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

Coming up on our program this morning...

The Chinese premier assures French business leaders of China's economic prospects, inviting them to invest...

China's top legislature passes a draft document allowing prosecutors to file litigation on cases in the public interest, like food safety and the environment...

And Egypt's cabinet has approved a new anti-terrorism bill...

In Business...China Securities Regulatory Commission is investigating possible market manipulation...

In Sports...a major upset in the early going at Wimbledon...

In entertainment...filming has been completed for the epic Chinese-American feature "The Great Wall..."Top NewsPremier Visits Toulouse, Signs New Airbus DealAnchorChinese Premier Li Keqiang has assured the French business community of China's economic prospects and invited them to invest in the world's second-largest economy.

The premier visited the southern French city of Toulouse on Thursday, before wrapping up his official visit to France.

CRI's Qi Zhi has more.

ReporterAddressing a business summit in Toulouse, Li Keqiang again called for more bilateral cooperation in industry and energy, as well as joint efforts in exploring international markets.

"We've also decided to setup a mutual fund for international industrial capacity cooperation and exploring third-party markets to finance relevant projects and bring competitive products to third-party markets. This will be a strong countermeasure to the weak global economic recovery since the financial crisis. As such, China-France cooperation will benefit not only our two countries but also the world."As part of his time in Toulouse, Li Keqiang and his French counterpart Manuel Valls have witnessed the signing of another batch of cooperation deals covering such areas as energy, environment and finance.

The Chinese premier has also taken time to visit the headquarters of leading aircraft maker Airbus where an agreement was signed on setting up Airbus' second plant in northern China's Tianjin.

It came after China agreed to buy 45 A330 jets worth over 11 billion US dollars, with an option for an additional 30 aircraft.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls says aviation cooperation has long been a priority of bilateral cooperation.

"I was able to visit the remarkable site of Tianjin last January. And we have further deepened this partnership. Airbus has thus decided to expand its investment in Tianjin and to put in place a completion centre for the ultra-high capacity aircraft A330."Airbus' first manufacturing plant in Tianjin opened in 2008, and it has assembled more than 200 A320s so far.

The 150-million-euro new plant will be placed alongside the existing facility in late 2017.

It will be responsible for completing cabin work on A330 jetliners.

For CRI, this is Qi Zhi.

China continues to play constructive part in resolving Iran's nuclear issue: FMChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Vienna to join the talks on the Iran nuclear issue.

Negotiators are trying to reach a final deal which would curtail Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.

Wang Yi says he is optimistic about a deal but cautions there are still difficult issues to resolve.

"I think there is a high possibility for a deal, but I still need to consult with my colleagues. The nuclear talks have entered a fast period; however, we are still faced with many important and sensitive issues that cannot be avoided. China has come here to help resolve the issue and we will bring some solutions and thoughts."Wang Yi expects a fair, balanced and just solution at the talks.

On Tuesday, Iran and representatives from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, missed a self-imposed deadline to reach a final agreement, but did agree to extend the deadline to July 7th.

Major sticking points include the pace and timing of sanctions relief, and the monitoring and verification of Iran's nuclear program.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is also joining the Vienna talks.

"There are things that have moved forward but the negotiations have not ended yet. There will be more work done by our collaborators and I expect to come back to Vienna Sunday night. And I hope that then, we will be able to move forward, to, maybe, let's hope for it, a final solution which would allow for a robust deal."Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is in Tehran to discuss with Iranian officials methods for clarifying key nuclear issues.

Yukiya Amano has met President Hassan Rouhani and other senior officials.

The two sides have reportedly reached an agreement on the timetable for cooperation to solve existing problems.

Tehran has been reluctant to allow UN inspectors access to its military sites and nuclear scientists, to verify if Iran's nuclear program has any military purposes.

China starts new inspections over state organs, firmsChina's top anti-graft body has started a new round of inspections into 11 key state organizations and companies.

These include the State Council's Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the People's Daily newspaper, and China North Industries Group Corporation, a main weapons and equipment researcher and developer.

