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

Coming up on the program this evening...

China's economy growing 7 percent in second quarter.....

Japan expanding military role despite protests....

And World hailing Iran nuclear deal....

In Business.... China's central bank easing rules regarding overseas investment in the country's interbank market....

In Sports.... CSL: Shanghai Shenhua taking on Beijing Guoan....

And in Entertainment...Monkey King, setting a new record for Chinese Animation box office revenue...

Top NewsChina's economy grows 7 pct in Q2, slightly better than expectedAnchor:

China's economy has posted a 7-percent growth year on year in the second quarter of 2015.

National Bureau of Statistics data shows second-quarter GDP grew 1.7 percent over the previous quarter.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

The growth rate beat a median market forecast of 6.9 percent for the second quarter.

It has been a difficult year for China which is the world's second-largest economy.

Slowing growth in trade, investment and domestic demand has been compounded by a cooling property sector and most recently a stock market crash.

Sheng Laiyun, statistics bureau spokesperson, analyzes the current situation at a news conference in Beijing.

"The domestic and the external economic environment remained fairly complex in the first half of the year. As for the global situation, the global economic recovery was comprehensively lower than the expectation. At present, it's showing a sign of slow recovery with obvious polarization."Chinese stock markets did not celebrate the news, however, with benchmark indexes down nearly 3 percent in morning trade on Wednesday.

The government is still trying to stabilize its exchanges, which lost as much as 30 percent in a few short weeks of panicked selling.

Sheng says a stable stock market was vital for China's economy and forceful measures taken recently to contain the meltdown were showing results.

"The Chinese government is capable and has confidence to prevent regional and systematic risks from happening, and it is capable and has conditions and the confidence to promote the stable development of the stock markets and domestic economy."He also predicts further improvements of the economy in the second half of the year as previous policy measures take effect, including several interest rate cuts.

Pan Jiancheng with the National Bureau of Statistics agrees and says China's economy has shown positive growth, which has huge prospect and potential.

"During the first half of the year , China introduced a series of measures to stabilize economic growth, including a large amount of public service investment, which will be implemented gradually during the second half of the year. In addition, a series of monetary policies including reduction of interest rates, deposit reserve ratio and taxes will be better implemented in the second half of the year. So I think the momentum to drive economy growth will be stronger in the second half."The government has forecast economic growth of around 7 percent for 2015, which would be the weakest rate in 25 years.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

For more on China's economic situation, our reporter Zhao Yang earlier talked with Tim Condon, Head of Research, Asia, for ING Bank, on China's overall economy.

Back anchor: Tim Condon, Head of Research, Asia, for ING BankChina to stick to prudent monetary policy: PBOCChina's central bank on Tuesday announced it "will continue to implement prudent monetary policy, and improve the financial system's capability to serve the real economy".

The bank did not change its monetary policy stance after the latest quarterly meeting of its monetary policy committee.

In a statement, the central bank pledged to use multiple monetary policy tools in a flexible manner and maintain moderate liquidity in the market to ensure loans and social financing register reasonable growth.

It also called for continued market-oriented interest rate reform, and for the renminbi's exchange-rate reform to keep it stable.

World Hails Iran Nuclear DealAnchor:

The international community is hailing the nuclear deal reached between Iran and six major world powers, with many hoping it could transform the Middle East.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

Reporter:

Tuesday's announcement of a deal on Iran's controversial nuclear program caps more than a decade of negotiations.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the deal is "a testament to the value of dialogue.""I hope, and indeed believe, that this agreement will lead to greater mutual understanding and cooperation on the many serious security challenges in the Middle East. As such it could serve as a vital contribution to peace and stability both in the region and beyond."Ban's comment was echoed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"The most significant achievement of the agreement is that it safeguards the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Iran made the political promise that it will not develop nuclear weapons, and the other parties consolidated the promise through a binding international agreement."Under the deal, international sanctions imposed on Iran will be lifted in return for Tehran agreeing to long-term curbs on a nuclear program that the West has suspected was aimed at creating a nuclear bomb.

The agreement is seen as a political triumph for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was elected two years ago on a vow to reduce the isolation of his nation.

