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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Reports are suggesting a Japanese company is poised to offer a long-sought after apology and compensation for its forced labour activities during the war.

A former Japanese Prime Minister has taken to the streets of Tokyo to demonstrate against the current Japanese government's new defense policies.

Turkey's air force has launched strikes on the Islamic State in Syria, as well as on suspects within its own borders.

In Business....reports are suggesting a "Silk Road" exchange could be created in Shenzhen.

In Sports.... a 19-year old has become the first mainlander to sign with a Major League Baseball team.

And in Entertainment... Bon Jovi has announced he's expanding his concert tour later this year to Beijing.

All of that coming up in the next hour, but first, just a reminder there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

You can follow us on our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

WeChat: search "beijinghour"Email us directly at [email protected].

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topJapan's Mitsubishi to offer apology, compensation to Chinese forced laborers in WWIIMedia reports in Japan are suggesting Mitsubishi Materials is poised to offer both compensation and an apology to Chinese nationals who were forced into working in the company's mines during World War II.

The apology has not been confirmed by the company.

However, it would follow the unprecedented apology delivered on Sunday to US prisoners of war used by the company as forced labour.

Around 38-hundred Chinese nationals were used as forced labour at 12 mining sites belonging to Mitsubishi Materials.

More than 700 of them died.

The new agreement is said to include compensation of around 16-thousand US dollars for each victim, along with an apology.

Mitsubishi is also said to be planning to build a memorial for the victims of its forced labour activities.

Chinese survivors of the forced labor have been fighting for years to try to get an apology from the Japanese firm, with little success.

The courts in Japan have rejected previous attempts by Chinese plaintiffs for compensation, though the courts in China have ruled in their favor.

Japanese former PM in street protest against new security billsFormer Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama has joined a demonstration in Tokyo, protesting a series of security bills currently being pushed through parliament by the current Japanese government.

Murayama has taken time to address the crowd of around 2-thousand in-front of the country's Parliament, suggesting the new bills being sponsored by current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are a political ploy.

"The act of willfully satisfying his own desires, regardless of citizens' opinions, just by using his power of premiership is nothing but tyranny. It is intolerable."The 91-year old Murayama, who famously issued a Japanese apology for the country's wartime past during his time as Prime Minister 20-years ago, says Japan's pacifist Constitution needs to be maintained.

"I don't know how many years I have left, but as long as I live, I will do everything to protect the Peace Constitution. Let's all work together for this."Under the new bills being moved forward by the Abe administration, the Japanese military will be able to engage in armed conflicts overseas, and can also be sent in to help defend the country's allies, even if Japan isn't under threat.

Japan's Constitution, drafted by the United States after World War II, specifically restricts the Japanese military to self-defense only.

The proposed legislation still needs to move through the upper house of the Japanese parliament.

If a vote isn't held in the upper chamber within the next two months, it will be sent back to the lower house, where Abe's coalition government should be able to make the bills law with a two-thirds majority.

China's Medical insurance to Cover Expenses for the DisabledThe State Council has released a new set of draft regulations designed to expand the basic medical insurance program to cover expenses for the disabled.

Under the new rules, treatment and rehabilitation costs for the disabled can now be covered under the medical insurance plan.

Guan Xinping, head of Nankai University's social construction and management department, is describing this as a breakthrough for China's medical insurance system.

"In the future, rehabilitation will become increasingly expensive. If it is not included in the medical insurance system, rehabilitation may be too expensive for disabled people. With the new regulations, medical insurance can pay the costs, benefiting most disabled people. I think China's insurance level for the disabled is quite advanced."Costs for treatment and rehab for the disabled not covered under the medical insurance scheme can also be subsidized through additional medical assistance plans for the disabled currently available.

The new scheme also covers all the costs for surgeries, devices and rehabilitation for children under 6 with hearing or vision disabilities.

It's estimated there are around 85 million people in China with disabilities.

Over 50 million of them are currently in need of rehabilitation.

Access to medical treatment for the disabled, particularly in China's rural areas, is often out-of-reach, given the costs involved.

Number of Chinese netizens Hits 670 MillionNew stats are suggesting the number of people who used the internet in China has hit 670 million.

This is nearly half of the country's population.

The same analysis by the China Internet Network Information Center suggests over 90-percent go online via mobile devices.

Center deputy director Liu Bing says personal convenience appears to be drawing more and more people toward the internet.

