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

Coming up on our program this morning...

The next round of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban will likely be held in China...

Marking the 70th anniversary of the Potsdam Proclamation demanding Japan's surrender...

Turkey has stepped up its attacks on Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq and Islamic State forces in Syria...

In Business...90 billion worth of lockup shares are set to be released into the market this week...

In Sports...team China doing well at the swimming world championships...

In entertainment...a release date in China has been set for the new Mission: Impossible movie...

Top NewsNext round of Afghan-Taliban talks likely to be held in ChinaAfghan authorities have announced that the next round of face to face talks between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives will be held by the end of this month.

In making the announcement, Mohammad Ismail Qasimyar from the Afghan High Peace Council also reveals that the meeting is likely to be held in China.

One of the major topics raised by the Taliban side is to remove the militant group from the blacklists of the US and United Nation, to allow its members free travel.

The meeting comes after the first direct talks between the two sides in Pakistan earlier this month.

Li Shaoxian, Director of the China-Arab Research Institute, says the location of the talks has been carefully chosen.

"In fact, the peace talks, besides the Afghan government and Taliban militant, also involve Pakistan, the United States and China. The last meeting was held in Pakistan, which is very rare, and I think it was a breakthrough because Pakistan is widely believed to be influential in the talks. And this time the meeting is very likely to be held in China. Personally I don't think the idea is initiated by China, it is more likely that the idea was firstly accepted by both the Afghan government as well as the Taliban, and it should also be agreed by the U.S. government as well."The White House revealed last week the U.S. and Afghan Presidents held a conversation through a video conference.

The two countries' security partnership was a major topic on the table.

President Obama also offered continued U.S. support for the Afghan-led peace process.

Li Shaoxian says he believe China can play a positive role in facilitating the peace talks.

"Afghan is a neighboring country of China, and the two counties shared many interests both in economy and security. In the past decade, China has been offering a lot of help in the reconstruction work in the country. Also China is in a good relationship with Pakistan and can exert certain influence to Pakistan. So China's participation can have a positive role in the talk. Meanwhile China and the US have jointly achieved remarkable diplomatic results in some important issues such as the Iran nuclear deal, that's also why Washington would like to cooperate with Beijing on the Afghan issue again."China has long been voicing its support for an intra-Afghan inclusive dialogue between rival parties in the country.

During his visit to Pakistan earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Yi further noted that China would like to facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process with necessary conveniences.

People Visit the Cecilienhof Palace, Marking the 70th Potsdam AnniversaryAnchorSeventy years have passed since the Potsdam Proclamation was issued in Germany.

To mark the anniversary on Sunday, large numbers of tourists from around the world visited the historic site where the proclamation was made, remembering that period of history and the legacy it has left to the world.

CRI's Niu Honglin has details.

ReporterThe Cecilienhof Palace, located in a large park, close to a lake shore, is known for being the location of the Potsdam Conference, which was held in July and August 1945.

On July 26, 1945, a document was issued there by China, the United States and Britain, demanding Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII.

Despite originally ignoring the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan did eventually announce its surrender on August 15th, and formally signed the articles of peace based on the Potsdam Proclamation on September 2nd, 1945.

Matthias Simmich was the deputy curator of Cecilienhof Palace.

"The Potsdam Proclamation explicitly said that all the territories that Japan took from China before World War II shall be restored to the Chinese. Northeast China and Taiwan were included."German historians and politicians have urged Japan to admit to its history of aggression ahead of the upcoming anniversary of the proclamation.

Stefan Bollinger, professor with the Institute of Political Science under the Free University of Berlin, says Japan's aggression to its neighboring countries actually started years before 1945.

"I believe Japan, especially its leadership, has not acknowledged that what they have done in Asia, countries such as China, Korea, the Philippines and Cambodia in dozens of years before 1945, the aggression and destructive war. It was a crazy destructive war, a brutal war full of crimes. For example, Japanese unit 731 employed modern methods to carry out killing as genocide. But even today, most Japanese elites and members of the public do not treat these as issues that need to be discussed."Manfred Goertamaker is a professor of contemporary history at the University of Potsdam.

He says Germany has acknowledged the wrongdoings of Nazi Germany during the war, admitted its wartime atrocities and earnestly repented. However, Japanese actions have been totally different.