He says the deal has now opened a new chapter for Iran.

"Iran is not looking for weapons of mass destruction and never will be. Iran is not after imposing pressure on the countries of the region and never will be. Countries of the region, the relations between us, today, has a new beginning. We would like more intimacy, more affinity, more brotherhood, more unity, and extended relations with you."For the West, the deal is about more than just the nuclear issue, as explained by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

"The future brings the tantalizing possibility of Iran being a more engaged, more transparent, more consistent and constructive partner in the regional relationships in the Gulf as well, working with us to deal with the shared challenge of ISIL and its extremist ideology."However, it will probably be months before Iran receives the benefits from the deal.

The lifting of sanctions is conditional on the verification of the deal's fulfillment, in addition to the US Congress' review of the deal in a 60-day period.

Meanwhile, Israel, a strong opponent to the nuclear talks, has slammed the deal as an historic mistake and vowed to block its implementation.

But in encouraging news for Tehran, the European Union has decided to extend its suspension of sanctions on Iran until January next year in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear deal.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Obama Urges Congress to Approve Iran Nuclear DealAnchor:

U.S. President Barack Obama is hailing the Iranian nuclear agreement, saying the deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction.

He has also urged Congress to approve the deal, vowing to uphold it through all means available.

CRI's Xiaohong reports from Washington.

Reporter:

President Obama hailed the deal as a diplomatic landmark, it will stop the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

"This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction. We should seize it."The president noted that because of this deal, Iran will not produce highly enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium. Iran will also remove two-thirds of its installed centrifuges. In addition, UN inspectors will have 24/7 access to Iran's key nuclear facilities.

"Every path to a nuclear weapon has been cut off."However, the President will face harsh scrutiny from a Congress that is expected to review and decide whether or not to approve the deal within the next 60 days.

But he vowed to make sure the deal is carried out, and left all options on the table for doing so, including a presidential veto.

"I'm confident that this deal will meet the national security interest of the United States and our allies. So I will veto any legislation that prevents the successful implementation of this deal."He finally stressed that it would be irresponsible to walk away from this deal, signaling a coming showdown with Republicans in the US Congress.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.

Call-in following QZ's report on Iran Nuclear DealFor more on the nuclear deal,　CRI's Liu Kun earlier spoke with John Tirman, Executive Director and a Principal Research Scientist at MIT's Center for International Studies in the US.

Back anchor: John Tirman, Executive Director and a Principal Research Scientist at MIT's Center for International Studies in the US, speaking with CRI's Liu Kun.

Japan to Expand military role despite protestsA Japanese parliamentary committee has approved security legislation to expand their military role.

Opposition lawmakers have tried to stop the committee vote as hundreds of citizens protested outside parliament.

Chika Takahara, a 25-year-old care worker is one of the protesters.

"I don't like the way they are trying to forcefully pass the bills. They are using words such as peace and cooperation but I feel they are deceiving us using such words."Wednesday's passage paved the way for the ruling camp to vote the legislation in the lower house on Thursday.

Thursday's vote is crucial for Japan's postwar defense posture since the bills, if enacted, will give the Japanese Self-Defense Forces a greater role worldwide.

One bill will allow the Japanese military a greater role, including the defence of foreign allies that come under attack, while another would expand the military's international peacekeeping role.

According to Japanese law, if a bill was passed in the lower house but vetoed by the upper house, it could still be enacted after securing over two thirds of votes in a new poll in the lower house.

Japan's ruling coalition, which groups Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its small partner the Komeito Party, consists of over two thirds of seats in the lower house.

World on track to end AIDS epidemic: UNAnchor:

The latest report from the United Nations' AIDS agency says the world has exceeded the AIDS target of the Millennium Development Goal, and is on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

CRI's Fu Yu has more.

Reporter:

The target to provide HIV treatment to 15 million people by the end of this year was reached in March.

A report released by UNAIDS, a United Nations program, shows the global response to HIV/AIDS has averted 30 million infections and nearly 8 million deaths since the beginning of the millennium.

15 million people are receiving treatment for the virus, compared to 700-thousand 15 years ago.