The National Railway Administration, China Post, and the administration for offices directly managed by the CPC Central Committee are also among those targeted.

Inspectors will work these files for months.

The inspection teams have completed six rounds of inspections since late 2012.

In the latest inspection results publicized last month, authorities slammed all 26 targeted state firms, including PetroChina and China Mobile, for "a string of problems" such as traveling on public funds and stealing state assets.

Economic fugitive returned to China from CambodiaAn economic fugitive has been returned to China from Cambodia amid the campaign to capture fugitives overseas.

The suspect, identified as Su, was once a bank employee in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

He fled to Cambodia via Vietnam in May and was returned yesterday.

The man is suspected of fundraising fraud.

He was captured on June 13 in Phnom Penh by a team sent from China.

Su is the latest among 200 economic fugitives who have been handed back to China from more than 30 countries and regions since this year's Fox Hunt operation started in April.

China Authorizes Prosecutors to File Public Interest LitigationAnchorChina's top legislature has passed a draft legal document, allowing prosecutors to file public interest litigation in civil and administrative cases.

The document underscores cases of public concern, like those involving food safety and environmental protection.

CRI's Huang Shan has more.

ReporterAccording to the document, a two-year program led by the office of China's top prosecutor is set to be implemented in 13 provincial divisions including Beijing, Guizhou, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia.

Zheng Xin with the civil administration office of China's top legislature gives more detail.

"Prosecutors can file a civil lawsuit against any act that compromises public rights and interests by way of pollution or food and drug safety. They can also file an administrative lawsuit against abuse of administrative power, or failure of officials, in cases related to environmental protection, state assets and state land use."For years in China, plaintiffs have been restricted to citizens, corporations, and organizations whose interests are directly related to a lawsuit.

The spokesperson of China's Supreme People's Procuratorate, Xiao Wei, gives the importance of engaging prosecutors in public interest litigation.

"Compared to other subjects of litigation, prosecutors have no self-interest involved in the case, so they are suitable to file a lawsuit on behalf of the country and society. They are authorized with investigative power and equipped with professional teams, which can facilitate the litigation in an efficient way, and significantly reduce judicial costs."A 2012 amendment to the Civil Procedure Law first allowed agencies or organizations to bring litigation against those who undermined public welfare by polluting or infringing on consumers' interests.

The revision to the Environmental Protection Law in April continued the process, allowing environmental organizations to institute public interest litigation.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

North China begins to take stronger measures on environmental controlEfforts have been intensified to tame the environmental pollution in northern China, including in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin, and in Hebei province.

In Beijing, coal-fired boilers have been banned in major downtown areas.

A total of 300 polluting enterprises in Beijing will be transformed or closed down, and cement production capacity will be reduced to 5 million tons.

In Tianjin, workers use infrared devices to monitor emissions from petrochemical plants in the city.

Wen Wurui, head of the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau, says the goal is to control pollution at its source.

"According to the requirement that pollution should be controlled at the source, we have identified all the sources of contamination in the city. The number of sources has reached 27,000. We also have taken strict control measures and set up management systems to make sure that we can control pollution from the source."In Hebei Province, the authorities have begun solving the water pollution issue in Baiyang Lake.

As one of these efforts, fish farming has been banned in the lake.

This has improved the quality of the water flowing from the lake into the Yongding River in Beijing over the past two years.

Mistaken Operation of Captain Possibly Lead to TransAsia CrashNewly-released analysis of a dramatic plane crash in Taiwan this year has confirmed earlier suggestions that the captain of the TransAsia flight mistakenly switched off the plane's only working engine just before it crashed.

Thomas Wang, head of Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council, says pilot error is the likely culprit behind February's crash.

He says they believe the pilot turned off the working engine while trying to compensate for a flame-out in the other engine.

