The Beijing Hour

 

Evening Edition

 

 

Wednesy, August 14th, 2013.

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

Coming up on our program this evening.

Super Typhoon Utor has made landfall in Southern China.

Egyptian security personnel have cleared protest sit-ins in Cairo and Giza, with varying reports on the number of dead.

North and South Korea have reportedly come to an agreement in connection with the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

In Business, after more than a year, the Eurozone has finally emerged from recession.

In sports, China earns its 3rd medal at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

In entertainment, The Great Gazby is finally on its way to Chinese theatres.

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 25 degrees Celsius.　Tomorrow also cloudy with a high temperature of 33.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 28,　cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 35.

Lhasa will be cloudy tonight, 10 degrees the low, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 23.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, rainy, with a high of 29.

Kabul, sunny, 31.

Over in Australia

Sydney, sunny, highs of 20.

Canberra, sunny, 14.

Brisbane, sunny, 24.

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

 

 

Top News

 

 

Typhoon Utor disrupts transportation in Macao and Hong Kong

 

Anchor:

Super Typhoon Utor has made landfall in southeastern China.

The powerful storm has also disrupted transportation in Macao and Hong Kong.

CRI's Zhang Ru has more.

Reporter:

Hong Kong has closed offices, schools and transportation services as Utor passed by the Asian financial centre.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange was also shut down.

The storm has brought with it gale-force winds, rough seas and heavy showers.

One person in Hong Kong has reportedly been injured.

Some 94 flights arriving at or leaving from the city's airport have been cancelled.

Another 107 flights were delayed.

A number of passengers were left stranded at the airport's express train station.

"I think so, because the flights to Seoul, two of them are delayed and one of them cancelled. So, yes, I really worried."

"Now we are still making calls. The earliest flight we can get may be one tomorrow night or evening."

Utor has also disrupted transportation in Macao and on Hainan, stranding almost 2-thousand passengers in Sanya.

The storm is forecast to track in a northwesterly direction through Guangdong and into Guangxi tonight.

While losing power as it moves inland, the storm is still expected to maintain its Typhoon status through at least tomorrow morning, with winds of well over 100-kilometers per hour.

Mainland authorities in Guangdong and Guangxi are also on full-alert in advance of the storm.

More than 158,000 people have been relocated in Guangdong and Hainan.

Utor is this year's strongest typhoon.

It crossed over the northern Philippines over the weekend, leaving at least six dead and thousands of others displaced.

For CRI, this is Zhang Ru.

 

 

Egyptian security forces move in to clear sit-ins

 

Egyptian security forces have cleared two major sit-in camps of the supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.

It's being reported security forces backed by armored cars and bulldozers showered thousands of protesters with tear gas as the sound of gunfire rang out at both sites.

Both camps in Cairo and neighboring Giza have been cleared.

However, the number of deaths and injuries remains conflicted at the moment.

Egyptian state media is reporting 5 people, including 2 members of the security forces, have been killed, while 52 other have been injured in the clashes.

But at the same time, Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood claims over 200 have been killed and more than 8-thousand others have been injured.

Egypt's interior ministry is denying the use of live ammunition, saying security forces only used tear gas to disperse the crowds.

The ministry also says a number of Muslim Brotherhood leaders have been arrested in the crackdown.

Supporters of Morsi have been occupying the two sites in Cairo and Giza since he was ousted last month, demanding his reinstatement.

 

 

S. Korea, DPRK start 7th talks on reopening Kaesong industrial zone

 

South Korea and North Korea have reportedly reached an agreement in connection with the Kaesong industrial complex in their seventh working level talks.

The details of the agreement have so far not been forthcoming.

The two sides have been meeting today in Kaesong for the 7th time since the complex was shut down earlier this year.

Seoul and Pyongyang held 6-previous rounds of talks on reopening the Kaesong complex.

However, those talks failed to reach an agreement on conditions for the normalization of the complex.

The operations of 123 South Korean companies at the Kaesong industrial complex have been suspended for four months after Pyongyang pulled its 53-thousand North Korean workers from the site.

 

 

Abe not to visit Yasukuni Shrine

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided not to visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo to mark the anniversary of the end of the World War II.

It's being reported the decision has been made out of concern the visit will further escalate already-tight relations with neighboring China and South Korea.

Instead, Abe will reportedly offer a sacrifice to the shrine.

