新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2015/07/18（打印版）

The Beijing HourEvening EditionIt's Sophie Williams with you here on this Saturday July 18th, 2015.

In Sports... French F1 driver Jules Bianchi passing away from head injuries sustained in a crash at last year's Japanese Grand Prix.

And in Entertainment... "Jianbing Man" setting 2D Movie Record sales in ChinaTop NewsPremier Li Tells Japan to Follow Peaceful DevelopmentAnchor:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged Japan to stick to peaceful development while meeting with the head of Japan's National Security Council.

Premier Li Keqiang held talks on Friday with Shotaro Yachi who is in Beijing for the first China-Japan high-level political dialogue.

The meeting comes on the heels of Japan's ruling coalition ramming several controversial security bills through its lower house of parliament.

Li says Japan should continue to follow a policy of peaceful development and play its due role in regional peace, stability and development.

He notes that bilateral relations still face prominent issues of sensitivity and complexity, saying he hopes Japan will focus on a big picture, keep its commitments on historical issues and properly handle relevant disputes with a responsible attitude.

For his part, Shotaro Yachi says Japan hopes to maintain the momentum of improvement of ties along with the Chinese side.

It comes at a time when the bilateral ties show signs of thawing after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at an Asia-Pacific summit in Beijing last November and an Asia-African leaders' gathering in Jakarta this April.

Speculation over improved Sino-Japanese ties have continued to rise after a 3000-strong Japanese delegation visited China in May and the bilateral finance minister dialogue resumed in June.

Yang Bojiang, a professor of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the political dialogue holds special significance for bilateral ties.

"Without settling of any concrete problems, the meeting is still significant as long as the two sides agree to continue dialogues and communications for resolving their disputes."The Sino-Japanese relationship took a nosedive after Japan's illegal arrest of Chinese fishermen in waters off Diaoyu Islands in 2010.

"Besides paying attention to current problems, the two sides should also build a long-term vision and set the direction for the development of the bilateral ties, from a strategic perspective."The professor suggests that dialogue is the best way for the two sides to settle disputes, though Japan's interfering in South China Sea dispute and its recent passing of security bills complicate the situation.

"China and Japan are indeed dependent on each other in multiple areas such as ecological protection, economy, trade and investment. Despite the thorny problems, the bilateral relationship can still move in an upward direction and get back on track provided that the two sides are determined to solve them through dialogue."The political dialogue was co-chaired by Shotaro Yachi and Chinese top diplomat Yang Jiechi.

Both of the Chinese officials have urged Japan to learn from history and respect the major security concerns of its neighbors and not to do anything detrimental to regional peace and stability.

Chinese Muslims celebrate Eid al-FitrMillions of Muslims across China have begun celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a festival marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Thousands of worshippers in Beijing gathered inside a mosque in Niu street, the traditional Muslim neighborhood of the city.

"Experiencing Ramadan over the past month has brought great benefits to us, physically and mentally. We stood the tests of hunger and thirst and have been able to gain a deep understanding of the scriptures. It was also an opportunity for us to get more concentrated in our daily prayers. So the benefits were really great."In China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, many business operators are preparing for the foreseeable sales boost.

"Our sales volume will pick up when the Ramadan ends, so we are seizing the time making more products during Ramadan. Our sales volume is very big during the holiday period."Meanwhile, in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Saturday marks the beginning of a 5 day holiday period with highways and most scenic spots free of charge during the period.

China's housing market continues to warm up in JuneChina's real estate market has continued to warm up in June, with new home prices in an increasing number of surveyed cities registering month on month rises.

Of 70 large and medium sized cities surveyed in June, new home prices climbed in 27, up from the 20 in the previous month, while 34 reported month on month price declines, down from May's 43, according to data released on Saturday by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Analysts say that China's housing market seems to be picking up as government support policy measures take effect.

Wang Wei with the Institute of Market Economy says the real estate market shows an indication of rebound, which is mainly influenced by the government's macro-control policy measures in the first half of this year.

"For example, the three times of requirement reserve ratio (RRR) cut and interest cut, and increasing the ceiling of housing provident fund loans. Some local government took some differentiated regulatory policy measures. So the whole real estate market starts to pick up."China's consumption growth continues in 2nd half yearThe Ministry of Commerce says China's consumption growth will continue in the second half of this year.

As consumption has contributed to economic growth by 60 percent, it's still the first driving force of the economy.

