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

Coming up on the program this evening...

China and France reaching a number of agreements as part of Premier Li Keqiang's time in the country.

China has submitted its plans for tackling climate change the UN ahead of this year's massive climate meeting in Paris.

A growing number of EU countries are easing their visa rules to try to lure more Chinese money their way.

Business.... another mass sell-off on the mainland markets once-again today.

In Sports.... the United States is into the final of the Women's World Cup.

In Entertainment.... Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have confirmed they're divorcing.

All of that coming up in just a moment, but first, just a reminder there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

You can follow us on our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour, find us on WeChat by searching "beijinghour", or email us directly at [email protected]. You can also visit english.cri.cn for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

topChina, France agree to launch fund for joint cooperation with third partiesThe Chinese and French governments have announced plans to create a joint fund to support their joint collaborations with third-parties.

The agreement has been finalized as part of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's meeting with French President Francois Hollande.

Li Keqiang says China and France can work well together in a number of areas.

"We are ready to join hands with France to explore third party markets by combining China's medium-level equipment and France's advanced technology and high-end products. In this way we can maintain the relatively high standards of the products while at the same keep the price at a reasonable level acceptable to most developing countries. This will be win-win cooperation."The Chinese and French sides also plan to work together to cope with new infectious diseases and epidemics, as well as explore cooperation in other areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and disaster prevention in other countries.

Climate change is high on the agenda of Premier Li Keqiang's time in France.

France is set to host the Paris Climate Change Conference at the end of this year.

In discussing climate change, Li Keqiang says China's new submission to the UN is a sign the Chinese government is taking climate change very seriously.

"We must cut carbon emissions by sixty to sixty five percent compared to 2005 and we must increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to twenty percent and increase forest reserves by 4.5 billion cubic meters compared to 2005. All these demand strenuous efforts to achieve."The premier is also calling for more cooperation other fields such as nuclear energy, aviation and space.

China, France highly Complementary in Nuclear Power, Aviation CooperationAnchor:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has overseen the signing of a number of new agreements as part of his current trip to France.

The details from CRI's Qian Shanming.

Reporter:

One of the new agreemnts Li Keqiang has overseen includes a number of collaboration agreements among Chinese and French nuclear power companies.

Among the agreements, French nuclear power giant Areva has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the China National Nuclear Corporation for the creation of a used nuclear fuel processing and recycling facility.

Another agreement between the two covers the entire fuel cycle: including extraction and conversion of uranium, fabrication of zirconium fuel assemblies, deconstruction and dismantling, transportation and recycling.

The nuclear agreements are the latest in a long history of nuclear power ties between China and France.

The two countries began collaborating back in 1978, when then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping announced China's purchase of two nuclear power plants from France.

Zhou Dadi, vice director of the China Energy Research Institute, says China's first nuclear power plant, the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, was built with French technology.

"China and France has a long history of nuclear power cooperation. French companies' nuclear technology has been playing an important role in China's construction and operation of nuclear power plants. Our long-term cooperation covers not only the technology, but also management exchanges. One the Chinese side, we will also help France develop their third-generation nuclear reactor EPR project."French analyst Laurence Daziano says the agreements signed in Paris make sense for the French side right now.

"The French nuclear industry is in trouble, actually, and needs financing. And, China is one of the possible partners to invest in our nuclear industry. It's not the only one, and I think the French government has a range of possible companies, or possible partners, to deal with in nuclear energy. But, China is [a] very important one. China is building a lot of nuclear plants on its territory, and there are also possibilities of cooperation."Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has also overseen the purchase of 45 Airbus A330's, as well as a deal for a provisional order for 30 more planes in the future.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has also taken part in the signing ceremony, says they want to see ties between China and France expand when it comes to industrial capacity.

