The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Paul James with you on this Monday, June 23, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
A leading Chinese official is rejecting calls for international arbitration in disputes in the South China Sea.
The US government is easing its earlier sanctions on the Egyptian government.
The Silk Road and the Grand Canal have been enshrined on hte UNESCO World Heritage list.
In Business... a leading Chinese observer is downplaying the risk of a property market collapse here in China.
In sports... Portugal looking to stay alive in the World Cup against the Americans.
In entertainment... a Greek film has taken the top prize at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival.
Weather
Beijing will be sunny today with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.
Overnight it will be clear and temperatures should drop down to around 21.
Shanghai will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 26.
It will be overcast tonight with a low of 21.
In Chongqing, it will be rainy with a high of 25.
Overnight showers and lows are expected to be around 21.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,
Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 41.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 28.
Over to North America,
New York will be cloudy today with a high of 29 degrees.
Washington will be cloudy with a high of 30 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 31.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 23 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 15.
And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 24 degrees Celsius.
Top News
China will not accept international arbitration on disputes: senior diplomat
A senior Chinese diplomat is downplaying any suggestions of international arbitration connected to disputes in the South China Sea.
Vice foreign minister Zhang Yesui has made the comments as part of a World Peace Forum here in Beijing.
"China will not accept or participate in the international arbitration proposed by relevant countries to solve the South China Sea disputes. We strongly oppose that some countries infringe on other countries' interests in the guise of legislation. We hope relevant countries can focus on the overall interest and future to return to the path of dialogue and negotiation."
The Philippines has made a formal request for international arbitration on territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Speaking at the forum, Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi suggests countries in the region need to work together to solve their concerns.
"It is cooperation, it is working together. We can help one another to ensure that we are not going to get into a kind of problems among us. This is something that we must do."
Tensions have been running high in the South China Sea amid disputes among China, Vietnam and the Philippines over the Xisha and Nansha Island chains.
For more on what's happening, CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier with Dr. Wu Shicun, President of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
That is Dr. Wu Shicun, President of National Institute for South China Sea Studies, speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.
Former Japanese PM calls for China-Japan relations back on track
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is calling on the current Japanese government to take action to improve the relationship between Beijing and Tokyo.
Speaking at a peace forum here in Beijing, Hatoyama says current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to provoke the Chinese leadership by visiting the Yasukuni Shrine and taking a hard-line stance over the Diaoyu islands.
"I'm very concerned about the current China-Japan relations, especially after the formation of the Abe regime. It is a fact that visiting the Yasukuni Shrine and 'nationalizing' the Diaoyu Islands have infuriated the Chinese government and Chinese people. I think Japan should have the courage to face history."
Hatoyama is a political opponent of Abe and former leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
He served as Prime Minister from September 2009 to June 2010.
Hatoyama says the current Japanese government needs to better understand and review the history between the two nations in order to improve relations.
Sino-Japanese ties have been heavily strained over the Diaoyu Islands and issues connected to World War II.
Kerry holds talks with Egypt's Sisi in Cairo
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met with new Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.
This is the first visit of a high-profile U.S. official to Egypt since al-Sisi took office earlier this month.
As part of the trip, Kerry has announced the US is set to deliver 10 Apache attack helicopters previously ordered by the Egyptian government.
"Those Apaches are focused on the issue of terrorism, and they will be used in a place where Egypt has been working very, very hard, in concert with Israel and others and with us in order to push back against these terrorist activities."
The US side is also resuming plans to deliver some 650 million U.S. dollars’ worth of military aid to Egypt.
The annual US military aid to Egypt was suspended after the removal of former President Mohammad Morsi by the military, which was led by then-military chief al-Sisi.
Kerry's visit to Egypt comes just a day after the courts in Egypt confirmed the death sentences for 183 members of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
Iraq loses western border controls, Kerry in Egypt
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is suggesting change might be needed within the current Iraqi leadership to deal with the Sunni insurgency.
Kerry has made the comments amid a current tour in the Middle East.
"But we will help Iraqis to complete this transition if they choose it. If they want, they have an opportunity to choose leadership that can represent all of Iraq: a unity government that brings people together and focuses on ISIL."
But Kerry says Washington is not in a position to pick or choose who rules in Baghdad.
