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

Coming up on our program this morning...

A pair of new laws are now in effect here in China affecting this country's seniors and outsourced employees.

The Chinese government is promising more international coordiation in the fight against terrorism in the wake of recent unrest in Xinjiang.

The Egyptian military is threatening involvement in the standoff between the Morsi government and protesters demanding his ouster.

In Business, home prices here in China have continued to rise through this past month.

In sports... Li Na now has a quarter-final date with the highest seed left on the women's side at Wimbledon.

In entertainment.... Moby has released the first single from his forthcoming album.

First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will cloudy today, with a high of 33 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be clear tonight with a low of 23.

In Shanghai, it will be cloudy, with a high of 38, and a low of 29 degrees Celsius.

Lhasa will see showers, with a high of 25, and a low of 12 degrees Celsius.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, sunny, 36.

Kabul, sunny, with a high of 29.

And in North America

New York, thundershowers, with a high of 26 degrees.

Washington, thundershowers, highs of 27

Houston, overcast, 33.

Honolulu, overcast, 29.

Toronto, thundershowers, 24.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires, sunny, 16.

And Rio de Janeiro will see thundershowers with highs of 27 degrees Celsius.

 

 

Top News

 

 

China laws elderly people's welfare law goes into effect

 

Anchor

A revised version of the elderly people's welfare law is now in effect here in China.

As CRI's Su Yi reports, it forces the families of elderly people to regularly visit and care for them.

Reporter

The revised Law for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly has already begun to trigger wide-spread debate as to whether it's appropriate for the government to meddle in families personal affairs.

Others point out many elderly people here in China are in dire need of more support and care.

As of last year, elderly people who are living separately from their younger families surpassed 62 million here in China.

This means 1 in 3 seniors here in China live apart from their family.

Dang Junwu is the deputy dean at the Institute of China Aging Populations Studies.

"Senior citizens have needs to be taken care of. Attention from society is very important, but what they most crave is the love and care from their family. From a legislative point of view, it is necessary to provide legal support to what we see as a great social need."

Such ideas are considered more understandable in a country which has a massive floating population of young people looking for work.

The new law does take this into effect, giving relief for migrant workers who don't have the means to visit their elderly parents more often.

Zuo Xuejin is the President of the Gerontological Society of Shanghai.

"More visits from the family members call for more policy support from the government. Ideally, the government should facilitate by giving more freedom to those migrant workers in terms of their labor mobility and their housing rights in cities. But to start with, they should at least be given more leave to be able to make those visits back home."

The revised law also requires employers to ensure employees whose parents live far away to have up to 20 days of paid home leave.

Aside from making it a requirement for children to make more visits home, the law also gives more guarantees to the rights and protection of parents who already live with family members.

Under the new law, domestic abuse of elderly people and deliberate ignorance will come with stronger punishment.

As of the end of 2011, there were 185 million people at or above the age of 60, which is just under 14-percent of the country's total population.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

 

 

China's new amended labor contract law comes into effect

 

Anchor

A new amended labor contract law has come into effect here in China.

As CRI's Shen Chengcheng reports, the new law dictates that so-called outsourced workers should get the same amount of pay as regular staff doing the same job.

Reporter

Outsourced workers only sign contracts with their recruitment agencies, and not the companies they end up working for.

So some companies end up paying their outsourced workers less money than regular staffers.

The new amended law has given a clear definition of outsourced workers.

Uzhitu is the vice chairman of the Finance and Economic Committee of China's top legislature.

"Outsourced workers are temporary workers that hold contracts not longer than six months. They are supplementary, and do work to support the work of regular staffers. Lastly, they are backup workers to fill in for the regular staffers who are on leave."

A Yan is an outsourced worker at a clothing factory. She says workers like herself get lots of unfair treatment at work.

"We didn't get paid the same as the regular staffers before. And this made me feel that I was not part of the team."

Vice chairman Uzhitu says the amended law has included provisions to ensure equality in payment.

"The Labor Law added regulations stating that the three way contracts between outsourced workers, recruitment agencies and companies should indicate that the workers are not underpaid."

Law professor Li Jianfei with China's Renmin University says companies should abide by the new labor law.

"To pay people doing the same different salaries just because they are on different recruitment status is illegal. Their social welfare terms should be the same as well. The same amount of work get paid the same is constitutional."

