Evening Edition

 

Monday July 15th, 2013.

Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on our program this evening,

Rescue efforts continue in the wake of heavy rain in south China.

South Korea and North Korea fail to reach an agreement at 3rd working-level talks.

US justice department considers a possible civil case against George Zimmerman following his acquittal.

Business, Data shows China' economic growth slowed down in the first half of 2013.

Sports, 18 people killed in Indonesia following a stampede at a boxing fight.

Entertainments, Chinese pianist Lang Lang performs in Paris for French National Day.

Plus Special reports takes a look at a new phone app which is proving a hit in Iceland.

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will have showers tonight with a low of 22 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow sunny with a high temperature of 34.

Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 28,　cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 36.

Lhasa will have thundershowers tonight, 14 degrees the low, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, thundershowers, with a high of 36.

Kabul, sunny, 36.

Over in Australia

Sydney, rainy, highs of 22.

Canberra, rainy, 15.

Brisbane, overcast, 22.

And finally, Perth will have rain with a high of 17.

 

 

Top News

 

 

Rescue efforts in the wake of heavy rain in south China

 

Rescue workers are working across southern China trying to rescue people isolated by rain-triggered floods.

Typhoon Soulik has now become downgraded to a storm after crossing southeast China's Jiangxi province.

However, it dumped heavy rainfall in the region that had already suffering from effects of a week of heavy downpours.

Worst-hit areas in Jiangxi saw over 3-hundred millimeters of rain fall in the past 14 hours, flooding roads and fields.

A rescuer in the province described what he has seen.

"The water was rising so fast. It started rising at about 7:45 in the morning, leaving us no time to evacuate."

At least 3-people are dead in the aftermath of Typhoon Soulik.

Another 20-thousand have been relocated in Guangdong as a result of the flooding brought on by the massive storm.

Over a thousand homes have been destroyed in three cities in Guangdong.

In Yunan province, eight people died when a bus carrying 27-passengers plunged down a ravine in heavy rains.

Meanwhile, in the mountainous southwestern part of China, a week-straight of torrential rains has left at least 86 people dead.

43 were confirmed dead following a landslide on Wednesday in the city of Dujiangyan in Sichuan.

Nearly 120 others, mostly tourists, are still listed as missing.

The rains this year are creating some of the worst flooding in Sichuan in half a century.

 

 

S. Korea, DPRK fail to reach agreement at 3rd working-level talks

 

A third-round of working-level talks between Seoul and Pyongyang has reportedly failed to reach an agreement over how to normalize operation of the Kaesong industrial complex.

The talks were held at the joint industrial park in the border town of Kaesong Monday morning.

The failure was widely expected as differences remained over how to normalize the joint industrial complex.

The two sides also couldn't agree on the Souths proposal to develop the park into an international factory park by allowing foreign companies to invest there.

Seoul has called on Pyongyang to take responsibility for the damages to South Korean companies and provide a clear assurance to prevent recurrence of such a scenario.

Pyongyang has blamed Seoul for the closure of the park in April, saying that it mainly stemmed from the joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington.

 

 

Possible civil case against Zimmerman after aquittal

 

The US justice department is looking into a possible civil case against George Zimmerman.

Zimmerman was cleared over the weekend of murder charges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida last year.

Zimmerman was on patrol as a neighborhood watch volunteer when he shot dead the unarmed black teenager .

Now the justice department will be looking at the evidence that's come up from trial over the last three weeks, and assessing whether federal prosecution is appropriate.

Meantime, there is also a possibility of civil action being taken by the family of Trayvon Martin for wrongful death.

Protests have continued across the US after the acquittal of Zimmerman.

Most demonstrations have been peaceful, and the largest was in New York, where a small rally grew into a crowd of thousands and caused a traffic shutdown.

Kelly King is a visual artist form New York.

"There is a larger problem in our country. We still have people being discriminated against based on how they look. We are in a democracy and everybody should have the same rights."

In Los Angeles, at least one person was arrested during clashes between the police and protestors.

US President Barack Obama has appealed for calm reflection following the verdict.

 

 

Egypt's military defends the ouster of Morsi

 

Egypt's military chief is defending the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, saying it was the will of the people.

Meantime, prosecutors have frozen the assets of 14-senior Islamic leaders, including the head of the Muslim Brotherhood.

This is part of an investigation into the incitement of violence at protests.

