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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Malaysian authorities have confirmed airline debris found on Reunion Island last week is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

China's foreign minister has put out a series of proposals to try to ease tensions in the South China Sea.

US President Barack Obama is pressing ahead with a new PR campaign to try to drum up support for the Iran nuclear deal.

In Business... the IMF still to review adding the renminbi to its basket of global currencies.

In Sports... yet another medal for Chinese swimmer Sun Yang at the World Championships in Russia.

In entertainment... its been confirmed a popular Chinese actress is dating a South Korean star.

All of that coming up in the next hour.

A reminder as always there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

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Top NewsDebris found on Reunion island confirmed to be from missing plane MH370Anchor:

Malaysia's Prime Minister has confirmed that part of an aircraft wing found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion is from missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 which disappeared last year.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

Reporter:

The announcement that the debris found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, east of Madagascar, is from flight MH370 is the first physical evidence discovered from the missing flight.

French official Serge Mackowiak, who is assisting in the investigation of the debris, says there is strong enough evidence to link the debris to the missing flight.

"Representatives from Boeing aeronautics have confirmed that the flap did come from a Boeing 777, based on is technical characteristics - its dimension, colour, structure. The second reason is that representatives from Malaysia Airlines have provided parts of the technical documentation of Boeing 777 Flight MH370, and based on this it has been possible to make a connection between the piece examined and the flap of MH370."Investigators are hoping the wreckage can help solve the mystery of what happened to the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared last March.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says the confirmation can also help bring some closure for the relatives of those onboard, who have been desperate for answers.

"The burden and uncertainty faced by the families during this time has been unspeakable. It is my hope that this confirmation, however tragic and painful, will at least bring certainty to the families and loved ones of the 239 people onboard MH370."The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared on March 8th last year, veering off course en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, sparking a colossal multinational hunt for the aircraft.

However, endless months of searching had failed to turn up any evidence of the missing aircraft until the two-metre-long portion of a Boeing 777 wing, known as a flaperon, was found washed ashore on Reunion Island last week, some 4-thousand kilometers where the search for the missing plane has been focused.

French investigators say more analysis is needed before they can start to make any determination about what may have caused the plane to crash.

A lab in Toulouse is now trying to determine whether the shape of the two metre flaperon corresponds to a mid-air explosion or a crash into the ocean.

A luggage fragment, also found on Reunion Island, has been sent to a police unit outside Paris that specializes in DNA testing.

Some families of the victims – two-thirds of whom are Chinese - are still demanding more from the airline, including compensation and more answers about what exactly happened.

There are still lingering questions about what caused the plane to veer off course, flying for hours after its communications and tracking systems were shut off, in what remains one of the biggest mysteries in the history of aviation.

For Cri I'm Poornima WeerasekaraFM Proposes Initiatives over S. China SeaAnchor:

China's foreign minister has put forward a new set of proposals to try to dial down the temperature connected to issues in the South China Sea.

The proposals have been made as part of a series of regional meetings taking place this week in Malaysia.

CRI's Qi Zhi has more.

Reporter:

Speaking to his counterparts from ASEAN countries on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has proposed three new initiatives to maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea.

"The initiatives suggested by China have received wide and positive response from the ten ASEAN members. We will refine and improve them together with ASEAN in order to reach an agreement at China-ASEAN Summit in November."The proposals put forward call on countries with interests in the South China Sea to use the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea as a tool to solve their disputes, as well as putting in more work to create a formal Code of Conduct on dealing with territorial disputes and also discuss measures to manage and control possible maritime risks.

At the same time, Wang Yi is also calling on countries which don't have interests in the South China Sea to step back from making the situation more tense.

He notes freedom of navigation and overflights of the South China Sea are safeguarded under international law.

As part of a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Wang Yi says he's tried to reassure the US side that China has no desire to keep the US out of the region.

