Evening Edition

 

Wednesday July 17th, 2013.

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

Coming up on our program this evening,

83-passengers from the fallen Asiana flight to sue aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Evacuations continue in Sichuan Province amid the heavy rains.

Russian President gives his comments on Edward Snowden's asylum request.

Business, Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China grows at its fastest pace in more than two years.

Sports, Tennis Martina Hingis announces her return to the WTA tour.

Entertainments, US actor Tom Hanks to re-team with director Ron Howard on another film based on the Dan Brown novels.

Plus Special reports takes a look at a new survey addressing the state of public services across China.

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow expecting thundershowers with a high temperature of 29.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 27,　it's gonna be sunny tomorrow, with a high of 35.

Lhasa will have thundershowers tonight, 15 degrees the low, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, thundershowers, with a high of 37.

Kabul, sunny, 36.

Over in Australia

Sydney, overcast, highs of 22.

Canberra, overcast, 17.

Brisbane, overcast, 23.

And finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 17.

 

 

Top News

 

 

83 passengers sue Boeing in the U.S

 

Anchor:

Eighty-three survivors from fallen Asiana Flight 214 earlier this month, have taken the first step towards suing the plane's manufacturer Boeing.

A Chinese lawyer say the passengers can file a lawsuit in China, United States or South Korea.

However, the amount of compensation will differ in each country.

CRI.'s Xie Zhao has more

Reporter:

It is being reported that a number of lawyers are approaching victims of the Asiana Air Crash, in an effort to help them make a legal claim.

Zhang Qihuai is a lawyer with the Beijing-based Lanpeng Law firm and Secretary General of Beijing Municipal Lawyers Association.

The lawyer is now working as legal counsellor for the victims, as invited by the local government of Jiangshan in Zhejiang Province, where the 3 dead Chinese girls from.

According to the Montreal Convention, Zhang Qihuai says the passengers can file a lawsuit in any three mentioned countries.

"The Montreal Convention has issued regulations and rules regarding international transportation. China, U.S and South Korea are all the contracting parties."

So far, a Chicago law firm Ribbeck Law Chartered has been reported to be suing aircraft manufacturer Boeing on behalf of 83-passengers.

Monica Kelly, a lawyer from the firm, says they have filed a lawsuit against Boeing seeking to identify the different component parts of the manufacturers.

"For example with the seat belts, our passengers told us that they had to use knives in order to remove the seat belt. That will be a component part manufacturer"

lawyer Zhang Qihuai says families of the casualties would get compensation of different amount, depending on the country they file the suit.

" According to the laws in these countries, the amount of personal injury compensation will be determined by the local per capita income and average salaries in the previous year. "

Zhang says if a lawsuit is filed in China, the amount of compensation for the deceased passenger is around one million yuan.

But if the lawsuit is filed in South Korea, according to local law, the amount could range from 3 to 5 million yuan.

Meanwhile, in the US, the amount of compensation might be as high as ten million U.S dollars.

In financial terms, these kinds of cases always attract a number of lawyers offering their services, since the payout for both client and law firm can be large, especially in the US.

For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.

 

 

China Torrential Rains Evacuation- Nine trapped villagers evacuated amid rains in Sichuan

 

More downpours will be seen in the southwestern Sichuan province, where 58 people have been killed and over 170-others are missing due to continuous torrential rain.

Parts of the province saw a record 8-hundred millimeters of precipitation last week.

In some counties, a week of rain amounted to half of their yearly precipitation.

Meantime, rain-triggered landslides have led to the creation of artificial lakes.

Rescuers have been trying to persuade some villagers at risk to evacuate.

Xu Yuexing is a local official in Maoxian County.

"They were not willing to go down the mountain. They know they are old and don't want to leave their homes. Moreover, some of them don't want to leave their pigs, chickens, cats and dogs."

Meantime, A PetroChina unit in Shaanxi has been shut down after oil from a ruptured pipeline contaminated a source of drinking water.

Some 200-thousand local residents of the city of Yanan have been affected by the contamination.