Kerry's trip to the region comes amid word over the weekend that the Iraqi government has lost control of its western borders.
Sunni militants have reportedly captured border crossings leading to both Syria and Jordan.
The rebels took two key crossings in Anbar on Sunday, a day after seizing one at Qaim, a town in the province that borders Syria.
The strategically-important airport in the northern town of Tal Afar has also reportedly fallen to the rebels.
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is also reportedly positioned to begin a surge into the heart of Iraq, including Baghdad.
Iran lashes out against U.S. intervention in Iraq crisis
Iran's Supreme leader has issued a strong condemnation of U.S. intervention in neighboring Iraq.
In making the comments, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is also accusing the United States of being behind the violence in Iraq.
He also says the violence currently gripping the country is not a battle between the Sunni and Shiite factions of Islam, suggesting instead that the US has been hatching a "plot" to destabilize Iraq.
The comments come on the heels of the Obama administration inserting 300 military advisors into Iraq to help train and support Iraqi security forces in their fight against the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
This is the Sunni militant group which has overrun much of northern Iraq.
The US government has been suggesting Iran has the ability to play a role in ending the violence in Iraq.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has gone on-record saying his government will not be sending troops into Iraq to protect the Shiite-led administration.
However, he has said Iran will do everything to protect Shiite Muslim shrines in Iraq.
Iran may return to former nuclear policies if talks fail: FM
The Iranian government is turning up the heat as the July 20th deadline approaches to complete a final nuclear agreement with the P5+1.
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
"Definitely, success in nuclear talks will substantially improve peace and security in the region, and the world, and will change the situation in the region. Of course, if no comprehensive agreement is reached, each party is entitled to get back to its previous policies - before the Geneva deal - including the Iranian side."
The fifth round of Iranian nuclear talks concluded on Friday in Vienna with some progress reportedly being made on drafting the framework of a final deal.
However, it's being reported key sections of the document remain blank, including on how much Iran needs to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for full relief from sanctions.
Under the interim deal reached in November, Iran suspended some of its nuclear activities in exchange for a limited easing of sanctions.
However, if no deal is reached before the July 20th deadline, the sanctions are due to return to their previous levels.
Iran will also be able to re-start its enrichment activities.
The next round of talks is scheduled for July 2nd.
Putin backs Ukrainian peace plan, urges for talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin is voicing his support for a new peace plan being proposed by Ukrainian leaders.
His comments have come amid continued fighting in eastern Ukraine which is said to be straining a unilateral ceasefire declared by President Petro Poroshenko last week.
"Unfortunately, what we are seeing by our means of objective control tells us that the fighting is ongoing and last night we saw some active use of artillery from the Ukrainian side. I'm not in a position to say who's doing that. We need to ensure that all fighting is stopped."
Rebel leaders in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have already declared they will not adhere to the ceasefire.
Government forces say the insurgents have attacked military bases and posts on the Russian border.
The rebels are accusing the Ukrainian army of firing mortars in the region.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says it’s time to open talks.
"Unfortunately, these days the issue of war has again become a reality in Ukraine. The smell, the stench of war is in the air today. That's why the day before yesterday, during my visit to Slavyansk, in the zone of the military operation I made a decision to give peace a chance."
Poroshenko has made the comments while attending a memorial for World War II on Sunday.
Netanyahu defends army's searching for missing teens
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is refuting suggestions the Israeli army is using excessive force in searching for three missing yeshiva students.
The comments come on the heels of a 15-year old Palestinian boy being killed during an Israeli army operation this past week.
"We are in the midst of a concerted effort of bringing the boys back home. This effort entails a certain friction with the civilian population in Judea and Samaria; we have no intention of deliberately harming anyone but our forces are acting as necessary for self-defense and from time to time there are victims or casualties."
Israeli troops have already arrested over 300 members of Hamas, which it blames for the kidnapping.
Hamas continues to deny any involvement.
The Israeli military has also been launching strikes on suspected Hamas training areas in the West Bank.
So far two Palestinians have been killed since the start of the search for the teens.
Canada airlift prisoners recaptured
Canadian police have recaptured three prisoners which were airlifted from prison in a dramatic scene earlier this month.
