新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/07/24

 The Beijing Hour

 
Morning Edition
 
 
 
Paul James with you on this Wednesday, July 24th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Psychological councilling is now being offered in southern Gansu in the epicenter of this week's large earthquake.
The Chinese government is imposing a 5-year ban on the construction of new government buildings.
Al-Qaeda is claiming responsibility for a massive prison break this week in Iraq.
In Business, new analysis is suggesting consumer confidence here in China is on the rise.
In sports... China is set to battle South Korea tonight in the East Asian football championships.
In entertainment.... Hollywood blockbuster White House Down has hammered the competition in its premier.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
NW China downpours kill 11
 
Eleven people have been killed amid the heavy rains in Shaanxi.
Mudslides in the city of Yan'an have so far toppled nearly a thousand homes.
It is estimated the economic losses could be as high as 1.7 billion yuan.
Forecasters say more heavy rains will continue battering the province tomorrow and Friday.
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 35 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be clear tonight with a low of 23.
In Shanghai, it will be sunny today, 38 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 29 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will see slight rain in the daytime the temperature's at 21, and tonight will have showers with a low of 12 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 33.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 35.
And in North America
New York, thundershowers, with a high of 28 degrees.
Washington, thundershowers, highs of 31
Houston, overcast, 33.
Honolulu, overcast, 30.
Toronto, thundershowers, 28.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 9.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 22 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Psychological intervention for Gansu quake survivors
 
Anchor
The official death toll from Monday's earthquake in Gansu has risen to 95.
Over a thousand others are being treated for injuries.
Around 220-thousand have been relocated.
Psychological counseling is now underway.
CRI's Su Yi has more.
Reporter
Zhang Yuelin leads a team of medical experts providing psychological help for the survivors.
"Trauma is even more serious than physical injuries. One type of trauma is being panic and the other is having to deal with the loss of relatives. Many local houses are adobe houses and there is not spaces when they collapse so people die immediately."
Zhang says the two psycho-therapists on his team are very busy.
"They helped 35 patients today to ease their stress. This young mother lost her two children. She is under lots of pressure and pain so we've been trying to help her."
Meanwhile, new calls are being made for the construction of quake-proof housing in the Province.
Most of the buildings that collapsed in Monday's earthquake were mud-brick houses that were unable to withstand a strong earthquake.
In 2009, the Gansu provincial government proposed building 2 million quake-proof houses within five years.
However, the centuries-old tradition of building mud-brick houses in the province has hindered the progress of the project.
The 6.6-magnitude earthquake levelled over 5-thousand homes.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
 
China starts 5-year ban on new gov't buildings
 
Anchor
The central authorities here in China have begun a 5-year ban on the construction of new government buildings as part of its ongoing anti-corruption and frugality campaign.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter
The ban includes the construction of new government buildings, training centers and hotels.
The directive also bans government departments from receiving sponsorships or donations in developing construction projects.
Under the new rules, all "necessary" restoration projects must be first examined, while "expensive and unnecessary" renovations are banned.
The directive says all violations will be - quote - "harshly punished".
The new policy paper says government funds and resources should be more spent on developing the economy and boosting the public's well-being.
The CPC leadership has vowed to improve the party's working style through eliminating extravagance and bureaucracy.
The party has also initiated a nationwide campaign for strengthening the so-called "mass line".
The leading directive of the new campaign demands officials "put the interests of the people first."
For CRI, I'm Lucy Du.
 
 
Chinese president urges deepening reform, opening up
 
Chinese president Xi Jinping has issued a new call for a deepening of the reform and opening-up policy.
Xi Jinping says the reforms should be "comprehensively deepened".
He also says it is crucial to maintain "a spirit of reform and innovation".
The comments have been made while on an inspection tour in Hubei.
 
