新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/07/25

 The Beijing Hour

 
Morning Edition
 
 
 
Paul James with you on this Thursday, July 25th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The Chinese government is bringing in a series of new moves to try to give a spark to this country's economic growth.
Authorties in southern Gansu are shifting focus toward disease prevention in the aftermath of Monday's deadly earthquake.
Dozens of people are dead following a train derailment in northern Spain.
In Business, factory activity has slowed to an 11-month low this past month here in China.
In sports... China holds the host South Koreans to a draw at the East Asian football Championships.
In entertainment.... Britian's royal baby has his name.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 34 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will see showers tonight with a low of 23.
In Shanghai, it will be sunny today, 39 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 29 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will have showers in the daytime the temperature's at 21, and tonight will have moderate rain with a low of 11 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 32.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 35.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 28 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 29
Houston, overcast, 34.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 30.
Toronto, sunny, 21.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 12.
And Rio de Janeiro will see moderate rain with highs of 19 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China to suspend VAT for small businesses
 
Anchor
The central government has rolled out another round of policies to try to give a lift to the economy amid the current slowdown.
The new measures include suspending taxes for small businesses, simplifying customs clearance procedures and further opening up the country's railway sector.
CRI's Su Yi has more.
Reporter
The State Council has decided to suspend the value-added tax and turnover tax for small businesses with monthly sales of less than 20-thousand yuan starting in August.
The policy statement has been issued following an executive meeting headed by Premier Li Keqiang.
The State Council says the move will benefit more than 6-million small companies and boost the income for tens of millions of people.
The Value Added Tax, or VAT refers, is the tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of production.
A turnover tax refers to the levy on a business's gross revenues.
Meantime, the central government has decided to speed up the process of opening up the country's railway sector.
The government has announced plans to set up a railway development fund using government investment and private capital.
Local governments and private firms will be allowed to take ownership and management rights for inter-city railway links and municipal rail links.
This is the latest in a series of reforms in the railway sector following the break-up of the Ministry of Railways in March.
At the same time, the government has decided to simplify foreign exchange transactions in the services sector.
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange says a forex payment or settlement transaction in the services sector of less than 50-thousand US dollars can go ahead proceed without having its transaction documents verified.
The forex regulator says the simplified procedure will take effect from September, and should exempt around 90-percent of all service-related forex transactions from the verification process.
All these moves come amid the continued slowdown of the Chinese economy.
Economic growth here in China slowed to 7.5 percent in the second quarter, down from 7.7 percent during the first quarter.
Despite this, officials attending Wednesday's executive meeting are suggesting the economy is still running within a suitable range.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
 
Comments on new economic measures
 
For more on these new measures, we earlier spoke with Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
(qa with mike no vat)
Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
 
 
Information consumption is becoming a new consumption hotspot.
 
Anchor
Still on the economic front, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says industrial performance here in China has remained stable during the first half of this year.
At the same time, the Ministry says the new trend toward mobile information here in China is helping with the push for more personal consumption.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more:
Reporter
China's industrial output has risen by 9.3-percent year on year during the first half of this year. But the growth is down 0.2-percent compared to the first quarter.
But the full-year growth target is 10%.
Zhu Hongren is the spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
He said despite the slowing-down in growth, the annual target is still achievable.
He also notes that information consumption has further boosted the economy since the begining of 2013.
According to Zhu, information consumption has reached 1.38 trillion yuan in the first 5 months, a nearly 20 percent annual growth, with new consumption patterns emerging.
"Wechat users have surpassed 400 million in the first half of this year. Internet flow has risen 56.8% due to increasing wechat users. The overall e-commerce market has reached 5.4 trillion yuan, up 38.5%. The sales growth of both smart phone and smart TV surpassed 25%."
Zhu Hongren says the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and relevant departments are coming up with new measures to boost information consumption and domestic demand.
However, the rapidly developing consumption raises issues such as privacy protection and online trading security.
Zhu Jun, an official at the ministry, says a series of measures will be mapped out to address that issues.
"The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued protection regulations to information on tele-communication and internet. The ministry will further strengthen security measures. "
Zhu notes that the telecommunications service providers have been required to improve their users' real information protection.
For CRI, this is Xie Zhao.
 
