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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Israel and Palestine to resume talks in Washington

Europe's top diplomat urging Egypt's government to reach out to the Muslim Brotherhood.

40 injured in train collision in Western Switzerland

Business

China orders government debt audit

Sports

Peng Shuai claims third gold at Chinese National Games

Entertainments

Pacific Rim sequel to be decided by Chinese audiences

Plus

Special reports takes a look at China’s surging mobile games market

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

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 35 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be overcast tonight with a low of 25.

In Shanghai, it will be cloudy today, 39 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 30 degrees Celsius.

Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 24, and tonight will be overcast with a low of 11 degree Celsius.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, sunny, 37.

Kabul, sunny, with a high of 38.

And in North America

New York, sunny, with a high of 28 degrees.

Washington, overcast, highs of 28

Houston, overcast, 34.

Honolulu, moderate rain, 30.

Toronto, thundershowers, 21

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires, sunny, 18.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 23 degrees Celsius.

 

 

Top News

 

 

Israel and Palestine to resume talks in Washington

 

Anchor

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are set to begin their "initial talks" soon in Washington to lay the groundwork for further peace negotiations.

Shen Chengcheng has the details.

Reporter

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he "strongly supports" the resumption of the peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

US President Barack Obama says it is "a promising step forward".

US Secretary of State John Kerry has named a former US ambassador to Israel as the lead negotiator.

The talks, which have been stalled for 3 years, follow 6 visits to the Middle East in the last 5 months by Kerry.

The breakthrough also comes after Israel approved the release of more than 1-hundred Palestinian prisoners.

However, Kerry did acknowledge that the path ahead would be long and difficult.

"If it were easy, it would've happened a long time ago. It's no secret, therefore, that many difficult choices lie ahead for the negotiators and for the leaders as we seek reasonable compromises on tough, complicated, emotional, and symbolic issues."

Meanwhile newly appointed US special envoy to the talks Martin Indyk says he looks forward to work with both sides towards peace.

"It's been my conviction for 40 years that peace is possible."

The 62-year-old played a key role in the failed Camp David talks of 2000 under former President Bill Clinton.

It is estimated talks on a final peace deal are set to last 6 to 9 months.

For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.

 

 

Israelis and Palestinians say long way to go (zhang jin from jerusalem)

 

Anchor

(Meanwhile) back in Israel and Palestine, people there are expressing guarded optimism toward the future of the renewed peace talks.

They say there is still a long way to go.

Marc Cavigli has more.

Reporter

Nabil Abu Rdaineh, spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, says things are going to the right direction so far.

"We will start negotiating on all the final status issues and accordingly we will try to solve these issues, the borders, the security... everything will be on the table. The minute we finish them, supposed that we will do it within six months, hopefully we'll have a Palestinian state if the Israelis will work in a good faith."

Ilana Stein, a deputy spokesperson of Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says both sides need to come to the negotiations with an open mind and make compromise to reach an agreement.

"Negotiation of course isn't grateful (?), you have to compromise or else you don't reach any kind of resolution. As you can see we're already compromising and we're already doing something that is very difficult for Israelis. We are actually setting free people who went to jail because they murdered Israelis. The thing is do the Palestinians understand that there's gonna have to be compromises. There cannot be any negotiations if only one side compromises."

Israeli anlysts on peace talks, on the other hand, feel the prospect is still unclear.

Professor Abraham Diskin of Hebrew University is one of them.

"I'm not very optimistic, because the Palestinians are not really ready to talk until just recently. Of course I hope that we will have negotiations and I hope that the two-state solution will be implemented, but it basically depends on the Palestinian side. I hope that Palestinians will really be more flexible."

The previous failures of peace talks have made Palestinian people pessimistic about the negotiations.

"I think there's no difference than before. The Israelis can give something that Palestinians will not agree, and we knew what happened in the past. People will see nothing on the ground, nothing upon the main issue. People have to see something physical, to see borders, to feel that they are free, they can move around. They will control their economy. They will do cooperation with their neighbors."