"Although the consumption growth has declined by a certain amount and been affected by an economic downturn, I think it is a kind of return of rationality, industrial restructuring and the reflection that consumption has entered a new period."Based on the figures in the second quarter, Fang predicts that the consumption growth rate will continue to rise.

"Reviewing the figures for April, May and June, the consumption growth rebounded. It was 10 percent in April, 10.1 percent in May, 10.6 percent in June. So we predict it will continue to rise steadily in the remaining months."The actual use of overseas funds also increased during the first half of the year.

Statistics show that mergers and acquisitions have accounted for 19 percent of whole overseas capital, up 14 percent year-on-year.

Up to 97 killed, 133 wounded in massive truck bombing in Iraq's DiyalaThe death toll from a truck bomb blast has risen to 97 at a busy marketplace in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala on Friday.

The attack occurred when a truck loaded with tons of explosives detonated as hundreds of people were crowded at a popular market at the town of Khan Bani Saad, northeast of Baghdad.

Authorities are investigating media reports that the huge blast was carried out by a suicide bomber, which is the style of the Islamic State militant group which has seized large parts of Iraq.

Iran's policy towards US has not changed: top leaderIran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that a historic nuclear deal with world powers reached this week won't change Iran's policy towards the United States.

Khamenei says the US policy in the Middle East runs counter to Tehran's strategy, thus Iran will continue to support its allies in the Middle East.

"We have no negotiations with America about various global and regional issues. We have no negotiations on bilateral issues."Khamenei made the comments in a speech to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in Tehran.

Iran and world powers reached a landmark deal on Tuesday that will curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for a comprehensive lifting of sanctions.

El Nino Effect Brings Worst Ever Drought to ThailandThailand is experiencing its worst ever drought as the El Nino effect has delayed the monsoon season, leaving the country's rivers and waterways at their lowest levels in nearly three decades.

A third of Thailand is now under a water ration order, while many parts of the country have been declared drought disaster zones.

Residents in the suburbs of the capital Bangkok, already without access to natural water supplies, are collecting from water tankers and fire trucks.

"I've lived here for 58 years, and this is the first year the water's dried out. I haven't been able to take a shower for two days. People used all the tap water so it didn't reach my house."Thailand relies on its rivers and canals for its drinking water supply. However, the unrelenting drought has brought supply levels dangerously low.

Authorities in Bangkok have urged each household in the city to store at least 60 liters of drinking water in the event that water supply becomes completely unavailable, a worst case scenario.

Passenger Train Crash Wounds Hundreds in South AfricaA crash between two passenger trains near Johannesburg has injured around 300 people.

"The train that was in front was stuck. When it was stuck, there was a train at the back of it that was given the right of way. The train coming from the back went straight in the one that was in the front causing a collision that caused coaches to split."The spokeswoman for Metro Rail, Lillian Mofokeng, confirmed the cause of the accident as a rear-end collision.

She said both trains were travelling from Johannesburg's city centre to the township of SowetoShe also said 100 people had already been released from hospital, while the remaining injured passengers are still being treated.

Train accidents and derailments are fairly common in South Africa, which is grappling with infrastructure issues including frequent power shortages.

Formal negotiations with Greece on its third bailout within five years have been approved by Germany and the European Commission.

German lawmakers have given their overwhelming approval to the opening of detailed negotiations with Greece on a new bailout package.

The vote followed an over-three-hour debate where German Chancellor Angela Merkel told lawmakers that it was not only a decision on Greece, but also a decision on the future of a strong Europe.

Also on Friday, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said the Eurogroup has agreed to launch negotiations on a three-year bailout programme with Greece on a European Stability Mechanism bailout.

"The Eurogroup reached an agreement in principle to launch negotiations on a new ESM programme. National procedures are expected to confirm this decision."Dombrovskis adds that the 28-country bloc has approved 7.16 billion euros of bridge financing for Greece and would be given to Greece by Monday.

"We have an agreement on the bridge financing for Greece based on the ESM loan. This agreement backed by 28 European Union member states prevents Greece from an immediate default. It means that 7.6 billion euros will reach Greece on time by Monday."The bridge loan will allow Greece to clear its arrears with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank of Greece and to repay the European Central Bank.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde says debt restructuring is needed for Greece to free up to unleash the potential of its economy.

