新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/07/30

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
It's Paul James with you on this Wednesday, July 30, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
China's former security chief has become the highest-ranking official to be caught up in the current anti-corruption drive.
There's been another deadly terrorist attack in Xinjiang, with local reports suggesting dozens of people have been killed.
The US and European Union are bringing down more sanctions on Russia connected to eastern Ukraine.
In Business... the Politburo is promising more reforms and targeted stimulus through the remainder of this year.
In Sports... Paris St. Germain opens its tour of China with a decisive win over a Hong Kong club.
In Entertainment... there's a new leader atop the Chinese Box Office.
First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather....
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be overcast today with a high of 29 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 cloudy with a low of 27.
In Chongqing, it will see thundershowers with a high of 38.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 27.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will have slight rain with a high of 34.
Kabul will have slight rain with a high of 32.
Over to North America.
New York will be cloudy today with a high of 27 degrees.
Washington will be cloudy with a high of 28 degrees.
Honolulu, cloudy, 27.
Toronto, Canada, will see slight rain with a high of 19 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will see slight rain with a high of 18.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Zhou Yongkang put under investigation
 
China's former security chief, Zhou Yongkang, is under party investigation, suspected of "serious disciplinary violation."
The investigation itself is going to be conducted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China.
The 71-year-old became a member of the CPC Politburo in 2002.
He sat on its nine-member Standing Committee from 2007 to his retirement in November 2012.
Zhou Yongkang is the most senior party figure to face a formal investigation as part of the current anti-corruption campaign.
An op-ed which appears in this morning's edition of the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China, is warning party members there is no "safe box" for those who break the rules.
A similar commentary penned by the official Xinhua News Agency says the decision to investigate Zhou terminates a myth among many people that senior leaders are immune from the Party discipline and the law.
Around 40 officials of provincial and ministerial level or higher have been investigated for corruption or other serious violations since Xi Jinping became the party's General Secretary in November 2012.
Those now under investigation include Xu Caihou, the former vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission, and Su Rong, the former vice-chair of China's top political advisory body.
 
 
Dozens killed in Xinjiang terror attack
 
There's been another major terror attack in Xinjiang and heavy casualties have been reported.
Police in Shache County in the Kashgar area say a mob, armed with knives and axes, randomly attacked civilians on their way to assaulting a local police station and government buildings.
Local authorities say dozens of civilians have been killed or injured in the attack. Dozens of the attackers were shot dead by police.
The exact death toll has not been revealed.
Police in Shache County say the attack was "organized and premeditated."
Shache County near Kashgar, which is in Xinjiang's far west, was the scene of another terrorist attack late last year which saw 8 of the attackers shot dead by the authorities after attacking a local police station.
 
 
US, EU slap new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
 
The United States and the European Union are slapping new economic sanctions on Russia over the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
US President Barack Obama contends the new measures will make Russia's "weak economy even weaker".
"The United States is imposing new sanctions in key sectors of the Russian economy - energy, arms and finance. We are blocking the exports of specific and technologies to the Russian energy sector, we're expanding our sanctions to more Russian banks and defence companies and we are formally suspending credit that encourages exports to Russia and financing for economic development projects in Russia."
The European Union has also adopted new economic sanctions against Russia, targeting the oil sector, defense equipment and sensitive technologies.
Both the EU and the US contend Moscow is supplying tactical support for the rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow has been denying the allegations.
The new sanctions against Russia are also being fuelled by the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine earlier this month.
Kiev and its allies are pointing the finger at the separatists, saying they used a Russian surface-to-air missile to take the plane down, mistaking it for a Ukrainian cargo jet.
The separatists and Russia are blaming the Ukrainian military.
Heavy fighting between the rebels and government forces in areas around the crash site has been hampering the international investigation into the crash.
Meanwhile, the British government says preliminary findings from the black boxes of the crashed Boeing 777 are expected to be published next week.
The data from the black boxes had been analyzed in Britain and now turned over to the Netherlands which is leading the investigation.
 
