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

Coming up on our program this evening,

Authorities in New Zealand are launching a formal probe following the discovery of a potentially-deadly bacteria in dairy products destined for China.

Indian authorities say 5 of their troops have been killed by Pakistani soldiers in an ambush in Kashmir.

There's been another mass shooting in the US state of Pennsylvania.

In Business, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is working on a new quota scheme for solar power exports to Europe.

In sports, China's men's basketball team is on the court against India at the Asian Championships.

In entertainment, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing has premiered her latest film.

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will have moderate rain tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius. The rain continues Tomorrow with a high temperature of 29.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 31,　sunny tomorrow, with a high of 40.

Lhasa will have showers tonight, 13 degrees the low, thundershowers tomorrow with a high of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, thundershowers, with a high of 33.

Kabul, sunny, 35.

Over in Australia

Sydney, sunny, highs of 19.

Canberra, sunny, 13.

Brisbane, sunny, 24.

And finally, Perth will have rain with a high of 22.

 

 

Top News

 

 

New Zealand Probes Fonterra's Handling of Food-Safety Scare

 

The government of New Zealand has launched an official probe into dairy exporter Fonterra in connection with its tainted dairy scandal here in China.

New Zealand government officials have been sent to Fonterra's offices in Auckland and Melbourne to investigate and to track the tainted products.

The probes are said to surround why Fonterra waited more than 48 hours to release information about the possible contamination.

Fonterra has also confirmed the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries is studying data connected to the contamination scare.

The company says the contamination is due to a pipe that hadn't been sufficiently cleaned.

Fonterra discovered that some of its products were tainted with a bacteria which can cause botchulism.

The company has since recalled the products in question.

Chinese authorities have since suspended all dairy imports from New Zealand and Australia while the probe is underway.

Dairy accounts for around a quarter of all of New Zealand's exports.

 

 

5 Indian troopers killed on Kashmir

 

Five Indian soldiers have been killed in the Kashmir region along the Line of Control with Pakistan.

Indian authorities say the Indian troops were attacked by Pakistani troops during an ambush after crossing over into the Indian-controlled part of the region.

Rajiv Shukla is India's junior parliamentary affairs minister.

"I think it is a very unfortunate incident and the defence minister is ceased of the matter, so he will definitely act according to the provisions."

The disputed region of Kashmir is claimed by both India and Pakistan since they gained independence from Britian in 1947.

The two countries have fought two wars exclusively over Kashmir.

The latest deadly attack comes as the two countries were supposed to be moving toward resuming stalled peace talks.

Those talks were called off in January following an attack on the border which left one Indian soldier dead.

Still no word from the Pakistani side in connection with the latest incident.

 

 

Gunman kills 3 at municipal meeting in Pennsylvania

 

There's been another mass shooting in the United States.

This time, three people are dead after a gunman opened fire on a municipal council meeting in a small community in the east coast state of Pennsylvania.

Three others are also said to be in critical condition.

Over a dozen people were at the town council meeting when the shooting broke out.

The suspected shooter, 59-year old Rockne Newell, was arrested shortly after the rampage.

Pennsylvania state police officer Robert Bartal.

"He's had an on-going dispute with township officials something about the condemnation of his property and issues relating to his sewer, I'm not really sure if he personally knew the individuals who had been killed tonight or not. I believe one of them is in official capacity with the township so, you would assume that he did know them but I don't know that to be a fact."

Newell was ordered by a local court last year to leave his home for violating zoning and sewer regulations.

He was reportedly unemployed for years, living out of a car or in abandoned buildings.

 

 

Philippines receives second warship acquired from US

 

The government of the Philippines is welcoming the arrival of a decommissioned US Coast Guard cutter, which is set to become the country's second major warship.

The 9.2 million dollar cutter has been renamed as the Philippine navy frigate BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III was on-hand to welcome the ship into Subic Bay.

"Now that BRP Ramon Alcaraz is here, it will further intensify our patrolling of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and our capability to quell any threat and bad elements, respond to search and rescue operations and take care of our marine resources."

Subic Bay is a former US naval base which is being converted into a Philippine military hub.

This is the second warship given to the Philippines by the United States.

The war ship has arrived just one day after Beijing's call for the formulation of a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

 

 

Hiroshima marks 68th atomic bomb anniversary

 

Japan has marked the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima today with a somber ceremony.

