新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/07/17

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
It's Paul James with you on this Thursday, July 17, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Expectations about China's economic health are increasing following the release of new first-half economic data.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been meeting with South American leaders about a proposed railway cutting across the continent.
Both Israel and Hamas have agreed to a temporary ceasefire today on humanitarian grounds.
In Business.... we'll analyze the slowdown in this country's property sector.
In Sports... Chinese divers making a splash at a world diving event in Shanghai.
In Entertainment... a Chinese singer has re-emerged after an over decade-long hiatus.
First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather....
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy today with a high of 33 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 24.
Shanghai will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 34.
Overnight, it will be overcast with a low of 26.
In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 34.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 25.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will see moderate rain with a high of 35.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 29.
Over to North America.
New York will be cloudy today with a high of 28 degrees.
Washington will be cloudy with a high of 31 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 26.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 21 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 15.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China's GDP grows 7.4 percent
 
Anchor
The latest economic stats released by the National Bureau of Statistics is raising expectations of a financial turn-around here in China following a shaky start to the year.
CRI's Min Rui has more.
Reporter
The data released by the NBS shows growth in the second quarter stands at 7.5 percent, picking up slightly from the 7.4 percent expansion in the first quarter.
Sheng Laiyun, the NBS spokesman, says the data shows the Chinese economy is enjoying stable and moderate growth.
"About the economic performance in the first half of this year, the general situation has been steady. Structural adjustments achieved stable progress, and the transformation and upgrading of the economy has sound momentum."
Sheng also highlights the encouraging job data, noting that over 7 million new positions have been created in the first six months.
In terms of economic structure, the growth of the tertiary sector has outperformed the primary and secondary industries.
The added value of the tertiary industry accounts for 46.6 percent of GDP.
That is 1.3 percentage points higher than the same period last year.
In this year's work report, the government has said it will maintain an appropriate level of economic growth while improving the quality of GDP and upgrading economic structure.
The report also highlights domestic consumption as the engine of the economy.
The latest economic data shows that consumption contributed 52.4 percent of GDP in the first half, 0.2 percentage points higher than the same period last year.
Sheng says the growth in domestic demand has been boosted by a rise in income.
Per capita disposable income exceeded 10-thousand yuan, an 8.3 percent increase even with inflation factored in, and a number that exceeds GDP growth.
Meanwhile, fixed asset investment, a mainstay of the Chinese economy, climbed 17.3 percent compared with a year earlier.
However, the NBS spokesman warns that the country's economy still faces challenges in a complicated economic environment.
"We can't be over-optimistic about our economy. The economic situation remains very complicated, we will still feel the pain of adjusting our traditional industries for a long time and we still face the pressure of an economic slowdown."
Sheng says China will continue to deepen reform and adjust economic structures to consolidate growth momentum.
China has set a targeted growth of 7.5 percent for 2014.
For CRI, I'm Min Rui.
 
 
Shen Hong on half year economic figures
 
Anchor:
For more on China's broader economic situation, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Shen Hong, Shanghai Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal.
(QA with Shen Hong)
That was Shen Hong, Shanghai Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.
 
 
Xi proposes trilateral work group on transcontinental S. American railway
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is suggesting that Peru and Brazil team up with China to help build a planned railway across the South American continent.
Xi Jinping has made the proposal during a meeting with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala in Brazil.
The three countries are expected to issue a joint statement on the railway project.
The ambitious project will see a railway run all the way from the Peruvian Pacific coast to the Brazilian Atlantic coast.
Xi Jinping has proposed establishing a trilateral work group to deal with the massive project.
The Chinese President is on a state visit in Brazil, the first stop on a four-nation Latin American tour.
 
 
BRICS bank not against IMF: Brazilian president
 
Brazil's president is moving to downplay suggestions of a south-north global financing competition.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff says the new BRICS development bank is not a challenge to the International Monetary Fund.
"We do not have the slightest interest in giving up the International Monetary Fund, on the contrary we have interest in making it more democratic and representative, the new BRICS bank is not against it. It is in our favour, it's different, it's a completely different posture."
But at the same time, Rousseff does say the New Development Bank will have a different stand than the IMF when it comes to dealing with developing countries.
At this week's BRICS summit in Brazil, the grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have agreed to establish the development bank with start-up capital worth 50-billion US dollars.
The bank will be headquartered in Shanghai.
 