"That's also the case for aeronautics. We are developing a large scale industrial partnership. The agreement we signed a few minutes ago is on the firm sale of forty five A330 Airbus with an optional deal for another thirty aircrafts and another agreement will be signed in Toulouse on Thursday on the creation of an aircraft completion centre in Tianjin."Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's time in Paris comes on the heels of a stop in Belgium as part of his current tour in Europe.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

China submits new, ambitious climate goals to the UNAnchor:

The Chinese government has officially submitted its post-2020 climate change targets to the United Nations, in what Chinese officials are touting as China's "utmost effort" in dealing with global environmental challenges.

CRI's UN correspondent Su Yi has more.

Reporter:

The climate action plan, dubbed the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDC, has been submitted to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change based in Bonn, Germany.

The world's largest greenhouse gas emitter promises in the document to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent of the 2005 level by 2030.

The goal is a big step further from the previous emission control target, which eyes a decrease of 40 to 45 percent of the 2005 level by 2020.

China's carbon emissions per unit of GDP last year were over 33 percent lower than the 2005 level.

The document says the pledge represents China's utmost efforts in addressing climate change.

China's pledge comes ahead of talks late this year in Paris to seek a new global deal on climate change.

Speaking at a high-level U.N. meeting on Monday, China's special representative on climate change Xie Zhenhua says the Chinese side hopes the Paris meeting can achieve some solid deals.

"The agreement to be reached in Paris should follow the principles of justice, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. It should reflect each country's historical responsibilities, development stages, national conditions and response capabilities."UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a statement, praising China's latest move on fighting climate change alongside the submission of an INDC by South Korea.

Farhan Haq is a spokesman for the UN.

"Both submissions represent an important contribution to building momentum and strengthening prospects for reaching a new and meaningful climate change agreement at COP-21 in Paris at the end of the year."Ban Ki-moon has also passed his gratitude to the Chinese President Xi Jinping for his "leadership and strong commitment in addressing climate change".

He is now encouraging other countries to accelerate the preparation and submission of their plans.

All countries involved in UN climate talks must submit national plans for cutting emissions ahead of the Paris talks. China joins several other countries, including EU members, the US, and Mexico which have already committed their plans.

As of Monday, 40 countries of the 196 parties to the convention have submitted their document.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi in New York.

Today's Call-in follow SY climate reportAnchor:

For more on China's work on climate change, CRI's Tu Yun spoke earlier with Wu Changhua, Greater China Director of The Climate Group.

Back anchor:

Wu Changhua, Greater China Director of The Climate Group, speaking with CRI's Tu Yun.

EU to simplify visa policies for Chinese visitorsAnchor:

China and the European Union have come to a new agreement, allowing for 15 visa application centers to be opened up in Chinese cities which don't have consulates.

This comes as a growing number of European countries take steps to simplify visa policies for Chinese travellers.

CRI's Yu Yang has more details.

Reporter:

Embassies and consulates of EU countries in China are mostly in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

This means people hoping to get a visa for travelling to EU countries have to either travel a significant distance or pay travel agencies when applying for Schengen visas, which are good for any EU country.

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in signing the agreement, says the new visa centers will be very helpful for Chinese tourists, business people and students studying abroad.

At the same time, Britain and Belgium are now unifying their visa application services.

This means Chinese travellers can get both their British and Schengen visas in just one trip.

Qian Gang, Manager for the Greater China Region with the British Tourism Authority, says the new policy is very welcome for the UK.

"Chinese tourists are a valuable market for us. Chinese tourists rank first around the world in terms of overseas spending. On average, Chinese people spend 2500 pounds for a single visit to Britain."Meanwhile, the German embassy has also expanded its visa office.

Business travellers to Germany are being promised visas within 48 hours.

"The German embassy has relaxed a lot its policies toward business visas. Rejection rates have decreased a lot. Before, you had to go to the embassy for interviews in order to get the visa. Now all you have to do is to submit the right documents."Tourists trying to get to France, Spain and Italy are also being promised visas in just one or two days.

The French and Finnish embassies in Beijing are now sending their visas to successful applicants by express delivery.

Chen Fengying with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations says all of this comes as countries in Europe battle it out for Chinese money.