Around 50-thousand people attended the annual ceremony, including victims of the bombing and foreign diplomats at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

All attendees offered a silent prayer at 8:15 a.m. local time when the bomb hit in 1945, killing around 140-thousand people.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also attended the ceremony, pledging to work towards the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

"I swear that I will spare no effort to make lasting peace a reality and abolish nuclear weapons, while standing steadfast with the three non-nuclear principles."

The anniversary comes as Japan remains torn over the possibility of restarting the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

More than 100-thousand people remain displaced because of radioactivity concerns near the plant, which has been crippled since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

At the same time, plant operator TEPCO now concedes radioactive water has been seeping into the ocean from the facility.

 

 

Japan asks the US for probing into helicopter crash

 

Japan's government has asked the United States for a thorough probe into the crash of a US military helicopter on Okinawa.

The HH-60 rescue helicopter was on an unspecified training mission when it crashed at Camp Hansen.

Three of the helicopter's four crew members ejected safely from the aircraft.

However, it's believed the 4th crew member perished in the crash, as yet-to-be-identified human remains have been found at the site.

Itsunori Onodera is Japan's Defence Minister.

"The US side should first thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident, and make sure this is prevented from happening again. That should come first. After this, the HH60 aircraft, the same type of aircraft, may be put into operation. This is the normal protocol for us when similar incidents happen, and so I believe the US side will also be making similar efforts themselves."

The crash comes amid intense local opposition to the US additional deployment of 12 transport aircraft on Okinawa.

Dozens of opponents of the US presence on Okanawa gathered this Tuesday outside the Futenma base.

"Couldn't they have known (how dangerous it is) without it having to crash?"

"Just because the US bases are here, the Okinawan people need to bear such great pain."

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary has formally asked Washington to postpone the deployment of the new aircraft.

Currently about half of the 50-thousand US troops in Japan are based on Okanawa.

Locals have long-complained about the behavior of US soldiers at the base, which has prompted strict US military restrictions on the movement of US troops on Okanawa.

 

 

Korean airliner overshoots runway on landing in Japan

 

Investigations are underway, after a South Korean passenger jet overshot the runway while landing in Japan last night.

The Korean Air flight couldn't stop in time when landed at Niigata airport, coming to an abrupt stop in a grassy area beyond the runway.

"I saw that the landing strip wasn't going to be enough, then "bam!" it made a sudden stop."

There were no injuries among the 115 people on board the Boeing 737.

19 flights were cancelled at the airport following the incident.

This is the second incident involving a South Korean airline in a month.

Last month, an Asiana Airlines flight crash-landed in San Francisco, killing 3 Chinese teenagers and injuring dozens of others, many seriously.

In that case, the plane fell short of the runway, rather than overshooting it.

 

 

Egyptian athletes Salma and Hasan train ahead of World Championships

 

Despite the political unrest in the country, Egyptian athletes are getting ready to head to Russia to participate in the IAAF World Athletics Championships this coming weekend.

The Championships begins in Moscow on Saturday.

Four athletes will represent Egypt at the event.

They include three men and a woman, 22-year old Salma Al-hasan.

Hasan will compete in the 200 metre sprint and 100 metre hurdles.

"I qualified to the World Championships in Russia from 6th until 19th August. I hope I can represent Egypt well and win a medal, its been so tiring, and I increased my training lately, and we want to prove to the world that Egypt have champions and talent."

29-year old Hasan Abduljawad will be representing his country for the first time in the World Championships.

The computer engineer from Cairo is the Egyptian record holder in the hammer throw.

"This is my first World Championships for me, and I hope I can perform well for myself and my country".

Questions have been raised about Egypt's ability to send its athletes to international events, given the turmoil in the country.

 

 

Beijing launches role-swapping program to boost doctor-patient relationship

 

Anchor:

The Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals has launched a role-swapping program to try to smooth the relationship between doctors and patients.

CRI's Xie Zhao explains.

Reporter:

The role-swapping program has recruited volunteers with aim of helping people better understand what doctors go through in treating patients.

Wang Xiang is an editor of a journal with Capital Medical University.

He's now volunteering as an assistant for doctor Wang Xianbo, who specializes in cancer treatement at Di Tan Hospital in Beijing.

"I go to hospital at 8 am where patients have long queued. From 8 am to 1 pm, 5 hours, doctor Wang Xianbo does not drink water or go to bathroom. As a young man, I felt a lot of pressure. I think medical workers like doctor Wang are too tired. "

Long queues are common-place at hospital registration desks in big cities across China.

