新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/06/27

 
The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
It's Paul James with you on this Friday, June 27, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The head of the mainland's Taiwan affairs office has been meeting with locals as part of his current trip to Taiwan.
A group of Chinese nationals caught up in the fighting in Iraq have been safely evacuated.
Australian authorities have announced plans for a new and expanded search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
In Business.... Alibaba has chosen the New York Stock Exchange for its impending listing.
In Sports... the final matches of the group stages in the World Cup are in the books.
In Entertainment... a Chinese screenwriter has been arrested for drug use.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today with a high of 33 degrees Celsius.
Overnight it will be clear and temperatures should drop down to around 21.
Shanghai will see some rain during the daytime with a high of 25.
It will have moderate rain tonight with a low of 21.
In Chongqing, it will also be rainy with a high of 27.
Overnight slight rain and lows are expected to be around 22.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,
Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 42.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 32.
Over to North America,
New York will be overcast today with a high of 26 degrees.
Washington, overcast with a high of 32 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 31.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 13.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Beijing's highest level official to visit island meets Taipei mayor
 
The head of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs office has met with the mayor of New Taipei City.
Zhang Zhijun and Mayro Eric Chu have discussed economic cooperation between the two sides.
Zhang says he hopes New Taipei City will work with cities on the mainland to expand economic cooperation.
"We will continue to strengthen the development of the economic exchange through the major companies on both sides. And we are also seeking ways to help small scale Taiwanese businesses to grow in the Chinese mainland."
Zhang Zhijun is set to make a number of stops in different communities in Taiwan as part of his 4-day trip to the island.
Zhang has already held a formal meeting with Wang Yu-chi, Taiwan's mainland affairs chief.
Mainland officials are describing Zhang Zhijun's trip as a sort of fact-finding mission to better understand what people in Taiwan want when it comes to the relationship with the mainland.
 
 
Taipei mayor starts first visit to Beijing
 
Hau Lung-Bin, the Mayor of Taipei, has begun a four-day visit to Beijing.
Hau is here to take part in the Beijing International Tourism Expo, where he's set to try to market his city as a tourist destination.
This is his first visit to Beijing since he took office 8-years ago.
Hau is also due to meet mainland's chief of Taiwan affairs, Zhang Zhijun, following his return from Taiwan.
"He is my old friend and I feel happy to have a chance to meet him on June 29. I also hope to hear what he saw and heard during his visit to Taiwan and what he knew about Taiwan,"
As part of Hau's time, he's also due to inspect anti-terror facilities in the Beijing subway system.
"We want to know the measures Beijing subways have taken for safeguard security and see if there is something we can learn."
Security on the subway system in Taipei has become a concern following a mass stabbing a couple of weeks ago.
 
 
Iraqi security forces wage airborne attack on militant-seized Tikrit
 
The Iraqi government is moving to acquire second-hand jet fighters from Russia and Belarus to secure air cover for its ground forces fighting the massive insurgency in northern Iraq.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki says the jets should arrive in Iraq in the next two or three days.
Meanwhile, UK foreign secretary William Hague is is calling on Maliki to form a unity government.
He's made the call while on a visit to Baghdad.
"We urge the Iraqi leaders and communities to unite; the Iraqi state faces an existential threat and the growth and expansion of the area controlled by ISIS or ISIL with huge implications for the future stability and freedom of this country and many other countries."
Meanwhile, Syrian forces have launched air strikes against Islamist militants at a border crossing between Iraq and Syria.
The strike took place inside Iraq, leaving around 90 dead.
At the same time, Iraqi security forces have launched air assaults on the militant-seized city of Tikrit.
For more on the situation in Iraq, CRI's Nathan Wakelin-King spoke earlier to Hua Liming, China's former ambassador to Iran.
Hua Liming, China's former ambassador to Iran, speaking to CRI's Nathan Wakelin-King.
 
 
First batch of trapped Chinese workers evacuated: media
 
The first batch of Chinese nationals trapped by the fighting in the Iraqi province of Salahudin has reportedly been taken back to Baghdad.
Around 40 Chinese nationals were evacuated by helicopters.
This comes after a previous evacuation plan failed on Tuesday.
Around a thousand Chinese staffers from the China Machinery Engineering Group have become trapped by the fighting brought on by the Sunni insurgency in the region.
They've been working on a power plant project some 180-kilometers away from Bagdad.
At the same time, the Chinese government says it is still coordinating with the Iraqi side on a mass evacuation plan for Chinese citizens in the country.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"Our embassy in Iraq is in close touch with the relevant Iraqi departments to ensure workers at Chinese companies can safely, smoothly and in a timely way be evacuated to safe places. But I cannot provide more details about the arrangements of the evacuation at the moment due to security considerations."
There are over 10-thousand nationals currently in Iraq, mostly working in the oil and gas sector.
Most are located in areas away from the fighting.
 