"Our talks came under a atmosphere, which helped create a good sense of understanding. The US welcomes China's position that we would like to resolve the South China Sea issue through peaceful negotiations. The US again emphasized that it welcomes a strong and prosperous China. The US says it is also willing to work with China in Asia-Pacific affairs, to ensure regional and global stability."Wang Yi has also held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Wednesday.

He says those talks were more based around global affairs.

"The topics with Russia's foreign minister were much more wide-based. They have helped deepen our coordination between China and Russia in global affairs."Wang Yi is set to hold talks later on this Thursday with officials from Japan and South Korea at the annual ASEAN Plus Three meeting.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

China and U.S. discuss ways to fight terrorAnchor:

Senior diplomats from China and the United States are meeting in Beijing this week to discuss anti-terrorism issues.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

Reporter:

As part of the sessions, the two sides have been discussing how to better share information and law enforcement resources.

This is the second such meeting between the Chinese and US governments.

Professor Wang Baofu with China's National Defense University says better information sharing will not only help China take better advantage of US intelligence assets, but will also allow the US side to benefit.

"Though the American intelligence aparatus is powerful, it still needs support from all countries, including China. Judging from years of observing US anti-terrorism efforts, US intelligence is not all-knowing."When it comes to specifics, the Chinese side is calling on the US to once-again "understand and support" China's position when it comes to the "East Turkestan Islamic Movement."This is a group Chinese authorities have identified operating out of Xinjiang, which is considered responsible for a series of terrorist attacks.

Chinese terrorism expert Li Wei says the US side has a vested interest in assisting in China's fight against the terrorist movement in Xinjiang.

"Because the East Turkistan Islamic Movement and the Islamic State are becoming closer, it's believed a number of and East Turkistan members have joined the fighting in Syria and Iraq. Although geographically it seems the Islamic State is more of a threat to Europe, the Islamic State's true target is the United States. So assisting China in the fight against the East Turkestan movement not only helps China, it is also in line with the interests of the United States."AS part of this week's meetings in Beijing, the two sides have also reached anti-terrorism agreements connected to the internet.

Wang Baofu with the National Defense University notes online platform have become one of the key ways terrorist groups now recruit, organize, and finance themselves.

He says, once-again, China and the US sides have mutual interests in combatting terrorism online.

"The US has superiority in cyberspace, but China has the most of internet users in the world. There is mutual interest, as both sides can help one-another deal with cyber-terrorism threats and other issues connected to this. Terrorists tend to use the internet to finance their operations. Cooperation between China and US will help cut money laundering and the illegal financing of terrorism."However, cooperation on terrorism between China and the US does have its limits, with the Chinese side concerned about a US "double standard" when addressing terrorism.

Last month, Thai authorities repatriated more than 100 ethnic Uyghur's accused of illegally crossing into Thailand in an attempt to try to find passage to the Middle East.

The US government was critical of the repatriation of the group, suggesting it had concerns about human rights.

Chinese observers have suggested this "double standard" will only hinder China/US anti-terror cooperation in the future.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

Chinese airline rewards crew, passengers for subduing arsonistShenzhen Airlines has given out significant awards to the crew and passengers who helped subdue an arsonist on one of the company's flights last month.

Nine crew members who helped control the passanger have been given a total of 2.5 million yuan.

The two passengers who assisted in the take-down of the suspect have each been awarded 150-thousand yuan.

Zhou Chenfei, chief flight attendant, says they had to act quickly to bring the situation under control.

"When I lifted the curtain I saw fire near a seat in the first-class cabin. A man was pouring an unidentified liquid on the fire. One of the attendants quickly pulled down the burning curtain and threw a large bottle of water on the fire. Another attendant rushed in with a fire extinguisher who handed it to a security guard who put out the fire immediately."A pair of passengers also jumped in to help the flight attendants, as the suspect was also armed with a knife.

Cai Xiaoge was the captain of the flight.

He says he did what he could to help keep people on the flight calm after the incident.