Some insiders say outsourced workers can go to labor unions of their companies to report any unfair treatments.

If there is not a union in the company, outsourced workers can turn to unions in the district to get remedy.

Workers will also be able to resort to court settlements.

For CRI, I'm SCC.

 

 

China vows to continue fight against terrorism

 

Chinese government is promising to join forces with other countries in cracking down on terrorist organizations.

The comments come following violent incidents in Xinjiang recently.

One organization the Chinese authorities are planning on targeting is the East Turkestan movement.

The group is a sepratist terrorist group in Xinjiang.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

"The East Turkestan terrorist forces and international terrorist organizations have been uniting, not only threatening China's national security but also the peace and stability of relevant countries and regions. The international community should stay on high alert. China will continue to strengthen cooperation with relevant countries to jointly attack terrorist organizations including the East Turkestan terrorist forces."

A violent attack against a local government compound and police officers in Shanshan County near the city of Turpan in Xinjiang left two dozen people dead.

The Chinese government says it will take "necessary measures" to punish those involved under the law.

The government also says it's fully confident in ensuring peace and stability in Xinjiang.

 

 

China refutes Philippines' accusations of militarizing South China Sea

 

The Chinese government is refuting accusations by the Philippines' that China's military build-up threatens peace in the South China Sea.

The comments have come from Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario during this week's ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Brunei.

The Chinese government is repeating its stand that it holds the indisputable rights over the Nansha Islands and their surrounding waters.

The Chinese side also says it is committed to safeguarding the peace and stability in the South China Sea.

 

 

South China Sea issue not between China and US: Chinese foreign minister

 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told his US counterpart John Kerry the disputes in the South China Sea "should not be an issue between China and the United States".

The two foreign chiefs have met on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Brunei.

Wang Yi is calling on the US government to "understand and respect" the Chinese government's role in the region.

 

 

Egyptian army sets 48 hours as deadline before intervention

 

In a bid to bring the current political situation to a conclusion, the Egyptian Army has given the government of Mohamed Morsi 48-hours to come up with a solution to end the unrest.

Mass demonstrations which began on Sunday have been swelling, with protesters demanding the ouster of Morsi.

The head of the Egyptian military has broadcast a speech on State TV, declaring a "last chance" for all parties to meet the demands of the people.

General Abdel Al-sisi is the head of the Egyptian armed forces.

"The country's national security is subject to great danger as a result of the escalation seen in the country, which gives us all responsibilities depending on each person's position to act in an appropriate manner."

A protest movement says it's gathered some 22-million signatures, demanding Morsi step down and calling fresh elections.

The current unrest in Egypt, which has so far left 16 dead since Sunday, is being described as the largest political unrest since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

 

 

Snowden formally asks political asylum in Russia

 

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has issued his first official statement since arriving in Moscow.

In a statement released on the Wikileaks website, Snowden is accusing the Obama administration of using -quote- "the old, bad tools of political aggression" and "citizenship as a weapon."

He's also accusing the Obama administration of being afraid of an informed public."

At the same time, Snowden has officially asked for political asylum in Russia.

The 29-year old has issued the request to the Russian foreign ministry.

The Kremlin has yet to respond to word of Snowden's request.

Snowden remains stuck in the international transit lounge at Moscow's main airport.

He's unable to travel, as the US government has revoked his passport.

Snowden has been stuck in Moscow since arriving there on a flight from Hong Kong two Sunday's ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he'd consider granding asylum to Snowden, as long as he brings his human rights campaigning to an end and stops hurting US interests.

"If he wants to go somewhere and there are those who would take him, he is welcome to do so. If he wants to stay here, there is one condition: He must stop his activities aimed at inflicting damage on our American partners, no matter how strange it may sound coming from my lips."

While technically not on Russian soil, Snowden's presence in Moscow has created tensions between Moscow and Washington.

 

 

Former Australian PM talks about China-Australia relations

 

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has unveiled his new cabinet.

It comes just days after he ousted Julia Gillard as Labor Party Leader.

His new cabinet contains a record number of women.

Latest polls show the return of Rudd has given his party a boost in voter support.

A survey shows over half of Australian voters prefer Rudd as their prime minister, while over 30 percent say they will choose opposition leader Tony Abbot in the September election.

Meanwhile, Rudd is on record saying he wants to see China and Australia finalize their talks over a free trade area.

