Coming up on the program this evening...

18th Communist Party of China Central Committee set to hold its fifth plenary session in Beijing in October.

The US and Cuba set to formally reopen their embassies after the full restoration of diplomatic ties...

And Japanese Company Mitsubishi formally apologizing for using US prisoners of war during WWII...

In Business.... the RMB to become the fourth most internationalized currency in coming years...

In Sports.... a recap of tennis action from the Davis Cup...

And in Entertainment... China single-day box office sales set a new record....

TopCPC to hold key plenum in October, discuss 13th five-year development planThe 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee is scheduled to hold its fifth plenary session in Beijing in October.

The announcement has been issued on Monday by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

One important thing on the agenda is the discussion of the 13th five-year plan of national development which runs from 2016 to 2020.

The General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping is set to chair the session.

US, Cuba Re-open EmbassiesThe United States and Cuba have ushered in a new era of post-Cold War relations by re-opening embassies in each other's capitals.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez will soon preside over a flag-raising ceremony at Havana's embassy in Washington.

The symbolic event will be followed by a meeting between him and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The U.S. Embassy in Havana will also reopen. But no American flag will fly there until a visit by Kerry expected next month.

The historic thaw began with a breakthrough announcement by U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro in December.

But efforts toward full normalization between the two are expected to proceed slowly.

For more on this, CRI's Lin Shaowen earlier spoke with Matthew Casey, Assistant Professor of History, University of Southern Mississippi.

…Back Anchor:

Matthew Casey, Assistant Professor of History, University of Southern Mississippi speaking with CRI's Lin Shaowen.

Mitsubishi makes historic apology for forcing US POWs into slave labour during WWIIAnchor:

The Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan has made an apology for using US prisoners of war as forced labour during World War II.

As CRI's Poornima Weerasekara reports, it is the first such apology by a Japanese company.

Reporter:

Japanese corporation Mitsubishi made a apology on Sunday for forcing American prisoners of war (POWs) to work in its mines during World War II.

While Japan's government has formally apologized to American POWs in 2009 and again in 2010, Sunday's move by Mitsubishi was the first time a Japanese corporation has come forward to acknowledge its war time past.

Hundreds of American POWs were forced to work for Mitsubishi's predecessor, the Mitsubishi Mining Co. and scores have perished in the labour camps linked to the company.

Hikaru Kimura, a senior executive of Mitsubishi said the company was "full of remorse" for the company's regretable past acts.

"In keeping with the spirit of our company's mission statement, today we apologize remorsefully for the tragic events in our past, and expressed our profound determination to work toward a better future."But the apology comes 70 years after Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.

Yukio Okamoto, a Special Advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister and a Board Member of Mitsubishi said he was ashamed that it took so long for the company to own up to its war-time wrong doings.

"We owe great apologies to these people and the apology is dual because we also have to apologize for not having apologized earlier before many ex-POWs had to pass away."Historical records show that six prisoner-of-war camps in Japanese occupied territories were linked to Mitsubishi Mining Co.

They held more than 2,000 captives. According to US based non-profit research centre Asia Policy Point over half of those held were Americans.

Only two American prisoners, who witnessed the ordeal in those camps, are still alive today.

Out of the two only 94-year-old James Murphy from California was fit to travel to the ceremony hosted by the Museum of Tolerance at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Los Angeles to accept Mitsubishi's apology.

Murphy says the prisoners were held in conditions of "slavery" without food, clothing and sanitation.

But he says he had long forgiven his captors and hoped this long overdue apology could help heal nations.

"We have just witnessed something of a historical nature because for 70 years since the war ended, the prisoners of war who worked for these Japanese companies have asked for something very simple, they asked for an apology for having to perform forced labor in the copper mines, coal mines and all the other areas."In all, about 12,000 American prisoners-of-war were put into forced labor by the Japanese government and private companies, in a bid to fill a wartime labor shortages.

Thousands of prisoners from China, Korea and the Philippines were also pushed into slave labour during imperial Japan's war effort.

As the number of surviving POWs from the World War II period continue to dwindle, activists are pushing perpetrators of war crimes to offer public apologies so that the few who are alive could find closure.

