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

Coming up on our program this evening,

China’s central government says it is sincere on HK's universal suffrage.

Rains force more evacuations across China.

Heavy fighting erupts near Goma between government troops and rebels in DR Congo.

Business, British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline has issued an apology in response to China's investigation on its bribery scandal.

Sports, Tickets go on sales for this years China Open in Beijing.

Entertainments, Han Geng reacts to joining the Transformers 4 cast.

Plus Special reports takes a look at fat camps for kids here in China.

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow sunny with a high temperature of 32.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 28,　sunny tomorrow, with a high of 36.

Lhasa will have light rain tonight, 14 degrees the low, showers tomorrow with a high of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, thundershowers, with a high of 36.

Kabul, sunny, 36.

Over in Australia

Sydney, sunny, highs of 23.

Canberra, rainy, 15.

Brisbane, rain, 22.

And finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 15.

 

 

Top News

 

 

Zhang Xiaoming: Central government sincere on HK's universal suffrage

 

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Chinese central government's liaison office in Hong Kong, has stressed that the Chinese central government is sincere on achieving universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

While speaking to Hong Kong's lawmakers at an unprecedented luncheon, Zhang said the central government's active attitude is evident.

He says that otherwise it would not have written universal suffrage into the Basic Law and China's top legislature would not have made the decision in 2007 to introduce universal suffrage into Hong Kong's chief executive election in 2017.

Zhang Xiaoming also called for joint efforts of Hong Kong society to make universal suffrage into reality.

"If we want to achieve universal suffrage sooner, we need to follow the track of the Basic Law and the related decisions of China's top legislature, and avoid taking a wrong path."

Zhang stressed it should be in a form that matches with Hong Kong's "actual situation".

"Hong Kong is not a country. It's an administrative region of PRC with high autonomy. Therefore, when we are designing the universal suffrage system of Hong Kong, we must comply it with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and make sure the country's sovereignty safety and the central government's legal rights are well protected."

This luncheon is the first time in 16 years that a director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong has ever met lawmakers at a formal Legislative Council's function.

 

 

Rains force more evacuations across China

 

More and more people are being moved out of their homes amid the heavy rains which continue to pound several regions of China.

26 people have been killed in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region since the beginning of this month due floods triggered by heavy rain.

Another person has been listed as missing.

In Sichuan, torrential rains have flooded six different townships in Shimian County, which is about 200-kilometers southwest of the capital, Chengdu.

The rains there have swept away at least four houses.

Shimian County deputy head Wang Yi says over a thousand people have been forced from their homes by the flooding.

"Up to now, we have managed to contact all 2,600 residents in our town and we have already evacuated all those who need to be evacuated, around 1,300 or 1,400 of them."

Around 3-hundred people have been confirmed dead or missing after rainstorms and Typhoon Soulik hit China, causing flooding, landslides and buildings to collapse.

The rains this year are creating some of the worst flooding in Sichuan in half a century.

Meanwhile, in Jiangxi, over 14-hundred people have been rescued from the flooding brought on by Tyhpoon Soulik, which rolled into China's southeast this past weekend, bringing massive downpours.

Soulik has since dissipated into a regular storm-front.

And in the northwest of China, 27 people are now confirmed dead amid flooding which has been inundating parts of Shaanxi.

 

 

Observers say China's economic growth slows to steadier pace  

 

Anchor

Market observers are suggesting the latest figures showing China's GDP slowing to 7.5-percent through the 2nd quarter, may offer global investors better opportunities as Beijing toughs out the slowdown.

CRI's Su Yi has more.

Reporter:

Market analysts including the Managing Director of China Galaxy Securities, Zuo Xiaolei, are seemingly not too worried about the current slowdown.

"A growth rate which has been fluctuating around 7.5 percent has not caused huge rates of unemployment. So we believe that a margin of fluctuation centered around 7.5 percent is part of our potential growth level. So we should not worry because of minor fluctuations. We need to understand better China's current stage of economic changes and accept the potential growth level of China, which will remain at a single digit level."

Observers are suggesting Monday's economic data is a healthy reminder that the days of double-digit growth fueled by strong exports and lavish investment are over.

Zuo Xiaolei notes the slowdown comes as the Chinese government moves to try to create a more sustainable growth model that relies more on domestic consumption.