"There have been airline disasters in the past when a plane has overturned and crashed when people onboard panic during a fire. So I immediately sent out a captain's announcement to order the passengers remain seated and prepare for an emergency landing."The incident took place late last month on a flight from the city of Taizhou to Guangzhou.

It's still not clear what the suspect's motivation may have been.

In the wake of the incident, two civil aviation officials have been sacked and all flights in and out of the Taizhou Airport remain suspended while authorities try to determine how the suspect was able to get a knife, lighter and a combustable substance on the flight.

Heavy penalties for food scandalsAnchor:

Chinese prosecutors have announced much stronger penalties are in-store for those who break new food safety laws, which are set to take effect on October 1st.

CRI's Luo Bin has more.

Reporter:

The revised laws will include much stronger civil, administrative and criminal penalties for both offenders and their supervisors.

Those who violate the new food safety laws will face fines of up to 30 times the value of their products.

The current penalties have a maximum of 10 times the value of their products sold.

Food safety scandals have become far-too commonplace in China in recent years, including clenbuterol in pork, recycled cooking oil, pork harvested from sick pigs, medicine made with toxic gelatin and rat and fox meat passed off as being fit for human consumption... to name just a few.

Xiao Wei with China's Supreme People's Procuratorate says cases like this have created unease among Chinese consumers.

"Food safety is a major concern for the people's life and health. In recent years, all levels of law enforcement have been trying to intensify their efforts to crack down the crimes that produce fake or poisonous food and medicine."The new ammendments to the food safety laws also have specific language to deal with production supervisors who turn a blind-eye on illegal activities, as well as those who sell products to those producers who know its going to be illegally added to foods.

Huo Yapeng, an inspector with the Supreme People's Procuratorate, says regulators are going to have zero tolerance for goverment officials who also break the rules.

"Law enforcement is going to be paying special attention to food producing license and the use of food additives. We also have held zero tolerance and strictly investigate any malpractice by food safety regulators."From the start of last year, around 650 government officials have come under investigation for violations of food safety rues.

Of them, around 430 cases involve charges of dereliction of duty, abuse of power, embezzlement and taking bribes.

Xiao Wei with the Supreme People's Procuratorate says issues connected to food safety are always evolving.

"Apart from issuing heavy penalties on food safety crimes, we are also hoping to strengthen crime prevention. We are planning to launch an educational drive to help better inform food producers about the need to put food safety as the priority to ensure people's health."Prosecutors are also promising a new focus on food additives in the future.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

Doubts Rise as Donations Flood in for Orphan GirlAnchor:

New sets of questions and doubts are emerging in connection with a heart-wrenching essay by a Chinese girl which has generated a ground-swell of interest online.

CRI's Luo Wen explans.

Reporter:

The essay by a 12-year-old orphan by the name of Mukuyiwumu has been the focus of heated debate online.

It tells of the tragic loss of parents.

Hash-tagged on Weibo under 'the saddest essay written by a primary school pupil,' the essay has been read by over 5-million people.

But like many stories which appear on the internet, detractors have begun picking it apart.

Some have been suggesting the story may be exaggerated, as it was polished by the girl's teacher before being uploaded.

But speaking with China Central Television, the girl's teacher, Ren Zhongchang, says none of the content of the essay was changed.

"I let the kids write an essay under the title 'tear' after we read a moving text. Her original article was poorly organized when she handed it in, but I could understand what she wanted to say. But I corrected nothing but the grammar and simple writing mistakes."12-year old Mukuyiwumu is from the Yi ethnic group in southern China, and is living with her grandparents and two younger brothers.

The siblings get 600 yuan each in monthly allowances from the local government.

Her story was initially posted online by Huang Hongbin, the head of a local foundation called Azalea.

But now Huang himself has also become the focus of criticism after he decided to use the donations generated through the essay, which have amounted to over 900-thousand yuan, to help children other than her.