The inmates escaped by helicopter, which landed in the yard of a jail outside Quebec City.
The three have been captured in Montreal.
They are due to appear in court later on this Monday.
The men were due to stand trial on charges of murder and drug trafficking at the time of their escape.
Their escape was the second Quebec jailbreak by helicopter over the past two years.
Gaddafi's son faces murder charge
One of the sons of former Libyan leader Mummar Gaddafi has made his first court appearance on murder charges.
Saadi Gaddafi is accused of murdering his football teammate.
He's also expected to face charges in connection with the uprising which eventually led to his father's downfall and subsequent assassination.
At the same time, a number of ex-Gaddafi officials, including his former intelligence chief and Prime Minister, have also appeared in court on charges connected to the internal battle which led to the downfall of their administration.
China's Grand Canal, Silk Road inscribed on list of world heritage
China's Grand Canal, the longest man-made waterway in the world, has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.
The canal runs from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south.
The UN cultural organization has also added the Silk Road to its World Heritage List.
The application has been jointly submitted by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Choi Jae-Heon is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
"The silk road is one of the great examples for the exchange of the human values between the East and the West. And also we have plenty of evidence for that cultural exchange. The Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China, they share that kind of precious cultural roots. And then maybe that will be the future, the precious asset for all mankind to be preserved."
The Silk Road is millennium-old trade route which now consists of 33 historical sites, including 22 in China, eight in Kazakhstan and three in Kyrgyzstan.
It is the first time the Chinese government has cooperated with foreign countries when it comes to a World Heritage nomination.
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 board of directors for French firm Alstom are set to vote later on this Monday on General Electric's $16.9 billion bid for its energy assets.
US existing home sales and Eurozone services and manufacturing PMI are also expected to release later on this Monday.
US Commerce Department data due out on Tuesday is expected to show a rise in new home sales.
On Wednesday, the Commerce Department is expected to report that durable goods orders were flat through May.
Also on Tuesday, Mexico's inflation numbers will reveal whether the rates are continuing to ease in early June off a seven month low of 3.4 percent seen through the first half of May.
Walgreen's quarterly results are expected to be released.
On Wednesday, Germany consumer climate index is to be released.
On Thursday, sportswear gian Nike is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter results after the bell.
It's expected Nike's sales in China will be unchanged or even down slightly.
On Friday, the US commerce department is expected to report that consumer spending has rebounded 0.4 percent in May after dipping 0.1 percent the previous month.
Also on Friday, Ukraine's newly elected President is due to sign a free-trade agreement with the European Union.
Central bank to strengthen regulation of wealth management market
A senior official with the People's Bank of China says that regulation of wealth management products needs to be strengthened to control risk and push forward the development of the sector.
Pan Gongsheng, vice governor of the PBOC, says the growth of wealth management products has been booming in China over the past few years.
There's almost 13-trillion yuan worth of wealth management products currently in the system.
Pan says more needs to be done to try to ensure the value of people's financial assets.
France agrees to buy 20% stake in Alstom
The final obstacle to General Electric's 17-billion-dollar takeover of French engineering company Alstom's power division has been overcome after the French government agreed to terms with Alstom's main shareholder.
The French government has announced its going to buy a 20-percent stake in Alstom from construction giant Bouygues.
The move fulfills a pledge to ensure the French government would retain a say in jobs and decision-making at the company.
Alstom builds power plants and France's famed high-speed TGV trains.
Alstom's board approved GE's offer over the weekend, after the French government withdrew its opposition and threw its support behind the American company's takeover, with a few conditions.
Siemens and Mitusubishi also had a joint bid in-place to take control of Alstom's power division.
China, U.S. airlines carry 4.4 million passengers
New data from the Chinese government shows a total of 4.4 million passenger flights were made between China and the United States last year.
Seventeen companies from China and the U.S. carried both the passengers and some 150-thousand tonnes of freight.
The stats come amid an increase in air transport between the two sides.
Airlines from both countries have been launching a series of new routes.
Air China this month has opened a direct flight from Beijing to Washington D.C.
American Airlines' has also launched non-stop flights from Dallas to Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Chinese airline carries 46,000 passengers between China, Georgia
A newly released data from China Southern Airlines shows a total of 46-thousand passenger trips have been made between China and Georgia since the air route between the two countries was launched 3-years ago.