"I'm very realistic, and we try to be. What we heard loud and clear is that the Euro area members are not particularly keen to do haircuts. That was clear. And budget transfers is not in the cards either. You know, I think what we said is significant restructuring, which can take the form of a reprofiling for Greece."Though the broad outlines of the bailout were agreed Monday, specific terms are now being fleshed out between Greece and its European creditors.

The process is expected to last around four weeks and to lead to Greece getting around 85 billion euros to help it pay off upcoming debts.

In return, Greece has accepted reforms that include significant pension adjustments, value added tax increases, an overhaul of collective bargaining rules and tight limits on public spending.

Memorial activities have been held in the Netherlands, Ukraine and Australia to mark the 1st anniversary of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

"Because the 298 unique people we remember today will always be connected with your lives and those of thousands of others. Lives that go on, but with 'a gaping hole', as one of the next of kin described it recently. Today is a difficult day - a day of reliving events. It is inevitable that everything will come flooding back."The airliner was downed near the Ukrainian village of Hrabove on July 17, last year.

"Civilians and soldiers, eternal memory to all. And to the people, who died here. It is a terrible tragedy. We came to pay our respects to the memory of the people who died hoping that this all will be over soon. We hope that this will never happen again. Not here, not anywhere else. Shooting is very scary."Meanwhile in Canberra, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was joined by some of the relatives of the 39 Australian victims at a service.

Abbott unveiled a plaque that bears the names of all Australian victims, before laying a wreath to commemorate the victims.

"You have had the worst year of your life. Hardly a moment would go by when you don't think of a parent, a child, a sibling, a friend, present in your thoughts but painfully absent from your life. Today our nation pauses to acknowledge your tragedy."The Boeing 777 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot downed over eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian and Western authorities claim the plane was downed by a missile fired either by the anti-government militants or the Russian troops.

Britain and Ukraine have recently appealed to the UN Security Council for an international tribunal to prosecute suspects.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed opposition, saying it is "premature and counterproductive."Putin noted that the international investigation should be in full compliance with a UN Resolution adopted on the initiative of Russia last July.

CRI's Liu Xiangwei reports on the US National Youth Orchestra which is touring China with renowned director Charles Dutoit and Chinese pianist Li Yundi.

Their interpretations of Tan Dun, Beethoven and Berlioz were well received by an audience that packed the National Center for the Performing Arts or NCPA.

"I've seen many foreign orchestras and symphonies. They are incredibly talented for ages 16 to 19. They're amazing in so many ways."Maestro Charles Dutoit held the baton for these young musicians. He says music is a great channel to bring together global citizens, especially for America's young generations to witness China firsthand.

"I've been to China 25 times. From the very beginning I see the incredible development of the country in many fields, economically of course but also artistically. It's very important to bring these young people from the world to see the prominent orchestras and academies and to see all these new concert halls, and to exchange their ideas and messages through music."Nicknamed "Green Pepper" by China's social media, this orchestra was initiated and sponsored by Carnegie Hall.

The weight-carrying classical fortress has just entered a long-term agreement with the NCPA, looking into cooperations in performance exchanges, venue management, and art education.

Carnegie Hall has also invited the NCPA's resident orchestra to perform in New York City, an encouraging recognition for the 5-year-old orchestra.

"Our momentum represents the whole country's momentum. With more than 30 years' high-speed economic development, China has started to attach great importance to artistic pursuits. I think it's a right decision. That's why we pay so much attention to nurturing young artists and young audiences to carry on our cultural heritage. And you can see the international recognition now."The US youth orchestra's 9 stops in China include Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou and Xi'an.

Experts attending a recent psychology conference in Beijing are suggesting it's not easy for Chinese people to be mentally happy.

In recent years, a special study called Psychology About Happiness has gained great attention among the public. People in China start to ask themselves questions whether they are really happy or not.

Professor Peng Kaiping, director of the department of psychology at Tsinghua University, says the unhappiness of Chinese people widely stems from the feeling that they lack money, the stress from work and the sense of insecurity about the future.

Peng Kaiping says although these reasons are not particularly unique in China, Chinese people tend to feel the punch especially hard.

"It's a universal phenomenon at a certain stage of social economic development, but China is a big country with a lot of people, and Chinese tend to work very hard, so the problem is more serious for Chinese people."Peng says Chinese people are in fact good at making themselves happy. Social relationships, traditional value system and their high expectations for the future are all their potential sources of happiness.