The 100-kilometre pipeline was damaged by a rain-triggered landslide earlier this week.

 

 

GSK probe part of business climate clean-up

 

The Ministry of Commerce is now making it clear that the ongoing investigation into British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is part of the country's efforts to improve the business environment.

Shen Danyang is spokesman at the ministry.

"GSK will be subject to legal sanctions based on its wrongdoings. The Chinese government is determined to make all efforts to improve business climate and create equal competition opportunities for domestic and overseas investors."

The spokesman added that China firmly opposes any form of commercial bribery, regardless of whether the company involved is Chinese or foreign.

Four executives of GSK China have been detained on charges of bribing Chinese officials and doctors to boost the sales of its medicines in the country.

 

 

Graduation season and apartment renting

 

Anchor: July, graduation season, is upon us. It is said that this year is the hardest yet for job hunting for newly graduated students. Graduates are facing great pressure in terms of not only the employment market but also looking for apartments to rent. Li Dong has the details.

Reporter: Yan Han, a masters student majoring in English translation made a quick decision to rent a duplex apartment. She says that as long as there is a suitable apartment, she will seize the opportunity immediately.

"I rented the apartment with one of my classmates. We split the rent. We hope to find a place with a montly rent of 2,000 yuan each. We are lucky. The apartment we are renting is not downtown but the room is big. Considering the decoration and the basic home appliances, we accepted the rate of 2,100 yuan a month each."

Sharing an apartment is usually the most viable option for most students who have just graduated from the university, given their limited income.

Not all newly graduated students can easily find an apartment with ideal rent and location, not to mention a compatible roommate. Another new graduate in Hangzhou city says she needs to be more realistic, considering her financial status.

"The reason why I chose this apartment is because I can pay the rent month by month. Many landlords require the rent must be paid 3 months, half a year or even a year in advance. I really I can't afford it."

According to the Ministry of Education, a record 6.99 million students graduated from colleges across China this year, an increase of 2.8 percent from 2012.

Yan Han says she feels enormous pressure this year from all aspects of her life.

"I felt great pressure, especially in the first half of June. I need to consider many things, graduation, looking for jobs, apartments, many decisions to make. There are so many uncertainties. This is the most difficult year in my life. But I made it."

Zhou Baojun, manager of a real estate intermediate company in Hangzhou says the graduation season boosted the apartment renting market.

"The transaction volume in our company rose by 100 percent compared to previous months. It's hard to even find an apartment downtown. Many students are shifting their focus to comparatively isolated places but with convenient transportation like subways."

Zhou Baojun estimates that the property renting market will maintain a hot trend til at least the end of July, which marks the end of the of the graduation season.

According to statistics from National Bureau of Statistics or NBS, in June this year, rent rose by 3.7 percent nationwide compare to the same period last year. Figures also show that in major cities like Beijing, rent rose by 7.4 percent on a year-on-year basis, with 0.5 percent rise on a month-on-month basis.

Figures from NBS also show that rent level in the country has been rising for 42 consecutive months since 2010. The ever increasing rent has left the newly graduate students no choice but rent the apartment with others.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

 

 

Putin gives comments on Snowden's asylum request

 

Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his response to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden's request for temporary asylum in the country.

Putin didn't give a clear answer on whether the request would be accepted but stressed that the relationship between Russia and the United States is more important than any intelligence scandal.

Putin has reiterated his claims that Snowden is not planning to stay in Russia for long, hinting the U.S. citizen is not welcome in the country.

The Russian Federal Migration Service has confirmed it has received an application for asylum from Snowden.

The whistleblower has been stuck in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since he arrived on a flight from Hong Kong on June 23rd.

According to Russia's Federal Migration Service, Snowden could be transferred from the transit zone to the department's temporary shelter for refugees while waiting for the authorities' decision.

Meanwhile the White House has issued a statement, once again calling on Russia to hand over Snowden.

White House spokesman Jay Carney:

"Our message has been clear and consistent　in this regard and Mr. Snowden has all of the rights that every American citizen charged with a crime in the United States has and he should be returned here where he can stand trial and take advantage of those rights so that's the conversation we are having with foreign governments and that's the conversation we're having with our Russian counterparts."