"In Germany, people are actively reflecting on the past. The historians are trying to expose historical truth. And the reflection features on the political level as well as legal level. However, we cannot see such historical reflection at all in Japan. A new force with the notion of so-called 'normal country' is developing in Japan; its textbooks even deny its war crimes."To mark the 70th anniversary of the Potsdam Conference, a series of special events are scheduled to be held in the Cecilienhof Palace from this July to September this year.

Decades after the end of the historic event, the original furnishings of the rooms used for the Potsdam Conference are still well preserved. Some visitors say they feel the original decoration and exhibition shows a respect for the history and people should also take the same attitude when it comes to the historical truth.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

6 Rescued in Flooded Mine in northeast ChinaRescuers have saved 6 miners who have been trapped in a flooded coal mine for a week in northeast China's Heilongjiang.

This after a tunnel was excavated this morning.

The flooding took place at the Xuxiang Colliery on July 20.

The death toll stands at four so far.

Rescuers are racing to search for the other five workers who have been trapped in the pit.

Local authorities have blamed heavy rains for the accident.

3 dead, 4 injured in northwest China chemical plant fireThree people have been confirmed dead and four injured following a fire at a chemical plant on Sunday morning in Gansu.

It happened at the Qingyang Petrochemical Company owned by PetroChina.

It took crews around 5-hours to put out the fire, which began around 7am.

It's unclear what sparked the blaze.

China to Conduct Safety Checks on Airports after Flight ChaosThe Chinese civil aviation watchdog has asked local branches to strengthen aviation security checks on medium-size, small and new airports.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the notification after a passenger tried to set fire to the cabin of a plane on Sunday.

The incident happened aboard a Shenzhen Airlines flight from the city of Taizhou to Guangzhou.

The suspect reportedly tried twice to set a fire on board.

A witness surnamed Li says the cabin crews put out the fire while other passengers tried to control the suspect.

"The cabin crews put out the fire with extinguishers. Then the suspect took out a knife. Passengers threw their bags at the suspect to stop him coming up."The suspect was restrained by cabin crew and passengers.

95 passengers and nine crew members made an emergency evacuation through slides.

Two people were injured.

The suspect has been detained for causing chaos on the flight.

His motivation remains unclear.

The CAAC has required a safety assessment of the Taizhou airport and will later decide whether to temporarily suspend its operation.

Nine cult members imprisoned in central ChinaA court in Hubei has sentenced 9 members of the cult of the "Almighty God" to jail terms.

The group has been hit with terms ranging between 18 months to 3-years for their roles in the group, which has included convictions for recruitment and brainwashing.

The sentencing in Hubei follows on the heels of 5 members of the cult being sentenced to prison terms of up to 3-years on Saturday in Liaoning for spreading propaganda.

"Church of the Almighty God," as its known, first emerged in China in the 1990's, with its founder claiming Jesus had been resurrected as his wife.

The couple fled to the United States 15-years ago to avoid prosecution as cult leaders.

The group re-emerged in the public eye last year when 5 of its members beat a woman to death at a McDonalds in the city of Zhaoyuan in Shandong.

Videos of the deranged murder went viral, showing the group beating the woman with mop handles, calling her an 'evil spirit' after she refused to give them her cell phone number while they were trying to recruit her.

Turkey steps up attacks on PKK, IS targetsTurkey has called a special meeting of NATO to discuss its military operation against the Islamic State militant and Kurdistan Workers Party.

The meeting is scheduled in Brussels on Tuesday.

Turkey has been stepping up attacks on Kurdish rebel positions in Iraq and Islamic State targets in Syria.

Local media say several F-16 fighter jets bombed PKK targets in northern Iraq on Sunday evening.

Turkey launched the first round of air strikes against PKK camps and targets of Islamic State group in Syria on Friday.

The attacks continued on Saturday, according to residents of a Kurdish village in northern Iraq.

"Yesterday, at about 11 p.m., Turkish fighter jets came and hit our village with 10 rockets. We and our children were really scared. They even bombed our water supply."Ankara says the campaign on the PKK positions will help create a safe zone across swathes of northern Syria.

