The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Paul James with you on this Monday, June 16, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to begin a tour of Europe later on this Monday, with his first stop being the UK.
A major cross-strait forum has opened in the coastal city of Xiamen.
Israel's Prime Minister is pointing the finger at Hamas in connection with the abduction of three Israeli teenagers.
In Business... CNPC has opened up another natural gas pipeline from Central Asia here to China.
In sports... France and Switzerland both open their World Cup with victories this morning.
In entertainment... we'll hear from Australian actress Nicole Kidman, who's attending this year's Shanghai International Film Festival.
Weather
Beijing will be overcast today with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.
Overnight heavy rain and temperatures should drop down to around 21.
Shanghai will have showers during the daytime with a high of 27.
Showers will last tonight with a low of 23.
In Chongqing, it will be overcast with a high of 24.
Overnight showers and lows are expected to be around 20.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 40.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 31.
Over to North America,
New York will be cloudy today with a high of 31 degrees.
Washington will be cloudy with a high of 31 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 30.
Toronto, Canada, will have slight rain with a high of 27 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 12.
And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Chinese Ambassador to Britain Brief Media on Highlights of Premier Li Keqiang's UK Visit
Anchor:
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is to start an official visit to the UK later on this Monday.
Our London Correspondent Duan Xuelian has more on the agenda of the premier's 3-day stay in London.
Reporter:
Liu Xiaoming, China's Ambassador to Britain, says talks connected to economic cooperation will be heavy on the Premier's UK agenda.
"Over forty agreements between governments and businesses covering a wide variety of sectors including energy, investment, cultural and educational cooperation will be signed, the total value of which reach a record setting of 30 billion US dollars or even more."
Li Keqiang is also due to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron in London.
He's also been granted an audience with Queen Elizabeth II.
The Premier is also scheduled to take part in a round table discussion about global financial cooperation with business representatives from the two countries.
He is also due to deliver a speech to an audience of around 300 members of the UK's top think tanks.
London's potential as a European hub for renminbi offshore business is one of the main issues being discussed by both sides.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming notes London isn't the only European city pursuing this title.
"I think there are good potentials and opportunities for London to be one of the centers. There are many countries and regions competing for doing RMB trading. London is well positioned in terms of RMB trading outside of China, I regard Hong Kong as part of China. Singapore is a very strong competitor, Frankfurt as well and Paris has also joined this game. "
Liu Xiaoming also notes the Chinese Premier's visit is coinciding with the China-UK strategic partnership entering into its second decade.
"This coming visit by Premier Li Keqiang is expected to make strong case for deepening China UK relations and cooperation. It will lay a more solid foundation of trust for the second decade of China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership, map out new way for our cooperation with a new vigor, new highlights and new dimensions."
A symposium about free trade zones is also due to be held during Premier Li Keqiang's visit.
For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian, reporting from London.
Prospects of the cultural and education ties beween China and the UK
Anchor:
For more on the cultural and educational ties between China and the UK, CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier with Carma Elliot, Director of British Council here in China.
That is Carma Elliot, Director of British Council here in China, speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.
6th Cross-Straits Forum opens in Xiamen, SE China
The latest Cross-Straits Forum has opened in the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian.
Zhang Zhijun, head of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office, says the government has been drafting practical measures to make travel across the Taiwan Strait more convenient.
"We hope to keep improving direct flight routes between the two sides, so as to shorten the distance and lower the costs to benefit the people. As for such business issues of common interests as Taiwan's air transport and mainland passengers' transit via Taiwan, we hope the two sides can dedicate and work together for a sustainable development of tourist markets and jointly improve the quality so that mainland tourists could enjoy healthy and orderly tours to Taiwan and other destinations."
Zhang also says mainland officials are hoping to facilitate more cross-Straits personnel exchanges.
More than 10-thousand people from the mainland and Taiwan are participating in the forum.
The session comes ahead of Zhang Zhijun's planned visit to Taiwan later this month.
NATO chief to visit Turkey amid worsening situation in Iraq
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is due to meet with Turkish officials later on this Monday to discuss the dozens of Turkish nationals taken hostages in Iraq.