 
Israel, Hamas agree on "humanitarian ceasefire"
 
Both Hamas and Israel have agreed to a UN appeal for a five-hour humanitarian ceasefire today.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to halt rocket launches into Israel for five hours this Thursday.
The Israeli military says the ceasefire will be enforced from 10 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon to give locals five hours to stock up on essentials.
Meantime, four children are among those who have been killed by the continued Israeli air strikes into Gaza on Wednesday.
Witnesses say the four children were killed while playing on a beach near Gaza City.
"Little kids, they were rummaging around for aluminum, plastic, metal scrap and wood. I had told them to go home but they didn't - then later they were struck by the first rocket, which came from the direction of the sea and they went flying. Another shell then struck them and they were dead; four cousins, nine-year-olds and 10-year-olds."
Palestinian officials say over 210 people have been killed and some 15-hundred others injured since the start of Operation Protective Edge last Tuesday.
The Israeli side has reported one death.
On the diplomatic front, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is set to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, as well as Hamas officials, in Cairo.
China's Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, Wu Sike, who is on a mediation trip to the region, is scheduled to hold talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem later on this Thursday.
 
 
At least 18 killed in China rainstorms
 
At least 18 people have been killed and millions of others impacted by a new round of rainstorms that have hit several provinces in southern and eastern China.
The fatalities have been reported in the provinces of Guizhou, Jiangxi and Hunan.
14 others remain missing in a county in Hunan following rain-triggered landslides.
In Guizhou, rainstorms there have destroyed homes, cut power supplies and disrupted flights and train services.
 
 
Relocation of Oil Rig Not Due to External Reasons: China
 
The Chinese government says a decision by the China National Petrolium Corporation to end its test drilling near the Xisha Islands has nothing to do with Vietnam.
The Chinese oil giant announced this week that it's completed drilling a pair of test wells it began in May, saying signs of oil and gas have been found.
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry says the relocation of rig is in-line with the companies' own plans, and is not due to any external reasons.
The rig is now being moved to waters near Hainan as per CNPC's original plans.
The test-drilling near the Xisha Islands set off a series of violent demonstrations in Vietnam against Chinese interests in the country, as Vietnam also lays claims to the islands.
 
 
Sany's "historic victory" over dispute with Obama
 
Anchor
Chinese machinery manufacturer Sany Heavy Industry has won a lawsuit against US President Barack Obama connected to its attempt to purchase a wind farm in the United States.
The details from CRI's Washington correspondent He Fei.
Reporter
A US federal appeals court in Washington has ruled the US government violated the rights of the Ralls Corporation, which is affiliated with Sany Heavy Industry, when it rejected the company's bid to purchase an Oregon wind-farm project.
The three-judge panel has ruled "the presidential order deprived Ralls of significant property interests," constituting a clear constitutional violation.
The appeals court has now sent the case back to the lower courts, and has ordered that Ralls be provided the unclassified evidence the president relied on and be given an opportunity to respond to it.
Xiang Wenbo, president of Sany Heavy Industry, is describing the ruling as an "historic victory."
Observers are suggesting the ruling may help other foreign companies who have to go through a national security review by Congress before being allowed to purchase assets in the US.
Harry Clark, an attorney and specialist in cases involving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, says companies looking for US investment opportunities will now be able to access to unclassified information used by the committee and try to rebut it.
In 2012, Obama issued a presidential order to prevent Ralls from purchasing four wind farms in Oregon for national security concerns, as their locations are near a Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility.
Ralls then sued Obama for blocking the deal, claiming that the presidential order was unconstitutional and failed to provide detailed evidence.
In a recent report to Congress, it's been revealed Chinese investors underwent more than double the number of congressional reviews in 2012 than the previous year, overtaking the U.K. as the most scrutinized foreign buyers of American assets.
For CRI, I'm He Fei.
 
