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

Coming up on our program this morning...

A former Chinese military official has been handed a stiff sentence for corruption.

The official death toll on the mainland from Typhoon Soudelor has risen to 17.

Two people are dead following a bizarre attack at an IKEA store in Sweden.

In Business... Alibaba has become the largest investor in Suning.

In Sports... Man City off to a solid start in this year's English Premier League.

In entertainment.... Chinese authorities moving to crack down on 'immorality' in the local music scene.

Top NewsFormer senior officer gets death penalty with reprieveThe military courts have handed the death penalty, with a 2-year reprieve, to the former deputy head of the Chinese Military's Logistics Department.

Gu Junshan has been found guilty of embezzlement, accepting bribes, misuse of state funds, bribery and abuse of power.

He's one of several high-profile officers in PLA's logistics department accused of embezzling funds from housing projects.

Another deputy PLA's Logistics Department is also under investigation.

This follows the sacking of Guo Boxiong.

The 73-year old, the former vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission, is accused of bribery.

Typhoon Soudelor kills 17 in E ChinaThe death toll on the mainland from Typhoon Soudelor has hit 17.

5 others are still unaccounted for.

New estimates put the cost of the storm at some 8-billion yuan.

Over 100-thousand hectares of crops in Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi have been damaged by storm.

Soudelor rolled into the mainland late Saturday after plowing through Taiwan earlier in the day, leaving 6 dead on the island.

At its height, the Typhoon was packing winds of nearly 300-kilometers per hour while generating power in the western Pacific, making it the largest storm of the year.

Authorities require reporting of HIV infections at schoolsSchools in China are now being required to report any students who are HIV-positive.

Yu Jingjin with the National Health and Family Planning Commission says the new regulations come amid a noted rise in the infection rates among young students in recent years.

"482 student cases were reported in 2008, accounting for less than 6 percent of the HIV-infected who were aged between 15 and 24. Last year, this percentage went up to over 16 percent."Health and education authorities say they're taking the step to try to limit the spread of the virus.

They are promising the privacy of students who are HIV-positive will be protected.

New Move Targets Grassroots CorruptionAnchorA new campaign is underway to root-out corruption at a local level, with China's rural areas the new focus.

CRI's Yu Yang reports.

ReporterThe two-year campaign has been initiated by the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Gao Bo with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says the fight against grassroots 'flies' is urgently needed.

"We're expecting the anti-corruption drive will help increase reforms, as well as improve supervision and make policies better implemented so as to gain more public recognition."Over the past 2-years, Chinese prosecutors have investigated around 29-thousand lower-level government officials in townships and villages.

Part of the crackdown has been focused on rooting-out officials stealing money which had been earmarked for low-income households and orphans.

In the latest case, a low-ranking official with an agricultural service center in Beijing's Changping District stole around 800-million yuan for his personal investments.

Xin Ming with the CPC's Party School says it's these so-called 'flies' that represent the major concern for the Party.

"Grass-roots officials are closer to the common people. As such, their misdeeds tend to gain much more attention among the locals than high-ranked officials."The crackdown on corruption began in 2012.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in taking office, vowed to root-out both "tigers," or high-ranking officials, as well as "flies," or lower-level administrators.

However, corruption cases involving grassroots officials in rural areas have been increasing over the past 3-years.

Professor Xin Ming says loopholes in the supervision system need to be addressed.

"These crimes result not only from the poor quality of some cadres, but also a lack of supervision. If we fail to address the problems, our policies will not work. That will undermine the public confidence of the government."The Supreme People's Procuratorate says the new 2-year campaign should also help create transparent elections at the village level.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

China Confident on Achieving Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction TargetsAnchorToday we're bringing you the 2nd report in our series on China's role in combating global climate change.

This edition focuses on the energy conservation and emission reduction targets set out in the last 5-year plan.

More from CRI's Xie Cheng.

ReporterWu Shunze, Vice President of Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, explains his interpretation of the binding carbon emissions targets.

"Those binding targets are in accordance with our country's situations, as well as the internal demand for our current development. The core is toughening the binding, solidifying the responsibilities, and increasing the proportion of environmental protection and energy conservation. It's actually a reversed pressure mechanism for economic transition and development, and it could promote the improvement of ecological systems as well."Up till now, China has made remarkable progress in promoting energy consumption and emissions reduction.