"China's rapid growth over the last 30 years was based on a major factor, given by advantageous conditions of labour forces, but this has now changed. So it is normal that our potential growth has changed accordingly. I think China has entered a new economic phase, and the speed of growth of our economy will also change accordingly."

Some have suggested the latest figures might be the catalyst for the government to bring in a series of stimulus measures to try to revive higher growth.

However, Nomura chief economist Rob Subbaraman suggests the authorities should be cautious about any "knee-jerk" reactions.

"I think the implication for policy near term is we still think it is best to keep the broad policy measures on the tight side. The biggest danger we see for China is, just because growth is starting to ease off, they suddenly relax all the monetary tightening measures, and we start to see debt building up again, the property market taking off again, and then it is very dangerous we think, because already the financial cycle is looking pretty excessive, and that can lead to a very severe recession if you have a crisis there."

The 2nd quarter slowdown has been largely brought on by the continued problems in the European economy, which has led to a slowdown in Chinese export demand.

It's expected a revival of fortunes in Europe and the United States should help ease pressure on Chinese exporters.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

 

 

Heavy fighting erupts between government troops and rebels near Goma

 

Troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have clashed with M23 rebels near the eastern city of Goma for a second day.

DRC army spokesman Olivier Hamuli says they have killed more than a hundred M23 fighters.

"We are chasing the enemies far from the city of Goma and I don't think they will ever enter the city of Goma again. Our citizens are tired of them and we want the population of this village behind me to comeback home and continue with their lives. Peace must return to Congo."

Abandi described the situation as a dirty game, saying the government does not want to sign a ceasefire, but is opting for war.

Both government and the rebel denied to have initiated the fight.

Local residents say they watched government troops advancing.

"I see them, they come from far, they carry our beans. I don't understand this decision to start fighting, I would ask them to come here in Nyiragongo and negotiate peace and end this fighting. We innocent people have suffered too much."

The fighting is said to be the most serious one for several weeks

The United Nations is deploying a new brigade, with a mandate to engage armed groups.

 

 

Putin: Snowden a dubious present; takes underwater trip

 

Russia's President has offered up new comments about the plight of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Snowden is unable to leave the transit zone of Moscow's main airport, as the US government has revoked his passport.

Vladimir Putin says Snowden's presence in Russia is actually the fault of the US government.

"He arrived on our territory without an invitation - we didn't invite him. And he was not flying to us - he was flying in transit to other countries. But as soon as he got in the air it became known, and our American partners, actually, blocked his further flight. They themselves scared other countries."

Snowden is accused of leaking classified documents to the media connected to U.S. surveillance programmes.

He has been offered asylum in a number of Latin American countries, but has no documents to allow him to leave Moscow since arriving there from Hong Kong last month.

The Russian side is refusing to hand over Snowden to US authorities.

Putin has offered to give Snowden asylum, but only if he stops leaking secrets about the US surveillance programs.

Putin contends there are signs Snowden is "changing his position" about his anti-US actions.

On Friday, Snowden reportedly said he would not harm the US in future.

Snowden has also told human rights activists he will seek temporary asylum in Russia.

At this point, Russian officials say they have not yet received his paperwork.

 

 

Trains cancelled as transport workers join general strike over spending and job cuts

 

Unions opposing austerity measures in Greece are staging their fourth general strike this year on Tuesday.

The strike comes after the government prepared a mid-summer launch of its campaign of mass state job cuts and transfers.

Athens resident Giorgos is one of the protesters.

"More people should take part (in the protests). If it's the same people all the time (that take part in protests) we will remain in the same situation. If the protests do not become more intense and more often nothing will be accomplished."

The walkout is disrupting flights, public transport, state hospitals and other services in Athens.

Demonstrations are planned throughout the day, across the country.

Rescue creditors demanded local government staff cuts before approving a new bailout loan instalment worth 6.8-billion euros.

Meanwhile earlier on Tuesday, Greek lawmakers voted to indict a former finance minister over his handling of data on Greeks with Swiss bank accounts.

A special parliamentary committee gave George Papaconstantinou the "green light" for his prosecution for breach of faith.

Under Greece's legislation, a special judicial council is to be formed to hear the case.

 

 

Turkey denies reports of Israel using its airbase in Syria attacks

 

Turkey is denying that Israel used its airbase to carry out airstrikes against Syria.