 
China, U.S. hold high-level anti-terror dialogue
 
The first ever vice-ministerial level anti-terrorism meeting between China and the US has been held in Washington, DC.
The meeting has been co-hosted by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping and US anti-terrorism coordinator Tina Ksidanow.
Cheng Guoping has called on the US side to abandon "double standards" in addressing terrorism.
"Recently at West Point, President Obama said terrorism activities are now the most direct threat to the US. China as well has listed the fight against terrorism as the primary task to maintain social stability. For now the ultimate concern for China is to fight against the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and to maintain the stability and development in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. And the US has showed understanding and willingness to cooperate with China in this field. However, we also have concerns about, and object to, what we see as a US double-standard on anti-terrorism issues."
Despite their differences, senior officials from the two sides have agreed that terrorism, in all its forms, should be condemned.
The two sides have also agreed to meet again in China in due time.
 
 
China to reform gov't vehicle use
 
Government vehicles have become the latest target in the Chinese government's ongoing frugality campaign.
Under a new set of guidelines issued by the government, officials below the ministerial level will not be provided with cars.
Instead, government employees are going to be given monthly travel subsidies ranging from 500 to 13-hundred yuan per month.
Certian concerns have been raised about officials pocketing the money and using government vehicles anyway.
Lian Weiliang, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, says they've taken that into consideration in drawing up the new rules.
"There is an article in the reform plan that specifically bans officials from borrowing, embezzling, and taking advantage of government vehicles in grassroots units. Enforcing this will depend largely on strengthening supervision. Once discovered, those who receive the subsidies but still get free rides will be held responsible."
It's expected this should eliminate around 80-thousand government vehicles from the roads.
The new restrictions for the central government will be enacted this year, while local governments will have until the end of next year to enact the new rules.
 
 
Assange detention order remains in place
 
A Swedish court has upheld its detention order for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on sexual assault allegations.
Thomas Olsson is one of his Swedish lawyers.
"We will appeal against this decision, we don't agree with the district court in their judgement of the need to overrule this decision about custody. We can't accept that this situation is withstanding."
Assange has not been formally indicted in Sweden, but is wanted for questioning by police over sexual assault allegations during a visit to Sweden in 2010.
The Australian has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for more than two years in a bid to avoid extradition.
He contends the allegations are politically motivated.
Assange says he fears Swedish authorities plan to transfer him to the United States, where he faces the possibility of the death penalty for leaking thousands of classified US government and military documents via Wikileaks.
 
 
Track Workers Detained after Subway Derailment in Moscow
 
Investigators in Russia have detained two Moscow subway workers following a rush-hour derailment this week which left 22 people dead, including a pair of Chinese men.
A senior Moscow Subway track foreman and his deputy are being accused of using inadequate wiring during repairs made a few weeks ago.
Vladimir Markin is with a Russian federal investigation committee.
"These works were done with gross violations. In particular a switch mechanism was fixed with a standard three-millimetre wire. According to the preliminary investigation, it was the breakage of this wire that lead to this tragedy."
In the wake of Tuesday's deadly accident, flowers are being left outside subway stations across Moscow.
Hundreds of people have also been queueing up to give blood to help the over 120 injured, many of whom are still in grave condition.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the closing numbers in the U.S and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Fei Fei.
Reporter
U.S. markets closed higher Wednesday, as the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book shows the country's regional economies are continuing to show signs of improvement.
The Dow Jones ended at record high, up three quarters of a percent.
The S&P 500 advanced just under three quarters of a percent.
And the Nasdaq added a fifth of a percent.
Over in Europe, market there were also on the rise helped by positive economic data here in China and solid US corporate earnings.
Britain's FTSE 100 added over one percent.
France's CAC 40 rose almost one and a half percent.
And Germany's DAX gained one and three quarters of a percent.
 