 
China calls for substantive progress between Palestine and Israel: UN envoy
 
A Chinese envoy to the United Nations says the Chinese government is hoping to see "substantive progress" in peace talks this week between the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
China's UN deputy representative Wang Min has issued the statement at a Security Council session.
Wang has also told the Security Council session that China's stance on the issue includes the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Wang Min has also called on the Israeli side to halt its settlement activities and lift its current blockade of the Gaza Strip.
He also says the Security Council should play a bigger role in pushing forward the Middle East peace talks.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are expected to go to Washington later this week to resume the long-stalled peace talks which have been brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
 
 
Iraq's al-Qaida claims responsibility for attacks on prisons
 
Al-Qaida in Iraq is claiming responsibility for this week's prison breaks near Baghdad.
The group claims the move is a response to the Iraqi Shiite-led government's "crimes" against Sunni Iraqis.
Baghdad-based political analyst Hadi Jalo says security failures at the prisons in the outskirts of Baghdad are to blame.
"What has taken place in Abu Ghraib jail is a flagrant security defect, inability, incompetence, and due to collusion and security failure. The senior leaders, officials and ministers are fully responsible for this security failure. This has also indicated that the security forces are still nascent and they haven't reached a stage of development of even 10 percent."
Iraqi officials have confirmed more than 500 inmates managed to escape from Abu Ghraib.
Authorities have imposed curfews around both prisons.
Manhunts are underway.
The coordinated assaults on the prisons left 29 people dead and 39 others wounded.
The prison breaks are the latest in a string of violence which has been gripping Iraq in recent weeks.
 
 
Government concerned Fukishima nuclear plant may be leaking contaminated water
 
The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant admits the crippled plant may have leaked contaminated water into the sea.
This is the first time the Tokyo Electric Power Company, or Tepco, has acknowledged leaks.
Masayuki Ono is a TEPCO spokesperson.
"High readings of radiation were detected in the soil around of the turbine building. We are very sorry for causing concerns to many people, and especially we deeply apologise to the people of Fukushima."
Japan's nuclear watchdog has already confirmed the contamination of the sea has been on-going since the meltdown 2-years ago.
TEPCO has been refusing to admit to any ground water leakage.
The company is injecting a chemical solution into the seawall next to the plant to try to prevent contaminated underground water from escaping into sea.
The earthquake and tsunami in March of 2011 knocked out the cooling systems at the Fukushima plant, triggering the meltdown of the plant.
 
 
Japan joins TPP free trade talks in Malaysia
 
Japan has become the 12th member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
A Japanese delegation of more than 100 officials have joined the ongoing free trade talks in Malaysia.
Japanese Deputy Foreign Minster Koji Tsuruoka.
"Our country's stance is that these trade talks and especially these TPP negotiations that were made possible by the prime minister's decision will help to revitalise the Japan economy and we hope to continue talks to that end."
The latest round of the TPP negotiations is scheduled to end tomorrow.
The Japanese government is still facing domestic pressure in joining the TPP talks, despite the LDP-coalition victory in Sunday's upper house elections.
The Japanese delegation is trying to preserve the hefty tariffs on imported agricultural products.
The TPP negotiations are expected to conclude by October.
 
 
China-ASEAN trade to hit 500 bln USD
 
Anchor
The latest figures are suggesting the bilateral trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is expected to reach 500 billion U.S. dollars by 2015.
CRI's He Fei has more.
Reporter
China and ASEAN established agreement on free trade a decade ago.
Since then, two-way trade has surged from 54.77 billion U.S. dollars in 2002 to 400.1 billion dollars in 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 22 percent.
Gao Yan is the Chinese vice minister of commerce.
She says that two-way trade has reached 210.56 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this year, and the growth will continue with more cooperation to be conducted.
"The cooperation between customs or quality inspectors from the two sides will be further promoted to facilitate the trade. Meanwhile more incentives will be addressed to agricultural products imported from the ASEAN countries. Also the China-ASEAN Expo and other exhibitions will better promote import to China from ASEAN countries."
As ASEAN's biggest trade partner, China kept a trade surplus of 8.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2012 in its trade with the 10-nation group.
The world's second-largest economy has directly invested in 2,500 enterprises in ASEAN, and created 120,000 local jobs sofar.
Direct investment from the ASEAN toward China exceeded 80 billion U.S. dollars.
The official noted that the free trade zone established 3 years ago has tightened the economic relations between China and the ten southeastern Asian countries.
The 10th China-ASEAN Expo will be held Sept. 3-6 in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The event is partly a celebration of the 10th anniversary of China-ASEAN partnership.
Zhang Xiaoqin, Vice Governor of the region.
"This year we will for the first time having Australia as an observing member in the expo. And Further exploring cooperation and to build up a center of logistics, manufacture as well as information in Guangxi, to better facilitate cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in various fields."
Zhang says that the number of visitors in last nine expos has reached over 368 thousand with the trade volume topping 13 billion US dollars.
FOR CRI, this is He Fei.
 