Statistics show that China's energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP last year dropped by nearly 30 percent and 34 percent respectively over a decade ago.

At this rate, China is going to be able to achieve the binding targets set in the 12th 5-year Plan as scheduled.

For his part, Wu says that the achievements China has made so far are embodied in five factors: a series of strategic arrangements, strengthening targets and responsibilities as well as giving full play to the initiatives of local authorities, making remarkable efforts to upgrade and transition economic and energy structures, the promotion of a great number of relevant infrastructure projects, and optimizing relevant policies and systems.

However, he also mentions that some imbalances remain.

"Some of the targets are difficult to achieve in certain areas. Specifically, there are still wide gaps between China and the world in two main aspects: the comprehensive technological progress level and the target of energy consumption and pollutant discharge."He adds that as far as the technological progress or utilizing energy or resources are concerned, China is still at a 'follower' level rather than a 'pacesetter.'

Wu also mentions some next steps that China should take for further improvement.

"Energy conservation and emission reduction is a long-term goal, thus perseverance is of the essence due to the tasks' arduousness and complexity. There are two factors which require further improvement. First, there is space for the whole society to participate in the goal of green consumption. Secondly, a mechanism of lasting effect needs to be built."At a meeting of National Leading Group on Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction earlier on June, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed that it is crucial to implement structural adjustments as well as to upgrade development level so as to both grow the economy and at the same time improve environmental quality.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

China Smartphone Market Contracted the First Time in 6 yearsAnchorNew stats show the smartphone market here in China has contracted by 4-percent through the first half of this year.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

ReporterThe 4-percent drop marks the first time in 6-years smartphone sales in China have dropped through the first half of the year.

225 million units were shipped in the first half.

Market saturation and a more discerning consumer are being pointed to as the main reason for the downturn.

"I prefer domestic brands. Xiaomi and Huawei are both doing well compared with other foreign brands in the same price range.""Stand-by time, speed, memory, and long-term performance are all in my consideration. My biggest concern is the operating system, which I don't want to slow down after being used for a while.""If I could,, I would change my phone to Apple or Huawei. The two are the world's best smartphone makers, one with the IOS operating system and one using Android."Communications industry analyst Sun Qi says as consumers become more familiar with the brands, they're going to become more picky about what they choose.

"If you look at 2012's rapid growth in smartphone sales in China, this could be viewed as the first phase. 2015 is phase two. We are already starting to see changes in consumer habits. Their focus is shifting to the performance of the phone instead of just simply having one. For years, China's smartphone market has been growing by 10-percent. This is a pace which is hard to maintain. As such, I think over the next 5 to 10-years, the biggest challenge for smartphone makers will be adapting to the market."Observers say one of the key reasons behind the weak demand for new phones is the penetration rate, which sits at around 90-percent.

Sun Qi says convincing existing users to buy a newer model is critical.

"The focus is going to shift back to the phone's intrinsic qualities. Consumers used to be attracted to the design of the phone. But now they have bigger demands. Stand-by time, information safety and user-compatibility are the core needs for smartphone users moving forward."To counter the drop in sales, Chinese smartphone makers Xiaomi and Huawei have been attempting to expand overseas.

But despite the downturn in sales for smartphone producers, retailers are still doing well.

Chinese home appliance giant Suning has seen its sales through the first half of this year jump by some 70-percent.

Gu Wei, manager of the telecom sales division at Suning, says their sales are growing both online and offline.

"We hope we can be the fastest in delivery, with latest products, bringing more products to customers with reasonable price. Through our store, our online platform and mobile app, we try to meet needs of the customers."Suning recently inked a multi-billion dollar deal with Alibaba for online payments, deliveries and aftersales services.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

Beijing Courtyard Owner Charged for Basement ProjectThree people have been formally charged in connection with a building collapse earlier this year in Beijing.

The contractor, the Forman and the owner of the courtyard in-question are being prosecuted for negligence.

A deputy to the local Congress in the city of Xuzhou was forced to resign in January after the illegal construction of a basement in his courtyard home in Beijing caused a massive cave-in.

It forced 15 people living in the neighborhood out of their homes.