Forty-one percent of all adults with the virus now have access to treatment.

Abiyot Godana, a mother from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, has been living with HIV since 1997.

She enrolled in a program for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission when she found out she was pregnant in 2003. Both of her children were born HIV-free.

"I went to the hospital because I wanted to have children free from HIV. I followed up with my treatment to assure myself and to be a role model for others. I am very happy that my children are free from the virus. They are my testimony and I even consider myself free when I look at them. The thought of having a family free from HIV - children free of HIV brings so much joy to my life."Today 73 percent of all pregnant women living with HIV across the globe have access to services that prevent mother-to-child transmission.

Kokesto Mokhethoa from Johannesburg, South Africa was born with HIV and was able to give birth to a healthy girl with the help of medicines.

"When I found out that I was pregnant, I made sure that I continued with my treatment, I made sure that now there was no time of defaulting and leaving my medication. And I attended a clinic which is in Coronation hospital, which is a clinic where we have PMTCT".

The number of AIDS-related death hit its peak in 2004, with 1.2 million people killed worldwide.

It has since fallen by 41 percent.

Investment in HIV/AIDS has surged more than four times since 2001 to reach 22 billion US dollars this year.

However, more than half of the 37 million people with HIV still do not have access to treatment. UNAIDS believes the AIDS epidemic will end by 2030 with continuous investment and effort.

For CRI, this is Fu Yu.

New Horizons Calls Home, Confirming Successful Pluto FlybyAnchor:

US Space Agency NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has sent a call home signal confirming its successful first ever flyby of Pluto.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

Reporter:

Crowds gathered at John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to listen for the 'phone home' signal which was sent from the probe 5 billion kilometers away from Earth.

The mission team confirmed the successful flyby of Pluto on Twitter.

New Horizons Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman says the probe has collected data using its recorder.

"It was very happy to go on and collect more science and the main computer system has the data recorder and our CNDH engineer had reported the expected number of segments on that recorder had been used and so that tells us that data has been collected on the space craft."NASA's New Horizons craft performed the flyby of Pluto at nearly 12,500 kilometers above the planet's surface making it the closest approach to the dwarf planet ever.

The unmanned probe launched 9 years ago has travelled 5 billion kilometers of space to reach Pluto and all of the images and measurements taken will be transmitted back in 16 months' time.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden explains the significance of the Pluto Flyby.

"NASA as an agency is on a journey to Mars with other agencies around the world. And every mission in science and exploration is expanding our knowledge of our solar system and our universe and helping pave the way for the next space craft in human missions to the farthest destinations. Today's mission was just one more step on the journey of getting humans to Mars because it gives us one more piece of the puzzle about our solar system."For his part, NASA Associate Administrator John Grunsfeld, says there's still a long way to go.

"If you think it was big today, wait until tomorrow and the next day. We haven't seen anything yet. This is really just the beginning. This is the equivalent of the Curiosity Rover landing. It's the beginning of the mission even after almost a decade in transit and many more years of attempts to get a Pluto mission and then once Pluto New Horizons was selected and was being built, who could have imagined that we'd all be here with a successful encounter of Pluto."The probe will not orbit or land on Pluto but head deeper into the Kuiper Belt, a region scientists believe to be filled with hundreds of small, icy objects.

Kuiber Belt objects are believed to prove the early formation of the solar system.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

UK to set up migrant 'secure zone' in CalaisBritain is now creating a "secure zone" in the French port of Calais for British-bound lorries to tackle the problem of stowaway migrants.

Home Secretary Theresa May says that the move will provide a secure waiting area for 230 vehicles.

"This should transform protection for lorries and their drivers, removing them from the open road, where they can become targets for migrants attempting to board their vehicles. Mr Speaker, the problems in Calais are clearly symptomatic of a wider issue that needs to be tackled at source and in transit countries."The northern French city of Calais is a key port for sea and train crossings to Britain.

In recent months, thousands of migrants from Eritrea, Sudan and beyond have camped out around the city.

Some of these migrants then try to sneak across the English Channel by getting onboard trucks and freight trains.

The encampments have soured relations between Britain and France, who blame each other for failing to cope with the crisis.