 
Air travel safety under scrutiny amid high-profile accidents
 
The safety of air travel is coming under increasing scrutiny amid a recent series of high-profile accidents the past few weeks.
The latest has taken place in New York, where a plane's nose wheel collapsed while landing, leaving 10-people hurt.
The accident at Laguardia follows the deadly crash landing of the Asiana Airlines flight in San Francisco earlier this month which left 3 Chinese schoolgirls dead.
For more on the safety of air travel, CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier with Dr. Todd Curtis, a former Boeing safety engineer and founder of airsafe.com.
Back anchor
Doctor Todd Curtis, former Boeing safety engineer, speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.
 
 
Obese Children with adult diseases
 
Anchor
A number of experts here in China are raising red flags about the growing number of overweight children in this country.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter
7 year old Xiaohe is obviously overweight. Her daily food intake is astounding even compare to that of an adult.
"I can eat 8 bowls of rice when I go to grandmas'. I can have 10 eggs a day."
Gong Chunxiu is the director of the incretion department at Beijing Children's Hospital. She says statistics show that from 1995 to 2003, 5 percent of children who visited the in-patient department of this hospital have type 2 diabetes due to obesity. The figure rose to 15 percent in 2010.
Gong Chunxiu says that over intake of fat and protein is the main cause of their disease.
"For children at the stage of adolescence, 5 eggs a week is enough. 200 ml of milk per day is enough for them. But nowadays, children eat a lot more than this, including too much meat and milk."
Mao Xiaoyun is a coach at a weight loss summer camp. He says that more and more children are developing adults' disease due to obesity.
"Most of the children here in our camp have medium or slight fatty liver. Some students even suffer from severe fatty liver."
Gong Chunxiu says that for children like this, ordinary exercise is far from enough for them.
"Outdoor strolling for more than 1 hour is not enough for them. They definitely require exercises which can make them sweat a lot and not allow them to catch their breath for at least 15 minutes. They need to partake in this kind of high energy consuming exercise for one hour each day."
Gong Chunxiu points out that weight loss among obese children really depend on parents.
"Any habit is developed when they are kids. If the parents never build their children's interest and habit of doing proper exercise, it may be very hard for them to change their current lifestyle of eating too much. Actually the parents are the ones who need to change."
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
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 closed mixed on Tuesday with the Dow Jones refreshing all-time high and the S&P 500 failing to cross its milestone of 1,700 points.
Investors still fretted over the ongoing corporate earnings.
On the economic front, U.S. house price appreciation continued in May, rising 0.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous month.
It marks the sixteenth consecutive monthly price increase.
The blue-chip Dow gained 0.1percent.
The S&P 500 closed down 0.2 percent.
The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index shed 0.6 percent.
Meanwhile, Canada's S&P/TSX lost 0.1 percent.
In Europe, European shares fell on Tuesday as a late sell-off knocked markets off seven-week highs, with semiconductor group STMicroelectronics leading the way after weak results.
Germany's DAX fell 0.2 percent.
France's CAC 40 was down 0.4 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 also down 0.4 percent.
 
 
Apple profits beat estimates sending shares up 4%
 
Apple is reporting slightly better-than-expected profits in its latest fiscal quarter.
The company has posted 6.9-billion US dollars in profits during the second quarter.
This is down 22-percent from a year-earlier.
Despite this, the results have sent Apple shares up 4 percent in after-hours trading.
Apple's total revenues have come in at 35.5-billion.
This is up slightly from the 35-billion the company brought in a year ago.
iPhone sales hit 31.2 million units in Q2.
This is up 20 percent.
However, iPad sales are down 14-percent.
 