"Number one engine was cut off manually. Number two was put on auto feather by the system. In the end, there was a period of time that both engines had no output. So engine one was totally cut off. The other was still running but there was no output."The release of the preliminary findings has also revealed the captain had failed simulator training connected to the flame-out of an engine after takeoff.

The report does say the pilot did eventually pass simulator training for that scenario.

The pilot is among 43 people killed after the aircraft lost power shortly after take-off on a flight from Taipei to Kinmen Island.

It narrowly missed a bridge while on its way down, and eventually slammed into the Keelung River.

14 people did manage to survive the crash in early February.

A final draft on the accident report is due in November.

"Free landing" of Taiwan visitors on the mainland BeginsAnchorPreparations are underway in Fujian to start issuing new electronic passes to visitors from Taiwan.

The passes, set to replace the existing paper documents, are part of the eased requirements for people from the island to visit the mainland.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

ReporterThe new electronic pass cards will be issued in Fujian as of this coming Monday.

Zhang Dongli, head of the province's Entry and Exit Bureau, says the new cards will eventually replace the current travel passes still required for people from Taiwan to enter the mainland.

"There are obviously two differences: first, an electronic pass card is easier to carry around; second, those pages designed for entry permit stamps will no longer exist. And one more thing which is important is that we will add an intelligence chip into the pass card. "Current travel pass booklets held by travellers from Taiwan will remain valid until the booklet's expiration date.

The new electronic cards are part of a broader move by mainland authorities to make travel from Taiwan much more convenient.

As of this Wednesday, people from Taiwan no longer have to go through the application process for the visa-like entry permit to enter the mainland.

The first flight from Taipei to Beijing under the relaxed procedures arrived on Wednesday morning.

Reporter Wang Mingyi with the Taiwan-based "China Times" newspaper was on that flight.

"Before landing entry permits were issued, we usually applied to travel agencies for a visa-like entry permit two weeks ahead of our visits. Then ports like Beijing and Shanghai opened landing entry permits services. All we need to do was to fill in a form of application upon arrival and submit a photo. It cost 50 yuan and only took 5 to ten minutes. After the removal of the visa-like entry permit, so we don't need to queue up at the permit counter. And it takes 20 seconds to pass the border quarantine counter. Thus this brings great convenience to people who often travel across the straits."Wang Mingyi says the relaxed procedures are definately going to help increase cross-strait exchanges.

"I think in terms of the procedural convenience, either media or ordinary people, they are welcoming this policy and are expecting good results. Nearly 8 to 9 million people from Taiwan travel to the mainland annually. Each person can save an entry permit fee of 50 yuan. Meanwhile, a lot of time, man powers and resources can also been saved. So this can to a larger degree contribute to cross-straits exchanges."Last year, people from Taiwan made 5.4 million trips to the mainland.

Conversely, some 4-million trips were made from the mainland to Taiwan last year, up dramatically from the 280-thousand trips made in 2008 when authorities in Taiwan first began allowing direct flights.

Under the previous rules, people from the mainland hoping to travel to Taiwan had to sign up for group tours, and had to fly through a non-mainland connection, normally Hong Kong, before being allowed to enter Taiwan.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.

Greece Needs Extra 50bn Euros: IMFThe International Monetary Fund says beyond debt relief, Greece will need an extra 50 billion Euros, or 56 billion US dollars, to stabilize its current finances between this October and 2018.

The IMF also cut its forecast for Greek economic growth from 2.5% to zero.

Megan Greene, Chief Economist of Manulife Asset Management, says under the existing disputed bailout plan, Greece may need even more money to stabilize.

So, the number is bigger than most people expected. But I don't think it's big enough. It doesn't include a huge pot of money for the banks which I think Greece desperately needs for bank recapitalization."The statement comes two days ahead of a referendum on the reforms-for-cash debt deal, with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urging citizens to vote "No."The European Commission, along with the IMF and the European Central Bank, wants Greece to raise taxes and slash welfare spending to meet its debt obligations.

But the Greek government argues that any new deal with Greece's creditors would have to address the country's debt by including some form of restructuring or debt relief.