Final appeals made to jurors over cinema shootingA U.S prosecutor has told jurors that the gunman who fatally shot 12 people at a cinema 3 years ago in Denver is legally sane.

However the defence lawyer Daniel King counters that James Holmes is controlled by his schizophrenia.

Final appeals have been made to jurors before the case is handled over.

Deliberations are scheduled to begin on Wednesday morning local time.

Sandy Phillips, the mother of Jessica Ghawi, a victim killed in the shooting, says the killer should get punishment no matter whether he's mentally ill or not.

"I don't care if he is mentally ill or not. That's irrelevant to me. He wanted to kill people. He managed to do it. And he should be held accountable. And actually, I think, I actually think that it's really put mental illness back quite a ways, instead of looking at this and saying mental illness is different than being insane. And, um, there are a lot of people, millions of people in this country that are mentally ill that don't go out and kill people. So I really think it's a disservice to the mentally ill to project it that way.''

James Holmes allegedly entered the Aurora cinema with several fire weapons and opened fire during the midnight premiere of a Batman movie.

12 people were killed and 70 were injured.

Drug lord behaves 'normally' before escaping from prison: MexicoMexican authorities have said that drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman behaved normally on the day he escaped from a maximum security prison.

National Security Commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubido made the announcement at a press conference.

"The prisoner's behaviour on the day these events occurred was up to that moment normal, usual for a prisoner who spends long hours inside his cell. Also, the video that we just showed corroborates that the camera has two blind spots inside the cell."Rubido adds that the Attorney General's office is investigating whether security protocols are correctly followed at the prison.

Newly released security camera footage shows Guzman walking several times from one side to the other of his cell at the Altiplano prison.

He later sits on the bed to change his shoes, goes to the shower area and disappears from view.

Headline NewsChina reports better-than-expected Q2 growthChina's economy has posted a better-than-expected growth of 7 percent in the second quarter of 2015.

Second-quarter GDP expanded 7 percent year on year, unchanged from the first quarter. It grew 1.7 percent over the previous quarter.

The growth rate beat a median market forecast of 6.9 percent for the second quarter.

The National Bureau of Statistics has attributed the growth rate to the government's bold moves in macro-control and adherence to structural reforms.

NBS spokesperson Sheng Laiyun says the national economy has stayed "in the proper range" during the first half of the year.

More than seven million new jobs were created in urban areas in the first half, with a target of 10 million for the year.

Inflation has risen by only 1.3 percent during the period.

Chinese FM urges parties involved to honor nuke deal promisesChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is urging all parties involved in the Iranian nuclear deal to honor the promises they made in the landmark agreement.

Wang Yi says the agreement is just a start. The main challenge of the agreement is whether the deal could be implemented properly and thoroughly.

Wang adds the agreement may change the relations between Iran and other world powers.

He believes that it would also safeguard the global nuclear non-proliferation system.

Japan's national security advisor to visit ChinaJapan's National Security Advisor Shotaro Yachi is scheduled to visit China from Thursday to Saturday for a high-level political dialogue.

Yachi's visit is at the invitation of Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

Both sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and mutual interest issues.

Two state-owned power companies merge to form China's largest nuclear entityChina's largest nuclear entity, State Power Investment Group, has been established in Beijing following the merger of two state-owned power companies.

The entity is set to be a comprehensive energy group offering thermoelectric power, hydroelectric power, nuclear power and new energy resources.

The total assets of the new group exceed 700 billion yuan.

The new group has been merged from China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation and China Power Investment Corporation.

It's believed that the combination can effectively reduce the exploitation of fossil fuels and at the same time improve the utilization rate of clean energies.

14 arrested over online gun salesPolice in Hebei have arrested 14 people for illegally selling guns and ammunition on the Internet.

Local police have also seized more than 11-hundred guns and over 400-thousand bullets from their storehouse.

Police say the ring sold these guns to 13 clients in different parts of China.

An investigation shows the ring peddled the guns and ammunition to 20 provinces and cities nationwide, raking in at least one million yuan over the past two months.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Turning now to business news.

First a look at the numbers from across the Asian markets to close out this Wednesday evening.