In making the statement ahead of the meetings today, Rasmussen also says he doesn't see a role for NATO to play in Iraq, but says they're monitoring the situation closely.
In taking control of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the al-Qaeda-affiliated group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has kidnapped a total of 80 Turkish nationals, including 49 consular staff and their families.
Thirty-one Turks working at a power plant have also been seized.
The Turkish government has been working to try to secure their release.
The Islamic insurgents overran the city of Mosul and Tikrit, the former home-town of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussien, taking control of government institutions and police stations, releasing hundreds of detainees.
The group has vowed to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the government's ability to slow the assault following lightning gains.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has delivered an impassioned speech on television, after thousands volunteers across southern Iraq answered an urgent call to fight the Islamic militants.
"We have retaken the initiative and here we are advancing to defeat them with you and with your brothers in the armed forces and with all those who stood by the will of the Iraqi people. We started to march toward them. There will be no place for them to hide. Our slogan and your slogan should be they have no place to hide."
The Iraqi government has also requested help from the United States in trying to root-out the insurgents.
US President Barack Obama says he's still reviewing options.
The Pentagon has sent an aircraft carrier and two warships into the Gulf through the weekend.
Palestinian Authority and Israeli PM comment on missing teens
Israeli troops have arrested around 80 Palestinians, including dozens of Hamas members, in an overnight raid in the West Bank.
The arrests are part of a wide-ranging security sweep in and around the city of Hebron following the kidnapping of three young Israelis last week.
Three yeshiva students, two 16-year olds and a 19-year old from a religious high school in the West Bank were snatched Thursday night while returning to their homes for the weekend.
The Israeli government is pointing the finger at Hamas.
Hamas is denying the allegations, and no group has yet claimed responsibility.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also pinning part of the blame on Fatah, which has entered into a unity government agreement with Hamas.
"The PA cannot absolve itself of its responsibility. You remember that Israel warned the international community about the dangers of endorsing the Fatah-Hamas unity pact. I believe that the dangers of that pact should now be abundantly clear to all. We have seen since the signing of that pact an increase in terrorist activity emanating from the West Bank."
The Israeli air force has also been launching strikes on Hamas locations.
Security has also been tightened at checkpoints.
Palestinian officials are condemning the crackdown and rejecting the Israeli contention that Palestinian groups are responsible for the kidnapping.
Ehab Bseiso is a spokesperson for the Palestinian unity government.
"The disappearance of the three settlers is not a result of the new formed government, in reality we condemn all the escalation that has been taken by the Israeli government and by the Israeli army for the last two days as a collective punishment against our people, besieging the province of Hebron."
Despite the exchange of accusations, security officials both the Israeli and Palestinian sides have been cooperating in the West Bank to find the abducted teens.
Pakistan sends troops to the North Waziristan region after a deadly attack by militants
The Pakistani military has launched, what's being described, as a "comprehensive operation" against militants holed up in the tribal areas of Northern Waziristan, a week after a deadly insurgent attack on the country's biggest airport in the southern port city of Karachi.
A curfew has been imposed in the region.
The Army is also setting up checkpoints to search for suspected insurgents.
Many people living in the region are now trying to flee the area.
The Taliban and ethnic Uzbek fighters have both claimed responsibility for last Sunday's commando-style attack on Karachi airport.
The attack has come as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif struggles to try to get the Taliban to the negotiating table for talks.
Ten migrants drowned in a boat sank off Libyan coast
Italian authorities are asking for more help from the EU in dealing with migrants trying to make it to Italian territory from north Africa.
This follows the death of ten migrants whose boat capsized this weekend off the coast of Libya.
Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano.
"Either Europe takes over its Mediterranean borders or Italy leaves them in the hands of Europe and tells Europe to do its job to look after the continent. We will save lives but we cannot do it alone and we cannot be left alone to deal with the instability in Libya which was created by the international community".
Over 18-hundreds migrants have also been picked up this weekend alone trying to make it to Italian territory.
Its estimated that around 50-thousand migrants from North Africa have managed to make it into Italy so far this year.
The University of the Future
Anchor:
A new global survey has been released in the US designed to try to provide some insight into how students feel their university will and should look like in 15 years.
