新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/07/16

 Paul James with you on this Tuesday, July 16th, 2013.

Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
We'll hear what economic observers have to say about the latest economic stats here in China showing this country's growth continuing to slow down.
More and more people are being forced from their homes by the heavy rains still pounding parts of China.
A leading US diplomat has met with the head of Egypt's military.
In Business, the Chinese government has unveiled new plans to quadruple solar power production in the next couple of years.
In sports... Arsenal and Chelsea are now in Asia for a pre-season tour.
In entertainment.... It's being reported JJ Abrahams is being tapped to direct the next installment in the Star Trek franchise.
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 be clear tonight with a low of 23.
In Shanghai, it will be sunny today, 37 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 28 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 24, and tonight will have slight rain with a low of 13 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 37.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 34.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 34 degrees.
Washington, sunny, highs of 34
Houston, thundershowers, 30.
Honolulu, sunny, 29.
Toronto, overcast, 31.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 14.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 28 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Data shows China' economic growth slowdown in the first half of 2013
 
Anchor
Authorities here in China and market observers around the world are still mulling the impact of the latest economic stats here in China which shows this country's economy grew by 7.5-percent through the second quarter.
This puts China's growth through the first half of the year at 7.6-percent, which marks the slowest pace of growth through the period in 3-years.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
Reporter
Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics says GDP exceeded 24-trillion yuan in the first half of 2013, up 7.6-percent year on year.
Sheng Laiyun, spokesman for China's National Bureau of Statistics says China's economy has maintained a steady growth in the past half year.
"I want to use three sentences to summarize economic performance in the first half of this year. The overall economic performance is stable. Structural changes are advanced while ensuring stability forward and transformation and upgrading are promoted while ensuring stability. Major economic indicators are still within reasonable ranges as expected."
Meanwhile the GDP for the second quarter has 0.2 percent of decrease from the first three months.
China's economic growth trend is towards a slowdown since economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2010 stood at 9.8.
Sheng Yunlai says the economic slowdown is due to multiple factors, such as international economic downturn, surging labor cost and the quantitative easing policy.
Sheng says the Chinese government' controls are also one main factor.
However the Spokesman expressed confidence about the coming China's economic trend.
"Starting from this year, the newly-elected government attaches great importance to adjusting structures and changing growth mode. The focus of work is put on stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, putting forward reforms. Meanwhile, some previous stimulus policies are exiting in order from the market. Therefore, in the short term, economic growth will be inevitable impacted, while in the long run, it will be beneficial to the growth."
International Monetary Fund has recently cut China's economic growth expectation.
But analysts say the slower growth is in line with market expectations and is above the government's full-year target of 7.5 percent.
For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.
 
 
Observers say China's economic growth slows to steadier pace
 
Anchor
Market observers are suggesting the latest figures showing China's GDP slowing to 7.5-percent through the 2nd quarter may offer global investors better opportunities as Beijing toughs out the slowdown.
CRI's Su Yi has more.
Reporter
Market analysts including the Managing Director of China Galaxy Securities, Zuo Xiaolei, are seemingly not too worried about the current slowdown.
"A growth rate which has been fluctuating around 7.5 percent has not caused huge rates of unemployment. So we believe that a margin of fluctuation centered around 7.5 percent is part of our potential growth level. So we should not worry because of minor fluctuations. We need to understand better China's current stage of economic changes and accept the potential growth level of China, which will remain at a single digit level."
Observers are suggesting Monday's economic data is a healthy reminder that the days of double-digit growth fueled by strong exports and lavish investment are over.
Zuo Xiaolei notes the slowdown comes as the Chinese government moves to try to create a more sustainable growth model that relies more on domestic consumption.
"China's rapid growth over the last 30 years was based on a major factor, given by advantageous conditions of labour forces, but this has now changed. So it is normal that our potential growth has changed accordingly. I think China has entered a new economic phase, and the speed of growth of our economy will also change accordingly."
Some have suggested the latest figures might be the catalyst for the government to bring in a series of stimulus measures to try to revive higher growth.
However, Nomura chief economist Rob Subbaraman suggests the authorities should be cautious about any "knee-jerk" reactions.
"I think the implication for policy near term is we still think it is best to keep the broad policy measures on the tight side. The biggest danger we see for China is, just because growth is starting to ease off, they suddenly relax all the monetary tightening measures, and we start to see debt building up again, the property market taking off again, and then it is very dangerous we think, because already the financial cycle is looking pretty excessive, and that can lead to a very severe recession if you have a crisis there."
The 2nd quarter slowdown has been largely brought on by the continued problems in the European economy, which has led to a slowdown in Chinese export demand.
It's expected a revival of fortunes in Europe and the United States should help ease pressure on Chinese exporters.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
 
Rains force more evacuations across China
 
More and more people are being moved out of their homes amid the heavy rains which continue to pound several regions of China.
In Sichuan, torrential rains have flooded six different townships in Shimian County, which is about 200-kilometers southwest of the capital, Chengdu.
The rains there have swept away at least four houses.
Shimian County deputy head Wang Yi says over a thousand people have been forced from their homes by the flooding.
"Up to now, we have managed to contact all 2,600 residents in our town and we have already evacuated all those who need to be evacuated, around 1,300 or 1,400 of them."
Around 3-hundred people have been confirmed dead or missing after rainstorms and Typhoon Soulik hit China, causing flooding, landslides and buildings to collapse.
The rains this year are creating some of the worst flooding in Sichuan in half a century.
Meanwhile, in Jiangxi, over 14-hundred people have been rescued from the flooding brought on by Tyhpoon Soulik, which rolled into China's southeast this past weekend, bringing massive downpours.
Soulik has since disapated into a regular storm-front.
And in the northwest of China, 27 people are now confirmed dead amid flooding which has been innondating parts of Shaanxi.
 