So as part of the program, officials from the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals and hospital administrators also go through the process that ordinary patients do.

Xin Youqing is the executive head of Beijing Friendship Hospital.

Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals.

"We can now truly experience patients' inconvenience when seeing doctors and try the best to improve our management as well as enhance work performance."

The doctor-patient relationship is usually heavily-stressed in China.

Last September, a man stabbed four medical staffers and a security guard at a hospital in Shenzhen, leaving two of them seriously wounded.

Gu Jin, a doctor at Beijing Cancer Hospital, says the doctor-patient relationship here in China is complex.

"China has a large number of patients due to its population. Therefore, doctors' workload is too heavy, especially in mega cities. For example, a doctor at a hospital in New York I visited only sees five patients in one morning with the help of two or three assistants. While in China, a doctor has to see 50 patients in one morning. Under this circumstance, the communication time is shortened between doctors and patients. "

Feng Guosheng, director of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals, says the new role-swapping program should help create better understanding.

"We may find some problems in the medical service through this program, at an attempt to better serve the patients."

The program has attracted more than 200 volunteers from different age groups and walks of life.

For CRI, I am Xie Zhao.

 

 

Working moms in China Calling For Lactation Rooms

 

Anchor:

Working and breastfeeding moms are using this, World Breastfeeding Week, to put out a call for employers to provide private locations at worksites to allow them to pump their breast milk.

CRI's Liu Min explains.

Reporter:

With a countdown shout from the crowd, groups of young mothers started to breastfeed their babies in front of a theater in Guiyang of Southwest China. But two minutes later, the spicy moms just dispersed. They orgazined this Flash Mob to celebrate the World Breastfeeding Week spanning from August 1st to 7th.

More than 9 thosuand mothers participated in such breastfeeding flash mobs across the world last year.

This year, Chinese moms in major Chinese cities are joining the campaigns to enhance the awareness of breastfeeding.

Besides that, Chinese women are also calling for more care from the public to provide private places for them to pump or breastfeed. A young mom says she wants to have some privacy when breastfeeding her baby.

"I hope that more shopping malls can give us a private space to breastfeed our babies. That'd be great if we could have a lactation room in public places such as movie theaters and railway stations. I always feel embarrassed without such a place."

After maternity leave, every Chinese mom is facing such a dilemma whether to continue breastfeeding or not. If they choose to continue, then they need to bring a pumper, find a private place to pump at workplace and bring the milk back home. In China, these women are called the 'moms carrying milk' who are giving their love of 37 Celsius every day for their babies. Yu Yang is a teacher and a nursing mom.

"I have to find an empty classroom, but the door can not be locked. Then I have to change to a smaller private place to pump myself. But some students or teachers could come into the room at any time. I am always embarrassed."

Such embarrassment and inconvenience have forced some moms to give up breastfeeding after they go back to work. In fact, only one small room with a chair will help them, but no one seems to care enough.

According to the statistics from the World Health Organization, only 38 percent of the babies younger than six months on average are successfully breastfed on a worldwide basis. The figure in China is only 28 percent.

American moms are suggesting their government to make it into law for employers to provide lactation rooms. When Chinese working moms can be ensured to have such rights still remain to be seen, and before that, they may call for awareness and care from the public in various ways.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Asian Stock

 

The mainland exchanges closed broadly higher today.

The Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.5 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index increased 1 percent.

However, in Hong Kong,

The market has been dragged down by disappointing earnings reports from banks and news that the Reserve Bank of Australia has cut interest rates to an all-time low.

The Hang Seng declined 1.3 percent.

Elsewhere,

Tokyo stocks finished higher on a weaker yen that lifted export-linked shares.

However, shares of electronics maker Sony tumbled after rejecting a proposal to spin off its entertainment arm.

Toshiba outperformed the broader market, up 1.4% after a report suggesting the company plans to build a flash memory factory, with a total investment estimated to be around 400 billion yen.

When the markets in Japan closed, the Nikkei 225 gained 1 percent.

South Korean shares fell the second-consecutive day this Tuesday.

The benchmark KOSPI lost 0.5-percent.

In Singapore, the Strait Times index slumped 0.6 percent.

Finally the Australian S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.3 percent.