Families of victims gathered at Sunday's event hoped that Mitsubishi's historic apology could pave the way for other companies to come forward and admit to their war-time past before it is too late.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

KMT Nominates Hung Hsiu-chu for Taiwan Leadership BidAnchor:

The Kuomingtang party has formally endorsed the candidacy of Hung Hsiu-chu in Taiwan's leadership election in January next year.

Hung says that if she is elected, she will consolidate, deepen and promote peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Straits on the basis of the 1992 consensus.

She also promises to create a sustainable, stable and peaceful environment for both sides across the Straits, enabling all people in Taiwan to enjoy the dividends brought by peaceful development.

Hung is set to face Tsai Ing-wen, chairperson of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, who was nominated in April by the DPP for the election next January.

For more on this, CRI's Tu Yun earlier spoke with Shao Yuqun, Senior research fellow at the Institute for Taiwan, Hongkong and Macau Studies, Shanghai Institute of International Studies.

…Back anchor:

Shao Yuqun, Senior research fellow, Institute for Taiwan, Hongkong and Macau Studies, at Shanghai Institute of International Studies, speaking with CRI's Tu Yun.

Ski-Resorts prove Beijing can host Winter OlympicsAnchor:

The host city of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be revealed on July 31st.

The bid from Beijing and Zhangjiakou, which have jointly applied to host, is seen as a frontrunner.

CRI's Doris Wang takes a closer look at Chongli county in Zhangjiakou, where some of the major venues are located.

Reporter:

In the northwest of China's Hebei province and between the North China Plain and the Inner Mongolian Plateau lies Chongli County, a part of the city Zhangjiakou. The wintry climate of the area makes it ideal in hosting cold weather sports such as skiing.

Wei Qinghua is a specialist in China's ski industry and has over 13 years of experience in designing and operating ski resorts in China. He says Chongli's climate is the most attractive quality to national and international skiers.

"Chongli is a special place, where cold wave from the Northwest and thaw from the Southeast merge in winter. We have lots of snow there. The average total snowfall is around 1 meter, and there is always at least 80 cm of snowfall. It starts to snow in late September, and people have to get their padded jackets ready for use in October. The ski resorts are open to the public in November."The natural weather condition of Chongli makes the area a suitable place for training and perhaps, hosting international games. Wakatsuki Hitoshi, the director of Ski Association of Japan and the assistant general of the Department of Alpine skiing, agrees.

"Japan does have heavy snowfall but the snow isn't suitable for professional training. It's too soft for the standard of the International Ski Federation. We could only travel to America or Europe to practice in the past. But the conditions there aren't better than those in Chongli. In fact, Chongli is one of the best ski resorts around the world in November."Having suitable condition for skiing in November is not the only advantage that Chongli has over other cities in the race to host the Olympics. It also has abundant water resources and has favorable conditions for snowmaking.

As many other host cities have done in the past, Beijing and Zhangjiakou would probably need a huge amount of artificial snow to create conditions that meets the Olympic standards for winter sports. Mojca Ogris is the vice-president of Demaclenko Snowmaking, which has worked for Winter Olympics in the past. She believes that the climate in Beijing and Zhangjiakou is ideally suited by snowmaking.

"According to the standard of the ISF (International Ski Federation), density of the snow used in Winter Olympics must reach 600. But the density of natural snow is far below 600, so the snowmaking system provides a strong support for Winter Olympic Games. Take the downhill as an example. We need more snow in other ski resorts because we need to consider the melting rate of snow. But this is not a problem for Beijing. Beijing has a cold and dry winter."With many professionals and athletes optimistic about the long term development of the ski industry in Chongli and China, being able to host the winter Olympics is no longer a shadowy dream but a dream that could be realized in the near future.

Back Anchor: CRI's Doris Wang Reporting.

Olympic Legacy Expected to Help With Beijing's BidAnchor:

In the meantime, it's widely expected Beijing's experience in the post-game use of Olympic venues can help with its bid to secure the Winter Olympiad.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

Reporter:

Seven years after the 2008 Olympic Games, the landmark Bird's Nest stadium and Water Cube Aquatics Center in northern Beijing are still attracting tourists and commercial event organizers.

As the venue for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games, the Bird's Nest has received more than 24 million tourists over the past years.

According to Xiang Jun, the stadium's deputy general manager, major sport and performance events have filled their schedule for the coming three years.