 
U.S. says Kerry not outlining timing for sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
 
US Secretary of State John Kerry has issued a statement, saying Moscow has only "hours" left to persuade insurgents in eastern Ukraine to lay down their arms.
However, the US State Department has since issued a statement of its own, saying Kerry is not outlining any sort of timing for sanctions against Russia.
Speaking after meeting with his French counterpart in Paris, Kerry says the US would rather not resort to sanctions.
"The European Community will be meeting on their component of the sanctions. We all agree that they need to be ready. But our preference is not to have to be into a sanctions mode. We'd like to see a cooperative effort between the United States, Europe and Russia and the Ukrainians, and we are going to try to encourage that as much as we can."
The meeting comes ahead of Ukraine signing an association agreement with the EU today, paving the way for possible EU membership in the future.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's top aide, Sergei Glazyev, is describing Ukraine's move as "catastrophic."
"Europe is turning a blind eye to the fact that Ukraine is divided on that issue. They force Ukraine into the association. They try to make a colony out of Ukraine by stripping it of its sovereignty. Poroshenko has embarked on this path, a catastrophic one when it comes to its consequences for Ukraine's economy."
On the ground in Ukraine, the downing of a helicopter this week by rebel forces is said to be putting pressure on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko not to extend a one-week truce, which is set to expire later on this Friday.
 
 
Israel IDs 2 Hamas kidnappers of missing Jewish teens
 
Israeli internal security agency, Shin Bet, has publically identified two suspects believed to be behind the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers earlier this month.
The two men are being described as central Hamas operatives.
It's being reported Palestinian security forces passed the names of the suspects on to the Israeli side.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contends the Shin Bet announcement is justification for his government's belief that Hamas is behind the kidnapping.
Netanyahu is also calling on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stand by recent statements and dissolve his agreement with Hamas in forming a unity government.
Abbas went on-record recently saying he is rethinking his Fatah movement's partnership with Hamas in forming a Palestinian unity government.
The two Palestinian factions agreed earlier this year to reconcile after splitting the Palestinian territories when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.
 
 
New search area announced for missing Malaysian Airline
 
The Australian government has pin-pointed a new search area for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says analysis of satellite information has defined a search zone of up to 60-thousand square kilometers along an arc in the southern Indian Ocean.
"We expect that the underwater search element will commence in August and take about 12 months to complete. In addition, the search effort will include equipment provided by Malaysia which includes vessels fitted with search equipment including towed sonar systems which will be used to search the sea floor."
The new search area is still focused on the same arc in the southern Indian Ocean where the aircraft last communicated with a satellite.
Malaysian and Australian authorities are currently working on plans to split the workload in the new phase of the search.
Meanwhile, investigators now say they're confident the jet was on autopilot when it crashed.
This is adding to speculation that one of the 8 crew members, most likely the pilot or co-pilot, intentionally diverted the airliner into the southern Indian Ocean.
The Boeing 777, carrying 239 passengers and crew, disappeared on March 8 shortly after takeoff while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Around two-thirds of the passengers onboard the flight are from China.
 