"European countries want to attract more Chinese tourists to stimulate their economies and create more jobs. Many European countries are facing high unemployment rates and large debts. Many need to urgently develop their economies. So as policies are relaxed, more Chinese consumers can enter their markets."Chinese nationals made an estimated 120-million foreign visits last year.

That figure is expected to rise to 200-million by 2020.

For CRI, this is Yu Yang.

China Adopts New National Security Law Highlighting Cyber SecurityAnchor:

China's top legislature has adopted a new national security law.

The new law covers a wide range of areas, including internet security and the establishment of a crisis management system.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

Reporter:

Security has been a hot-topic issue in China since the establishment of a National Security Commission in 2013.

President Xi Jinping heads the Commission.

He's been pushing for overarching legislation that can help the country deal with national security threats and risks.

Zheng Shuna, vice chair of the Legislative Affairs Commission on the National People's Congress Standing Committee, says the new law is crucial in the face of ever-growing security challenges.

"Today China's national security is crucial, particularly because of the dual pressures we're under. Externally speaking, China must defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. Internally speaking, it must also maintain political security and social stability. "One key element of the new law is the tightening of cyberspace security.

Under the new legislation, the government is promising tighter controls over Internet and information technologies, infrastructure as well as information systems and data in key sectors.

Zheng Shuna says foreign companies need not be concerned about the changes in the laws.

"China is always willing to cooperate with other countries in safeguarding cyber security, build a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative internet, and establish a multilateral, democratic and transparent international Internet management system."The new law also creates a new crisis management system.

Zhang Dejiang, chair of the NPC Standing Committee, explains the significance of the new law.

"The National Security Law is a basic and comprehensive criteria covering areas of national security. It will play a leading role in constructing a national security system. The implementation and enactment of the new law will pave a legal way for national security with Chinese characteristics. "China's first National Security Law took effect in 1993.

That legislation mainly regulated the work of China's national security agencies.

That law was was renamed the Counterespionage Law in November.

For CRI, this is Xie Cheng.

CY Leung calls on HK to catch up at the 18th anniversary of the establishment of HKSARAnchor:

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung has delivered a speech, calling for lawmakers in the city to "act fast" to stay relevant.

His speech has coincided with today's 18th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

CRI's correspondent Li Jing has more from Hong KongReport:

Despite the notable developments achieved over the past year, including the launch of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect system, the mutual recognition of funds between the Mainland and Hong Kong, and the early realization of basic liberalization of trade in services between Hong Kong and neighboring Guangdong, Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung notes challenges ahead.

"In some areas, such as innovation and technology, Hong Kong is clearly lagging behind and must act fast to catch up. In recent years, some have played down the importance of economic activity and development, or even damaged Hong Kong's reputation, turning a blind eye to the social consequences of a weakened economy. We must stay alert."CY Leung says Hong Kong should continue to capitalize on the "One Country, Two Systems" format Hong Kong is currently governed under, suggesting the city should be a "super-connector" between the mainland and the rest of the world.

"Thanks to our "one country, two systems" arrangement, Hong Kong will serve as a bridge in the Mainland's emerging "One Belt, One Road" initiative. Our world-class trading, logistics, business and professional services and financial sectors can play the triple roles of investor, intermediary and supporter."The latest figures from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows Hong Kong, as a city, ranks second in global foreign direct investment inflows, ahead of the US and just behind the Chinese mainland.

The Special Administration Region also ranks second in terms of FDI outflows.

CY Leung says the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is also going to create enormous opportunities for the city.

"Hong Kong can help, in areas such as project financing, bond issuance, investment, financial management and foreign-exchange management. We can also provide legal, engineering, accounting and other professional services for the planning and implementation of AIIB infrastructure projects."CY Leung also says he plans to spend the next 2-years focusing on the economy, with housing and poverty alleviation high on the agenda.

Various activities are being held across Hong Kong to mark the July 1st return of Hong Kong to China 18-years ago.