"A notable characteristic over the past six months is the integration of the Internet and the service industry, like taxi-hailing and food-ordering via mobile phones. The service sector is basically fully connected with the Internet. The two sides mutually support one-another."Around 19-million more people have become internet users in China so far this year.

However, less than one-third, 28-percent, of all internet users in China are from the rural areas.

Around half of China's 1.37-billion people live in this country's rural areas.

Winter Olypics ChampionsAnchor:

With the announcement of who will win the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics just a week away, Beijing's bid ambassadors, most of whom are Chinese Winter Olympic Champions, are making a final push to promote Beijing's bid for the Games.

CRI's Luo Laiming has more.

Reporter:

The 40 year-old Yang Yang is the first Chinese gold medalist in Winter Olympics. She is also the mother of a 3 year-old child. She said she would let her child get involved in sports activities if she finds any chance. She thinks that many more children in China will get involved in winter sports if Beijing hosts the Olympics.

"The number of visitors to the ski resorts has increased rapidly. This is one of the reasons why Beijing entered the bid. Champions in Winter Olympics are idols to the kids. They can raise people's awareness."Yang Yang won 2 gold medals in short track speed skating in 2002 Winter Olympics. She has been an active participant in the affairs of International Skating Union (ISU) and International Olympic Committee (IOC). People called her 'Miss Winter Olympics'. Yang Yang has an important role in Beijing's bid as she became a committee member of IOC in 2010. She accompanied the evaluation committee when they visited Beijing, and introduced the National Stadium to them. If Beijing succeeds, the stadium is where short track speed skating and figure skating will take place.

Meanwhile, she is the manager of a ski school and looks after public funds for sports. She believes that Winter Olympics would lead to the development of winter sports in China.

"The sports industry and competitive sports will develop if Beijing succeeds. This is why I think it's worth it. But we need better conditions to make it happen."On the other hand, Zhao Hong-bo is one of the few athletes around the world who have participated in four Olympic Games.

Zhao Hong-bo and his wife Shen Xue were the champions of pairs skating in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. They won the first gold medal for China in figure skating events. And now he is a coach of China's national team. When he looks back to his four years of experience in his new job, he says he has faith in China's ability to host.

"I took part in Winter Olympics in Nagano, Salt Lake City, Turin and Vancouver. Each of them had shown their cultures and traditions in the Olympics. I am sure we will blend Chinese culture into the Olympics. We can be an excellent host for the Games."There is still a long way to go until winter sports become common in China. But the champions are doing their best to make it happen.

Back anchor:

CRI's Luo laiming reporting.

35 killed as Turkish warplanes bomb IS targets in SyriaReports are suggesting as many as 35 Islamic State militants have been killed in a series of air strikes launched by the Turkish airforce on the Syrian side of the border.

Three F-16 fighters hit 3 separate Islamic State targets in Syrian territory early this Friday morning.

The Turkish intervention follows on the heels of a security meeting held Thursday night by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

This is the first time the Turkish airforce has engaged Islamic State targets in Syrian territory.

At the same time, Turkish special forces have also been conducting ground raids on suspected Islamic State targets across 13 different Turkish provinces.

They've also been hitting locations thought to be harboring Kurdish militants and ultra-leftist groups.

Over 250 people have so far been detained as part of the sweep.

All of this follows on the heels of a deadly suicide bombing earlier this week along the Turkish border which left over 30 people dead.

Meanwhile, the United States and Turkey have reportedly reached an agreement to allow US-led coalition warplanes to use an air base in southern Turkey for US air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq.

FBI: IS bigger threat than al-QaidaThe head of the FBI has gone on-record saying his organization believes the Islamic State is more dangerous to American interests than al-Qaeda.

James Comey has made the suggestion during a speech to an annual security forum in the US state of Colorado.

Comey says the Islamic State's ability to recruit new members through social media is creating a major challenge for the FBI.

"They will try to motivate people that al-Qaida would never touch. Right, al-Qaida would not use as an operative someone who would use drugs, someone who is mentally unstable. But because their mission is to crowd source terrorism and simply get violence done in their name, they'll task anybody."At the same time, Comey notes the Islamic State is willing to recruit people al-Qaeda would not, suggesting the group is less idealistic and more interested in securing power.

Speaking to the Aspen Security Conference, the FBI director also says the Islamic State has been increasing its recruitment efforts over the past 6 to 8-weeks.

The group has been calling on supporters to launch attacks where they live if they can't travel to the Middle East.

