新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2013/07/25

 The Beijing Hour

 
Evening Edition
 
 
Thursday 25th July, 2013。
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital, I'm Ben Leung.
Coming up on our program this evening，
A train crash in Northweatern Spain has killed 78.
Downpour hits the earthquake-stricken zone in Gansu.
the Bankruptcy hearing into Detroit begins.
Business, Apple sales fall in China.
Sports, Pep Guardiola's old and new teams face off in a friendly.
Entertainments, Wong Kar Wai is to premiere his new film in the US next month.
Plus Special reports is a feature on left-behind children visiting their parents in the cities.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 24 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow showers with a high temperature of 30.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 30,　cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 39.
Lhasa will have light rain tonight, 12 degrees the low, showers tomorrow with a high of 21.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, with a high of 34.
Kabul, sunny, 36.
Over in Australia
Sydney, overcast, highs of 20.
Canberra, overcast, 14.
Brisbane, sunny, 22.
And finally, Perth will have rain with a high of 16.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Downpours hit NW China quake zone
 
Anchor:
Heavy rain has been falling in Gansu Province which was hit by an earthquake on Monday, and this has hampered the transportation of relief materials into the disaster zone.
As CRI's He Fei reports, relief materials such as tents and quilts remain in short supply.
Reporter:
The heavy rain has muddied rural roads and made it impossible for vehicles to reach residents in some villages of Minxian county, which was the hardest hit in the quake.
Local officials said that due to the roads being blocked, relief goods can only be transported on foot to some areas.
Du Hongliang is in charge of the storage of relief materials in the county.
"Currently we have enough drinking water and instant noodles, while tents, beds and quilts are still badly needed. We are in a mountainous region with high altitude, so residents can not sleep without beds. The current storage of these materials can not even meet the needs for one third of victims. "
The civil and financial departments of Minxian County are in charge of the reception, storage and distribution of relief materials.
Auditingand discipline inspection and supervision departments are also involved to ensure the transparency.
The heavy rain caused a landslide in the village of Yongguang, where more than 100 people who had been living in makeshift tents have been transferred to prefabricated housing.
In Zhongzhai township, local residents joined the relief effort, helping to unload materials as well as to repair blocked roads.
Zhang Zhengping is a local villager. His house, built in the beginning of this year, became dilapidated after the quake.
"It can not live in any more. Yesterday there was a landslide and we slept in the primary school. My family has 13 members and only two beds. So we let the children sleeping on beds and adults on the quilts paved on bare ground."
Zhang said in fear of further secondary disasters, residents of the village have all moved to relocation points down the hill.
The death toll from Monday's earthquake remains at 95.
For CRI, this is HE Fei.
 
 
China continues medical reform efforts
 
China has reiterated its urgency to deepen reform in the medical and healthcare sector with a series of tasks to be finished within this year.
According to a recent report issued by the State Council, there are 26 tasks on the list, including the acceleration in building a national healthcare system, consolidating the basic drug system, improving the operation of grassroots medical institutions and promoting reform of public hospitals.
More efforts will also be made to guarantee subsidies for rural doctors.
The outline also addressed a mechanism to assess and monitor the process while exercising the reform.
 
 
Information consumption is becoming a new consumption hotspot
 
Anchor:
Latest statistics show that China's industrial performance has remained stable during the first half of this year.
And as mobile internet booms, insiders say information consumption is becoming a new popular hotspot.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more:
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.
 
 
US House of Representatives votes to continue NSA surveillance programme
 
The US House of Representatives has narrowly voted to continue collecting data on US phone calls.
Lawmakers rejected the amendment that would have blocked funding for the National Security Agency's program, which gathers details of every call made by or to a US phone.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is Florida Republican Representative.
"The yeahs (voting yes) are 205 and the nays (voting no) are 217, the amendment is not adopted."
Whilst critics say the proposal violates the public's rights, supporters of the amendment say the practice is essential to America's counter-terrorism efforts.
They argue that the surveillance operations have been successful in thwarting at least 50 insurgency plots across 20 countries, including a dozen directed at the US.
These NSA surveillance revelations were made public by former U.S. intelligence contractor, Edward Snowden, who's currently awaiting in Moscow's airport awaiting for asylum papers.
 