On the other side, Israelis also realize the difficulties faced during the talks.

"Things are very difficult because we've tried many times, but we can only hope there will be sincere desire in both parts that for real change and peace, and in fact the leaders will try to in some cases convince their people to go along with if they come up with some good ideas that will help peace come about."

The last round of direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine broke down in 2010 over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

For CRI, I'm Marc Cavigli.

 

 

Europe's top diplomat holds talks with Muslim Brotherhood delegation

 

Anchor

Europe's top diplomat is urging Egypt's government to reach out to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Catherine Ashton is in Cairo to mediate an end to the country's political turmoil.

Jordan Lee has more.

Reporter

Ashton has met with military chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei and interim President Adly Mansour.

She has also met with members of activist groups, including Tamarod.

Tamarud spokesman Mohamed Badr says that the group would not agree to a plan that allowed Muslim Brotherhood leaders to escape prosecution.

"When they asked us about the solution, the solution clearly starts from; number one: admitting that June 30th was a revolution or a wave of the revolution and admitting the legitimacy of the roadmap; secondly, presenting all those involved in any shedding of Egyptian blood and those which were issued arrest warrants by the public prosecutor to quick and just trial; thirdly, clearing out all the public squares. Only then will we all start the political process."

Ashton has also met with representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood, she asks all sides to start an inclusive transitional process, which would include the Muslim Brotherhood.

Mohammed Mahsoub is a spokesman for the Brotherhood.

"We wait to hear from those who currently hold power to start the initiative by sending messages for a truce and reassurances calling for an end to media campaigns which only allow for more bloodshed."

It was European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's second visit to Cairo since Islamist President Morsi was ousted nearly a month ago.

For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.

 

 

40 injured in train collision in Western Switzerland

 

At least 40 people have been injured after a train collision in western Switzerland.

At least five of them are in serious condition.

The crash took place in Vaud canton, 50km south-west of the capital, Bern.

Witnesses say the two trains collided head-on early Monday evening.

The driver of one of the trains is believed to be trapped inside the wreckage.

The collision comes days after the fatal train derailment in Spain which left nearly 80 people dead.

 

 

Syrian army officially declares regaining of strategic district in central Homs

 

The Syrian army says it has fully captured a district that was a key rebel stronghold in the central city of Homs.

The Sana news agency says government forces have restored security to the neighborhood of al-Khalidieh.

The announcement comes a month after Syrian government troops launched an offensive to oust rebels from Syria's third largest city.

Observers say the recent army operations in Homs is part of its efforts to secure southern and central areas in Syria before opening a large-scale offensive to recapture the northern province of Aleppo.

Aleppo is believed to be largely seized by al-Qaida-linked groups, mainly the Nusra Front.

The United Nations' recently estimated that more than 100-thousand people have been killed in Syria's two-and-a-half year crisis.

 

 

Australian FM: Australia is open to Chinese investment

 

Anchor

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has said that Australia encourages Chinese investment and that China's urbanization provides a new set of opportunities for his home country.

CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Xu Weiyi has the details.

Reporter

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr is on a ten-day visit in China.

He delivered a speech on Australia's foreign policies and perspectives in Asia during a luncheon in Hong Kong on Monday.

Carr says that the reemergence of China to greatness is good for both China and Australia.

"We never sought, we never entertain the idea of containing China. We've always seen the reemergence to greatness of China a wonderful opportunity for Australia."

The new Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently said the Australian resource boom driven by the demand of Chinese cities is over.

But Bob Carr stressed that China is now providing a new set of opportunities for Australia.

"But the urbanization of China presents Australia with a different set of opportunities that have trading and services, that welcoming Chinese investment into Australia, opportunities for giving China not only resource security, which we've done up till now, but giving China food security."

The Australian Foreign Minister says Chinese investment can be found in Australian uranium mines, power systems of Australian cities, iron and ore, magnetite, coal mines, food processing and farms.

But in Australia's interest, they still courage China to keep buying from Australia.

He also reiterated that there is no limit on Chinese investment.