Australian May Face Prosecution Over IS InvolvementAustralian authorities are said to be considering possible prosecution against one of its citizens who worked as a medic for the Islamic State in Syria.

Adam Brookman is being returned to Australia this Friday after turning himself into authorities in Turkey late last year.

Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop notes that under Australian law, Brookman may face charges.

"Any Australian who takes up arms with these terrorist organizations, or fights overseas, is committing a crime against Australian law. So Mr Brookman is obviously a person of interest to our law enforcement and intelligence agencies. I won't go into the detail of his specific case. But most certainly there are significant criminal offences attached to being in Syria and Iraq and/or supporting or advocating the Daesh (acronym for Arabic term for IS group) ideology."Brookman, a convert to Islam, says he was captured by the Islamic State in 2014 after being injured while working as a volunteer medic in Syria.

He claims he was then forced to work in a hospital controlled by the Islamic State to treat their injured fighters.

3 Dead and 7 Injured in Louisiana ShootingThree people are dead and 7 others injured following a shooting inside a theatre in the US state of Louisiana.

Police in the city of Lafayette say a 58-year old man stood-up about 20-minutes into a movie being seen by around a hundred people, and began opening fire with a handgun.

He killed two people and injured 7 others before turning the gun on himself.

However, Louisiana Police Superintendent Colonel Mike Edmonson says they believe the suspect acted alone.

"There's nothing that we believe has any other concerns past this point. There's no other active shooter out there. We don't believe there's anyone else involved, so we want to make sure the public understands that."Police in Lafayette say the suspect does have a criminal history.

His identity, or motivation for the shooting, has not been revealed.　　Reacting to the shooting, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has traveled to Lafayette.

"Today is a day that not only angers but also saddens all of us. This should never happen anywhere, but we never imagined it would happen in Louisiana, never imagined it would happen in Lafayette."The shooting comes at the same time a jury in the US state of Colorado is deliberating on whether or not to hand the death penalty to James Holmes.

He's the 27-year old who killed a dozen people and injured 70 others during a mass shooting at a theatre in the Denver suburb of Aurora 3-years ago.

Thailand Indicts 72 human trafficking suspectsThai authorities have indicted 72 people suspected of being involved in a human trafficking ring.

15 of them are Thai officials, including one senior army officer.

They have been charged with 16 different counts ranging from human trafficking, transnational criminal activity and violation of official duties.

Wanchai Roujanavong with Thailand's attorney general's office says they're looking at even more potential arrests.

"For those people who are still on the run overseas, we will work with national police to send them back, according to existing extradition treaties."Thai authorities launched a sweeping investigation into human trafficking back in May.

This followed the discovery of 26 bodies in graves buried deep in a jungle near the Thai-Malaysia border.

That discovery triggered a regional crisis, as it prompted human traffickers to abandon boats crammed with thousands of migrants at sea, rather than risk landing on Thai shores.

The new arrests come just days before the United States set to issue its latest assessment of Thailand's anti-trafficking efforts this coming Monday.

Last year, the US downgraded Thailand to "Tier 3" status in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

A "Tier 3" rating would normally have triggered a range of sanctions by the US.

However, US President Barack Obama waived them in Thailand's case.

NASA's planet-hunting Kepler Telescope spots Earth's close cousinAnchor:

Scientists and researchers searching the galaxy using the Kepler Space Telescope have announced a series of new discoveries, including a planet which may be the closest approximation yet to Earth.

Our Kevin McAleese has more from Washington.

Reporter:

"Today we're announcing the discovery of an exoplanet that as far as we can tell is a pretty good close cousin to the earth and our sun"An historic moment in NASA's epic pursuit of earth-like planets, as the newly discovered Kepler-452b was officially unveiledThat honour went to administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington John Grunsfeld, who alongside other experts explained that the planet orbits it's star every 385 days, and according to Jon Jenkins, the man who led the discovery team, the surface of the planet stands a good chance of being rocky, cloudy and home to active volcanoes.

"It would likely have a mass 5 times that of earth and surface gravity twice that of earth so you and I would weigh twice as much as we do now but only until we'd walked around for a few weeks and lost some serious pounds"Pouring over vast quantities of data collected by the Kepler telescope over several years, Astronomers had already discovered eight or nine planets similar in size to Earth in so-called "habitable" zones of their stars – where conditions are not too hot, not too cold, and could potentially support life, but with Kepler-452b scientists say they have found earth 2.0.