The Chinese government is urging Japanese politicians not to visit the shrine.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying:

"Japan will never be able to walk out of the shadow of history. There won't be a future for relations between Japan and Asian neighbors."

A number of Japan's cabinet members have already announced plans to worship the shrine on Thursday.

Over the years, visits to the shrine by Japanese politicians have sparked strong opposition from China and South Korea.

While the shrine honors Japan's war dead, it also enshrines 14 class-A war criminals.

 

 

Demonstrations held across Asia protesting sexual slavery in WWII

 

Demonstrators across Asia are renewing demands that Japanese leaders give justice to women forced into sexual slavery during World War II.

Hundreds of people have protested in front of the Japan Interchange Association in Taipei, demanding the Japanese government apologize to the victims, known as "comfort women".

Kang Shuhua is the executive director of Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation.

"We hope Japan will be able to formally legislate. Through the Japanese legislature and the public effort, we ask for the Japanese government to face up to history and restore justice and truth."

Meanwhile, around 2-thousand protesters gathered outside the Japanese embassy in South Korea demanding an official apology ahead of the country's Liberation Day celebrations.

"The disaster the South Korean people have suffered is the disaster of the country. It is a shame of the Japanese government and the South Korean government. We are not suffering this alone. So far, the Japanese government hasn't offered an official apology. Without an apology, the Liberation Day has no meaning for us."

Protesters are also proposing August 14th become known as international Comfort Women Memorial Day.

On the same day in 1991, the first victim of Japanese sexual slavery came forward to tell her ordeal during the World War II.

It's estimated some 700-thousand women across Asia were forced into sexual slavery during the war.

 

 

Crew members killed as Indian submarine sank

 

18 Indian sailors have been killed after an Indian Navy submarine caught fire and exploded at its home port of Mumbai.

The sailors were trapped on board when the fire broke out.

A number of other sailors managed to jump to safety before the submarine exploded and sank.

Fire fighters spent some four hours trying to put the blaze out before the explosion.

Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony is headed to the scene.

"Just now I am going to Mumbai to see the details there. It's a great loss to all of us, greatest tragedy of recent times. I feel sad about that. I feel sad also, about those navy personnel who lost their lives in the service of the country."

The cause of the initial fire is still unknown, though initial indications are suggesting it may have had something to do with the batteries on the vessel.

Its being reported the explosion which caused the sinking may have been caused by a torpedo onboard the sub.

The 16-year-old Russian-made submarine had just returned from Russia after undergoing an overhaul and upgrade in a Russian drydock.

It also had unspecified alterations in Egypt.

 

 

26 Palestinian Prisoners Return Home ahead of Peace Talks  

 

Anchor:

Twenty-six Palestinian prisoners have been returned to their families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip ahead of the renewed peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian sides in Jerusalem.

Despite this, many Palestinians remain pessimistic about the prospect of the negotiations.

CRI's Liu Yan has more.

Reporter:

Waving flags, singing and dancing, hundreds of Palestinians have gathered at the plaza of the President's office in the West Bank city of Ramallah to celebrate the return of 11 Palestinian prisoners.

"This is a very beautiful day for Palestine."

"It's very nice for them to be released. They've spent their lives in prisons."

"It's a festival for every person here, every Palestinian here. We feel very happy. We are glad. We hope more prisoners can be released."

The other 15 detainees have returned to their families in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has greeted the prisoners, saying his administration will continue their efforts until all Palestinian prisoners are freed from Israeli jails.

The 26 Palestinian prisoners were released as a goodwill gesture by Israel just a few hours ahead of the renewed peace talks between the two sides in Jerusalem.

However, many Palestinians are still skeptical about the future of the negotiations.

"I don't know. They always keep doing it for a few months and then they stop it. They come up with various reasons to stop it. We hope to continue. We want peace, so everybody can live in peace in this country."

Palestinian Maher Shalabi says that although the release of the prisoners instills good feelings among Palestinians, there will be no peace unless Israel ends building settlements.

"All the Israeli activities with their settlements, their actions and their aggression against the Palestinians (continues) still. We are far away from peace. I hope there is a peace partner on the Israeli side, but up to now, we don't see an Israeli partner that is willing to commit to and deliver peace."

However, a number of the prisoners released, on the other hand, say they believe now is the time to negotiate.

Salah Mugdad was arrested in 1993.

He says he no longer believes violence can solve the problem.

"We are two people that need to live together. We have no other choice. We will sit at a table and solve everything. We don't need violence."

Negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides this week are due to be followed by a meeting in Jericho in the West Bank.

For CRI, I'm Liu Yan.

 

 

Departure of UN chemical experts to Syria delayed

 

UN chemical weapons experts have delayed a trip to Syria.

This, after the UN and the Syrian government failed to reach an agreement on the arrangements for the investigation of alleged chemical weapons use.

Eduardo del Buey is a UN spokesperson.

"The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, has continued her consultations with the government of Syria with a view to reaching agreement as soon as possible on the modalities essential for cooperation to ensure the proper, safe and efficient conduct of the mission. Once the government of Syria confirms its acceptance of the modalities, the mission will depart without delay."

Del Buey says the expert team has completed its preparations for the visit.

However, he is refusing to say what specific issues are holding up the team's departure.

The UN gave approval for the probe last month following meetings in Damascus between the Syrian government.

The UN team is expected to investigate three sites where chemical weapons were allegedly used.

The team is tasked only with reporting on whether chemical weapons were used.

However, it's not allowed to determine who is responsible.

The UN says it has received 13 reports of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria.

The government and rebels are blaming each other for the purported chemical attacks.

 

 

UN Secretary-General takes part in Independence Day ceremony

 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has joined Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in marking Pakistan's 67th Independence Day celebrations in Islamabad.

The United Nations chief has attended a flag-raising ceremony and cultural show at the Convention Centre in Islamabad along-side senior military and civilian leaders.

August 14th marks the anniversary of the creation of the Muslim state of Pakistan.

It's also meant to commemorates those who lost their lives in the process.

Ban Ki-moon is in Pakistan to hold talks with Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.

The UN top official is set to travel to the Middle East later this week to support the peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.

 

 

Bangladesh's Islamist party student-wing leader killed in hartal clashes

 

A student leader in the Islamist demonstrations taking place in Bangladesh has been killed.

It's being reported the 20-year old was hit by a car while trying to elude security forces amid the continued unrest in the capital, Dhaka.

Supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami party have been holding a 48-hour strike this week to protest the party being banned from elections.

While the 48-hour strike is officially over, there has still been spuratic unrest in Dhaka and other parts of the country.

The unrest is the latest culmination in a series of political battles being waged in Bangladesh the past few years.

There have been growing calls for Jamaat to be disbanded after some of its leadership was thrown in jail for crimes against humanity during Bangladesh's 1971 fight for independence from Pakistan.

 

 

Shanghai Book Fair Opens to Attract International Literary A-listers  

 

Anchor:

The annual Shanghai Book Fair is now underway.

Running for the last 10-years, the event is attracting literary A-listers from around the world.

CRI's Zheng Yunfeng has more from Shanghai.

Rep:

The weeklong Shanghai Book Fair has opened to hundreds of thousands of readers here from Shanghai, other parts of the country, and around the world. Held at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre from Wednesday it will host a record number of international literary A-listers giving free book signings and open readings.

Zhou Siqin is head of the press office of the book fair.

Ms. Zhou says more guests from home and abroad are invited to attend the Shanghai book fair. And this year, more than 900 literary celebrities will meet the audience. She describes that the book fair is in many ways a carnival of cultures.

The highlights of the international literary A-listers include Russian-American poet and critic Ilya Kamingsky; award-winning Italian author Paolo Giordano; Canadian science fiction writer Robert J Sawyer; and veteran British cultural commentator Norman Lebrecht.

It is the first time for Paolo Giordano to come to Shanghai. His second book Human Body has been translated into Chinese, and will be presented to readers at the fair. Talking about travelling to different places and attending book talks, he really regards it as another part of the life he didn't prepare for.

Prior to the official opening day, dozens of writer and critics from home and abroad already started conversations. Su Tong is one of the renowned Chinese writers attending the forum discussion called Reviewing Literary Reviews.

When giving his ideas Su Tong says he is deeply worried about the new and complex relationship the book reviews have with this internet age.

As usual the majority of books are written in Chinese, English or Japanese and are available to buy for a discounted rate – around 20 per cent. And this year you've got more browsing time, as closing times have been extended from 6pm to 9pm daily.

BACK ANCHOR:

It's CRI's Zheng Yunfeng reporting from Shanghai.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Asian Stock

 

Mainland markets finished down this Wednesday, despite solid gains in the automotive sector.

The Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Component both closed down 0.3-percent.

This, despite SAIC Motors jumping 2.9 percent and Anhui Jianghuai Automotive climbing 1.8 percent.