Joining me on the desk is CRI's Luo Bin.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks suffered a loss today, despite the newly released second quarter economic data beating expectation.

Some 1000 stocks have jumped to their daily limit, led by companies in shipping, sports, nuclear and aviation sectors.

The tumble has put an end to the market recovery following the government's string of measures to pull the stock exchange out of a nose dive.

Analysts are suggesting the investors' sentiment remains weak.

However, share prices of companies in financial, petroleum and insurance sectors have surged, with Petrochina climbing to its daily limit.

At the closing bell,The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 3 percent, ending at just above 3800 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index plunged 4.7 percent.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, dived 5 percent to end at around 2500 points.

Meanwhile at the Hong Kong exchange, Hong Kong securities Commission punished mainland green energy giant Henergy today, requiring it to be delisted from today.

This comes almost two months after Henery suspended its trading in Hong Kong exchanges following a plunge of over 40% of its share price in half an hour on May 20th.

Hong Kong stocks ended lower with the benchmark Hang Seng index ending 0.3 percent lower.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japanese stocks rose as investors' sentiment was supported by an optimistic mood over the Greek bailout plan.

The benchmark Nikkei jumped 0.4 percent.

Gainers were led by pharmaceutical, precision instrument and food issues.

South Korea's KOSPI increased 0.7 percent.

Singapore stocks finished higher on the day, with the benchmark Straits Times Index ending up 0.7 percent.

Finally, Australian stocks continued their surge throughout Tuesday with the benchmark ASX 200 adding 1 percent.

China central bank eases rules for overseas action in interbank marketChina's central bank has eased rules regarding overseas investment in the country's interbank market.

A notice issued on late Tuesday suggests foreign central banks, sovereign wealth funds and global financial organizations could have easier access to China's interbank bond market.

Under the new rule, a pre-approval to trade bonds, interest-rate swaps and conduct repurchase agreements will no longer be needed.

These institutional investors are only required to fill in a registration form with the central bank before investing in the interbank market.

They will also be free to decide on the size of their investment.

The easing policy comes as China aims to promote globalization of the yuan currency to support its inclusion into the International Monetary Fund's basket of reserve currencies.

Chinese property market picks upNew stats from Chinese Land authorities suggest China's land prices have grown steadily in the second quarter of this year.

The report released by the Ministry of Land and Resources shows the average price of land stood at above 3500 yuan (or 570 USD) per square meter, less than a 1 percent increase on the first quarter.

Zhao Song, head of China Land Surveying and Planning Institute at the Ministry of Land and Resources, says that land prices have fluctuated in a proper range.

"From the monitoring data, we can tell that the land prices changed largely in a steady fashion. Moreover, the price differentiation between cities has continued. The month-on-month growth in the price of land for various use across the country was on an uptick in the second quarter, which means land prices this quarter are growing faster."Zhao also notes that the growth rate in price in third-tier cities was obviously lower than that in their second-tier counterparts.

Meanwhile a separate report released by the National Bureau of Statistics shows sales of commercial housing went up 10 percent year on year in the first half.

However, China's property investment continued to soften in the first half of this year, with its growth rate falling nearly 4 percent than the first quarter.

Industry observers believe China's property market has picked up thanks to the country's lower interest rates and reserve requirement ratio.

IMF and EU at odds over bailout termsThe International Monetary Fund has gone on record criticizing the bailout deal reached between Greece and its European creditors in Brussels on Monday.

The IMF study published late on Thursday suggests that Greece needs "far more debt relief" than European governments are considering right now.

The IMF hopes that European countries could give Athens a 30 year grace period on servicing all of its European debt, including new loans and a maturity extension.

This comes just hours ahead of Greece's parliamentary vote on the draft bill containing actions required by Eurozone creditors.

The bill, covering a set of taxation and pension system reforms, is slated for Wednesday evening local time.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is now trying to convince domestic lawmarkers to vote for the package of austerity measures, saying the agreement saved Greece from exiting the euro and must be implemented.