Didier Queloz, professor of astrophysics at Cambridge University...

"Keep working as well, and we keep being as enthusiastic and we keep designing program like we have done so far I mean it is for sure that one day the issue to detect life on another planet will solved"California based Astronomer, Jeff Coughlin says the Kepler telescope, which uses the largest camera ever launched into space, still has plenty more planet-hunting ahead.

"You might be asking yourself hey is this the end, you just told me that you've analyzed everything in the Kepler data set, is this all we're going to get, is this the end, and my answer is heck no! there's a lot more to come"Kepler is now gathering other kinds of data to help scientists understand other areas of astrophysics, such as how planets are formed.

A year from now NASA plans to release even more mission details, with the Kepler team already confident of further earth-like discoveries on the horizon.

For CRI, I'm Kevin McAleese in WashingtonRockets Launched to unlock Secrets behind Aurora Borealisanchor:

Norwegian researchers are now in the process of analyzing data from a rocket they fired into the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, earlier this year in an attempt to better understand the phenomenon's effect on our systems on earth.

CRI's Yu Yang has more.

reporter:

Researchers hope the data gathered in the experiment can help scientists accurately predict weather in space.

The team from the University of Oslo aimed its ICI4 rocket into the electron clouds inside the Aurora Borealis in February.

The launch was delayed by 11 days due to heavy winds and poor space weather.

PhD student Andres Spicher was in the control room when the decision was finally made to launch.

"What we wanted to observe is a cloud of plasma, a cloud of electrons coming into the Aurora. That happens really fast and this cloud of plasma moves at about 500 metres per second, and we also wanted to have our rockets exactly there when the cloud would encounter the Aurora and the rocket flies at one kilometre per second."When creating the Northern Lights, solar flares also help tear electrons loose from the atmosphere. Electron clouds are then formed and drift across the Arctic Ocean.

These electron clouds are invisible to our eyes, but disruptive for navigation and communications systems. The most serious interferences occur when electron clouds coincide with the Aurora Borealis.

No technology exists to eliminate this problem and the team hopes their research could unlock the mystery, with the help of a multi-needle probe system designed at the University.

Associate Professor Wojciech Miloch with the school's Department of Physics says the probes are now being used by NASA on some of their own rockets, with the European Space Agency set to follow suit for its space weather program.

"This is the Langmuir probe, the probe that collects electron and ion free charges in the ionosphere and from that we can actually understand the structures and processes that are occurring, that are happening in the high latitude ionosphere in the Aurora."Miloch is confident the probes will provide the team with accurate data, enabling scientists to improve global positioning systems and communication systems, as well as accurately predict space weather.

"With this particular instrument we can go down to the very small scales, centimetre scales, so when we launched the rocket and at the same time we have the ground instruments operating as a support then we can cover a wide range of scales, we can start from A and go to Z, so we can try to understand the whole processes that is really behind all the phenomena."Norwegian electronics firm Eidel is currently refining the instrument for use in space exploration and Miloch says it could revolutionize the field.

Although the team knew within minutes that the ICI4 had successfully made contact with the Northern Lights, full analysis of the data could take years.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

New Discoveries Shed Light on the Mayan CultureArcheologists in northern Guatamala have discovered three ancient Mayan panels dating back to the 7th century CE.

The artifacts feature well preserved Mayan scripts and carvings.

Marcelo Canuto, co-director of one of the two sites in Guatamala being excavated, says the archaelological finds are very well preserved.

"Excavations have discovered two hieroglyphic panels, two stone panels about 40 cm in length and about 30 cm in height that are carved with hieroglyphs, and on one of them there's the image of a king dancing. These panels are incredibly well preserved and for being about 1,300 to 1,400 years old, we are extremely surprised and excited about the fact that they preserve such wonderful amount of detail."At the same time, Canuto says they believe the glyphs should help reserachers better understand how power was transferred in the Mayan culture.

"They're extremely important for us because they give us very detailed information about how a Maya ruler becomes king. It gives us a step-by-step process by which a king over a period of two years is not a royal member of a dynasty and then becomes king of the site. This is fascinating kind of information that is extremely detailed and often not explicated with as much detail in other texts."The powerful Mayan empire reached its peak between approximately 250 and 950 CE.

Through originally based in South America, the Mayan culture eventually extended into what is now Guatemala, Honduras and western El Salvador in Central America.

Shanghai detains two for murdering baby with cleft lipPolice in Shanghai have detained 2 people suspected of murdering a newborn with a cleft lip.