 
First hearing begins on Detroit bankruptcy case
 
The U.S. Federal Bankruptcy Court has rejected appeals aimed at derailing the first bankruptcy hearing on the city Detroit.
Judge Steven Rhodes made it clear that the court is in charge of handling the disputes of the city's pension and welfare.
It rejected the appeal filed by the Ingham County Circuit Court against the bankruptcy.
Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said earlier that filing for bankruptcy was a violation of Michigan's Constitution.
In order to protect the pension welfare of retired workers, she demanded a revocation of the bankruptcy application.
By rescinding the appeals, it gave the Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and his emergency manager Kevyn Orr some breathing space, but still leave more than 21,000 retired workers and 9,500 current employees in high risk of pension reduction.
Detroit is reported to be saddled with more than 18 billion US dollars in debt.
The city filed for bankruptcy a week ago- making it the largest-ever municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
 
 
Spain train crash death toll rises to 78
 
At least 78 people have been killed in a train derailment in north-western Spain.
More than 1-hundred others are hurt after all 8 carriages of the high-speed train came off the tracks near Santiago de Compostela.
Local media say the train, which was traveling from Madrid to Ferrol, may have been traveling at more than twice the speed limit around a bend.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who's born in Santiago de Compostela, has arrived at the scene.
The black box of the train is now with the judge in charge of the investigation.
This is Spain's worst rail disaster in 40 years. Seven days of mourning have been declared in the Galicia region.
 
 
N.Korea to deploy troops in Kaesong if talks fail
 
North Korea might station its troops in Kaesong Industrial Zone if the working-level talks with South Korea fails.
Park Chol-su, North Korea's top negotiator, told South Korean reporters in Kaesong that, quote, "talks are in danger of breakdown."
He added "if the fate of the Kaesong industrial zone is shattered in this way, military camps cannot help being restored ."
Media reports said Park suddenly visited the South Korean pressroom in Kaesong without prior warning.
The Yonhap News Agency goes further by saying that the talks between the two Koreas have actually broken down.
Differences remained over whether to adopt legal and administrative assurances to prevent
a recurrence of the unilateral shutdown.
The joint industrial park has been suspended for over three months after Pyongyang pulled out 53,000 of its workers.
That came as a protest to the joint annual military drill between Seoul and Washington.
 
 
Japan welcomes Obama's choice of new ambassador to Japan
 
The Japanese government has welcomed US president Barack Obama's selection of the United States ambassador to Japan.
Obama has named Caroline Kennedy to the post. SHE is the daughter of former President John F Kennedy.
Yoshihide Suga is Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary.
"We hear that Caroline Kennedy has the trust of President Obama and this appointment reaffirms the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance by the Obama administration and we highly value that stance."　
Kennedy is a lawyer by training and is a key supporter of Obama's presidential campaign. 　
If confirmed by the Senate, Miss Kennedy will replace John Roos, who's a wealthy former Silicon Valley lawyer and top Obama campaign fundraiser.
 
 
Update on capsized asylum seeker boat off Indonesia
 
At least 11 people are confirmed dead after a boat carrying suspected asylum seekers sank off the Indonesian coast, with another 180 rescued.
Police chief Deni Ku-su-ma-bhak-ti of West Java where the boat capsized, says they will start investigating the case once the rescue operation is over.
"I hope we can find all of the passengers on the boat because the waves are quite high and strong. Fishermen are helping us with their boats. We'll hand the survivors to the immigration office. We will pursue finding the operator of the boat and smugglers."
Most of the survivors are reported to be from Iran and Sri Lanka.
The latest accident came days after Australia shut its door on would-be refugees arriving by boats. Instead, they will be sent to Papua New Guinea for assessment and eventual settlement.
Over a thousand people have died in the past decade whilst trying to reach Australia's Indian Ocean territory by boat.
 