Knife attack in Sweden's Ikea store leaves 2 deadTwo people are dead following a bizarre attack at an IKEA outlet in central Sweden.

The victims were stabbed to death with knives apparently taken from the kitchen-ware section of the store.

It's not clear what the motivation behind the attack is.

IKEA Manager Mattias Johansson says he's stunned by what's happened.

"What I know and what I can say is that I'm having one of the worst, the worst day of my life, and many of my colleagues, customers and visitors feel the same. We at Ikea will now put all our efforts to take care of the visitors and customers that actually witnessed this, but also of course all of my colleagues."Two men have been arrested.

One of the suspects is also suffering from stab wounds.

Swedish authorities say, at this point, they don't believe terrorism is a factor.

Ferguson protesters arrested as county declares state of emergencyA number of protester have been arrested after jumping baracades around a courthouse in St. Louis during a march to commemorate the one year anniversary of the killing of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown.

He's the young man shot and killed by a white police officer a year ago, which sparked outrage across the United States.

"But we'll pray with our feet, we'll pray with our actions, until when they look at our children, they give them the same consideration that they give their children. So we came here today to make a proclamation, a proclamation of demands. And so we reclaim this ground as God's ground."A state of emergency has once-again been declared in Ferguson after a drive-by shooting on Sunday.

Police officers in the St. Louis suburb have also come under attack as part of the demonstrations.

The incident last year sparked wide-spread protests across the United States.

It's also prompted greater scrutiny of racial bias within the U.S. criminal justice system.

Preparations for official opening of US EmbassyFinal preparations are underway for the highly-anticipated official re-opening of the United States' embassy in Cuba on Friday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is due to arrive in Havana on Friday to watch the US flag being raised.

The impending ceremony is already starting to create a buzz in Havana.

"I use the American flag because the Americans respect Cubans just like we respect Americans. And with these new relations maybe they will lift the blockade (embargo)."The United States cut its ties with Cuba in 1961 at the height of the Cold War.

It includes a strict embargo on US exports to the island-nation.

US President Barack Obama and Cuban Leader Raul Castro announced the re-establishment of diplomatic ties earlier this year.

S. Korea accuses DPRK of planting landmines, injuring 2 soldiersThe United Nations is calling for a meeting with North Korea's military.

This follows a land mine explosion last week in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea which severely injured a pair of South Korean soldiers.

General Ku Hong-mo with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says they're continuing to pin the blame on North Korea.

"Two South Korean soldiers, who were carrying out a regular search mission on the morning of August 4th on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the city of Paju in Gyeonggi Province, were severely injured by the blast of wooden-box mines which is clearly seen as the North Korea has planted."There has been no official response from North Korea.

South Korea's military says the area where the mine exploded had already been swept, suggesting it would be impossible for mines planted elsewhere to have drifted due to rain or shifting soil.

The DMZ, created out of the armistace which ended the fighting the Korean War in 1953, is one of the most heavily mined areas in the world.

Park Geun-hye urges Japan to Inherit Its Past Statements about WWIISouth Korean President Park Geun-hye is calling on Japan's Prime Minister to live-up to past statements connected to World War II.

"On this meaningful occasion, we hope that the Japanese government makes clear its stance that it upholds historical recognition of previous Japanese administrations. And we also hope that Japan will take a mature attitude to start to anew its relations with neighbouring countries including South Korea."At the same time, Park says she'd like to bring a resolution to the issue of Comfort Women.

"Eight comfort women passed away this year, and the total number of surviving (comfort) women has decreased to 47. We may miss the opportunity to resolve the issue forever unless we settle it now."It's being reported Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's speech to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II will include the words "apology" and "aggression."Abe's statement has to be approved by his cabinet a day before the August 15th anniversary.

Japan to restart Sendai reactor despite protestsAnchorJapan's Electric Power Corporation is getting ready to re-start one of its nuclear power reactors, some 2-years after all the nuclear power facilities were shut down in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

ReporterJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has been pushing to bring some reactors back online, arguing they are key to economic growth.

Chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga says the act is important for Japan's energy strategy.

"We believe it is important for our energy strategy that nuclear plants that have been deemed safe are to be restarted."But opinion polls show a consistent majority oppose the restart.

Hundreds of local residents have protested in front of the nuclear reactor over the weekend and on Monday.