The two under arrest include a doctor and the child's grandfather.

The elderly man has reportedly admitted to poisoning the child with potassium chloride procured from the doctor.

The child died just a day after being born.

Doctor Ji Hui with the hospital where the child was born says they became suspicious after the child died without any apparent health problems.

"The police immediately carried out an investigation. It is believed that the newborn was deprived of life and did not die of natural causes."Media reports have suggested the baby may have been suffering from other physical deformities beyond its cleft lip, which is easily fixed through a routine procedure.

It's unclear at this point if the child's parents have any involvement.

Beijing's Largest Reservoir Put into UseA newly-built reservoir in Beijing meant to store rainwater is now operational in the western suburbs.

Transformed from a sand quarry, the reservoir can store up to 7 million cubic meters of water, making it the largest in the city.

It has a five-kilometer-long perimeter, and is up to 30-meters deep.

Xue Wenzheng, deputy director of the project, says they've already been collecting a lot of water amid the recent rains in Beijing.

"The reservoir has collected rainwater several times during this year's flood season. The largest volume of water it collected was 250-thousand cubic meters. When heavy rain hit Beijing from July 16 to 20, the water level even reached the height of the lowest around-the-reservoir pathway."Meanwhile, a project to beautify the reservoir is also under way.

It's expected to be finished by April.

weatherBeijing will be overcast tonight with a low of 22 degrees Celsius; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 33.

Shanghai has clouds tonight with a low of 27; showers tomorrow with a high of 34.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 25, sunny tomorrow with a high of 37.

Lhasa will be clear tonight with a low of 11, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 26.

Headline newsJapan's Mitsubishi to offer apology, compensation to Chinese forced laborers in WWIIMedia reports in Japan say Mitsubishi Materials will offer compensation and an apology to Chinese forced labors it used during the WWII.

The apology has not been confirmed by the company, but it would follow the unprecedented apology delivered on Sunday to US prisoners of war used by the company as forced labor.

The plan reportedly also includes compensation of about 16-thousand US dollars for each victim.

The company and a group of Chinese plaintiffs reportedly reached a settlement.

Nearly 38-hundred Chinese nationals were used as forced labor at mining sites belonging to Mitsubishi Materials. More than 700 of them died.

Police detain 2 terrorists in Wenzhou, with explosives and knives seizedTwo people have been arrested in the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang connected to terrorism.

Details about the suspects remain unclear at this point.

However, local authorities in Wenzhou, acting on a tip from the provincial police bureau, arrested the pair early this Friday morning.

They were allegedly found with explosives and knives during their arrest.

Authorities have not said whether they believe an attack by the suspects may have been imminent.

Economic Fugitive Repatriated to South ChinaAnother Chinese economic fugitive has been repatriated.

Wu Quanshen has been picked up in Macau after being on the run in West Africa for the past couple of years.

The former village chief is on the Chinese government's list of the top 100 economic fugitives.

He's wanted in connection with accepting money connected to a local construction project in his home village in Guangdong.

35 killed as Turkish warplanes bomb IS targets in SyriaReports are suggesting as many as 35 Islamic State militants have been killed in a series of air strikes launched by the Turkish airforce on the Syrian side of the border.

Three F-16 fighters hit 3 separate Islamic State targets in Syrian territory early this Friday morning.

The Turkish intervention follows on the heels of a security meeting held Thursday night by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

This is the first time the Turkish airforce has engaged Islamic State targets in Syrian territory.

It follows on the heels of a deadly suicide bombing earlier this week along the Turkish border which left over 30 young people dead.

US President leaves for AfricaUS President Barack Obama is on his way to Africa for landmark visits to Kenya and Ethiopia.

Obama is expected to arrive in Kenya on Friday, becoming the first sitting US president to visit the country.

Security and economic initiatives will be topping the agenda during Obama's time in Kenya.

He will also become the first US president to travel to Ethiopia when he lands there on Sunday to confer with the country's Prime Minister.

In Addis Ababa, Obama is expected to address the African Union at its headquarters.

biz reportsAnchor:

Turning now to business news.

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

Joining me on the desk is CRI's Wang Mengzhen.

Reporter:

Chinese A shares closed out the trading week lower, ending a 6-day winning streak.

However, the Shanghai Composite Index still remains above the psychologically important 4-thousand level, despite slipping 1.3-percent today.