 
22 rescued after NW China earthquake
 
22 people have been rescued in the 72-hour window following Monday's 6.6-magnitude quake in southern Gansu.
72-hours is considered the critical window for saving lives following a natural disaster like an earthquake.
Experts and medical workers are now shifting focus toward the prevention of possible epidemics.
Wang Xiaoming is deputy director of the Gansu Provincial Health Department.
He says the maintenance of transportation, the prevention of secondary disasters and helping the victims return to their daily lives is being prioritized.
"Firstly, medical treatment and care of the injured should be continued with the injured. Those severely injured should be transferred to hospitals in larger cities such as Lanzhou. Secondly, keep on with the medical treatment and care among the relocated people. Ensure everyone in the quake zone can receive medical treatments when necessary."
The local government has already completed a public health risk assessment and has set up a basic laboratory to analyze possible disease outbreaks.
The earthquake on Monday morning has left 95 people dead and some 14-hundred others injured.
Over 26-thousand people have moved out of harms way.
Incessent rains this week in the quake zone have added to the problems in the region.
 
 
At least 47 die in train accident in northwestern Spain
 
At least 47 people are dead and over 100 others hurt in a train derailment in northern Spain.
The train jumped the tracks while pulling into the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain's northwest Wednesday evening.
The train, which was travelling from Madrid to Ferrol, derailed on a bend shortly after coming out of a tunnel.
The track itself was recently upgraded to allow for high-speed trains.
At least 13 carriages came off the rails, with several of them catching fire.
Around 240 people are thought to have been travelling on the train.
The train itself was full, as Thursday is the start of a four-day weekend in the region.
 
 
U.S. seeking clarity on Snowden's status
 
US officials are now trying to clarify the status of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The White House has been talking with Russian officials following conflicting reports about the 30-year old's status.
It was intially reported on Wednesday that Snowden has recieved the necessary papers to leave the Moscow airport where he's been marooned for nearly a month.
However, Snowden's lawyer later issued a statement, saying the NSA contractor still remains stuck at the airport.
"I have to tell you the matter has not yet been resolved. That means nobody has rejected anything coming from Edward, but unfortunately the situation we have now is indeed unusual for Russia. His papers are still being considered."
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry has placed a phone call to Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, telling his counterpart there is still time to - quote - "do the right thing."
The US insists there is precident for the Russian government to send Snowden back to the United States to face charges.
 
 
German researcher warns of SIM card bug
 
A new study shows over half a billion mobile phone users are vulnerable to hacker attacks.
German company Security Research Labs is warning a bug transmitted to a person's SIM card will allow hackers to remotely control and clone information from the cards.
Karsten Nohl is the chief scientist who led the research team.
He says by sending a short message, hackers can acquire information from SIM cards within one minute.
The information can then be used in financial fraud or electronic espionage.
"Looking at the midterm, there are also surveillance questions. Because the SIM cards do crack all the voice communication originating from the phone as well as data communication."
The UN's International Telecommunications Union has reviewed the research and is cautioning that it is - quote - "hugely significant".
 
 
Egypt has started war against terrorism: presidency
 
Egyptian authorities have launched what they're calling their own "war on terrorism."
The statement follows a meeting among interim President Adli Mansour and his top advisors.
This comes after the country's defense minister and military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi put out a call for the liberal elements to take to the streets to support the military in its fight against terrorism.
"I would like to call all the Egyptians to take to the streets to remind the whole world of the Egyptian will and decision. Therefore, I would like you to take to the streets to show the world that you are endorsing the military and police to put an end to violence and terrorism."
Supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi are blasting the new call, describing it as rallying cry for a civil war.
 
 
U.S. halts delivery of F-16s to Egypt
 
The US government has decided to suspend the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Egypt.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon says given the current situation in Egypt, it would "not be appropriate" to move forward with the delivery.
The decision to suspend the jet deliveries has been made by US President Barack Obama and with the full support of his national security team.
Under existing legislation in the United States, the US government isn't allowed to provide financial or military support to countries which governments have been toppled by a coup.
However, the Obama administration has been very careful in not describing the Egyptian military's removal of Mohamed Morsi from power as a 'coup.'
A spokesperson for the Pentagon says while they've halted delivery of the fighter jets, the US remains committed to its defense relationship with Egypt.
The US provides billions of dollars in military assistance to Egypt every year.
 