"So many people have donated money for her. But we don't think it's proper to give her all of the money. We have talked and reached agreements with donors that the money raised can also be used to help other kids."Meanwhile, Wang Zhenyao, a philanthropic researcher with Beijing Normal University, says the wishes of those who donate money need to be respected.

"The donations were originally for this kid. So the foundation should get approval from the donors before using the money to help others."The Azalea Foundation has arranged for free boarding and education for the girl and her brothers at a primary school in the nearby city of Xichang.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

China steps aid to Myanmar's flood victimsChinese embassy officials in Myanmar are hitting more flood-stricken areas to deliver relief materials worth some 300-thousand US dollars.

Responding to a call from the embassay, around one-hundred Chinese companies operating in Myanmar have also begun organizing flood-relief assistance.

A non-governmental Chinese rescue team has also arrived in Myanmar this week.

This comes as Myanmar copes with some of its worst monsoon flooding in decades.

"Older people and children have already been evacuated to higher ground and have taken other things with them. I'm staying on - not so much to rescue my belongings but to help when something happens as my house is near the river."At least 70 people have been killed and over 250-thousand others displaced by the monsoon flooding this year.

The Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar's main rice-growing region, is also at risk of major flooding.

This is the same area which was hit by a massive cyclone in 2008, leaving some 140-thousand people dead.

Chinese Art Troupes to Shine during China Culture Season in the UKAnchor:

A series of events are now underway as of across the UK to help mark August's start to the China Culture Season, which is part of the China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange.

CRI's London Correspondent Duan Xuelian has more.

Reporter:

The China Culture Season in the UK has been opened by a number of performances, among which is a Chinese version of Shakespeare's play Richard III, the signature production of the National Theatre of China.

Catherine Mallyon is the Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK.

"I think it's important that we've got this two-way exchange so that we can take our works to China and we see different Chinese types of theatre, performance, dance all over here in the UK. I think there's something very important about telling each other our stories through the way we do that at home."At the upcoming Edinburgh Festival, British audiences will be able to see musical performances by prominent Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Wang Yujia.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Band will also be performing at the Festival in Scotland.

In addition to arts performances, the China Culture Season will also include Chinese designs on display at London Fashion Week.

A Design Forum will also be held at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Xiang Xiaowei, cultural counselor with the Chinese embassy in the UK says both sides want to focus on creativity.

"The UK has a mature and strong network to support the development of its creative industry, including their expertise in marketing, their rich stock of talent and their up-to-date technologies. In China, the creative industry is also growing fast and has become one of the driving forces of our economic reforms."The cultural counselor also says he believes the China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange is a testimony to the thriving relationship between the two countries.

"We will be welcoming a state visit by President Xi Jinping's in October. In September, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong will be attend the High Level UK-China People to People Dialogue in London. These high level exchanges show that bilateral ties between China and the UK are entering a close and pragmatic phase."2015 was designated as the China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange in a joint statement by the two governments last year as part of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit the UK.

The first half this year was the UK Culture Season in China.

For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian in LondonObama defends Iran nuclear dealAnchor:

US President Barack Obama has gone on the offensive, trying to counter critics of the new Iranian nuclear deal ahead of a critical vote by Congress.

His offensive has come as part of a speech at American University, the same institution where former US President John F. Kennedy delivered his famous speech about nuclear disarmament some 50-years ago.

Our Kevin McAleese has more from Washington.

Reporter:

A confident and at times fiery Commander in chief was out to convince congress to vote in favour of the deal.

"This is the strongest non-proliferation agreement ever negotiated"Mr Obama drew parallels to the Cold War, quoting JFK and republican President Reagan, as he defend his own pursuit of nuclear security.

In a direct appeal to US lawmakers he called for an end to the mindset of military action over diplomacy...

"the choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy and some form of war maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now but soon"The US has long been seeking to block Iran's pathways to a nuclear bomb, while Tehran maintains it's nuclear activities are peaceful. The current administration believes the deal will restrict Iran's atomic activities in return for the easing of painful international sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Mr Obama acknowledged the concerns of close ally-Israel but was steadfast in telling the country's Prime Minister that he was wrong to dismiss the agreement.