They include the annual opening of the People's Liberation Army Garrison to the public, as well as a number of festive parades.

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

Indonesian President urges weapons procurement system reform after devastating plane crashIndonesia's President has issued a new call for the way in which military equipment is purchased.

Joko Widodo has issued the call in the wake of Tuesday's crash of a C-130 military airplane in northern Sumatra.

"I've ordered the defense minister and armed forces commander to undertake a fundamental overhaul of the management of military weaponry. Furthermore, weapons systems and procurement systems should be changed. It is momentum. We can no longer simply buy weapons, but should think to modernize our weapons systems."More than 140 people are dead after the C-130 crashed shortly after takeoff, plowing into a residential neighborhood in the city of Medan.

The flight itself was carrying 122 people at the time, including members of the Indonesian military and their families.

Authorities scouring through the crash site say there's little hope of finding anyone alive.

It's being reported the pilot of the flight requested an emergency landing shortly after takeoff because of engine trouble.

S Korea Waives visa fees to woo back touristsSouth Korean authorities have announced new visa rules in a bid to bolster its tourism sector, which has been heavily impacted by the MERS outbreak.

Kim Young-june with the South Korean Justice Ministry says the move will make it easier for Asian travellers to get into South Korea.

"Starting next Monday, from July 6 to the end of September, for three months, visa application fees will be temporarily exempted for group tourists from five countries including China. The four Southeast Asian countries, other than China, are Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia. These countries will also be exempt from visa application fees."Short-term visas for South Korea will be extended from three to six months.

Tourists who had visas between March and June, but cancelled because of MERS, are now able to enter the country by simply informing immigration.

The MERS outbreak has dealt a serious blow to South Korea's tourism industry.

Foreign tourist numbers for June were down over 50-percent compared to the same period last year.

Iran's E-commerce Waits More OpportunitiesAnchor:

As Iran and the P5+1 grouping extend their nuclear talks to try to get a new deal done, a growing number of Iranian businesses are hoping a final resolution to the lingering dispute will help create more opportunities, particularly through the web.

CRI's Huang Shan has more.

Reporter:

Hamid and Said Mohammadi opened an online shopping website called Digikala with only 10,000 U.S. dollars of savings eight years ago.

Hamid Mohammadi gives more detail.

"Digikala covers 85 to 90 percent of Iran's online retail market share. It is one of the fastest growing Internet enterprises. It is expected to develop to one with hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars within the next three to four years because we have a huge potential market here in Iran."In the beginning, the company sold digital products only.

As more and more people started to appreciate the new shopping method, the business gradually expanded to cover various products, including daily necessities, personal care products, appliances, and even perfume.

Hamid says the popularity of e-commerce in Iran will keep growing.

"We have a large number of young clients who are well educated. They warmly welcome the new things that can change their lifestyle. So we believe that e-commerce will be more and more popular in Iran, and the idea has been proved right in the past few years."The brothers believe if online stores can provide good shopping experiences for clients, with reasonable prices and good service, e-commerce in Iran will continue to expand and cover more of the retail sector.

Hamid says the company is waiting to see whether the country can remove sanctions and embrace more overseas investment.

"In the past eight years our growth rate surpassed 200 percent every year, and if there are no sanctions, but more overseas investment, the growth would be faster. For overseas investors, it is also a golden chance."But the brothers also indicate that e-commerce in Iran is still new and immature.

More work needs to be done to promote online shopping in the country.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

weatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 18 degrees Celsius; tomorrow sunny to cloudy with a high of 34.

Shanghai will be overcast tonight with a low of 21, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 29.

Chongqing will be overcast tonight with a low of 24, and it will see thundershowers tomorrow with a high of 29.

Lhasa has showers tonight with a low of 14, tomorrow cloudy with a high of 27.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, light rain tomorrow, 36.

Kabul, cloudy, 31.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, cloudy with a high of 16.

Brisbane, sunny with a high of 19.