 

 

Australian Reserve Bank cuts cash rate to 2.5 pct

 

Australia's central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 2.5 percent in a move to try to bolster economic growth.

The Reserve Bank of Australia cut its rate by 25-basis points.

The cut is in line with analyst expectations.

The rate cut comes just days after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called a general election for September 7th.

 

 

China to Allocate Quotas for PV Products Exported to EU

 

It is being reported a new plan on quota allocations for this country's solar panel producers is being worked on by the China Chamber of Commerce.

Internal sources are suggesting around 90-percent of the export quotas will be earmarked to companies exporting their products to Europe, along with companies which joined in the negotiations against European anti-dumping measures.

Yingli Solar is one of the firms that fought the trade measures in Europe.

Wang Zhixin is Yingli Solar's Deputy Chief of Public Relations.

He says the company is already working to wean itself from its dependence on Europe.

"Yingli is gradually shifting its focus from European market to emerging markets and putting more efforts into product development. We'll apply more advanced technologies to our PV products to offer varied portfolios to customers. And we are considering tapping other business in the energy sector besides PV products development."

The remaining 10 percent of the quota allocation is likely to go to small and medium-sized solar panel makers.

Word of the new quota comes on the same day the EU's 47-percent duties were to take effect.

China and the EU negotiated an end to the dispute without the need for those duties.

Wang Yuehai is the Deputy Secretary-General of National Energy Engineering Technology Research Center.

"The deal is a compromise made from both sides. To Chinese companies, it is much better than the 47.6 percent anti-dumping duty. Meanwhile, this is a good opportunity for industry consolidation."

The PV industry accounts for 7 percent of the overall EU-China trade volumes.

 

 

PBOC Issues CNY 12 Bn via Reverse Repo Today

 

The People's Bank of China is pumping in 12-billion yuan worth of additional liquidity into the system via a 7-day reverse repurchase operation.

The interest rate has been set at 4-percent for the latest tranche.

This is slightly lower than the previous operation last Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 10-billion yuan worth of central bank bills and another 17 billion yuan worth of reverse repo's are maturing this week.

The People's Bank of China has resumed its short term reverse repos last week, after first setting out to get more long-term liquidity out of the market.

 

 

Small Enterprises Need Easier Access to Credit

 

Anchor:

A number of struggling small companies here in China have been making calls for more support from the banks to help their companies survive.

CRI's Zhou Jingnan with some of their stories.

Reporter:

Manufacturing and service sectors in China had a lot of difficulties in the first half of this year, due to rising costs, overcapacity and intensive market competition.

Together with the effects of the global economic crisis, some small enterprises in these industries have found it hard to gain access to loans and credit. Some were even very close to bankruptcy because of a shortage of money.

Richi Machinery is located in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province. It mainly produces auto parts.

Company President Zhang Liming says currently their biggest difficulty is that they have orders worth 40 million yuan, but they don't have the money to buy the raw materials needed to complete the production process. To meet their orders the company still needs 5 million yuan, but no loans are ready for them.

"The conditions required to obtain loans are becoming higher and higher. In the past, it was easy. If you have a good reputation, the banks would lend you money; millions of yuan. But now, banks need to check many documents, like your tax payments, cash flow records, credit records and so on. Banks are responsible for their own safety, so they raise the barrier for small enterprises to obtain loans."

To solve the problem and ease the pressure of financing, local governments in China have tried to offer stronger support. Take Yongjia County in Wenzhou for example. The county has started a loan service which allows applications without the need for mortgages or guarantees.

Chen Xiaozong, Director of Enterprise Development Center in the county, says that enterprises could obtain an individual loan between 200,000 to 500,000 yuan in about three days after submitting their application.

"The application is very simple. Business owners just have to bring their license, ID, bank and tax records and electricity fees records which prove that the enterprises or factories have been working and producing."

In addition to the efforts of local governments, at the national level China plans to provide more support to the manufacturing and service sectors in order to diversify the real economy, so as to help small enterprises.

Shang Fulin, Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, emphasizes that in order to achieve this, the banking system needs a national strategy which encourages private capital into the financial sector.

"We encourage private capital to invest in stock shares or participate in the restructuring of financial institutions, so as to avoid financial and ethical risks through regulation."

If private capital is allowed in the financial sector, it is expected that access to credit would be much easier. Such a move would bring convenience and opportunities to small enterprises.

Back anchor: That was Zhou Jinnan reporting.