Egypt's Cabinet approves anti-terror bill amid mounting terrorist attacksEgypt's Cabinet has approved an anti-terror law amid ongoing confrontations between security forces and Islamic militants in the restive Sinai Peninsula.

The new law is expected to include articles that would accelerate the trials of defendants charged with violent and terrorist acts.

The approval of the anti-terror law comes after terrorist attacks on military checkpoints in North Sinai left many soldiers killed and injured.

Sinai-based insurgents, affiliates of the Islamic State, have stepped up attacks on soldiers and police since the fall of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

'All clear' after false alarm over gunshots at Washington Navy YardPolice in the US capital have issued an "all clear" after a false alarm about gunshots fired at the U.S. Navy Yard, the site of a mass shooting that took 12 lives two years ago.

The report in Washington about shots and a possible gunman triggered an hours-long lockdown at the military facility.

The initial call to authorities reported shots were heard in the Navy Yard's Building 197, site of the 2013 killings by a worker for a government contractor.

Despite the false alarm, Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier says they remain vigilant.

"We take every event here in Washington seriously and our posture remains extremely high for all special events and it will continue for the 4th ..."The massive police response is an indication of increased security concerns as the US heads into its Independence Day holiday weekend.

There are concerns about possible attacks inspired by al Qaeda or Islamic State militants.

Across America, new security bulletins issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are urging vigilance.

US Sent Switzerland Extradition Requests for 7 FIFA ExecutivesThe Swiss Federal Office of Justice says that the United States has sent Switzerland extradition requests for seven soccer officials arrested in May on suspicion of racketeering in a corruption probe.

The officials were detained in a dawn raid at a luxury Zurich hotel on May 27, two days before FIFA's annual congress, throwing soccer's governing body into turmoil.

They have since been jailed around the Zurich region.

Zurich's local police will now give the seven officials a hearing on the extradition requests.

The FOJ will then grant the officials or their lawyers 14 days to respond to the request.

The seven were arrested among 14 FIFA officials indicted on charges of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption.

BP to Pay $18.7B to Settle Oil Spill ClaimsBP and five US Gulf Coast states have announced a record 18.7 billion US dollar settlement on Thursday following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.

The settlement, if accepted by a federal judge, would end a years-long battle between BP and the US government on how much BP owed, in Clean Water Act penalties, after a nearly 134 million gallon spill.

The environmental disaster affected Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi welcomes the news on behalf of her state.

"I'm proud to report that our state not only helped lead this historic effort, but negotiated a landmark agreement on behalf of the people of Florida. A little more than five years ago, our state and our entire Gulf region woke up to a story that shocked our nation. An oil spill that not only threatened states that depend on the Gulf for their economic livelihood, but also resulted in the economic loss of 11 lives."The settlement will be the largest paid by a single company, following the biggest offshore oil spill in US history.

According to BP, its costs associated with the oil spill have already exceeded 43 billion dollars even without the Clean Water Act fine.

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April 2010, killing 11 people and spreading oil across miles of Gulf Coast shoreline.

36 dead, 26missing after banca capsized in C. PhilippinesAt least 36 people are dead and 26 others are listed as missing after the capsizing of a boat in the central Philippines.

The passenger ship, with more than 189 people onboard, capsized in rough conditions shortly after leaving port in the city of Ormoc around noon on Thursday.

Philippine Coast Guard officials say the boat was only around 200-meters from shore when it overturned.

Search and rescue is still scouring the area for the missing.

Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecuture finds new way to boost cultural diversityAnchorAuthorities in the Changji Hui Autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang are hoping to bank off the opportunities provided by the Chinese government's "Belt and Road" initiative through the creation of a new culture and art center.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

ReporterOperating since January, the over 16-hundred-square-meter Culture and Art center in Changji is the second of its kind in Xinjiang after the establishment of "Qifang street" in the capital, Urumqi.

Around 20 workshops have already been set up by local artists covering different artistic genres, including oil painting, folk music and embroidery.