 
Call-in on China's H1 property investment growth slows down
 
Growth in real estate investment here in China has slowed down through the first half of the year.
The National Bureau of Statistics is reporting property investment is up just over 14-percent year on year in the first six months.
This is almost 3-percent slower than what was recorded through the first quarter.
Growth in the property sector has been slowing across China since the beginning of this year.
For more on China's property market, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research in Shanghai.
(Q&A)
That's Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research in Shanghai, speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.
 
 
Chilling house market cools land sales
 
A new report from the Ministry of Land and Resources is suggesting the slowdown of the Chinese property market is starting to affect land prices.
The Ministry says the growth of land prices has begun to slow slightly through the second quarter after rising for six consecutive quarters.
However, land prices in China's major cities are still on the rise.
The average price of land for residential housing development in Chinese cities has surpassed 52-hundred yuan, or some 850 US dollars, per square meter in the second quarter.
 
 
China increases holdings of U.S. Treasury debt in May
 
U.S. Treasury Department is reporting foreign T-bill holdings have risen for the 10th straight month through May, with the two largest foreign Treasury Bond holders increasing their shares.
China, the largest foreign holder of US Treasury debt, has increased its holdings slightly to some 1.3 trillion US dollars.
Japan, the second largest holder, purchased an additional 10 billion in May.
The total foreign holdings of US Treasuries have hit a new record high of some 6 trillion U.S. dollars in May, up a quarter of a percent from April.
On the flip side, Belgium and Russia have both cut their T-bill holdings.
Russia reduced its holdings by some 4-percent in May.
 
 
EP approves Lithuania joining eurozone
 
Lithuania's admission into the eurozone has been approved by the European Parliament.
Final approval is expected to be made by eurozone finance ministers in the Council of the European Union before the end of this month.
That meeting will also fix the exchange rate for the Lithuanian currency 'lita' to the euro.
The current exchange rate is 3.5 litas to one euro.
If all goes as planned, Lithuania will become the 19th country to adopt the pan-European currency on January 1st of next year.
 
 
China's Wechat, Easy Taxi launch taxi-hail app in Singapore
 
Chinese IT giant Tencent and Easy Taxi, the world's biggest taxi booking app, are teaming up to allow WeChat users in Singapore to book taxis via the app.
For each booking made through Wechat, passenger can save 5 Singapore dollars, while taxi drivers will earn an extra Singapore Dollar, on top of the fare.
Both companies say their partnership is likely to be extended to other countries where both WeChat and Easy Taxi are available.
Easy Taxi currently available across 200 cities in over 30 countries around the world.
Founded in Brazil in 2011, the company started its expansion into Asia last year.
 
 
Time Warner rejects Murdoch's offer to combine media and entertainment giants
 
Time Warner, owner of the Warner Brothers movie studio and TV channels CNN and HBO, has rejected an 80-billion-US-dollar take over from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox.
In rejecting the deal, Time Warner says its own strategic plan is better for the company and its stockholders.
The company also says the offer from Fox carried considerable strategic, operational and regulatory risks.
In proposing the agreement, Fox offered to sell-off CNN to clear any objections from US regulators.
CNN and Fox News are direct competitors.
Time Warner's shares jumped some 16-percent on the New York Stock Exchange after rejecting the takeover bid.
Fox shares dropped around 5-percent.
 
 
Yum's China restaurant sales jump
 
Yum Brands, the company which owns KFC and Pizza Hut, says its second-quarter sales here in China have jumped 15-percent.
The sales rebound comes after an avian flu outbreak and a food safety scare that slashed demand for chicken during the same period last year.
KFC has contributed over 20-percent to Yum's sales increases.
Pizza Hut sales have remained flat.
KFC has added 15 items to its menu in March that were either new or formerly available as limited-time offers.
China generates more than half of Yum's total global sales.
 