Ousted Mohammed Morsi is still being detained along with his top aides.

He has so far being charged with no crime.

But arrest warrants are out for 10 others in the Muslim Brotherhood leadership.

Most of them are camped outside a Cairo mosque with supporters of President Morsi, who are hoping to attract one million people to a march planned for later this Monday.

"This is not an issue of rivalry between the army and the Muslim Brotherhood or between the people and the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a rivalry between the people and the dictators who orchestrated the coup. Tomorrow there will be a million-man march."

Morsi was overthrown by the military some two weeks ago after millions took to the streets to reject his rule.

Egypt's caretaking prime minister is finalizing his cabinet until new elections take place early next year.

Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns is due to hold talks with leaders of Egypt's new government.

Burns is going to urge an end to all violence and transition leading to an inclusive and democratically elected civilian government.

 

 

Chinese Hospital Ship Brings Medical Services to Foreign Navies in the Gulf of Aden

 

Anchor:

A Chinese naval hospital ship has begun providing medical services to foreign escort fleets in the Gulf of Aden.

This is the first time the "Peace Ark" has begun providing medical services for foreign ships in the pirates-plagued waters.

CRI's Lucy Du has the details.

Reporter:

On a misty morning, 8 Dutchmen got aboard the "Peace Ark" after minutes of voyage on a small speed vessel in a rough sea.

They came from the nearby HNLMS Van Speijk frigate, a Dutch anti-piracy warship operating in the Gulf of Aden.

This is their first time to get aboard the Chinese hospital ship, which is currently in the Gulf of Aden on a medical service mission.

The 8 Dutchmen are also the first group of foreign naval staff the "Peace Ark" receives in its current stay in the Gulf of Aden.

Hans Guldie, a sailor from the Dutch team, has been suffering from toothache for over a week. He could not get any effective treatment as the Dutch warship has no dentists or dental facilities.

After getting aboard the "Peace Ark", the Dutch sailor came straight to Zhang He, a dentist on the Chinese hospital ship.

After a brief discussion with the sailor in English, the Chinese dentist discovered the problem and gave him treatment.

"One of his teeth had apical infection. He felt the pain to such an extent that he could't fall asleep at night. Today I gave him a root canal treatment and extirpated the pulp of the problematic tooth to address the root cause of his toothache."

Guildie says he's happy to have his toothache treated on the "Peace Ark".

"I'm very happy! I want to thank you everybody for the help. My tooth now is OK. I got treated. I feel no pain at all. I hope it will be OK after (later). This is a much bigger experience than I expected. I will never forget it!"

Meanwhile, the 8-member Dutch team has had a tour around the Chinese hospital ship and conducted a symposium with Chinese medical personnel sharing each side's medical expertise and experiences.

Colonel Christiaan Hoff, a general surgeon onboard the Dutch warship, says the arrival of the Chinese navy hospital ship is very helpful for meeting the medical needs of the multinational naval staff in the Gulf of Aden.

"Not one country can solve the problem around here with the piracy and the unsafety at sea by itself. We all have to work together. In the medical field in our operation we bring a warship to fight piracy. I myself am a doctor. So I bring some medical treatments to my ship. But my possibilities on the warship are very limited. And then it's really good to know that there is a real hospital like this at sea. So I think collaboration is everything in the medical field and in the military field as well. It's very important."

Currently thousands of foreign naval personnel aboard about 20 warships are operating in the Gulf of Aden to ensure the safety of marine transportation in the pirates-plagued waters.

The "Peace Ark" hospital ship is expected to provide any necessary medical services to them at their request.

The "Peace Ark" has over 100 medical staff members onboard.

It carries more than 24-hundred sets of medical equipment with 300 hospital beds and 8 operating rooms.

Leaving its home port in China early June, the ships is scheduled to stay in the Gulf of Aden until the end of July.

After that, it will leave for Pakistan to continue its four-month overseas voyage to provide medical services for local residents.

For CRI, I'm Lucy Du.

 

 

China pushes forward Hukou reform as urbanization drive

 

New pressure is being put on the Chinese government to reform the country's household registration system, or hukou.

The pressure comes as more and more people with a rural registration move toward the big cities in search of work.

For more on how the system works and why reforming it appears more and more necessary, CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier with Dr. Rumin Luo, Research Fellow with the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity.

Dr. Rumin Luo, Research Fellow with the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.