But on the eve of Mr Obama's speech Benjamin Netanyahu used a webcast to do just that...

"It will spark a nuclear arms race in the region and feed Iran's terrorism and aggression that would make war, the most horrific of all, far more likely"Answering the critics, The US President was keen to point out that many of those who supported America's invasion of Iraq in 2003 were the same lawmakers standing against the nuclear agreement. And that attempts to kill the deal showed an ignorance of the bigger picture.

A congressional review of the deal is already halfway through a 60-day period before it goes to a vote, with some key democrats like Senator Chuck Schumer still uncertain on their position...

"This is such an important decision that I will not let pressure, politics or party influence"If more than two thirds of congress go against the agreement President Obama will lose his veto power and the administration's long-sought nuclear deal will be stopped dead in its tracks.

For CRI I'm Kevin McAleese in Washington.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will be overcast and temperatures will drop to 22.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 35 and rainy tonight with a low of 27.

In Chongqing it will be cloudy in the daytime with a high of 35 and overnight it will be overcast with the lowest temperature of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will have slight rain today with a high of 34.

Kabul will be overcast with a high of 30.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 29 degrees.

Washington, overcast,high of 32.

Honolulu, rainy, 28.

Toronto, Canada, will be overcast with a high of 24 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will have slight rain with a high of 22.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsDebris found on Reunion Island comes from missing MH370: Malaysian PMMalaysia's Prime Minister has confirmed that part of an aircraft wing found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Najib Razak says international experts examining the debris in France have "conclusively confirmed" it is from the aircraft.

He also says this could lead to a major breakthrough in resolving questions about the disappearance of MH370.

The debris was discovered on Reunion Island, just east of Madagascar, last week.

This is the first phyical evidence of MH370, which disappeared on March 8th of last year on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, two-thirds of whom were from China.

Chinese FM Proposes Three Initiatives over South China SeaChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has proposed a new set of initiatives to his ASEAN counterparts to maintain peace in the South China Sea.

The proposals call on countries with interests in the South China Sea to use the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea as a tool to solve their disputes, as well as putting in more work to create a formal Code of Conduct on dealing with territorial disputes.

Wang Yi is also calling on countries which don't have interests in the South China Sea to step back from making the situation more tense.

He notes freedom of navigation and overflights of the South China Sea are safeguarded under international law.

Obama warns of war if Congress rejects Iran nuclear dealU.S. President Barack Obama is putting on a 'full-court-press' to gain support for the Iranian nuclear deal.

In a speech at the American University, Obama is warning the US Congress it faces a choice between diplomacy or some form of war.

Obama's speech is part of an intense lobbying campaign by the White House ahead of a key Congressional vote next month.

The White House is lobbying Democrats and moderate Republicans in Congress to support the new agreement, which is likely to be shot down by the Republican majority in the initial vote.

However, Obama only needs to secure enough votes to help sustain a veto to keep the deal in-place.

Green Hats as Punishment for Traffic ViolationsPolice in Shenzhen's Luohu district have created a new way to try to shame people caught breaking traffic rules.

Anyone busted for running a red light is going to have to wear a green hat and green vest to direct traffic at intersections in the area.

The wearing of a green hat in China is considered a form of shaming.

However, police in Luohu contend the hats are simply to keep sun off those being punished, and just happen to match the green vests.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Turning onto business news. First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe as well as a recap on the Chinese market.

Joining me on the desk, Luo Wen.

Reporter:

U.S. stocks shaved part of early gains to close mixed Wednesday, as Wall Street was pondering over a string of mixed economic reports.

The lastest ADP National Employment Report shows the employment of the U.S. private sector increased by 185-thousand jobs in July in comparison with June.

It is well below market consensus of 210-thousand.