"None has been rejected in a hundreds of Chinese investment proposals made in Australia. There was not one that has been knocked back. Some has been conditions attached to them. But none has been rejected."

The Australian Foreign Minister is also scheduled to visit the provinces of Sichuan and Fujian as well as the Chongqing municipality.

He is expected to help Australia seize opportunities open up in China's fast-growing inland provinces, and raise Australia's profile in the emerging coastal provincial market.

For CRI, this is Xu Weiyi from Hong Kong.

 

 

Shortage of Nursing Curbs China's Senior Care Industry

 

Anchor

As part of the impact from an aging society, China is facing a shortage of nursing personnel in the senior care industry.

Low income, low level of professionalism, and high mobility are believed to be the reason behind the shortage.

CRI's Zhang Shuangfeng has the story

Nursing for the elderly requires not only diligence, but also patience, love and a sense of responsibility.

Wang Shaoyi is a nurse at a Nursing Home in Liaoning province. He has been doing the job for 11 years.

"This is what we do when we take care of the elder. We stay with them all day, even longer than staying with my family. It is meaningful because when they pass away, you don't feel sorry for him after all these years' company."

Xu futai is the old man whom Wang has taken care of for 11 years. He feels closer to Wang than to his own children.

"In terms of blood relationship, my children are closer, but in terms of caring for me, the nurses are closer. He is always with me while my children are busy with their work and their own families. They cannot always stay with me. In this way, nurses are much closer to me."

However, low income and poor welfare has caused a brain drain in the pension service industry.

Liu Junqing, president of Shenyang Nursing Home, says these problems have hampered the marketisation of China's senior care industry.

"Under curren circumstances, the nursing personnel's wage and social status have all failed to meet our expectation. And this expectation won't be met until 7 or 8 years later when we face a peak of retirement. The fewer the nursing staffs, the slower the development of our nursing facilities. Due to the low income, staffs' basic qualities won't be improved as well. Our nursing home's development will not be able to form a virtuous cycle."

Stats suggest that the aging population in China reached 194 million by the end of 2012.

That is 14.3 percent of the country's total population.

　

However, there are only about 50-thousand licensed nursing personnel in the country.

The Chinese government has launched a national standard for nursing personnel for the elderly, in an effort to boost the industy.

From CRI, I'm Zhang Shuangfeng.

 

 

Chinese naval hospital ship arrives in Pakistan to give medical services

 

A Chinese naval hospital ship has arrived in Pakistan's port city of Karachi as part of an overseas voyage to provide medical services to local residents.

The "Peace Ark" ship is currently on a four-month overseas mission known as "Mission Harmony 2013."

The vessel has over 400 people onboard and about 100 of them are medical staff.

It was welcomed by Pakistan's military officials, Chinese diplomats and a group of local students in Karachi.

"I'm from Pakistani navy. Pakistan especially Karachi people are very happy to see the ship and hope for a bigger friendship with China."

"Well, I feel very good to welcome you, your ship. And furthermore it's very nice to meet you people. My fellow students, they (also) feel very good. They enjoy a lot."

During its one-week stay in Karachi, the ship's medical staff will give on-the-spot medical services to local residents at a military hospital.

Meanwhile, the Chinese medics and their Pakistani counterparts will jointly conduct operations on patients as a way of technical assistance in the field of military medicine.

The "Peace Ark" first set off from eastern China's Zhoushan Islands in early June, embarking on its third overseas trip to 8 Asian countries and the Gulf of Aden.

The ship has just finished its operation in the Gulf of Aden, where it provided medical services to foreign escort fleets.

The "Peace Ark" will next visit India.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Anchor

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

Join me on the desk, CRI's Shen Chengcheng.

Reporter

U.S. stocks lost some ground earlier this morning following a 5-week winning streak of the Dow recorded on Friday.

Monday's losses came ahead of Federal Reserve' s policy meeting on its massive bond-buying program and a series of economic data due out this week.

When the market closed, the Dow dipped 0.2 percent.

The S&P 500 slid 0.4 percent.