 
6 killed as suicide bombers storm intelligence agency in S. Pakistan
 
At least 6 people are dead and close to 3-dozen others hurt after a suicide attack on a building home to Pakistan's spy agency.
A suicide bomber rammed a vehicle full of explosives into the front of the Inter Services Intelligence complex in the city of Sukkur in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh.
"My brother is a telephone operator in the Commissioner's House. He told me: 'Terrorists have entered the place. Please tell someone to come in."
Following the initial explosion, 4 more militants entered the facilty.
Three managed to detonate their suicide vests.
A fourth has been arrested.
So far no group has claimed responsibility.
 
 
UN officials in Syria for talks on chemical weapons probe
 
Two senior UN officials have arrived in Damascus to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons.
The team has been invited by the Syrian government to discuss the terms of a possible probe.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says a thorough investigation has to be carried out before any action is taken.
"We are interested in having each fact investigated without politicisation and without attempts to use this subject to resolutely change the situation in the Syrian conflict through foreign interference."
Both the rebels and the government are accusing each other of using chemical weapons in an attack which took place in March at Khan al-Assal, a village in northern Syria.
At least 25 people were killed and 130 hurt in the attack.
It is the first trip to Syria by international chemical weapons experts.
A previous attempt by the UN to send in inspectors was thwarted by the Syrian authorities in a dispute about the depth of the proposed investigation.
The arrival of the UN officials this week coincides with intense fighting in neighborhoods on the edge of the Syrian capital.
More than 93-thousand people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began 2-years ago.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.
Join me on the desk, CRI's Su Yi.
Reporter
U.S. stocks pared earlier gains to end in mixed territory on Wednesday, as investors digested a bunch of mixed earnings reports from major U.S. companies.
The Dow lost 0.2 percent.
The S&P 500 was down 0.4 percent.
The Nasdaq Composite Index was almost flat.
Dow component Boeing and automaker Ford Motor both posted strong second-quarter results, while Caterpillar and AT&T announced disappointing earnings reports.
Meanwhile, Canada's S&P/TSX lost 0.6 percent.
In Europe, European shares climbed to an eight-week closing high on Wednesday.
This is led by stocks that generally perform better during an economic recovery.
It also came with robust euro zone surveys and some strong company results boosting sentiment.
Germany's DAX gained 0.8 percent.
France's CAC 40 was up 1 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 up 0.4 percent.
 
 
Phoning China's factory activity falls to an 11-month low
 
China's factory activity has hit an 11-month low in July.
HSBC's preliminary survey for this month shows the purchasing managers' index this month is likely to come in at 47.7.
This would be the lowest level since last August.
The PMI for June stood at 48.2.
A PMI reading below 50 indicates industrial contraction.
This is the third month in a row the HSBC reading has been below that level.
HSBC's final reading for this month will be released next week.
For more on China's manufacturing activity, we are joined on the line by CRI's financial commentator Cao Can.
1. The manufacturing activity this month is again showing signs of contraction, are we seeing a spillover effect of last month's money crunch or is it a more chronical decline of the sector?
2. Now talks of the central bank will lower the reserve requirement ratio of the country's commercial lenders swirls around the market in the second half of this year. Do we expect a Chinese QE some time soon?
3. With the PMI continuously sliding below the 50 line, do we expect massive layoffs in the manufacturing sector? How will the authorities tackle the unemployment if they hold on the so-called economic re-balancing?
back anchor: CRI's financial commentator Cao Can.
 
 
Glaxo warns China corruption scandal will hit business
 
Head of GlaxoSmithKline says the corruption scandal here in China will inevitably impact the drug maker's business.
Andrew Witty has issued his first public comments since the scandal here in China emerged earlier this month.
The CEO says GSK is setting up an independent review to investigate the "deeply disappointing" allegations.
He also says he is ready to come here to Beijing "at the right moment."
GSK says the alleged corruption involves senior Chinese staff working around its systems to potentially defraud the company, as well as cheating the Chinese healthcare system.
Andrew Witty says GSK's head office had no knowledge of the situation.
Chinese police are accusing the Chinese subsiduary of the British drugmaker of funneling up to 3 billion yuan through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to doctors and officials.
Despite the controversy, Witty says the company remains committed to China.
GSK's sales in China rose 14-percent in the second quarter.
China accounts for just over 3-percernt of GSK's overall revenues.
 