"Let me tell you just the truth and allow me not to paint a beautiful picture; the night before the previous one was a bad night for Europe. We were made to go towards the wishes of the most powerful people in Europe, within circumstances of blackmail and suffocation, we had two terms on the table, first the agreement with specific requisites, or go bankrupt, that is leave the Eurozone."The upcoming vote will be a prerequisite for Greece to start negotiations for a new bailout worth around 86 billion euros.

Foreign fast-food chains in China going digital to lure customersAnchor:

Foreign fast-food chains in China are joining the digital dining trend as part of the effort to draw more customers and boost slumping sales.

CRI's Min Rui has the details.

Reporter:

McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food hamburger chain, is providing Shanghai customers with the opportunity to craft their own burgers with touchscreen kiosks.

The "Create Your Taste" campaign was launched by the company at the end of June to let people choose ingredients for their burgers from self-ordering kiosks.

Though the customized meal set is much more expensive than McDonald's usual combo, many customers have been attracted and are giving it a try.

"It's a lot of fun, and you can't get it elsewhere. Here, I can choose from a large number of ingredients and leave out those I don't like. I think it's cool and different."Elsewhere, KFC has teamed up with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to allow customers in Beijing, Shanghai and the province of Zhejiang to pay for their meals using mobile payment tool Alipay.

Many consumers believe the new service will add convenience to their dining experience at KFC restaurants.

"Sometimes I don't have enough cash with me when I am shopping, so I would ask if a store accepts Alipay mobile payment. Whether a shop accepts it affects my decision as to which shop I will visit, as it is more convenient if it does."These digital services are viewed by many as the latest move by foreign fast-food chains to prop up sluggish sales in China.

Hao Fangfang, a senior analyst at iResearch, says the change in customer preferences in the fast-food business is a major reason for declining sales.

"The herd behavior was often found in public consumption behavior in the decade starting 2000. But what those born after 1985 or even 1990 pursue is individuality, uniqueness and being different. That's why the once massively popular fast-food chains have been losing ground to those offering niche services like theme restaurants."She also warns that digital services alone are not enough to help them restore growth.

Other than meeting customers' needs, business decisions and better management are required also.

With more than 130,000 offline businesses across China accepting Alipay mobile payments, going digital is now becoming the major trend in China's retail sectors.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

Chinese shoppers takes up 30% of global duty-free shopping: Bloomberg IntelligenceA new report from Bloomberg suggests that Chinese shoppers have dominated 30 percent of overall global duty-free sales last year.

Catherine Lim, senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, says China has become the biggest contributor of duty-free shopping since 2009.

At the same time, Lim predicts that the number of China's outbound tourists will surge nearly 20 percent by the end of this year, reaching about 140 million.

Chinese tourists spent over 160 billion US dollars on overseas shopping in 2014.

SportsCSL: Shanghai Shenhua takes on Beijing GuoanLet's start with football,It's all action tonight for football fans as the 19th round of the Chinese Super League gets underway.

Shanghai Greenland is now playing Beijing Guoan at home.

And the battle between Guangzhou Evergrande and Henan Jianye will begin at 8:00 tonight.

The Guangzhou club beat Changchun Yatai 2-0 last week and are currently ranked in 3rd place on the CSL table.

Some other games taking place this evening,Hangzhou Greentown is playing Chongqing Lifan,Changchun Yatai is meeting Liaoning Hongyun,Shanghai Shenxin is battling Shandong Luneng after they lost their last game against Guizhou 5-2 last week.

And it is Shijiazhuang Ever Bright going against Jiangsu Sainty Football Club.

Shanghai SIPG to host Atletico Madrid in pre-season friendlyShanghai SIPG is to host Athletico Madrid in the Wanda International Football Tournament friendly match as part of the Spanish Club's pre-season tour of Asia.

Athletico's match against SIPG will be held at the Shanghai Stadium next month, where Sven-Goran Eriksson and Diego Simeone will match their wits in the battle.

SIPG currently stands in second place in the Chinese Super League in their first season under Eriksson.

Under Simeone, Atletico won the UEFA Europa League in 2012, the Copa del Rey in 2013 and La Liga in 2014, during which they also reached the UEFA Champions League final.