The flights by China Southern Airlines between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and the Georgian capital of Tbilisi began in June of 2011.
China Southern has also transported over 26-tonnes of cargo on the route.
Oil price risks put inflation back in focus
Iraq will be foremost in investors' minds in the coming week as the price of oil continues to soar.
Oil prices neared 9-month highs late last week, touching 115-dollars a barrel.
The rapid advance of the Sunni militants in Iraq, the second-largest producer in OPEC, is destabilizing the oil market.
Until now, falling energy prices have partly been responsible for the euro zone's low level of consumer price inflation, which the European Central Bank considers to be in its "danger zone".
A rise in inflation is being welcomed in the EU.
However, a growing number of economists and the International Monetary Fund have gone on-record saying the European Central Bank still needs to consider U.S.-style money printing to support the bloc.
EU leaders are due to discuss economic policy at a summit on Thursday and Friday in Brussels.
UK businesses urge government to block EU red tape
54 UK business leaders have signed-off on a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron, calling on him to safeguard British interests from European Union encroachment.
The group of banking chiefs, insurance bosses and entrepreneurs have drafted the letter, saying they fear the UK's dwindling influence in Brussels could hit their industries hard.
The letter says red tape and plans in the EU to tax financial institutions will continue to erode Britain's competitiveness in markets in which it has a unique global standing.
Korean TV dramas give Asian shoppers urge to splurge
Korean cosmetic firm Amore-Pacific says sales of its skincare products and lipsticks used by TV actor Gianna Jun have surged over 75 percent and 400 percent respectively, largely thanks to booming sales here in China.
A TV show called "My Love From the Star" has spawned a run on Jimmy Choo shoes worn by Jun, with the brand selling out in days across Asia.
The shoes themselves retail for 625 US dollars.
At the same time, in only took a rumor that the lipstick Jun used in one episode was from Yves St Laurent to cause a similar run on that product.
Neither Jimmy Choo nor YSL have an agreement to have their products placed in the show.
Argentina mulls initial payment to holdout creditors, final deal in 2015: newspaper
Argentinian authorities are reportedly considering making an initial payment to "holdout" creditors before asking to extend negotiations to officially reach a settlement next January to avert a disastrous debt default.
It’s being reported President Cristina Fernandez is considering paying the holdout creditors between 300 and 400 million dollars as a sign of good faith.
The Argentine government is then reportedly going to try to extend negotiations into next year in an attempt to reach a payment scheme via long-term bonds.
Lawyers representing the Argentinian government are planning to travel to the United States this week for negotiations.
Argentina has been in a fight with creditors in the US for more than a decade who are demanding full repayment of funds they used to bail the Argentinian government out in the 1990's.
China's real estate market will not collapse
An observer from the Chinese government's main think-tank is downplaying concerns about a possible collapse of the Chinese real estate market.
Fan Gang with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says the property sector has passed a turning point and will be stable in the future.
Despite the recent downturn in home sales and home prices in many of this country's major cities, Fan says he remains optimistic about the future of the market.
The optimism comes despite suggestions the banking industry is becoming more hesitant about mortgage lending, given the recent cooling trend.
Headline News
China will not accept international arbitration on disputes: senior diplomat
A senior Chinese diplomat is downplaying any suggestions of international arbitration connected to disputes in the South China Sea.
Vice foreign minister Zhang Yesui has made the comments as part of a World Peace Forum here in Beijing.
The comment follows a formal request by the Philippines for international arbitration on territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
The vice foreign minister also says China hopes relevant countries can focus on the overall interest and return to the path of dialogue and negotiation.
Tensions have been running high in the South China Sea amid disputes among China, Vietnam and the Philippines over the Xisha and Nansha Island chains.
Iraq loses western border controls, Kerry in Egypt
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is suggesting change might be needed within the current Iraqi leadership to deal with the Sunni insurgency.
Kerry says the United States supports an inclusive Iraqi leadership, but notes that Washington is not in a position to pick or choose who rules in Baghdad.
He made the remark in Cairo during his current Middle East trip, where he has also met with new Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
As part of the trip, Kerry has also announced the US is set to resume plans to deliver some 650 million U.S. dollars’ worth of military aid to Egypt.