Local singer Kou Hong from the Hui, or Muslim, ethnic group in Xinjiang is running a 20 square-meter workshop in the cultural center.

She says she wants to use the new cultural center to promote the Hui singing style known as "Hua'er," or "flower."""The government has separated the center from the local library in an attempt to provide local artists a platform. This is indeed encouraging. Personally speaking, the center really offers me a big stage where I can not only promote Hua'er folk music, but also embroidery. We have signed a 5-year contract with the center. During the period, all rentals are free and we only need to pay utility costs and maintenance fees. All others costs are picked up by the government."Each artist only needs to pay around 20-yuan per square meter a year in running their own workshop.

Cui Jicheng is a renowned Han oil painter.

His work mostly displays the mountain landscapes of Xinjiang.

Cui Jicheng was the first to establish a workshop at the cultural center at the start of this year.

He says by setting up shop at the center, it allows him to concentrate on painting and leave other issues to the management team at the center.

"In the center, we have a supporting group named 'Houtian International', which is responsible for helping painters promote their work and find buyers for us. The art center offers us a variety of services ranging from production to sales. Several days ago, many pieces from 14 local painters, including some of mine, were sold out at an art auction held by the center."Meanwhile, an Internet startup has also been established at the arts and cultural center.

Cui Fangyi is the manager of e-commerce firm "Teng Yun."Her team is currently setting up an online store for the art center.

"Right now, we are still in the process of doing our background maintenance. But we will eventually display all the pieces of work from the artists in our center. This will include Hua'er CDs, paintings and embroidery work. Our staff members are all university graduates hoping to work in the e-marketing field. This office and our equipment are fully provided by the local government."Cui Fangyi's team is also working on the design of a mobile app to promote local culture in Changji.

For CRI, I am Wang MengzhenWeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 33 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 20.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 29 and a low of 22.

In Chongqing, it will see moderate rain during the daytime with a high of 26 and lows of 23.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 28.

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 36.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 33.

Over to North America,New York will have slight rain with a high of 25 degrees.

Washington, torrential rain with a high of 23 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 27.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 22 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will see slight rain with a high of 14.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsPremier Visits Toulouse, Signs New Airbus DealChinese Premier Li Keqiang has assured the French business community of China's economic prospects and invited them to invest in the world's second-largest economy.

The premier visited the southern French city of Toulouse on Thursday, before wrapping up his official visit to France.

He addressed a business summit and visited the headquarters of Airbus where an agreement was signed on setting up Airbus' second plant in northern China's Tianjin.

It came after China agreed to buy 45 A330 jets worth over 11 billion US dollars, with an option for an additional 30 aircraft.

Economic fugitive returned to China from CambodiaAn economic fugitive has been returned to China from Cambodia amid the campaign to capture fugitives overseas.

The suspect was once a bank employee in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region suspected of fundraising fraud.

He fled to Cambodia via Vietnam in May.

The suspect is the latest among 200 economic fugitives who have been handed back to China from more than 30 countries and regions since this year's Fox Hunt operation started in April.

12 killed as 4 compartments of train fall into canal in PakistanAt least 12 people have died when four compartments of a train fell into a canal in Gujranwala, eastern Pakistan on Thursday.

A railway bridge collapsed while the train was crossing it.

Around 100 others were injured.

Rescue operation is still underway.

The train, carrying some 200 military personnels and their relatives, was heading to the city of Kharian .

Transportation authorities say the possibility of the incident being a terrorist attack cannot be ruled out as there was no apparent fault with the train or the bridge.

Measles leads to 1st U.S. death in 12 yearsThe United States has reported its first death from measles in 12 years.

An autopsy has revealed that the death of a woman this spring in Washington State was due to an undetected measles infection.

Health officials say she was most likely exposed to measles at a medical facility during a recent outbreak northwest of Seattle.

Washington State has reported 11 measles cases so far.

Nationwide, 178 cases have been reported in 24 states and the District of Columbia.