 
Commission says internal conflict has claimed at least 220,000 lives since 1958
 
The Colombian government says the country's internal conflict has claimed at least 220 thousand lives in the past five decades.
In a report, titled, "Enough Already: Memories of War and Dignity," it says most of the victims have been civilian non-combatants.
Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos.
"No one can be indifferent towards the anxiety of the innocent, who are separated from their children, their partners and parents or are deprived of their land."
The report says most of the killings occurred after far-right militias backed by ranchers and cocaine traffickers emerged in the 1980s to counter the leftist FARC rebels.
It is estimated the number of Colombians forcibly displaced by the conflict stands at 5.7 million.
 
 
Mexico's drug war boils over again in Michoacan injuring five police officers
 
Five police officers have been injured in the Mexican state of Michoacan following clashes with gunmen working for a local drug cartel.
Gunmen for the Knights Templar carried out the retaliation after their leader, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, was captured by the government last week.
Jesus Garcia is Michoacan's interim state governor.
"We know that those news are not welcomed, they're news that we don't like to hear, but unfortunately they are news we need to have. It's not bad news to fight crime in order to secure our society."
Fighting between the Knights Templar and federal police has been intensifying over the past week in western Mexico.
It's also been reported that members of the cartel shot dead 5 demonstrators protesting against the group's violent tactics.
To wrestle control of the state from the Knights Templar, President Enrique Pena Nieto sent thousands of troops and federal police to the area two months ago.
 
 
Customized buses post a possible solution to ease the traffic congestion in Beijing
 
Anchor:
As part of its effort to ease the traffic jams here in the capital, Beijing, the municipal government is to start a customized bus service.
It is estimated that a single bus could replace up to 30 private cars on the city's congested roads.
An online poll about the new service has already attracted about 90 thousand votes so far, with many showing great interest in the service.
Hu Jia has more.
Reporter:
By the end of next month, the first bunch of routes will be up for city dwellers to subscribe to.
The proposed seat-guaranteed, wi-fi enabled and air-conditioned buses successfully address the issue of overcrowding. However, people are questioning if this innovation is a way of solving the primary problem, congestion.
Zhu Liang is a member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
"The biggest problem in Beijing is that there're way too many private cars, so the most direct way is to persuade car drivers, or at least some of them, to favor public transport. This customized express shuttle could act as an alternative for car drivers."
Although buses and subways here in Beijing form one of the most developed public transport networks in China, the city has failed to attract private car owners to embrace greener options.
The uncomfortable ride and the inconvenience caused by numerous transfer in public transport is not only time-wasting but also nerve-breaking.
When comfort is not a big worry, concerns centre on whether or not the price will be affordable.
Bus fares in Beijing for transit card holders currently stand at 0.4 yuan for adults and 0.2 yuan for students.
Hong Chongyue, the vice president of the Beijing Public Transport Group, says they are aiming to establish a monthly package deal at around 30 percent of the cost of driving a car.
"We'll charge 15 Yuan for a 20 kilometer return ride. But if you choose to drive a private car for as long as that, the cost could well surpass 50 yuan, given the amount spent on toll fees, fuel and parking lots."
To distinguish the new service from the existing community commuter express, Hong stresses that the customized bus will hand over the total responsibility over the initiative to passengers.
"In the past, we planned the routes first and passengers would apply for seats. But this time, the Group will plan routes according to the needs and load of passengers. We will then recruit potential customers via this platform."
The service is expected to mainly connect dense residential areas, such as Tiantongyuan and Huilongguan in northern Beijing, with main areas, such as the CBD in the east and the Financial Street in the west.
For CRI, I'm Hu Jia.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Asian Stock
 
Chinese shares closed lower today, despite gains for railway-related companies after the central government promised to fully open China's railway construction market.
When the markets closed, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dipped 0.6 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index edged down 0.5 percent.
Railway-related companies registered handsome gains.
State-owned China Railway Construction Corporation added 2.9 percent while Beijing-based railway technology company Beijing Dinghan Technology surged 4 percent.
In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng shed 0.3 percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei plunged 1.1 percent as investors unloaded shares amid concern about overheating, while Canon tumbled following a weak earnings report.
Meanwhile, South Korea's KOSPI lost 0.1 percent.
In Singapore, the Straits Times index dipped 1.2 percent.
and finally Australia's S&P/ASX 200 ended only slightly higher.
 