Meanwhile, the Non-Manufacturing Index registered 60.3 percent in July, 4.3 percentage points higher than the June reading of 56 percent and well above market expectations of 56.2.

U.S. trade deficit in June came out largely on par with market estimates.

The country's international trade deficit in goods and services increased to 43.8 billion U.S. dollars in June from a revised level of 40.9 billion dollars in May.

In corporate news,Walt Disney Company's shares plunged 9.2 percent following the release of its weaker-than-expected quarterly revenue.

At the close,The Dow Jones shed a fraction of a percent.

The S&P 500 added 0.3 percent.

The Nasdaq gained 0.7 percent.

Meanwhile, European stocks rose on the day with Societe Generale surging as the French bank became the latest major company in the region to post forecast-beating earnings.

The UK's FTSE 100 edged up one percent.

Germany's DAX went up 1.6 percent.

France's CAC 40 increased 1.7 percent.

Finally here in China,Shares declined Wednesday as financial shares post weak performance.

The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.7 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index lost one and a half percent.

RMB to be added to SDRAnchor:

Despite earlier reports suggesting a possible delay, officials with the International Monetary Fund have confirmed they still plan to formally review the idea of adding the renminbi to its Special Drawing Rights basket by the end of this year.

This comes amid earlier reports IMF is suggesting it might be better to delay the inclusion of the Renminbi into its currency basket until September of next year amid the recent volitility on the Chinese stock markets.

The IMF's Special Drawing Rights basket is a type of international reserve asset that IMF members can turn to in times of need.

It's currently made up of the U.S. dollar, the euro, the British pound and the Japanese yen.

For more on the RMB joining the SDR, we are now joined by Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.

That's Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.

China International Fund Management Joins Pilot SchemeChina International Fund Management has been given approval to raise yuan-denominated funding on the mainland for investment in the overseas markets.

The Shanghai-based fund is a joint venture between JPMorgan Asset Management and Shanghai International Trust.

It has been given a 100-million yuan quota under an existing investment scheme.

The pilot investment program was launched in Shanghai in 2013, when six global hedge funds were given approval to invest funds, raised in China, in offshore products such as real estate trusts and overseas hedge funds.

China's property taxes coming soonChina's top legislature has announced plans to review is proposed Property Tax Law by early 2018.

However, no official timetable has been set for when the new property tax law may actually be brought in.

Bank of China money-laundering trial to begin in MarchItalian prosecutors have announced a March trial date for a money-laundering trial involving the Bank of China and 297 other defendants.

At issue is more than 5 billion US dollars allegedly smuggled out of Italy into China through a money transfer service partially-owned by Chinese immigrants in Italy.

Prosecutors said nearly half of the money has been funneled through the Bank of China's Milan branch, which earned over 758-thousand euros in commissions on the transactions.

A judge will decide whether to press ahead with charges of money-laundering and assisting a mafia-like organization against the bank's Milan branch and four of its employees.

The Bank of China has denied any wrongdoing and says it is cooperating with Italian authorities.

China Southern Airlines launches inaugural flights to KenyaChina Southern Airlines has launched a direct flight to Kenya.

The Guangzhou-Nairobi route will operate three flights a week on an Airbus 330.

This is China Southern's second direct air route to Africa.

The first one was launched last year between Shenzhen and Mauritius.

SportsSun wins third consecutive 800m free titleA the FINA World Aquatics championships in Kazan, Russia,Chinese swimming sensation Sun Yang has won the 800m freestyle for the third time.

Meanwhile,Chinese rising star Ning Zetao has reached the men's 100-meter freestyle final with a second-place finish in the semis-finals.

Ning has become the first Chinese swimmer to reach the 100-meter free final at a world championships.

China has missed out on a medal in the mixed 4x100m relay, finishing in 4th.

Britain took that event, creating a new world record in the process.

Britain's Adam Peaty also took gold in the men's 50-meter breaststroke, with the 19-year-old setting a new world record.

And in the women's competition,China's Fu Yuanhui and Liu Xiang have made the women's 50-meter back final.