The two teams are set to start a two-stop tour with a match against J League side Sagan Tosu in Japan early in August.

Kenya sprinters eye Beijing titlesSome news from the IAAF World Championships,Kenyan sprinters are now staking a huge claim to be included in the country's squad for the August event which is to be held here in Beijing.

Short distance runners have given the local governing body Athletics Kenya a rousing reason when they set four national records during the domestic championships held last weekend in Nairobi.

Seven sprinters nailed the Beijing Worlds qualifying standards, making them eligible to compete at the biennial global track-and-field showpiece next month.

Their head coach believes the resounding showing did enough to convince Athletics Kenya to expand its medal breadbasket from distance runs to sprints at the Beijing event.

Athletics Kenya had announced plans to bring famed Jamaican sprint coach Glen Mills, who trained among others, superstar, double Olympics and world champion Usain Bolt, but federation chief executive Isaac Mwangi said the plans were shelved.

They have since turned to European powerhouses Germany for expertise in short distance events as well as field sports.

Club America rally to beat Earthquakes 2-1 in ICCElsewhere,Mexico's Club America came from behind to beat their U.S. hosts the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 in the International Champions Cup on Tuesday.

Both sides ended the match with ten men.

Francisco Rivera intercepted a pass and scored in the 83rd minute.

Andres Andrade also scored for Club America, who lost Dario Benedetto to a possible fractured ankle in the first half.

In front of a split crowd at Avaya Stadium, Clarence Goodson put San Jose 1-0 up with a header in the Earthquakes' first ICC match of the season.

San Jose goalkeeper Bryan Meredith, making a rare start in place of David Bingham, made several key saves until the Mexican team got both their goals in a seven-minute span.

Tempers flared and players from both sides exchanged heated words throughout the match.

San Jose's Sanna Nyassi and Club America captain Paolo Goltz received red cards in the melee after a heavy tackle on Nyassi by Erik Pimentel in first-half stoppage time.

San Jose will play Manchester United July this year in another ICC match.

American League triumph 6-3 in MLB All-Star GameTurning over to baseball,The National League faced the American League in the 86th Major League Baseball All-Star Game at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday night.

MVP Mike Trout became the first player in 38 years to homer leading off an All-Star game as the American League beat the National League 6-3.

Trout says repeating as an MVP means a lot to him.

"Yeah, no, it means a lot. Obviously we came out with a 'W' (win), that's the biggest thing. I just, when I go out there, I play my hardest every day. And it doesn't matter what the score is. When I'm in there I'm playing nine innings hard and it's just an incredible honour to be a part of the All-Star game and to win the MVP twice. It's something special for sure."Trout sent a low and away pitch from NL starter Zack Greinke over the right-field wall to put the AL on top 1-0 in the first inning.

Josh Donaldson's throwing error on leadoff batter Paul Goldschmidt's infield hit helped the NL even things up later in the second.

The AL jumped on Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for two runs in the fifth.

Glen Perkins gave up a run in the ninth inning but retired Kris Bryant and Joe Panik to seal the AL's win.

Entertainment"Monkey King: Hero Is Back" Sets New Record for Chinese AnimationAnimated movie "Monkey King: Hero is Back" has set a record for the fastest Chinese animation to surpass the 200 million yuan mark.

The movie hit the milestone in less than six days.

The previous record was set by the latest "Boonie Bears" installment earlier this year, which took three weeks to surpass 200-million yuan mark.

Dubbed the "black horse" this summer, the animation opened lower than expected on its opening day (July 10), losing to coming-of-age movies "Tiny Times 4" and "Forever Young".

However, the movie has continued to top the daily charts at the box office over the past two days with a record high of 50 million yuan.

The film was adapted from the well-known legend of Monkey King but tells a whole different story, appealing to audiences of all ages.

Taking 8 years to complete, the animation has been well received among viewers.

"Monkey King: Hero Is Back" is rated 8.5 out of 10 at mtime.com, an IMDB-like site in China.

The movie is also preparing to open in US theatres.

"Lost in Hong Kong" Debuts TrailerThe trailer has been released for long-anticipated comedy film 'Lost in Hong Kong' welcoming a surprise actor.... Bao Bei'er.