The rise in SAIC shares came after news that Huayu Automotive Systems, of which SAIC owns 60-percent, has agreed to buy half of Visteon's stake in the rest of the company for 1.25 billion US dollars in cash.

Trading in Hong Kong was canceled today because of Typhoon Utor.

The markets are expected to open tomorrow.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Japanese stocks climbed on a weakened yen and a positive lead from Wall Street.

The Nikkei 225 ended 1.3% higher.

South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6 percent.

In Singapore, the Strait Times closed up 0.1 percent.

And in Australia, shares of Commonwealth Bank fell 1.2 percent, even though the lender reported a record profit.

The ASX 200 in Sydney ended fractionally lower.

 

 

Eurozone economy emerges from recession in Q2

 

The Eurozone has finally emerged from recession.

New stats show the Eurozone economy grew 0.3-percent through the 2nd quarter.

This ends a streak of contraction through the previous 4 quarters.

The European Stats office is also reporting the whole of the Eurozone has seen its GDP grow by 0.3-percent through Q2.

 

 

Eurozone industrial production up 0.7 pct in June

 

Official data is showing industrial production in the Eurozone has grown moderately in June.

The European Union's stats office is reporting output has grown 0.7 percent compared to May, which saw contraction of 0.2-pecent.

In terms of the broader European Union, the figures are even stronger.

Industrial output for the whole of the EU rose nearly 1 percent in June.

This is up significantly from the 0.4-percent contraction seen in May.

Europe's largest economy Germany has seen its industrial output jump 2.5 percent in June.

This marks the fastest rise in almost two years for the country.

Ireland enjoyed the highest increase of 8.7 percent, while the Netherlands has been hit by the biggest decline of more than 4 percent.

 

 

French Fin Min Reiterates 2013 Economic Goal After 2Q GDP

 

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici says the country's stronger than expected second GDP figure will not change the French government's projection for whole year economic growth.

Official data shows France's economy grew 0.5 percent in the second quarter.

This well beyond the market expectation of 0.2 percent growth.

The French government still expects its full year GDP to only increase by 0.1-percent.

The International Monetary Fund is forecasting a 0.2 percent contraction in France this year.

 

 

China's fiscal revenue rises moderately in July

 

Fiscal revenues for all government levels here in China have hit nearly 8-trillion yuan through the first seven months.

The Ministry of Finance is reporting fiscal revenues for July have come in around 1.2-trillion yuan.

This is up 11-percent year on year.

The central government has seen its revenue increase 8.8-percent this past month.

The revenues for local governments have surged 13.5 percent in July.

At thes same time, the government says spending has also increased nearly 9 percent from a year earlier, with central government spending increasing 4.4-percent and local government expenditures up about 10-percent.

 

 

China investigating carmakers over pricing: industry body

 

Anchor:

The multi-billion auto industry here in China may be next on the government's list of targets to address price fixing.

Reuters is reporting the China Automobile Dealers Association, the representative of car dealers nationwide, has been collecting data for the National Development and Reform Commission since last year in connection with the investigation.

It is believed the NDRC has been probing whether automakers are setting minimum retail prices for dealers in China.

Internal sources have revealed the association is looking at imported cars along with vehicles produced by foreign companies in association with local partners.

For more on this, CRI's Rebecca Hume spoke earlier with Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.

…

Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai, speaking with CRI's Rebecca Hume.

 

 

Spring Airlines promotes air-train service

 

Chinese budget airline Spring Airlines has launched an air to train travel service for passengers in eastern China.

The low-cost airline is working with the Shanghai Railway Bureau as part of the new promotion.

Passengers flying to or from Shanghai with Spring Airlines will get a free high-speed train ticket to any city within an hour of Shanghai.

This would include nearby cities such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Jaixing.

Passengers can book their train trips via Spring Airlines online service.

Spring Airlines is planning to extend the same services to other cities in the next few weeks.

 

 

Cathay Pacific reports 24 mln HKD profit in H1

 

The Cathay Pacific Group Wednesday reported a profit of 24 million HK dollars for the first six months of 2013 mainly due to cost reduction and stronger passenger service.

 

This profit compares to a loss of 929 million HK dollars in the first half of last year.

 

Group Chairman Christopher Pratt said the improvement is "pleasing." In the first half of 2013, the Group's net fuel costs decreased by 8.5 percent compared to the same period in 2012 by changing schedules, reducing capacity and withdrawing older, less fuel-efficient aircraft from service.