China's Zhang Yufei and Zhou Yilin are also into the finals of the women's 200m fly.

China Beat North Korea 2-0 at EAFF East Asian CupIn football,China's men's team has clinched a much-needed victory in the East Asian Cup after beating North Korea 2-0 in Wuhan.

Goals scored by Yu Dabao and Wang Yongbo secured the victory for China.

With the win, China now sits second in the standings, 1 point behind leaders South Korea.

China will next take on Japan on Sunday.

In other action,Japan drew with South Korea 1-1.

---------------In Europe,Bayern Munich secured a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the final of the preseason Audi Cup.

It's Robert Lewandowski scoring the late winner in the victory.

Earlier, Tottenham beat AC Milan 2-0 to take third place.

--------------At the International Champions Cup,Chelsea has finished their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 loss at home to Fiorentina.

This is Chelsea's 5th consecutive match without a victory.

--------------With only two full days to go before the start of their new English Premier League campaign, Swansea City manager Garry Monk has addressed his clubs goal for the new season.

"I think for a club like us it's always to try and get to 40 points as quickly as possible. Secure the club in the Premier League and look to push on from there. We did that last season. That was our aim. We got to 40 points earlier than ever before and we were able to push on after that. So it'll be the same this season."Swansea City finished 8th last season with 56 points.

China to try to snap basketball losing streak against New ZealandIn basketball,China's Olympic team is hoping to snap its losing streak at this year's Stankovic Cup as they take on New Zealand tonight.

China is winless so far after losing to both Venezuela and Mexico in their previous games.

The game will take place at 7 p.m., Beijing time.

----------------In 2015 FIBA Asia U16 Women's Championship,Defending champions China have maintained their unbeaten status in the competition with a 61-47 win over last year's runners-up Japan.

China's Li Yueru finished with a game-high 26 points and 22 rebounds in the victory.

This is China's fourth successive win.

--------------In other action,Korea thumped Chinese Taipei 95-42.

Thailand cruised past India 98-50.

Bai Yan Advances at Fuzhou OpenIn tennis,China's Bai Yan has blown past Japan's Shotaro Goto in straight sets 6-1, 6-1 to reach the third round at ITF Mens's Tennis Circuit event in Fuzhou.

China's Ning Yuqing also advanced, beating fellow Ouyang Bowen 6-3, 6-1.

In men's doubles,The Chinese duo of Wang Anran and Chiu Yu Hsiang have booked a place in the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over another pair of Chinese compeditors.

They are joined by another Chinese pair He Yecong and Hung Jui Chen after their opponents retired.

-----------------At the Citi Open in Washington,The 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori has moved into the third round by coming back to eliminate James Duckworth 6-7, 6-1, 6-4.

It is Nishikori's first match since he withdrew from Wimbledon more than a month ago due to injury.

Marin Cilic of Croatia also made it into the third round with a 7-6, 6-3 win over 19-year-old Hyeon Chung from South Korea.

Cilic beat Nishikori for the title in New York last year.

On the women's side,Australia's Samantha Stosur has reached the third round after beating American Irina Falconi in straight sets 6-1, 7-5.

-------Other women's action from Bank of The West Classic in California,China's Zheng Saisai crashed out of the women's singles event earlier this week, but has advanced in women's doubles with her partner Xu Yifan.

The Chinese pair won the match 6-4, 3-6, 10-4.

Zhu Linfeng Advances at Chengdu OpenIn table tennis,China's Zhu Linfeng has reached the second qualification round of the China Open in Chengdu.

He has cruised past a South Korean compeditor 4-1.

Zhu is the only Chinese player competing in the qualification round for the tournament.

Ma Long is the top seed in the men's singles event, followed by compatriots Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong and Zhang Jike.

On the women's side,2010 Youth Olympic Games Champion Gu Yuting has been eliminated, losing to Liu Xing-Yin from Taiwan 4-3.