Perth, light rain, 22.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be overcast with a high of 16 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina, France ink Airbus A330 deal during Premier Li's visitA new deal has been signed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for the purchase of 45 Airbus A330's.

The deal has been inked as part of the Premier's current visit to France.

Li Keqiang has also met with his French counterpart Manuel Valls, with the two agreeing to cooperation in various areas, including industry, infrastructure and energy.

As part of his time in France, Li Keqiang is also scheduled to visit the headquarters of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

China adopts new law on national security and tax avoidanceChina's top legislature has adopted a new national security law.

The new law covers a wide spectrum of areas, including cyber security, defense, finance, science and technology, culture and religion.

It also includes China's activities and assets in outer space, on the international sea bed, and in the polar regions.

At the same time, Chinese authorities have also signed-off on an international convention combating tax avoidance.

The deal will see China take part in more global initiatives connected to tax evasion.

China's addition to the convention will not cover either Hong Kong or Macao for the time being.

Chinese officials shall pledge allegiance to ConstitutionChinese officials are going to have to pledge allegiance to the Constitution before taking up their posts.

The decision has been formalized at the current meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

All officials elected or appointed by people's congresses at all levels, as well as people on standing committees above the county level, will have to take a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution.

This will take effect at the start of next year.

It's meant to raise public awareness of the Constitution in China.

Death toll from Henan building fire hits 15The death toll from a fire in a residential building in Henan last week has risen to 15.

Two people injured in the massive blaze at the building in Zhengzhou have succumbed to their injuries.

9 people died immediately when the fire engulfed the ground floor of the building early Thursday morning.

Of the 8 who managed to survive, only 2 are now still alive.

Firefighters say clutter piled in a corridor caught fire, belching out toxic smoke.

The exact cause of the fire remains unclear.

Egypt army says 10 soldiers killed, injured in North Sinai50 soldiers have reportedly been killed and 40 others have been injured in a series of militant attacks targeting checkpoints in Egypt.

At the same time, more than 20 of the attackers have also been killed in the fighting.

The attacks have been taking place in the North Sinai.

It comes just a couple of days after Egypt's top prosecutor was assassinated in a suicide car bombing.

biz reportsstocksIt's been another roller-coaster day on the mainland markets.

The markets were trading virtually flat throughout the day.

But in the last hour of trading, investors launched a major sell-off on the back of new PMI figures showing sluggish factory activity in China.

Nearly 800 stocks on the mainland markets fell by their daily limit of 10 percent, led down by financial and shipping stocks.

At the close,The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index plunged 5.2 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index dropped 4.8 percent.

The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises lost 3.5 percent.

Bucking the trend, Hong Kong continued it bullish run this week.

The Hang Seng gained some 1.1 percent higher.

Elsewhere in Asia,Shares in Tokyo ended up on optimism over Japan's economic outlook.

The Nikkei ticked up 0.5 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI rallied 1.1 percent.

Singapore's Straits Times Index edged up 0.4 percent.

Finally, Australia's ASX 200 closed 1 percent higher.

China's service sector activity shows sign of improvementNew stats show activity in China's service sector has picked up in June.

The purchasing managers' index for the non-manufacturing sector has come in at 53.8 in June.

This is up from the 53.2 figure registered in May.

Zhao Qinghe, a senior analyst from the National Bureau of Statistics, says a rebound in the real estate market and infrastructure projects are driving the service sector.

"The new orders index climbed up from below the expansion/contraction threshold, indicating a rise in the demands for the non-manufacturing sector. Overall, the non-manufacturing sector had a stable growth and expanded at a faster speed."The rise in the non-manufacturing PMI marks the end of 3 consecutive months of drops in the numbers.

Non-Manufacturing PMI tracks the business activities of the services and construction sectors.

Any reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 represents contraction.

The manufacturing PMI has come in at 50.2 in June, unchanged from the month before.

Mainland- HK mutual fund recognition scheme starts operationA new mutual fund program is underway connecting the mainland and Hong Kong.