But at the same time, experts suggest, if the traditional ways are proving to be ineffective in this fast-changing world, it is good for the Chinese people to learn a thing or two from the rest of the world when it comes to dealing with unhappiness.

Professor Peng Kaiping says the happiness of Chinese people tend to be more future-oriented, more in the context of a community and more external while the definition and reflections of happiness in the west are the opposite.

James Pawelski, director of the education department and a senior scholar with University of Pennsylvania echoes this view, saying the differences lie in the very core of the two distinctive cultures.

"In more individualistic cultures, people might judge their own lives to be lives well-lived perhaps more in terms of their own, individual events in their lives. Whereas perhaps in the east, there will be more of the questions of how other people that focus around of you are doing."Experts say although such differences exist, there is still a universal way to deal with negative emotions.

"Music makes us happy, that's universal; arts make us happy, that's universal, friends, families, lovers, children, those all make us happy. You can see the positive emotions of being happy, being lovable, being appreciative, been elevated, and transcendent, all those positive emotions are universal."Pawelski says arts can be used for not only alleviating the negatives, but also expressing and exploring the positives.

"We tend to focus, because we have this negative bias. We tend to focus on the negative, there are biographies of painters who have difficult use their works to processing the difficult of struggle, but art also could be a way of celebrating. It can be a way of looking for the best things in life, and try to explore those."Pawelski says that all that depends on how to find the positive side of humanity either by artists or by art consumers.

Frozen Plains Found on PlutoUS Scientists have found vast frozen plains right next to dwarf planet Pluto's big, rugged mountains of water ice.

The New Horizons spacecraft team revealed close-up photos of those plains on Friday, three days after the historic flyby.

"What you are looking at is a scene that is about a total width about 250 miles across, 400 kilometres, and these mountains soar as high above their local terrain as many of the mountains in the Rocky Mountains do, here in the United States."Scientists have unofficially named the plains after Sputnik, the world's first man-made satellite.

Scientists say like the mountains unveiled on Wednesday, the plains appear to be relatively young at around 100 million years old.

It's speculated that internal heating - perhaps from volcanoes or geysers- might be responsible for these youthful-looking, crater-free regions.

Headline NewsChinese premier meets Japan's national security advisorChinese Premier Li Keqiang has met with Shotaro Yachi, head of Japan's National Security Council, in Beijing on Friday.

The meeting comes on the heels of Japan's ruling coalition ramming several controversial security bills through its lower house of parliament.

The bills will enable Japan's self-defense forces (SDF) to engage in armed conflict overseas and help defend others even if Japan is not attacked.

Li said Japan should continue to adhere to a policy of peaceful development and play its due role in regional peace, stability and development.

Xinjiang officials share iftar with MuslimsSenior officials in northwest China's Xinjiang have shared iftar, known as the fast-breaking meal, with Muslims for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Zhang Chunxian, Communist Party chief of the region, and regional government chairman Shohrat Zakir attended the event joined by over 200 religious people.

Xinjiang, with some 24,000 mosques, is home to more than 13 million Muslims. They celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Saturday.

China unveils guidelines for Internet financeChina has rolled out a raft of policies to support innovation in Internet finance.

The guideline issued by the central authorities is calling on governments at all levels to encourage innovation in Internet finance products and services.

It calls for expanding access to capital for market players and improving support services and infrastructure for the industry.

The internet has increasingly become a new channel to connect investors with lenders that have been under-served by Chinese banks.

Up to 97 killed, 133 wounded in massive truck bombing in Iraq's DiyalaThe death toll from a truck bomb blast has risen to 97 at a busy marketplace in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala on Friday.

The attack occurred when a truck loaded with tons of explosives detonated as hundreds of people were crowded at a popular market at the town of Khan Bani Saad, northeast of Baghdad.

Authorities are investigating media reports that the huge blast was carried out by a suicide bomber, which is the style of the Islamic State militant group which has seized large parts of Iraq.

It's time to take a look back at some of the headlines from the business world this past week in our Weekly Business Review.

On Wednesday, stats from Chinese authorities show China's economy posted 7-percent growth year on year in the second quarter of 2015, exceeding many expectations.

"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.

//////On the Chinese A share market,On Monday, over 360 companies resumed their trading, marking the highest number of resumptions in a single day in recent weeks.

Most of the companies say the decision was made as major shareholders increased holdings and company leaders came up with measures to stabilize stock prices under the central government's series of prop-up measures.