 

 

Fonterra's milk products chief resigns after botulism scare

 

The botulism scare at New Zealand dairy producer Fonterra has claimed its first victim.

Fonterra says managing director Gary Romano has resigned.

No official reasons have been given.

Romano was the public face of Fonterra after word of the botulism scare first broke out.

CEO Theo Spierings will fill the post in the interim.

So far China, Malaysia and Australia have removed potentially tainted Fonterra milk products from their shelves.

Fonterra is currently trying to convince three other countries that its potentially-tainted products were not shipped to them.

No one has been sickened by Fonterra milk products.

 

 

Venezuela's Maduro Replaces Central Bank ChiefVenezuelan

 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has sacked the head of the country's central bank.

Edmee Bethancourt only served in the position for the last few months.

No word on why Maduro has sacked him.

Bethancourt is being replaced by Eudomar Tovar.

Tovar has already handled several government posts, including the country's department in charge of foreign exchange.

He also previously served as a central bank vice president.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

Typhoon Utor makes landfall

 

Super Typhoon Utor has made landfall.

The powerful storm has hit southwestern Guangdong near the city of Yangjiang.

It's packing winds of 145-kilometers per hour at the epicenter.

The storm is forecast to track in a northwesterly direction through Guangdong and into Guangxi tonight.

While the storm is losing power as it moves inland, it's still expected to maintain its Typhoon status through at least tomorrow morning, with winds of well over 100-kilometers per hour.

Numerous flights have been cancelled in nearby Macau, where public transportation and schools have also been shut down.

Mainland authorities in Guangdong and Guangxi are also on full-alert in advance of the storm.

 

 

Egypt security evacuates Nahda Square protesters: state TV

 

Egyptian state television is reporting Egyptian security forces have managed to clear Nahda Square in Giza.

This is one of two main protest areas occupied by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

The Muslim Brotherhood claims some 120 people have been killed in the crackdowns in Giza and Cairo.

While the country's Ambulance Authority is on record claiming the death toll standing at 15 , with some 200 others injured in the confrontations,

This is the culmination of a security crackdown which began earlier in the day, after the interim authorities in Egypt declared they could no longer tolerate the mass sit-ins which have been taking place for some 45-days.

 

 

S. Korea, DPRK start 7th talks on reopening Kaesong industrial zone

 

South Korea and North Korea have reportedly reached an agreement in connection with the Kaesong industrial complex in their seventh working level talks.

The details of the agreement have so far not been forthcoming.

The two sides have been meeting today in Kaesong for the 7th time since the complex was shut down earlier this year.

The operations of 123 South Korean companies at the Kaesong industrial complex have been suspended for four months after Pyongyang pulled its 53-thousand North Korean workers from the site.

 

 

18 sailors trapped feared dead as Indian submarine explodes in Mumbai

 

Authorities in India say 18 sailors trapped in a sunken Indian submarine are feared dead.

The Indian submarine exploded and sank overnight in the Port of Mumbai.

While many of the Indian sailors onboard managed to jump to safety, 18 trapped inside the Russian-built submarine went down with the vessel.

It's believed a problem with the battery caused the explosion, though the exact cause remains unclear.

The submarine had just returned to India after undergoing a major refit at a Russian shipyard and some unspecified work in Egypt.

The sinking of the submarine is being described as the worst naval disaster in India since 1971.

 

 

Eurozone economy emerges from recession in Q2

 

The Eurozone has finally emerged from recession.

New stats show the Eurozone economy grew 0.3-percent through the 2nd quarter.

This ends a streak of contraction through the previous 4 quarters.

The European Stats office is also reporting the whole of the Eurozone has seen its GDP grow by 0.3-percent through Q2.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

China News Service

"Please leave fireflies out of romance: forestry authority"

China's State Forestry Administration has advised people to find other ways to create romance without sacrificing fireflies during Tuesday's Qixi Festival.

As a symbol of romance, the firefly has become a hit product online. However, these romantic envoys usually die in transit.

The glowing insects, known for their ability to produce light to attract mates, are being marketed as great gifts by business-savvy sellers.

Each firefly is sold for 5 yuan on average on Taobao, China's biggest online shopping website.

Though the firefly may add romance to the celebration of Qixi Festival, the fragility of these insects make it hard for them to survive during long-distance shipping.

Beijing Morning Post

"2nd-generation ID cards to include fingerprints"

China plans to register fingerprint information in its 2nd-generation ID cards in a bid to reduce potential crimes involving identification fraud.