Iran may return to former nuclear policies if talks fail: FM
The Iranian government is turning up the heat as the July 20th deadline approaches to complete a final nuclear agreement with the P5+1.
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says if no final comprehensive agreement is reached, Iran is entitled to get back to its previous policies before the Geneva deal.
The fifth round of Iranian nuclear talks concluded on Friday in Vienna with some progress reportedly being made on drafting the framework of a final deal.
However, it's being reported key sections of the document remain blank, including on how much Iran needs to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for full relief from sanctions.
Putin backs Ukrainian peace plan, urges for talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin is voicing his support for a new peace plan being proposed by Ukrainian leaders.
His comments have come amid continued fighting in eastern Ukraine which is said to be straining a unilateral ceasefire declared by President Petro Poroshenko last week.
Rebel leaders in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have already declared they will not adhere to the ceasefire.
Government forces say the insurgents have attacked military bases and posts on the Russian border.
The rebels are accusing the Ukrainian army of firing mortars in the region.
China's Grand Canal, Silk Road inscribed on list of world heritage
China's Grand Canal, the longest man-made waterway in the world, has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.
The canal runs from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south.
The UN cultural organization has also added the Silk Road to its World Heritage List.
The application has been jointly submitted by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
It is the first time the Chinese government has cooperated with foreign countries when it comes to a World Heritage nomination.
Newspaper Picks
THE BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Suspects apologize for Xinjiang attack
Summary
A teenager from the city of Hotan in Xinjiang has apologized for attacking people with an axe.
The 19-year old was one of three people who launched an attack on a gaming parlor in the city.
Those inside fought back, killing two of the attackers.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Xinjiang trade zone
Summary
Authorities in Xinjiang have broken ground on the construction of a border trade zone with Afghanistan.
The move is meant to try to boost tourism and help local farmers and herdsmen make more money.
BEIJING YOUTH DAILY
Headline
Dog-meat festival sparks controversy
Summary
Debates among animal rights activists and locals have led to fist-fights in the city of Yulin in Guangxi amid a local dog meat festival.
4 unlicensed local dog meat restaurants have been shut down, while 17 others have shut down amid the controversy surrounding the festival.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Commerce official fraud
Summary
An official from the commerce federation in Hainan is being accused bilking people out of nearly a billion yuan through pawn brokers and art shows.
The suspect allegedly promised victims a huge return for their investment.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Picture stealing allegations dismissed by WeChat
Summary
Tencent, the company which runs WeChat, is dismissing rumors that a link posted by many users leads to a site that "steals" photographs from mobile phones.
Tencent says its verified that the site is not malicious.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Over 2-dozen killed in southern rainstorms
Summary
Heavy rains which have been pounding southern China have left at least 26 people dead.
Three others are said to be missing across 9 different provincial-level regions.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs says nearly 5-million people have been affected.
Special Reports
Mars One in Netherlands meets the possible candidates of the plan
Anchor:
Organizers of Mars One, the Dutch program initiated last year for a one-way trip to Mars, are now meeting with potential candidates to decide who will be sent to live on the planet.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
Reporter:
Mars One organizers say there are 705 potential candidates left after two rounds of cuts and physical testing, from an original pool of about 200,000 applicants.
Among the remaining applicants, there are 418 men and 287 women representing a wide range of nationalities and professions.
That group is undergoing further training programmes run by a panel of scientists, adventurers, and astronauts.
At the end of process, Mars One will create 10 teams, each consisting of two men and two women working to be ready for the first departure to Mars.
Bas Lansdorp is a founder of Mars One.
"Each team will consist of four people, two men and two women, and we will try to make that 4 people from different continents to really represent the Earth as much as possible."
Pamela Nicoletatos is one of the potential candidates.
The Canadian-born mother of two boys now lives in the Netherlands.
She says nothing could be more humbling than being chosen to represent the initial crew sent to colonise Mars.
"I am not looking at Mars as means to escape anything here. I am very happy here. I think it's fantastic here, it's just an opportunity to see some place else, something new, somewhere new, that's more than anything."
Andrea Boyd is another possible candidate.
She is an engineer for the European Space Agency's Astronaut Centre in Cologne.