Former Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, joined protesters and called for halting the plan.

"Please bear with it and halt the nuclear restart project, this is what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should really be saying to Kyushu Electric. Don't you agree?"Locals in Satsumasendai are worried about safety issues and questioning whether any lessons have been learnt from Fukushima.

Ryoko Torihara , who lives 12 kilometres away from the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, is head of a local anti-nuclear group.

"They haven't learnt from Chernobyl. They haven't learned from Fukushima. I wonder what this situation is."She says evacuation routes remain unclear to locals, many who are elderly, and that officials lack the willingness to help.

Local media have pointed out that many of the city's bridges are old, raising concern whether they may be able to withstand a major earthquake.

The former chairman of an independent investigation committee into the Fukushima nuclear, Kiyoshi Kurokawa, says the government needs to be more transparent in order to regain the nation's trust.

"Japan is an advanced country, why don't you make this thing (invite) every expert, invite everybody to come, with the inspection why don't you do that? That is the problem. Now it's already four years, have they been doing it? They have some advisers, and this and that, but visibly they are doing it? That kind of demonstration is a very important element in regaining the trust of the local people and the public at large."All of Japan's more than 40 reactors are currently offline for repairs or safety inspections.

An earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima plant, sparking triple nuclear meltdowns, contaminating water, food and air and forcing more than 160,000 residents to flee in the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Governing party's Scioli ahead in Argentina primariesArgentina's open primaries have been taken by the hand-picked successor to incumbent Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

With 98-percent of the ballots counted, Daniel Scioli sits with around 38-percent of the vote.

Scioli, the current governor of the province of Buenos Aires, will lead his party into October's elections.

"We're going to work really hard to bring together, convince and persuade the greatest number of Argentines possible (to support our presidential campaign)."Scioli is being tapped as the likely winner of October 25th election, which is expected to focus mostly on economic issues.

German scientists turn human skin into a mobile touch screenAnchorA group of German scientists have come up with a way to turn the human skin into a touch screen.

The new technology allows people to control their smart phones by stroking tattoos on their forearms.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

ReporterDesigned by scientists at the Max Plank Institute in Germany, the iSkin can be stuck to fingers, forearms or even behind people's ears.

The thin, flexible sensors can be glued on to the skin like a temporary tattoo.

They allow users to control smartphones by stroking these tattoos – turning the human skin into one gigantic touch screen.

Developer Martin Weigel says this could revolutionize the world of wearable gadgets.

"Current electronics are mostly using rigid components which are very uncomfortable to wear on the body and are limiting the locations to, for example, the wrist or on the head to be worn. But our sensor is a flexible and stretchable sensor, so it can cover many locations. For example, even the backside of the ear or the forearm. So, we have a much larger input space than current electronics allow for."The iSkin system is made of bio-compatible silicone rubber, so the sensors can detect touch even when they are stretched or bent, unlike the current plasma or Led screens.

With the current prototype; wearers can answer incoming calls, play music and adjust the volume on their phone simply by tapping their skin. The inventors have even designed a roll-up keyboard that allows you to type on your forearm.

Weigel says the inspiration for the skin sensor comes from robotics.

"The technology is initially coming from robotics where it's used to give robots kind of a feeling similar to the human body, to human skin. However, we are the first to look into how we can use it on the body to control mobile devices; so as a kind of second-skin which nicely conforms to your body."This technology can also be used to create more human-like prostheses that can sense contact, pressure and temperature.

But Wiegel and his team have even bigger plans"There is also research in using the body as an energy source and harvesting energy from the body, like for example from the temperature or from the blood flow directly.

The Scientists now want to find ways to power the iSkin sensors with energy created in our own bodies. Although it may sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, the day that the human body itself is turned into a perpetual battery in motion may not be too far off in the future.

For Cri I'm Poornima WeerasekaraZimbabwean President blames foreign vandals for lion Cecil's deathZimbabwe's President has made his first statements connected to the killing of a popular lion.

Robert Mugabe says "foreign vandals," as well as local Zimbaweans, are responsible for the death of 'Cecil.'

"You have yours to protect and you failed to protect him. They are vandals who come from all over of course. Some may be just ordinary visitors, but there are others who want to vandalise, to irregularly and illegally acquire part of our resources."American dentist Walter Palmer has admitted to killing the rare black-maned lion last month as part of a safari hunt.