 
Taiwan hotels make more money from mainland visitors
 
New stats show hotels in Taiwan are making more money from mainland visitors.
Nearly 40 percent of the hotels surveyed on the island say mainland tourists have generated more than 20 percent of their total revenue.
In the first half of this year, the number of individual mainland visitors to Taiwan has surpassed 500-thousand.
That number is expected to exceed one million by the end of this year.
A recent survey among mainland travellers has found that 60-percent of them would prefer to travel to Taiwan as an individual, rather than in a group.
The same survey has also found Taiwan is the 9th most popular travel destination for mainland tourists.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Economic expectations high following GDP figures
 
The latest economic stats released by the National Bureau of Statistics is raising expectations of a financial turn-around here in China following a shaky start to the year.
The data released by the NBS shows growth in the second quarter has come in 7.5 percent, picking up slightly from the 7.4 percent expansion in the first quarter.
A spokesperson for the NBS says the data shows the Chinese economy is enjoying stable and moderate growth.
In this year's government work report, the plans laid-out are to maintain an appropriate level of economic growth while improving the quality of GDP and upgrading the country's broader economic structure.
The government has a full-year growth projection of 7.5-percent.
 
 
Xi proposes trilateral work group on transcontinental S. American railway
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is suggesting that Peru and Brazil team up with China to help build a planned railway across the South American continent.
Xi Jinping has made the proposal during a meeting with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala in Brazil.
The three countries are expected to issue a joint statement on the railway project.
The ambitious project will see a railway run all the way from the Peruvian Pacific coast to the Brazilian Atlantic coast.
Xi Jinping has proposed establishing a trilateral work group to deal with the massive project.
The Chinese President is on a state visit in Brazil, the first stop on a four-nation Latin American tour.
 
 
Israel, Hamas agree on "humanitarian ceasefire"
 
Both Hamas and Israel have agreed to a UN appeal of a five-hour humanitarian ceasefire.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to halt rocket firing into Israel for five hours on Thursday.
The Israeli military says the ceasefire will be enforced from 10 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon this Thursday to give locals five hours to stock up on essentials.
Meantime, four children are among those who have been killed by the continued Israeli air strikes into Gaza on Wednesday.
Palestinian officials say over 210 people have been killed and some 15-hundred others injured since the start of Operation Protective Edge last Tuesday.
The Israeli side has reported one death.
 
 
US, EU widen sanctions against Russia
 
The United States has increased sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, targeting major banks, defense and energy firms.
Among those on the list are Gazprombank and Rosneft as well as senior officials in Russia and the self-declared rebel entities in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the European Union also decided to expand the restrictive measures on Russia. A first list of entities and persons will be decided by the end of July.
Western countries have steadily escalated its sanctions against Russia over what they say is Moscow's backing of the rebels.
Moscow denies the claim.
 
 
Ministry orders enhanced security in public transportation
 
The Ministry of Public Security has held an emergency meeting amid concerns about acts of terrorism on public transportation.
A new circular released following the meeting is now requiring security to be present on every subway train and bus.
At the same time, police are being ordered to step-up patrols of public transport locations.
The public is also being urged to report suspicious items or activities in public transit areas.
Public transport sites, including buses and train stations, have been the main targets for terrorists here in China in recent months.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Bus explosion suspect
Summary
The suspect in Tuesday's bus explosion in Guangzhou has been detained.
Local police say he has confessed he set the vehicle on fire in anger over gambling losses.
The 25-year-old was detained yesterday.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Suicide outside Beijing newspaper
Summary
Seven petitioners attempted to kill themselves by drinking pesticide in front of the China Youth Daily building in Beijing.
All are expected to survive.
The suicide attempt is said to have been a protest against a reporter who the group claims "received their petition materials but failed to report their story."
PEOPLE'S DAILY
Headline
Former official expelled
Summary
Zhao Zhiyong, a former senior official in Jiangxi, has been stripped of Party membership for serious discipline violation.
The Party's discipline watchdog says Zhao abused his power and was involved in graft.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Judicial information goes public
Summary
The Beijing Supreme People's Court now says up-to-date judicial information is available from the court's website and its app.
The move is part of a broader based plan to make this country's judicial system more transparent.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
China gears up for approaching Typhoon
Summary
Disaster relief departments along the south coast are now on watch around the clock amid the approach of Typhoon Rammasun.
Local evacuations are already underway, and shipping in the region has been ordered to return to port.
Rammasun is currently churning in the South China Sea after rolling through the Philippines yesterday.
It's currently tracking toward the Qiongzhou Strait between Hainan and Guangzhou.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Nepal Study Center opens
Summary
A Nepal study center has opened in a university in Hebei.
It is the first academic institution in China that focuses solely on Nepal.
The Nepalese embassy says the institution will help people better understand the country.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Hong Kong Book Fair
 