Ahmet Davutoglu is the Turkish Foreign Minister.

"That's an utter lie. It doesn't have any evidence at all. Those who made these claims want to damage turkey's power and reputation."

Israeli planes have reportedly left from a military base inside Turkey.

Media reports also suggest that during an airstrike earlier this month, Israli fighter jets attcked a shipment of advanced missiles provided by Russia to Syria in the port city of Latakia.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to confirm or deny Israeli involvement in the attack.

 

 

Morsi supporters staged sit-in after clash with police

 

Supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi have staged a sit-in near the Rabia el-Adawiya Mosque.

Essam el-Erian is the Deputy President of the Muslim Brotherhood.

"We are keen that our protests and our sit-ins remain peaceful. The fact that our protests are peaceful is what makes them powerful. We will remain peaceful in our path to continue the 25th of January revolution and we will not use violence to respond to the violence that targets us."

The move comes after days of mass protests and clashes with police as they continue to demand Morsi's return to office.

At the same time, clashes between police and protesters around Ramses Square has left several injured.

Meanwhile U.S Deputy Secretary of State William Burns has met with the head of Egypt's military Abdel Fatah al-Sisi earlier.

Local media is reporting that Burns prasied the Egyptian Army's response to the will of the people.

If the report is accurate, this could represent a more defining US position on the overthrow of Morsi.

This is the highest-level U.S representative to meet with the Egyptian leadership since the ouster of Mohamed Morsi earlier this month.

 

 

African Leaders Commit to Eradicate AIDS, TB and Malaria in the Continent

 

Anchor:

The African Union Special Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has kicked off in Abuja, capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The theme of the summit is on "Ownership, Accountability and Sustainability of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Response in Africa: Past, Present and the Future".

CRI's Xie Zhao has the details:

HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are called the "Three Main Killers" in Africa.

Babatunde Osotimehin, is a representative of Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations.

He says the Summit can provide a tipping point in Africa's progress on health.

"My call is for a new leadership, and particularly includes investment and funding and international assistance to assist Africa to achieve its goals by itself. This summit can provide a tipping point in Africa's progress on health."

However, the key contributor to causes of the three diseases is poverty, which has not been eliminated.

According to U.N statistics, more than 45-percent of Africans are still living below the extreme poverty line.

They earn less than 1.25 U.S dollars a day.

UN statistics suggest poverty has led to a serious imbalance of medical resources as well as an unstable society and low education level.

Meanwhile, rampant infectious diseases have seriously hampered African development.

African Union has emphasized that the three diseases posed a direct threat to economic development as well as peace and stability in African countries.

Dlamini Zuma, is Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

She says she believes that the African continent has the ability to complete it's health-care systems and ease poverty.

She believes this could win the final battle against the three diseases.

"Everyone knows that ending HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria is not going to be easy, not going to be quick, and not going to be cheap. It is a huge investment. I'm confident that this summit makes efforts to help eliminating these diseases."

The Special Summit has been organized by the African Union in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria, the UN Agencies and other development partners.

For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Asian Stock

 

Chinese shares closed higher Tuesday on the back of positive policies for China's solar energy market.

When the market closed, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index increased 0.3 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index was up 0.6 percent.

The solar power sector rose remarkably. Shares of TDG Holding shot up by the daily 10-percent limit to hit 5.58 yuan per share, while shares of Risen Energy rose 7.7 percent to 7.23 yuan per share.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng also ended slightly up.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Japan's Nikkei ended at its highest level in nearly two months, supported by a weaker yen and firmer global equities.

In Singapore, the benchmark Straits Times index finished down 0.4 percent.

Finally, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 ended 0.1 percent up.

 

 

GlaxoSmithKline issues apology statement

 

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline has issued an apology in response to China's investigation on its bribery scandal.

Philip Thomson is the Spokesman of GSK's headquarters in London.

"These allegations are shameful and we regret that this has occurred. We will cooperate fully with the Chinese authorities in their investigation and we will take all necessary action required."

Four senior executives with GSK have been formally detained with 20 more employees from the company's Chinese division being investigated by police.

Liang Hong is the vice president and operations manager of GSK's Chinese division.

Liang was under detention and confessed to the police the company's cooperation with a travel agency.