Lost or stolen ID cards now can provide convenience for criminals of credit card fraud and money laundering, and for corrupt officials to disguise properties. Police investigations can also be hampered if criminals buy train tickets or register at hotels using fake identities.

Various cases involving large-scale sales of authentic ID cards, lost or stolen, to people applying for new credit cards have been exposed in China.

China's Ministry of Public Security plans to start collecting fingerprints nationwide by the end of this year, fending off criminals using fake identities.

The Telegraph

"People who share are selfish at heart"

Scientists have found that the main motivation for humans and primates to share resources is to receive a benefit in-kind.

Analysis of sharing behaviour in 32 human, ape and monkey populations has revealed that most instances of handing food around was to get something else in return.

The research, conducted by scientists at the University of California Santa Barbara, suggests that greater cognitive capacity is not related to generous behaviour.

Instead the scientists found that humans, monkeys and apes all expected a favour to be returned if they shared resources with others.

However, humans tended to expect reciprocation in-kind for food while the primates were more inclined to trade foods.

Nature World News

"Consumption of Added Sugar Even Within Recommended Levels Highly Toxic: A Study"

A new study shows a diet in which 25 percent of one's calories come from added sugar could be just as harmful to a person's health as being the inbred offspring of first cousins.

It's recommended that a person's calories from added sugar not exceed 25 percent of their total caloric consumption.

In the study, the scientists found 35 percent of female mice on the extra sugar diet died after 32 weeks in the mouse barns versus 17 percent of the control group. And while no difference appeared in the case of the rate of death for the male mice, those on the added-sugar diet acquired and held 26 percent fewer territories than males on the control diet and ultimately went on to produce 25 percent fewer offspring.

Researchers pointed out such "level of health degradation is almost identical," to that of cousin-level inbreeding and persisted despite a lack of obesity and few metabolic symptoms.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Online Ads Could Have Higher Impact if Meeting the Targeted Customer

 

Anchor:

Industry observers are suggesting the online advertising market here is going to see a dramatic increase with more and more people choosing to watch videos online.

CRI's Xu Fei explains.

Reporter:

The turnover of China's online advertising market hit 73.1 billion yuan last year, a jump of 48.4 percent compared with 2011.

According to analyst Zhang Xi, who works for i-Research Consulting Group, a leading company focusing on in-depth research on China's internet industry, online ads is becoming increasingly attractive to marketers, offering superb advantages.

"Online ads enable the advertiser to attain a much higher rate of return. The effect of the advertisement can be monitored, including the population of netizens that hit the advertisement which costs a certain amount of investment, and how many people finally purchase the product after reading the advertisement. The statistics can all be easily traced on the Internet."

The digital video ads, which marketers say are doing a better job of helping them achieve awareness, are the driving force behind the growth of all forms of internet commercials.

Deputy CEO of Baofeng.com Wang Gang.

"In terms of the scale of advertisement, TV ads occupy a 200-billion yuan market, by contrast, online ads account for just a little more than 10-billion yuan of the market annually. I believe in the coming years online video ads will partly take the place of TV ads and I base my estimation on the fact that the duration as well as the capacity volume of TV ads have almost been saturated. In addition, the government imposes restrictions on the time during which a television commercial is allowed to be broadcast."

However, the fact is that sometimes the customers feel badly disturbed by the ads which suddenly jump out in the middle of videos.

Analyst Zhang Xi thinks that if more user information analysis is carried out, the commercials will reach the targeted customers to benefit both the advertisers and potential customers.

"If you are visiting an auto information webpage, some auto-related ads would jump out at you. That is to say, the recommended advertisements are usually related to the webpage you are looking at, on the ground that a netizen would often visit the webpage that he or she feels interested in. Hence, the online advertisement will be promoted in an accurate and proper way that enables it to reach potential interested buyers."

The development of online ads is the one of the focuses at the ongoing China Internet Conference held from August 13 to 15 in Beijing.

For CRI, I'm Xu Fei.

 

 

Sports

 

 

China's Liu Hong claims bronze at the IAAF

 

China has earned another medal at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

Liu Hong has taken bronze in the women's 20-kilometer race-walk.

"I am very happy and excited, because my goal in this competition was a medal. At the final three kilometres, I was pretty sure that I could win a medal, but a Russian girl passed me. I was so annoyed and thought 'why am I always in fourth place?' - I was in fourth place in both Beijing and London Games. I didn't want to give up and kept chasing her. I hope that miracle will come to me and I can pass her. When I saw she was disqualified, I was happy and excited as I knew I will get a medal."　