The White House contends Snowden is neither a human rights activist or dissident.

The White House has urged the Russian government to deny the asylum request and hinted that it will hold Putin accountable for the decision.

 

 

Cuba says seized DPRK ship carries obsolete weapons

 

Cuba has admitted it was behind a stash of weapons found on board a North Korean ship seized in the Panama Canal.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry says the weapons were obsolete Soviet-era arms destined for repair in North Korea.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry released this statement via local television:

"The foreign ministry would like to inform that this ship left a Cuban port for the Popular Democratic Republic of Korea with a cargo that was predominantly made up of 10 tonnes of sugar. Also, in the said vessel, was 240 metric tonnes of obsolete defensive weaponry - two Volga and Pechora anti-aircraft missiles, nine rockets in parts and pieces, 2 Mig-21 Bis planes, and 15 motors of this type of plane, all of which were made in the middle of last century, they were to be repaired and returned to our country."

UN sanctions currently prohibit the supply of arms to North Korea in the dispute over its nuclear program.

The Foreign Ministry statement has re-affirmed its commitment both to disarmament and international law.

However the ministry also said repairs were necessary to maintain the island's defensive capacity.

However, Panama authorities say the cargo was undeclared and buried deep within the ship beneath tonnes of sugar.

North Korea has not given any response on the case.

 

 

LA police prepare for new protests

 

Police in Los Angeles are preparing to deter fresh violent protests following the acquittal of George Zimmerman.

Over a dozen people were arrested after an earlier protest turned violent in the suburb of Crenshaw.

Authorities say that while the original demonstration was peaceful, a group of young protesters began to turn violent, setting fires and attacking people.

Demonstrator Lawrence Warren.

"This is supposed to be a peaceful demonstration, and we should respect the wishes of Trayvon's mother and father because they said that they don't want any violence, and so it's not about us, it's about Trayvon, and so when we get out here as a black people and do all this looting and fighting and all of that, that's not representing Trayvon in the right way."

The Crenshaw district of Los Angeles was the scene of some of the worst upheaval during the Rodney King Riots which hit the city in 1992.

George Zimmerman's acquittal in the shooting of 17-year old Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has created fresh concern about a repeat of the Los Angeles riots two decades ago.

The acquittal has already sparked demonstrations in major cities across the US.

It has also renewed debate about potential injustice against ethnic minorities, although Zimmerman himself is mix-raced Hispanic.

 

 

S. Korea, DPRK agree to hold 5th talks on July 22 at Kaesong

 

The two Koreas are to open the fifth round of working-level talks on July 22nd over the Kaesong industrial complex issue.

The fourth round of talks ended earlier today.

It is not known whether Seoul and Pyongyang adopted a statement of agreement on re-opening the industrial complex.

 

 

School meal kills 21 in India

 

At least 21 children in India have died after eating a tainted school meals.

The poisoning happened at a government school in India's eastern state of Bihar.

Over 50-children below the age of 12 fell sick and are now being hospitalized.

It is suspected that either insecticide or contaminated vegetable oil could be the cause of the poisoning.

A probe has now been launched.

Each familiy of the dead has been offered over 3-thousand US dollars in compensation.

India's Education Minister, M. M. Pallam Raju.

"We have taken a serious note of what has happened and our additional secretary who looks after the midday meal programme is already in Bihar and he will gather information first hand."

The free food is provided to the children under a federal government scheme aimed at boosting school enrollments for poor children and providing them with a nutritious diet.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is the world's largest school feeding scheme covering over 12 million children across India.

But critics of the school meal scheme complain about poor hygiene and rampant corruption for the poisonous outbreaks.

 

 

ELN rebels surrender in Colombia

 

Dozens of rebels from Colombia's second largest armed group have surrendered in the south-eastern region of Cauca.

The 30-rebels of the ELN were personally greeted by President Juan Manuel Santos.