Two of his guides have been charged in connection with the incident.

Zimbabwean authorities have put in an extradition request for Palmer to face charges.

It's not clear whether the US government will honor the request.

Palmer insists he was told the hunt was legal by his local guides.

Court hearings underway in Italian Marine shooting incidentA new day of hearings are set to get underway later this Tuesday in Germany connected to the deaths of two Indian fishermen 3-years ago.

The Italian government is calling on the International Tribual on the Law of the Sea to release a pair of Italian Marines facing possible murder charges.

They shot and killed two Indian fishermen in an incident in 2012 while on anti-piracy duty on an Italian oil tanker off the Indian coast.

Italian authorities contend the shooting has taken place in international waters, and as such, should be under Italian jurisdiction to prosecute.

India's main counsel, Neeru Chadha, is arguing against the request.

"Mr. President, India was surprised at the tone and tenor of Italy's pleading this morning, They portrayed the accused Italian marines as the real victims while totally ignoring the two fishermen who are the real victims of the 'Enrica Lexie' incident, who lost their lives."India has been holding the marines without charge for the last 3-years.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 34 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 23.

Shanghai will see moderate rain with a high of 30 and a low of 26.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 30 and lows of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 27.

Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 35.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 31.

Over to North America,New York will have heavy rain with a high of 24 degrees.

Washington, slight rain with a high of 31 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 26 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 15.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsFormer senior officer gets death penalty with reprieveThe military courts have handed the death penalty, with a 2-year reprieve, to the former deputy head of the Chinese Military's Logistics Department.

Gu Junshan has been found guilty of embezzlement, accepting bribes, misuse of state funds, bribery and abuse of power.

He's one of several high-profile officers in PLA's logistics department accused of embezzling funds from housing projects.

Another deputy PLA's Logistics Department is also under investigation.

This follows the sacking of Guo Boxiong.

The 73-year old, the former vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission, is accused of bribery.

Typhoon Soudelor kills 17 in E ChinaThe death toll on the mainland from Typhoon Soudelor has hit 17.

5 others are still unaccounted for.

New estimates put the cost of the storm at some 8-billion yuan.

Over 100-thousand hectares of crops in Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi have been damaged by storm.

Soudelor rolled into the mainland late Saturday after plowing through Taiwan earlier in the day, leaving 6 dead on the island.

At its height, the Typhoon was packing winds of nearly 300-kilometers per hour while generating power in the western Pacific, making it the largest storm of the year.

MH370 search underway, no related clues found: La Reunion authorityFrench officials on the island of Reunion say no new no materials connected to missing flight MH370 has been found on the island since a wide-scale search began on Friday.

Officials do say they will continue scowering the island for any more wreckage connected to the missing flight.

Authorities on the island, located just east of Madagascar, ramped up the search for MH370 wreckage after a piece of the plane's wing was discovered on the island earlier this month.

MH370 disappeared in March of last year on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

Two-thirds of the passangers are Chinese nationals.

Relative of Syrian President arrested for murderSyrian authorities has arrested a relative of President Bashar al-Assad on charges of murdering an army officer.

Slaiman al-Assad is being accused of gunning down a colonel in a road rage incident in the coastal city of Latakia on Thursday.

Slaiman is the son of Hilal al-Assad, former head of Syria's paramilitary National Defense Forces.

Leaning Postboxes a Hit with TouristsTwo postboxes in Taipei have become a hit with tourists after a signboard blown down by Typhoon Soudelor bent them into odd shapes.

Massive crowds have been flocking to take photos with the red and green postboxes over the past 2-days.

The postboxes were distorted by Typhoon Soudalour, which plowed over the island on Saturday, leaving 6-dead.

Biz ReportsAnchorTurning 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.

ReporterU.S. stocks bounced back sharply from last week's losses, cheered by gains in commodity-related shares and Warren Buffett's latest deal.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway on Monday agreed to buy Precision Castparts for about 37.2 billion U.S. dollars, which would be the conglomerate's largest takeover ever.

Shares of Precision Castparts soared 19.1 percent on the news.

The recovery in oil prices also boosted market sentiment.