Anchor
This year's Hong Kong Book Fair has attracted a record number of exhibitors, with a strong emphasis this year on local writers and books.
CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has more.
Report
570 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions have gathered at the 25th Hong Kong Book Fair.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam says the book fair is not only a grand event in the city, but also for the whole of Asia.
(act1, in Cantonese, Female)
"The importance of reading is often downgraded in the era of fast development of high technology. During the past 25 years, the Hong Kong Book Fair has been playing a constructive role in promoting reading. The events are becoming more diverse and attractive year on year and create a strong cultural environment. It has become an important platform for cultural exchange for Hong Hong, for the Greater China Region, as well as for overseas friends."
The book fair is crowded with local residents and tourists who are looking for good books with good prices.
"I am from Shenzhen. There is a wide range of authors and books here, that's why I come. We have material well being but we need to take care of our mental health as well. "
"I come to the book fair every year. There are all kinds of books so it's convenient, I don't have to travel far to search for the books I want."(male)
Cher Chu, assistant marketing manager at Chung Hwa Book Corporation, says Hong Kong people are becoming more aware and cherishing of their culture and language.
"This type of book is becoming increasingly popular among locals recently. Both old people and young students appreciate local culture. We have books with serious topics. For example, regarding the change of Hong Kong's coastline after reclaiming land for sea. There are interesting books too, with cartoons to introduce some old industries and old toys in Hong Kong that no longer exist. "
Hong Kong stories are not only told by Chinese writers through their eyes. Foreigners also write about Hong Kong from their perspectives.
French writer Francois Dremeaux tells the bauhinia story, the flower as represented on the flag of Hong Kong, with French connections.
"A priest, in 1888, he saw a flower that was about to extinct in Hong Kong. He conservated the flower and he grew it. Because he saved the flower from extinction, in 1965, the British people you know chose it to be on the Hong Kong flag."
More than 300 cultural events will take place during the week-long book fair, which draws together dozens of renowned writers from the mainland and Taiwan as well, including Yan Geling, Yan Lianke and Li'ao. English writers from the States, France, Britain and other countries will also hold a handful of seminars and lectures to talk about reading and writing.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
 
 
Sports
 
 
China Wins Two Synchronized Gold at FINA Diving World Cup
 
China has claimed a pair of synchronized titles at the FINA Diving World Cup competition in Shanghai.
London Olympic champion Wu Minxia and her younger partner Shi Tingmao have taken gold in the women's 3-meter springboard synchronized event.
In the men's 10-meter platform synchro event, China's Lin Yue and Cao Yuan led from the beginning to win the gold.
Today's action in Shanghai includes the women's 10-meter platform and men's 3m springboard synchronized diving events.
 
 
Boca Juniors Agree Deal to Coach Young Chinese players
 
Argentina's Boca Juniors have reached a deal with the city of Beijing to train young Chinese soccer players at their club in Buenos Aires.
Under the agreement, a total of 60 players from Beijing's Junior league will travel to Argentina for training.
They will also play a series of friendlies in the South American country.
In addition, Boca Juniors is going to send instructors here to China to teach football coaches.
Chinese Minister of Culture, Han Mengtang, says the initiative will help improve the skill level of China's young footballers.
The initiative is a public-private partnership agreement.
 
 
Massimo Allegri Appointed as New Juventus Coach
 
In European football news,
Massimo Allegri has been named the new head coach of Juventus.
The announcement came just a day after former coach Antonio Conte stepped down from the Italian club.
Allegri says he was surprised and honoured when the Italian champions approached him to take the job.
"I am happy to be here but also I am aware of the importance to train Juventus, and from tomorrow I will begin to work with the club and with the players, when all the ones that played the World Cup, to face an important and winning season."
Allegri was fired by AC Milan in January after three-and-a-half seasons with the squad.
He had been mentioned as a possible replacement for Cesare Prandelli as the head coach of Italy's national team.
But now Conte and Roberto Mancini are being considered the top candidates for that job.
 