"We began to cooperate with Shanghai Linjiang International Travel Service Co., Ltd. since 2010. Within the following three years, about 10 meetings had been held, with participants ranging from over 100 in small meetings to 2,000 in large-scale meetings. The expenses for the largest-scale one exceeded ten million yuan."

According to Liang, besides the actual payment for the meetings, extra money would be used to offer benefits to doctors and hospitals on behalf of GlaxoSmithKlein.

Investigators say GSK transferred as much as 3-billion yuan to more than 700 travel agencies and consultancies over 6 years.

 

 

Banks told to register all wealth management products

 

Chinese banks are now being asked to register all wealth management products they have sold since 2011 on a new centralized electronic system.

The country's top banking regulator ordered all banks to complete the registration for all products sold to individual investors before the end of this month.

The banking regulator has said the registration would be expanded to include institutional investors but did not set a timetable.

The new tracking system will require banks to clarify their asset allocation, pricing and particularly their accounting methods.

Wealth management products are short-term investment vehicles sold by banks, offering rates above traditional deposits.

According to Fitch Ratings' latest report, outstanding wealth management products in China rose by 500-billion yuan to 13-trillion yuan in the first five months.

That accounts for 16-percent of total deposits.

Now for more on this new centralized registration system and China's banking sector, we are joined on the line by Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.

…

Back Anchor:

Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.

 

 

Chinese oil demand on track to improve

 

British bank Barclays is now saying Chinese oil imports are on track to improve following a strong rebound last month.

China's oil demand in June rose over 10-percent year on year and reversed months of gradually slowing growth.

Barclays said the strong demand was driven by a sharp increase in refinery runs and amplified by a low base.

Meanwhile the banking giant has forecast that oil demand in China will grow 5-percent overall in 2013.

 

 

China mulls compensation for flight delays

 

China's civil aviation authority is now considering a standardized national compensation scheme for delayed flights.

The plan, likely to follow the European Union model that bases compensation on the length of the delay in hours, is expected to reduce mass claim disputes in cases of flight delays.

Currently, each airline is allowed to set its own compensation standards, often fueling the discontent of delayed passengers.

Official data suggest more than 500,000 flights were delayed across the country in 2012, the worst record in the past five years.

Last week, a FlightStats survey based on flights' punctuality in airports around the world shocked the nation.

The survey shows that Beijing's Capital International Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport are ranked at the bottom of 35 airports worldwide in June.

 

 

Google China chief steps down

 

The head of Google China, John Liu, is now stepping down after 5-years leading Google's Chinese operations.

Google said Scott Beaumont, who currently runs the company's partnerships business in Europe, will replace Liu in mid-August.

Google's market share on the Chinese mainland slipped after the company moved its servers to Hong Kong in March 2010.

As of June, Google was the fifth largest search engine with a little more than 2 percent market share in the Chinese mainland.

The nation's most-used online search provider, Baidu grabbed more than 64 percent of the share and Qihoo 360 ranked second, taking 15 percent.

 

 

Baidu buys China app store for 1.9 billion US dollars

 

Meantime, Baidu, has agreed to acquire a major developer of app stores in China.

Baidu says the 1.9 billion-US-dollar deal will help it compete for the growing number of smart-phone users in China.

The app stores developer, 91 Wireless, operates two app stores in China, both of which run on Google's Android operating system.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

Central gov't sincere about universal suffrage: liaison office chief in HK

 

A senior Chinese official says the central government's sincerity towards universal suffrage in Hong Kong is undoubted.

Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Liaison Office of the Chinese Central People's Government in Hong Kong, made the remarks during a lunch meeting with the city's Legislative Council members of all political stripes.

Zhang noted that the election of the chief executive under universal suffrage, which is due to be held in 2017, should be achieved complying with the Basic Law and a ruling by the National People's Congress.

However Zhang stressed that Hong Kong was not a country, but a special administrative region of China having high degree of autonomy.

The official added the territory should strictly abide by the principle of "one country, two systems" and handle the relationship with the central government well, to ensure security of the country's sovereignty.

 

 

Rains force more evacuations across China

 

More and more people are being moved out of their homes amid the heavy rains which continue to pound several regions of China.

Around 3-hundred people have been confirmed dead or missing after rainstorms and Typhoon Soulik hit China, causing flooding, landslides and buildings to collapse.

The rains this year are creating some of the worst flooding in Sichuan in half a century.