Oil prices gained Monday as data showed China imported more crude in July, with Brent crude rising over 3 percent.

In response, the energy sector surged 3.1 percent.

Investors will also closely watch if Greece and international creditors could wrap up a multibillion-euro bailout accord by Tuesday.

At the close,The Dow Jones snapped a seven-session losing streaks and closed 1.4 percent higher.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.3 percent.

The Nasdaq went up 1.2 percent.

Meanwhile, European stocks also ended higher on Monday as investors were encouraged by the progress in Greece's third bailout deal.

At the closing bell,The UK's FTSE 100 added 0.3 percent.

Germany's DAX edged up one percent.

France's CAC 40 rose 1.6 percent.

Finally here in China,Stocks rallied across the board on Monday, with major indices surging during the afternoon session due to strong market expectations on the reform of state-owned enterprises.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index surged 4.9 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index gained 4.3 percent.

Alibaba becomes the 2nd biggest share holder of SuningAnchorAlibaba has announced its investing over 4.5-billion US dollars in Chinese home appliance maker Suning.

The 28-billion yuan cash infusion will make Alibaba the 2nd largest shareholder of Suning.

Alibaba founder Jack Ma says the move is meant to try to increase their online to offline business.

"The Internet plus strategy has been proposed, and I believe people also have realized that only when the real and digital economies do not repel each other, and instead appreciate, cooperate and do good to each other, can we build a new Chinese business ecosystem."Suning shares, which were put on a trading hault yesterday, will resume trading later today.

For more on the new deal between Alibaba and Suning, CRI's Sophie Williams spoke earlier with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Back AnchorGao Shang, Analyst with Guantong Futures, speaking with CRI's Sophie Williams.

Bad loans of China's banks hit US$177bNew stats show the bad-loan ratio in China has increase to 1.5 percent as of the end of June.

The value of outstanding non-performing loans now sits at 1.1 trillion yuan, or 177-billion U.S. dollars.

In making the announcement, the China Banking Regulatory Commission says commercial banks' credit risk remains "generally controllable," saying Chinese lenders' overall capability to offset their risks remains stable.

The average capital adequacy ratio, the proportion of a bank's capital set-aside its risk-weighted assets, currently sits at 12.9-percent.

China to review anti-dumping duties on PTA imports from ROK, ThailandThe Chinese Ministry of Commerce is poised to potentially extend anti-dumping duties on imported purified terephthalic acid from South Korea and Thailand.

A review is set to be initiated at the request of domestic producers.

Chinese authorities instituted 5-years of anti-dumping tariffs from between 2 and 20-percent on PTA imports from South Korea and Thailand in 2010.

Terephthalic acid is an organic compound used in polyester coatings and resins.

China to blacklist firms with poor work safety managementThe Chinese government has announced plans to blacklist firms with poor work safety records.

Companies with records of major work safety accidents or with more than 10 deaths within a year will be black-listed.

Firms which also attempt to conceal their work-safety record or fail improve their conditions will also be black-balled.

Companies which find themselves on the list will be limited in the amount of financing they can get.

They'll also be subject to random screenings once every 6-months.

Companies who fail the inspections will be subject to a 3-year extension on the black-list if they fail to meet standards.

Bohai Leasing in Talks to Buy Avolon for $2.64 blnChina's Bohai Leasing has reportedly upped its offer for Irish aircraft leasing firm Avolon Holdings.

The firm is now offering 2.6 billion U.S. dollars in the take-over.

The 32 US-dollar per share offer is one dollar higher than Bohai's earlier bid in July.

It is also 2-dollars a share higher than an offer from a rival unidentified bidder.

Avolon shares have jumped nearly 5-percent on the news.

Both companies have until September 7th to finalize a deal.

Qihoo 360 expands presence in Internet financeChinese Internet security firm Qihoo 360 has launched its own stock market index.

The 360 Internet Plus Index is a collaboration among Dacheng Fund and the China Securities Index.

It will compile data gathered from the company's search engines, browsers and phone apps.

Close to one-third of the stocks tracked by the index are listed on the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Board.

Another one-third are on the ChiNext Index.

The rest are listed on China's two main boards.

In making the announcment, Qihoo 360 is also launching a new wealth management website called Nicaifu.

