition I get while doing my music there. I think I'm still not ready. But it is a market that is definitely worth challenging one day, and I want to be recognized, so I'm preparing."
'COUP D'ETAT' has been the number one album on iTunes in many Asian countries since its release on September 2nd.
 
 
Pink reacts to being nominated as Woman of the Year by Billboard
 
Pink is offering up her reaction to being named Billboard's Woman of the Year this year.
"It's been an incredible year. I'm always used to being the underdog and I can't really say that anymore although I am going to continue to. But it's really nice especially because I've been in Australia and Europe for years. It's nice to come home and, it's just been an incredible year. It's amazing. It's been my best year."
The award honors the achievements of a trailblazing female recording artist over the past year.
The Billboard Awards will be held in New York on December 10th.
 
 
That's it for this edition of the BJH
A quick recap of the headlines BEFORE WE GO...
France's foreign minister has met with his Russian counterpart to try to come to agreements in connection with the situation in Syria.
Authorities in Washington say they believe a lone-gunman is responsible for a mass shooting at a Navy shipyard which has left over a dozen people dead.
The largest emergency response since Hurricane Katrina is underway in the US state of Colorado amid massive flooding there.
In Business, Foreign Direct Investment here in China has slowed significantly through August.