The Nasdaq dropped 0.4 percent.

Meanwhile, in Canada, the S&P/TSX was up some 0.2 percent.

In Europe, European equities edged up on Monday.

this comes as a number of mergers and takeovers pushed a key regional index back towards a 2-month high.

However, a fall in banking sector shares caused the markets to close down, and below their intraday highs.

as a result, France's CAC 40's unchanged.

And both London's FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX edged up close to 0.2 percent.

 

 

China orders government debt audit

 

The National Audit Office is to carry out a nationwide review of government debt here in China.

The move was requested by the State Council though no timetable for when the audit will take place has been announced.

This directive came about amid warnings about looming systematic risks in non-transparent local government debt.

Previous audits have shown that by the end of 2012, 36 local governments owned the liabilities of 3.85 trillion yuan - nearly 13 percent higher that at the end of 2010.

For more on the impact of this mounting government debt, Ben Leung spoke with Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily.

(qa with mark)

Back anchor: that's Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily.

 

 

EU outlines solar panel deal details

 

The European Union's trade commissioner has announced details about the settlement reached on solar panels with its Chinese counterpart.

The EU and Chinese solar panel exporters have agreed to end the trade dispute through setting a minimum export price.

Karel de Gucht says under the deal, producers accounting for about 70 percent of Chinese solar panel exports to the EU have agreed to set a minimum price.

"The Chinese suppliers have agreed to voluntary price undertaking where they commit to stop dumping and keep prices above a certain floor. In return, those companies who participate in this engagement do not have to pay the anti-dumping duties."

However De Gucht says this undertaking would apply for only an annual volume that covers only part of the European market.

The undertaking agreement is to be effective until the end of 2015.

The Commissioner believes the agreement will stabilise the European solar panel market and will remove the injury that the European industry has suffered.

The announcement comes nearly two months after the European Commission decided on June 4 to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels from China.

 

 

Central SOEs profits up 18.2 pct in H1

 

China's 113 state-owned enterprises or central SOEs have posted a net profit increase of 18.2 percent year on year in the first half of 2013.

The net profits of central SOEs totaled 631.5 billion yuan during the period.

The total revenues of central SOEs during the first six months of 2013 rose 9 percent year on year to hit 11.4 trillion yuan.

During the period, the SOEs had 1 trillion yuan payable in taxes and fees.

It is up 3.4 percent from last year.

These central SOEs are administered by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China.

 

 

Economic restructuring key to China's reform: JP Morgan

 

JP Morgan's Chief China Economist has stressed the importance of restructuring efforts when it comes to China's economic reform.

Zhu Haibin adds that efforts should be made to address structural imbalances and to support growth.

He says the government is also doing the right thing by using savings from curbs on administrative spending to make its fiscal policy more effective.

Regarding China's monetary policy, he noted that the central bank is seeking to activate existing credit stock by cutting down on speculative lending and directing funds.

 

 

China's mobile payments to exceed 9 trln yuan in 2015: report

 

China's online payment transactions are to exceed 9 trillion yuan in 2015.

The Internet Society of China, or the ISC, reports the country's mobile banking sector handled 800 billion yuan in online payment transactions in 2012.

This is an increase of nearly 2.5 times compared to a year earlier.

According to the ISC, the country's online payment market is maturing with an accelerated growth of internet finance.

Online payment transactions totaled 830 trillion yuan in 2012.

 

 

IMF approves $2.3 billion aid for Greece

 

The International Monetary Fund has approved a further 1.7 billion euros in funds for Greece's bailout program.

Greece last week adopted the last piece of legislation required by its international lenders to release the next batch of rescue loans.

Total funds from the IMF, the European Commission and the European Central Bank comprise of 5.8 billion euros.

Subject to the implementation of further reforms, Athens stands to receive another 1 billion euros from international lenders in October.

Greece's rescue, approved in March 2012, will total 173 billion euros over four years.

The plan aims to help Athens recover from it's sovereign debt crisis, return to markets, and protect the country from a possible exit from the euro zone.