 
Smithsonian Folklife Festival Held in the U.S. with Chinese Elements
 
Anchor:
Chinese culture is going to be on display at this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
CRI's He Fei has more from Washington.
Reporter:
Every summer, people in Washington experience different cultures at the National Mall, one of the most important tourist destinations in the city, for the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
And this year, after nearly half a century since it was established, the festival for the first time brings the Americans a genuine Chinese cultural feast.
Talking about Chinese arts, one of the first things that come to mind may be the local operas, such as the world renowned Peking Opera. However, the Smithsonian Festival explores goes deeper, bringing the ancestor of Peking Opera, the Wu Opera, to America from eastern Zhejiang Province.
This is Lou Fang, an award-winning young performer of the Wu Opera.
He says the troupe has tailor-made a performance for the American audience to show them the highlights of Wu Opera.
"We chose opera pieces with more action instead of merely arias. For example, we'll perform The Broken Bridge, which tells the legend of the White Snake--the signature piece of the Wu Opera. The love story of Lady White and Xu Xian is just as popular as the western classic romance, Romeo and Juliet. I hope we could act the traditional Chinese romance out in from of our foreign audience. And since we have a different approach to romance, as I said, with a lot of actions, I believe it will catch people's eye."
To help audience better understand the story, the troupe has prepared story outlines in English and Spanish to show before and along with the performance.
In addition to the performing arts, the craftsmen, all of whom are masters in their fields, also attract the crowds. Chinese calligraphy, the Suzhou embroidery, paper cutting, kites and dough figurine…the craftsmen use their hands to create a vivid picture of the living traditions of China, showing various aspects of the country beyond the giant panda.
Among the thousands of visitors, children are always the most excited.
"I like the games, but the most game I like is the calligraphy."
"I like the kites a lot, like how they made them. They said it take a long time to make them. He said the big one he took over a year to make them. So it's really cool."
Li Hong with the Chinese Embassy to the U.S. in Washington, D.C., is one of the organizers of this year's China Program.
"You share your form of beauty and I share mine. All kinds of beauty comprise our world with diversity. Art is beyond the language; when you see a piece of Chinese batik, you'll think of other batik arts that you see in other countries. In fact, this is our common cultural heritage. To appreciate the cultural heritage of mankind and to share the experiences and preserve them is the aim of the artists taking part in the festival."
The annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival was first launched in 1967. It's been an important cultural event during the summer time in Washington, D.C. This year, in addition to the China Program, Kenya also brings their folk arts to the festival.
For CRI, I'm He Fei in Washington.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
First off, a check on the closing numbers in North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Min Rui.
Reporter:
U.S. stocks inched lower on Thursday amid speculation about where the Fed may take its policy in the future.
The Dow closed down less than 0.1 percent.
The S&P 500 also creeped down just 0.1 percent, and the Nasdaq ended almost flat.
On the commodities front, crude prices have continued to decline as the markets continue to lament about the situation in Iraq.
Over in Europe, shares there ended mostly down.
The FTSE 100 in London closed flat.
The German DAX ended trading down 0.6 percent.
France's CAC 40 fell nearly 0.5 percent.
 
 
Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba plans to list shares on NYSE
 
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has announced it plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange.
The date for its listing has not been revealed.
Nor has the size of the planned offering on the NYSE.
The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq have been competing to become the venue for Alibaba's IPO, which is expected to be one of the largest stock listings in the U.S. history.
The move to the NYSE comes after Alibaba walked away from a potential listing in Hong Kong in a dispute over preferential shares.
 
 
QVOD fined 42 mln USD for copyright infringement
 
Chinese video sharing site QVOD has been ordered to pay a fine of 260 million yuan for copyright infringement.
The fine is three times the illegal earnings QVOD made by violating others' information network transmission rights.
The Shenzhen-based company has been ordered to pay the fine within 15 days.
Authorities say QVOD streamed 24 films and TV dramas, even though it was fully aware or should have known that third-party video websites infringe copyright laws.
 
 
Call-in with Doug Young on corporate news of the week
 
Anchor:
Let's check out some of the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
Doug Young is associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
Story 1 China's Postal Savings Bank Said To Plan $4 Bln IPO
Rumor says China postal savings bank is to list in Hong Kong and Shanghai. It plans to offer its initial public offerings worth 4 billion USD next year. It is said the bank is also preparing to select a investment bank to help with the IPO.
Story 2
Today's Headlines Probed For Violations By Copyright Regulator
China's copyright watchdog is investigating "Today's Headlines", a popular mobile news app, for potential copyright infringement.
Sohu is currently suing Today's headline of copyright infringement and unfair competition.
Back to Anchor:
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
 
 
Google reveals first Android Wear watches to go on sale
 
Google has announced the first smartwatches powered by its Android Wear operating system are now available for pre-order.
The LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live are an attempt to standardize the way Android wearable devices function.
Samsung is going to be selling the Gear Live through Google Play, Amazon and Best Buy early next month.
Pre-orders are already available via Google.
The G Watch will be available for pre-order from Google Play in 12 countries including United States, Canada and the UK.
The device is not being made available in China.
 