Turkey has dramatically cranked up its role in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State since a suspected IS suicide bomber killed 32 people last week in a town close to the Syrian border.

Meanwhile, it's launching fresh attacks on Kurdish militants, raising concerns about the future of the shaky Kurdish peace process.

Critics including opposition politicians accuse President Tayyip Erdogan of trying to use the campaign against the Islamic State as an excuse to crack down on Kurds.

Ankara denies the accusation.

Syria's Assad admits army is 'fatigued'

AnchorSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has made a rare public speech in Damascus, acknowledging that more than four years of conflict in his country is putting a strain on the military.

But he insists government forces will prevail over the insurgents, hailing the support from Iran and the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah group in the war.

More details from CRI's Qi Zhi.

ReporterThe Syrian conflict is now in its fifth year and is thought to have left more than 230 thousand people dead, while millions of others have been displaced.

Assad's speech comes after several months of setbacks for his government, which is confronting an array of armed groups including the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters and other rebel groups.

In the speech, the first in a year, Assad gives a frank assessment of the strains afflicting the Syrian military, saying the scale of the war is leaving the army fatigued.

"The power of the army comes from human resources, so if we want the army to do its best we have to provide our best. If we want the army to work as much as it can we must provide whatever it needs. Now everything is available but there is a lack of human resources".

There are reports suggesting Syria's army, a once 300,000-strong force, has been roughly halved in size by deaths, defections and a rise in draft dodging, with at least 70,000 men having avoided military service.

Since March, the Syrian government has suffered a series of battlefield defeats.

It's estimated that the government's territorial control now stands at no more than 25 percent of the country, mainly in the west, which is home to the majority of the population.

Assad admits that the army has been forced to give up areas in order to hold onto more important ones.

"It was necessary to specify critical areas for our armed forces to hang on to so that this would not lead to the fall of other areas and these areas are either important militarily, politically, economically and for services."However, Assad has pledged to fight on and has ruled out the prospect of any negotiated settlement at the moment.

"Are Syrian forces capable of doing their duty and defending their motherland? Definitely and without exaggeration yes the armed forces are capable. I repeat again there is no collapse. We will resist and we will win".

Assad has also for the first time acknowledged the support from Iran and Hezbollah in the fight against the rebels.

He says Iran is providing military expertise and the Lebanese group is fighting alongside the Syrian army.

Several rounds of peace talks and the efforts of three UN envoys have so far failed to resolve the Syrian conflict.

The opposition is insisting Assad must step down under any political deal.

But his government says the focus of negotiations must be tackling "terrorism", a term the government uses for all those who oppose it.

The U.N. envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is due to address the Security Council this week on consultations he has held with combatants and other parties involved in the war.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Al-Shabab suicide truck bomb hits hotel, kills 13At least 13 people were killed and 20 others injured in a suicide bombing by the Al-Shabab group in Mogadishu, Somalia.

The attack happed at a hotel which was rammed by a car packed with explosives.

The spokesman of Somalia's Internal Security Ministry, Mohamed Yusuf, calls the attack inhumane.

"A huge explosion has occurred at this hotel carried out by anti-peace agents. Many have been killed and many others were also injured. Again, this is un-Islamic because most of the people killed were innocents."The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group has frequently launched bomb and gun attacks in the capital in its bid to topple Somalia's Western-backed government.

The African Union's force in Somalia has been helping the country battle the Islamist rebels.

The group said in the statement that the hotel was targeted because it hosts "Western" embassies coordinating the offensive.

Obama arrives in Ethiopia for official visitU.S. President Barack Obama is now in Addis Ababa for an official visit to Ethiopia.

Obama will also visit the African Union Headquarters in the city, where he will hold a meeting with the Chairperson of the AU Commission, and other officials at the pan-African bloc.

Obama will also deliver a speech aimed at the African continent, from the Nelson Mandela Hall at the AU Conference Center.

Ethiopia is the second leg of Obama's tour after Kenya, where the US president pledged to provide more funds for the war against terrorism and also increase training for Kenyan security forces.

Floods kill another 24 in northern PakistanAnother 24 people have been killed in floods caused by heavy monsoon rains in an already-deluged northern Pakistan.

The latest fatalities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have brought the number of deaths blamed on the flooding this week to 43 nationwide.