To that end, CRI's Zheng Chenguang caught up wiht former Australian Prime Minster Bob Hawke for his thoughts on the Sino-Australian relationship.

(Bob Hawke-pik)

Former Australian Prime Minster Bob Hawke speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.

 

 

Sino-Croatia Ties to be Boosted thanks to Croatia's EU Accession

 

Anchor

Croatia's ambassador to China is hailing the country's accession to the European Union, suggesting it will be a good opportunity to promote more bilateral ties between China and the Balkan nation.

CRI's Wei Tong explains.

Reporter

The EU delegation to China has held a a public function in Beijing to celebrate Croactia's inclusion in the European Union.

Croactian Ambassador Ante Simonie says he believes trade between China and the EU will expand following Croatia's entry.

"This will help us to be more important partner to China. We are a small country, a small community. And now our trading power and influence will increase. We will be the part of a huge market of half a billion of people. So it is very interesting when you are sending your boats to Croatian ports, they will enter the European market."

The Ambassador also expects more Chinese tourists to visit Croatia considering the visa application process will be simplified.

Simonie notes how important Croatia's accession into the EU will be for the future of the country.

"Croatia's becoming the newest member of the EU has already been dubbed as an 'enlargement with a mission'. The task which we have now clearly set in front of us is to help the region to achieve prosperity and long-term stability. We believe that the prospect of EU-membership continues to represent a crucial incentive for both internal reform processes and regional cooperation and that European integration remains a key guarantee of stability and sustainable development of the region."

Though Simonie admits it may take a while for Croatia to adopt the euro in place of its current currency, he believes a single-currency system will help secure the country's financial stability.

"To be part of the financial system, our banks to be the part of it, it means it will be easier and cheaper to borrow money in European Union. It is cheaper now from today than yesterday."

Croatia, which was ravaged by war only some 20 years ago, has become the 28th member the European Union.

It is the second of the six former Yugoslav states to join the EU, following Slovenia in 2004.

For CRI, I am Wei Tong.

 

 

30 killed, 46 wounded in bombing attacks in eastern Iraq

 

There's been another string of deadly bombings in Iraq.

This time, the attacks have taken place in the eastern province of Diyala.

Two separate bombings have left 30 dead and close to 50 others wounded.

A suicide bomber attacked a funeral procession in the city of Muqdadiyah, leaving 23 dead and 28 others wounded.

A separate suicide bombing at a cafe in the city of Baquba left 7 dead and 18 others hurt.

So far no group has claimed responsibility.

The attacks in Diyala are the latest in a string of bombings which have ripped through various parts of Iraq over the past couple of weeks.

The bombings follow the murder of 8 members of the so-called Sons of Iraq.

The men were taken at gunpoint and gunned down in an orchard north of Baghdad.

The Sons of Iraq were a group of anti-American fighters who later turned their guns on al-Qaeda during the US occupation.

 

 

S. African people to plan for Mandela's birthday: Zuma

 

Current South Africa president Jacob Zuma is calling on the country to begin preparing for the birthday of ailing former President Nelson Mandela.

Mandela's birthday falls on July 18th.

Zuma's call has led to speculation Mandela's condition may be improving.

He's been in critical condition in hospital in Pretoria since June 23rd with a serious lung infection.

Mandela will turn 95 on the 18th.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Anchor

First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.

Join me on the desk, CRI's Su Yi.

Reporter

Global equity markets and crude oil rose on Monday as investors snapped up riskier assets at the start of a new quarter.

Stocks rose in Europe as business surveys showed the euro zone's prolonged economic decline may have stabilized in June and even rebounded in some areas.

U.S. stocks trimmed earlier gains but still ended in green territory to start the third quarter of this year on a positive note.

When the market closed this morning, the Dow finished up 0.4 percent, the S&P 500 advanced 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq jumped 0.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Canada's S&P/TSX rose 1 percent.

Germany's DAX gained 0.3 percent.

France's CAC 40 was up 0.8 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 was up 1.5 percent.

 

 

U.S. manufacturing sector expands in June

 

New stats show the U.S. manufacturing sector has grown in June, following a decline in the previous month.

An increase in new orders and stronger production is being cited.

The U.S. Institute for Supply Management is reporting the US Purchasing Managers Index has come in at 50.9 in June.

This is up from 49 in May.

A reading above 50 percent indicates expansion.

The US manufacturing sector expanded in June for the fifth time in the first six months of this year.