 
Israel intensifies military campaign against Hamas in Gaza
 
Israel is escalating its military campaign against Hamas, striking symbols of the group's control in Gaza.
Gaza's only power plant has been hit by Israeli shells, setting the facility on fire.
The resulting fire has cut power to much of Gaza City, leaving close to 2-million people in the dark.
Israeli forces have also been targeting tunnels running from Gaza into Israeli territory.
The Israeli offensive through Tuesday has reportedly left around 100 Palestinians dead.
Close to 12-hundred Palestinians have been killed since the launch of the Israeli offensive into the region earlier this month.
 
 
Libyan warplane crashes in Benghazi; battle for Tripoli airport continues
 
A Libyan fighter jet has crashed in the eastern city of Benghazi while carrying out a bombing mission against armed Islamist groups.
The militant fighters have overrun a Libyan Special Forces base there, after a battle involving rockets and warplanes that killed at least 30 people.
The Libyan military says the jet went down due to mechanical failure.
The fate of the two pilots, who ejected, remains unknown.
In the capital, Tripoli, nearly 100 people have been killed in fighting between rival militia groups battling for control of the city's main airport over the past two weeks.
The fighting has set fire to the oil depot which supplies the airport, with the blaze continuing to rage out of control since Sunday.
In the wake of the deteriorating situation, China has been calling on its nationals to leave Libya.
Yan Jianquan is with the Chinese Embassy in Libya.
"As long as Chinese nationals submit their evacuation plans and notify us about their evacuation routes, the embassy will send the lists to embassies in related countries. We will help Chinese nationals enter neighboring countries for evacuation. We have already launched an emergency response plan. Currently no Chinese nationals have been hurt amid the fighting in Libya."
Many of the Chinese companies operating in Libya have already suspended their operations.
Nearly 800 Chinese citizens have left Libya since May.
However, there are still believed to be around a thousand still left in the country.
 
 
Further Flights Disrupted in 20 airports in China
 
At least 20 airports in east China are now experiencing flight delays or cancellations on a large scale this week.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China was forced to issue a red alert yesterday afternoon.
Red is the highest alert for flight disruptions.
Shanghai's two airports, Pudong and Hongqiao, remain the most affected, with 160 flights cancelled and another 40 delayed through yesterday.
China's air traffic regulators contend bad weather is the main reason for the delays, arguing the military drills currently taking place in parts of central and eastern China are having only limited impact on civil aviation.
Zhou Qing with China Eastern Airlines is warning passengers to prepare for long delays.
"China Eastern Airlines has already planned ahead and cancelled 19 flights. We have completed rebooking procedures with the affected passengers. The passengers will depart on their new flights in an orderly manner. "
As a result of the air-traffic delays, many passengers have switched to trains, making tickets - particularly in Shanghai - hard to come by.
"I came here for a meeting. I arrived last night. My flight was on time last night. But this morning when I watched the news, it said a lot of flights would be cancelled. So I booked a train ticket instead."
Officials have warned the delays are likely to affect flights in eastern and central China until mid-August.
 
 
Laser light disturbs aviation safety
 
Officials in-charge of the main airport in western Shanxi's provincial capital, Taiyuan, are calling for better regulation and controls over laser pointers.
The call comes on reports of at least 11 cases since April of the high-powered light beams being pointed at airplanes trying to land at Taiyuan Airport.
The high-powered laser pointers have the ability to severely disrupt pilots trying to make a landing.
Li Jinhai is a pilot with China Eastern Airlines.
"I remember, we were about to make a landing, and we were passing through a residential area. Suddenly, a green laser light shot at the plane. It didn't hit my eyes directly, but did bounce off the wind-screen, which caused a reflection. I couldn't see anything because of the blur."
Laser pointers are often sold on the streets or on the internet as novelty items.
Laws are in-place in China which ban setting up lights or signs near near airports which could affect flights.
 
 
Four arrested following fatal assault on Chinese graduate student in LA
 
Four teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Chinese student in Los Angeles.
Investigators say they believe the teenagers attacked Ji Xinran as he was walking to his off-campus apartment last week from a study-session at the University of Southern California.
The 24-year old graduate student in electrical engineering managed to walk back to his apartment and was found dead the next morning.
LAPD commander Andrew Smith.
"I don't know why a group of young people would go on a crime spree as terrible as this, as horrible as this, and do these kind of unspeakable things to someone who is just walking home at night."
It's believed the group, ranging in age from 16 to 19, robbed the 24-year old, then continued on with other robberies later that night.
A 14-year-old girl, arrested on suspicion of a separate robbery, is also believed to have a connection to the attack.
 