From Washington, CRI's He Fei.
Reporter:
The new survey has concluded that in 15 years, college as we know it won't disappear, but it will be profoundly different, with more on-demand classes, free online materials and significantly more employer input on what is actually taught in schools.
The conclusion comes in a new report from pollster Zogby Analyitics, which surveyed more than 20,000 undergraduates in 21 different countries.
The analysis suggests most young respondents believe the "university of the future" will be accessible, flexible, innovative and job-focused.
Nearly half of all respondents say the "university of the future" will also shift more toward on-line, giving students more flexibility when it comes to when they want to study.
John Zogby is the founder of "Zogby Analytics".
"They expect that a majority of the courses in the university of the future will not have set schedules, will not be set at certain times, and either the student must adjust to those times or not have the opportunity to take courses. In addition to that, they expect a majority of materials that will be used will be free. Whether those are course materials, they don't expect, in a world where already so much information is available on the internet, to be paying large prices for textbooks and technical tools, and so on."
Zogby's analysis also shows that two-thirds of Chinese respondents believe students will begin using social media platforms to learn.
He also says the survey shows 70-percent of those asked believe universities in the future are going to be more focused on practical education, and less on broad-based theories.
"They think that the universities will supply internships – that is the thing that is most valuable to them – and that they think that the world of business is looking from them more than their scores on tests or their grades.They expect that more of their courses will be developed and actually taught by industry experts and less so, as far as business and engineering and so on, much more so than by professional academics.They also expect entrepreneurs will be engaged in teaching and developing courses as well."
To that end, Zogby says university students in China have a luxury other students around the world don't.
"You've got a very robust and growing economy and a burgeoning group of Millennials filled with hope – the turtles in China; they've come out of their shell into a wondrous and growing economy.China placing a greater emphasis – the Chinese students, I should say – on the role of entrepreneurs because they have – they are emerging in a world of entrepreneurs and of excitement."
The survey itself was sent in April and May to students in 21 countries worldwide.
Analysis of the results have suggested that although some questions showed differences among different regions and countries, answers to many of questions show remarkable consistency.
For CRI, I'm He Fei in Washington.
Biz Reports
Let's get a preview of what's set to take place in the business world this week.
Here's CRI's Luo Wen.
Reporter:
The US Federal Reserve is expected to report later today that U.S. industrial production has increased 0.5 percent in May after falling 0.6 percent in April.
The Fed's policy-setting panel is also expected to continue to pare the central bank's massive bond-buying stimulus by another 10 billion dollars per month.
On Tuesday, US the Commerce Department is expected to report that housing starts and building permits have slipped slightly through May.
The Labor Department's inflation report on Tuesday is expected to show consumer prices in the US have increased 0.2 percent in May after advancing 0.3 percent in April.
On the corporate front, FedEx is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter results before the bell on Wednesday.
Photoshop maker Adobe Systems is due to report its second-quarter profits.
Supermarket operator Kroger is scheduled to report its first-quarter results before the bell on Thursday.
The Mexican government is due to release consumer spending figures this week.
And the International Monetary Fund is due to release its annual review of the U.S. economy later this week.
Other markets drop while Brazil's stock market soaring
Anchor:
With the World Cup underway, the world's attention is on Brazil.
And this attention also includes investors.
Ahead of the opening of the tournament, the main Brazilian stock exchange, the Bovespa, has been soaring, with stocks averaging a rise of around 6-percent this past week.
Since March, the Bovespa has increased in value by some 23-percent.
At the same time, the major markets in the US and Europe have seen a slowdown.
For more on this, we are now joined on the line with Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of Economics and Business.
Back Anchor:
Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of Economics and Business.
China, Central Asian countries open 3rd gas line
The China National Petroleum Corporation has announced a third natural gas line running from Central Asia into China is now operational.
The over 18-hundred kilometer line runs from the Turkmen-Uzbek border, and crosses through central Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan before going into Xinjiang.
Ding Jianlin is an senior official with CNPC.
"The natural gas transported via Line C of the Central Asia-China gas pipelines will enter the West-to-East gas pipeline networks and will then be sent to destinations as the delta areas of the Yangtze River and Pearl River."