"This operation of military intelligence and the public persecutors office has resulted in the largest disarmament in the history of the ELN. The example that these youths have set - most of them are very young - should be followed by the rest of the members of these organisations."

The ELN is not part of the peace talks with Colombia's largest rebel group, the FARC.

Last month, the FARC said the two rival rebels were discussing "unification".

This was seen as an attempt to get the ELN to join the peace talks.

But the government is insisting the rebels must first lay down their weapons and release all hostages.

The Colombian government would like to sign a peace accord by November.

 

 

One Chinese killed, two missing in flooding during underground work in S.Korea

 

Rescuers have found the body of one of the three missing Chinese workers in flooding during underground work in Seoul.

South Korean authority say the casualty is confirmed as a 57 year-old Chinese.

One South Korean worker has died from injuries.

Four Korean workers and 2 other Chinese are still missing.

The workers were swept away at an underground construction side while the water from a nearby swollen river rushed in.

Media reports suggest that continuous downpour in the city is to be blamed for the incident.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Asian Stock

 

Chinese shares retreated today amid diminishing hopes that the government will take aggressive measures to support economic growth.

Market expectation for policy stimulus were dampened by the Finance Minster Lou Jiwei, who said China is unlikely to introduce a large fiscal stimulus this year but will employ some tax preferences for small businesses.

When the market closed, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index shed 1 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index was down 1.5 percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng ended 0.3 up.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Japan's Nikkei picked up 0.1 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI advanced 1.1 percent on the back of China's upbeat FDI data.

In Singapore, the benchmark Straits Times index finished down 0.5 percent.

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

 

 

FDI into China surged in June

 

Anchor:

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China in June has grown at its fastest pace in more than two years.

Investment has increased over 20 percent from a year earlier despite a general slowdown in the world's second biggest economy.

CRI's Zhang Shuangfeng has more.

Reporter:

The 20 percent increase came as a surprise as it marks a significant surge from the 0.29-percent year-on-year increase in May.

But Shen Dan Yang, a spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce cautioned the upbeat figure didn't represent a rebound.

"We can not conclude that China's FDI has rebounded by simply looking at just a single month's data. But we do expect the FDI in the second half to grow steadily."

Though June's upsurge follows four straight months' growth since February, the total FDI in the first half of this year only increased 4.9 percent year on year.

The establishment of foreign-invested enterprises also failed to pick up steam during the period, as the number of such companies decreased 9.1 percent from a year earlier.

The spokesman added however, that the investments which arrived this year did see a move towards better utilization.

"The FDI increase proved the competitiveness of the Chinese economy and international investors' recognition of the investment environment in China."

Nearly half of new FDI in the first six months went to the service sector, which saw a year-on-year increase of 12.4 percent.

While the traditional manufacturing sector attracted only 42 percent of total inflows, down 2.1 percent from last year.

In a regional breakdown, China's western regions saw strong growth in foreign investment, with an increase of 32.5 percent, compared with a 15.7-percent gain for central regions and a 1.7-percent gain for the east.

Meanwhile, China's outbound investment rose 29-percent year on year in the first six months.

Shen Danyang said the increase was matched with an improved efficiency and better investment structure of Chinese enterprises going overseas.

"More and more Chinese investment overseas are bearing fruit, which boosted companies' confidence to explore new territories for growth. Chinese companies are now fast becoming a competitive force with increasing foreign recognition."

Data from the Ministry of Commercealso shows Chinese outbound investment is now favoring commercial service, retail and wholesale sectors over traditional manufacturing and mining sectors.

For CRI, I'm Zhang Shuangfeng

 

 

Fortune China 500 List sees 47 enterprises posting net losses

 

This year's Fortune China 500 list has 47 of the companies on it posting net losses.

This is more than twice as many as last year.

Among the 47 companies currently in the red, shipping giant COSCO Holdings is suffering through the worst of the losses of over 9-billion yuan.

COSCO is followed by China Aluminum Corporation, which posted net losses of more than 8 ??billion yuan over the past year.

Of all the losers on the top 500 list, steel makers make up the majority, with ten different companies posting losses.