 

 

Advertisement income in residential areas raises questions

 

Anchor

You may have seen adverts in the elevators that you use or in the gardens in the community in which you live.

But do you, as a property owner, know what these advertisements have to do with you and where the profits from these ads go?

Li Dong has more.

Reporter: At a residential area in Beijing's Xicheng District, you can see advertisements everywhere; on the drinking water machine, in the gardens and on the walls of the buildings.

The Chinese Property Law stipulates that owners enjoy the rights to, and undertakes the obligations of common areas other than the exclusive parts of buildings, including elevator walls and the common garden.

That is to say, property owners have a right to enjoy the profits produced by advertisements. But a staff member at an advertising agency says the authorization posting the advertisements within the community came from the property management company rather than the property owner committee. Furthermore, property management companies also like to contract out their advertisement business to external agencies.

According to the law, property owners may share the profits of such advertisements but Mr. Guo, deputy director of the property owner committee says they see very little return compared to what the property management company makes.

"Currently, from the evidence we collected, the profit the property management company makes by selling advertisement space exceeds 100 thousand a year. And what we know is just part of their entire profit."

According to a report by CCTV, the annual income gained from selling advertisement space range from some tens of thousand to dozens of thousands of yuan depending on the location of the community and the income level of the residents.

Since property management companies are not sharing the profits with property owners, where does the money go? Are property management companies obliged to tell property owners about the specifics of advertisement income?

Sun Xianzhong is the director of civil law study at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"If you are making profit, you should return the money to the property owners. You can inform the property owner committee."

Most of the residents living here say they've never been informed about advertising income. But they think since the law stipulates that the profit belongs to each and every property owner, they have a right to know about it.

Act3 Chinese Female

"Since the property management company is making profit from the common property owned by us, you should let us know or use the money on renovations or update the facilities in the community."

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Asian Stock

 

Chinese shares advanced moderately on Monday after data showed China's economic expansion slowed in the second quarter but was in line with market estimates.

When the market closed, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index increased nearly 1 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index was up 1.6 percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng also edged up 0.1 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Japan's Nikkei picked up 0.2 percent.

And South Korea's KOSPI advanced 0.3 percent.

In Singapore, the benchmark Straits Times index finished almost unchanged.

Finally, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 ended 0.2 percent up.

 

 

Data shows China' economic growth slowdown in the first half of 2013

 

The National Bureau of Statistics has released it's data on China's GDP in the first half of 2013.

China's GDP in the first six months of the years sees a 7.6 percent increase, while the growth in the second quarter stands at 7.5.

The data signals the weakest first-half economic performance in three years.

CRI's Xie Zhao has more.

Reporter:

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics says GDP exceeded 24-trillion yuan in the first half of 2013, up 7.6-percent year on year.

Sheng Laiyun, spokesman for China's National Bureau of Statistics says China's economy has maintained a steady growth in the past half year.

"I want to use three sentences to summarize economic performance in the first half of this year. The overall economic performance is stable. Structural changes are advanced while ensuring stability forward and transformation and upgrading are promoted while ensuring stability. Major economic indicators are still within reasonable ranges as expected."

Meanwhile the GDP for the second quarter has 0.2 percent of decrease from the first three months.

China's economic growth trend is towards a slowdown since economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2010 stood at 9.8.

Sheng Laiyun says the economic slowdown is due to multiple factors, such as international economic downturn, surging labor cost and the quantitative easing policy.

Sheng says the Chinese government' controls are also one main factor.

However the Spokesman expressed confidence about the coming China's economic trend.

"Starting from this year, the newly-elected government attaches great importance to adjusting structures and changing growth mode. The focus of work is put on stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, putting forward reforms. Meanwhile, some previous stimulus policies are exiting in order from the market. Therefore, in the short term, economic growth will be inevitable impacted, while in the long run, it will be beneficial to the growth."

International Monetary Fund has recently cut China's economic growth expectation.

But analysts say the slower growth is in line with market expectations and is above the government's full-year target of 7.5 percent.

For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.

 

 

China's GDP growth slows to 7.5 pct in Q2

 

For more on the China's second quarter GDP growth, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke to Mike Bastin, researcher with Nottingham University.

…

back anchor: That's Mike Bastin, researcher with Nottingham University.

 

 

Police reveal details of GSK bribing case

 

Four senior Chinese executives from British Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline or GSK have been detained for economic crimes in China.