 
Sydney set to get yuan clearing bank
 
Australian authorities have revealed the People's Bank of China is preparing to set up a renminbi clearing bank in Sydney.
It hasn't been made clear which bank will be tapped to clear renminbi transactions in Australia.
This follows similar moves to set designate renminbi clearing banks in London and Frankfurt earlier this month.
The Bank of China is the clearing bank in Frankfurt, while China Construction Bank handles renminbi transactions in London.
While the PBOC has been moving to try to internationalize the renminbi, the Chinese currency still only accounts for less than 1.5-percent of all global payments.
 
 
City extends liberalization of interest rates
 
China's central bank is liberalizing interest rates on smaller foreign-currency deposits in Shanghai.
The People's Bank of China's Shanghai office has announced that interest rate ceilings on foreign-currency deposits will be removed.
Shanghai is currently home to more than 20 billion US dollars worth of individual foreign-currency deposits.
It's expected the PBOC may be poised to roll out the current policies on foreign-currency deposits across the whole country.
 
 
Consumer spending in US up 0.2%
 
New figures show US consumers spending has increased just slightly through May.
The US Commerce Department is reporting spending has risen just 0.2 percent through this past month, after no gain in April.
At the same time, the Commerce Department is reporting incomes have risen an average of 0.4 percent in May after a 0.3 percent rise in April.
The latest figures come on the heels of revised GDP numbers for the first quarter in the US, which shows the American economy contracted nearly 3-percent to start the year.
The slowdown is being blamed, in part, on a lack of consumer spending.
 
 
Poland releases strong economic figures
 
New stats show Poland's labor productivity has grown by 4-percent year-on-year from January to May.
Poland's new industrial orders are also up by over 8.5-percent year-on-year in May.
Poland's rate of unemployment is also down to 12.5 percent in May from 13 percent in April.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Beijing's highest level official to visit island meets Taipei mayor
 
The head of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs office has met with the mayor of New Taipei City.
Zhang Zhijun and Mayro Eric Chu have discussed economic cooperation between the two sides.
Zhang Zhijun is set to make a number of stops in different communities in Taiwan as part of his 4-day trip to the island.
Zhang has already held a formal meeting with Wang Yu-chi, Taiwan's mainland affairs chief.
 
 
Iraqi security forces wage airborne attack on militant-seized Tikrit
 
The Iraqi government is moving to acquire second-hand jet fighters from Russia and Belarus to secure air cover for its ground forces fighting the massive insurgency in northern Iraq.
The jets are said to be arriving in Iraq in the next two or three days.
Meanwhile, Syrian forces have launched air strikes against Islamist militants at a border crossing between Iraq and Syria.
The strike took place inside Iraq, leaving around 90 dead.
Meanwhile the first batch of Chinese nationals trapped by the fighting in the Iraqi province of Salahudin has reportedly been taken back to Baghdad.
Around 40 Chinese nationals were evacuated by helicopters.
Around a thousand Chinese staffers from the China Machinery Engineering Group have become trapped by the fighting brought on by the Sunni insurgency in the region.
 
 
Obama seeks $500M to train, equip Syrian rebels
 
U.S. President Barack Obama is asking Congress for 500 million dollars to train and arm vetted members of the Syrian opposition.
The move comes as the U.S. struggles for a way to stem the civil war that has also fueled the al-Qaida inspired insurgency in neighboring Iraq.
The military training program would deepen the Obama administration's involvement in the more than four-year conflict between the rebels and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
If approved by Congress, the program would supplement a covert train-and-assistance program run by U.S. intelligence agencies.
 
 
Pakistani forces kill 327 "hardcore terrorists" in North Waziristan offensive
 
The Pakistani military has begun detailing its offensive taking place this month in the North Waziristan tribal region in northwest Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities say they've killed 327 so-called "hardcore terrorists" since the offensive in the region began just under two weeks ago.
The Pakistani military is vowing to continue the fight until all the terrorists in the region are wiped out.
The offensive is said to be targeting members of the Haqqani Network, which is said to include a large number of fighters from Uzbekistan and other foreign countries.
 