The new scheme allows eligible Hong Kong-registered funds to be sold to retail investors on the mainland.

An initial investment volume of 300-billion yuan has been set for fund buying and selling.

Chan Ching, director of a Hong Kong-based fund company, says the scheme should be lucrative for Hong Kong investors.

"It is the first chance for international investment institutes to come to the mainland to sell funds from Hong Kong with their own brands, which will be helpful for brand building and saving long-term investment. It is open to the global market. The funds in Hong Kong can be divided into 54 types, all of which can be shared with mainland investors"Right now, around 100 funds in Hong Kong are qualified to apply for the scheme.

850 funds from the mainland currently meet the requirements.

China enters Post-WTO transition periodAnchor:

China's Ministry of Commerce has issued a new statement, saying the general level of China's import tariffs are going to remain steady.

The comments come amid reports China's 15-year transition period in its accession to the World Trade Organization has officially come to an end.

Reports have been circulating; suggesting import tariffs are going to be cut greatly if the transition period is truly over.

The Commerce Ministry notes average import tariff levels are already at levels the WTO requires of its members.

For more on this, we spoke earlier with Professor Liu Baocheng from the University of International Business and Economics based in BeijingBack anchor:

That was Professor Liu Baocheng at University of International Business and Economics here in BeijingBRICS Contingency Fund expected to be operational in 30 daysIt's been announced a BRICS Contingency Fund is going to be operational within the next 30-days.

The fund is being established as an emergency reserve which BRICS countries can tap if they run into payment issues.

It's being seeded with 100-billion U.S. dollars.

China is the largest contributor, adding 41-billion US dollars into the fund.

Brazil, Russia and India are each chipping in 18-billion dollars, while cash-strapped South Africa only has to add 5-billion into the mix for now.

Meanwhile, the five BRICS countries have also signed the official documents for the creation of the new BRICS Development Bank.

The bank itself is being headquartered in Shanghai.

It's slated to be officially operational later this year.

EFSF announces expiration of Greek bailoutThe European Financial Stability Facility has officially confirmed the Greek financial assistance program has expired.

In making the statement, the EFSF says a loan of 1.8 billion euros will no longer be available for Greece.

It also says 11 billion euros worth of cash to cover the potential cost of bank recapitalization in Greece is also being cancelled.

The EFSF, financed by members of the Eurozone, is Greece's largest creditor.

Its loans to Greece currently stand at around 130 billion euros.

Meanwhile, the Greek government says it has presented its latest proposal for a debt deal with creditors to stave off a default and exit from the Eurozone in the coming weeks.

Eurozone ministers are set to hold the conference-call to explore the possibility of a new bailout deal for Greece later on this Wednesday.

This comes after the Greek government put in a request for the meeting after it defaulted on a 1.6-billion euro repayment this week.

In doing so, Greece now holds the distinction of being the first developed country to ever default on an IMF loan payment.

The last country to miss a payment was Zimbabwe back in 2001.

SportsTennis: Wimbledon UpdateIn tennis action from Wimbeldon:

In men's action:

(UPDATE)And in Women's action:

(UPDATE)Then, hitting the courts at 8 p.m., Beijing time:

On the men's side of things:

World no. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on Jarkko Nieminen;Fifth-seed Kei Nishikori will battle Colombia's Santiago Giraldo;No. 7 Canadian Milos Raonic takes on German Tommy Haas;and French Open winner Stan Wawrinka will battle Victor Estrella Burgos.

In women's action:

Top-ranked Serena Williams takes on Hungarian Timea Babos.

WWC: U.S. Beats Germany 2-0, Enters FinalsIn football action from the Women's World Cup:

The United States is heading into the finals after their 2-0 win over top-ranked Germany on Tuesday.

The first half remained gridlocked at 0-0, with the world no. 1 and world no. 2 teams having no answer for the others' defenses.

Then, in the second half, the U.S. opened up scoring in the 66th minute off a controversial penalty.