Only May saw contraction in the US manufacturing sector.

 

 

Oil prices rise on upbeat U.S. manufacturing data

 

Oil prices have been on the rise following new data showing U.S. manufacturing rebounded last month.

Light, sweet crude for August delivery gained 1-dollar-40-cents to settle at 97-dollars-99-cents a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent for August delivery increased 84-cents to close at 103-dollars a barrel.

The US manufacturing PMI came in ahead of most market expectations.

Oil prices have also been bouyed by the broad-based rallies on the Asian and European equity markets on Monday.

 

 

U.S. construction spending up 0.5 percent in May

 

US construction spending has increased in May, hitting its highest level in more than three years.

New construction in the US is reportedly being fueled by more spending on public projects.

Total construction spending has come in at just under 875-billion US dollars in May.

This is the strongest monthly performance since September of 2009.

May's figures are 0.5-percent above the revised level in April and 5.4 percent higher than the reading a year ago.

Spending on US public sector projects cam in at just under 270-billion US dollars in May.

This is up just under 2-percent from April's public sector construction spending.

 

 

Live call-in with Mark Hughes Home prices in China

 

Anchor:

New stats show home prices across China have continued to go up in June.

The China Index Academy report shows the average price of new residential properties across 100 cities climbed 0.7 percent from May.

The average price for a new home now stands at over 10-thousand-250 yuan per square meter.

This marks a 7.4 percent increase year-on-year.

The cities of Changshu in Jiangsu and Xiamen in Fujian both saw their new home prices rise over 3-percent last month.

For more on this, we are now joined on the line with Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily.

1. What's pushing up home prices?

2. Despite the government curbs, taxing profits and the crash crunch, the house prices still go up. Why is that?

3. Will the new pressure on the banks to clean up their debt levels effect mortages for new home buyers?

That was Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily.

 

 

China launches anti-dumping probes into EU wine

 

China's Ministry of Commerce has officially announced plans to launch a year-long anti-dumping investigation into wine imported from the EU.

The probe will look at whether the EU is unfairly subsidizing and dumping its wines in the Chinese market.

The ministry says the investigation comes in response to an application from the China Alcoholic Drinks Association.

Authorities say the probes are expected to end in one year, but it could be extended into to 2015.

 

 

ICBC tops World Top Banks ranking

 

A new industry survey has ranked the Industrial and Commerical Bank of China at the top of the list of the world's top 1-thousand banks.

The annual survey is conducted by The Banker, which is a global banking and financial service publication.

ICBC overtakes Bank of America at the top of the list.

There are 96 Chinese banks on The Banker's top one-thousand list.

In its analysis, The Banker notes Chinese banks have been keeping their profits and growth in-line with China's growth, while US and European banks have been losing ground.

The Banker report does say it will be interesting to watch how Chinese banks adjust to the expected slowdown of the Chinese economy.

 

 

U.S. closes probe into 467,000 Ford cars

 

An investigation into 467-thousand Ford vehciles is reportedly being closed after the automaker agreed to a voluntary fix to prevent damage to an engine cable.

The decision by US safety regulators comes after Ford launched a customer satisfaction program to address complaints about damage to certian vehicle speed control cables.

The recall program will run through August 31st.

Ford will also reimburse drivers for similar repairs made in the past.

At least 5 crashes have been attributed to the defect in the speed-control cables.

No one was killed.

 

 

Portuguese finance minister resigns

 

Portugal's finance minister has resigned.

President Anibal Silva has accepted the resignation of Vitor Gaspar.

Gaspar is to be replaced by Portugal's Treasury Secretary Maria Alburquerque.

It's unclear why Gaspar has decided to quit.

However, it's being reported he has had plans to step down as Portugal's finance minister for some time.

Gaspar has been the archetect of the country's tough austerity budgets for the past two-years.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

China vows to continue fight against terrorism

 

Chinese government is promising to join forces with other countries in cracking down on terrorist organizations.

The comments come following violent incidents in Xinjiang recently.

One organization the Chinese authorities are planning on targeting is the East Turkestan movement.

The group is a sepratist terrorist group in Xinjiang.

 

 

South China Sea issue not between China and US: Chinese foreign minister

 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told his US counterpart John Kerry the disputes in the South China Sea "should not be an issue between China and the United States".

The two foreign chiefs have met on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Brunei.