Sinopec and PetroChina remain one-two on the top of the top 500-list.

China State Construction Engineering has replaced China Mobile at 3rd on the list.

For more on this year's China Fortune 500 list, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke to Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai

…

It's CRI's Paul James talking with Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai on the newly released Fortune China 500 list.

 

 

Japan stock exchanges merge

 

Japan's two biggest stock exchanges, the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Osaka Securities Exchange, have began combining operations.

Cash equities traded on the Osaka Securities Exchange are now listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and will also operate under its rules.

The merger brings the total number of companies trading on the TSE to more than 3,400.

The move makes the combined holding company, Japan Exchange Group, the world's third largest exchange by market cap and trading value.

Only the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are bigger.

The merger is estimated to save 7 billion yen, or 90 million U.S. dollars in costs.

 

 

Alibaba's earnings triple in first quarter.

 

China's largest e-commerce company Alibaba saw earnings more than triple to 680 million US dollars in the first quarter of this year.

The company's earnings report shows revenue jumped 71-percent to 1.38 billion US dollars in the three months ending March 31st.

That makes it the most profitable Chinese Internet company.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

83 passengers sue Boeing in the U.S

 

Eighty-three survivors from fallen Asiana Flight 214 earlier this month, have taken the first step towards suing the plane's manufacturer Boeing.

So far, a Chicago law firm Ribbeck Law Chartered has been reported to be suing aircraft manufacturer , seeking to identify the different component parts of the manufacturers.

 

 

China Torrential Rains Evacuation- Nine trapped villagers evacuated amid rains in Sichuan

 

More downpours will be seen in the southwestern Sichuan province, where 58 people have been killed and over 170-others are missing due to continuous torrential rain.

Meantime, rain-triggered landslides have led to the creation of artificial lakes.

Rescuers have been trying to persuade some villagers at risk to evacuate.

Meantime, A PetroChina unit in Shaanxi has been shut down after oil from a ruptured pipeline contaminated a source of drinking water.

The 100-kilometre pipeline was damaged by a rain-triggered landslide earlier this week.

Some 200-thousand local residents of the city of Yanan have been affected by the contamination.

 

 

FDI into China surged in June

 

Foreign direct investment into China in June has grown at its fastest pace in more than two years.

Investment has increased over 20 percent from a year earlier despite a general slowdown in the world's second biggest economy.

The 20 percent increase came as a surprise as it marks a significant surge from the 0.29-percent year-on-year increase in May.

Data from the Ministry of Commercealso shows Chinese outbound investment is now favoring commercial service, retail and wholesale sectors over traditional manufacturing and mining sectors.

 

 

Putin reacts to Snowden's asylum request

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has responded to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden's request for temporary asylum in the country.

Putin didn't give a clear answer on where the request would be accepted, but stressed that the relationship between Russia and the United States was more important than any intelligence scandal.

Putin reiterated his claims that Snowden was not planning to stay in Russia for long, hinting the U.S citizen was not welcomed in the country.

Russian Federal Migration Service has confirmed that it has received an application for asylum from Snowden.

 

 

S. Korea, DPRK agree to hold 5th talks on July 22 at Kaesong

 

The two Koreas are to open the fifth round of working-level talks on July 22nd over the Kaesong industrial complex issue.

The fourth round of talks ended earlier today.

It is not known whether Seoul and Pyongyang adopted a statement of agreement on re-opening the industrial complex.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

China Daily

 "App offers domestic services at fingertips"

The Shanghai Household Service Association has announced it is offering a free housekeeper-reservation application for smartphone users.

The app allows smartphone users to choose an ayi, or nanny, among 40-thousand housekeepers from 460 domestic agencies.

People can enter their address and desired appointment time, and the app will offer a selection of suitable candidates.

The app aims to decrease illegal agencies and address public complaints of ayi shortages.

Shanghai Daily

 "Study claims restricted diet prolongs lifespan"

Local scientists have found evidence a restricted diet can prolong a person's lifespan.

Experiments carried out on mice have showed caloric restriction can promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut and reduce harmful bacteria.