"We've hosted more than 180 sport matches and performances in the past years, including the concert marking the 30th anniversary of the Rolling Stones and the Italian Super Cup. Actually, there has been no vacancy in our schedule for such a major event before 2018."Not far from the stadium, the National Aquatics Center, or Water Cube, has turned into a popular water park.

Meanwhile, it has also hosted 850 major events since 7 years ago and been designated as the venue for three competitions sponsored by the world's swimming governing body FINA every year.

The center's manager Yang Qiyong says their business has developed smoothly in multiple areas.

"We are trying to build the Water Cube into a place that can both host commercial events and serve sports amateurs. We've established a swimming club with the number of registered members exceeding 10,000 members. And the water park, that features the most advanced facilities in Asia, can easily entertain visitors."The International Olympic Committee will vote on July 31 in Kuala Lumpur to decide who will host the 2020 winter games.

China's bid officials have pledged that Beijing and nearby Zhangjiakou will build a limited number of new facilities if they win the bid, in accordance with the IOC's call for frugality.

According to their plan, the Bird's Nest will be used as the venue for the opening and closing galas and the Water Cube for curling competitions, while a planned skiing spot in Yanqing County in northern suburb of Beijing will be transformed into a training base for the national team after 2022.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Express Delivery Industry in China Faces TransformationAnchor:

The express delivery industry is leading the growth of China's service sector.

As CRI's Yu Yang reports, it has become deeply rooted in Chinese people's daily lives.

Reporter:

Express deliveries grew more than 43 percent in the first half of 2015, compared with the same period last year.

According to head of China's State Post Bureau, about 14 billion parcels were delivered in 2014, up 52 percent.

Song Guowei is a courier who has been in the express delivery industry for three years.

He says more people are using this service and he is sending more packages on a daily basis.

"I send about 100 packages every day. The volume will double during days where promotions are taking place. Now, it is not only young people who purchase goods online. Old people also like online shopping."The express delivery industry has appeared in government reports for two consecutive years since 2014, and is called the "dark horse" of the economy.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said the industry creates jobs and stimulates consumption.

Shao Zhonglin, former deputy secretary general of the China Express Association, says the continuous growth of express delivery industry is accelerating the integration of urban and rural areas.

"Since 2014, the express service points has increased by over 50-thousand, mostly located in rural areas. The service network has covered about half of the country's rural areas. We expect the network to cover all villages and towns by 2020, so that people living in countryside can buy high-quality goods from all over the country, and at the same time sell native products to the other parts of the country."Despite rapid development of the industry, many managers are planning ahead and taking precautions due to fierce competition and dropping profit.

Yu Lianbing, president of UC Express, a Chinese express company, says many companies are thinking about transformation to better adapt to the current situation.

"The overall profitability of express companies is declining due to factors like rising rents and manpower cost. Many factors are pushing large express companies to transform to integrated logistics service provider, medium-sized companies more specialized, and small companies more personalized. "China has over 8-thousand express delivery companies, with almost 6 million workers employed in the industry.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Mogherini Comments on EU Foreign Ministers MeetEuropean foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels to discuss Iran, and other major international issues.

EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini says an historic deal between Iran and world powers on its nuclear programme could help the country rebuild trust in the region.

"It (nuclear deal with Iran) is also a possibility for rebuilding trust between Iran and its neighbours, between Iran and the international community. It's not an agreement based on trust, as President Obama mentioned, but it is an agreement that can lead to trust."It's reported that the talks would also focus on Tunisia and Libya, whose Islamist-led government in Tripoli has been urged to sign a peace deal that would establish a unity government.

Libya now remains high on the EU's agenda as it is a huge gathering point for desperate migrants seeking to reach Europe and the smugglers who prey on them.

Pentagon Chief Starts Middle East VisitU.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has arrived in Israel for a visit aimed at deepening military ties.

He is the first US Cabinet member to visit the Jewish state since the Iran nuclear deal was clinched last week.

The trip comes as the US is trying to reassure Israel and Arab allies that the Iran deal brings a safer Middle East.

Carter says he has no expectation of changing Israel's opposition to the deal, but will instead seek to deepen security ties.