 
Guangdong police seizes 760 kg of ice products, 52 suspects
 
Police in Guangdong have confiscated over 760-kilograms of materials connected to methamphetamines, arresting 52 people in connection with making the drugs.
The crackdown in the city of Jieyang and areas around it have involved more than 400 police and firefighters.
Authorities became suspicious after locals reported a sour smell coming from a property.
"We smelled the specific odor which is normally associated with the production of meth. We went in and found the drug den was in a three-bedroom house. Several people were working there. The police immediately detained the suspects and found the raw materials and tools for making the drugs in the subsequent inspection."
The southern province of Guangdong has become a hub for the production of methamphetamines here in China.
Provincial authorities have launched a wide-spread crackdown on the production and distribution of "ice."
 
 
HK officials should oppose Occupy Central: chief executive
 
Anchor
Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung is calling on officials in the region to oppose the Occupy Central movement.
He's also voicing support for a petition against the movement, which has collected nearly one million signatures so far.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter
CY Leung says the Occupy Central movement's action is unlawful, adding that he and other government officials can not condone such behavior.
He made the remark before Tuesday's Executive Council meeting.
His commment comes on the heels of more supporters joining a companign against the Occupy Central movement.
Leung himself also voiced his support earlier this week.
A number of senior Hong Kong officials had signed the petition, including Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing, Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man, and Secretary for Education Eddie Ng.
The Chief Executive says it is a personal decision for officials to participate in the signature campaign, which was launched by the Alliance for Peace and Democracy.
According to the organior Zhou Rong, the alliance has collected over 9 hundred thousand signatures so far.
"It is quite obvious that Hong Kong people want peace and support universal suffrage. They won't threaten or force the government or any other parties to listen to one single voice. We should listen to the will of the people. And we won't support any action that goes against the Basic Law."
Besides common residents and political figures, more business professionals have joined the campaign against Occupy Central, worrying that the movement will bring negative economic effects to the financial hub.
A survey conducted by the Hong Kong Bank Employees Association showed that more than 60 percent of the respondents believed the protracted move of Occupy Central would paralyze the territory's financial center, disrupt the operation of banks, or even cause layoffs.
Some financial research institute even put the direct losses at about 650 million U.S. dollars if the campaign lasts for three days.
On Monday, the five leading business chambers in Hong Kong formed a united front to oppose Occupy Central.
Yang Zhao is chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.
"It will affect health service, education, and other sectors. We can see that it also harms Hong Kong's image. Everybody should consider the losses it can bring to Hong Kong's tourism industry."
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce chairman Pang Yiu-kai says tourists are concerned about safety and it is "almost certain" Occupy Central's action will deter them from visiting.
According to Chief Executive CY Leung, the second round of public consultations on constitutional reform will be conducted by the end of this year.
Consultation details will be defined by the National People's Congress Standing Committee in August, when they are due to decide whether there is a need to amend the method for selecting the chief executive.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
 