 
Japan files WTO dispute against Russia over car "recycling fee"
 
Japan has requested consultations in the World Trade Organization with Russia on its so called "recycling fee" imposed on motor vehicles.
Japan says the Russian fees are inconsistent with Russia's obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, to which Russia is a signatory.
GATT has since been replaced by the WTO, of which Russia is also a member.
Japan contends Russia imposes the "recycling fee" on each vehicle imported into Russia, while at the same time, allowing an exemption for vehicles produced in Russia or imported from Belarus and Kazakhstan.
This is the second dispute Russia has been involved with since it acceded to the WTO this past August.
The European Union has requested consultations with Russia over the same "recycling fee".
A request for consultations is the first step in the dispute resolution mechanism within the WTO framework.
 
 
Wells Fargo deposes China's ICBC as world's biggest bank
 
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has relinquished its position as the world's largest bank by market value to US-based Wells Fargo.
Wells Fargo is now valued at 236-billion US dollars on the New York Stock Exchange - that's 3 billion dollars more than ICBC.
ICBC's 6-year reign as the world's biggest bank began in July 2007.
Its value peaked at 374-billion US dollars in November.
The shift comes after the liquidity crunch here in China last month which exposed risks in the banking system, and as a result, sent financial stocks into a tailspin.
 
 
(BJH/BIZ) Google gets deeper into hardware with new tablet, TV gadget
 
Google has unveiled its new-generation, slimmer Nexus 7 tablet.
The latest Nexus features a Qualcomm processor and a higher display resolution.
The new tablet is set to hit the market on Tuesday.
The new Nexus 7 is priced at $229-US dollars for a basic version with 16 gigabytes of storage.
The original Nexus tablet started at $199-US dollars for an 8 gigabyte version.
Google says it hopes the new Nexus will expand its presence in the consumer hardware sector, and ensure its online services remain front-and-center on mobile devices.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China to suspend VAT for small businesses
 
The central government has rolled out another round of policies to try to give a lift to the economy amid the current slowdown.
The new measures include suspending taxes for small businesses, simplifying customs clearance procedures and further opening up the country's railway sector.
The State Council has decided to suspend the value-added tax and turnover tax for small businesses with monthly sales of less than 20-thousand yuan starting in August.
The policy statement has been issued following an executive meeting headed by Premier Li Keqiang.
The State Council says the move will benefit more than 6-million small companies and boost the income for tens of millions of people.
 
 
22 rescued after NW China earthquake
 
22 people have been rescued in the 72-hour window following Monday's 6.6-magnitude quake in southern Gansu.
72-hours is considered the critical window for saving lives following a natural disaster like an earthquake.
Experts and medical workers are now shifting focus toward the prevention of possible epidemics.
The earthquake on Monday morning has left 95 people dead and some 14-hundred others injured.
Over 26-thousand people have moved out of harms way.
 
 
At least 47 die in train accident in northwestern Spain
 
At least 47 people are dead and over 100 others hurt in a train derailment in northern Spain.
The train jumped the tracks while pulling into the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain's northwest Wednesday evening.
The train, which was travelling from Madrid to Ferrol, derailed on a bend shortly after coming out of a tunnel.
The track itself was recently upgraded to allow for high-speed trains.
At least 13 carriages came off the rails, with several of them catching fire.
Around 240 people are thought to have been travelling on the train.
The train itself was full, as Thursday is the start of a four-day weekend in the region.
 
 
U.S. seeking clarity on Snowden's status
 
US officials are now trying to clarify the status of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The White House has been talking with Russian officials following conflicting reports about the 30-year old are status.
It was initially reported on Wednesday that Snowden has received the necessary papers to leave the Moscow airport where he's been marooned for nearly a month.
However, Snowden's lawyer later issued a statement, saying the NSA contractor still remains stuck at the airport.
 