The capacity of the new line, which currently stands at 7 billion cubic meters per year, is expected to hit 25 billion cubic meters by the end of 2015.
Zhang Peng is the manager of the Trans-Asia Gas Pipeline Company, which is a subsidiary of CNPC.
"When operation began on the four compressor stations in October, Line C's gas carrying capability of the Central Asia-China gas pipelines will reach 14 billion cubic meters a year. Along with Line A and Line B, it will contribute to ensure the gas supply in the winter heating season."
The three lines, built by CNPC and its central Asian partners, are expected to have a combined capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year.
The first two lines were launched in late 2009 and 2010 respectively.
A 4th pipeline is also in the works, and is expected to be operational by the end of this year.
China's power consumption rises 5.2% in Jan-May
Official data shows power consumption here in China through the first five months has risen 5.2 percent from a year earlier.
Viewed as an indicator of economic activity, power use rose by 5.3 percent in May alone, up from 4.6 percent in April.
The National Energy Administration says the overall figures are generally in-line with standard growth seen in previous years through the same period.
Retail banking emerges as major growth point
A new report from McKinsey is suggesting as much as 40-percent of bank profits here on the mainland will be generated by retail banking by 2020.
This would be a four-fold increase from the present figures.
The US consulting firm says retail banking revenues are expected to surpass 3 trillion yuan by 2021.
The McKinsey report is suggesting retail banking has a bright future for lenders as deregulation continues.
The report also suggests its going to continue to be difficult for foreign banks to crack the market.
S. African ruling party concerned over platinum strike
The ruling African National Congress in South Africa is voicing concern over a protracted strike in the platinum sector.
The ANC says the strike is putting pressure on the domestic economy, and is also threatening investment in the country.
The strike in the platinum sector has been dragging on for the last five months.
Its reportedly cost the government of South Africa over 1.2-billion US dollars in revenues.
Ratings agency Fitch has re.vised the country's economic outlook from "stable" to "negative."
Standard and Poors has also lowered South Africa's long-term foreign currency credit rating one notch, to triple-B-minus from triple-B.
Both agencies say their concerns about South Africa's economic growth arise partly from the strike that has affected part of the mining sector.
The main union representing platinum miners has been pressing for higher wages.
Headline News
Chinese Ambassador to Britain Brief Media on Highlights of Premier Li Keqiang's UK Visit
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is to start an official visit to the UK later on this Monday.
Li Keqiang is due to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron in London.
He's also been granted an audience with Queen Elizabeth II.
Talks connected to economic cooperation will be heavy on the Premier's UK agenda.
He is also scheduled to travel to Greece following his time in the UK.
Knife-wielding attackers seized in Xinjiang
There's been another knife attack in Xinjiang.
Local authorities in Hetian prefecture in southern Xinjiang say three men armed with knives stormed into a gaming parlor late yesterday afternoon.
The people inside the gaming parlor fought back and set off an alarm.
The alarm then alerted nearby shop keepers and others, who armed themselves with tools then encircled the attackers.
In the end, two of the attackers were killed by the group, while the other was subdued and later taken into police custody.
Four civilians were also injured in the attack.
Authorities have not said what the motivation for the initial attack may have been, though there's been no mention of terrorism at this point.
7 injured in south China knife attack
Seven people have been hurt in a knife attack in Guangxi.
A knife-wielding man went on a rampage in an intersection in a village yesterday afternoon in Binyang County, leaving 6 civilians and an auxiliary police officer injured.
None of the injuries are said to be life-threatening.
The suspect, a 38-year old, is said to have a history of mental illness.
NATO chief to visit Turkey amid worsening situation in Iraq
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is due to meet with Turkish officials later on this Monday to discuss the dozens of Turkish nationals taken hostages in Iraq.
Rasmussen says he doesn't see a role for NATO to play in Iraq, but says they're monitoring the situation closely.
In taking control of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the al-Qaeda-affiliated group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has kidnapped a total of 80 Turkish nationals.
The Iraqi government has also requested help from the United States in trying to root-out the insurgents.
US President Barack Obama says he's still reviewing options.
The Pentagon has sent an aircraft carrier and two warships into the Gulf through the weekend.