 

 

U.S. pending home sales down 0.4 pct in June

 

New stats show that after reaching the highest level in more than six years in May, U.S. pending home sales edged down slightly in June.

A leading U.S. industry group reports its index of pending home sales decreased 0.4 percent to 110.9 in June.

The index measures the number of contracts that have been signed but not yet closed for purchasing previously owned homes.

The estimate last month was 10.9 percent higher than the level in June 2012.

There is usually one or two months' lag between signing a contract and closing a deal.

So the index is regarded as a forward-looking indicator of future existing home sales.

A reading of 100 indicates an average level of sales activity in 2001, when the index started.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

Israel and Palestine to resume talks in Washington

 

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are set to begin their "initial talks" soon in Washington to lay the groundwork for further peace negotiations.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he "strongly supports" the resumption of the peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

US President Barack Obama says it is "a promising step forward".

US Secretary of State John Kerry has named a former US ambassador to Israel as the lead negotiator.

The talks, which have been stalled for 3 years, follow 6 visits to the Middle East in the last 5 months by Kerry.

The breakthrough also comes after Israel approved the release of more than 1-hundred Palestinian prisoners.

 

 

40 injured in train collision in Western Switzerland

 

At least 40 people have been injured after a train collision in western Switzerland.

At least five of them are in serious condition.

The crash took place in Vaud canton, 50km south-west of the capital, Bern.

Witnesses say the two trains collided head-on early Monday evening.

The driver of one of the trains is believed to be trapped inside the wreckage.

The collision comes days after the fatal train derailment in Spain which left nearly 80 people dead.

 

 

Gunmen storm Pakistan prison

 

Taliban militants have stormed a prison in northwest Pakistan, setting free at least 40 inmates and injuring three policemen.

Local police say gunmen used rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns during the attack on the jail in the town of Dera Ismail Khan.

The prison houses hundreds of Taliban and other militants.

Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

 

Tunisia PM says not to quit

 

Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Larayedh says he and his government will not quit despite opposition demands.

Larayedh says his government is not clinging to power but rather fulfilling its duty.

He has also called general elections for December amid demands for the ouster of the Islamist-led transitional government.

The prime minister's announcement comes after the assassination of a prominent opposition figure.

Meantime, at least eight soldiers have been killed by gunmen near the Algerian border on the backdrop of the political turmoil.

The attack took place in the remote Mount Chaambi area, where troops have been searching for hideouts of suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants.

 

 

Chinese FM welcomes deal with EU on solar panel dispute

 

Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the Chinese government welcomes a price undertaking deal reached between China and the European Union to resolve their dispute over solar panels.

Wang Yi made the comments at a meeting with his Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn in Beijing.

Wang says the deal benefits both sides as well as the world economy.

Meantime, EU trade commissioner Karel de Gucht has outlined the deal in Brussels.

De Gucht says about 70 percent of Chinese solar panel imports to the EU have agreed to set a minimum price - though he has not revealed the details of the price.

The deal comes two months after the European Commission decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels from China.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Beijing plans $81b shantytown renovation project

Summary

The Beijing Municipal Committee of Housing and Urban-Rural Development says Beijing is to invest 500 billion yuan or 81.49 billion dollars over five years for the shantytown renovation inside the fourth ring road.

The project will involve compensation and relocation of residents.

The first 83 projects will be finished this year.

GLOBAL TIMES

Headline

International tiger conference roars into life in Kunming

Summary

The Global Tiger Day is marked with the opening day of an international workshop on the transboundary conservation of tigers and other endangered species in Kunming, Yunnan Province.

The workshop will also focus on strategy for combating illegal wildlife trade, in an effort to boost global population recovery among endangered species.

The population of tigers in China has been increasing in recent years thanks to the construction of several ecological programs.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

City take-offs 'free of air traffic restrictions'

Summary

A senior civil aviation official says Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao international airports are among eight in the country that will be free from air traffic restrictions on take-offs.

Air traffic restrictions - often a result of giving way to military operations or if destination airports are simply too busy - are major causes of flight delays in China.