SportsEnglish Premier League Recap, CSL PreviewIn football action from the English Premier League,Manchester City has begun its Premier League campaign with an impressive 3-nil victory over West Bromwich Albion earlier this morning.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says the victory means a lot to them.

"We don't always think about that, but it was important to win the first game, always it is not easy to start the season away and not easy to play the last game of the first matches, because we know all the other scores and we know that it was very important to start winning."The 3-nil victory puts City atop the standings after the opening weekend.

----------In upcoming soccer action from La Liga:

Barcelona and Sevilla will go head to head in the Georgian capital, Tiblisi, for the first title of the new season: the European Supercup.

Barcelona right back Dani Alves says they feel prepared.

"For me it is something I wanted and fought for. We are prepared for it, we have to be ready. We get to start the season with a final which is what we work for. Now we are here we have to enjoy this moment and try to do everything we can.

Champions League winners, Barca will be favorites against Sevilla, who won last seasons' Europa League.

Neymar is not going to be in the line-up after being diagnosed with the Mumps.

He's due to be back in the line-up later this month.

------------Round 22 of the Chinese Super League getting underway tonight with four games on deck.

Changchun Yatai is hoping to extend its winning streak to 4 games when it takes on Guanghzou R&F in Guangzhou.

In other action,Hangzhou Greentown will play Shanghai Shenhua.

Chongqing Lifan will play Guizhou Renhe.

And it's struggling Shanghai Shenxin taking on Liaoning.

Guizhou Beat Shaanxi 97-89In National Basketball League here in China,Shaanxi has suffered its first defeat, going down to Guizhou 97-89 in overtime.

Tyler Wilkerson scored 43 points for Guizhou in the victory.

Shaanxi now sits second at the league standings behind leaders Anhui, which edged Henan 118-80.

In other action,Zhengzhou got past Lhasa 98-85.

Guangxi edged out Beijing 95-83.

Serena Williams Remains as World Number OneIn tennis,9th seeded Gilles Simon has cruised past Italian Andreas Seppi in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round of the Rogers Cup in Canada.

The 30-year-old will next face either Serbian Viktor Troicki or Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

In other action, Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine needed 3-sets to get past Canadian wild card Filip Peliwo.

He's set to face Rafael Nadal in the second round.

On the women's side,Flavia Pennetta of Italy has reached the second round, beating Canadian wild card Gabriela Dabrowski in straight-sets.

---In off-court tennis news,American Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova of Russian and Simona Halep from Romania remain as the world's top three tennis players in the latest world rankings.

Karolina Pliskova from the Czech Republic is now seeded 8th, the first time she has made it among top ten in her career.

Chinese veteran Peng Shuai remains the highest-ranking Chinese player, sitting 33rd.

A total of 9 Chinese women players are among top 200.

BWF World Championships RecapIn badminton action from BWF World Championships in Malaysia,Zulfadi Zulkiffli of Malaysia is into the second round after beating Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen 21-5, 22-20.

"Alhamdulillah (thank God) and I feel very happy because I won the game and that I can beat Chou Tien Chen just now. I know he is a better player, he is currently world ranking number six. I am very happy to play against him, and I won."In other action,Hong Kong's Wei Nan is also through after getting past American Howard Shu in a 3-set battle.

In women's singles,Hong Kong's Yip Pui-Yin dumped Joy Lai from Australia 21-11, 21-12.

And it's France's Delphine Lansac surprising Russian Natalia Perminova 21-18, 21-18Later on today,China's superstar Lin Dan will take on American Sattawat Pongnairat.

Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia will be on the court against Kestutis Navickas from Lithuania.

Major League Baseball PreviewIn Major League Baseball,7 games on the schedule this morning,The Colorado Rockies will play the NY Mets.

The LA Angels will play the Chi White Sox.

The Detroit Tigers will play the Kansas City RoyalsThe Philadelphia Phillies will play the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Baltimore Orioles will play the Seattle MarinersThe Washington Nationals will play the LA Dodgers.

The Cincinnati Reds will play the San Diego Padres.

Rory McIlroy prepares for PGA Championship after ankle injuryIn golf,Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy says he's ready to make his comeback at this year's PGA Championship.

The defending champion says he's set to make his return to 'the links' after being forced to miss out on the British Open last month after hurting himself playing football with friends.