A pair of Russian women came in one-two in the event.

In other action in Russia,

Hometown star Yelena Isinbayeva has claimed her third world pole vault title, clearing 4.89-meters.

However, she fell short of the world record of 5.07-meters.

Isinbayeva had originally planned to retire after this World Championships.

However, she now says she plans to keep going.

"To become a mom, to get pregnant and to have a baby, and then to try to come back again into sports."

In the men's 400 metres, American sprinter LaShawn Merritt wrestled back the world title he last won in 2009, storming to an emphatic win in 43.74 seconds.

"I was hungry. You know I said in the preliminaries and in the semi-finals that I was hungry. I was probably the hungriest person in this field, you know. But I knew eight men were going to line up and were going to go at it. Not only was I hungry I was starving, you know, because it's been a while since I was able to perform on a world stage and really feeling confidence and physically ready."

In the men's discus final, Germany's Robert Harting, the London Olympic gold medalist, has picked up his third World Championship gold.

Meanwhile, China's Zhang Guowei has entered the final of high jump.

The United States leads the medal count in Moscow with 11 medals in total, including 4 golds.

Russia stands alone in 2nd with 6-medals, including 3-golds.

China currently has 3 medals, including a silver and two bronze.

 

 

Sharapova crashes out of the Cincinnati Masters

 

In Tennis

It was a busy day at the Cincinatti Masters tennis tournament...

Rising Chinese star Peng Shuai has seen her tournament come to a quick end.

She was hammered by 10th seeded Dane Caroline Wozniaki 6-1, 6-1.

In other first round action, it was France's Alize Cornet upsetting 15th seed Ana Ivanovic 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.

And it was qualifier Plona Hercog surprising her Slovak counterpart Dominica Cibulkova 6-2, 6-4.

There were a couple of 2nd round matches on the women's side as well, including a major upset...

Rising American star Sloane Stephens has upset 3rd seeded Maria Sharapova, coming from a set down to dump the Russian 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.

And it was 2nd seed Victoria Azarenka dumping American qualifier Vania King 6-1, 7-6.

Chinese ace and 5th seed Li Na begins her tournament later today against American wild card Lauren Davis.

On the men's side,

10th seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan is out of the tournament.

He has been dispatched by Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 7-6.

Lopez will now come up against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the second round.

In other action,

American John Isner fired 17 aces on his way to a straight sets　6-3, 6-4 win over Germany's Florian Mayer.

Russian Mikhail Youzhny now has a date with world number-2 Andy Murray in the 2nd round after dumping Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 6-3.

Milos Raonic, who lost in last week's final in Montreal, is through to the 2nd round after getting past American Wild Card Jack Sock 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil, who earned a special exemption to Cincinatti after making it into the quarter-finals in Montreal, is also through, after 15th seed Gilles Simon retired from their match with a hip strain in the 2nd set.

And in the women's double's competition, rising Chinese junior tennis star Zheng Saisai has seen her tournament come to an early end.

She and her partner from the United States were dumped by the duo of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3.

 

 

Gerrard talks about Rooney and Suarez ahead of Scotland friendly

 

England is set to take on Scotland tonight in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium.

This will be the first meeting of the old foes since 1999.

The fixture is part of the English FA's celebrations to mark its 150th anniversary.

This is 111th time the two sides have squared off.

England captain Steven Gerrard says any football amongst those in the UK is always exciting.

"This is a friendly game but everyone's looking forward to it. It's got an edge to it because we know an awful lot about their players and they know about us. I've enjoyed all the other close games we've played against Ireland and Wales, hopefully more of these fixtures are not too far away."

The two football associations have been avoiding playing one-another for many years because of violence and fan brawls.

The English side will have Wayne Rooney available, despite his injury.

Steven Gerrard says Rooney should be good-to-go if he's called upon.

"Well I think everybody knows he's certainly not match fit as he hasn't played in any friendly games throughout the summer but it's the same old Wayne Rooney in training. He looks good, he's scoring goals and he's certainly ready to play, he's prepared really well but he needs these minutes obviously for his own personal fitness. I'm sure he's itching to start tomorrow."

Tonight's match gets underway at 3am Beijing time.

 

 

Spain prepare for friendly with Ecuador

 

Spain's national football coach says he's looking for a rebound from his club in Ecuador following their last match.