Companies in the aviation and military sectors led the gainers, while shares in highways and securities companies were among the biggest losers.

China's securities regulator has announced today that it's launched over 130 official investigations into alleged illegal trading in the first half of this year in an effort to crack down insiders'trading.

That is nearly 50% increase year on year.

Elsewhere here on the mainland, the Shenzhen Component Index fell 1.7 percent.

The ChiNext Index for growth enterprises dipped 2.4 percent.

Hong Kong also closed lower today, with the Hang Seng index down 1 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares ended lower on a stronger yen and weak Chinese PMI data.

The Nikkei ended down 0.6-percent.

South Korea's KOSPI finished down 0.9 percent.

Singapore stocks finished slightly lower, with the Straits Times Index down 0.1 percent.

Finally, Australian stocks continued their losses, with the benchmark ASX 200 down 0.4 percent.

Hanergy Considers Repurchase of stocks from employeesIt is being reported Chinese solar firm Hanergy may be considering plans to repurchase some of its shares from its employees at the prices the shares were at before May's massive sell-off.

A report, citing internal company sources, is suggesting Hanergy is going to buy-back some of its stocks from its employees at around 6-Hong Kong dollars per share.

The plan has yet to be finalized.

The report doesn't make clear how many shares might be involved, or what the motivation for Hanergy would be.

Hanergy shares would currently be worth just under 4-Hong Kong dollars if the company was still trading.

The report says the plan has yet to be finalized.

However, report doesn't make clear how many shares might be involved, or what the motivation for Hanergy might be.

Hanergy shares have been suspended from trading in Hong Kong since May 20th, when the Beijing-based firm lost 19-billion dollars, or about half its market value, in just 24-minutes of trading on that day.

Hong Kong regulators are currently looking into what exactly happened.

Shenzhen Considers a Silk Road BourseAuthorities in both the Qianhai and Shekou areas of Shenzhen are said to be mulling the creation of an offshore exchange, or "Silk Road Board," to boost financing in the region.

The plan are still said to be in the research phase.

It's being reported they won't be finalized for 3 to 5 years.

The proposed bourse would allow foreign companies linked with the "Belt and Road" initiative to issue shares and trade on the exchange.

The Qianhai and Shekou areas of Shenzhen are part of the broader Guangdong Free Trade Zone launched back in April.

The Qianhai zone has been set-up as a center for financial operations and logistics.

More than 2-thousand companies from Hong Kong are expected to be registered in Qianhai by the end of this year.

Caixin flash China general manufacturing PMI hits 15-month lowNew figures are suggesting a significant downturn in manufacturing here in China this past month.

Caixin's flash PMI for the manufacturing sector for July has come in at 48.2.

This is down from the 49.4 figure in June.

Any reading below 50 indicates contraction.

This is the first time the flash PMI has been released under Caixin's sponsorship since the Chinese business media group replaced HSBC as the lead sponsor of the monthly Markit survey.

The Chinese government's official PMI reading, which samples a larger number of purhasing managers than the Markit survey, is due out on August 3rd.

China's job market stable despite weaker economic growthOfficial stats show China's registered unemployment rate in the urban areas has come in at just under 4 percent as of the end of June.

This is around the same level the unemployment rate was at back in March.

The figures are below the Chinese government's full-year urban unemployment target of below 4.5-percent.

Figures also suggest a total of 7.18 million new jobs have been created in China's urban areas through the first half of the year.

This is around 200-thousand fewer jobs create compared with the same period of last year.

Officials with the Human Resources Ministry say the job market in China remains stable.

Qualcomm to cut costs and jobs amid fierce competitionAnchor:

US chip-maker Qualcomm has announced a series of new job cuts and other cost-cutting measures.

Qualcomm has announced plans to cut around 15-percent of its global workforce, or around 45-hundred jobs.

It's also reportedly planning a series of cost-reduction initiatives, including a possible break-up of the company.

Qualcomm has been under pressure from its major shareholders amid declining profits because of stronger competition in Asia.

For more on what's happening with Qualcomm, CRI's Zhao Yang spoke earlier with Professor Terrill Frantz with the HSBC Business School at Peking University.

Back Anchor:

That was Professor Terrill Frantz with Peking University speaking with CRI's Zhao Yang.

SportsBaseball: Xu Guiyuan 1st Chinese Mainlander to Enter MLBGot some big baseball news,Xu Guiyuan, the first Chinese mainland player to sign with a Major League Baseball team, is heading to Florida to meet the Baltimore Orioles.