Wang Yi is calling on the US government to "understand and respect" the Chinese government's role in the region.

 

 

Egyptian army sets 48 hours as deadline before intervention

 

In a bid to bring the current political situation to a conclusion, the Egyptian Army has given the government of Mohamed Morsi 48-hours to come up with a solution to end the unrest.

Mass demonstrations which began on Sunday have been swelling, with protesters demanding the ouster of Morsi.

The head of the Egyptian military has broadcast a speech on State TV, declaring a "last chance" for all parties to meet the demands of the people.

 

 

Snowden formally asks political asylum in Russia

 

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has issued his first official statement since arriving in Moscow.

In a statement released on the Wikileaks website, Snowden is accusing the Obama administration of using -quote- "the old, bad tools of political aggression" and "citizenship as a weapon."

He's also accusing the Obama administration of being afraid of an informed public."

At the same time, Snowden has officially asked for political asylum in Russia.

The Kremlin has yet to respond to word of Snowden's request.

Snowden remains stucks in the international transit lounge at Moscow's main airport.

He's unable to travel, as the US government has revoked his passport.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHONGQING MORNING POST

Headline

Barge capsizing in Chongqing

Summary

The search is continuing for 5 people missing after barge capsizing.

There were 18 people who went overboard after the barge capsized yesterday morning.

Strong headwaters broke the cable securing the barge.

13 were saved.

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Firms to require clean slates for projects

Summary

The administrations in nine Beijing districts have become the first to make clean-record certificates mandatory for all government bidding projects.

A database was set up in 1997 containing information on individuals and enterprises convicted of bribery.

A center to evaluate and analyze the eligibility of bidders went into operation in Beijing last year.

GLOBAL TIMES

Headline

Polluters paid to join govt environment organ

Summary

The government-affiliated All-China Environment Federation has reportedly charged and accepted heavy polluters as its members.

This is fueling concerns over whether the group can adequately represent the public's best interest.

The body is the only organization that is able to file lawsuits against polluters.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

Straws removed from sale

Summary

Drinking straws that pose a potential health hazard have been removed from sale in Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden area.

An industry insider says around 80 percent of the straws in the Shanghai market are substandard.

Doctors say the faulty drinking straws release harmful substances when in contact with hot drinks.

THE BEIJING NEWS

Headline

Taxi booking apps no longer free

Summary

Municipal authorities in Beijing are now requiring taxi booking apps to report to the traffic dispatch center when they receive requests from passengers.

This means they will start to charge passengers 5 to 6 yuan for taxi booking through an app.

This is the same price as calling a taxi.

The move comes is a bid to try to stop illegal taxis drivers from using the apps.

BEIJING MORNING POST

Headline

Online petition system malfunction denied

Summary

Authorities are denying reports the new online petition system has already been malfunctioning.

China's lead authority for handling complaints from the public formally started receiving online petitions yesterday.

Petitioners have to register with their real name.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Taiwan Food Festival

 

Anchor

Dishes from around the world are being served up at a food show in Taipei.

The latest gadgets for your kitchen are also being shown off at the event, which has been attracting thousands.

CRI's Li Dong has the details.

Reporter

The red "Sweet Drop" pepper, found in Peruvian rainforests, is one of the more unusual foods on show here at the Taiwan International Food Show. It looks like a mini pear, but it is actually a pepper.

It can be eaten as a snack or used in various other dishes, including as a topping for pizzas.

Sandra Polanco, from Gandules, a Peruvian agricultural company, says its flavors are attracting more and more fans - including children.

"It can fit either salads or deserts or in bread or with any kind of food that you would like it for the summer or the winter. And the special size and the special color is very unique and attract people even the kids they like it. It's like candies. It's a pepper but it sometimes works like a fruit."

While many of us like to eat fruit, others like to get creative with it.

Kao Shih-Da is a fruit sculptor and has been in the business for more than ten years. He says this round, green exhibit has been made out of watermelon.

"I wanted to use different fruit to make colorful sculptures."

Kao Shih-Da also uses taro to carve out creations. He is showing off some very delicate and detailed statues at the show.

"I prefer to use taro because it's firm enough and it's easy for me to do the carving."

This four-day show, which started on 26 June, is bringing together more than 1,500 companies and is expected to attract more than 60-thousand visitors in all.

As well as food, there is also the latest kitchen technology on show here.