Spanish head coach Vincente del Bosque says his team needs to be much better than they were in the finals of the Confederation Cup, where they were blanked by Brazil.

"They beat us from the moment of national anthem. I believe that from the singing of national anthem they were already winning us. And we didn't have opportunities to revert the score. We were inferior."

That loss ended a superb run of 23 unbeaten games for Spain, which is the reigning World and European champions.

Xavi, Juan Mata and Gerard Pique are among the big names absent from this week's friendly against Ecuador.

Ecuador comes into the match having lost their last 3 international matches.

However, Ecuador does remain in third position in the South America World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

The Great Gatsby to get China release by end of month

 

Baz Luhrmann's 3D extravaganza "The Great Gatsby" is finally coming to China.

The movie will be included as one of the 30 odd foreign productions shown in China this year.

China's cinema market has grown at an average rate of 30% per year for the past decade.

With "The Great Gatsby" having already been a box office success around the world, it is expected to repeat its success here.

Luhrmann's adaptation of Fitzgerald's 1925 classic boasts an all star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire.

The Great Gatsby opens in Chinese theatres on 30th August, with a Beijing premiere set to take place a few days later.

 

 

Catching Fire to premiere in London

 

It has been announced that the world premiere of Hunger Games: Catching Fire will take place in London on 11th November.

The film is the second in a series of three based on author Suzanne Collins' trilogy of dystopian young adult novels.

The sequel picks up from where the first instalment left off, as Katniss Everdeen returns home with joint victor Peeta Mellark after triumphing at the 74th Hunger Games.

Director Francis Lawrence recently said that although Catching Fire will deviate from the book, the changes have been closely doctored with Collins.

Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss and is joined by Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Lenny Kravitz.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire is poised to hit cinemas world wide on 22nd November.

 

 

Zhou Xun to star in "Red Sorghum" TV adaptation

 

A new TV adaptation of Mo Yan's "Red Sorghum Clan" is set to start production.

The story follows three generations of a Shandong family from the 1920s through to the 1970s.

Chinese starlet Zhou Xun, who has dominated the big screen recently in films like "Cloud Atlas" and "The Silent War", will lead the cast.

This marks the actress' first return to the small screen in a decade.

The series will be directed by Zheng Xiaolong, the man behind the smashhit "Zhen Huan Zhuan" TV series.

 

 

Hans Zimmer to receive special Classic Brit honour.

 

Legendary German composer Hans Zimmer is set to be specially honoured at this year's Classic Brits for outstanding contribution to music.

Over a career that has spanned 3 decades, Zimmer has scored more than 100 films, including Rain Man and The Dark Knight Rises and Inception.

The 55 year old has garnered numerous accolades including two Golden Globes, three Grammys and an Oscar for his work on the Lion King.

Most recently, Zimmer has been working on the music for the upcoming Spider Man 2 and Christopher Nolan's upcoming project "Interstellar".

The committee at the Classic Brit Awards say that they are delighted to be honouring Zimmer whose work has made classical music relevant in this digital-download era.

The Classic Brit Awards touches down at London's Royal Albert Hall on 2nd October.

 

 

Lady Gaga to headline Itunes Festival

 

Lady Gaga has announced that she will headline this year's Itunes Festival at London's Roundhouse.

The event will mark the singer's first full live set after recovering from hip-surgery.

The medical procedure forced Gaga to take time-out from her Born This Way Ball tour back in February.

Gaga says that she will be performing a one hour set of completely new material for the event.

Sure to be included in the set will be Gaga's latest single, Applause.

The 27 year old megastar rush released the first cut from her upcoming album "Artpop" 8 days ahead of schedule due to leaks on the internet.

The Itunes Festvail will consist of 30 nights of free music from the likes of Justin Timberlake, Tinie Temper and Arctic Monkeys throughout September.

Tickets can be won by UK residents through Itunes store.

 

 

Lostprophets singer on suicide watch

 

Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has been put on suicide watch as he prepares to stand trial for child sex offences.

The 36 year old rockstar is facing 23 charges of sexual offences against children, including rape.

A court has heard that Watkins has been moved to a psychiatric hospital where he is checked upon five times an hour.

The 'Rooftops' singer appeared at a pretrial review at Cardiff Crown Court via video link yesterday.

The singer's defence team has sought for Watkins to be placed on anti-psychotic medication.

Watkins, who denies all charges against him, is due to start his trial in November.