 
China's urban employment improves in H1
 
China's job market showed some resilience in the first half of 2013 despite economic difficulties.
Figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security show that China has added 7.25 million jobs in the first six months of the year.
That represents an increase of 310,000 jobs from last year.
Meanwhile, the registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent - that's below the official 4.6 percent red line.
The ministry added that the service sector, particularly Internet-related businesses, has helped absorb new labor.
The number of newly-added jobs increased most rapidly in underdeveloped western part of China whilst the job markets in east China are also picking up.
 
 
China to suspend VAT for small businesses
 
The State Council has decided to suspend the value-added tax and turnover tax for small businesses starting in August.
In China, small businesses refer to those with monthly sales of less than 20-thousand yuan.
Currently, there are over 6-million such small companies in the private sector.
The VAT itself refers to the tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes, and its cost of production.
A turnover tax, on the other hand, refers to the levy on a business's gross revenues.
In addition, 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.
Earlier, the government also decided to simplify foreign exchange transactions in the services sector.
For more on these new measures, Beijing Hour's Paul James spoke to Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
…
back anchor: That's Paul James speaking to Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
 
 
BOC pilots cross-border salary payment service
 
The Bank of China has been allowed to assist overseas operations of Chinese enterprises - in order to make cross-border salary payments to their employees on the mainland in the RMB.
The overseas subsidiaries of Chinese companies can now pay wages, allowances and bonuses to their employees on the mainland in the Chinese currency.
Analysts say this marks an important step in the relaxation of foreign exchange controls.
It may also help speed up the government's efforts to internationalise the yuan.
The Bank of China is the nation's biggest foreign exchange bank and the second biggest bank by market value.
 
 
Apple's revenue from China fell for the first time
 
Apple says that its revenue from China fell by 14% year-on-year to 4.6 billion US dollars in the quarter ending June 29.
The figure - which represents a 43 percent decline from the previous quarter - marks the first time that Apple's revenue in China has fallen.
This is despite the fact that Apple shifted 31.2 million units of iPhones 5 worldwide during the same period - a better-than-expected result.
Analysts have attributed the sluggish sales in China to strong competition from other brands.
The likes of Samsung, HTC, as well as local brands Huawei and Xiaomi all reported a rise revenues in the second quarter.
 
 
US extends review of Shuanghui Smithfield merger
 
US Pork producer Smithfield said the US government has decided to extend the review of its proposed merger deal with China's largest meat producer Shuanghui.
The US Committee on Foreign Investment is to take an additional 45-day examination of the deal.
The committee is in charge of scrutinizing deals involving foreign companies for potential national security concerns.
The agency has already conducted a standard 30-day review.
In late May, Shuanghui agreed to acquire Smithfield, the world' s largest pork producer and processor, for about 4.7 billion US dollars.
Should the deal be given the go-ahead, it would be the largest Chinese takeover of an American company.
 
 
UK economic growth rises to 0.6% in second quarter
 
The UK economy grew by 0.6% in the three months to June, up 0.3% from the previous quarter.
That represents a 1.4% growth compared with the second quarter of 2012.
The Office for National Statistics said output grew in all of the construction, manufacturing and services sectors.
The figures mean that the British economy has now recouped almost half of its total 7.2% contraction during the 2008-09 recession.
 