"First of all, I'm not going to change anybody's mind in Israel. That's not the purpose of my trip. The purpose of my trip is to work on all the things that we do together, to guarantee the security of American interests in the region and very importantly one of those is the security of Israel."Carter is scheduled to meet with his Israeli counterpart and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Increased U.S. military-related support is expected to be on the table.

Israel fears that Tehran's economic gains from a lifting of Western sanctions could boost Iranian-backed guerrillas in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

There are also fears it could even lead to an arms race with Arab states unfriendly to Israel.

Following Israel, Carter will also visit Jordan and Saudi Arabia, two U.S. allies whose leaders also are worried about implications of the nuclear deal.

WeatherBeijing has thundershowers tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius; tomorrow thundershowers with a high of 29.

Shanghai, cloudy tonight with a low of 26, tomorrow showers with a high of 31.

Chongqing, cloudy tonight with a low of 26, heavy rain tomorrow with a high of 32.

Lhasa light rain tonight with a low of 12, tomorrow overcast to light rain with a high of 25.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, light rain tomorrow, 35.

Kabul, cloudy, 34.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, light rain with a high of 17.

Brisbane, light rain with a high of 18.

Perth, light rain, 14.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsCPC to hold key plenum in October, discuss 13th five-year development planThe 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee is scheduled to hold its fifth plenary session in Beijing in October.

The announcement has been issued on Monday by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

One important thing on the agenda is the discussion of the 13th five-year plan of national development which runs from 2016 to 2020.

The General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping is set to chair the session.

China to lower flags at half-mast for late leader Wan LiChina is set to fly flags at half-mast to mourn Wan Li, former chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

Wan Li was 99 years old and died in Beijing on July 15th. His remains will be cremated on Wednesday.

Flags will be lowered to half-mast at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Wednesday, and Xinhuamen, the main entrance of Zhongnanhai, the seat of the Communist Party and the central government.

The half-mast flag will also be seen at many other government sites, including the Great Hall of the People, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas embassies.

Wan Li also served as secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier.

College dorm blast injures 17 in NW ChinaAt least 17 people have been injured when a gas explosion rocked a dormitory in a university in Lanzhou, Gansu Province.

The blast which occurred at Lanzhou University on Monday morning, seriously damaged three floors of a six-floor dorm building.

15 students and 2 staff members of a nearby hotel are said to be hurt.

The school administration says the explosion happened as workers were demolishing a building adjacent to the dorm.

An initial probe suggests they accidentally damaged gas pipes inside.

U.S. troops mistakenly attack Afghan army checkpoint, killing 88 Afghan army soldiers have been killed and 5 others wounded after U.S. forces of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission mistakenly attacked a security checkpoint.

The incident occurred in eastern Logar province on Monday morning.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

The province has seen heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban militants over the past couple of months.

George Bush released from hospital after fallFormer U.S. President George HW Bush has been released from a hospital in the state of Maine.

This comes after a 4-day treatment for a fractured vertebrae caused by a fall at his home.

Spokesperson Jim McGrath said the 91-year-old was grateful as he returned to home.

The elder Bush, the oldest living former U.S. president, broke a bone in his neck after he fell last Wednesday.

His family and doctor did not disclose the cause of his fall, only saying that he had a cracked his C2 vertebrae but that his spine was not damaged.

The former president has been suffering from lower-body Parkinson's disease since 2011.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Turning now to business news,First a look at the numbers from across the Asian markets to close out this Monday evening.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks closed mostly higher after a day of volatile trading.

The Shanghai index at one point rallied above the 4-thousand-point psychological mark in the morning session, before retreating to losing territory at midday.

The fluctuation was mainly caused by the country's securities regulator refuting a report that it was considering pulling stabilization funding used to stem heavy sell-offs after the sharp market decline.

Shares related to aviation manufacturing, military and oil industries led the gains.

Securities, railway construction and wine making were among the biggest losers.

At close,The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index went up 0.9 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index jumped 1.5 percent.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, surged 2.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong stocks closed flat with the benchmark Hang Seng index finished virtually unchanged.

Elsewhere in Asia,Markets in Japan were closed in observance of Marine Day.

South Korea's KOSPI shed 0.2 percent.

Singapore stocks finished higher with the benchmark Straits Times Index up 0.6 percent.