In the meantime, China's securities regulator has issued a statement, vowing to strictly crack down on illicit securities trading.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission says it will standardize securities accounts after finding some agencies and individuals set up virtual accounts or traded with borrowed accounts.

Following the statement, the Chinese securities watchdog confirmed it has started a probe of Hundsun Technologies for suspected illicit financing.

Later on Thursday, Hundsun announced that its subsidiary Hundsun Network would shut down the account-opening function of its HMOS service.

It has been criticized on social media in China for channeling massive margin lenders into speculative trades on the domestic stock market and contributing to the sharp fall in stock prices in recent weeks.

On Friday, Chinese shares surged over 3 percent, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 3.5 percentSettlement of index futures for July became a key focus of attention in the A share market Friday, as investors worry about potential downward pressure.

But Winston Wang, managing director of Shipstone Group, says it is unlikely that overall market stability will be affected.

"I do not think the specific day is so critical as the media portrayed it. You've already seen people who hold this kind of futures are making assessments on a daily basis and adjust the assessments according to what is happening in the market. We have already seen the market is significantly stabilized. "Despite the recent fluctuation in the Chinese stock market, both global rating agencies Moody's and Fitch say it will not have a major spillover effect on China's real economy, nor will it pose a systematic risk to the country's financial system.

//////////China'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 that loans and social financing will 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.

////////On Monday, Greece finally reached a deal with its European creditors which may avoid its exit from the Eurozone.

The agreement comes after months of negotiations and a summit that stretched from last Sunday afternoon well into this Monday morning.

The deal includes commitments from Greece to push a drastic austerity program including pension, market and privatization reforms.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke highly of the bailout deal, 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."Later on Thursday, the Greek Parliament passed measures for a third bailout - despite protests and fierce opposition.

On Friday, the EU agreed to grant a short-term bridging loan to Greece to allow the country to pay off arrears it owes to the International Monetary Fund.

///////////On Wednesday, new 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 US Dollars per square meter, less than a 1 percent increase on 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.

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."However, a separate report released by the National Bureau of Statistics shows 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.

//////On the corporate front, over the week, it's being reported that state-backed Chinese private equity firm Tsinghua Unigroup is preparing to buy US memory chipmaker Micron Technology for 23 billion U.S. dollars.

Tsinghua is said to offer 21 U.S. dollars per share for Micron, which is at a 19.3 percent premium to the stock's close on Monday.

Any foreign takeover of Micron would likely have to pass a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Outbound investments worth more than 2 billion U.S. dollars or those in sensitive industries must get the approval from the NDRC.

SportsF1: Jules Bianchi Dies of Head Trauma from 2014 Japan CrashStarting things off with some sad news from the world of racing:

French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi has died from head injuries sustained in a crash at last year's Japanese Grand Prix.

The news was posted on Bianchi's official Twitter feed early Saturday morning and later confirmed by the Manor F1 team.

Bianchi had been in a coma since the October fifth accident, in which he collided at high speed with a mobile crane, which was being used to pick up another crashed car.

The driver's family released a statement saying "Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end."Bianchi competed in 34 races over the 2013 and 2014 seasons, scoring the first ever championship points for Manor--then known as Marussia - by finishing ninth at last year's Monaco Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old died in his hometown of Nice, where he had been since his emergency treatment in Japan in the days after the accident.

Bianchi's collision occurred at the end of the race at Suzuka. In rainy, gloomy conditions, Bianchi's car slid off the track at 126 kilometers-per-hour and smashed into a crane picking up the Sauber of German driver Adrian Sutil, who had crashed out at the same spot one lap earlier.

Tomorrow,Chongqing Lifan will meet Shanghai Shenhua,Guangzhou R&F take on Shandong Luneng,Tianjin Teda will play Guizhou Renhe,And Shanghai Shenxin is to take on Shijiazhuang.

In the International Champion's Cup--Man United got their North American tour off to a winning start with a 1-0 win over Mexican-based Club America.

It was former Southampton man and new summer signee, MOrngan Schneiderlin, who scored the mathc's sole goal and game winner for Louis van Gaal's side.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard scored during hisMajor League Soccer debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy during the team's 5-2 route of the San Jose Earthquakes.

Local media in Bolivia report that the country's Football Federation President (FBF) and CONMEBOL Treasury, Carlos Chavez, was arrested today in the nation's capital, Sucre.