300,000 people in the city of Chitral are affected by flash floods, with many bridges, roads and homes destroyed.

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has earlier ordered authorities concerned to take measures to rescue those trapped by the flooding.

"Some areas in Pakistan have fallen prey to rain and flood destruction. Provincial governments including all departments concerned should ensure that they do not lack in rescue, relief and rehabilitation of affected people. Federal government is fully active."The latest spell of rains, which started on Friday, is likely to continue for another two days.

MLB Opens New Market in ChinaAnchorEarlier this week, Chinese outfielder Xu Guiyuan made headlines when he signed with Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles. MLB's entry and expansion in China, however, started a long time ago. CRI's Victor Ning has more.

ReporterAs the world's most populous country, China has become a focal point for many international sports organizations seeking global expansion. With the missions to bring baseball to another side of the globe and to identity fresh talents, Major League Baseball began its activities in China more than ten years ago.

According to MLB, it entered a development agreement with the Chinese Baseball Association in 2003, gaining the right to scout and sign Chinese players, as well as staffing US baseball veterans Jim Lefebvre and Bruce Hurst on the Chinese national team.

MLB now has three Development Centers on the Chinese mainland, in Wuxi, Changzhou and Nanjing. Rob Palmer, the head coach at the Wuxi Center says the goal of these centers is to bring MLB closer to Chinese fans.

"Baseball is very, very big all through Asia, Japan and Korea and Taiwan, so a lot of our players grew up watching a lot of Japanese baseball. They watch a lot of baseball from Taiwan, so they grew up looking at those players as role models, and we start to expose them a little more to baseball in United States as well. And they started to learn more about Major League Baseball teams and starts to become fans of the game."A total of 85 local players are enrolled at these centers so far. Xu Guiyuan, the 19-year-old who signed with the Baltimore Orioles on July 20th, is from the center in Wuxi, in the province of Jiangsu.

Zhang Xiaotian, the assistant coach at the Wuxi center, is optimistic about young Chinese players' career trajectories in America.

"A lot of young Chinese player are very willing to play baseball, especially play baseball in America. I believe this is the dream of every baseball players in China, because America has the biggest baseball league in the world. Baseball players around the world all would like to play there. "Huang Liwei, an 18 year old from Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, is now training at the Wuxi Development Center. Huang played once in the US for Amateur Baseball Development and says he aspires to play in the Major League one day.

"Of course I want to play in the Major League. I want to start with the minor league, sign with them. Then work hard and fight to play in the Major League. I've been to America once. I feel the baseball environment and the people there are very good. Everything feels good there."Both coaches at the Wuxi Center speak highly of their recruits and expect them to become professional players.

In addition to running the centers, MLB says its activities in China have also included youth and grassroot school programs, exchanges between Chinese and American teams, broadcast deals and merchandize sales.

As for Xu Guiyuan, he'll complete his high school studies in China before reporting to the Orioles spring training camp next February. He will then be assigned to one of the club's minor league affiliates.

For CRI, I am Victor Ning.

BT Tower celebrates its 50th birthdayAnchor Once the tallest building in the city of London, the 189-meter BT Tower is poised to celebrate its 50th birthday this year.

Ahead of the anniversary, one of the building's most iconic features is set to open up to the public after being shuttered for 35-years.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

ReporterThe tower was officially opened by then-British Prime Minister Harold Wilson on October 8th, 1965 after four years of construction.

Initial planning for the BT Tower first began almost 30-years earlier in 1936.

However, the Second World War delayed its construction.

During the design process, municipal authorities in London paid close attention to its layout, as authorities wanted to keep both St. Paul's Cathedral and Parliament as the main attractions on the city's skyline.

But Doctor Ruth Craggs with King's College in London says once it was finished, the BT Tower became an important landmark in its own right.

"The function of the building is it's tall and thin and circular and that was both about an artistic and an architectural style - a kind of sleek modernity, it looks a bit like Thunderbirds and Stingray and all of those things - but it was also very much about new technology."The BT Tower has since become the nerve centre of a broadcasting and communications network in London, transmitting TV programmes, telephone calls and computer data.

But it is best known for one particular feature.