 
NE China province fights against rice blast disease
 
Officials in Heilongjiang are pinning the blame on heat and high humidity this summer in northeast China as part of the reason for a major outbreak of rice blast.
The devastating fungus has already infected more than a quarter of the rice crop in the province, one of China's most important agricultural bases.
Officials are warning the outbreak could significantly reduce grain production in the region.
Chen Jiguan is the director of Heilongjiang's Plant Protection Agency.
"The most urgent issue at hand is not how much or how seriously some of the rice leaves have already been infected, but how to stop the disease, which may cause severe losses in rice production. The provincial government has allocated an emergency fund to control the outbreak in two million mu of severely affected land with aerial sprays."
At the same time, officials are warning the drought conditions currently plaguing parts of central and northern China are also likely to impact this year's harvest.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the closing numbers in the U.S and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Su Yi.
Reporter
US Stocks fell on Tuesday, dropping in a broad selloff, as a weak outlook from courier company UPS weighed on market sentiment.
The S&P 500 ended below its 14-day moving average for the second straight day.
UPS shares fell just under 4-percent, after the world's biggest courier company reported second-quarter earnings that failed to meet expectations.
The poor performance from UBS hasn't been indicative of what's been happening during this current earnings season.
Reuters data is suggesting that of the more-than-half of the companies listed on the S&P 500 which have reported Q2 result already, almost 70 percent have topped expectations.
Shares of Twitter have soared 14.5 percent in extended trading after user growth topped expectations, and its revenues more than doubled in the second quarter.
On the macro-economic front, new data from the US has had little impact on the direction of equities.
U.S. consumer confidence has jumped in July to a high not seen since 2007.
But single-family home prices fell 0.3 percent in May, falling short of expectations.
At the close, both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones lost nearly half a percent, while the Nasdaq closed flat.
In Europe, all three major indexes rose on Tuesday.
Both Germany's DAX and France's CAC40 added around half a percent while London's FTSE100 closed nearly 0.3 percent higher.
 
 
Microsoft anti-monopoly probe in China confirmed
 
China's business watchdog has confirmed it's launched an anti-monopoly investigation into Microsoft's business on the mainland.
Inspectors are investigating a Microsoft vice president and senior managers, on top of making copies of the firm's financial statements and contracts.
You Yunting is a lawyer at DeBund Law Offices in Shanghai.
"The materials the investigators have collected include certain sales contracts. The contracts may contain evidence to show whether Microsoft has violated China's anti-monopoly law. And based on these contracts, the government may also launch investigations into companies that have done business with Microsoft to find out if Microsoft has been involved in any anti-monopoly violations."
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce is accusing Microsoft of failing to fully disclose anti-competition information about its Windows operating system and Microsoft Office application.
Microsoft has said it's fully cooperating with the investigation.
 
 
China to further balance growth and reform in the second half: CPC Politburo
 
China's top policymakers are promising to further balance reform and economic growth in the latter half of the year.
The Politburo has issued the statement about its macro-economic policies following a meeting of the party's top leadership.
The statement says it is critical to find a balance between short-term targets and long-term growth, emphasizing the importance of a "certain growth rate".
The Politburo also says the government will continue with its targeted stimulus policies.
China's central bank has already lowered the reserved requirement ratio of the commercial banks which focus lending toward small-sized companies and the agricultural sector.
 
 
IMF warns of potential risks to global growth
 
The International Monetary Fund is warning higher interest rates and weaker growth in emerging markets could slice into global growth by as much as 2-percent over the next five years.
The IMF's 'spillovers' report suggests high rates and weak growth will reinforce each other, prompting slower growth and hurting emerging markets with large economic imbalances, such as Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Turkey.
The international lender also says the US and UK could tighten their monetary policies sooner than expected, leading to higher borrowing costs worldwide.
The IMF is also warning the conflict in Ukraine could reverberate to the rest of the region if sanctions against Russia escalate, affecting natural gas supplies to Europe and weakening European banks.
 
 
Bank of Communications shares rally amid reform plans
 
Shares of Bank of Communications have rallied in Shanghai for the second straight day through Tuesday after the state-run lender announced plans to improve risk controls to boost competitiveness.
Bank of Communications shares jumped over 2.5-percent yesterday, after almost gaining the maximum 10-percent in value on Monday.
In a statement filed with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Bank of Communications says it's studying plans to diversify its ownership and improve its corporate governance.
The move is part of a broader plan by the central government to make better use of state assets through allowing more private money into the system.
For more on what's happening on this front, we are joined on the line by Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research Group.
=talking points=
1. So Bank of Communications' reform plan to diversify ownership, what does it really mean to investors? Will other state-owned banks follow suit?
2. As a matter of fact, the whole banking sector is rising on the stock market, what's behind the rise? Is it the so-called "through train" scheme, which would allow direct stock trading between Hong Kong and Shanghai, or the three private banks approved by banking regulators?
3. Speaking of the private banks, how come Alibaba did not get the green light forming its private banks but Tencent did?
Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research in Shanghai.
 