Kiska officially assumes post of Slovak president
The new President of Slovakia has been sworn in.
Andrej Kiska is promising to try to help stamp out corruption.
Kiska ran as an independent in the Presidential election, and says he's going to remain independent of both the sitting government in parliament and the opposition.
The office of President in Slovakia is primarily a ceremonial position.
Tanker has close encounter with pirates in South China Sea
The Singaporean Navy says it helped fend off a pirate attack on a Singapore-based tanker in the South China Sea over the weekend.
The tanker came under attack by pirates on Saturday.
The Singaporean Navy, along with naval forces from Malaysia and Indonesia, also helped chase off the pirates before they managed to loot the vessel.
Pirate attacks in the South China Sea have been on the rise in the past few years after the international community turned its focus mostly to the Gulf of Aden off the Horn of Africa.
Newspaper Picks
THE BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Chemical plant closed because of poisoning
Summary
A chemical plant in Hunan has been shut down on suspicion of causing lead poisoning in hundreds of children.
The local government says blood tests on the children have found excessive levels of lead, indicating heavy metal poisoning.
THE BEIJING TIMES
Headline
CPPCC Vice Chair probed
Summary
China's discipline watchdog says Su Rong, Vice Chair of the CPPCC National Committee, is being probed for suspected disciplinary violations.
Su is said to be under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and the law.
The exact nature of the investigation hasn't been revealed.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
China's youngest city starts first school
Summary
Authorities in the city of Sansha in the Xisha islands have started to build the first school.
Local authorities say the construction of a kindergarten and a primary school is expected to be completed in a year and a half.
Sansha was officially established in July of 2012.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Tips lead to terrorist arrests
Summary
The paper is reporting tip-offs from the public have led to the arrests of at least 60 terror suspects in Xinjiang as part of the new an anti-terrorism campaign in the region.
It's being reported nine terrorist organizations and one religious extremist group have been rounded up in the sweep.
Police have also seized hundreds of explosive devices and computers with content related to jihad, or "holy war."
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Tropical storm hits South China.
Summary
Tropical storm Hagibis has made landfall in Guangdong.
Hagibis is bringing torrential rains to coastal cities in Guangdong, east of the Pearl River Delta.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Ancient tombs found in east China
Summary
Archaeologists have uncovered more than 100 tombs dating to the Eastern Han Dynasty in Jiangsu.
The large clusters of tombs are valuable for studying the funeral customs of the time.
The tombs were buried only 20 to 30 centimeters beneath the earth.
About two dozen of them have been plundered.
Special Reports
Golden goblet jury set to evaluate SIFF nominations
Anchor:
This year's Shanghai International Film Festival is underway, with the jury already beginning to evaluate films from a wide range of genres and countries.
CRI's Liu Kun has more from Shanghai.
Reporter:
Led by renowned Chinese actress Gong Li, the jury of the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival consists of six other film masters including Peyman Moadi from Iran, Shunji Iwai from Japan, Sally Potter from the UK, Lone Scherfig from Denmark, Sang-soo Im from South Korea, and Liu Jie from China.
This is the first time ever that the Festival appointed a female president to its jury. But Gong Li says she doesn't see herself any different from the rest of the panel.
"We work as a team and we are like a family. Our decision will be made on the rule of fair competition. I don't feel any different about my own role compared to the rest of the jurors. But I think I speak for everyone of us when I say I feel really honored to be a juror and would like to contribute to the development of Chinese film industry."
Fifteen movies have been selected from over 1000 submissions for the final 8 Golden Goblet Awards including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Actress.
Gong Li reveals that apart from artistic features, market potential is another important aspect of consideration when deciding the nominations.
"The 15 nominations do have their own commercial values. They are not just selected based on their artistic achievement. It's a combination of both sides. I feel this will be a trend for film festivals in the coming years."
Like the jury members, the nominated films are from countries around the world, such as Australian movie Canopy, French and German co-production Diplomacy, and Thai movie The Last Executioner, to name just a few.
Sally Potter, one of the jurors, says under the great diversification of nominations she actually sees a common theme running through them all.