YOEN Electronic, a Taiwanese high tech designer and manufacturer, is here to demonstrate an air cleaning device. Wang Chien-Hua is the company manager.

"Our filtering system has the capabilities to intercept and clean oil mist in the smoke. It's not just filtering the smoke from the kitchen or restaurant interior. It can also create fresh air. The clean air that comes out of our system has been qualified as fine particulate air by the Environmental Protection Administration. Our system is the only qualified system that turns oil mist smoke into clean and non smelling air."

Around two thousand overseas buyers are expected to bring 120 million US Dollars worth of business opportunities to the event, which finishes on 29 June.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Li Na Reaches Final Last Eight; S. Williams Down

 

Anchor: Women's defending champion Serena Williams has been knocked out of the Wimbledon Championships, while China's No. 1 Li Na is safely through to the last eight.

CRI's London correspondent Tu Yun has more.

Reporter:

Li Na took on 11th-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci in the fourth round.

It took the 6th-placed Chinese only 55 minutes to snatch the victory 6-2, 6-0.

"Before come to the court, so nervous. Come to the court totally relaxed. But I was surprise today how was I hit on the court. Is totally different than last match. Last match I was feeling like it's not terrible, but I was feeling so tired. I was ready for running for another three hours again."

Li Na will face 4th seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals.

The Pole managed to reverse Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

In another fourth-round match, 23rd seeded Sabine Lisicki eliminated defending champion Serena Williams 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

It's the fourth straight time the German has defeated the reigning French Open champion during her Wimbledon run. She missed the tournament in 2010.

"Serena played a fantastic match. She's such a tough opponent. She played some unbelievable shots and moments. I was like fighting for every single point and just hanging in there. And it's unbelievable."

Lisicki set up a quarterfinal clash with 46th-ranked Estonian Kaia Kanepi, who ousted Britain's favorite Laura Robson in straight sets.

Also reaching the last eight are 8th-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, 15th seeded Marion Bartoli of France, 20th seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, and 17th seeded Sloane Stephens of the US.

On the men's side, remaining on court are the first two seeds Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, 4th-placed David Ferrer, 7th and 8th seeds Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro, as well as 24th-seeded Jerzy Janowicz 54th-rankd Fernando Verdasco, and 130th-ranked Lukasz Kubot.

For CRI, I'm Tu Yun at Wimbledon.

 

 

Simon Gerrans wins stage 3 of the Tour de France

 

Simon Gerrans pulled ahead of a five man sprint breakaway to win by a hair on stage three.

Slovakia's Peter Sagan was neck in neck with Gerrans right up until the line, but Gerrans beat him by a quarter of a wheel.

The Australian's first-place finish was the first Tour stage win for his Orica-GreenEdge team.

It was also a bit of redemption for the Australian outfit, since it was their bus that got lodged at the finishing line, contributing to the chaos of the opening day.

The green points jersey went to Sagan, who has 74 points after his narrow second place finish.

Belgium's Jan Bakelants, the winner of stage two, finished in 19th and keeps possession of the race leader's yellow jersey.

A large group of riders are just one second behind Bakelants, including Team Sky's Chris Froome.

Team Sky's Geraint Thomas has moved up from last place. The tough Brit is riding with a fractured pelvis..

Up next, stage 4 features a team time trial.

 

 

Australia kicks off final four-day warm-up against Worcestershire

 

In Cricket,

Australia will take on Worcestershire in their final four-day warm-up ahead of the Ashes.

New Australia coach Darren Lehmann is shaking things up with some roster changes, which will give certain fringe players a chance to proove themselves.

Fast bowlers Jackson Bird and Ryan Harris will replace James Pattinson and Peter Siddle.

Ashton Agar will take over as spinner for Nathan Lyon. And veteran batsman Chris Rogers will take Usman Khawaja's spot.

Australia is still adapting to the coaching change, and Lehmann himself admitted that his team will enter the test series against old rivals England as the underdog.

"We deserve to be underdogs to be fair (in the Ashes series). They (England) have been very good for a long time now. We are going to have to be at our best, we know that but it will be a tighter series than everyone thinks i reckon."

After one lone test appearance in 2008, Chris Rodgers will return as one of Australia's opening batsmen along with Shane Watson at the Ashes.

This leaves David Warner out, who is just finishing up a suspension for punching England's Joe Root last month after an ICC Champions Trophy match.