 

 

China's weak coal market mirrors slowdown, transition

 

Prices of thermal coal in China, used to fire up power plants, have declined 10 percent so far this year amid an economic slowdown and gradual transition.

 

The latest benchmark Bohai-rim steam-coal price index showed that the average spot price at six major coal shipping ports in northern China in the week ending July 30 fell further to 570 yuan (93 U.S. dollars) per tonne, down 10 percent from the beginning of the year.

 

Power consumption is a barometer of the state of the economy. Therefore slumps in thermal coal prices could mirror the downward pressure on the Chinese economy.

 

The country's economic growth slowed further to an annual rate of 7.5 percent in the second quarter, in line with the government target for the whole year. But the growth has been on a downward trend for two consecutive quarters.

 

 

Output in emerging market economies contract in July: HSBC

 

A new HSBC survey is suggesting business activity across emerging markets has, for the first time in years, shown signs of contraction in July.

The HSBC Emerging Markets Index for services and manufacturing has come in at 49.4.

This is down from June's 50.6.

A reading below 50 indicates contraction.

This is the first sub-50 reading by HSBC in over 4 years.

Output has fallen across the four largest emerging economies, namely China, Brazil, Russia and India.

China, India and Brazil all saw less activity in July.

Russia has registered its slowest growth in nearly three years through this past month.

The HSBC suggests emerging markets haven't been benefiting from the slight recovery seen in the United States, Europe and Japan.

 

 

Standard Chartered profit slumps 24%

 

Standard Chartered is reporting its net profits are down 24-percent due to weakening growth in emerging markets through the first half of the year.

The bank says its net profits have come in at around 2 billion US dollars.

This is down about 8 million dollars from the same period last year.

The bank's first-half earnings have been hit by sluggish performance in South Korea, where revenues have fallen around 5-percent in the first half.

 

 

U.K. factories show stronger-than-expected growth

 

Industrial output in the UK has increased beyond market expectations in June to its strongest performance in more than 2-years.

Official data in the UK shows industrial production increased 1.1 percent in June.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

New Zealand Probes Fonterra's Handling of Food-Safety Scare

 

The government of New Zealand has launched an official probe into dairy exporter Fonterra in connection with its tainted dairy scandal here in China.

New Zealand government officials have been sent to Fonterra's offices in Auckland and Melbourne to investigate and to track the tainted products.

The probes are said to surround why Fonterra waited more than 48 hours to release information about the possible contamination.

Fonterra has also confirmed the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries is studying data connected to the contamination scare.

The company says the contamination is due to a pipe that hadn't been sufficiently cleaned.

 

 

5 Indian troopers killed on Kashmir LoC

 

5 Indian troops are dead following clashes near the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Indian authorities claim the Indian troops were attacked by Pakistani soldiers who crossed into Indian-controlled territory.

The fire-fight has taken place in a remote region of Kashmir, not far from the Chinese border.

So far Pakistani authorities have not responded to the allegations put forward by India.

India and Pakistan have fought two separate wars over Kashmir since their respective independence from Britain.

 

 

13 bodies found, 10 still missing after 23 kidnapped in SW Pakistan

 

13 bodies have been recovered, but 10 still remain missing, following a mass kidnapping in southwestern Pakistan.

The group was riding on two buses on their way to the province of Punjab when they were taken from their vehicles by men dressed as security personnel.

Before being kidnapped, the militants checked the identity cards of all those on the bus, and led all of those from Punjab away.

This took place after their convoy was first set upon by assailants before the kidnapping, who were fought off by actual Frontier Corp security personnel.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

 

 

Three killed at Pennsylvania municipal meeting

 

There's been another mass shooting in the United States.

3 people are reportedly dead and a number of others wounded, after someone opened fire on a municipal council meeting in a small community north of the city of Philadelphia.

Local reports out of Ross Township are suggesting the gunman opened fire on the council meeting from outside the building, killing two instantly.

The third victim died later while enroute to hospital.

Local reports are suggesting at least 3 others are in critical condition.

Authorities have a 59-year old suspect in custody.

 

 

Australian Reserve Bank cuts cash rate to 2.5 pct

 

Australia's central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 2.5 percent in a move to try to bolster economic growth.

The Reserve Bank of Australia cut its rate by 25-basis points.

The cut is in line with analyst expectations.