 
Obama taps John F. Kennedy's daughter as ambassador to Japan
 
US President Barack Obama has tapped the daughter of late President John F. Kennedy to be the new Ambassador to Japan.
57-year old Caroline Kennedy is the only surviving child of Kennedy, who was assassinated when she was only 6-years old in 1963.
Kennedy is an attorney and author.
She once considered a run for the Senate seat in New York left vacant when Hillary Clinton took over as Secretary of State.
However, she dropped out of the race, citing "personal reasons."
If approved by the Senate, Kennedy will become the first female US ambassador to Japan.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Advances in 'gutter oil' fight
Summary
Chinese scientists say they have made a major breakthrough in the battle against "gutter oil" — illegal cooking oil recycled from waste oil collected from restaurants.
Researchers with the Chinese Academy of Sciences have unveiled a new kit that can test the purity of cooking oil in one minute.
The test kit allows people to see if the oil they're using has more than 5-percent recycled oil.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
New plan to stop littering motorists
Summary
People in Beijing are being encouraged to snitch on litterbugs who throw trash from vehicles.
People can now post photos of the litterbugs on a Sina Weibo account or report them to a new anti-littering hotline.
Those caught littering could be fined upto 200-yuan.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Poultry markets to reopen
Summary
Shanghai officials say all 12 live poultry trade market in suburban Jinshan District will be open to public by the end of this month.
Currently, there are 17 designated live poultry markets in operation citywide, with most in the suburbs.
All live poultry markets were shut down in Shanghai after the H7N9 bird flu outbreak in April which left 43 people dead across China.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Guidelines for fine particle controls
Summary
An official from the Environmental Protection Ministry says the central government is set to release a new guideline for controlling fine particulate in the air.
The guidelines are expected to outline how pollutants should be treated.
As part of the new plans, companies will be encouraged to try to recycle volatile organic compounds.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Court upholds death sentence for baby killer
Summary
The courts in Jilin have upheld a lower court death sentence for a man who killed a 2-month old baby.
Zhou Xijun appealed to the court for a more lenient judgment on the grounds that he surrendered to police and confessed his crimes.
However, the court has rejected the appeal, noting the extremely cruel nature of his crime.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
China to curb singing shows
Summary
China's TV regulator has announced that it is going to cap the number of talent shows focused on singing competitions to prevent these programs from clogging airwaves this summer.
The administration says the move is meant to give TV audiences more diversified choices.
There's been a huge increase in singing talent shows here in China this year following the commercial success of a signing show last year.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Rainbow Bridge Program Inspires Youngsters from Low-income Families
 
Anchor
A new charity program is bringing together underprivileged students together from China and the United States as part of a new, short-term study program.
CRI's Xu Fei has the details.
Reporter
The study camp, called "Rainbow Bridge", brings together 50 students, with 25 of them from China and another 25 from the US.
Han Xingwei, who comes from a poor mountain village in China, now studies at the Dalian Maritime University in northeastern China.
He explains he mainly lives on his scholarship, and his upcoming American trip has excited both him and his parents.
"This is my first trip overseas. I want to learn new things and broaden my visions. My parents feel proud of me for the fact that a student from a poor mountain village family gets a chance to visit the US. They also expect me to learn new things during the trip and share my experience with them as well as my fellow villagers when I return to the hometown."
Along with 24 other Chinese university students from low-income families, Han Xingwei will leave Beijing this Friday to start his US study camp.
The program also subsidizes a study camp for US students to come to China.
Sandra Jeffrey, program director of Americans Promoting Study Abroad, a nonprofit organization in Washington elaborates another benefit of the program.
"The young people of both countries, America and China, are the future leaders of the world, so we wanted to start their relationship at a young age. So if they begin interacting with each other, learning about each other's language and culture at a high school and college age, when they meet up later on in life, they have that relationship they've built from the past."
Initiated just last year, the Rainbow Bridge Program is organized by the China Next Generation Education Foundation and Bank of China.
Both organizations require the students to undergo a rigid selection process based on multiple factors, including academic performance and language skills.
Shen Jianguo, deputy-director of China Next Generation Education Foundation, also adds the effect of the charity program will be closely monitored.
"My foundation supervises the spending of funds that were raised for their tour. Meanwhile, we'll monitor the effect of their study tour, including whether the arrangement of a series of activities could improve their capabilities and knowledge level. I hope the project will benefit more children."
For CRI, I'm Xu Fei.
 