 
Phoning with Ben Cavender Diageo expands in China with Shuijingfang deal
 
The world's biggest spirits company has taken a controlling stake in Chinese liquor maker Shuijingfang.
Diageo is paying close to 360-million US dollars for the controlling shares in the Shanghai-based liquor company.
London-based Diageo brands currently include Guiness, Johnny Walker whiskey and Smirnoff vodka, among others.
Shuijingfang is the 4th largest producer of Baijiu in China.
For more on this deal, we are joined on the line by Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai
1. What is the motivation behind Diageo taking the controlling stake?
2. What about the timing of the deal, given the recent government crackdown on extravagant consumption and the taste for luxury items going modest as the Chinese economy faces slowdown and uncertainties?
3. Will this deal in some way help promote the Chinese brand in Europe?
back anchor: Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai
 
 
China's consumer confidence rises: survey
 
A new survey has found China's consumer confidence has been on the rise in the second quarter of the year.
AC Nielsen's index for consumer confidence has come in at 110 points in the April to June period.
This is up 2 points from the previous quarter.
Any reading above 100 indicates optimism.
The quarterly index is calculated via online research among 35-hundred shoppers across China.
AC Nielsen attributes the rise in optimism to consumers' greater willingness to spend and improving personal finances.
The analysis also suggests consumers in first-tier cities have the strongest confidence in spending compared with their counterparts in smaller cities and rural areas.
The Chinese government has been trying to develop a consumer-based economic model as part of its switch away from export- and investment-led economic growth.
 
 
UPS profit falls as global customers use cheaper shipping
 
United Parcel Service, UPS, has posted a lower-than-expected quarterly profit.
UPS says the moderate increase is because customers, especially on international routes, are choosing slower, cheaper shipping services.
The company earned 1.07-billion US dollars in the second quarter.
This is down from the 1.12-billion earned during the same period a year ago.
UPS says its export shipments during Q2 are up 5-percent.
However, export revenues are down 3.4-percent.
A shift by UPS customers toward normal shipping, as opposed to express, is what's drawing down revenues.
UPS is considered an economic bellwether because of the high volume and variety of goods it moves around the world.
 
 
Starbucks and Danone team up to take on growing U.S. yogurt market
 
Starbucks and Danone are planning to sell a co-branded yogurt through Starbucks and grocery stores in the U.S.
The partnership comes as Starbucks tries to become more active in the so-called "health and wellness" sector.
Financial terms have not been disclosed.
The first product will be a ready-to-eat Greek yogurt parfait.
The product will first be sold in U.S. Starbucks outlets this coming spring.
The parfait is scheduled to hit grocery stores 2015.
Euromonitor International says the U.S. retail market for yogurt has grown by an average 8.5 percent annually over the last 5-years.
 
 
Vivendi in talks to sell Maroc Telecom stake for 4.2 bln euros
 
Vivendi has announced plans to sell its majority stake in Maroc Telecom.
The French media and entertainment group has entered into exclusive talks with Dubai-based operator Etisalat for the sale of it's Maroc holdings.
Vivendi will garner some 4.2-billion euros in cash for the sale its 53 percent stake in Maroc.
The deal is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
Vivendi's net income came in at just over 2.5-billion euros last year.
The company employs 58-thousand people in 77 countries around the world.
 
 
Volkswagen's Bentley to build world's most expensive SUV
 
Volkswagen's ultra-luxury Bentley division getting ready to build its first sport-utility vehicle.
The new model is being billed as the world's most expensive SUV.
The German automaker says the first of the new high-end SUVs will go on sale in 2016.
They're expected to retail for more than 150-thousand euros.
Bentley is targeting sales of between 3 to 4-thousand a year.
Its being reported the project will create over a thousand jobs in the UK and require over a billion US dollars worth of initial investment over the next 3-years.
 