 
China vows zero tolerance for GM rice
 
China's Ministry of Agriculture says authorities are maintaining a "zero tolerance" for the sale and growth of unapproved genetically modified crops.
The comments follow reports of GM rice being found on-sale at a supermarket in Hubei's capital, Wuhan.
The Chinese government has allowed several GM crops to be grown, including cotton, peppers, tomatoes and papayas.
Authorities have also authorized the import of GM soybeans and corn.
However, China still doesn't allow the commercial production or sale of GM grains, although officials have approved the experimental planting of two strains of pest-resistant GM rice.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Zhou Yongkang put under investigation
 
China's former security chief, Zhou Yongkang, is under party investigation, suspected of "serious disciplinary violation."
The investigation itself is going to be conducted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China.
The 71-year-old became a member of the CPC Politburo in 2002.
He sat on its nine-member Standing Committee from 2007 to his retirement in November 2012.
Zhou Yongkang is the most senior party figure to face a formal investigation as part of the current anti-corruption campaign.
 
 
Heavy casualties in Xinjiang terror attack
 
There's been another major terror attack in Xinjiang and heavy casualties have been reported.
Police in Shache County in the Kashgar area say a mob, armed with knives and axes, randomly attacked civilians on their way to assaulting a local police station and government buildings.
Local authorities say dozens of civilians have been killed or injured in the attack. Dozens of the attackers were shot dead by police.
 
 
EU, US to impose additional restrictive measures against Russia
 
The European Union has agreed to a package of "significant" sanctions against Russia.
The new sanctions will limit Russian banks' access to EU capital markets.
It also includes an arms embargo and restrictions on Russian access to European technology for the oil sector.
In bringing in the new sanctions, the European Council says they should be considered a "strong warning."
Europe has joined the United States in levelling the new sanctions on Russia, with both sides contending Moscow is shipping arms and attempting to destabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has consistently denied it is playing any role in unrest.
 
 
France extradites suspected Jewish Museum shooter to Brussels
 
French authorities have transferred a suspect wanted for an attack on a Jewish museum in Brussels to Belgian authorities.
29-year old Mehdi Nemmouche is accused of opening fire inside the museum on May 24th which left 4 people dead.
Nemmouche is being described as a "recidivist offender" who became a radicalized Muslim during his last stay in prison in 2007.
He also reportedly spent time fighting in Syria.
 
 
Nigeria suspends airline for flying Ebola virus victim
 
A Nigerian airliner has been suspended after transporting someone carrying the ebola virus into the country.
Nigerian authorities say all ASky Airline flights are being suspended in an effort to try to protect Nigeria from the current ebola outbreak along coastal west Africa.
Officials say the airline could not provide a reasonable explanation as to how someone suffering from ebola managed to make it aboard one of their flights.
The victim, a US citizen who had been working as a Liberian official, managed to get aboard two flights earlier this week, even though he was reportedly suffering from a fever and diarrhoea.
He subsequently died of the ebola virus after making it into Nigeria's largest city, Lagos.
So far the current outbreak of ebola in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia has killed close to 700 of the roughly 12-hundred people infected with the virus.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
BEIJING YOUTH DAILY
Headline
Subway safety intensified
Summary
Authorities in Beijing have stepped up security checks at public transport hubs.
Local police have announced passengers and liquids will be checked at subway stations.
Those who refuse the checks could be detained.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
GM scandal hits rice sales
Summary
Authorities in the city of Wuhan are reporting reduced rice sales after a supermarket was exposed selling illegal genetically modified rice.
Provincial authorities in Hubei has launched an investigation.
The Ministry of Agriculture is promising zero tolerance for the sale and cultivation of GM crops.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Emergency measures for drought
Summary
Provincial authorities in Henan have launched a level-three emergency response to the worst drought to hit the province since 1949.
The drought is gripping many mountainous areas in western and northern Henan.
The Henan provincial government has set aside a billion yuan to help with the relief efforts.
PEOPLE'S DAILY
Headline
University information demand
Summary
The Ministry of Education has released a new circular, calling for the timely disclosure of information.
This follows a series of scandals connected to college admissions.
Information connected to the instructors and student management are to be made public.
PEOPLE'S DAILY
Headline
Trading port to open
Summary
A trading port on the border between Tibet and Nepal is set to open in October.
The Jilong port will be the largest land trading port on the border between Tibet and Nepal.
Cross-border trade between Tibet and Nepal is the life-blood for communities situated on both sides of the border.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Bus stop shelters stolen
Summary
24 bus stop shelters worth 1.4 million yuan have been stolen overnight in Nanjing.
The shelters had only been up for just over a week.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Enthusiastic fans at the Hong Kong cosplay event
 