 
Sports
 
 
China and South Korea tie at the East Asian Cup
 
China's national football squad held South Korea to a 0-0 draw yesterday at the East Asian Cup.
In the first half, China's defensive wall was solid, and goalkeeper Zeng Cheng made a couple of remarkable finger-tip saves to hold the Koreans scoreless.
Korea had several opportunities to score in the final 15 minutes, but their forwards failed to convert.
China's offense was almost nonexistent, and the side seemed content to spend the game defensively frustrating the Korean attack.
Both teams are now on two points after tying successive games. So far in the four-nation tournament, not one mens team has been able to post a win, just ties.
Australia and Japan will have a chance to break the trend when they face off later tonight.
Last night for the women, it was the same match-up but a different result.
The Chinese squad beat South Korea 2-1.
Substitute Li Ying scored the winning goal midway through the second half, helping her team along to its first win at this year's tournament.
 
 
Italian Football Federation will investigate alleged racism during AC Milan match
 
The Italian Football federation announced yesterday that it would launch an investigation into the alleged racist abuse that made AC Milan midfielder Kevin Constant walk out on a friendly with Sassuolo.
The Guinean international was preparing to take a throw-in during the first half of Tuesday's match when he abruptly kicked the ball into the stands and walked off the pitch.
The behavior seemed to be in response to the racist insults that were getting hurled from the crowd.
Seven months before, Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng abandoned a game in response to the crowd's racist chants.
Tuesday's game continued after Constant's departure, with the newly-promoted Serie A side Sassuolo defeating Milan 2-1.
FIFA drafted stricter anti-racism rules back in May that could see teams docked points or relegated for racist displays by fans.
 
 
Chen Ruolin leads going into womens diving finals
 
In Barcelona, the 15th FINA world championships continue.
China's two-time Olympic champion Chen Ruolin advanced to the finals in the womens 10 meter platform dive after topping the scoreboard in yesterday's semis.
Britain's Tonia Couch finished in second. And China's Si Yajie made third, despite beating Chen in the preliminaries.
The top 12 advance to the final, which takes place today.
China has already won five of the first six diving events.
In mens water polo,
Greece demolished New Zealand 24-4.
The Kiwi's water polo team has not historically made a strong showing at World Championships.
They have the unenviable record of having conceded over 500 goals at the international tournament.
Meanwhile, Australia beat China for the 10th time in a row at FINA level, winning the Group C match 9-7.
The Aussie Sharks led 9-3 at the start of the final quarter, but then China snapped awake and scored three quick goals in 60 seconds.
Zhang Chufeng scored eight seconds from time to narrow the margin, but the Chinese team ran out of time.
As of this morning, China leads the medal count with 10.
 
 
The Brumbies are set to clash with the Bulls in the super rugby semi-final
 
In rugby,
The brumbies are getting ready for their Super Rugby semi-final with the Bulls in Pretoria.
Its been nine years since the Canberra-based team has made it to a Super Rugby final, and Brumbies boss Jake White wants to change that.
"The nice thing about that is that history's made to be broken. People follow sporting teams around the world because they wait for the one day they can say 'I was there watching history being made'. They've (Brumbies) got five games they've run in a row, they've got a great record, they've won three championships in the last couple of years, they've got a sold out crowd, that's what sports people want to do. To have the opportunity to play in front of full houses and create history."
This is the second time the two teams have met this season. The last contest took place in round seven, and saw the brumbies narrowly winning 23-20.
The winner of the semi will host the super rugby final next Saturday.
 
 
Patriots coach breaks silence on Aaron Hernandez
 
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed the media for the first time about the murder charges against his former player Aaron Hernandez.
"We stress high character and we stress making good decisions. And we'll continue to do this and we'll work to do a better job of it as we go forward. We'll learn from this terrible experience that we've had. We'll become a better team from the lessons that we've learned."
Hernandez pled not guilty after being charged with the shooting death of Boston semi-professional football player Odin Loyd.
Yesterday, Hernandez appeared in court for what was supposed to be a probable cause hearing, but it was delayed because the grand jury needs more time to consider the evidence.
 