Biz reportsAnchorFirst, a quick check on the closing numbers across North America and Europe on this Friday morning.

Join me on the desk is CRI's Sophie Williams.

Reporter:

U.S. stocks reversed early gains to end modestly lower as investors were digesting weaker- than-expected jobs data.

U.S. total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 223-thousand in June, missing market consensus of 230-thousand.

Meanwhile the unemployment rate declined to 5.3 percent.

On the corporate front,BP's U.S.-listed shares rose 5 percent after the company agreed to settle claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill for 18.7 billion U.S. dollars.

Xoom Corp shares rose 21 percent after PayPal, which is slated to separate from eBay later this month, said it would buy the digital money transfer provider.

EBay shares rose 2.4 percent.

At the close,The Dow Jones fell 0.2 percent.

The S&P 500 closed flat.

The Nasdaq decreased a fraction of a percent.

Over in Europe, shares finished mostly lower as investors eyed Sunday' s referendum in Greece.

Greek citizens will vote on a recent proposal made by the country's creditors to guarantee further financing.

At the closing bell,UK's FTSE 100 added 0.3 percent.

While France's CAC 40 lost nearly one percent.

Finally Germany DAX closed 0.7 percent lower.

China stock watchdog to investigate market manipulationChina's securities watchdog has announced that it will investigate suspected manipulation of the stock market as experts have failed to explain market irregularities during one of the worst downturns in years.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) says the investigation will focus on activities occurring simultaneously in multiple markets.

The CSRC also says it has tracked irregularities between securities and futures trading and will transfer any criminal cases to the police.

The announcement comes as the losing streak in China's A-share market continues, with wild speculation on the reasons behind the downturn.

On Thursday, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell nearly three and a half of a percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index plunged 5.3 percent on the day.

China's Central Bank Chief Reiterates Prudent Monetary Policy, Financial Risk ControlChina's central bank governor has reiterated that the country will continue to implement a prudent monetary policy and at the same time guard against financial risks.

Central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan urged the bank to "hold fast to the bottom line that no systemic or regional financial risks should occur."His remarks came as China's economy showed signs of stabilizing while the country's stock market spiraled downward.

Official data shows the manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), a key measure of factory activity in China, posted 50.2 in June.

The reading is unchanged from May and is in expansion territory for a fourth month in a row.

Corporate News of the WeekAnchorLet's check out some of the main events taking place on the corporate front in China this week.

Joining me on the line now is Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

KFC China's customers in Shanghai and Hangzhou can now pay for their in-store purchases on their mobile phones using Alibaba's Alipay system.

The option will be extended to the fast food giant's 5-thousand China-wide stores this month.

Talking points:

Q1: It's not a sit-down restaurant, you still have to go to the counter to order your food. Why do this? What's the advantage for KFC?

Q2: Is this an industry frontier, or a niche suitable for only some restaurants?

====China taxi app Didi Kuaidi recently raised at least 1.5 billion U.S. dollars from investors, though strong demand could push the total to 2 billion.

The company says it has three times the number of daily private car trips than its U.S rival Uber.

The company is reportedly looking to expand business overseas in the U.S. and is actively hiring employees in the states.

Sources also say Didi Kuaidi is in talks to invest in GrabTaxi, a taxi app in southeast Asia.

Talking points:

Q1: Didi Kuaidi's merger is still fresh. What do you think of this move now, to expand overseas into a competitive marketplace like the US?

Q2: What are the obstacles, legal, competition, etc, to Didi Kuadi's success as it expands?

Back anchorThat was Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

China issues catastrophe bond overseas for first timeChina Reinsurance Corporation has become the first Chinese company to issue a catastrophe bond on the international market.

The bond has been issued to raise 50 million U.S. dollars to cover risks incurred from earthquakes in China.

It has been issued through Panda Re, a special purpose vehicle set up in Bermuda.

The sponsor of the bond is China Property & Casualty Reinsurance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Re.