Germany's Annike Krahn fouled American Alex Morgan just outside the box, but the referee said it was inside and awarded the U.S. a penalty kick; this coming just seven minutes after Germany missed their first penalty in World Cup history.

Carli Lloyd took the kick for the U.S. and sent the ball home.

Five minutes before time, substitute Kelley O'Hara doubled the Americans' lead with her first international goal.

U.S. head coach Jill Ellis says that, while they are ecstatic over the win, the focus now shifts on the World Cup final.

"I thought that it was an unbelievable duel between two tremendous teams. Germany is a great opponent and really tested us and pushed us. But obviously we're delighted to be moving on. Our focus, we'll enjoy this tonight, and then our focus will immediately turn to our next opponent."The women of the U.S. will face the winner of tomorrow morning's match between England and defending champions, Japan.

Japan won the title in 2011 after a shock win over the U.S.

Copa America: Argentina in Finals After Thrashing Paraguay 6-1In football action from the Copa America:

Argentina demolished Paraguay 6-1 in the semi-finals.

Star striker Lionel Messi set up five goals as Argentina embarrassed Paraguay.

Lucas Barrios was the sole scorer for the defeated, who were hoping for a second-straight Copa final, after losing to Urugay in 2011.

Argentina will meet hosts Chile in the final. Messi says that, although this is Argentina's second final since the World Cup in 2014, Chile won't be easy to beat:

"We come from a World Cup final and now a Copa America final. Personally it's my third final with the national team. Hopefully we will win it. We are very happy, we arrive very well, and we will play against a very good team like Chile, which has been showing since the first game that it's one of the best. They are playing at home, it will be a difficult match."Argentina is looking for their first big trophy since winning the 1993 Copa America.

Football: Brazil Int'l Robinho Close to Signing with Guangzhou EvergrandeIn off-pitch football news from the Chinese Super League:

Robinho moved a step closer to signing for China's Guangzhou Evergrande after announcing his departure from Brazil's Santos on Tuesday.

The Brazil international winger, who rescinded his contract with AC Milan in May, had spent the past year on loan at Santos, scoring 17 goals in 41 matches.

Brazilian news portal Uol reported that Guangzhou have offered Robinho a three-year contract with a monthly salary of one million euros.

His signing would represent a major coup for the Chinese outfit, who on Monday announced the arrival of Brazil international midfielder Paulinho from Tottenham Hotspur for 14 million euros.

NBA: New Orleans Re-signs Anthony Davis for $145mln, 5-year ContractIn the National Basketball Association:

The New Orleans Pelicans inked a deal with Anthony Davis that could be the richest contract in NBA history.

ESPN is reporting that Davis and New Orleans have agreed to a five-year extension on his contract worth almost 145 million U.S. dollars when it goes into effect during the 2016-2017 season.

N.O. will officially sign Davis on July 9, when free-agent contracts can start being finalized, under NBA rules.

Davis led New Orleans to the first round of the NBA playoffs, averaging at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in his first four post-season games. Those numbers put him in the company of hall-of-famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob McAdoo.

In other trade news:

The San Antonio Spurs have agreed to max out forward Kawhi Leonard's contract to 90 million dollars for the next five years.

Leonard was key during the Spurs' 20-4 run from February to the end of the regular season.

NHL: Chicago Trades Brandon Saad to Columbus; Bieksa Joins AnaheimIn the National Hockey League:

Stanley Cup champs Chicago Blackhawks have shipped off star forward Brandon Saad to the Columbus Bluejackets on Tuesday.

Joining Saad are forward Alex Broadhurst and defenseman Michael Paliotta. In return, Chicago are getting a seven-player trade that includes a 2016 fourth-round pick.

Saad has 52 goals and 74 assists in 208 regular-season games with Chicago. At just 22 years old, he has already won two Stanley Cups.

In other NHL trade news:

The Anaheim Ducks added Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa to their roster in exchange for a second-round pick in 2016.