 
South Korea economic growth beats forecasts
 
Newly-released figures indicate that South Korea's economy grew 1.1 percent between April and June this year, beating market forecast.
Compared with the same period last year, the economy expanded by 2.3% - above the 2% forecast by most analysts.
South Korea has unveiled a series of stimulus moves over the past few months in an attempt to spur economic growth.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Downpours hit NW China quake zone
 
Heavy rain has been falling in Gansu Province which was hit by an earthquake on Monday, and this has hampered the transportation of relief materials into the disaster zone.
Relief materials such as tents and quilts remain in short supply.
The death toll remains 95 so far.
 
 
Bo Xilai charged with bribery, embezzlement, power abuse
 
The former party chief of Chongqing Municipality Bo Xilai has been charged with bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
The indictment paper was delivered to Jinan City People's Procuratorate in China's Shandong Province today.
According to the indictment paper, Bo abused his position to seek profits for others and accepted an, quote, "extremely large amount" of money and properties.
The paper said he also embezzled large sums of public money, seriously harming the interests of the state and people.
Bo had been informed of his legal rights and has been interviewed by prosecutors.
 
 
China's urban employment improves in H1
 
China's job market showed some resilience in the first half of 2013 despite economic difficulties.
Figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security show that China has added 7.25 million jobs in the first six months of the year.
That represents an increase of 310,000 jobs from last year.
Meanwhile, the registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent - that's below the official 4.6 percent red line.
The ministry added that the service sector, particularly Internet-related businesses, has helped absorb new labor.
The number of newly-added jobs increased most rapidly in underdeveloped western part of China whilst the job markets in east China are also picking up.
 
 
N.Korea to deploy troops in Kaesong if talks fail
 
North Korea might station its troops in Kaesong Industrial Zone if the working-level talks with South Korea fails.
Park Chol-su, North Korea's top negotiator, told South Korean reporters in Kaesong that, quote, "talks are in danger of breakdown."
He added "if the fate of the Kaesong industrial zone is shattered in this way, military camps cannot help being restored ."
Media reports said Park suddenly visited the South Korean pressroom in Kaesong without prior warning.
The Yonhap News Agency goes further by saying that the talks between the two Koreas have actually broken down.
Differences remained over whether to adopt legal and administrative assurances to prevent
a recurrence of the unilateral shutdown.
The joint industrial park has been suspended for over three months after Pyongyang pulled out 53,000 of its workers.
That came as a protest to the joint annual military drill between Seoul and Washington.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
Guardian
“Analysts are increasingly certain Apple will offer a cheaper iPhone this autumn”
A cheaper model would be differentiated from the top-end model by lower specs for the camera, storage, processor speeds and onboard RAM.
It will also be made of a cheaper plastic and come in a variety of colors.
No word on how much the cheaper iphone will cost though experts expect it to be around 450-US dollars.
Media reports indicate as the smart phone market expands, Apple's share of the market fell to about 17-percent in the recent quarter.
CCTV
“All Zhangzhou hospitals caught in corruption net”
All 73 hospitals in Zhangzhou, in Fujian province, were found to be involved in a corruption scandal.
The case has revealed hospitals over-charge their patients after receiving bribes to push certain drugs, with patients paying an average of five times the production cost of the medicine.
Money generated from the price gap largely went to supervision officials and hospital staff.
The scandal currently involves more than 1-thousand medical care personnel, almost 20.5 million yuan, and 57 arrested pharmaceutical representatives.
An investigation is still underway.
Global Time
“Father given 18-month sentence for child abuse”
The father who brutally abused his 11-year-old daughter was sentenced to 18 months in prison in Southwest China's Guizhou Province.
The father, Yang Shihai, would pick his daughter up by her feet and dip her head in a pot of boiling water which caused permanent damage to the girl's scalp among other heinous acts.
The daughter is the eldest of the family's five children and her siblings were not abused.
The prosecutor believes the father abused the child to vent his frustrations with life.
BBC
“Having cancer in the family can increase your chances of developing not only the same cancer but other types too”
A study of more than 20-thousand people in Italy and Switzerland has found, close relatives had an increased risk of the same cancer.
But evidence also shows a family history of one cancer could raise the risk of other cancers.
According to the study men had a 3.4-fold increased risk of prostate cancer if a first-degree relative had bladder cancer.
Women are facing a raised risk of developing breast cancer if they have a family history of bowel cancer.
However, experts suggest whether or not someone in your family has had cancer, living a healthy life can really help to reduce the risk.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Left-behind children visiting parents
 