BT Tower has a revolving restaurant on its 34th floor.

When it was open, the restaurant allowed diners a panoramic view of the British capital, making a full rotation every 22-minutes.

The rotating restaurant was shut down in 1980.

However, it's going to be re-opened to mark the BT Tower's 50th birthday.

Doctor Ruth Craggs says the rotating restaurant was a front-runner in innovation at the time.

"And after the viewing platform closed in 1980, really it wasn't until you started getting things like the London Eye that again you could get that panoramic view of London. And it was part of a broader trend too around Europe and around the world for these restaurants at the top of buildings."From July 25th to August 7th, 14-hundred people, drawn from a ballot, are going to be given access to the restaurant.

Craggs says she believes it will be a great opportunity for those chosen to get a sense of what London was like two generations ago.

"And it's one of the few modernist buildings in London that has really seemed to capture the public's imagination, lots of people hate the dirty concrete, the ugly buildings, but somehow the BT Tower is very popular with everyone."The BT Tower still remains a landmark in London, even today.

It's 360-degree LED screen - installed in 2009 - was used to count down to the start of London's 2012 Olympics.

It also helped announce the recent birth of Princess Charlotte.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.

Torrential rain triggers flood in XinjiangTorrential rain has battered northwest China's Xinjiang over the weekend, triggering floods and causing some damages.

The rain flooded 2,000 hectares of farmland, damaging over 60 houses and leaving one villager trapped.

More than 60 houses were affected by the flood with some walls and shelters collapsed. Firefighters headed to the affected villages to help victims and transfer villagers to safe areas.

There have been no reported injuries in the region.

WeatherBeijing will see thundershowers with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 23.

Shanghai will have thundershowers with a high of 36 and a low of 28.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 35 and lows of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, moderate rain, 30.

Islamabad will be overcast with a high of 33.

Kabul will see slight rain with a high of 29.

Over to North America,New York will have slight rain with a high of 29 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 32 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 30 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 20.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsNext round of Afghan-Taliban talks likely to be held in ChinaAfghan authorities have announced that the next round of peace talks with the Taliban will be held in the coming days.

An official with the Afghan High Peace Council also reveals that the meeting is likely to be held in China.

One of the major topics raised by the Taliban is to remove the militant group from the blacklists of the US and the United Nations, to allow its members free travel.

The meeting comes after the first direct talks between the two sides in Pakistan earlier this month.

China has long been voicing its support for an inclusive dialogue between rival parties in Afghanistan.

Kim Jong Un extends respect to Chinese volunteer armyNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un has taken time to acknowledge the role China played in the Korean War.

Speaking to a conference of Korean War veterans, Kim Jong Un says he respects the sacrifices the Chinese People's Volunteers made during the war.

The speech comes just days ahead of the anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistace, which brought the 3-year conflict to an end.

Tens-of-thousands of Chinese solders were killed in the Korean War, which ran from 1950 to 1953.

China eyes deepened cooperation with overseas NGOsChina's Public Security Minister says China highly appreciates the contributions made by overseas non-governmental organizations and will further support their friendly activities in the country.

Guo Shengkun made the remarks during a symposium on overseas NGOs held in Shanghai, attended by representatives from several Chinese government departments and renowned overseas NGOs, as well asconsul-generals of the United States, Britain and Germany.

He says the Chinese government will provide more convenience to foreign NGOs in China.

Thousands of overseas NGOs have entered China since its opening-up in late 1970s, bringing advanced technologies and management skills.

Death toll of Nigeria market blast rises to 19: officialThe number of people killed in an explosion on Sunday in Nigeria's northeastern Yobe State has risen to 19.

The blast happened as a female suicide bomber detonated an improvised device at a local market in Damaturu city.

Though no group has claimed responsibility, the suicide attack was typical of Boko Haram, a terror group waging war against the most populous African country since 2009.

The government has called on security agencies to step up surveillance and urged people "to remain very vigilant."Biz reportsMARKET WEEK AHEADAnchorFirst let's get a preview of what we can expect on the markets this week.

Here's CRI's Min Rui.

ReporterInvestors will focus on earnings, as big oil, healthcare and several notable social media names are set to report quarterly results.

At the same time, the market will also gravitate to the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting, which still looms as the first possibility for an interest-rate increase from the Fed.