Bao joins director and actor Xu Zheng and actress Zhao Wei, embarking on an adventure in the eastern financial hub of Hong Kong.

Bao Bai'er shot to fame after starring in Zhao Wei's directorial debut "So Young".

The film is the sequel to Xu Zheng's 2012 film "Lost in Thailand", which grossed more than 1.2 billion yuan at the Chinese box office.

"Lost in Hong Kong" is Xu Zheng's second directorial feature.

The film will open in Chinese theatres on September 25.

Disney Unveils Shanghai Theme Park, Highlighting Chinese ElementsDisney head Bob Iger has unveiled details of its upcoming theme park in Shanghai.

The park will contain six themed lands, namely Mickey Avenue, Adventure Isle, Gardens of Imagination, Tomorrowland, Treasure Cove and Fantasyland.

Shanghai Disneyland is the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland.

The Disney chief said the park will also highlight Chinese cultural elements.

"Shanghai Disneyland will be a magical place with optimism and possibility and in keeping with the best of Disney's storytelling tradition but we are also creating an original entertainment with attractions and experiences specially for the people of China."A "Garden of the Twelve Friends" will be set up in the park, with twelve animals from the Chinese zodiac re-imagined as Disney and Pixar characters.

The Shanghai Disneyland theme park is part of the larger Shanghai Disney Resort, which also boasts a Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and a Toy Story Hotel.

Shanghai Disneyland is set to open in the spring of next year.

One Direction's Louis Tomlinson to Become a DadBritish boy band One Direction's Louis Tomlinson is to become a father.

According to People magazine, the 23-year-old pop singer is expecting a baby with Briana Jungwirth, a Los Angeles-based stylist.

Tomlinson met Jungwirth through a mutual friend earlier this year after splitting with long-time girlfriend Eleanor Calder in March.

However, People said the two are not in a romantic relationship.

The mutual friend was quoted by People as saying the parents-to-be are "both really excited about the baby."One Direction are currently on the U.S. leg of their "On the Road Again" tour.

Amy Schumer, LeBron James Promote "Trainwreck" at World Premiere in New YorkAmy Schumer has brought her latest film "Trainwreck" to New York for its world premiere.

Schumer was joined by co-stars Bill Hader, basketball legend LeBron James and WWE superstar John Cena.

The actress described it as a magical night.

"I feel so excited. This is beyond my wildest dreams. I'm so proud of the movie. All of my best friends from high school are here. My family is all here. It's such a special night.""Trainwreck" follows the story of a promiscuous magazine writer who falls for an orthopedic surgeon.

Judd Apatow, who directed the film, explains why he teamed up with Schumer.

"I was listening to Howard Stern one day and she was talking about her relationships and her relationship with her father who has MS. I thought she is really a great storyteller. Because these are dark stories, they're sad, but she's really funny. She finds a way to be loving while talking about tough stuff.""Trainwreck" opens in US theatres this Friday.

Jesse Eisenberg Clarifies His Comparison on Facing Comic-Con Crowds as "Genocide""The Social Network" actor Jesse Eisenberg has come out to clarify a comparison in which he described his experience of facing fans at Comic-Con as "genocide".

"It is like being screamed at by thousands of people. I don't know what the experience is throughout history, probably some kind of genocide. I can't think of anything that's equivalent."The actor said he was using hyperbole which he employs sometimes.

Eisenberg was at the event to promote upcoming film "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice", which co-stars Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill.

In an interview earlier this week, the actor said the crowd's raucous enthusiasm was "terrifying".

Eisenberg defended him as saying he was a normal person with normal reactions to things.

However, Eisenberg said it was "wonderful" to be involved in something that is so highly anticipated and loved.

That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...

China's economy growing 7 percent in second quarter.....

Japan expanding military role despite protests....

And World hailing Iran nuclear deal....

In Business.... China's central bank easing rules regarding overseas investment in the country's interbank market....

In Sports.... CSL: Shanghai Shenhua taking on Beijing Guoan....

And in Entertainment...Monkey King, setting a new record for Chinese Animation box office revenue...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, I'm Sophie Williams in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.