Anchor
Enthusiastic animation fans across Asia have been flocking to Hong Kong this week for this year's Animation-Comics-Games Fair, which is said to be one of the biggest events of its kind in the world.
CRI's Xiong Siqi has more.
Reporter
This is "cosplay" at its best.
Players sing and dance on stage, wearing dramatic make-up, elaborate costumes, and using delicately made props to bring one or multiple comic scenes alive.
This is their way to express their enthusiasm of the world of animations and games.
Martha Asahi is a Japanese cosplayer from the group "VENaS sisters".
She is amazed by the number of male players at the event.
"In Hong Kong, there are many boys and children taking part in cosplay events, but in Japan, those who take part are mainly girls. I can feel the strong power and atmosphere of Hong Kong cosplay events. I am very happy."
Most players at the Animation-Comics-Games Fair have full-time occupations that are not necessarily related to cosplay or animation.
But they are willing to invest money and time into making customs and props, and putting on make up.
Shen Chen, a Taiwanese cosplayer as well as a vice curator of an art museum, says cosplay is a good way to reduce stress.
"I like cosplay. My stress at work is quite heavy but I can develop and express my interests during cosplay, like the process of making props and costumes. My professional field is art, so I have lots of fun in cosplay."
Leung Ka-kit, Chief Executive of the cosplay performances at the fair, sees great potential of Hong Kong to develop Cosplay even further.
Leung says there are many places in Hong Kong to teach cosplay lovers designing skills for making costumes, which makes it easy for them to make costumes and props in Hong Kong.
"All of my teammates are full-time workers, one or two of them are students. If you ask me how to arrange time to do both cosplaying and working, I am the organiser of the cosplay show, my company mainly works on anything related to cosplay such as inviting foreign guest to perform in Hong Kong, and organising cosplay events. This is my career so I enjoy cosplay very much."
Hong Kong is the third largest comic market in the world, after Japan and the United States.
Over 550 exhibitors have participated in the Animation-Comic-Games Fair this year.
The fair, covering more than 170-thousand square meters, has stage performances and themed exhibitions
The annual event has attracted more than 700 thousand visitors over the last two years.
For CRI, this is Xiong Siqi.
 
 
Sports
 
 
PSG Wins Pre-Season Friendly Against Hong Kong Kitchee
 
In football,
Paris Saint-Germain has opened up its time here in China with a decisive 6-2 victory over Hong Kong's Kitchee Sports Club in a pre-season friendly.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was named 'man of the match' after scoring three of PSG's goals.
The match was a final warm-up for the French league champ's before they face fellow French side Guingamp for the Champions Trophy here in Beijing this Saturday.
 
 
Antoine Griezmann Signs Six-Year Deal at Atletico Madrid
 
In European football news,
French winger Antoine Griezmann has joined Spanish league champions Atletico Madrid from Real Sociedad.
He has signed a six-year deal with Atletico for a reported 30-million euros.
Griezmann made his first-team debut at Sociedad in 2009.
He scored 53 goals for the Spanish club in 202 matches.
 
 
Teenage Belgian Striker Divock Origi Signs for Liverpool
 
In European football news,
Liverpool has signed teenager Divock Origi.
However, the Belgian international will remain on loan to French side Lille for the upcoming season.
Origi says he is looking forward to the challenge of playing against other European clubs this season.
"Just to progress. I think this year we have a chance also to play on the European level, so Europa League or Champions League. So, it will be important for me to gain a place in the team, and just important to improve and be ready for the season after that."
Origi began his career as a youth team player at Racing Genk before joining Lille in 2010.
Origi managed to score a goal for Belgium in their World Cup group stage match against Russia.
 