 
Imported iron ore stockpiles decline
 
New data shows the stockpile of iron ore at this country's ports declined this past week.
Inventories of imported iron ore are down 1.1-percent from the previous week.
This has been pushing up prices.
The new analysis from Xinhua is suggesting iron ore prices will rise marginally in the coming week, even though trading volumes are not expected to rise.
The report is also anticipating a rebound in steel prices as producers begin to scale-back amid the continued overcapacity.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Psychological intervention for Gansu quake survivors
 
The official death toll from Monday's earthquake in Gansu has risen to 95.
Over a thousand others are being treated for injuries.
Around 220-thousand have been relocated.
Meanwhile, new calls are being made for the construction of quake-proof housing in the Province.
Most of the buildings that collapsed in Monday's earthquake were mud-brick houses that were unable to withstand a strong earthquake.
The 6.6-magnitude earthquake levelled over 5-thousand homes.
 
 
China starts 5-year ban on new gov't buildings
 
The central authorities here in China have begun a 5-year ban on the construction of new government buildings as part of its ongoing anti-corruption and frugality campaign.
The ban includes the construction of new government buildings, training centers and hotels.
The directive says all violations will be - quote - "harshly punished".
The new policy paper says government funds and resources should be more spent on developing the economy and boosting the public's well-being.
The CPC leadership has vowed to improve the party's working style through eliminating extravagance and bureaucracy.
 
 
China calls for substantive progress between Palestine and Israel: UN envoy
 
A Chinese envoy to the United Nations says the Chinese government is hoping to see "substantive progress" in peace talks this week between the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
China's UN deputy representative Wang Min has issued the statement at a Security Council session.
Wang has also told the Security Council session that China's stance on the issue includes the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are expected to go to Washington later this week to resume the long-stalled peace talks which have been brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
 
 
Iraq's al-Qaida claims responsibility for attacks on prisons
 
Al-Qaida in Iraq is claiming responsibility for this week's prison breaks near Baghdad.
The group claims the move is a response to the Iraqi Shiite-led government's "crimes" against Sunni Iraqis.
Iraqi officials have confirmed more than 500 inmates managed to escape from Abu Ghraib.
Authorities have imposed curfews around both prisons.
Manhunts are underway.
The coordinated assaults on the prisons left 29 people dead and 39 others wounded.
The prison breaks are the latest in a string of violence which has been gripping Iraq in recent weeks.
 
 
Syrian opposition to meet with UN Security Council members: UK
 
Leading officials with the Syrian opposition-in-exile is set to hold talks with the UN Security Council later on this week.
The UK is putting together the meeting.
The key issues are expected to include human rights, refugees and humanitarian access to the embattled country.
It's unclear whether international arms for the rebel forces will be discussed.
The British are describing the forthcoming session on Friday as an opportunty for a "frank and informal" discussion with the Syrian opposition.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Peking University releases admissions list
Summary
Peking University has released its admission list for this year, with a total of 27-hundred-61 students admitted as freshmen to the prestigious university.
"Beida," as it's known in Chinese, is also providing provide both full and partial scholarships this year to a number of students from impoversihed parts of the country.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Crackdown in the medical sector
Summary
The National Health and Family Planning Commission says the government is launching a crackdown on harmful practices in the medical sector.
This move comes amid the allegations of bribery by GlaxoSmithKline's Chinese subsiduary.
Four senior executives from the company are being held by police for their alleged involvement in the scheme, which allegedly involves massive bribes to try to increase drug prices.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
VIP beds being scrapped
Summary
Shanghai's city-level hospitals, the highest level in the three-scale hospital system, are doing away with their VIP beds.
Local health officials say the high-end medical services will be concentrated at two new international medical centers.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Soft drink safety campaign launched
Summary
Beijing health authorities have launched a campaign to inspect soft-drink retailers.
This comes following reports that a KFC outlet has been selling drinks with ice laden with heavy amounts of bacteria.
The campaign will be focused on restaurants with ice-making machines.
This follows reports ice in drinks being sold from a KFC outlet in Beijing contained 19 times the allowable bacterial limit.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Guangzhou to allow 72-hour visa-free stays
Summary
Guangzhou is set to become the latest city here in China to allow transit passengers 72-hour, visa-free stays.
The new program, which is already in-place in Beijing and Shanghai, will take effect in Guangzhou next month.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Family planning officials killed
Summary
A man has reportedly killed two government officials and injured four others in the family-planning bureau in a city in Guangxi.
Details haven't been revealed.
It's being reported the man lost control after a local official refused to give the man's 2nd son a hukou, or local registration.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Official suspended for shouting
Summary
An environmental protection official who shouted at people to get out of his office has been suspended.
A group of people from the community of Xizhongyi in Hebei went to the local environmental protection bureau to report a mill was discharging untreated sewage.
The local official blasted the group for bringing the claim.
However, his tirade was caught on video and put online.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Q&A with cultural studies professor Paul Bowman on Bruce Lee
 