"You know, it felt like it was the right time to come (back) - regardless whether it was this week or, you know, no matter what week it was, I was ready to go whether it was this week, whether it was some other tournament, it wasn't like I was trying to get back for this - it just so happened that, you know, I'm feeling good enough to go this week."McIlroy has been put in a group with American's Zach Johnson and Jordan Spieth.

This year's PGA Championships will get underway around 8am Friday morning, Beijing-time.

EntertainmentChina bans "immoral songs" onlineChina has decided to ban what they call "immoral songs" that are going viral online.

The Ministry of Culture on Monday released a blacklist of 120 songs that "trumpeted obscenity, violence, crime or harmed social morality", and ordered popular video and music sharing sites to remove these songs from their sites.

The banned songs include hits like "Beijing Hooligans", "Don't Want to Go to School" and "Suicide Diary".

Songs by household names like Chang Csun Yuk and Stanley Huang were also on the list.

According to a ministry statement, the banned songs "have very problematic content", which violated rules on "managing online culture."The statement says anyone who failed to comply with the ban will be severely punished.

Liu Qiang, a ministry official in charge of the cultural market pointed out that the blacklist will serve as a reference for online administrators to ensure their content is legal, and the list will be regularly updated.

Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen to land role in Star Wars AnthologyIt's been revealed that Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen and mainland film actor Jiang Wen have landed roles in the upcoming Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One.

The duo confirmed that they were taking up the assignment.

Godzilla's director Gareth Edwards has been tapped to direct the film. Felicity Jones, known for her role in "The Theory of Everything" will be cast in the female lead.

The film is currently under production in London, and it is slated for release next December.

Many Hollywood productions are looking to add Chinese actors to appeal to Chinese audiences, who have become a bigger box office market for blockbuster films.

The trend that started with films like Rush Hour 3 with Jackie Chan, Jet Li in Mummy 3 has now snowballed with Chow Yun Fat playing a role in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

'Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F' Breaks Box Office Records For AnimeDragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, the latest Dragon Ball Z movie, is conquering the American box office despite a limited theatrical release.

FUNimation, the film's American distributor, began a one-week run of the film last Tuesday.

Within three days, Resurrection F had grossed over 4 million US dollars.

The animated film ranked at 5th place in the box office on Tuesday and Wednesday, the first time a limited release has cracked the top 10.

Based on per-screen average, critics say it is the best-performing movie in theaters right now.

The film is rapidly blowing through box office records with earning over 5.5 million US dollars so far.

It has surpassed Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle and The Wind Rises landing on the list of top 10 highest-grossing anime films here in China.

Friends co-star reveals secrets of Jennifer Aniston's weddingFriends co-star Howard Stern has revealed juicy details about Jennifer Aniston's secret wedding.

Aniston tied the knot with six-feet under star Justin Theroux at a private ceremony last Wednesday.

Stern has revealed that the ceremony was officiated by none other than the controversial talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

Stern was a guest at the Los Angeles party that was disguised as a birthday bash for Theroux.

Stern said the affair was extremely secretive and that guests had to hand over their phones.

Other guests, he said, included Ellen DeGeneres, Whitney Cummings and Orlando Bloom.

The marriage is the second for 46-year-old Aniston, who had a very public split with ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2005.

David Beckham defends daughter Harper's use of a pacifier at age 4David Beckham scored a goal for parents all over the world on Monday, striking back at critics and experts who claim to know the best way to raise kids.

Beckham was reacting to a Daily Mail story criticizing his daughter's use of a pacifier at age 4.

An article on the Sunday edition of the Daily Mail featured experts who warned that the little girl may end up with 'speech or dental issues' if she continues to use a pacifier.

Beckham has made a quick-fire reply on his Instagram account saying "everybody who has children knows that when they aren't feeling well or have a fever you do what comforts them best and most of the time it's a pacifier. And those who criticize have no right to criticize me as a parent."That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.

Recapping our top stories this morning...

A former Chinese military official has been handed a stiff sentence for corruption.

The official death toll on the mainland from Typhoon Soudelor has risen to 17.

Two people are dead following a bizarre attack at an IKEA store in Sweden.

In Business... Alibaba has become the largest investor in Suning.

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.