The Ministry of Public Security said GSK had been channeling bribes to Chinese officials and doctors through travel agencies since 2007.

And the illegal transfer of as much as 3-billion yuan were aimed at boosting GSK's sales and raising the price of its medicines.

The detained executives are all Chinese nationals at senior managerial level of GSK's Chinese operations.

The charges of bribery make the GSK case the highest profile corporate investigation in China in recent years.

 

 

China's central bank to adjust liquidity as necessary

 

China's central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan says the country's economic growth is facing relatively big downward pressures and that the country will increase financial incentives to support small firms.

This comes after the central bank reaffirmed over the weekend its commitment to keep credit growth steady.

Zhou Xiaochuan added both price and quantitative policy tools will be used to guide an appropriate growth in liquidity.

The comments came after total social financing, which is a broader measure of liquidity in the Chinese markets declined in June.

Small and medium sided firms in the country often resorts to social financing as it was difficult for them to borrow from big banks.

Zhou Xiaochuan's statement also follow's last month money crunch which saw short term inter-bank borrowing costs spike to nearly 30-percent.

 

 

China aims to more than quadruple solar power generating capacity by 2015

 

China aims to increase its solar power generating capacity by four times by the year of 2015.

The State Council, China's cabinet set the target of producing 35-gigawatts of electricity by 2015 which means the country will add around 10 gigawatts per year in the next three years.

Installed solar power generating capacity stood at just eight gigawatts at the end of 2012.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

S. Korea, DPRK fail to reach agreement at 3rd working-level talks

 

A third-round of working-level talks between Seoul and Pyongyang has reportedly failed to reach an agreement over how to normalize operation of the Kaesong industrial complex.

The talks were held at the joint industrial park in the border town of Kaesong Monday morning.

Three-member delegations from both sides held two rounds of plenary sessions and two sessions of top-delegates dialogue.

The failure was widely expected as differences remained over how to normalize the joint industrial complex.

Seoul has called on Pyongyang to take responsibility for the damages to South Korean companies and provide a clear assurance to prevent recurrence of such a scenario.

Pyongyang has blamed Seoul for the suspension, saying that it mainly stemmed from the joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington.

 

 

China battles record flooding weather

 

Authorities across many parts of China are struggling to cope with heavy rains and the typhoon that has already left dozens of people dead.

Typhoon Soulik is now moving further inland into Jiangxi after lashing Fujian and other parts of the southeast coast on Saturday.

At least 3 people have been killed.

Meanwhile, in the mountainous southwestern part of China, a week-straight of torrential rains has left at least 86 people dead.

Mudslides and flooding are common in China's mountainous areas during the summer rainy season.

However, the rains this year are creating some of the worst flooding in half a century.

 

 

China's Q2 GDP growth slows to 7.5 pct

 

Figures released by China's National Bureau of Statistics indicate that the country's GDP growth has slowed to 7.5 percent in the second quarter, down from 7.7 percent in the first quarter.

China's economic growth eased to 7.8 percent last year, marking the country's slowest annual growth since 1999.

In terms of GDP growth, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has suggested the Chinese economy should be managed so that key indicators don't slip below 7 percent and inflation doesn't run out of control.

 

 

Rape victim's mother wins labor camp lawsuit

 

A high court in central China's Hunan Province has ruled in favor of a rape victim's mother, who sued a local authority for putting her in a labor camp.

The Provincial People's High Court ordered the Yongzhou municipal re-education through labor commission to pay Tang Hui nearly 3-thousand yuan or 478 U.S. dollars, in compensation for infringing upon her personal freedom and causing mental damages.

The 40-year-old mother appealed to the high court in April, after the Yongzhou Intermediate People's Court denied her request for an apology and compensation from the re-education through labor commission.

Tang was put into the labor camp after she publicly petitioned for harsher punishments for those found guilty of raping her daughter and forcing her into prostitution.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

Xinhua

 "Apple to probe reported iPhone shock death"

Apple announced it will "thoroughly investigate" an accident in which a woman in Northwest China was suspected of being killed by an electric shock when made a phone call while charging her iphone 5.

The 23-year-old flight attendant was reportedly picking up her iPhone 5 to answer a call while the battery was being charged and was then electrocuted and killed last Thursday.

It's said the girl bought the iPhone in December at an official Apple store and was using the original charger to recharge the phone when the incident occurred.