Anchor
In addition to being an accomplished expert in marital artist, the late Bruce Lee was also a writer, philosopher and film maker.
With this year marking the 40th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death, CRI's Zhang Ru took time to speak with Paul Bowman.
He's a professor at Cardiff University who has published three books on Bruce Lee.
(qa with bowman on lee)
Professor Paul Bowman from Cardiff University speaking with CRI's Zhang Ru.
 
 
Sports
 
 
 Chinese womens water polo team upset by Australia at Barcelona
 
Over in Barcelona the worlds best aquatic athletes are competing at the 2013 FINA World Championships.
As of this morning, China leads the medal count with nine total, including five golds taken from diving events. Russia is in second with 5 overall.
After missing out on a medal at the 2012 London Olympics, Greek swimmer Spyridon Gianniotis took gold in the open-water 10-kilomter race.
In womens water polo,
A recently crowned world champion Chinese team was smashed by Australia 14-5. The bronze-medalist Australian team came back from being down 4-5 at the half to win their second group stage game.
The Australian team leads their group after also devastating New Zealand 15-4 in the opener.
 
 
China faces South Korea tonight in east asian cup
 
The Chinese national football team will face South Korea tonight in their second game at the East Asian Cup.
The previous two meetings between the teams have brought eight goals - with China winning the last encounter 3-0 in 2010 after losing 3-2 at home in 2008.
And tomorrow, Japan will take on Australia.
Japan will need to bolster up its defense before their clash with the soceroos.
Over the last four games, the Japanese side has conceded 12 goals. Including three in the opening game against China, which ended in a 3-3 draw.
 
 
Barcelona signs Gerardo Martino on as new coach
 
In the European League,
Barcelona signed Gerardo Martino on as coach for the next two seasons.
The Argentinean will replace Tito Vilanova, who stepped down last week following a recurrence of throat cancer.
The 50-year-old Martino has managed Newell's Old Boys since 2011. He also led Paraguay to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2010.
Martino is thrilled that he will have Lionel Messi on his roster, and described Barca as having players every coach wants. He'll also get Neymeyer.
Most Barca fans are expecting a sunny season with that kind of roster.
"I think if he manages to get the team to play together, especially Messi and Neymar. If he manages to get those two playing together, I think everyone in the club and fans will be happy. Pretty happy."
Barca will be Martino's first European club.
 
 
Ryan Braun suspended on violations of the MLB's drug program
 
Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun has been handed a 65-game suspension for unspecified violations of the MLB's drug program and his labour contract.
Braun was one of the players targeted by the MLB after his name appeared in Miami New Times report that linked players with performance-enhancers coming out of a clinic called Biogenesis.
The 2011 National League MVP accepted the punishment and has apologized to anyone he's disappointed.
This is a different tune than he was singing back in 2011 after he avoided a 50 game penalty on a technicality.
Since that initial allegation, Braun has been adamantly and eloquently insisting upon his innocence.
Saying things like he would bet his life that this substance never entered his body at any point.
Some MLB players would not comment on the suspension, but others like Texas Rangers Joe Nathan voiced their concern about doping within their sport.
"Its never good. Its never good when this happens and that's why its so frustrating for the many of us and the majority of us that are doing it the right way. Its frustrating to have players that do this because it puts a scar on this game. We just hope that the fans are patient and realize we are doing this for the right reason. There are many, many, many more of us that are doing it the right way then the few that aren't."
Four All-Stars this year have been linked in media reports to Biogenesis: Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon and Detroit shortstop Johnny Peralta.
 