China's telecom giant partners with Dubai firm for region's most advanced mobile broadbandChina's Huawei and Dubai-based Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, known as Du, have signed a memorandum of understanding to build the region's most advanced mobile broadband (MBB) network.

The three-year wireless network project states Huawei will assist Du in developing its next-generation mobile broadband network.

Huawei will also take the lead in network insight to oversee the flow of Du's business operations and provide technical and service support.

As of January 2015, Du's subscriber base reached more than 7.5 million.

Sweden's central bank cuts interest rate to boost inflationThe Swedish central bank on Thursday set its key interest rate further into negative territory.

The bank cited unpredictable currency growth and worries over the debt crisis in Greece.

The bank dropped its repo rate by a tenth of a percentage point to -0.35 percent.

Meanwhile the bank extended its bond-buying program by 5.3 billion U.S. dollars.

The bank said the Swedish currency Krona had grown more than expected since April and continued to pose a threat to Swedish inflation.

In February, the bank set a negative interest rate for the first time.

The bank refused to rule out further measures to tackle the threat of deflation.

SportsWimbledon day four recapStarting things off with the latest action at Wimbledon,Dustin Brown from Germany delivered the biggest shock at the tournament so far, knocking out two-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Brown went on the attack from the outset to make Nadal struggle through his four-sets defeat.

Nadal admitted he was not and probably will never be back in the form which brought him 14 Grand Slam titles.

"I am a good loser. When I am not that good, I always accept. Another thing is I am not happy, but accept that I am not enough good. I never considered myself that good to not accept when somebody's better than you, no? The last couple of years, I was not ready to compete well here. So I met some players that were better than me. Accept and keep going, you know, it's the only way."Since finishing second four years ago, Nadal has failed to go beyond the last 16 at the Wimbledon.

There were no surprises from Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as they all went through.

In women's action,Duan Yingying couldn't keep up her momentum after defeating last year's runner-up as she lost to Tatjana Maria in three sets.

Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei is also out after a defeat by Lucie Safarova.

Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki all progressed.

New signings in the CSLTurning over to football, in the Chinese Super League,Guangzhou Evergrande's latest signing Paulinho has arrived and met the team.

The Brazilian midfielder is optimistc about his chances in China.

"I think it is a big opportunity for me to play for Guangzhou Evergrande. I know it is an excellent club and does things very professionally. I heard from Elkeson and Luiz Felipe Scolari that the club runs things just like other top clubs in the world. That is why I decided to come here. Meanwhile, Chinese football is developing really fast. Playing in the Chinese Super League is a big opportunity to show my skills and capability."Paulinho did not join training on his first appearance at the field but said he hopes to play in the next game on Sunday.

Elsewhere,Shijiazhuang Ever Bright has confirmed the acquisition of former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Gudjohnsen is the most productive player in Iceland's history with 25 goals in 79 games for the national team.

He has also played with Barcelona and was with League One team Bolton Wanderers last season.

Gudjohnsen will arrive in Shijiazhuang later this morning.

Hangzhou Greentown has sacked coach Philippe Troussier and replaced him with Yang Ji.

Troussier joined the Chinese club at the beginning of this season. Hangzhou Greentown is now third from the bottom in the standing after 16 games.

Chile look ahead to Copa America finalThe Copa America host has its best chance at a major title heading into the final against Argentina.

Chile Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is proud that his team is in the final but says there is much more they can do.

"We're not playing to be the best squad in the history of football, we're playing to finally win something as a country, to win a title. In reality, for many people, playing the final is already rewarding enough, but not for us."Chile is playing in its first Copa America final in 28 years.

It has finished runner-up four times before.

Argentina is also chasing victory after a 22-year drought at this event. It will be a hard rival to beat after it shamed Paraguay 6-1 to reach the final.

The showdown is scheduled for Sunday morning Beijing time.

Tour de France previewTeams are in Utrecht, the Netherlands, preparing for the opening stage of the Tour de France.

This year it is a battle between the "big four".