Experts said mobile phones have a low output of only 3 to 5 volts, which isn't enough to harm the human body.

People will feel an electric shock at about 36 volts.

China Daily

"Nanjing gears up for 'luxury' cabs"

Nanjing plans to have 16-hundred "luxury" taxies on the road before the Asian Youth Games kick off in mid-August.

However, it's reported the higher cab fare is not going over well with residents.

For those traveling less than 3 kilometers, the fare will be an additional 3 yuan.

Those traveling greater distances can expect to pay about 20-percent more.

The vehicle can accommodate 7 (including the driver) and is can carry disabled people.

Higher fuel consumption prompted the price bureau to increase the fare.

The hearing for Nanjing's new taxi fare is scheduled for July 25 and the final standard for the cab fare is expected to be decided in mid-August.

The Telegraph

 "Can't boil an egg? Just add water to this pre-cooked egg and wait five minutes"

If you're too busy or too stupid to boil an egg, a pre-cooked soft-boiled egg which only needs boiling water is about to hit supermarket shelves.

The Dippy Egg , a single pasteurized egg that is pre-cooked in its shell – simply has to be removed from its plastic bag, put into a pot and have boiling water poured on it, before replacing the lid and leaving it for 5-minutes.

The egg, which will be launched in September, can then be eaten from the lid, which doubles as an egg cup.

And its makers, Pork Farms, say that even if it is left in boiling water for more than five minutes, the yolk will not set.

India Express

 "Children of obese fathers at risk of being overweight"

A new study by Australian researchers has claimed children of obese fathers are at a greater risk of being overweight.

Adelaide University's Robinson Institute team has found molecular signals in the sperm of obese fathers could produce diabetes-like symptoms and obesity in two generations of offspring.

Now this occurs even if those children consume healthy food.

Researchers claim a father's diet changes the molecular makeup of the sperm.

With obese fathers, the changes in their sperm, in their microRNA molecules, might program the embryo for obesity or metabolic disease later in life.

The study found the second generation could face similar metabolic disorders, including obesity, however, not a severe one.

Even if an obese father had no signs of diabetes, metabolic disease similar to diabetes could turn up in two generations of descendants.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Kissing cousins app proving popular in Iceland

 

Anchor:

In a country like Iceland with a population of only 320,000, where almost everyone is distantly related, accidentally kissing one's cousin is a real risk.

Now, smartphone users in that country can detect whether they are closely related via the app, which emits a warning alarm when they "bump" phones.

CRI's Wei Tong has more.

Reporter:

The Islendiga-App, or "App of Icelanders" was created by three software engineering students from University of Iceland in submission to a contest calling for "new creative uses" for the Islendingabok, or Book of Icelanders. The Islendingabok is an online database of residents and their family trees stretching back 1,200 years.

Kari Stefansson is the chief executive of the Icelandic biotech company deCODE Genetics, which ran the contest that led to the development of the app.

"We are not particularly closely related to each other today, but we are. If you go a few centuries back in time, a relatively small number of people account for a very large percentage of the population today."

Hakon Prastar Bjornsson, an app developer, says the system has aroused great interest among people in Iceland.

"The bump is here because Iceland really has a national interest in genealogy and a lot of people do think it's a fun feature to have in your phone, to be able to instantly see how you are related to any person you meet."

The Book of Icelanders database was developed in 1997 by deCODE and software entrepreneur Fridrik Skulason.

The database can be sourced online by any Icelandic citizen or legal resident.

As such Decode programmer Thordur Kristjansson demonstrated how the app can use the database to work out that he is closely related to Iceland's famous singer, Bjork.

After logging on, using his Icelandic social security number, and quickly searching for the singer's full name, he can see that they share the same ancestors in the 17th century.

"This is how I'm related to Bjork. Our common ancestors are Ingibjorg Einarsdottir and Bjarni Gudmundsson, born in 1659 and 1637."

Kari Stefansson says the app now makes such genealogical data available to Icelanders on their mobile phones, with the added anti-incest feature.

"What we aspire to do, is to contribute to our understanding of who we are as a species, who we are as individuals, where we came from, understanding where we came from and where we are going. We are also hoping that this understanding is going to allow us to deal with certain bad consequences of human diversity, which is the difference in the risk of serious diseases."

Most of the population in Iceland originated from a group of Viking settlers dating back to the ninth century.