Finally, Australian stocks rose with the benchmark ASX 200 added 0.3 percent.

Greek banks reopen in AthensGreek banks have reopened on Monday, but some restrictions on transactions, including cash withdrawals, remain in place.

The Greek government has kept the daily cash withdrawal limit at 60 euros but also added a weekly limit.

Meanwhile, Greeks are still not be able to cash cheques or get cash abroad with their credit or debit cards.

Greece closed all banks on June 29h to prevent a bank run, after the European Central Bank did not increase emergency funding as Greece's second bailout expired.

The central bank then raised its emergency funding to the cash-strapped Greek banks after the Greek Parliament passed an agreement on Thursday to seek a third bailout.

China Expects FDI Inflows to Hit $125 bln in 2015China's Ministry of Commerce is projecting the country's foreign direct investment to grow around four percent to 125 billion U.S. dollars this year, compared with a 1.7-percent expansion recorded last year.

Official data showed on Friday that the FDI rose eight percent in the first half of the year to over 68 billion U.S. dollars, quickening from 2.2 percent in the same period last year.

Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen attributed the improvement to efforts in widening pilot reforms in free trade areas, fewer government restrictions and active promotion of opening up in certain industries and inland areas.

Wang Shouwen also highlighted the services sector as the main growth point of FDI.

"Investment into China's fast-growing services sector jumped 23 percent in the first half of this year from a year earlier, accounting for more than 60 percent of the period's total FDI. This is due to the government's measures in support of the opening up in the services sector."Wang adds that more foreign investments will enter China through mergers and acquisitions in the future.

However, the vice minister warned that FDI growth will probably drop in the latter half mainly due to a slow economic recovery in major FDI sources and the tapering of U.S. quantitative easing.

The ministry is expected to release monthly investment figures for June on Tuesday.

RMB to be 4th International Currency in 2 YearsAnchor:

It is being reported that Chinese yuan will replace the Japanese Yen in fourth place on the list of international currencies.

The report is published jointly by Renmin University and the Bank of Communications.

It also points out that RMB is likely to be included in the Special Drawing Right currency basket this year.

By the first half of this year, the RMB internationalization index stands at 2.9 percent, less than one percentage point lower than the internationalization index of the Yen, which is ranked fourth on the list.

For more on the internationalization of RMB, CRI's Shane Bigham earlier spoke with Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

…Back Anchor:

Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London, speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.

China allocates more poverty-relief fundsChina's central treasury has allocated nearly 14 billion yuan or about 2.3 billion U.S. dollars to support poverty reduction efforts in rural areas.

This is the last batch of a 46.1-billion-yuan fund designated for poverty relief from the central budget this year.

The money will be used to improve rural roads and homes, build better public services, give small loans to new businesses and provide free vocational education and training to young people in poverty-stricken areas.

Over 70 million people in China now live below the country's poverty line, which means an annual income of under 23-hundred yuan or 370 U.S. dollars.

Though the government's poverty relief fund has nearly doubled in four years, the effect is far below expectations.

Only about 12.3 million people emerged from poverty last year, compared with 43.2 million in 2011.

Sinopec Finance to Sell Minority Stakes in Two BanksIt's been reported that Sinopec Finance Company is selling its minority holdings in two commercial banks.

The company is a joint venture between Sinopec Corporation and its parent Sinopec Group.

The report by China Securities Journal said Sinopec Finance would sell its minority stakes in China Guangfa Bank and Dongying Bank for 23 million yuan and 13.2 million yuan respectively.

Sinopec Finance requires transaction deposits and only accepts one-time payment barring joint purchase.

The report also said that other shareholders of the two banks have decided to waive their preferential rights to purchase.

Yahoo to Spin off Alibaba StakeYahoo has formally notified U.S. regulators that it is spinning off its stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to an independent new company called Aabaco Holdings.

Aabaco will own approximately 384 million shares of Alibaba Group, representing an interest of about 15 percent.

Under the spinoff plan, all outstanding shares of Aabaco will be distributed to Yahoo stockholders.

Yahoo will also transfer to Aabaco services for small businesses that it hosts in its Internet cloud.

The move is designed to sidestep taxes and appease investors eager to tap into Yahoo's multi-billion-dollar stake in Alibaba.