Bieksa was reportedly acquired when the Ducks failed to re-sign veteran Francois Beauchemin; Anaheim manager, Bob Murray, moved quickly to find a top-notch replacement.

Bieksa spent his 10-year NHL career with Vancouver, notching 56 goals and 185 assists.

The hard-nosed defenseman was on track to join San Jose last week before the deal fell apart.

EntertainmentJackie Chan Becomes First Chinese to Appear in Forbes' "World's Highest-Paid Celebrities"Chinese film star Jackie Chan has become the first Chinese national to appear in Forbes list of the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrities".

Jackie Chan is ranked 38th place, with total earnings of around 50 million US dollars over the past 12 months.

The top two spots on the celebrity list are held by boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao following their massive pay-day for their fight earlier this year.

US pop singer Katy Perry sits in 3rd on the list, pulling in an estimated 135 million US dollars over the past year.

UK boy band One Direction currently ranks fourth, rising rapidly on the list, where they were ranked 28th last year.

Chinese Mainland Box Office Revenue Surpasses 20 Bln yuan in First Six MonthsNew stats show box office revenues in China have surpassed 20 billion yuan so far this year.

This is nearly 50-percent growth compared with the first half of last year.

156 different films have been screened in Chinese theatres so far this year.

Imported films have generated 53.5-percent of the gross revenues.

This is 7-percent more than domestic films.

Hollywood blockbusters, including "Fast and Furious 7", "Avengers 2: Age of Ultron" and "Jurassic World" have been the top grossing movies in China so far this year.

"Fast and Furious 7" has taken in 2.4 billion yuan, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time in China.

Chinese film "The Man from Macao II" is the largest domestic grossing film this year, bringing in 970-million yuan.

Kung-fu Moive "The Master" Sets Release Date on December 11A new trailer has been released for Hong Kong screenwriter Xu Haofeng's first directorial effort, "The Master".

Featuring series of action scenes, the trailer doesn't provide much insight into the plot of the movie.

It's being adapted from Xu Haofeng's own novel under the same title, which has already won two major literary awards in China.

Xu Haofeng also wrote the script for last year's hit "The Grandmaster".

"The Master" will open in Chinese theatres on December 11th.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Announce Divorce after 10 Year of MarriageActor-director Ben Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner have announced their plans to divorce after 10-years of marriage.

The couple have three children between the ages of 3 and 9.

They've issued a joint statement, saying they plan to "go forward with love and friendship for one another" and will continue co-parent their children.

Reasons behind their split haven't been made public.

However, there has been speculation the couple may have been on the rocks, after Affleck called his marriage "work" during his acceptance speech for Best Picture for his 2013 film "Argo."It's being reported the 42-year-old Affleck will continue to live on the couple's property but in a separate house.

Affleck, who is going to be the next Batman, and Garner began dating during the filming of the spin-off film from his first foray into superherodom, Daredevil.

Neve Campbell to Star in "House of Cards" Season 4A new face has been confirmed in the upcoming season of the popular Netflix drama "House of Cards".

41-year-old Neve Campbell has been added to the 4th season as a regular.

It’s unclear at this point who Campbell's character is going to be.

There have been reports the new season of "House of Cards" will add a new, younger couple who emerge as challengers to Frank and Claire Underwood.

Season 4 will pick-up from the end of Season 3, which has seen Claire leave Frank, who is now the US President.

Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are returning to their roles as Frank and Claire..

The new season of "House of Cards" will begin shooting this summer, and should be released sometime next year.

weatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 18 degrees Celsius; tomorrow sunny to cloudy with a high of 34.

Shanghai will be overcast tonight with a low of 21, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 29.

Chongqing will be overcast tonight with a low of 24, and it will see thundershowers tomorrow with a high of 29.

Lhasa has showers tonight with a low of 14, tomorrow cloudy with a high of 27.

That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

China and France reaching a number of agreements as part of Premier Li Keqiang's time in the country.

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, I'm Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together...