BEIJING NEWS

Headline

Authorities to probe Wang Lin allegations

Summary

Wang Lin, a mysterious martial arts and Taoist philosophy master, who has been accused of fraud, could reportedly face punishment for alleged illegal practice of medicine.

The health bureau of Luxi county says Wang is not qualified in medicine and has no license.

Wang is among the richest people in Luxi county and one of his villas covers more than 6,600 square meters with a man-made lake.

BEIJING TIMES

Headline

Official takes back 'scum' remark

Summary

A senior official in Guizhou Province has apologized for using "improper words" on his Sina Weibo.

This follows previous posts describing Web users who criticize their "motherland" as "scum" and telling them to emigrate to the US.

Chen Mingming, vice-governor of the province, wrote in a Monday post that as a Web user and a provincial-level official, he should be more cautious about his expressions online.

SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY

Headline

Suicidal engineer involved in police investigation: authorities

Summary

Authorities say the senior engineer who committed suicide Friday was one of several people who are being investigated by police over a bridge collapse that occurred in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Six vehicles plunged into the Tongkou River and 12 people went missing in the collapse, which occurred on the morning of July 9.

DONGGUAN TIMES

Headline

'Principal Day' creator suspended

Summary

The head of a high school in Hainan Province has been suspended from his post after at least two whistle-blowers said that he has been holding banquets under the disguise of "Principal Day" in order to collect money from attendees.

The former head is also accused of arranging for 11 of his relatives to work at the school and illegally obtaining money from contractors of school projects.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

China Mobile Game Market

 

Anchor

China has recently seen a surge in popularity of mobile games among its 1.18 billion mobile phone users.

Analysts are predicting the value of the country's mobile game market will hit 10 billion yuan by the end of 2013.

Li Dong has the details.

Reporter

The number of PC game players once exceeded 100 million in China. However, with the advent of mobile devices, especially smartphones and tablets, more and more players have shifted to mobile games which, unlike computer games, can be played anywhere.

Shao Jie is a gaming fan. He used to spend four to five hours on gaming when he was at school. But since starting work full time, he has turned to mobile games on his smartphone to kill time during his daily commute on the subway.

"Computer games emphasize interaction between players, while mobile games are the opposite. When playing games on a mobile phone, a person is engaged in the game alone for most of the time. I think that's the most remarkable and significant difference between computer games and mobile games."

Mobile gaming fever has not just been confined to China. In Japan, mobile games have lured more and more mobile subscribers.

Hirabayashi Hisakazu is an analyst of Japan's game industry.

"The increasing popularization of smartphones plus a game's favorable reputation among players contributes to a game's great success. In addition, companies adopted the marketing mode of small profits but quick turnover and this successful mode will continue in the future."

The boom of the global mobile gaming industry and its huge market potential have also triggered a tide of business acquisitions. The first acquisition was sealed between Ourpalm Company, the first Chinese mobile gaming company listed in the domestic A-share market in May of 2012, and Dovo Technology Inc., a leading Chinese web game developer.

Following Ourpalm Company's acquisition, Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group bought all the shares of Guangzhou Yaowan Entertainment Network Technology Company for 1.699 billion yuan. On July 20, Huayi Bros. Media Group announced their plan to buy a portion of the shares of Guangzhou Yinhan Technology Company, a well-known mobile game developer, for 2 billion yuan.

Song Wei, the general-secretary of the Global Mobile Game Confederation, spoke about the greater levels of investment in the mobile gaming industry.

"In the past, these mobile gaming companies hesitated to dive deep into the market as there were too many mobile Internet businesses then. However, seeing the growing popularity of mobile games nowadays, they think that the market is warming up so they start pouring money into it because none of them want to miss this opportunity."

Statistics revealed that the market value totaled 5.87 billion yuan in China in 2012.

Compared with the traditional personal computer game industry which took a decade to reach 10 billion yuan in terms of market value, it will only take one year for the mobile game sector to reach the same level. Therefore, 2013 is being dubbed by industrial insiders as "the year for mobile games".