 
Scolari Return to Coach Gremio
 
Former Brazilian head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been named head coach of Gremio.
This comes just three weeks after Scolari oversaw Brazil to a humiliating 7-1 defeat against Germany in the World Cup semi-finals.
Scolari will replace Enderson Moreira who was fired on Sunday after his side lost to Coritiba in the Brazilian championship.
Scolari has already coached Gremio twice before in the 80's and mid-90's.
 
 
Alejandro Sabella Quits as Argentina Coach
 
Alejandro Sabella has resigned as Argentina's head coach.
Sabella's coaching contract was set to expire in September.
It's been reported the Argentine Football Association did offer Sabella a contract extension, which he decided to pass on.
Sabella helped guide Argentina to this year's World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Germany.
Several names are being kicked around as potential replacements, including former Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino, Colombia coach Jose Pekerman and current Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone.
 
 
Byron Scott Unveiled as LA Lakers New Coach
 
In NBA news,
Byron Scott has been officially introduced as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jamaal Wilkes all attended Scott's introduction news conference on Tuesday.
Scott is predicting a quick return to NBA title contention for the Lakers, who are coming off their worst season since moving to Los Angeles.
Scott has a solid track record behind the bench, having been a head coach with New Jersey, New Orleans and Cleveland before taking his talents to LA.
 
 
Tennis Roundup
 
In tennis,
At WTA's Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Connecticut.
After an opening round upset in women's singles competiton, China's Zhang Shuai has earned her first victory in Stanford.
Zhang and her partner, Caroline Garcia, have advanced to the next round of the women's doubles competition, getting past American KIristie Ahn and Canadian Carol Zhao in a tiebreaker in the final set.
----
On the single's side,
Carol Zhao advanced earlier into round two after her opponent retired in the second set due to injury.
There were a couple of upsets this morning on the singles side.
7th seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain has been bounced from single's action, losing to Monica Puig 6-3, 7-5.
And 6th seed Dominika Cibulkova has also been ousted, going down to Spain's Garbine Muguruza in three-sets.
----
At the Citi Open in Washington DC,
Top seeded Lucie Safarova and two-time defending champion Magdalena Rybarikova both came up first-round losers.
France's Kristina Mladenovic upended Safarova 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Rybarikova went down easily to second-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 6-1.
----
On the men's side tt ATP's Kitzbuhel Cup,
Kenny De Schepper of France has been shown the exit early, going down to Belgium's David Goffin 6-2, 6-4.
Goffin will next meet Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Swiss Open champ Pablo Andujar has opened his campaign in Kitzbuhel, downing Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-4.
Andujar will next face Paolo Lorenzi of Italy, who defeated two-time champ Robin Haase 6-2, 6-3.
Last year's finalist, Juan Monaco, overcame a slow start to beat Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 0-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Monaco will next play Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who eliminated Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-4, 6-4.
 
 
Jamaican Wins 110 Hurdles at Commonwealth Games
 
Jamaican sprinter Andrew Riley has won the 110-meter hurdles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Riley's gold compliment's his teammate Kemar Bailey-Cole's 100-meter sprint gold.
Next up will be the 4X100-meter relay, where Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt will make his only appearance in Glasgow.
Bolt didn't attempt to qualify for the individual sprints due to a foot injury.
The relay qualifying takes place on Friday, with the final on Saturday.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
"The Continent" Takes Top Spot, "Tiny Times 3" Trails in Third at Box Office
 
The figures are in and domestic road-trip feature, "The Continent," has driven off with over 300 million yuan, about 48 million U.S. dollars, to become China's four-day box-office champion, according to Beijing-based data source, Entgroup.
According to Variety, "The Continent" held up well in comparison to "Lucy," the Scarlett Johansson action flick that has topped North American box offices with a 44-million-U.S.-dollar opening-weekend take.
However, "The Continent" had a full four-day run, while "Lucy" had three days and a midnight screening last Thursday.
Domestic horror movie, "The House That Never Dies," came in second, clutching 172 million yuan.
"Tiny Times 3" drop to third place at the box office just a week after dethroning "Transformers: Age of Extinction" to top China's theatre ticket sales. But the third "Tiny Times" still earned an impressive 155 million yuan.
"Age of Extinction" came in fourth, bringing in 79 million yuan and putting the movie on track to being the first to pass the two-billion-yuan mark in China.
Rounding up the top-five list is domestic cartoon "The Magical Brush," which earned about 30 million yuan.
 