 
Filipe Luis Confirms Transfer to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid
 
Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis is heading to Chelsea.
The Spanish club has reached an agreement with Chelsea on the transfer, which is reportedly worth 34 million US dollars.
Luis will be filling the void left by Ashley Cole, who was allowed to leave Chelsea after his contract expired at the end of last season.
It's also been reported goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is expected to challenge Petr Cech for the number one jersey after spending the last three seasons at Atletico.
 
 
Tony Gallopin Wins Tour de France Stage 11 ; Vincenzo Nibali Retains Overall lead.
 
In cycling,
French rider Tony Gallopin led a late breakaway to win stage 11 of the Tour de France.
Italian Vincenzo Nibali still retains the overall leader's yellow jersey.
Astana team leader Nibali has a lead of two minutes, 23 seconds over Australia's Richie Porte.
Alejandro Valverde of Spain sits in third, another 24 seconds back.
Today, the riders will head off on Stage 12, which includes a number of small-to mid-sized climbs.
 
 
British Open to tee off later today
 
In Golf,
This year's British Open is set to tee off later on today at Royal Liverpool.
All eyes will be on Tiger Woods, who is making his return to Major competition after coming off back surgery.
Woods missed the cut at Congressional in his return to competition three weeks ago.
However, he says he's feeling no pain.
While Woods should never be counted out at a Major, there is a lot of expectations for Justin Rose to do well at this tournament.
Rose is coming of back-to-back victories, including winning the Scottish Open this past weekend.
 
 
Fognini Crashes Out on Day of Upsets in Hamburg
 
In tennis,
There have been several upsets in the round of 32 of the ATP's German Open.
Defending champion Fabio Fognini of Italy has crashed out of the tournament after losing to Serbian qualifier Filip Krajinovic 6-4, 6-0.
Fifth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny is also out, after going down to 17-year-old Alexander Zverev in straight-sets.
Last year's finalist, Federico Delbonis, has been defeated by German wild card Tobias Kamke 6-3, 6-4.
In other actions,
Dustin Brown saved two match points in the third set before upsetting ninth-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-2, 7-6.
Leonardo Mayer of Argentina also upset 10th-seeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
He'll next play Dominic Thiem of Austria.
Unseeded Lukas Rosol also downed 14th-seeded Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-2, 6-4.
Home favorite and seventh-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber is through, downing Portugal's Gastao Elias 7-5, 6-1 in the late match.
----
In the WTA Istanbul Cup,
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki is through to the quarter finals after downing Karin Knapp 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Kristina Mladenovic upset third-seeded Klara Koukalova 6-1, 6-3 in the second round.
Fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina brushed aside Stefanie Voegele 6-0, 6-3.
 
 
Cavaliers Sign Free-Agent James Jones to Contract
 
In off-season NBA news,
It's being reported Miami Heat free agent James Jones will be joining LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jones and the Cavaliers have agreed to terms on a deal said to be worth $1.4 million.
Jones spent the past six of his 11 NBA seasons in Miami.
Last year Jones shot a career-high 46 per cent on 3-pointers, but only appeared in 20 games.
----
Lance Stephenson is heading to Charlotte.
The shooting guard has agreed to a $27 million, three-year deal with the Hornets.
The deal includes a team option for the third season.
But Stephenson was not Charlotte's first choice.
The Hornets turned their attention to Stephenson after Utah matched its offer for restricted free agent Gordon Hayward.
Stephenson is coming off his best NBA season, averaging nearly 14 points, 7 rebounds and almost 5 assists per game.
He led the league for the Indiana Pacers with five triple-doubles.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Zhou Xun Makes Surprise Marriage Announcement at Charity Event
 
Famous Chinese celebrity, Zhou Xun, made a surprise announcement at a charity event last night that she has married her American-born boyfriend, Gao Shengyuan.
"We are really happy tonight to be in such a love-filled atmosphere. My husband and I would like to share our love with everyone. I've starred in films where I played the bride, but tonight is Zhou Xun's own story of romance."
The 40-year-old actress has won endless awards over the past years. In contrast with her career success, her love life hasn't gone smoothly. But it appears the actress has finally found luck in love.
 