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Ruta Meilutyte sets world record, while Ye Shiwen misses out on a medal

 

Lithuanian teenager Ruta Meilutyte broke the first world record of the week at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona.

The 16-year-old shaved a tenth of a second off American Jessica Hardy's 1:04.45 time in the 100 meter breaststroke.

Meilutytye's record came in the semifinals, and she'll be looking to claim Lithuania's first world championship gold in the finals later today.

Also winning yesterday,

Cesar Cielo of Brazil claimed his second consecutive 50 metres butterfly title.

Australia's Christian Sprenger took gold in the 100 metres breaststroke.

And Swedish teenager Sarah Sjostrom triumphed in the 100 metres butterfly

But it was a disappointment for China when Olympic champion Ye Shiwen failed to defend her title in the 200 metres individual medley.

Ye finished in fourth, surrendering the gold to Katinka Hosszu of Hungary.

 

 

Peng Shuai claims third gold at Chinese National Games

 

Chinese tennis stars Peng Shuai and Zhang Shuai took gold in womens doubles at the Chinese National Games yesterday.

Peng and her partner Zhang Shuai won by default after their opponents Zheng Saisai and Xu Yifan were forced to pull out with an injury.

Peng has claimed three out of the four available gold medals in tennis events, including the womens team and mixed doubles. All that's left is the womens singles final, which will be between Peng and fellow Tianjin representative Duan Yingying.

In mens doubles, Shanghai's Wu di and Zhang zhizhen won gold after defeating the Beijing duo Gao wan and Gao peng.

The tennis events are the first rounds of competition at this year's12th Chinese National games.

They are taking place ahead of the other events, which begin in late August, to avoid collision with the US Open.

 

 

Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios visit the Great Wall of China

 

Most tourists are content with walking along the Great Wall and taking a few photos.

But when Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao visited the wall yesterday, he decided to pick one of the steepest sections and stage a footrace to the top.

The boxing icon was joined by the young American fighter Brandon Rios, who was just a bit slower in reaching the top.

The pair are in Beijing for a promotional tour ahead of November's 12-round welterweight bout in Macau.

"I am so happy to have a fight in Macau, especially in China. This is a big opportunity for the boxers to promote boxing in China."

Over the weekend, the Pacquiao and Rios witnessed Chinese boxer Zou Shiming win his second professional fight in a six-round match against Mexican boxer Jesus Ortega.

November's fight will be critical for both Pacquiao and Rios, but for different reasons.

The Pac-man needs a win to silence retirement rumors and Rios needs a win to cement his status as a rising star.

 

 

Mark Wiebe wins Senior Open

 

The Senior Open had an unorthodox Monday finish this year, after a final round tie sent American Mark Wiebe and Germany's Bernhard Langer into a fifth day playoff.

Wiebe eventually bested Langer on the fifth hole to claim his first Senior Open title.

"Ah, let's see. How do I sum that up. I just was luckier today and last night than Bernie (Langer) I guess. Yeah, I also feel that Bernie has won a couple of hundred tournaments. He has won so many that I feel that it was my turn. That's what I feel like."

In the final round on Sunday, Langer's double-bogey on the 18th hole had cost him the lead, and allowed Wiebe to pull even and force the playoff.

On Monday, Langer had a second chance to win, but the 2010 Senior Open champion couldn't sink his 12-foot birdie putt on the third hole.

It was a significant win for Wiebe, whose previous best result was a tie for 12th place in the 1989 PGA Championship.

 

 

Manchester United defeats Hong Kong club Kitchee

 

Manchester United completed its tour of Asia and Australia with a breezy 5-2 win over local club Kitchee in Hong Kong.

The pitch the teams played on is notoriously difficult and known to cause injuries. But Manchester manager David Moyes complimented his players on making the difficult pitch look easy.

The Scotsman , who recently took over from the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson, added that the tour had allowed him to bond with his new squad

"I've gotten a chance to know the players. To try and settle into my environment and the players to get to know me as well. They have been working with a great manager for a long time, a lot of them, so it's going to take time," he commented.