On Tuesday, financial firm Markit will release its preliminary reading of PMI for the services sector.

The Pending Home Sales Index is due on Wednesday.

U.S. April to June quarterly GDP is due on Thursday.

The number is likely to show the U.S. economy expanded at a much faster pace in the second quarter.

The number is projected to have risen at a 2.6 percent annual rate, compared to a contraction of 0.2 percent in the first quarter.

Separately, the Labor Department issues the Employment Cost Index on Friday.

On the same day, the University of Michigan's final July reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment.

On the corporate front,Social media firms like Facebook, Twitter and professional social network LinkedIn all report second-quarter revenue this week.

Mastercard is scheduled to post second-quarter results on Wednesday.

Microsoft Corp, the world's largest software company, will release Windows 10 on Wednesday.

The latest operating system Windows 10 will fight for relevance in a new mobile-computing world dominated by Apple and Google.

Lock-up shares worth over 90 bln yuan to become tradableLock-up shares worth around 90 billion yuan, or 14.6 billion U.S. dollars, will become eligible for trade on China's stock market this week.

The amount is more than five times the value of the lockup shares released last week.

Around 3.7 billion shares from 28 companies will enter trade on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses.

Under China's market rules, lockup shares usually have to be held by the shareholder for a year or two before they become eligible to trade on the market.

Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Corporation will see the largest number of lockup shares hit the market this week.

Domestic brands continue to top China's smartphone marketThe latest industry statistics show that China's domestic smartphone makers increased market share in the second quarter of this year.

According to market researcher IHS Technology, in the second quarter, Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi sold more smartphones than any other producer in the country, with 18 percent market share.

Huawei and Vivo, both home-grown brands, took 16 percent and 10 percent respectively, ranking second and fourth place.

Apple took third with a market share of 12 percent, while Samsung fell from fourth to fifth place with 9 percent.

Analysts attributed the domestic ascent to their improved designs and innovative technology.

However, as the overall smartphone market slows, Chinese producers will have to explore emerging overseas markets.

Xiaomi has had a successful run in Asian markets such as India and is looking to expand its foothold in Brazil.

Huawei is also speeding investment abroad, with its smartphone sales in several overseas regions, including Europe, surging over 40 percent in the first half.

China's coal output decline narrowsCoal output in China continued to decline in the first half of 2015, but at a slightly slower pace.

Official data shows coal production fell 5.8 percent year on year to 1.79 billion tonnes in the first six months, compared with a 6 percent decrease in the Jan.-May period.

The country's coal industry has been cooling due to weaker demand in a softening economy and government measures to reduce pollution.

Output fell in 2014 for the first time this century.

Coal accounts for about 66 percent of China's primary energy consumption, 35 percentage points higher than the world average.

Are big-name newspapers really dying a slow death?

British publisher and educational group Pearson says it is in talks to divest its 50 percent stake in The Economist Group, owner of famous international and business magazine The Economist.

The news comes just two days after the British publishing company agreed to sell Financial Times to the largest Japanese financial media group, Nikkei, for 1.3 billion U.S. dollars.

In recent years, Pearson has been focusing on the growing market of online learning and vocational education and is trying to reduce its investment in media and press.

Yet Pearson's moves are feeding the assertion that the days of print media -- no matter how big their names -- are numbered.

Two of the most prestigious print media in the world are no longer good assets; their international reputations no longer outweigh their weak profitability.

The changes of ownership for famous print media have been rather frequent in recent years. In 2013, for instance, Jeffrey Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, bought The Washington Post from the Graham family, which has been running the newspaper for more than four decades.

For more on the development of print media, we are now joined by Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Talking points:

1) Some big names in print media have changed hands in recent years, commanding huge sums of money. How do you see the trend in this sector moving forward?

2) Profitability has been an issue in print media, even among the biggest names in the industry. What needs to be done to reverse this problem?

3) How long can owners of these print media giants expect to command top dollar for their properties if current downward trends continue?

Back Anchor:

Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Two New international air routes linking Xiamen-Amsterdam and Nanning-CebuXiamen Airlines on Sunday launched its first intercontinental route, linking Xiamen and Amsterdam.