And in the northwest of China, 27 people are now confirmed dead amid flooding which has been inundating parts of Shaanxi.

 

 

Floods kill 26 in Inner Mongolia

 

Meanwhile, 26 people have been killed in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region this month due to floods triggered by heavy rain.

Another person has been listed as missing

In July, the region was battered by four rounds of downpours,, the biggest seen in recent years.

Local authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

 

 

GSK responses to bribery investigation

 

London-based GlaxoSmithKlein said the company will cooperate fully with the Chinese authorities in the bribery investigation.

In an announcement released on its website, GSK said it will review all third party agency relationships.

The company's comments come after four of its senior executives were held on suspicion of commercial bribery and tax-related crimes by Chinese police.

The suspects are accused of channeling bribes to Chinese officials and doctors through travel agencies to expand the company's market share in China.

 

 

S.Korea confirms DPRK behind June 25 cyber attack

 

North Korea has been accused of being behind a recent cyber attack on Seoul's governmental websites.

South Korea claims the hacking pattern coincided with previous cyber attacks allegedly carried out by Pyongyang.

A series of cyber attacks from June 25th to July 1st shut down websites of the South Korean presidential office and other government agencies.

South Korea said Internet Protocal addresses linked to the North were spotted during the attacks, according to the internet access records they have collected.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

Xinhua

"China mulls compensation for flight delays: report"

It's reported the plan is likely to follow the European Union model that bases compensation on the length of the delay in hours.

While experts have welcomed the propose4d scheme, they say that it is not enough.

Many are calling for the government to address the problems caused by limited civil airspace.

The cost-saving practice of overly tight scheduling by airline companies is something that many believe requires more attention.

China Daily

"Beijing metro fare hike 'speculation'"

Beijing's transport authorities say mulling a subway fare hike is premature.

A study of operating costs was launched last month, which sparked speculation of a possible subway fare increase.

Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, who is conducting the research, said we would have to wait the completion of the study, scheduled for the end of the yea, for confirmation of price change.

Beijing's subway fare was reduced from three to two yuan in 2007 regardless of mileage, to make the city's metro system affordable and to encourage environment-friendly public transport.

Japan Daily Press

"Japanese seek to alter their fate and fortune through palm surgery"

The ancient art of foretelling the future through reading palm lines is very popular in Japan.

Now Palm cosmetic surgery is on the rise as people try to alter their destinies with a few strokes of scalpel.

The surgery uses an electric scalpel to burn the flesh and when it heals, it leaves a semi-permanent scar. In just one clinic in Japan, 37 palm surgeries were conducted between January 2011 and May 2013.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Weight losing summer camp

 

Anchor: Childhood obesity is regarded as one of the main risks posed to children's health. A group of 55 children have enrolled in a summer camp program designed to help them lose weight in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province. This summer vacation is not going to be easy for them. Li Dong has the details.

Reporter: The children, ranging from 6 to 15 years of age, are to take on a strict 10-day, weight-loss program, where they will take on extra exercise, abstain from soft drinks and practice healthy living habits.

"I weigh like. 63 kilos. I am not satisfied with my figure. I want to be as fit as Yao Ming."

Mostly spoiled at home, the children are required to take care of themselves at the camp. The program's instructors maintain that their teaching methods are quite strict.

Parents of the participating children signed them up for the camp to enable them to become healthier while being encouraged and supervised by professionals. The young camp participants, however, appear to be yearning to return to their previous lifestyle. Another boy says:

"I just want to have snacks and drinks while playing computer games or lying on my bed without being controlled by my parents. Just one day would be enough for me."

Treated like military soldiers, the youths are all required to wear uniforms and obey the instructor's commands. To help them better control their weight, meals provided to the children consist of mainly vegetables and a small portion of pork. And they are required to take regular exercises like jogging and ball games to consumer the calories they over intake. An instructor says their environment at home is what make them overweight.

"I know their parents take good care of them at home, but they, honestly speaking, they have to actively take part in the training, even though it's difficult and tiring."

Physical examination data collected by the Hunan Children's Hospital in a survey of 60,000 students from two Changsha districts in the first half of this year reflects that overweight children already account for 12.94 percent of all students.

Child obesity has been linked to some adult diseases, such as cardiovascular and sleeping conditions. Most of the overweight children also tend to have low self-esteem, according to recent studies.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Tickets Sales Start for 2013 China Open

 

Tickets for the 2013 China Open are now available.