Once home, Moyes will have to turn his attention to Chelsea's pursuit of his striker Wayne Rooney.

 

 

International footballers compete in the Weifang Cup

 

Young international footballers are competing in the Weifang Cup International Tournament in Shandong province this week.

Youth teams from China, Mongolia, Iran, Brazil, and England are among those contending this year.

The Chinese squad has already posted one victory after beating Myanmar 2-0.

The tournament has been running since 2006, and is sponsored by the Chinese Football Association.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Pacific Rim's Sequel Chances Depend on CHINA

 

Whether or not filmmaker Guillermo del Toro's new epic battle for human survival film Pacific Rim will get a sequel largely depends on Chinese audiences.

(BJH/soundbite/0730 rim trailer)

Though the film exceeded the expectation of those who thought it would flop in the US it didn't do well enough to demand a sequel.

The film will soon be opening here in China and many believe its performance here will be the determining factor on whether we can expect a sequel.

Analysts believe if Pacific Rim can make at least 50-million US dollars at the Chinese box office then a sequel is likely.

However, the 3 and a half week lag between the film's US and China release means there's plenty of time for piracy to occur and ticket sales to suffer.

Fast and Furious 6's recent relatively weak Chinese premiere of 24-million US dollars also bodes poorly for Pacific Rim.

Pacific Rim will open in China very soon.

 

 

Duet with Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury to be released

 

3-duets between legendary pop icon Michael Jackson and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury will be officially released later this year.

(queen clip)

The 30-year-old tracks were recorded in Jackson's studio home for a larger project which never came to fruition thanks to the singers' busy schedules.

In his biography Mercury claims they are great songs, but the singers simply ran out of time though others report a rather tumultuous meeting between the two.

While at Jackson's home Mercury reportedly called Queen's manager begging him to get him out of there and comparing Michael Jackson to a llama.

The titles There Must Be More to Life Than This, Victory, and State of Shock were all recorded in 1983, but cleared for release in 2011.

Queen guitarist Brian May has confirmed the tracks will be released this fall and that they're exciting, challenging, emotionally taxing, and cool.

 

 

Britney Spears and Katy Perry Team Up for New Track

 

In other superpower pair news, it has been revealed singer Katy Perry secretly sang backup vocals on Britney Spears' new track Ooh La La.

(spears clip)

The new track will appear in the new Smurfs 2 animated feature film during the credits.

Though the Fireworks singer sang on Spears' track the two didn't meet until the premiere of the Smurfs film.

When asked whether fans could expect future collaborations between the two Perry declined to comment.

Spears is currently working on her 8th studio album with Black Eyed Peas performer Will-I-Am.

The 31-year-old performer is also expected to announce details of her residency stay in Las Vegas, Nevada soon.

 

 

Fiona Apple Announces Tour, Releases Music Vid

 

Controversial musician Fiona Apple has announced she will tour with musician Blake Mills.

(apple clip)

Mills played with Apple's band during her tour for her 2012 album Idler Wheel…

The pair have admitted they have no idea what they'll be playing for audiences though it will likely be a collaborative effort borrowing material from both artists' song books.

Last week Apple released a music video for her song Hot Knife directed by her ex-boyfriend and Academy-Award nominated director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Anderson himself has a busy schedule himself as he is adapting Thomas Pynchon's 2009 novel Inherent Vice for the screen with actors Joaquin Phoenix, Owen Wilson, and Reese Witherspoon.

 

 

NBC Plans Miniseries About Hillary Clinton

 

Network broadcaster NBC is planning on airing a 4-hour miniseries about US politician Hillary Clinton.

Actress Diane Lane is set to take on the role of the Secretary of State, Senator, Presidential Candidate, and First Lady in the new show.

The miniseries will trace Clinton's life beginning in 1998 when she was the First Lady and her husband Bill Clinton was President of the US.

No word on who will portray President Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clinton is not involved with the series, nor has a script been completed yet.