The rate cut comes just days after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called a general election for September 7th.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

Xinhua

"Forest fires surge amid unremitting heat in C China"

Persistent hot weather in central China's Hunan province has contributed to a spike in forest fires.

Fifty-five forest fires erupted in the province from July 1 to Aug. 4, compared to just five in the same period last year.

Local officials say forest fires were reported in 13 out of 14 cities or prefectures in the province, mainly triggered by naked flames, smoking and short-circuited wires, among other factors, and aggravated by the hot and dry weather this year.

Many parts of China have been experiencing extreme heat.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Tuesday issued an orange alert for high temperatures, forecasting highs of 40 to 41 degrees Celsius in Hunan, as well as Hubei, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi provinces and Chongqing Municipality.

China Daily

"Obesity rate on the increase"

A national survey has showed more Chinese people aged 20 to 39 are becoming overweight and their athletic ability is declining.

The survey of more than 43,000 adults found that more than 11 percent of people aged 20 to 39 are obese, an increase of 2 percentage points since the last survey in 2010.

The General Administration of Sport survey also found that over one third of Chinese between 20 and 69 are overweight.

Tian Ye, director of the China Institute of Sports Science, said the issue of weight and physical decline can be attributed partially to the lack of sports activities among young people.

According to the survey, those between 20 and 39 are the least active exercisers. Fifty-one percent of them don't exercise regularly, citing no time due to overloaded schedules.

Channel News Asia

"More Western universities setting up global campuses in China"

A growing number of universities from the United States and United Kingdom are moving into China to set up global campuses.

Eighteen-year-old Yin Shenjia will be embarking on a four-year American liberal arts degree program, fully taught in English in Shanghai.

The only child beat 1,800 others to earn a coveted place at New York University (NYU)-Shanghai, the first Sino-US joint university set up in China.

Yu Lizhong, chancellor of NYU-Shanghai, said the key focus of the institute places greater emphasis on coursework over tests - a diversion from the current exam-centric system in China.

Meanwhile,Duke University is opening up a 500 million yuan campus in Kunshan with construction funded by the local government.

However, it is an aspiration with an expensive price tag. NYU-Shanghai charges more than US$16,000 a year - 20 times of what a student would pay at a China college.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

World's First Lab-grown Burger Eaten in London Expected to Help Protect Environment

 

Anchor:

The world's first lab-grown hamburger has been cooked and eaten in London.

Researchers behind the project say they hope the new technology can be used as a sustainable way of meeting the growing demand for meat around the world.

CRI's London correspondent Tu Yun has more.

Reporter:

The burger was grown by a research team led by Professor Mark Post of the Netherland's Maastricht University.

Austrian food critic Hanni Ruetzler tasted the 320,000-dollar lab-made product.

"I was expecting the texture to be more soft. I know there is no fat in it, so I didn't know how juicy it will be. But there is quite some intense taste. It's close to meat. It's not that juicy. The consistency is perfect, but I missed salt and pepper."

Scientists took stem cells from a dead cow and cultured them with nutrients and chemicals so that the cells could develop and multiply.

The cells then turned them into strips of muscle that were combined to make a patty before being cooked.

American food writer Josh Schonwald reflects on the artificial beef burger.

"The texture, the mouth feel has a feel like meat. The absence I feel is the fat. The bite feels like a conventional hamburger."

An independent study has found that lab-grown beef uses 45 percent less energy on average than farming cattle.

It also produces 96 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires 99 percent less land.

Scientists are hoping the new technology can help create a sustainable way of meeting what they say is a growing demand for meat as well as helping protect the environment and animals.

But as the lab product still tastes different from natural beef, there are questions on how people may change their eating habit.

Professor Mark Post,

"That's really a matter of how you market it, which is not my specialty. The yuck factor maybe deconvoluted in a number of issues, one is this just towards any sort of lab or factory made product, which potentially you can do this in your kitchen, you can grow your own meat. You have to know eight weeks in advance when you want to eat. But if you are not afraid of that part of the technology, and of the put it into human hands, then you can do that, or any scale in between. So that comes with new technology."

Critics argue promoting a healthier life style of eating less meat would be an easier way to kill two birds with one stone.

For CRI, I'm Tu Yun in London.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Today China face India at FIBA Asia Championship

 

China's men's basketball team has earned another victory at the Asian Basketball Championships in the Philippines, hammering India 79-45 this evening.

This is China's 2nd win in a row, after being given a scare by Kazakhstan yesterday.