EntertainmentActor Song Seung-heon dating actress Liu YifeiSouth Korean actor Song Seung-heon is in a relationship with Chinese actress Liu Yifei, his talent agency Better Entertainment has revealed.

They met last year on the set of the Chinese romance flick "The Third Way of Love"The agency said the couple had just started dating and are still in the process of getting to know one another.

28-year-old Liu made her debute with the 2002 Chinese drama "The Story of a Noble Family" and starred in the Hollywood action fantasy "The Forbidden Kingdom" in 2008.

G.E.M, Avril Lavigne and Ashley Tisdale Join Demi lovato in Animated film "Charming"Avril Lavigne, Ashley Tisdale and Chinese pop star G.E.M. will lend their voices and musical talents to the upcoming animated feature film Charming.

It is the latest production from John H. Williams, the mastermind behind Shrek.

Lavigne will voice the role of Snow White, Tisdale will voice Cinderella and Gloria Tang Tsz-kei, known to her Chinese fans as G.E.M., will bring her acting talents to the role of Sleeping Beauty.

The trio joins Demi Lovato, who was earlier cast to voice the female lead, LenoreLovato will also produce the film's music score.

The animated comedy, directed by Ross Venokur from his original script, reinvents the stories of three familiar princesses — Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty — in the unfamiliar plot twist of all being engaged to Prince Charming.

Producers say they are still hunting for an actor to play Prince Charming.

Kristen Stewart announces collaboration with Woody AllenKeeping up his steady filmmaking pace, Woody Allen has announced the cast of his next film, which begins production later this month.

The film only has a working title so far.

The main cast includes Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Parker Posey, Kristen Stewart, and Bruce Willis.

The casting marks the latest upscale role for Stewart; the "Twilight" star got serious attention for her work opposite Julianne Moore in the Oscar winning movie "Still Alice"The new movie will mark Stewart's and Eisenberg third time sharing the screen, following "Adventureland" and the upcoming "American Ultra."Plot details for Allen's film is still under wraps. We only know that it will be shot in New York and Los Angeles.

His most recent movie, "Irrational Man," is currently in theaters.

Lady Gaga's Secret Song from Rape Documentary Poised for Oscar NominationLady Gaga has been busy producing and recording a song for Kirby Dick's much acclaimed documentary "The Hunting Ground," that focuses on campus rape.

The song named "Till it happens to you" is written by seven-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren.

The song was produced by Gaga herself over a week long session last winter in Malibu, and it is being primed as Gaga's next radio hit.

The documentary premiered at the Sundance film festival last January, and is going to be shown on CNN this fall, and then a push will be made for the Academy Awards.

Sky confirms UK broadcast of controversial Scientology documentarySky has confirmed that controversial documentary "Going Clear: Scientology and The Prison of Belief" will air in the UK and Ireland next month, despite pressure from the Church of Scientology to shelve the film.

Directed by Alex Gibney, it is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright's book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief published in 2013.

It traces the origins of the church and profiles eight former members including Crash screenwriter Paul Haggis.

Produced by HBO, the film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in Utah. It has already been nominated for seven Emmy Awards.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will be overcast and temperatures will drop to 22.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 35 and rainy tonight with a low of 27.

In Chongqing it will be cloudy in the daytime with a high of 35 and overnight it will be overcast with the lowest temperature of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will have slight rain today with a high of 34.

Kabul will be overcast with a high of 30.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 29 degrees.

Washington, overcast,high of 32.

Honolulu, rainy, 28.

Toronto, Canada, will be overcast with a high of 24 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will have slight rain with a high of 22.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Malaysian authorities have confirmed airline debris found on Reunion Island last week is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

China's foreign minister has put out a series of proposals to try to ease tensions in the South China Sea.

US President Barack Obama is pressing ahead with a new PR campaign to try to drum up support for the Iran nuclear deal.

In Business... the IMF still to review adding the renminbi to its basket of global currencies.

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is 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.