Anchor:
The children of migrant workers who have remained in their hometowns whilst their parents work in the cities are known as the "left-behind children" here in China.
Since it's the summer holiday, a lot of these children have to travel afar, often to a remote city and only for a short visit to see their parents.
As a social phenomenon that is derived from rapid urbanization, related administrative departments are providing support to enable these children to realize such family reunions. Li Dong has more.
Reporter:
Every summer, a large number of left-behind children in rural areas flock to cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou to meet their migrant worker parents. Most of them are escorted by relatives.
To make things easier for the children's families, a long distance bus terminal in Jinan city, capital of Shandong Province has launched a green channel for these children since 2006.
Han Jie is the China Communist Party Secretary of Jinan long distance bus station.
"We will remind our staff on the bus to take care of these children. Besides, when they arrive at the destination we will also arrange staff at the terminal to contact parents who will come to pick their children."
But meeting their parents doesn't mean these children are going to enjoy a fulfilling summer holiday. Many of their parents are busy migrant workers who work in roles such as construction worker and vendors.
Most of these children are aged between 6 and 12, so obviously leaving them home alone is not a safe choice. Many parents opt to take their children with them even when they are working.
Sending the left-behind children to summer camp or taking them to amusement parks may cost a lot of money, so even when these children visit their beloved parents, most of them spend the holiday watching TV or going to the library.
Participating in a summer school where they can have safe place to either study or play is an economical choice for migrant worker parents.
However, many of the summer schools are already too packed due to large number of children of migrant workers flocking into the city.
At Yuhang, Zhejiang Province, one summer school for the left-behind children coming from far away has been operating for 3 years. The classes are free. Children can study music, painting, mathematics, and other extra curriculum courses. The number of students rose from 60 in the first year to 380 this year.
Cai Yaoqi, a volunteer teacher at this nursery says the capacity of their summer school is unable to meet the demands of many migrant workers.
"The students already outnumber the space we have. But we still try our best to accept more children. The situation is that 2 students have to share one desk."
At another community at Yuhang, volunteers at the summer school face the same problem. They are considering moving the school to a nearby factory, where they can have more classrooms to accommodate the growing number of these visiting left-behind children.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
The 15th FINA world championships continue
 
Russia's Svetlana Romashina wins another gold in synchronised swimming in the World Championships in Barcelona
Romashina easily won gold, bringing her gold medal haul to 13 world titles dating back to 2005.
China's Huang Xuechen won silver, while Spain's Ona Carbonell takes bronze in front of
the home crowd.
In the semi-finals of women's 10-meter platform diving, two-time Olympic champion Chen Ruolin of China leads the way.
Britain's Tonia Couch is next, followed by China's Si Yajie.
China has won five of the first six diving events so far in Barcelona.
Over in the men's water polo, Australia beat China for the 10th time in a row, winning the Group C match 9-7
 
 
Soccer Mexico- Panama clinch 2-1 win over Mexico to earn spot in CONCACAF Gold Cup Final
 
Panama's Roman Torres scored winning goal in the 61st minute to give the Central American nation a 2-1 victory over Mexico, and with it, a spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals.
Panama had also upset Mexico 2-1 in a group match earlier in the tournament.
Blas Perez struck first for Panama, before an equaliser for Mexico's Luis Montes.
But Torres sealed the match at the 61st minute.
It was just the second time in 15 matches that Panama defeated Mexico.
Mexico had been seeking a fourth straight final against the U.S., having had won the last two renewals by a combined score of 9-2.
Panama will face America for the gold cup on Sunday.
The last time Panama battled for finals was 2005, when they lost to the Americans on penalties.
 