China was trailing into the 4th quarter.

However, a 12-point performance by Zhou Peng in the 4th quarter helped lead China to a 73-67 win over Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei remains undefeated at the tournament, after edging Japan 79-76.

Earlier, it was Hong Kong going down to Jordan 80-54.

And it was Iran earning it's 4th straight win of the tournament, getting past Bahrain 75-56.

China's last group match tomorrow will be against Bahrain.

 

 

The BWF World Championships is underway in Guangzhou, China

 

The World Badminton Championships continue today in Guangzhou.

In the mixed doubles competition, London Olympics silver medalists Xu Chen and Ma Jin moved to next round with a victory today.

Unseeded Chen Hung-Ling and Cheng Wen-Hsing of Chinese Taipei defeated 16th seeded Chris Adcock and Gabrielle White of England.

Indonesian 6th seeds Muhammad Rijal and Debby Susanto of Indonesia are through after edging a mixed-doubles pair from Japan.

Meanwhile, Chinese women's singles competitor Jian Yanjiao has withdrawn from the tournament because of injury.

 

 

Rogers Cup is underway in Montreal, Canada

 

The Rogers Cup tennis tournament has begun in Canada.

9th seeded Kei Nishikori managed to battle back after dropping the first set in his match against a Canadian qualifier to advance into the next round.　

Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia has seen his time in Montreal cut short.

The 16th seed was ousted by rising Uzbekistani star Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-3.

Late sessions in Montreal have seen France's Benoit Paire and Canadian Jesse Levin also advance into the 2nd round.

On the women's side, rising American star Sloane Stephens has moved through to round two after downing France's Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 7-6 in her opening match.

Chinese ace Li Na has a buy through the first round.

She's set to face Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who has moved into the 2nd round after making easy work of Canadian qualifier Carol Zhao in her first round match.

 

 

Man U rejects offer for Rooney

 

Manchester United has rejected a second offer from Chelsea for unsettled striker Wayne Rooney.

United has confirmed the club received a bid, reported in the British media to be about 25 million pounds.

However, Man U says it "immediately rejected" Chelsea's approach.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has already confirmed his club has made one previous additional offer for Rooney.

Rooney has been pushing for a move since expressing his frustration to United about his lack of playing time toward the end of last season.

However, the club has insisted Rooney is not for sale, given he has two years left on his contract.

 

 

Clint Dempsey sign contract with Seattle Sounders for two years

 

The Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer have formally introduced former Fulham and Tottenham forward Clint Dempsey to the people of Seattle.

Dempsy has returned to the United States after spending a number of years in the Premier League.

The American says he wanted to come back and make a difference.

"I had two more years on my contract. I was already starting to get the itch to be honest with you, I wanted to come back to the (United) States. I just missed being in America. That's where I was born. I wanted to help continue the growth of the game here. And like you said, you can't help the growth of the game if you come back and you don't perform."

Observers say the signing makes Seattle an instant contender for the MLS Cup.

Sigi Schmid is the Seattle Sounders head coach.

"Well I think it makes a huge statement for the league. The ability to bring a player back like Clint at the time of his career that he's in right now, where he's still in his prime, and the commitment, the financial commitment that the league made to make that happen is a step forward."

The 30-year-old Dempsey played for the New England Revolution from 2004-06 before joining Fulham in 2007.

He moved to Tottenham last summer and scored 12 goals in 43 games.

However, he wasn't a regular starter for the Spurs.

 

 

Alex Rodriguez has been suspended until the end of the 2014 season

 

Reactions are coming in from around Major League Baseball, following word of a series of lengthy suspensions of a number of players for violating the League's drug policies.

Tampa Bay 3rd baseman Evan Longoria is describing the news as a day of infamy for the league.

However, he goes on to say its a step in the right direction.

And following Monday's game, Detroit Tigers Manager Jim Leyland kicked reporters out of his post-game news conference after the first question was in connection with losing one of his stars for 50-games.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been handed the largest suspension.

He's been suspended without pay until the end of the 2014 season for violating the league's drug agreement.

Rodriguez has already appealed, meaning he'll still be allowed to play out the season, as the decision by the arbitrator isn't expected until November or December.

A total of 18 players have been disciplined for their connections with the clinic and performance-enhancing drugs.

All-Stars Nelson Cruz, Jonny Peralta, and Everth Cabrera have each been banned for 50 games.