 

 

Guangzhou Evergrande easily defeats Wuhan Zall 4-1

 

In the Chinese Super league,

Guangzhou Evergrande easily beat Wuhan Zall 4-1 last night at the Wuhan Sports Center.

Marcello Lippi's side went confidently into the match with an eight point league lead, while Wuhan occupied the bottom spot at 6 points.

Guangzhou's Brazilian striker Muriqui opened scoring with a goal just 29 seconds after the start.

Evergrande had a 3-0 lead before Wuhan's Chukwuma Akabueze nailed a goal for the home team.

With that win, Evergrande moves up to 41 points after 15 matches, giving them a comfortable 11 point lead over second place Shandong Luneng.

 

 

Yao Ming organizes third charity game

 

The third edition of the Yao Foundation Charity Games took place last night at Beijing's MasterCard Center.

Six NBA players flew in to play against China's National Team, including Metta World Peace and Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah.

Before the game, some of the players took part in a clinic teaching kids the fundamentals of basketball.

Yao Ming established the foundation after the devastating 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province.

The ticket money generated from the charity game will go to helping underprivileged children living in China.

This is the third charity game for the retired NBA star, his first being played with Steve Nash in 2007 and with Jeremy Lin in 2010.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Moby premieres new single from upcoming album

 

Moby has premiered the lead single from his upcoming album.

The prolific artist collaborated with soul and goth inspired singer-songwriter Cold Specks on the forthcoming single – "A Case for Shame".

(Moby)

The "Innocents" will be the 47 year old's eleventh studio album and this time round Moby is not content with hacking it alone.

The famous vegan says the new record is team work heavy, something that has given him some "semblance of a social life".

Having initially dabbled in hardcore punk and progressive house in the 80s and early 90s, it wasn't until 1999 that Moby achieved his international breakthrough with blues influenced electronica record Play.

(Play)

The album went on to earn him a Grammy nomination and sell over 10 million copies world wide.

Aside from music, Moby is also a renowned photographer, animal rights activist and former restauranteur.

"Innocents" is set to drop at the end of September in the UK and at a later date in the US.

 

 

Joss Whedon promises more female superheros from Marvel Studios

 

Avengers director Joss Whedon has promised fans that future Marvel films will feature more female superheroes.

Whedon rose to fame as the creator of one of the most iconic female characters of the small screen: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

(Buffy)

Fans have been disappointed that the mushrooming Marvel studios franchise has only given audiences one major female character, in the form of the Black Widow as portrayed by Scarlett Johansson.

Whedon says that he is keen to make sure that "women in movies" aren't just window dressing and hinted that some female characters are already in development for the big screen.

The 49 year old teased that he already has some actresses in mind for future projects.

Whedon's sequel to the record breaking 2012 film Avengers is currently in production, scheduled for release in 2015.

 

 

The Lone Ranger leaves critics cold ahead of release

 

With the Lone Ranger hitting US screens tomorrow, things are looking less than rosy for the latest baby from the Johnny Depp and Jerry Bruckheimer pairing.

(Lone Ranger)

The pair achieved phenomenon success with the archetypal drunken dandy Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Carribean franchise, which raked in over 3 billion US dollars at the box office.

However, the upcoming Lone Ranger's release has been overshadowed by a slamming from critic who say that the film is a "catastrophe of tone" with a "truly tortured screenplay".0

The critical consensus suggests that Depp's Tonto overshadows the central character of the Lone Ranger, causing the film to "wobble and thrasyh" around.

Pirates of the Carribean director Gore Verbinski was also on board the retelling of the classic outlaw tale, which drops on 3rd July in the US.

 

 

Sarah Guyard-Guillot dies during performance in LA

 

A French performer with Cirque du Soleil has died after falling 50-feet during a show in Las Vegas.

31 year old Sarah Guyard-Guillot was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

This is reportedly the first fatality during a live performance in the show's 30 year history.

Witnesses say the fall happened towards the end of the MGM Grand show when the 31-year old performer was being hoisted up the side of the stage.

Guillot appeared to slip from her safety wire before plummeting into a pit below the stage.

The audience initially thought it was a part of the act until crying and screaming was heard fromo the stage.

Guillot, a mother of 2, had been performing as an acrobat for over 2 decades and joined the LA resident Ka show since 2006.

Officials with Cirque du Soleil are working with police and have offered full cooperation to conduct an investigation into how the fall occurred