Ticket prices range from 80 yuan to as much as 6,000 yuan.

Organizers say ticket prices have been reduced by up to 20% compared with past years.

Grounds tickets, which are priced at only 10 yuan each, are also available for tennis fans.

Peng Shuai, women's doubles champion at this year's Wimbledon, has also attened the ceremony at the Workers' Stadium, giving out autographs to tennis fans.

Peng is the only tennis player who has attended nine China Opens in a row ever since 2004.

"Ten years have passed really quickly. I still remember I was sad and cried after losing at the first China Open. I later played with Swiss player Martina Hingis. I also battled with Jelena Jankovic on the court in Beijing. I was losing and not confident, but the home crowd had been cheering for me. It was like an invisible force that kept pushing me forward. I was so excited to win that match. Without their cheering, I would have lost again."

This year's China Open, which is also celebrating its ten-year anniversary, has attracted world-class tennis stars, including world number one Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal of Spain, and the 2011 China Open singles champion Tomas Berdych.

On the women's side, Li Na, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka as well Serena Williams are also expected to show up at the event.

This year's China Open is scheduled to start on September 22nd and last until October 6th.

 

 

El Salvador, Trinidad&Tobago Advance to Gold Cup Quarterfinals

 

El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago, two Group B teams, have become the latest to advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

El Salvador beat Haiti 1:0 in Texas with the only goal coming from Rodolfo Zelaya.

The victory earned El Salvador a berth in the quarterfinals of the biennial tournament.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago also advanced with a 2:0 win over Honduras.

Kenwyne Jones, who plays for the English Premier League side of Stoke City, had a goal and an assist for the victory.

Despite the loss, Honduras finished atop Group B with 6 points after wins over Haiti and El Salvador.

The Gold Cup group-stage is set to conclude later today in Connecticut with Costa Rica facing the United States in Group C.

US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

"We are purely focused on this game. We don't want to interrupt the rhythm that we've picked up now. And there's enough time between this game and the quarter-finals to get everyone regenerated and back in perfect fitness. This game is like a final for group C. So we are taking this very seriously and everyone is ready for this battle."

In another Group C battle, Belize will take on Cuba.

The quarterfinals are set to start on July 20th.

 

 

Olympic discus thrower Tests Positive for Banned Stimulant

 

Olympic discus thrower Allison Randall has tested positive for a banned stimulant.

She has become the third athlete to confirm a positive drugs test from the Jamaican trials in June.

The news comes following revelations that sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson also tested positive.

Randall has tested positive for a banned diuretic; but she has denied knowingly taking a performance-enhancing substance.

The 25-year-old, who holds the Jamaican discus record with a distance of 61.21 metres, said is willing to undergo any tests to prove my innocence.

Two more Jamaican athletes are also reported to have failed tests at the same championships.

American former double world champion Tyson Gay has earlier also tested positive for a banned substance.

 

 

Danish woman runs 366 marathons in 365 days

 

A woman from a small town in Denmark has set a world record by running 366 marathons in 365 days.

Annette Fredskov ran over 15,000 kilometres during the past 12 months and wore out 20 pairs of shoes.

It is thought to be the first time that anyone has run a marathon on each day a year in a row.

Annette's feat began as a fight against multiple sclerosis.

When she was told that she should probably not be able to ever run a marathon, she proved the medical experts wrong by running marathons.

Her positive approach has made her currently free of the symptoms of MS.

 

 

Over 2,000 swimmers cross Yangtze River in Wuhan

 

Over 2,000 Chinese and foreign swimmers have participated in a mass swimming competition in the Yangtze River.

This is to mark the 40th Wuhan International Yangtze River Crossing Festival in Hubei Province.

The event was divided into an individual swimming match and a group river-crossing.

Participants of the individual swimming match had to swim 1,800 meters with a top prize of 10,000 U.S. dollars.

The teams in the group river-crossing section were required to swim 5,000 meters.

"This collective activity is liked and participated by many swimming lovers with great enthusiasm. I hope the event will be held with such excitement every year."

Wuhan has a long history of holding swimming competitions in the river.

The fist international Yangtze swimming championship was held in 1993.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Han Geng reaction upon joining Transformers 4

 

Singer and actor Han Geng took to Weibo to celebrate being cast in Transformer 4.