 
AUSTRALIA-OLYMPIC_CYCLIST
 
Australian cyclist Stuart O'Grady could be stripped of his Olympic medals after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs at the 1998 Tour de France.
O'Grady retired earlier this week.
But he has told a newspaper that he used the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) before the notorious 1998 Tour.
The admission comes after a French Senate inquiry named him among riders with "suspicious" test results in a damning report into the 1998 Tour.
Here's Mike Tancred, a spokesman with the Australian Olympic Committee,
"In regard to his medals it's a matter for the international federation, so the UCI (International Cycling Union) will consider the medals and they will then make some recommendation to the IOC (International Olympic Commission). Whether he can continue to hold his four medals is not a matter for the AOC (Australian Olympic Committee). That's a decision by the International Federation and the IOC".
A successful Olympic track cyclist, O'Grady won a Madison gold at the 2004 Athens Games, having also won a team pursuit silver at the 92 Barcelona Games as well as a bronze in the points race at the Atlanta Olympics.
The AOC had earlier called for the 39-year-old to step down from its Athletes' Commission, a 10-member advisory body comprised of respected local athletes.
Tancred says again.
"I think all the athletes in our London team who voted for Stuart to be a member of our Athletes' Commission are entitled to feel angry today. If you are on the AOC Athletes' Commission you are held in very high esteem. We pick only people with integrity and honesty and I think the AOC is justified today in saying that given his admission Stuart doesn't deserve to be a member of the Athletes' Commission and we've asked for his resignation".
O'Grady, one of Australia's most celebrated cyclists, could also stand to lose his three national citations, which include an Order of Australia Medal awarded in 2005.
The French Senate inquiry has found the top three finishers at the 1998 tour - the late Italian Marco Pantani, Germany's Jan Ullrich and American Bobby Julich - were among 18 riders who had tested positive for EPO.
 
 
Soccer Munich reax- Reaction from Mueller, Lahm and Messi after Bayern beat Barcelona 2-0
 
Bayern Munich has beaten FC Barcelona 2-0 in a pre-season friendly that pits Pep Guardiola's new side against his former team.
Philip Lahm headed in the first goal in the 14th minute and half-time substitute Mario
Mandzukic adds another goal three minutes from time, giving Guardiola a victory in his first game at Bayern's stadium.
Bayern Munich captain and German national football defender, Philip Lahm
"It is always nice to win - and winning a trophy is also nice. And that is why it was a nice evening for us. However, one has to consider and see things a bit differently as we have been training for a long time already now and Barcelona not, I think. One could see this in parts of the match today. However, it is nice to come away with such a win."
In typical fashion, Guardiola starts without a striker, preferring the attacking trio of
Frank Ribery, Arjen Robben and Thomas Mueller up front.
His former protege, Lionel Messi, almost put the visitors ahead seconds after kick-off, only to fire just wide after running through the Bayern defence.
Ribery sets up Lahm to score with a cushioned back-header over the goalkeeper to seal victory.
As the coach of Barcelona, Guardiola steered the Spanish giant to 14 titles over four lucrative seasons.
Meanwhile, his old club is set to unveil Argentine Gerardo Martino as the new coach at the Nou Camp on Friday.
Martino was appointed after Tito Vilanova stepped down due to ill health.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Wang Kar Wai's New Film in US
 
Hong Kong director Wang Kar Wai's new film the Grandmaster is set to hit theaters in the US next month.
The new film by the legendary filmmaker who masterminded Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love tells the story of Ip, the trainer of kungfu icon Bruce Lee.
Actor Tony Leung who has appeared in several Wang Kar Wai films will star in the new movie.
The 57-year-old filmmaker says he wanted to make a kungfu film because he believes there are many misconceptions about Chinese martial arts.
He thinks many people follow Chinese kungfu and kungfu films because of Bruce Lee and therefore wanted to study the man who preceeded him.
Wang hopes audiences appreciate his film which stands out from other kungfu works with its emphasis on legacy.
He describes the film as honest to the value of Chinese martial arts.
The film opened the Chinese Film Festival in Seoul last month.
 