The 19-year-old outfielder will start the next chapter of his career in Baltimore's Minor League system in February after he finishes high school in China.

Xu realizes he's breaking new ground for baseball in China.

"I have taken the first step into the Minor Leagues, which is a big motivation, and a push for the development of this sport in China. I hope more Chinese people will play baseball because it is a lot of fun. Playing baseball is like living your life, and it gives you a unique experience that you can't find anywhere else. I really hope more people can join me."Director of MLB Game Development in Asia, Rick Dell, spotted Xu as a 13-year-old. Dell hopes the signing of Xu is a good start for many more signings from China.

Football: Guangzhou Evergrande Downs Bayern Munich 5-4 in ShootoutTurning to football,Guangzhou Evergrande defeated Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich last night 5-4 on penalties.

After a scoreless 90 minutes and extra time,Thomas Mueller stepped up first for Bayern, but his shot was stopped by Evergrande goalkeeper Zeng Cheng.

All nine kicks that followed caught net, and Guangzhou ended on top 5-4.

Evergrande coach Luiz Felipe Scolari faced some of the Bayern Munic players when Germany massacred his Brazil squad 7-1 at the World Cup a year ago.

Scolari is pleased with the results of their latest meeting:

"In my memories, German players are top class. On that day, they did extremely well. I think they are all nice guys. So I am happy to play against those German players again. Football is not just about winning or losing. Football is eternal. I am really happy that my life goes on after that day. And I am happy to coach a Chinese team today."The match was the end of Bayern Munich's China tour, where they beat La Liga club Valencia and Italian squad Inter Milan before facing Evergrande.

CSL: Shandong Luneng vs. Tianjin Teda UpdateTonight, in football action from the Chinese Super League:

Shandong Luneng, who just leap-frogged Beijing Guo'an to take third place in the league, is putting its seven-game unbeaten streak on the line against lowly Tianjin Teda, who are heading into the match coming off back-to-back losses.

(UPDATE)Russia Sports Minister Talks Racism, FIFA Scandal Ahead of WC DrawIn more football news:

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko was quizzed on concerns over racism among the country's football fans during a press conference on Thursday for the 2018 World Cup.

Russian football has been under the spotlight time and again for racism. Most recently, Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Frimong, who plays for Russian club FC Ufa, was sent off last week during a match against Spartak Moscow, when he flipped off the opposing fans for allegedly directing monkey chants and racial slurs his way.

While Frimong was suspended for two games, the Russian Football Union said no racial abuse took place at the game.

FIFA is calling for the RFU to explain why Spartak escaped scrutiny.

When asked how Russia will deal with instances of racism when it hosts the World Cup, Mutko says this:

"Racism and violence in football is not the unique problem for Russia, and Russia together with the whole football community, will be revving up efforts to oppose these kinds of incidents. And we have introduced the special sanctions, punitive sanctions, for the clubs and for the offenders are more harsh now."Anti football discrimination group, FACT, reported in February that they have documented over 200 instances of racism connected to Russian football in the last two seasons.

But Robert Ustian, founder of the CSKA Moscow fans against racism initiative, says that those perpetrating racism at Russian football games are a minority, and that the World Cup will not be marred by discrimination:

"Sincerely speaking, I don't personally believe that we will have any problems and incidents during the World Cup. The Sochi Olympics were absolutely brilliant in showing us that when it comes to an international image of Russia our society is united to present itself in the best possible way to the world."The qualifying draw for the 2018 World Cup takes place on Saturday in St. Petersburg.

16th FINA World Championships kick off in RussiaThe 16th FINA World Championships kicked off at Kazan, Russia, today.

Around 2,500 athletes from 63 countries and regions will compete for 75 gold medals up for grabs in various aquatic sports.

Tonight, the championships open with the one-meter springboard men's diving prelims, which plash into action at about 8pm, Biejing time in Kazan's Aquatics Palace.

One of the biggest changes made to this year's World Championships is the addition of new mixed-gender events.

In diving, where China's women have shined, but its men have floundered, three new competition have been introduced--the 10-meter platform synchronized mixed diving, three-meter springboard synchronized mixed diving and and the mixed team event.

Mixed events have also been added to the swimming and synchronized swimming categories, as well.

The FINA World Championships will be held from today to August 9th.

Golf: LPGA Beijing Tournament Cancelled, Reasons UnclearIn golf:

The Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic in Beijing has been cancelled this year.