One researcher claims the study confirms the positive effects of diets among humans and proves bacteria in the gut determines health and lifespan.

The team found specific bacteria, such as the genus lactobacillus, correlated positively with lifespan and was enriched by caloric restriction.

Time.com

 "Sick Before Their Time: More Kids Diagnosed With Adult Diseases"

Diabetes, obesity and elevated blood pressure typically emerge in middle-age, but more young children are showing signs of chronic conditions which may take a toll on their health.

The latest report from researchers at Harvard Medical School found children and adolescents are increasingly suffering from elevated blood pressure.

The study showed a 27-percent increase in the proportion of children aged 8 to 17 years with elevated blood pressure over a 13-year period.

More kids in the recent Survey were overweight, with larger waistlines than those in the previous cohort.

And the children with body mass index readings in the top 25% of their age group were two times more likely to have elevated blood pressure than the kids in the bottom 25%.

India Express

 "Human urine can charge cell phone, claim scientists"

In a world first, UK scientists claim to have developed a novel method to charge mobile phones - using human urine.

Scientists working at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory have described the "breakthrough" finding of charging cell phones using urine as a power source to generate electricity.

Scientists explain they harnessed the power as urine passes through microbial fuel cells which are energy converters turning organic matter directly into electricity via the metabolism of live microorganisms.

Researchers say the electricity is a by-product of the microbes' natural life cycle, so the more they eat things like urine, the more energy they generate and for longer periods of time.

So far the microbial fuel power stack scientists have developed generates enough power to enable SMS messaging, web browsing and to make a brief phone call.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

A Chinese report on govn't public service capacity controversial

 

Anchor:

A prestigious Chinese university has recently released a report, assessing the public service capacity of 19 municipal governments across China.

The government of southern China's Guangzhou city ranks top of the list.

The result has aroused controversy, as some experts have cast doubts on its authority, suggesting the survey is unilateral and not comprehensive enough.

CRI's Wei Tong has more.

Reporter:

The report, issued by China's Sun Yat-sen University was conducted on the basis of three indices, which include the governments' desire and capacity in dealing with public demands, the quality of the public service and their efficiency in responding to public opinion.

The top three cities whose governments have performed the best are Guangzhou in southern China, Nanjing and Ningbo in eastern China. However, Beijing and Shanghai are lag far behind.

The survey also used the popularity of the government's microblog, an online social network,as an indicator in its performance evaluation.

The report shows that the microblog for the Guangzhou government has received comments from over two million bloggers, far outnumbering that of other surveyed cities. This is one of the primary factors enabling Guangzhou to lead the ranking.

However, according to Zhou Shaojie, a senior researcher from Tsinghua University, judging a government's service ability by the number of microbloggers it has is subjective. It cannot be relied upon to provide conclusive information.

"Opinions appearing on microblog cannot be guaranteed as impartial and unbiased, since many cynical microbloggers use the online platform to unleash their emotions, especially lopsided resentment or hatred on society. What's more, the private microblogs of some movie stars have much more followers than the government ones. So directly associating the number of followers with the government's performance is not justifiable."

Zhou Shaojie suggests the survey be conducted by door-to-door with written questionnaires to make sure the collected opinions are comprehensive.

The report will later be delivered to all the 19 surveyed municipal governments.

Yao Yongling, associate professor at the Renmin University of China, however, notes the report can only serve as a reminder to governments since it cannot be enforced by law.

"In some western countries, the mayor of a city is hired by the city council. Their relationship is like the manager of a company. City residents voice their demands to the city council, which will then set targets for the mayor to fulfill. Assessment of what the government has accomplished is carried out through legal process, rather than via an academic report. The report cannot be compulsorily implemented, so it may not be effective in spurring governments to better serve the public."

But professor He Yanling from Sun Yat-sen University, who led the survey of the report, argues that competition has been brought in by making comparisons among the city governments, providing an impetus for them to improve.