The new route marks Fujian Province's efforts to enhance international exchanges via the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xiamen Airlines will operate the new route with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Round-trip flights will be on a three-times-a-week. Each flight will take about 12 hours.

Meanwhile, a direct air route between Nanning, capital city of southwest China's Guangxi, and Cebu in the Philippines will be launched by Philippine Airlines on Wednesday.

An Airbus A320 aircraft, which has 180 seats, will serve the new route.

There will be a chartered round-trip flight every five days.

Cebu is one of the top tourist destinations for its tropical beaches.

Earlier this month, an air route between Nanning and Bali, Indonesia was launched.

The new air routes are expected to boost tourism in Southeast.

Chinese IT giant Inspur to set up plants in CaliforniaInspur, a major solution and service provider for cloud computing in China, is to set up manufacturing plants in California.

The Jinan-based IT company said on Saturday that it will also set up a research and development center in California for its server businesses.

The move is expected to help the company tap the international - especially the American - market.

The company also plans to set up a fully-controlled subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands and another one in the United States, and each investment will not exceed 10 million U.S. dollars.

SportsKazan swimming world championships recapStarting things off with action from day two at the swimming world championships in Kazan, Russia,The Chinese pair of Lin Yue/Chen Aisen has claimed a landslide victory in men's synchronized 10 meter platform. China has won all three gold medals that have been decided in diving so far.

In women's synchronized swimming duet technique,China's Huang Xuechen/Sun Wenyan finished second with their choreography inspired by the video game "counter striker". Svetlana Romashina/Natalia Ishchenko from Russia won the gold medal.

In women's water polo,China held off Hungary 9-8 in the first round of play in Group D.

China dominates the medal tally with two golds, one silver and one bronze after two days of action.

US clinches FIVB World Grand Prix championshipIn women's volleyball,The United States has defeated China in three straight sets at the FIVB World Grand Prix finals.

The United States had already clinched the overall title. It finished the tournament with victories in all five matches.

China had two wins, three defeats and will have to wait for later results to see if there will be awards.

Chris Froome wins Tour de France, Andre Greipel triumphs on Champs-ElyseesIn cycling,Andre Greipel won the processional last stage on the Champs-Elysees as Chris Froome was crowned the Tour de France champion.

Froome crossed the finish line arm-in-arm with his sky teammates to celebrate his second Tour title.

The Kenyan-born British rider has deep emotions for the yellow jersey on his back.

"The 'maillot jaune' (yellow jersey) is special, very special. I understand its history, good and bad. I will also respect it, never dishonour it and I will always be proud to have won it. Thank you very much."Froome leads second-placed Nairo Quintana by one minute, 12 seconds. Alejandro Valverde is third at five minutes, 25 seconds.

Last year's winner Vincenzo Nibali and former champion Alberto Contador are fourth and fifth.

Peter Sagan won the green jersey for the points classification, while Froome took the polka-dot jersey as king of the mountains. Twenty-five-year-old Quintana was awarded the white jersey for the best young rider.

Movistar riders won the team classification for their collective effort.

The Paris police are hunting for a car that crashed through barricades near the Place de la Concorde, where cyclists make the final rounds to finish the Tour de France.

The car and its two occupants escaped after police opened fire.

No one was injured and the Tour proceeded when the peloton arrived in Paris.

The police didn't suspect terrorism and said it was merely a "minor incident"Sebastian Vettel win Hungarian Grand PrixIn Formula One,Ferrair's Sebastian Vettel has won the Hungarian Grand Prix in what was a nightmare for Mercedes and its championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel and his teammate Kimi Raikkonen overtook the Williams pair of Hamilton and Rosberg, who started from the front row, at the first corner.

Vettel won comfortably and safe. A collision behind him affected both Williams drivers and forced Hamilton to serve a drive through penalty.

Vettel thanked and dedicated the win to his team.

"We had a great start and obviously it was crucial to get in the lead straight away. The car was difficult but great to drive and it has been a, great race. We showed great pace, so again, very, thank you very, very much to the team, for the recovery since Friday and today I think it just came together and despite the safety car we still managed to win, so this one is for the team as well."The race observed a minute of silence before its start for the late Jules Bianchi.