No reason has been given for the cancellation of the tournament, which was scheduled for early October.

The LPGA Tour said on Thursday that the cancellation won't stop its long-term plans for developing women's golf in China.

The tournament is still planned to be held in 2016 and 2017.

In other golf news:

At the European Masters in Switzerland:

Nine birdies were followed by disaster for Tyrrell Hatton on Thursday after a triple bogey on the last hole gifted the overnight lead to Gregory Havret at seven-under 63.

On the PGA Tour's Canadian Open:

Argentina's Emiliano Grillo shot a bogey-free, eight-under-par 64 to take the first-round lead.

And in the LPGA:

Lizette Salas, Katherine Kirk and Dori Carter shared the first-round lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic at seven-under 64 on Thursday at Blythefield Country Club.

EntertainmentBon Jovi to Tour Chinese Mainland for the First TimeUS rock legend Jon Bon Jovi has announced plans to expand his forthcoming time on the Chinese mainland.

Bon Jovi has added an additional concert here in Beijing after his time in Shanghai in mid-September.

His shows in Shanghai and Beijing mark the first time Bon Jovi will perform on the mainland.

The New Jersey native has been fronting his band for the past 30-years, putting out over a dozen albums.

Bon Jovi's first mainland show will be in Shanghai on September 14th.

His Beijing date is 3-days later on the 17th.

'Cairo Declaration' Reveals Cast SetWe now know who's playing what role in the forthcoming war epic "Cairo Declaration."The full cast-list has been releaved ahead of the premier of its trailer.

The film will see veteran actor Tang Guoqiang reprise his role of Chairman Mao once again.

Actor Ma Xiaowei is playing Chiang Kai-shek.

Hong Kong actress Carina Lau plays Chiang Kai-shek's wife Soong May-ling.

Lau is believed to feature prominently in "Cairo Declaration," as Soong May-ling played an important role in persuading the then-US government to help battle the Japanese during its invasion of China during the World War II.

Soong Meiling was western educated and spoke fluent English.

The film itself follows Chiang Kai-shek's attendance at the Cairo Conference in 1943, as well as the Japanese bombing of the temporary capital of Chongqing.

"Cairo Declaration" has been filmed in multiple locations, including Egypt and the US.

It's set to open at the end of August to coincide with the forthcoming 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Universal Sets June 22, 2018 Date For Next 'Jurassic World'

The huge box office success of "Jurassic World," has already prompted Universal to issue a date for the release of its sequel.

The yet-unnamed sequel is going to be released on June 22nd, 2018.

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have been tapped to return, as has Steven Spielberg as Executive Producer"Jurassic World" left several plot strands unresolved for a potential sequel.

The announcement of a sequel comes as little surprise, given that "Jurassic World" is the highest-grossing movie ever distributed by Universal.

Jurassic World currently sits in third on the list of the highest-grossing movies of all-time, having recently overtaken The Avengers.

It sits behind only Avatar and Titanic.

Angelina Jolie to Direct Cambodia Set Drama for NetflixAngelina Jolie is teaming up with Netflix to direct a movie adapted from a book written by a survivor of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

The film is to be based on Cambodian-born American Loung Ung's memoirs of her life as a child under the Khmer Rouge regime.

Jolie is going to produce as well as direct the film adaption of her book.

She has already co-adapted the screenplay with Ung.

Jolie's Cambodian-born son Maddox is also reportedly going to appear in the movie.

Netflix says it expects to make the film available in the fall of next year.

'Mission Impossible 5' Premieres in ViennaTom Cruise is in Vienna to attend the world premiere of 'Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation".

The film itself is due to open next week in the UK and the US.

One of the scenes in the film has Cruise clinging on to the outside of a jetliner as its taking off.

Cruise, who is known for doing his own stunt-work, claims the shot is real.

"First of all I have to - the camera angle and also the discussion that (director) Chris (McQuarrie) and I had. I know editorially the shots that we need and what we're looking for so actually as I'm going through it I'm thinking of, where the camera is, I'm thinking of performance and I'm trying different things on the plane so that we could have it in the cut. And also you start thinking about the lighting, the angle, you know how was the shot? Plus, you want to live through it, that's also on my mind.""Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" also stars Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Ferguson, and Simon Pegg.

It's due to hit Chinese theatres on September 8th.

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

Reports are suggesting a Japanese company is poised to offer a long-sought after apology and compensation for its forced labour activities during the war.

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