"So often there's the emphasis on how different people are, different nations, different genders and so on. And in fact what we find is the universal principle. So there's an enormous liberation and diversification through that simple principle of common humanity."
The award ceremony of the Golden Goblet will be held in Shanghai Grand Theatre on the night of June 22nd.
For CRI, this is Liu Kun in Shanghai.
Sports
FIFA World Cup: France vs. Honduras 3-0; Switzerland vs. Ecuador 2-1
World Cup action is underway once-again this morning.
Argentina is currently playing Bosnia and Herzegovina in their Group F clash,
Almost half an hour into the match, Argentina has a 1-nil lead after an own-goal by Boznia-Herzegovina in just the 2nd minute.
----
Earlier this morning, France thumped a 10-man Honduras squad 3-nil in their Group E meeting.
French striker Karim Benzema scoring twice in the victory.
Benzema's goal in the 48th minute bounced back toward the Honduran goalkeeper, raising questions about whether the shot actually went in.
However, through the new goal-line technology, the goal was later confirmed.
----
In an earlier Group E clash,
Switzerland came from a goal down to beat Ecuador 2-1.
With just seconds left before injury time, Swiss substitute Haris Seferovic finished off a length-of-the-field run by slamming home a close-range shot.
Switzerland will next face France.
----
There are three matches lined up for tomorrow morning,
Germany will face Portugal in their Group G meeting.
Iran will compete against Nigeria in Group F.
Ghana is up against the United States in Group G.
Kaymer holds massive lead in final round of US Open
From the US Open,
Germany's Martin Kaymer continues to dominate into the final round at Pinehurst.
Kaymer, who has led the tournament from the beginning, is currently sitting at minus-10, 8-strokes ahead of Americans Erik Compton and Ricky Fowler, who are both still on the course.
Australian Jason Day closed out his final round with a 68 to finish tied for 5th at the moment with American Keegan Bradley.
Defending champion Justin Rose has closed out his tournament at plus-4.
Rory McIlroy finsihed at plus-6.
Game 5 of NBA finals preview: Heat vs. Spurs
In basketball,
The San Antonio spurs are on the verge of winning the NBA Championships this morning.
The Spurs, holding a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat, have an opportunity to win it in front of a home-town crowd.
San Antonio has positioned itself with a 3-1 series lead after hammering Miami in Game-4 last week 107-86.
Ahead of this morning's match, Spurs guard Tony Parker has been asked about his decision to stay in San Antonio alongside Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli.
"It makes it all worth it. You know, all three, we took, like you said, less money to stay here and to win championships and so it makes it even better to have been able to play my whole career with Timmy and Manu and, you know, experiencing those great moments, you know, we're never going to forget our whole life. That's why we play basketball, you know, to win championships and create moments that we're never going to forget."
Tip-off this morning for Game-5 of the NBA Finals is at 8am Beijing Time.
Federer takes Halle title for 7th time
In tennis,
Roger Federer has claimed his seventh Gerry Webber Open title with a 7-6, 7-6 over Colombian Alejandro Falla.
Federer says he's hoping to carry his momentum from Germany into Wimbledon next week.
"In the past, when I've played well in Halle usually I played very well in Wimbledon as well. I mean it's been two of my most successful tournaments in my career, Halle and Wimbledon, so I hope that this is going to bring me luck again. Last year it didn't work out, but (it has) many times before, so I hope it's going to be back to the good old days."
Federer also competed in the men's doubles final with compatriot Marco Chiudinelli.
However, they lost to Andre Begemann and Julian Knowle 1-6, 7-5, 12-10.
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At the Aegon Championship at Queen's Club in London,
Fourth seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov has landed his first-ever grass-court title after defeating Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the final.
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On the women's side,
Top seed Ana Ivanovic looks poised heading into Wimbledon after winning her first grass-court title at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, England.
Ivanovic cruised to a straight-sets victory, 6-3, 6-2 over Czech Barbora Strycova.
Li Xuerui, Lee Chong Wei win Japan Open
The Japan Open badminton tournament is in the books,
On the women's side, China's top seed Li Xuerui crused past Tai Tzu-Ying from Taiwan 21-16, 21-6 in just 34 minutes to win the singles title.
The Chinese duo of Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei took the mixed doubles title.