Defending champion Vincenzo Nibali hopes to repeat last year's trick to unsettle his rivals on the cobbled roads and take an early lead.

Giro winner Alberto Contador, going after a Giro-Tour double in one season, says he is in good form after a month of intensive preparation.

"For the moment I feel good. OK it was hard recovery after the Giro and especially the first 15 days was crazy, on days you have big, big pain in the legs, but OK after, day by day, you feel better. Just before Route du Sud, the last competition, feel good, and now I can go well. I think that my head is good, I'm also very motivated, and after when you look what is there is the answer of the body."Other favorites are Dauphine winner Chris Froome, and Nairo Quintana.

Both Froome and Quintana are relying on the team to work around them for the title.

The Tour de France starts with an individual time trial on Saturday.

EntertainmentFilming for China-US production The Great Wall wraps upMatt Damon joined filmmaker Zhang Yimou in Beijing on Thursday to announce they have wrapped filming on epic movie 'The Great Wall'.

Directed by Yimou and staring Damon, the Sino-US production combines a Chinese landscape and storyline with Hollywood monsters.

The Great Wall is the largest co-production between Hollywood and China to date with an estimated budget of $150 million.

Set in 15th century China, the English language film revolves around an elite force of soldiers who use the Great Wall to battle otherworldly creatures .

Damon plays a battle scarred mercenary in search of treasure. He says he got to tick seeing the Great Wall of China off his bucket list during filming.

"We refer to it as a bucket list (It's) something that everybody wants to be able to see in person at least once, that experience of seeing that and doing that with my family is incredible. But the experience of making The Great Wall was incredible and I think people are in for some fun surprises when they see what OUR wall is capable of."The film also stars Willem Defoe, Pedro Pascal and Andy Lau.

"The Great Wall" is due for release in November 2016.

Chen Kaige's Latest Film "The Monk" Opens in ChinaChen Kaige's latest film 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain' is released in Chinese cinemas today.

Actors Wang Baoqiang, Aaron Kwok and actress Lin Chiling attended a press conference held in Beijing on Thursday.

At the premiere of the film, actor Wang Baoqiang presented a home-made book to the director in response to his assessment on the performance of the casting members through his official Weibo account.

"I made a special gift for director Chen. It is a book called 'love letter'. It records the whole process of filming, from its shooting to the final editing."The new 3D martial arts action movie is set in China between 1912 and 1949.

It tells the story of a Taoist priest who returns to society after a life of seclusion in the mountains proved to be lonely and boring.

However, a serious of events leads him on a path to mastering the essence of martial arts.

"The Monk" is based on the best-selling novel Dao Shi Xia Shan by Xu Haofeng. Xu's credits include screenwriting for Wong Kar-Wai's recent film, "The Grandmaster."Chinese Actress Zhang Yuqi Announces Divorce with Director Wang QuananChinese actress Zhang Yuyi has reportedly announced her divorce from director Wang Quanan late on Thursday evening.

The actress posted a message on her Weibo account suggesting that the couple may have ended their marriage.

Rumors of their divorce have been circulating for a while since Wang Quanan was detained after being involved in a prostitution case in 2014.

He was released last month.

The director won the Silver Bear for best screenplay for 'Tuan Yuan' at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2010.

The couple registered their marriage in 2011.

Thor director describes working with Marvel as painfulAlan Taylor, the director of Thor has described the experience of working with Marvel on the 2013 sequel as painful.

The director speaking to the site Uproxx said the experience was wrenching because he was given complete freedom in the shooting process however when it came to post production, it became a different movie.

He went on further to say he hoped he never had to repeat the experience.

Taylor has since gone on to direct Terminator Genisys starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and he said the process was completely different.

Marvel is currently working on a sequel to Thor: The Dark World with Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston confirmed to be reprising their roles. Marvel's Kevin Feige says he will make an announcement regarding the film's director later this summer.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

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In Business...China Securities Regulatory Commission is investigating possible market manipulation...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.