"I believe that in the name of competition, the municipal governments will be motivated to enhance its public service by improving living conditions for the residents. We need to build a city into an eco-friendly homeland instead of just an economic engine. We can only achieve this by raising the governments' capacity to serve."

He Yanling adds the governments should not care too much about rankings, but rather focus on trying to serve the public well, as the people's servants.

For CRI, I am Wei Tong.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Returning Hingis to play doubles

 

Former tennis world number one Martina Hingis has announced that she is coming back to the WTA Tour for the first time since 2007.

The five-time Grand Slam singles champion will be playing doubles at the Southern Californian Open with Daniela Hantuchova next week.

However, it's not sure whether this is a one-time trial, the start of a comeback or even a re-launch of her career.

Hingis first retired in 2003 because of injuries and retired for a second time in 2007 after testing positive for cocaine.

The super star had spent a total of 209 weeks at No. 1 in singles and 35 weeks as the No. 1 in doubles.

Along with her 43 singles titles, she has 37 double crowns, including 10 Grand Slams.

The Southern California Open is scheduled to start on July 27th.

 

 

Nicolas Almagro Through at German Open

 

Number three seed Nicolas Almagro has cruised into the third round of the German Open Championships in Hamburg.

Almagro cruised into the third round after beating fellow compatriot Tobias Kamke 6-3, 6-3 in 67 minutes.

Almagro will next face either thirteenth seed Mikhail Youzhny or Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Meanwhile, seventh-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov has crashed out of the competition after losing to Florian Meyer 6-3, 6-4.

In the meantime, Gael Monfils continued his return from injury with a straight sets 6-3, 6-3 win over Russia's Andrey Golubev.

He'll meet the number five seed, Juan Monaco of Argentina, in the second round.

 

 

Italian Prosecutors Launch Investigation into Jamaican Sprinters and Trainer

 

It's being reported that Italian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into two Jamaican sprinters and their trainer.

This comes after Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson tested positive for a banned stimulant at the Jamaican championships last month.

Italian media reports say prosecutors are investigating the two sprinters and their Canadian physical trainer Christopher Xuereb.

Former Olympic and World Championship gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser Price offered her support for her fellow countrymen.

"Well you know it is a very difficult time for us, and I think we are dealing with the issue that has arised. Of course it is very painful for most of us because we are very close as a team and for this to happen is unfortunate but they are our team mates and we will stick with them. And you know whatever the outcome is, whatever happens we will just have to face it. We will still be here for them and we still love them and appreciate them."

As for what will happen to Powell and Simpson in the longer term, Price pointed out that the results of the athletes' B samples have not yet been confirmed.

Both sprinters have withdrawn from the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, which are less than a month away.

　

American 100 metres record holder Tyson Gay, who also failed a drug test, has withdrawn from the Championships.

IAAF General Secretary Essar Gabriel says he is disappointed by the latest revelations.

However, he believes it will not harm the spirit of the competition, and hopes to fill the stands.

"The best athletes eligible to compete at the World Championships will be in Moscow, and you heard some of those athletes expressed that they're eager, to come over. They've been working hard all season. This is the highlight and the objective of the season."

Organizers say almost all tickets are sold for the opening weekend, in which Usain Bolt is expected to reclaim the title he won in 2009.

The 2013 IAAF World championships is scheduled to open on August 10th.

 

 

US wins 3rd straight match to advance at Gold Cup

 

The United States has defeated Costa Rica 1:0 to advance into the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Brek Shea contributed the only goal in the 82nd minute in the Group C match.

The U.S finished atop of Group C with nine points to go into the quarter-finals.

In another Group C match, Cuba has knocked out Belize 4-0.

Although finishing third in the group, Cuba went into the last eight because of the four goals they got on Tuesday.

Ariel Martinez completed a hat trick as Yenier Marquez' last-second strike lifted the Cubans into the quarterfinals.

The quarter-finals are scheduled to start on Saturday.

 

 

Chinese shooters win three golds at Kazan Universiade

 

Chinese shooters have won three out of eight gold medals on offer at the Kazan Universiade in Russia.