 
Li Yan on Her Role in the Film "Fast and Furious 6"
 
Chinese actress Sarah Yan Li has spoken with CRI about her role in the film "Fast and Furious 6."
Li admits she had difficulty staying calm when the cameras began rolling, but director Justin Lin helped her keep cool.
"The hundreds of eyes were just looking at you. And I was nervous. Then Justin came to me and said 'Sarah, I want your eyes tougher and cooler. Justin was patient. I was embarrassed. So it's not like that easy. I still have a lot of (things) to learn. "
"Fast and Furious 6" peels into Chinese theaters tomorrow.
 
 
Breaking Bad Stars Attend Premiere of Series Finale
 
Stars from the award-winning TV series Breaking Bad have attended the premiere of the show's final 8-episodes.
Actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn and show creator Vince Gilligan were all in attendance for the event.
The group arrived at the premiere in the RV van Cranston's character Walter White drives in the show.
"We decided to arrive at the premiere for our first episode of the last season of Breaking Bad in the RV that we used, oh my goodness, you don't realize how crappy that RV is until you get back inside it."
In anticipation of the final few episodes Aaron Paul teased fans with just enough information to make the wait that much harder.
"You know, the final 8 episodes is the most brutal in Breaking Bad history. As any Breaking Bad fan knows, each season gets progressively darker and darker, and it makes sense for the story. It starts with a very violent punch to the throat. And it doesn't let up. It's just a constant, brutal spring to the finish line, and there's no point to allow the audience to breathe. It's very exciting."
Both Cranston and Paul have both been nominated for Emmy-awards for their performances on the show.
The final 8 episodes of Breaking Bad air next month.
 
 
Brit News: Baby Crocodile, Jane Austen on 10-Pound Note
 
Adam Giles, the chief minister of Australia's Northern Territory, has revealed his government's gift for newborn Prince George Alexander Louis.
A baby crocodile named George in honor of the new prince.
"In gifting this baby crocodile, that we've named George, we've said that we will encourage new Prince George to come out to the Northern Territory, come to Australia, come to the Northern Territory, come to Darwin and visit your gift, your gift here, little crocodile George, the royal crocodile."
Crocodile George was hatched the same day the royal couple announced they were expecting a child.
The newborn Prince will be sent a card each year with updates on the crocodile's progress.
In other British news celebrated Pride and Prejudice author Jane Austen will now appear on the 10-pound note.
She is currently the only woman whose image appears on English currency.
 
 
Rocky Spinoff Film in Works
 
US actor Sylvester Stallone will reprise his roll as Rocky Balboa for the upcoming spinoff film Creed.
The film centers on the grandson of Rocky's rival Apollo Creed who dons the boxing gloves when he realizes he's naturally talented at the sport.
He eventually seeks the mentorship of his grandfather's old rival, Rocky.
Fruitvale Station actor Michael B Jordan will star as Creed's grandson.
Jordan and Fruitvale Station filmmaker Ryan Coogler will team up once again for this film as Coogler has been tapped to direct.
Stallone also recently announced a Rocky musical will hit Broadway some time next year.
 
 
Sequel to Fight Club Novel
 
A graphic novel sequel to US author Chuck Palahniuk's popular novel Fight Club is in the works with the author promising it will be dark and messy.
Palahniuk says the story will pick up years later with main character Jack's psycho alter-ego Tyler ready to stage a comeback and disrupt his life.
Though no publisher has signed on to the project Palahniuk has been meeting with huge comic book companies such as DC, Marvel and Dark Horse.
The original book came out in 1996 with the wildly popular Brad Pitt film following in 99.
The author is hard at work with a busy publishing schedule.
He has several projects coming out this fall and many more in 2014 and 2015 and anticipates the Fight Club sequel will be available sometime in 2015.
He is also working on a book called Doomed which a sequel to his novel Damned.