He was detained after giving his statements for seven hours before federal prosecutor Ivan Montellanos, who is investigating irregular dealings as a result of corruption allegations at FIFA.

The prosecutor will charge Chavez and he will have to appear before a judge, who will define his future legal situation, which should be on Sunday or Monday, according to sports website diez.boA report by the US Attorney General and the FBI in May triggered the arrest of several FIFA officials, including former CONMEBOL President Eugenio Figueredo, former Brazil FA President Jose Maria Marin and former Venezuela FA boss Rafael Esquivel.　Investigations showed that at least 7.5 million have been earmarked for Bolivia's football federation.

China Beats Italy at Sino-European Men's Basketball ChampionshipIn basketball, at the Sino-European Men's Basketball Championship:

Great Britain and France's Davis Cup World Group quarter-final was level at 1-1 after the opening days singles at the Queen's Club in London, England on Friday.

Steve Darcis and David Goffin gave Belgium a 2-0 lead over CanadaDarcis beat Frank Dancevic 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3 in the opener, and 14th-ranked Goffin came through in the second singles by downing No. 491 Filip Peliwo 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

And Australia has stayed alive against Kazakhstan by winning the doubles match to trail 2-1 going into Sunday's reverse singles.

Behind 2-0 after Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios lost their singles matches earlier, Australia needed victory from Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth to avoid swift elimination.

Over at the British Open--American Dustin Johnson occupies first place on the leaderboard after the rain-affected first round had to be halted for a second time.

Johnson was one stroke clear of England's Danny Willett, when darkness ended play just before 10pm with several groups still out on the course.

The 65-year-old Watson was playing the final tournament of his career when he missed the cut. He was given an emotional send-off by the crowd when he walked off the final green with the light fading.

Sitting at the top of that tournament before the break is South Korea's Ha Na Jang, who followed up her opening 66 with a bogey-free 67 that sent her into the clubhouse still atop the leaderboard, at nine under par.

Australia and South Africa clashed in their second meeting of the World Championships, as the Rugby World Cup looms.

And bouncing back from their defeat in the first at the hands of England, Australia currently leadThe Aussies went down to the English in the first test by 169 runs.

Entertainment"Jianbing Man" Opens North of 130 Mln yuan, Sets 2D Movie Record in ChinaComedy film "Jianbing Man" has set a new record for 2D Chinese movies, taking in more than 130 million yuan on its opening day yesterday.

The film stars more than 30 big names from the Chinese entertainment industry, including talk show host Da Peng, actresses Yuan Shanshan and Amber Kuo.

The film is Da Peng's directorial debut. He previously hosted a talk show and starred in an Internet comedy series.

Starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, "Ant-Man" follows the adventures of the smallest hero in Marvel's universe who can shrink in scale but also increase in strength.

LeTV Sues CNTV for 60,000 yuan over "Empresses in the Palace" CopyrightChinese online streaming site LeTV is suing China Network Television, or CNTV, for 60 thousand yuan, roughly 10 thousand US dollars, over a broadcasting rights violation.

Amy Poehler Promotes "Inside Out" in London, Film Hits Chinese Cinemas on September 1stUS comedian Amy Poehler is in London promoting Inside Out before its UK premiere.

The movie unfolds in both reality and in the mind of an 11 year old girl who is coping with life after she moves along with her family to a new city.

"I think what's so great about the film is you relate to it as a human adult when you watch it and think about 'what used to bring me joy that doesn't anymore? What have I forgotten? What are my islands of personality?'."The 3D animation has grossed nearly 300 million US dollars in North America since its opening on June 19.

"Empire" Season 2 Adds "The Wire" Star Andre RoyoFox's hit musical drama 'Empire' is about to add another star to its lineup.

"The Wire"'s Andre Royo has been confirmed to join the second season of the show, playing a ruthless lawyer named Thirsty Rawlings, who impresses Lucious Lyon in the prison.

Earlier, Empire announced it will also star Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei as a venture capitalist who becomes involved in the Lyon family.

"Empire" revolves around the Lyon family whose father, played by Terrence Howard, becomes one of the leading record producers in the world.

In Sports... French F1 driver Jules Bianchi passing away from head injuries sustained in a crash at last year's Japanese Grand Prix.

And in Entertainment... "Jianbing Man" setting 2D Movie Record in ChinaOn behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Sophie Williams in Beijing hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour, and open a window to the world together.

新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2015/07/18（在线收听）