Golf recapIn golf,Britain's Danny Willett has fended off a strong challenge from compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick to win the European Masters by one shot.

The duo started the last round tied at 12 under. Fitzpatrick looked on course to win it with six birdies, but two bogeys put him behind Willett who shot a bogey free round of 65 to close it 17-under overall.

Elsewhere,Marco Dawson has won the Senior Open by one shot at Sunningdale.

Tom Watson, who played in his final Open Champion last week, bid farewell to Sunningdale with a birdie at the last hole.

In women's action,Lexi Thompson has won the Meijer LPGA Classic by one shot at 18-under.

China's Lin Xiyu is tied for eighth place at 11-under.

And finally at the LET Ladies Scottish Open,Rebecca Artis fought back from six shots behind to win by two.

CSL recapIn football,Shanghai SIPG continues to lead the Chinese Super League after 21 games with a 4-2 victory over Chongqing Lifan last night.

An injury-plagued Guangzhou Evergrande had a hard-fought 1-0 win over Hangzhou Greentown to hold on to second place, one point behind SIPG.

Shangdong Luneng is third, a further point down, after winning 3-1 against Tianjin Teda earlier in the weekend.

Former leader Beijing Guo'an suffered a 2-1 away loss against Guizhou Renhe and dropped to fourth place.

Beijing Guo'an is in danger of losing the battle for the title, sitting five points behind Shanghai SIPG. It will have to fight for a top three finish to earn a ticket to the AFC Champions League next season.

EntertainmentChina release date set for Mission: Impossible - Rogue NationThe China release date for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation has been set for September 8, later than its North America release date of July 31.

The film which is directed by Christopher McQuarrie stars Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner.

Rogue Nation follows Ethan Hunt, played by Cruise as he tries to track and take down a mysterious entity called The Syndicate.

The fourth Mission: Impossible movie, Ghost Protocol took 670 million yuan at the Chinese box office in 2012.

Jack Ma, tycoon of Alibaba, has invested heavily into Rogue Nation marking Alibaba Pictures' first involvement in a Hollywood blockbuster.

Tom Cruise says he's open to Top Gun sequelAt the London premiere for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation over the weekend, Tom Cruise said he would be open to reprising his role as US Navy pilot Maverick in a possible Top Gun sequel.

The hit 1986 movie became an instant classic and shot Cruise to fame. Last month it was announced that a screenplay for Top Gun 2 was in the works.

Skydance CEO David Ellison said the new film would look at the clash between manned and unmanned aircraft.

Cruise said he would like to shoot the sequel exactly how the first film was shot, without CGI. The actor is known for undertaking his own stunts.

Monster Hunt becomes fastest grossing Chinese film everFantasy film 'Monster Hunt' has beaten 'Lost in Thailand' to become the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time.

'Monster Hunt' grossed over 1.2 billion yuan on Sunday setting the new record in just 10 days.

It took 'Lost in Thailand' 21 days to break the old record in 2012.

The film's director Xu Zheng posted an animated video on his Weibo account showing one of the monsters from the film dancing happily alongside a picture of the director with a crown on his head.

Monster Hunt has already broken records in China for best opening day revenues and the best first week.

Industry insiders are suggesting it may end up taking around 1.5 billion yuan, around 240 million US dollars.

Ant-Man retains top spot at US Box OfficeAnt-Man has retained the top spot at the North American box office.

The Marvel movie took just under $25 million to bring its total to $106 million after two weeks.

Meanwhile Adam Sandler's Pixels debuted in second place with takings of $24 million. The movie has been panned by critics and viewers for not having any substance.

Sandler stars in the film alongside Kevin James, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad. In the film, they must save the world from an alien invasion of real life video game characters such as Pac-Man.

Minions came in third place with $22 million bringing its total earnings to a massive $261 million.

Meanwhile Jurassic World still hangs on in the top ten in fifth place, taking just under $7 million. The film has now made a total of $624 million since its release in June.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

The next round of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban will likely be held in China...

Marking the 70th anniversary of the Potsdam Proclamation demanding Japan's surrender...

Turkey has stepped up its attacks on Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq and Islamic State forces in Syria...

In Business...90 billion worth of lockup shares are set to be released into the market this week...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.