A-Rod's suspension covers 211 games.

Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson says A-Rod has the support of the players association.

"But he's got full support of the union, always has and always will. Hopefully we're able to help and assist in any way possible and that's what the union's been doing up to this point."

Rodriguez is accused of soliciting other players to use performancing-enhancing drugs through a Florida personal rejuvenation company called Biogenisis.

A-Rod, a 3-time MVP, has already admitted in the past to using performance-enhancing drugs.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Fan BingBing premieres new film "One Night Surprise"

 

Superstar Fan BingBing premiered her latest film "One Night Surprise" yesterday.

The romantic comedy follows Fan's female executive whose surprise pregnancy leaves her figuring out who the father is out of a bag of very different suitors.

Fan was joined by her co-stars Jiang Jinfu and Aarif Lee for the screening at China's World Summit Wing here in Beijing.

The film is written and directed by Eva Lin, who became the first female director to break the 100 million yuan box office threshold with 2009's "Sophie's Revenge".

"Sophie's Revenge" starred Zhang Ziyi as a cartoonist who tries to prise her ex-boyfriend from the claws of an actress, played by Fan.

Lin has been hugely influential in widening the market for rom-com genre here in China.

The director said that she wanted to address single motherdom on the big screen and tell a story that is both entertaining and relatable.

"One Night Surprise" arrives in Chinese cinemas this Friday.

 

 

Steven Spielberg drops out of "American Sniper"

 

Steven Spielberg has backed out of upcoming Warner Brothers' project American Sniper.

The 66 year old will instead be focusing on "Jurassic Park 4".

"American Sniper", which will star "Silver Linings Playbook's" Bradley Cooper, is still on track to go ahead.

The movie is based on the life of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle as told in his New York Times best seller "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military history".

The memoir tells Kyle's ten year stint as an assassin serving on multiple combat tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During his career, Kyle made US military history with 160 confirmed kills out of the 255 that he claimed.

Kyle was killed in February at a shooting range in Texas by a fellow veteran, who suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 

 

Museum marks Andy Warhol's 85th Birthday with webcast

 

Today marks what would have been the 85th birthday of cultural icon Andy Warhol.

To mark the occasion, a museum dedicated to the artist is broadcasting a live webcame feed from his Pittsburgh grave.

The Warhol Musuem's project is run in association with EarthCam, which is also running a live video link with Warhol's former childhood church.

Entitled "Figment", the world Warhol wanted written on his tombstone, the project allows people from all over the world to order tributes and watch it being delivered to the grave.

The filming of Warhol's grave is part of an ongoing work by artist Madelyn Roehrig, who documents the people that visit Warhol's grave and the objects they leave behind.

The most prominent figure of the Pop Art movement, Warhol's iconic paintings are amongst the most valuable in the world.

His 1964 work "Turquoise Marilyn" exchanged hands for over 80 million US　dollars in 2007.

Warhol's New York studio "The Factory", which ran from the 60s through to the 80s, hosted everyone from Salvador Dali and Allen Ginsberg to Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan.

 

 

MGMT releases new video

 

Grammy-nominated band MGMT has released the music video for latest single "Your Life is a Lie"

The surreal video features repeat footage of a man being hit with a ball and a falling bucket.

Skeletons can also been seen having a sing along next to a piano whilst dolphins join in from the television set.

MGMT's self-titled 3rd studio offering will also include the track "Alien Days", which the band debuted on Record Store Day back in April.

The new MGMT record is set to drop in the UK on September 17 and a day later in the US.

 

 

Calvin Harris makes UK Chart Records

 

Calvin Harris has made UK chart history with his latest single "Thinking About You".

The track made it to number 8 in the charts, making it the ninth to do so from his latest album 18 Months.

This is the first time anyone has had nine Top Tens from a single album.

With this, Harris topples his own record of eight, which he achieved back in April, beating Michael Jackson's previous best of 7.

Jackson had previously held the highest score of UK top tens from one album with his iconic LP "Bad".

The Official Charts Company's managing director Martin Talbot has lauded Harris' "excellent achievement" as "THE modern day hit-maker"

 

 

Keith Urban to open NFL Season

 

Country star Keith Urban will be opening up the NFL season!

A pre-game telecast performance will precede the opening game of the season bwetween the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos.

The American Idol judge will be playing aboard a floating stage in Baltimore's Inner Harbour.

The pre-game performance is set to take place on September 5th.