Yahoo bought a 40 percent stake in Alibaba in 2005 for 1 billion U.S. dollars.

The current stake of some 15 percent is worth more than 30 billion U.S. dollars based on the Alibaba share price on Friday.

SportsFIFA to Discuss Presidential Election Date to Replace Sepp BlatterIn off-pitch football news,FIFA president Sepp Blatter is expected to face pressure to announce an early departure from his post as the body's leadership will choose a date for the election of a new president.

It is the first meeting of the world's governing body since the corruption scandal exploded in May, with seven of its officials arrested on corruption charges on the eve of FIFA's presidential election.

Blatter was just re-elected as president but stepped down following the series of arrests.

The 79-year-old is set to announce his plans to reform the crisis-hit governing body during the meeting in Zurich.

According to BBC sport, December 16th has been decided by several regional football confederations as their preferred date for the new ballot.

But the date is expected to slip to early next year given Blatter's reported desire to stay in power.

CSL previewIn football,Beijing Guo'an is now playing Shanghai SIPG at the Workers' Stadium here in the capital.

The two teams' meet will close the round of play and the result tonight is going to decide the top of the league standings.

Guo'an has gone five times head to head against SIPG since 2013 Chinese Super League Season and is leading ahead now with 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss.

And we will continue to update you on this game throughout our sports coverage here on the Beijing Hour.

Mexico, Panama advance to Gold Cup semi-finalsIn other football action,Mexico and Panama are through to the semi-finals of the Gold Cup with triumphs on Sunday.

Mexican captain Andres Guardado scored on a penalty kick in the final minute of stoppage time in extra time to give Mexico a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.

Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo denied Lester Peltier in the ninth round of penalty kicks as the Canaleros advanced 6-5 over Trinidad and Tobago after a 1-1 draw.

The match was decided by penalties as extra time came and went without a winning goal.

After losing 2-1 to Panama in last year's semi-finals, six-time champion Mexico will seek revenge to the finals when they meet again on Wednesday in Atlanta.

China 82-46 Irish Select to Claim Sino-European ChampionshipsSome basketball action,A Far East adventure for Irish basketball has come to an end as China beat the Men's Premier League Select 82-46 to claim the Sino-European Championships in Kunshan.

The hosts powered home in the final quarter, but yesterday's win over Russia means Colin O'Reilly's side finish third in the annual tournament.

Ex-NBA star Yi Jian-Lian played no more than 15 minutes but contributed 10 points, 9 rebounds and 1 steal.

Overall, it was the Chinese team taking the dominance with 52 rebounds, 13 more than their Irish opponents.

Tennis recapA quick recap of Davis Cup tennis action,Great Britain advanced into the semi-finals as Andy Murray beat Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-6, 6-0 in the singles.

Murray's earlier victories in doubles with his brother Jamie and singles against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga secured Britain a 3-1 win overall against France.

Australia conquered Kazakhstan 3-2 to make the semi-finals thanks to veteran Lleyton Hewitt's comeback in the decisive singles match.

Hewitt took out Kazakhstan No. 2 Aleksandr Nedovyesov, 7-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Argentina took a 4-1 lead over Serbia.

And Belgium completed a whitewash of Canada by winning all their matches for a 5-0 triumph.

Scott Piercy wins the Barbasol ChampionshipIn golf,Scott Piercy has won the Barbasol Championship for his third PGA Tour title, closing with a 6-under 65 for a three-stroke victory.

Piercy seems quite satisfied with his final round performance.

"It was really good. You know the greens could have been a little bit better but I think I hit 17 greens and I think almost all the par-fives in two so it's going to be hard to lose I guess when you do that. You know I got 17 birdie putts today and, you know, three eagle putts so it's, I mean I struck it awesome, awesome so it's ... I'm really excited."Piercy began the season on a major medical extension after surgery on his right elbow early last year. He said that did spark initial fears about how he'd fare upon his return.

The 36-year-old Las Vegas player made a 57-foot birdie putt on the second hole en route to his first victory since the 2012 RBC Canadian Open.

Tied for the third-round lead with Ricky Barnes, Piercy birdied three of four holes starting on No. 13 and finished at 19 under on Grand National's Lake Course.