 
French senate released a report on illegal doping in sports
 
The French senate is taking an interest in illegal doping in the sports world.
Yesterday,it released a report which verified that the banned substance EPO was widespread in professional cycling in the late 90's.
The report was the product of a five-month investigation focused on fighting sports doping.
The small section of the report that drew the most interest was the results of doping tests at the 1998 and 1999 editions of the Tour de France.
The report linked star riders like Mario Cipollini and Laurent Jalabert with failed drug tests.
It also looked into the 1998 incident when it was discovered that the French Festina team was doping. The following police crackdown led to seven of the original 21 riders being ousted from that tour.
This year's tour de france winner chris froome has been vocal that he is a clean rider and has never failed a drug test. But his stellar performance still raised many suspicions.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Mo Yan's book to receive $16 million big screen treatment
 
Mo Yan's 2012 Nobel Prize winning novella Treasure Map will soon be made into a feature film.
Producer Yu Ren bought the rights to the work, with shooting expected to begin before the year is out.
The project is expected to have a $16 million budget, featuring 3-D computer generated elements.
This is the first time that Mo Yan's work will be translated to the big screen since his big win last year.
Previous film treatment of the 58 year old's work include Zhang Yi Mou's "Red Sorghum", which won the prestigious Golden Bear at the 1988 Berlin Film Festival.
 
 
Royal Baby name announced
 
(National Anthem)
The wait is finally over.
Officials from Buckingham Palace revealed the name of Britain's new prince on Wednesday evening.
George Alexander Louis, the Prince of Cambridge, will be the third in line to the throne.
The name of six previous Kings, the name was a favourite of bookmakers ahead of the announcement.
Having braved his first "public appearance" outside of London's St. Mary's Hospital on Tuesday, the little Prince is now expected to stay out of the limelight.
Little George will be introduced to great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, who quipped last week that the baby's delayed arrival was keeping her from her annual vacations.
 
 
Lana Del Rey takes hit at friend Lady Gaga
 
An unreleased Lana Del Rey song from the singer's earlier career has leaked online.
(So Legit)
The track was recorded under the singer's real name Lizzy Grant during the time when she shared a manager with Lady Gaga.
Entitled "So Legit", Del Rey slams Lady Gaga's breaththrough in 2008 with scathing, bitter lyrics.
In one example, Del Rey hits out at Gaga for replacing her as - quote - the "Queen of the Downtown Scene".
Del Rey also accuses Gaga of being a sell-out, sacrificing her "once exquisite taste" to be featured in Coke commercials.
The song has caused a bit of a stir amongst fans from both camps.
However, neither star has made any public comments.
 
 
Magic Mike is coming to Broadway
 
A musical version of the 2012 hit film Magic Mike is coming soon to Broadway.
(Magic Mike)
Channing Tatum, who can currently be seen in newly release White House Down here in Beijing, made the announcement via Twitter.
The film follows the lives of a troupe of male exotic dancers and are based on the real life experiences of Tatum, who plays the leader of the gang.
Filmed on a $7 million budget, the movie was a box office smash hit, grossing over $160 million dollars
Glee writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has been enlisted to work the script.
The music will be composed by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, the team behind rock musical "Next to Normal".
Tatum and the film's director Steven Soderbergh will be on board as producers.
The actor recently said that he was keen to do a sequel to the film but has yet to persuade Soderbergh to direct the project.
 
 
Steve Coogan premieres Alan Partridge in Norwich
 
British comedian Steve Coogan has premiered his new film "Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa".
(Alpha Papa)
In response to a Twitter campaign from fans of the cult comedy show, Coogan moved the premiere to less than glamourous city of Norwich.
The home town of the ficitional presenter welcomed Coogan who turned up in character, dressed in impeccable fashion with a baby blue safari suit and pink tie combo.
Alan Partridge waxed lyrically about his love for the city.
(Alan Partridge)
"A man came up to me in the street the other day and said 'Alan, what is it about Norwich you love?' And I said 'well, it's not mustard, it's not shoes, it's not Delia Smith, it's Myleene Klass, it's Cathy Dennis, it's Hannah from S Club 7, that's what Norwich means to me."
The eagerly anticipated movie has been in the pipelines for 8 years.
The film, written by Coogan and Armando Iannucci, follows Partridge as he finds himself at the centre of an armed seige at North Norfolk Digital Radio Station.
"Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa" hits UK screens on August 7 and opens in New Zealand on December 5.