 
India's ODI squad takes on Zimbabwe
 
In international cricket,
India's One-day squad will take on Zimbabwe today to kick off their five-match tour around the African country.
The young 15-man squad features two debut players – all-rounder Parvez Rasool and fast bowler Mohit Sharma.
Virat Kohli is standing in as captain in place of Mahendra Sing Dhoni who is being rested by the national selectors.
A few other main players are also out, but Kohli says the younger players are stepping up.
"Of course, if you have such big players coming out of the team, suddenly you do feel a little wierd initially, but I think it's all about how you pick it up and the gus have done a brilliant job in that. A transition is never easy and the guys have tae on the responsibility, see Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan stepping into the shoes of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, it's not an easy task, but they've batted beautifully for the last two months for us and that's been the main reason for our success."
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series against South Africa.
The Sri Lankan squad thrashed South Africa by 180 runs in the first ODI and took the second despite a premature conclusion for rain.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
White House Down smashes After Earth
 
American film White House Down has smashed After Earth at the Chinese box office.
(White House Down)
The Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum film brought in 23 million yuan on its opening night, compared the 4.4 million yuan for After Earth.
The latest movie from sci-fi director Roland Emmerich depicts the struggle to protect the White House against attack from paramilitary forces.
Emmerich, who is known for films such as "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day", says that deep down the film is a father-daughter story that is truly relatable.
In an interview with Mtime.com, the director further praised Channing Tatum for his performance in the phyiscally demanding role as a protector of the President.
Jamie Foxx, who recently starred in Tarantino's Django Unchained, plays the President of the United States.
Having opened on Monday of this week, the film has taken in a total of 44,000,000 yuan so far.
White House Down is now on nation wide release.
 
 
Amanda Bynes hospitalised
 
Former child star Amanda Bynes has been hospitalized.
The actress was taken by police officers after she allegedly started a small fire in the driveway of a home in Southern California.
Authorities say that she will be given a mental health evaluation.
The officers who found her determined she met the criteria for a mental health hold and took her into custody.
She can be held for up to 72 hours on involuntary psychological hold for observation.
Aguilar says no charges have been filed.
The 27 year old rose to fame on the children's network Nikelodeon, starring in her own comedy sketch program, The Amanda Show, at the age of 13.
The early success led to starring roles in feature films Big Fat Liar, What a Girl Wants and Hairspray.
(Hairspray)
Bynes has been showing signs of increasing mental instability of late.
The actress was placed on a 3 month probabtion after several traffic incidents, including 2 hit-and-runs.
Police were called to Bynes apartment earlier this year after the actress threatened suicide.
Earlier this month she appeared in a New York court on allegations that she chucked a marijuana bong out the window of her 36th-floor Manhattan apartment.
 
 
One Direction breaks video record
 
British Boy Wonders One Direction have broken a music video record.
(One Direction)
That was the band's latest single "Best Song Ever" which garnered 10.9 million hits in 24 hours.
The single, written by pop genius Ed Drewett, is a promotional track for their upcoming 3D movie This Is Us.
The Miami-shot video shows the boy show off their acting abilities in a narrative that has band member Zayn Malik in drag.
The video's performance topples Miley Cyrus' reign, after her latest single "We Can't Stop" recently gained 10.7 million views on its release day.
(Soundbite/0724 Miley)
The former child star recently came out to advise Justin Bieber over his recent spate of controversies.
Cyrus wisely told Bieber to stay shy of the limelight for a while to avoid further attention on his wild behaviour, which she has attributed to a part of growing up.
 
 
Beyonce concert hair incident
 
Beyonce's Mrs Carter Show has not so far been without its hiccoughs.
The singer reprimanded a man who attempted to grope her at a concert in an earlier leg of the world tour.
This was followed by the recent collapse of a fan upon being hugged by the superstar.
Now it seems Beyonce's famously glorious hair was endangered when it was caught in a wave machine.
The incident happened at a concert in America during a performance of the singer's hit, Halo.
(Beyonce clip)
Like a true professional, Beyonce continued the performance as more and more of her security team flocked to free her precious strands.
The American stretch of the singer's "Mrs Carter Show" world tour continues, with a stop at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Centre on Thursday.