Sunday's rain interrupted the final round of the Barbasol Championship for more than one hour in Alabama but they were able to complete the tournament before nightfall.

EntertainmentThe Assasin to open HK Film FestivalHou Hsiao Hsien's 'The Assasin' has been announced as the opening film for next month's Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival in Hong Kong.

The festival which runs from August 11-15 will close with Woody Allen's 'Irrational Man'.

Over thirty films will be screened during the course of the event including 'Wild City' by Hong Kong director Ringo Lam.

The festival will also feature a Hollywood 1930s special with film fans being able to catch classics such as 'Trouble in Paradise', 'It Happened One Night' and 'My Man Godfrey'.

Hou Hsiao Hsien who won the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival will give a master class presentation during the festival.

Ant-Man tops US Box OfficeAnt-Man has topped the US box office this weekend knocking animated movie Minions off the number one spot.

The superhero movie starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily took a total of $58 million in its first weekend with Minions following close behind with $50.2 million.

This marks Marvel's 12th consecutive first place opening.

Minions, the Despicable Me spin off has now taken total of $217 million at the US box office. Starring Sandra Bullock, John Hamm and Michael Keaton, the film follows the minions as they evolve through the ages serving the most despicable of masters.

Trainwreck starring Amy Schumer came in third place with $30.2 million while Ian McKellen's Mr Holmes came in tenth place with a mere $2.48 million. The film is based on 2005 novel 'A Slight Trick of the Mind' and is the latest film about famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

Demi Moore releases statement after pool deathUS actress Demi Moore has said on Sunday that she is in absolute shock following the death of a 21 year old man in the pool of a house she owns in Los Angeles.

In a statement released through her publicist, Moore said that the death which occurred at a party held by her assistant while she was away was a tragedy. She said her heart went out to the young man's family and friends.

According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, the man, Edenilson Steven Valle, had been missing for 10 to 15 minutes before he was found by friends floating in the deep end of the pool early on Sunday morning.

Valle's family and friends told investigators that he didn't know how to swim.

China's single-day box office hits record high of 400 mln yuanChina's total box office sales surpassed 400 million yuan, about 64.4 million U.S. dollars on Saturday, a record for a single day.

The biggest contributor was domestic fantasy-comedy "Monster Hunt," which brought in 180 million yuan Saturday.

"Jian Bing Man," a domestic comedy that tells the story of an actor's experience in the film industry, came in second, grossing 149 million yuan.

"Monkey King: Hero is Back," the 3D animated adaption of the classic epic "A Journey to the West," took in 62 million yuan to be the third biggest contributor on the day.

Total ticket sales on Saturday broke the 383-million-yuan record made on April 12, when "Fast and Furious 7" opened on Chinese screens.

Sam Mendes says Spectre is his last Bond FilmSam Mendes, the director behind Skyfallhas said that upcoming Spectre is likely to be his last film for the James Bond franchise.

Mendes was speaking to BBC Radio's test match special and said that the process of making a James Bond film is so intense that he isn't able to make too many.

He added that combined, Spectre and Skyfall took five years to create making it a life choice rather than a job.

Mendes also said that although he enjoys making films, he often finds himself wishing he was working in a theatre environment.

Upcoming Bond film Spectre stars Daniel Craig as James Bond alongside Christoph Waltz, Andrew Scott and Ralph Fiennes. The plot revolves around a message that James Bond receives from his past that sends him on a mission to uncover a sinister organization.

Spectre is set to be released on 26 October in the UK.

WeatherBeijing has thundershowers tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius; tomorrow thundershowers with a high of 29.

Shanghai, cloudy tonight with a low of 26, tomorrow showers with a high of 31.

Chongqing, cloudy tonight with a low of 26, heavy rain tomorrow with a high of 32.

Lhasa light rain tonight with a low of 12, tomorrow overcast to light rain with a high of 25.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, light rain tomorrow, 35.

Kabul, cloudy, 34.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, light rain with a high of 17.

Brisbane, light rain with a high of 18.

Perth, light rain, 14.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.

That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour，18th Communist Party of China Central Committee set to hold its fifth plenary session in Beijing in October.

The US and Cuba set to formally reopen their embassies after the full restoration of diplomatic ties.

And Japanese Company Mitsubishi formally apologizing for using US prisoners of war during WWII.