 
Actress Huang Yi Officially Files for Divorce
 
Huang Yiqing, the bussiness tycoon husband of Chinese actress Huang Yi, has confirmed yesterday that his celebrity wife filed for divorce at the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau yesterday.
The tycoon wrote via Weibo that Huang Yi promised to go through with the divorce and grant him custody of their child in the presence of a group of friends and photographers.
The couple's turbulent marriage came into the public eye in mid June when Hong Kong-based Next Magazine ran a story alleging that Huang Yi cheated on her husband. The actress quickly denied the allegation via Weibo.
In the same post, she published photos of herself with bruises on her forehead, claiming she was the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband. Yiqing denied the charge and said the actress faked her injuries.
Huang Yi is famous for her leading role in the third season of the TV show, "Princess Pearl," back in 2003.
 
 
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett to Release Duet Jazz Album
 
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett have recorded an album of jazz standards called "Cheek to Cheek," which comes out this fall.
While Lady Gaga is a bonafide pop star, the singer says jazz comes more naturally:
"Jazz comes a little more comfortable for me than pop music, than R&B music. I've sang jazz since I was 13 years old."
Gaga made the comments with Bennett by her side ahead of the duo's taped performance at Jazz at Lincoln Concert in New York City.
The 28-year-old and 87-year-old Bennett first collaborated on his Grammy-winning, platinum-selling 2011 album, "Duets II."
Bennett says fans will be impressed with Gaga's vocal performance on the upcoming album.
"She's a natural, she sings the way I sing. We change every night."
"Cheek to Cheek" is Gaga's first release since last year's "Artpop".
Bennett released a collaborative album with Latin singers in 2012 called "Viva Duets."
 
 
Actor Zac Efron Discusses Drug Use on Bear Grylls TV Show
 
American actor Zac Efron got candid about his struggle with drug addiction last night during the first episode of NBC's new reality show, "Running Wild with Bear Grylls".
When asked about his rehab stint in 2013 by show host Grylls, Efron said that certain aspects of fame made him reliant on a "social lubricant", which led him to "need it to go anywhere."
The actor concluded that he never again wanted to rely on taking something to "feel good" about the outside world.
Efron's appearance on the reality survival show wasn't all deep talk, however.
Grylls and Efron parachuted out a helicopter and shared an omelette containing worms and egg shells--needed protein during their two-day excursion through the Catskill Mountains in the U.S. state of New York.
 
 
Taiwan Launches New Film Institute to Boost Local Cinema
 
Taiwan launched the Taiwan Film Institute, or TFI, earlier this week as a center aimed at assisting and promoting its local cinema scene.
Replacing the Chinese Taipei Film Archive, the new institute will also be in charge of the biennial Taiwan International Documentary Festival.
The institute is backed by the local culture authority, which is boosting the institute's budget to around 5.6 million U.S. dollars, up from around 1.3 million U.S. dollars when it was still the Chinese Taipei Film Archive. Additionally, around 760-thousand U.S. dollars will be annually provided for film restoration.
TFI board members include directors Hou Hsiao-hsien and Wang Hsiao-ti, producer Lee Lieh and film critic Wen Tien-hsiang.
Taiwan's film industry has grown 12 percent year on year from 2008 to 2012, according to official figures.
 
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
China's former security chief has become the highest-ranking official to be caught up in the current anti-corruption drive.
There's been another deadly terrorist attack in Xinjiang, with local reports suggesting dozens of people have been killed.
The US and European Union are bringing down more sanctions on Russia connected to eastern Ukraine.
In Business... the Politburo is promising more reforms and targeted stimulus through the remainder of this year.
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.