She hopes the lessons she learned as a control system engineer at a mining operation in the Australian desert will be beneficial.
"It is a fairly big planet in itself and there is lots to be explored. As an engineer it's a constant thing of problem solving to make things work in the middle of a really harsh environment. Similar to what I was doing at the mine, you make machines work in very high temperatures, in very low temperatures. In the middle of the desert where you have a lot of dust getting in equipment as well. So, it's a good technical challenge and I find those sorts of things quite fun."
Mars One plans to land its first crew on Mars by 2025.
Additional people will be sent every two years, with the goal to establish the first human settlement on another planet.
For those who travel to Mars, returning to earth will not be possible.
Mars One has also received a variety of criticism, mostly relating to medical, technical and financial feasibility.
The project's budget stands at 6 billion US dollars.
But a similar project study by NASA estimated the cost of such a feat at 100 billion dollars.
For CRI, this is Xie Zhao.
Sports
FIFA World Cup: Algeria vs. South Korea 4-2; Belgium vs. Russia 1-0
In the FIFA World Cup this morning,
Portugal is currently playing against the United States in their Group G meeting.
Portugal opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a goal from Nani.
A US victory this morning will secure the Americans a place in the knock-out round, while Portugal needs the victory to keep itself alive after being hammered by Germany in its first match 4-nil.
[UPDATES]
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Earlier, Algeria has kept its hopes alive by doubling up on South Korea 4-2 this morning.
With the win, Algeria climbs into second place with three points in Group H.
A victory in their next match will secure Algeria a spot in the knockout round, which would be the first-time ever the country has entered the final 16 at a World Cup.
----
In another Group H match, from earlier, Belgium has secured its spot in the knockout stages after downing Russia 1-0.
19-year-old forward Divock Origi, who came off the bench in the second half, scored a late goal to help Belgium in the win.
----
There are four matches lined up for tomorrow:
In Group B,
Australia is up against Spain in a match which has no bearing on the tournament, as both clubs have already been eliminated.
Another Group B match will have the Netherlands up against Chile, with both of those clubs already through to the round of 16.
In Group A
Cameroon will face Brazil.
Croatia is up against Mexico.
A win by Croatia will vault them over Mexico and into the Knockout stages.
Brazil needs just a tie to advance into the final 16.
Finn Mikko Ilonen wins Irish Open
At the LPGA's US Women's Open...
American Michelle Wie has taken this year's event, finishing with a 2-stroke victory over fellow American Stacy Lewis.
Wie finished with an even-par 70 this morning to take the 2-stroke victory at minus-2.
A pair of Chinese compeditors also finished well.
Tour rookie Feng Yue'er finished tied for 13th at Plus-6, while Guangzhou's Feng Shanshan finished tied for 15th at PLus-7, after firing even par 70's over the last three rounds of the tournament.
From the European tour,
On the men's side,
Mikko Ilonen of Finland has won the Irish Open by one stroke with a final round 70.
Ilonen finished at 13-under, one stroke ahead of Italy's Edoardo Molinari, who fired a final-round 67 to take second.
Sweden's Kristoffer Broberg an English duo of Matthew Baldwin and Danny Willett ended tied for third at 11-under.
Local favorite Graeme McDowell ended tied for 6th at minus-10.
----
On the Women's European tour,
Camilla Lennarth has earned her maiden Ladies European Tour win with a four-shot victory in the Slovak Open.
Valentine Derrey of France finished 2nd at 2-under-par with an impressive 3-under-69 in her final round, including six birdies.
--
Murray talk on eve of Wimbledon
Wimbledon is set to get underway later on this Monday.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, defending champion Andy Murray says he's got a lot of confidence heading into the tournament.
"This has been my most consistent tournament throughout my career. I haven't lost before the semis for a few years, I always play pretty good tennis here, I maybe could have played a bit better in the latter stages of the event in some of the years but I feel in terms of handling the pressure, there was a lot of it, I did okay. Last year was, the final was definitely the most pressure I felt in all the years I played here and I managed to come through it."
Chinese ace Li Na comes into the tournament seeded 2nd, despite her shocking first-round defeat at the French Open.
She'll open her tournament against Poland's Paula Kania at 8pm Beijing time.