Iceland is also one of the few countries in the world that bears an online database holding genealogical details of almost the entire population.

For CRI, I am Wei Tong.

 

 

Sports

 

 

18 killed in Indonesia's Papua stampede

 

At least 18 people have been killed and dozens injured in a stampede in a sports hall in Indonesia.

11 of the victims are women.

The accident happened on Sunday night when hundreds of spectators tried to flee an amateur boxing match in a sports hall in Nabire in the eastern Indonesian province of Papua.

Local police say 34 people have been injured in the riot, which was triggered by a massive brawl between supporters of rival boxers.

The panic crowd frantically tried to escape from the riot by trampling on those who fell around the only access door.

Those who allegedly committed the riot are being questioned by police.

 

 

Reportedly Hopes to Meet Chinese Soccer Officials before Leaving

 

Former head coach of Chinese soccer team, José Antonio Camacho, has reportedly said he hopes to meet Chinese soccer officials about compensation issues.

It's being reported that Camacho wanted to meet officials of the Chinese Football Association without the presence of lawyers.

Camacho is expected to leave Beijing on Sunday.

The Spanish coach took the helm of Chinese national team in August 2011.

CFA has reportedly paid Camacho and his crew over 110 million yuan, including 23 months of pay and some five million yuan worth of rent.

Camacho, who was recently fired by CFA, had earlier appealed to FIFA after the CFA refused to pay the large compensation.

Negotiations between Camacho's team of lawyers and the CFA collapsed last week.

Camacho and his team demanded the CFA pay 51.5 million yuan for ending his three-year contract early and an income tax bill of 25-million yuan.

CFA has refued to pay compensation and said they will fight the appeal.

 

 

Jamaicans Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson test positive for banned stimulants.

 

Former 100-metres world record holder Asafa Powell and Jamaican team-mate Sherone Simpson have both tested positive for banned stimulants.

Their agent says they tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine at the Jamaican championships last month.

Powell was the last man to hold the individual 100-meter record, before fellow countryman Usain Bolt broke it at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Simpson won Olympic gold in the women's 400-metres relay in 2004 and silver in 2012.

The news came on the same day that American 100 metres record holder Tyson Gay failed a drug test.

Gay has already withdrawn from next month's World Championships in Moscow.

 

 

Phil Mickelson Wins Scottish Open.

 

America's Phil Mickelson has pulled off a playoff win at the Scottish Open in Inverness, Northwest Scotland.

This is the four-time major winner's first victory in 20-years on European soil.

Overnight leader Henrik Stenson and Denmark's JB Hansen are tied in third place on 15-under.

Mickelson had a chance to close it out earlier, but three-putted the 18th, forcing the play-off with South Africa's Branden Grace after both players finished on 17-under-par.

Mikelson's birdie on the first play-off hole was enough to beat Grace's par, and seal his 48th professional victory.

The world number five believes that the victory will stand him in good stead ahead of the British Open.

"This really is a special week for me and a special victory because of what it means for all golfers and people who love the game. I've come here for so many years and come close a number of times, to finally break through means a lot. Especially on a links golf course, firm conditions and some challenging conditions today - couldn't think of a better way to get prepared for next week - but also a more fulfilling day and victory here."

The American left-hander will now tee off at the Open Championship at Muirfield on Thursday.

 

 

Hee Young Park wins the LPGA classic

 

In women's golf......

South Korea's Hee Young Park has defeated American Angela Stanford to win the LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ontario.

Second round leader Catriona Matthew finished third with 23 under par.

Stanford and Park were tied for the first at 26 under par and had to head to a playoff.

They went back to the 18th tee three more times.

Both birdied the hole the first two times until the third when Stanford's shot landed in a fairway bunker.

That allowed Park to grab a birdie and the second win of her career.

"You know, like when I was starting, the first several holes, my shot was pretty good, close and then I couldn't make the putts. And then 'oh, it's going to be done.' I just tried to best of myself and then you know, obviously I like the back nine and then the back nine just it worked. So I just keep trying."

Park has earned 195,000 US dollars for winning the tournament, while Stanford took home more than 120,000 dollars.

The LPGA heads to Ohio next for the Marathon Classic at Highland Meadows.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Cory Monteith Dies

 

The cause of dead of late Canadian actor Cory Monteith has not been confirmed by Police after an autopsy was carried out today.