World No.1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia has been crowned the men's champion after beating Hong Kong veteran Hu Yun 21-14, 21-12.
The South Korean duo of Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong won the men's doubles title.
Japan's Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi took the women's doubles final.
Australia thrash Netherlands to claim World hockey title
At the field hockey World Cup in the Netherlands,
Australian men's team has clinched its third World Cup title by beating the host Netherlands 6-1 in the final.
Argentina has earned its maiden medal at the event with a 2-0 victory over England in the bronze medal playoff.
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In the women's competition,
Holland's women's team is now the World Champions after defeating Australia 2-0 in the final.
It is the seventh field hockey World Cup for the Dutch.
Entertainment
Nicole Kidman Felt Loneliest When Winning Academy Award
Nicole Kidman is at the Shanghai film Festival promoting her latest film, Grace of Monaco.
The film follows the true story of the Hollywood actress Grace Kelly who gave up her film career in persuit of love when she married the Prince of Monaco.
Kidman, who plays Grace Kelly in the film, says she can understand why she made that choice.
"When I won the Academy Award, I was at the loneliest time of my life. And that's when it really hit me that I had to go and get a life because I gave so much to my creative life. I was so poor in terms of my family life. And that's when I said in my head. I really believe in setting the vision and saying ok. I remember I saying now I want to find my soul mate because I got this and this. The Academy Award is not enough."
"Grace of Monaco" opened this year's Cannes Film Festival to very mixed reviews.
It focuses on the Hollywood star's crisis of marriage and identity in a dispute between Monaco's Prince Rainier III and France's Charles de Gaulle in 1962.
It's also about Kelly considering a return to Hollywood to act in an Alfred Hitchcock movie.
The film is out this Friday (June 20) which also happens to be Nicole Kidman's 47th Birthday.
Debut Trailer of 'Girls' Released at Shanghai International Film Festival
Staying at the Shanghai International Film Festival, The first trailer of Chinese film "Girls" (Guimi) has just been released.
(trailer of the film)
The film is helmed by Hong Kong director Barbara Wong and stars Fiona Sit, Ivy Chen, Yang Zishan, Vanness Wu, Shawn Yue and Wallace Chung.
It tells the story of three close friends who experience the ups and downs of life together.?
"Girls" is out on the mainland on July 31st.
22 Jump street tops US box office this weekend
"22 Jump Street" has topped the US box office in its opening weekend.
The film's R rating, meaning that people under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, did not seem to hamper it's takings too much.
The Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill comedy is sequel to 2012's 21 Jump Street which saw them as police officers going under cover as high school students. Now more hilarity ensues as they once again go undercover but this time at college.
The comedy sequel cost less than 50 million dollars to produce, but caught the second largest opening weekend ever for an R-rated comedy behind "The Hangover Part II," which pulled 85.95 million dollars at the opening weekend.
Meanwhile another sequel "How to Train Your Dragon 2" took second place this weekend raking in an estimated 50 million US dollars. This is the best opening for a DreamWorks Animation in two years.
Disney's "Maleficent" is still doing well in third place. The Angelina Jolie fairy tale took 19 million dollars in its third weekend and has grossed a strong 163.5 million dollars through 17 days of release in north America. The worldwide total of the film has increased to 436.4 million dollars, becoming Angelina Jolie's second profitable live-action film of all time after "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" in 2005, which got 478 million dollars.
Maleficent is out in China on Friday, June 20)
(Notes, the rest of the top 10)
Rounding out the 10 most popular films in North America this weekend, as estimated by studios, were "Edge of Tomorrow" (16.2 million dollars), "The Fault In Our Future" (15.7 million), "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" (9.5 million), "Godzilla" (3.2 million), "A Million Ways To Die In The West" (3.1 million), "Neighbors" (2.5 million) and "Chef" (2.3 million). Enditem
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to begin a tour of Europe later on this Monday, with his first stop being the UK.
A major cross-strait forum has opened in the coastal city of Xiamen.
Israel's Prime Minister is pointing the finger at Hamas in connection with the abduction of three Israeli teenagers.
In Business... CNPC has opened up another natural gas pipeline from Central Asia here to China.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together. |