Li Peijing, Ma Hong and Yu Dan have joined hands to win gold medal in women's 50m rifle team title.

Ma has also won the individual title in the event.

China's Kang Hongwei, Cao Yifei and Lan Xing have claimed victory in the men's 50m rifle prone competition.

So far, the Chinese team has won a total of 73 medals, including 24 golds in the competition, ranked third after Russia and Japan.

Hosts Russia have claimed 285-medals, including 151 golds at the event, far more than second-placed Japan with 84 medals.

This year's Universiade is set to close today.

More than 10,000 athletes from 162 countries and regions have participated in the 12-day event.

The next Universiade will be held in South Korea's Gwangju in 2015.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Tom Hanks and Ron Howard to Team Up for Film

 

US Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks will reteam with director Ron Howard on another film adaptation of a Dan Brown novel.

Hanks and Howard have signed on to film Inferno, the fourth book in the series that follows iconology expert Robert Langdon as he solves ancient mysteries and modern riddles.

The pair worked together on both 2006's The DaVinci Code and 2009's Angels & Demons, the first two books in the series.

This news comes before production has even begun on an adaptation of the 3rd book in the series The Lost Symbol.

Howard has reportedly decided not to direct The Lost Symbol and instead act as a producer though many speculate Inferno will begin production first.

The Lost Symbol has not secured a director yet.

Inferno is expected to hit theaters at the end of 2015.

 

 

White House Down Premiers in China

 

Chinese film fanatics will be happy to hear the new Hollywood blockbuster White House Down has almost made its way to the Chinese mainland.

Filmmaker Roland Emmerrich known for films such as 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, and Independence Day attended the premiere of his new film here in Beijing.

The film stars US actors Channing Tatum and Jaimee Foxx who must protect the White House in Washington from paramilitary invaders.

So far the film has received mixed reviews and hasn't performed as well at the US box office as hoped.

So far the film has pulled in 83-million US dollars worldwide, though it cost 150-million to produce.

The film will be released nationwide in China this Monday.

 

 

New Albums from Mazzy Star, Tool

 

Dreamy crooner Mazzy Star has announced she will release a new album, her first in 17-years.

The Fade-Into-You singer says the new record Seasons of Your Day will be available this September.

A music video for her single California is expected to hit the interwebs next month with the band announcing tour dates for the fall in North America and Europe soon.

Star's new album was recorded in Norway and California in the US with her original lineup.

But Star's not the only blast from the past releasing a new album.

American rock band Tool has announced their next album will likely be released early next year.

Drummer Danny Carey says the band is about half-done with the album which he claims will stylistically push their sound in a different direction.

Tool's last album 10-thousand days dropped in 2006, but intense touring has kept fans watering at the mouth for new material.

No word on a title for the new album.

 

 

Interstellar Adds Big Names to Cast

 

US actor and comedian John Lithgow and Academy Award winning actress Ellen Burstyn have been added to the ever-growing ensemble cast of filmmaker Christopher Nolan's new sci-fi secret film Interstellar.

The pair joins an already huge cast including Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey, and Michael Caine.

Interstellar marks Nolan's follow-up as a director since last year's Batman film The Dark Knight Rises.

The filmmaker is also known for the mindbending film Inception in which characters delve deep into a person's subconscious.

Though details on the new film are scarce rumor has it this film will be mind-bending as well with characters traveling through time and alternate dimensions.

The film is expected to begin shooting next month in Canada and has a release date of late 2014.

 

 

Justin Bieber Spits on a Guy

 

Pour on another pot of hot water for Justin Bieber.

This time the singer has been accused of spitting on a man at a nightclub.

The man claims two of Bieber's bodyguards approached him accusing him of taking pictures of the star.

Considering the nightclub was a 21 and over establishment this would have spelled trouble for the teen star.

After searching through the man's phone and discovering he had not taken any photos.

Bieber proceeded to insult the man and ended his tirade by spitting in the man's face.

However, this isn't the first time Bieber has been accused of spitting on someone.

Earlier this year a neighbor claims the popstar spat on him after an argument over Bieber's reckless driving.