Roger Federer steps down as ATP Player Council's president
In tennis news,
Roger Federer is stepping down as the ATP players council president after six years.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion has decided not to contest the presidential elections this coming season.
He's been at the helm of the player's union since 2008.
Federer says he wants to spend more time with his family.
His wife recently gave birth to the couple's 2nd set of twins.
The replacement for Federer will be decided on later in the season when the newly-elected council meets in New York before the commencement of the US Open.
Li Xuerui wins Indonesia Open
In badminton,
Chinese women's world Number-1 Li Xuerui managed to dispatch Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon 21-13, 21-13 in just 37 minutes to win the women's singles event at the Indonesia Open.
The victory is Li's third BWF Super Series title this year.
The Chinese duo of Tian Qin and Zhao Yunlei also claimed the women's doubles title at the event.
----
On the men's side,
Denmark's Jan Jorgensen has claimed his first Indonesia Open title by defeating Japan's Kenichi Tago 21-18, 21-18 in the men's singles final.
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The Chinese duo of Xu Chen and Ma Jin defeated Indonesia's Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir to win the mixed doubles competition.
Rosberg beats Hamilton to win Austrian Grand Prix
In Formula One,
Germany's Nico Rosberg has won the Austrian Grand Prix in a Mercedes one-two with teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Rosberg's victory stretches his championship lead over Hamilton to 29 points.
The victory is Rosberg's third of the season and his team's seventh.
Williams drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa finished third and fourth respectively.
Entertainment
'Little England' becomes the big winner of the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival
(Little England trailor)
The 17th Shanghai International Film Festival has come to an end.
The Greek movie "Little England" has taken the Best Film award.
Pantelis Voulgaris has also snatched Best Director award.
Actress Pinelopi Tsilika has taken the Best Actress award for her work in "Little England."
The film itself is about a group of sisters from the Greek island of Andros in the 1950's.
Meanwhile, the Best Actor award has gone to Thai actor Vithaya Pansringarm for his portrayal of an executioner in the Thai movie "The Last Executioner."
Chinese photographer Luo Pan has taken the Best Cinematography award for "The Sacred Arrow."
Another Chinese film, "Uncle Victory" by Zhang Meng, has won the Jury Grand Prix.
15 films were in final competition for the festival's top awards.
Chinese company demands edits to "Transformers"
(Transformers trailor)
A Beijing property developer has terminated a cooperation agreement with the new "Transformers" movie.
Beijing Pangu Investment is also demanding Paramount Pictures make edits to the film.
The company is also calling on the Chinese government's film regulator to not screen the movie, which is due to open this coming Friday.
The company owns the Pangu Plaza, a dragon-shaped hotel, office and mall complex that is featured in "Transformers: Age of Extinction."
The company claims Paramount's Chinese partners never delivered on pledges to hold the movie premiere at Pangu's hotel, despite an outlay of some 10-million yuan.
Pangu says its suing its Chinese partners for contract fraud and demanding that Paramount delete scenes from the movie that feature images of its logo or properties.
Despite this, Paramount Pictures have said that the film will be released on June 27 as scheduled.
Season 4 of the spy drama "Covert Affairs" will be back soon
The 4th season of the spy drama "Covert Affairs" is set to hit screens in the not-too-distant future.
Piper Perabo, who plays the lead character, says she's not sure which direction her character is going to take in the forthcoming season.
"As we sort of explore the show - it's the long arc stories - it's happening all over TV - but people are more interested in the long arc and in the kind of like mystery of the week thing and so to evolve a woman who's been her own boss I don't know if you can go back to that rookie. I don't know - I think it's going to be really hard. I think she's going to have to - she's either going to be brought up to a super-high clearance so she almost has no oversight or she's going to have to go off on her own."
The premier of this season of "Covert Affairs" is set to air at 10am Wednesday, Beijing time, on the USA Network.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
A leading Chinese official is rejecting calls for international arbitration in disputes in the South China Sea.
The US government is easing its earlier sanctions on the Egyptian government.
The Silk Road and the Grand Canal have been enshrined on hte UNESCO World Heritage list.
In Business... a leading Chinese observer is downplaying the risk of a property market collapse here in 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. |