 
EU leaders mark WWI centennial in Ypres
 
European Union leaders have gathered in the Belgian city of Ypres to commemorate the outbreak of the first World War 100 years ago.
The leaders of France, Germany, Britain and the other member states of the EU have laid a floral wreath and inaugurated a "Peace bench" in the city.
Ypres, located in western Flanders, is symbolic, as it was one of the main battle grounds in the pan-European war a hundred years ago.
On the battlefields of Flanders, over a half-million soldiers lost their lives in the trench warfare which lasted from 1914 to 1918.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
THE BEIJINGTIMES
Headline
Cash Reward for terror information
Summary
Chinese authorities are implementing a reward system to encourage people to report of anti-terrorism information.
Those who provide information on suspicious people, events, and items are eligible for rewards of up to 40,000 yuan if the information proves helpful in preventing and solving major crimes.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Plants suspended after nosebleeds
Summary
Authorities say nine industrial plants in Zhejiang have been shut down following a spate of nosebleeds in a nearby middle school.
Clear evidence of a connection between the industrial pollution and the students' nosebleeds hasn't been determined, though doctors say long-term exposure to toxic air can lead to nosebleeds.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Stronger food safety law
Summary
Chinese lawmakers are promising stronger punishment for offenders in the latest draft of the Food Safety Law.
Lawmakers say the new draft targets safety loopholes.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Beijing to build Seventh Ring Road
Summary
A Seventh Ring Road is going to be built here in the capital as part of plans to integrate the transportation network connecting Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
This follows the recent completion of the 6th ring road surrounding Beijing-proper.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Training centers targeted
Summary
Training centers for government officials or state-owned enterprise employees have become the latest targets in the government's anti-corruption drive.
The training centers, often hidden away in tourist cities, offer services exclusively to government employees.
The training centers are being labeled in the People's Daily as "a simple waste of public money".
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Getting tough with group rentals
Summary
Shanghai's municipal government is vowing to suspend the residence permits of tenants involved in group rentals.
At the same time, authorities are also going to blacklist the owners of properties involved.
Authorities argue group rentals pose fire and gas leak risks.
There are also growing concerns about sanitation, security, and noise.
 
 
Sports
 
 
World Cup group matches roundup
 
Anchor:
The final group matches in the World Cup are now in the books.
Algeria has moved through to the round of 16 with a one-one draw with Russia.
The United States has also booked a spot in the knockout round, despite losing to Germany one-nil this morning.
The Americans have advanced after Portugal dumped Ghana 2-1.
Belgium has gone through undefeated after blanking South Korea 1-nil.
The US will face the Belgians in the knockout, while Algeria will have to battle the Germans.
For more on the World Cup, we spoke earlier with Mark Dreyer, Founder of the China sports insider website.
Mark Dreyer, Founder of the China sports insider website.
 
 
Suarez suspended for nine internationals, banned from football for four months for biting
 
The Uruguayn football federation has announced it is planning to appeal the suspension handed down to star striker Luis Suarez for his biting incident earlier this week.
Uruguayan Federation President Wilmar Valdez.
"What we're really asking for is that everyone gets treated the same. FIFA should ensure, as a governor of football across the world, they should ensure this, and we have seen games that are more aggressive or similar incidents; however they have not been treated in this way."
Suarez has been suspended for the remainder of the World Cup for biting the shoulder of an Italian defender during their final match in the round-robin stages.
FIFA's spokesperson Delia Fischer.
"The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on 28 June 2014. The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay's next FIFA World Cup match/matches, as long as the team qualifies, and/or in the representative team's subsequent official matches in accordance with article 38, paragraph 2a of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
This is now the 3rd suspension Suarez has recieved for biting an opponent.
 
 
Fourth day of the Wimbledon Champions
 
Day four of Wimbledon is in the books,
On the women's side,
Zheng Jie's singles tournament has come to an end.
She went down to 11th seed Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-love.
This leaves just Li Na and Peng Shuai as the only Chinese representatives left in the women's single's draw, both of whom will be in action later on today.
In other action from last night in the women's singles,
Top seed Serena Williams barely broke a sweat, as she cruised through to the third round with a 6-1, 6-1 hammering of South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers.
"I feel okay, I don't want to feel great necessarily right now because hopefully I have several more matches I can play, but the goal for me is to feel a little bit better each day."
There was one slight upset yesterday in the women's draw, with 15th seeded Carla Suarez-Navaro going down to world number 72, Zarnia Diyas from Kazakstan.
--
Over to the men's side,
Rafael Nadal dropped his first set, but then rebounded to down the Czech Republic's Lukas Rosol 4-6, 7-6 ,6-4, 6-4.
Rosol knocked Nadal out of Wimbledon in the same round, and on the same court, two years ago.
"I feel it was very important in the second set when I had the break back at 4-3, an unbelievable game I think, great returns, Very happy now, it's a very important victory for me to be in the third round here again after two or three years is very positive for me and I think I finished playing the match at a very high level."　
In other action in the men's draw, France's Jo-Wilfred Tsonga finally prevaled in his marathon match with American Sam Querry, winning the 5th set tiebreaker 14-12.
The two men had to carry their 2nd round match into last night after darkness forced them to suspend play the night before.
There were a couple of upsets on the men's side from last night, including France's 13th seeded Richard Gasquet going down to Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios.
Germany's Philip Kohlscheriber, the 22nd seed, is also out after falling to Italian Simone Bolelli in a 5-set marathon.
--
The Chinese duo of Peng Shuai and Hseih Su-wei have begun their defense of their Women's Doubles title at Wimbledon, dispatching their first opponents from the US and Croatia in round one.
 