Cory Monteith is best known for his role on the hit TV show Glee has died.

The 31-year-old played the role of Fin Hudson on the smash hit musical show.

Monteith was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver on Saturday after a night out with friends.

Monteith was born in Calgary, Alberta and raised in Victoria.

He struggled with substance abuse since he was 13 and entered rehab at 19 following an intervention by family and friends.

His first roles were minor ones on the TV series Stargate Atlantis and Smallville.

An audition tape in which he sang Can't Fight This Feeling caught the attention of Glee producers and landed him the role of Fin Hudson the highschool quarterback turned singer.

Fans and other celebrities alike have taken to twitter and other social media expressing their grief over Monteith's passing.

The actor was in a relationship with Glee costar Lea Michele at the time of his death.

Michele's spokesperson has released a statement asking everyone to respect her privacy during this time.

 

 

Lang Lang Performs in France

 

Chinese pianist Lang Lang has given a performance under the Eiffel Tower.

The concert is part of a massive celebration to mark the France National Day, which includes a firework performance, and a military parade.

Lang Lang was invited to perform by French president Hollande and even sang songs with French singers during the concert.

 

 

Han Geng to Star in Transformers 4

 

Filmmaker Michael Bay has announced Chinese superstar Han Geng will join the cast of Transformers 4.

Though the role Han will play is unknown, media reports suggest that the popstar will be seen by the entire world as Transformers 4 will be heavily influenced by China and Chinese culture.

The former member of the K-pop group Super Junior joins actress Li Bingbing along with Mark Wahlberg and Kelsey Grammar.

 

 

Band Arcade Fire Announces Release Date of New Album

 

US-Canadian band Arcade Fire have announced an official release date for their next highly anticipated album.

The new album hits shelves October 29th and will be the follow up to their wildly popular 2010 album, The Suburbs.

The Suburbs won a Grammy for Album of the Year at the 2010 award show.

The band announced the release date for their upcoming fourth studio album through twitter in response to fan's message.

The fan wrote to Aracde Fire through the social media site saying they were his favorite.

Arcade Fire thanked the young man and told him and the rest of the world the new album's release date.

They also uploaded a photo of a burning dome structure to the post which hints at the direction the album art will take.

Ex-LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy acts as co-producer on several tracks on the new album and claims it is going to be a fantastic record.

No word on the album's title yet.

 

 

Actor Martin Freeman Finishes Shooting as the Hobbit

 

UK actor Martin Freeman has finished shooting his last scenes as the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in filmmaker Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy.

Jackson shared a farewell photo of Freeman on the film set through his facebook account .

The director also said he could not imagine a better actor to fill the hairy feet of the hobbit saying Freeman nurtured and crafted the role with love and great skill.

Freeman's costars Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellan finished filming their final scenes last month.

Both actors reprise their roles from the Lord of the Rings trilogy with Bloom portraying the elf Legolas and McKellan filling the robes of the wizard Gandalf.

Jackson also shared a photo of Freeman posing with Sherlock costar Benedict Cumberbatch who portrays the dragon Smaugh in the upcoming hobbit films.

 

 

Johnny Depp Signs on for More Alice

 

It appears actor Johnny Depp's relationship with Disney hasn't been strained too badly following the dismal opening of his Lone Ranger film as he is in final discussions to reappear as the Mad Hatter in Disney's sequel to Alice in Wonderland.

Filmmaker Tim Burton's 2010 reimagining of Alice in Wonderland was met with mixed reviews but went on to gross over 1-billion US dollars worldwide.

At the moment it is the 14th highest grossing film of all time.

Burton won't be returning to the director's chair for the new film though.

Instead The Muppets director James Bobin will be filling that role.

The first film's screenwriter Linda Woolverton will return to pen the new script.

 

 

Band Atoms for Peace Pull Music from Spotify Service

 

Experimental rock supergroup Atoms for Peace has removed their album Amok from the music streaming service Spotify.

In a series of twitter tweets band member Nigel Godrich explained the album was removed to protest Spotify's business model.

The band claims new bands whose music appears on Spotify get paid next to nothing for their work despite Spotify's claims that they will get paid for each person who listens.

They went on to say Spotify's shareholders are the only ones who benefit from the service.

Atoms for Peace is composed of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, and Joey Waronker from Beck and REM.

Yorke has also pulled his solo album Eraser from the streaming service.