 
Pu Shu Releases New Song After 11-Year Hiatus
 
After stepping away from the microphone 11 years ago, Chinese singer-songwriter Pu Shu is releasing his new song, "Ping Fan De Lu."
(Pu Shu theme song)
The news was revealed yesterday via Weibo by Yuan Tao, chief director of the record company that signed Pu Shu.
The artist's signature neo-folk style is distinct throughout the song.
Pu Shu's new recording will be the theme for the upcoming road-trip movie, "The Continent," directed by popular mainland author, Han Han.
Both the song and the film will be released together on next Thursday.
Pu Shu is well-known for his hit songs "Flowers" and "Birch Forest".
 
 
Avengers Face New Foe in "Age of Ultron" 1st Look
 
The first official look at next year's highly-anticipated super sequel, "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," was unveiled today.
On the cover of U.S. publication Entertainment Weekly, which first unveiled the images, Iron Man, played by actor Robert Downey, Jr., and Captain America, played by Chris Evans, are seen standing stalwart as they flank their next on-screen adversary, the sentient robot, Ultron.
In the story, the Avengers are battle-weary from saving the world time after time. Iron Man invents the robot as a way to help pick up the slack of the heroes' workload. However, Ultron grows beyond the confines of his maker's control.
The official images from the film also give fans a first solid looks at Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively.
The two made a brief appearance after the end-credits of this year's "Captain America: Winter Soldier."
Along with the new additions, the rest of the gang will all be on deck for the Avengers' next romp. "Age of Ultron" is slated for a May 1, 2015, release.
 
 
Kim Kardashian Mobile Game Big Hit
 
Since launching three weeks ago, a mobile video game based on reality TV star Kim Kardashian has risen to the top of Apple's Mobile App Store.
Created by San Francisco-based Glu Mobile, "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood" allows fans to customize a character who, with Kim's advice, aims to become the next reality star.
While criticism abounds over the game promoting shallow behavior, fans are giving it glowing five-star ratings in the Apple App store.
GLU's CEO, Niccolo De Masi, shares his excitement on the company's financial success since the game's launch.
"Kim's game is possibly on track to be our biggest game of the year, might be our biggest game ever, depending on how long it lasts."
Since the game's launch, Glu Mobile's stock is up about 70 percent and the game's estimated earnings is about 200 million U.S. dollars so far.
 
 
ANOTHER DELAY IN JUSTIN BIEBER'S DUI CASE
 
Canadian pop-star Justin Bieber's driving-under-the-influence case in the U.S. state of Florida has been pushed back by prosecutors to August 5th.
The singer's lawyer, Mark Shapiro, and Assistant State Attorney David Gilbert said three more weeks were needed to work out a possible plea deal.
Justin Beiber did not attend the hearing.
Bieber was arrested in January after what police describe was an illegal race between the singer's rented Lamborghini and a Ferrari driven by his friend.
A urine tests showed the presence of marijuana and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in Beiber's system. The pop star was charged with a DUI, resisting arrest and driving on an expired license.
Earlier this month, Bieber resolved another criminal case in Los Angeles by pleading no contest to a misdemeanor vandalism charge and paid 80 thousand U.S. dollars for throwing eggs at a neighbor's house.
The singer is facing a separate case in Florida and another in Toronto, Canada.
 
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Expectations about China's economic health are increasing following the release of new first-half economic data.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been meeting with South American leaders about a proposed railway cutting across the continent.
Both Israel and Hamas have agreed to a temporary ceasefire today on humanitarian grounds.
In Business.... we'll analyze the slowdown in this country's property sector.
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.