 
Significant trade between the Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicansand
 
Off court news from the NBA,
The Houston Rockets have taken the first step toward making a possible bid for LeBron James.
The Rockets have traded Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans for cash and a protected future first-round draft pick.
Houston will still need to free up more cap space if they hope to sign LeBron, or failing that, Carmelo Anthony, who has also opted into free-agency.
This may involve dealing off Jeremy Lin, who hasn't been able to find his footing with Houston after a sensational start to his career in New York with the Knicks.
The move by Houston comes just hours ahead of the NBA draft, which is now underway.
 
 
Early return by Tiger Woods in the US PGA National
 
In golf,
Tiger Woods has officially returned to the PGA Tour for the first time in more than three months from injury.
Woods, in finishing his first round at Colonial in Maryland, says he feels "fantastic."
He was talking about his back, and not his game.
Woods opened with two straight bogeys, made five more bogeys in a seven-hole stretch, before finally finding his groove a little too late in the opening round of the Quicken Loans National.
Woods finished his first round at 3-over 74.
Tiger is coming off back surgery which had sidelined him for over 100-days.
 
 
Update on the BMW International Open
 
The first round of the BMW International Open is in the books in Germany.
Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Englishman Danny Willet share the lead after firing a blistering 8-under-64 to open the tournament.
US Open champ Martin Kaymer, the home favorite, struggled a bit, firing a one-under-par round of 71.
World number two Henrik Stenson sits at 4-under.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Latest transformer movie out, fans react
 
The latest episode of the transformers series, Age of Extinction, has finally hit the big screens earlier this morning here in Beijing.
Fans are excited.
"Transformers were like a love knot to us who were born in the 1980s. I must support the new movie."
"This time story of the film is not closely connected to its former series. Main actors and actresses of the film have also been changed. I was not used to this when the film began. But later things became better."
"There are so many Chinese elements appearing in the film that I doubt it specially caters to the Chinese audiences. Above all, it's not a bad film. Effects of IMAX are great. The story is touching. I wish there would be more coming up."
Like its predecessors, the film is directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
Chinese stars like Li Bingbing and Han Geng are also joining the cast.
It is also the closing film of the Shanghai International film festival earlier this month.
 
 
Renowned Chinese screenwriter detained over drug use
 
Another Chinese celebrity catches wide attention for being found using drug.
Beijing police says they have detained Chen Wanning, a popular screenwriter for possession of ice at an apartment in downtown Beijing.
Chen admits later that he was taking the drugs while being caught.
"This afternoon police officers seized methamphetamine in my apartment. I feel deeply sorry and regretful for my taking drugs."
Chen, more known to the public as Ningcaishen, is acclaimed as one of the most prominent screenwriters here in China.
He is the latest big name to be caught taking drug, after singer Li Daimo was detained for the same reason in April.
Chen's detention comes as the police authorities are launching raids against drug use here in China, while embarking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
 
 
Report details decades of sexual abuse by DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile
 
More details have been revealed concerning the alledgedly sexual abuse by former BBC DJ and presenter Jimmy Savile.
Reports have found that Savile, who had unsupervised access to multiple hospitals as a celebrity fundraiser, abused both patients and hospital workers.
Sue Proctor is Leeds Teaching Hospital Investigator.
"Victims included boys and girls, men and women. The ages of the victims ranged from 5 years to 75 years, though the majority were teenagers or young adults. His victims also included hospital stuff, all of whom were female."
The investigations have been conducted in 28 National Health Service hospitals across the country.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The head of the mainland's Taiwan affairs office has begun his much-anticipated trip to the island.
The Chinese courts are vowing to get even tougher on drug traffickers.
Voting has come to an end in the parliamentary elections in Libya.
In Business.... Chinese regulators have opened the door for 11 more IPO's in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.