Following news that he had won the role, Han commented on line that he feels "very fortunate" and "honoured".

Han can currently be seen in Zhao Wei's directorial debut, the award winning

romantic drama "So Young".

The 29 year old rose to fame as a founding member of K-POP group Super Junior.

Since leaving the group in 2009, Han has been hard at work on his budding acting career.

Bay has praised Han as "one of Asia's top stars and one of the most influential entertainers in China".

Audiences are keen to see Bay to make the upcoming film more China-orientated.

The pressure mounted after Fan Bing Bing was cut from international versions of the last Transformers instalment.

The upcoming co-production between Paramount and China Movie Channel hopes to answer the audience demands.

Viacom Media, which owns Paramount Channel Asia, promises that the new project will "elevate more Chinese artists on international platforms".

Transformers 4 is scheduled to drop in June 2014.

 

 

Chris Brown's probation revoked

 

The hot water Chris Brown has landed in just came to a boil.

It emerged last month that the singer's Range Rover rear-ended another vehicle whilst he was driving wihtout a valid license.

The driver of the other vehicle claims Brown went ballistic when she asked to swap licence and insurance details after the collision.

Brown was under a 5 year probation over the infamous assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna at the time of the incident.

On Monday, prosecutors filed a request to an LA court requesting for the probation to be revoked.

The revoking of a probation occurs if the probationer incurs extreme violation of the terms of the probation.

In most cases, the probationer stands to face conviction for the original criminal charges.

Whilst the LA court has allowed Brown to remain free, the 24 year old has been ordered to return to court next month.

The singer stands to face up to four years imprisonment.

 

 

David Bowie unveils latest MV

 

David Bowie has unveiled the music video for his latest single "Valentines Day".

The video, directed by influential duo Indrani and Marcus Klinko, shows Bowie performing in an abandoned building.

The latest MV is in stark contrast to Bowie's own creation for last single "The Next Day".

The video, which depicted Gary Oldman as a priest condemning a Christ-like Bowie, caused a stir from the Catholic community.

The iconic singer has definitely reigned himself in somewhat for the latest single to be lifted from his 24th studio offering "The Next Day".

The album is currently a favourite for the prestigious Mercury Music Award this year.

"Valentines Day" will receive a 7 inch picture disc release on August 19 in the UK and a day later in the US.

 

 

22 year old student wins Singapore's "Hey Gorgeous" contest

 

Alfred Low has become the winner of the fourth "Hey Gorgeous" contest.

The competition, held by Singaporean outlet Channel U, held its grand finals at MediaCorp Theatre yesterday.

Low, an Industrial Design student at Nanyang Polytechnic, came up on top in the fan-voted contest which aims to find students with star quality.

The 22 year old says that he will spend the $3000 Singaporean dollar price money on taking his fellow contestants to dinner.

Low also bags the chance to appear in upcoming Channel U drama "Scrum!" alongside Singaporean star Felicia Chin in her come back gig.

Despite the new found fame and dazzling opportunies, Low says that he will be keeping his studies his top priority.

 

 

J K Rowling's crime novel tops the charts

 

Crime thriller "The Cuckoo's Calling" has climbed to the top of the charts after the revelation of the author's true identity.

Harry Potter creator JK Rowling published the novel under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

We reported yesterday that she admitted her authorship after the Sunday Times pealed the wraps on the secret.

The novel, which had sold less than 500 copies prior to the revelation, despite spectacular reviews from the critics.

It subsequently climbed over 5000 places to top the Amazon sales list upon Rowling's confirmation of her penship.

The digital version of the book also grabbed the top spot in the Itunes book chart.

Rowling, who has said that she enjoyed the freedom of releasing without hype or expectation, is set to complete a follow up thriller for later this year.

"The Cuckoo's Calling" is Rowling's second outing as an adult author, following her 2012 novel The Casual Vacancy.

 

 

Veronic Mars receives book deal

 

Veronica Mars will be getting a series of spinoff novels following the release of the feature film.

Vintage Books have acquired the rights to 2 books worth of original stories featuring actress Kristen Bell's character.

The first novel is scheduled for release next year to coincide with the premiere of the movie.

The books will take place following the events in the movie and will be co-written by series creator Rob Thomas.