 
Rape victim's mother wins labor camp lawsuit
 
A provincial high court in Hunan has ruled in favor of a rape victim's mother who sued a local authority for putting her in a labor camp.
The Yongzhou municipal re-education through labor commission has been ordered to pay Tang Hui over 26-hundred yuan in compensation for infringing upon her personal freedoms and causing psychological damage.
But the higher court has rejected Tang's other demand for a written apology.
Tang was put in the labor camp after she publicly petitioned for harsher punishment for those found guilty of raping her daughter and forcing her into prostitution.
The Hunan court says while Tang's acts were illegal, putting her in a reeducation program was "obviously improper".
Tang Hui says she is "satisfied" with the results, though she says she's disappointed she didn't get a written apology.
The Chinese government is planning to reform the so-called "laojiao" program.
Yunnan became the first province to suspended the re-education through labor system, which was first brought in as a form of punishment in the 1950's.
Provincial authorities in Guangdong have also announced plans to bring the "laojiao" system to an end.
 
 
U.S. diplomat praises Egyptian army for achieving people's will
 
A leading US diplomatic official has met with the head of Egypt's military.
US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns has sat down with Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
This is the highest-level US representative to meet with the Egyptian leadership since the ouster of Mohamed Morsi earlier this month.
Details of what the two discussed have not been revealed.
However, a state-run online publication in Egypt says Burns prasied the Egyptian Army's response to the will of the people.
If the report is accurate, this could represent a more defining US position on the overthrow of Morsi.
In the hours following Morsi's ouster, US President Barack Obama issued a statement, saying he was "deeply concerned" about Morsi's removal.
The move also prompted Obama to order a review of the 1.5-billion US dollars worth of military aide the United States provides to Egypt every year.
While not openly calling the military ouster of Morsi a coup, Obama has called on the army to restore power to a civilian administration as soon as possible.
 
 
Putin: Snowden a dubious present; takes underwater trip
 
Russia's President has offered up new comments about the plight of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Snowden is unable to leave the transit zone of Moscow's main airport, as the US government has revoked his passport.
Vladimir Putin says Snowden's presence in Russia is actually the fault of the US government.
"He arrived on our territory without an invitation - we didn't invite him. And he was not flying to us - he was flying in transit to other countries. But as soon as he got in the air it became known, and our American partners, actually, blocked his further flight. They themselves scared other countries."
Snowden is accused of leaking classified documents to the media connected to U.S. surveillance programmes.
He has been offered asylum in a number of Latin American countries, but has no documents to allow him to leave Moscow since arriving there from Hong Kong last month.
 
 
Spain PM rejects resignation calls
 
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is rejecting opposition calls for his resignation amid his alleged involvement in an illegal payment scandal.
Opposition leaders are calling for Rajoy's resignation after a local newspaper published text messages showing him comforting an ex-party treasurer under investigation for maintaining a slush fund.
Rajoy's government has denied recieving illegal payments from the slush fund run by ex-treasurer Luis Barcenas.
The newpaper report alleges Barcenas ran a party slush fund that took donations from construction magnates and distributed them to party leaders in the form of cash.
In refuting calls for his ouster, Rajoy does not deny sending the supportive text messages to Barcenas.
"The text messages published yesterday only ratify what I have told you before, that the rule of law does not submit to blackmail and that institutions - the judicial administration, judicial police, and tax office - have acted, act and continue to act with absolute independence. I insist, this is a serious democracy and institutions do not submit themselves to blackmail."
Political obsevers in Spain are suggesting the scandal may prompt Rajoy's party to select someone else as prime minister.
Rajoy's conservatives don't have to call an election until 2015.
 
 
Pakistani president not to seek second term: spokesman
 
Pakistan's President has announced he won't be seeking a second term in office.
Asif Ali Zardari's term is coming to an end in September.
In making the announcement, a spokesperson for the Pakistani President is rebuffing reports Zardari is not going to return to Pakistan ahead of the elections.
His office says he plans to return to the country by the end of the month.
Zardari is currently visiting his family in Dubai, and has plans to make a stop in London as well.
Zardari's Pakistan People's Party was handed a resounding defeat in the parliamentary elections in May.
The PPP says it hasn't decided yet whether or not to field a candidate in the forthcoming Presidental elections.
Zardari swept into power in 2008 following the assassination of his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
 
 
Attorney general says Martin's death "tragic"
 
US Attorney General Eric Holder is offering up comment on the acquittal of neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.
Holder says the killing of an unarmed teenager is tragic and unnecessary.
"Moreover, I want to assure you that the Department will continue to act in a manner that is consistent with the facts and the law.　We are committed to standing with the people of Sanford, with the individuals and families affected by this incident, and with our state and local partners in order to alleviate tensions, address community concerns, and promote healing."
Zimmerman has been cleared of murder charges in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida last year.
The US Justice Department is reviewing evidence in the case to determine whether criminal civil rights charges against Zimmerman could be warranted.
The family of the victim also have the possiblity of filing a wrongful death suit against Zimmerman.
 
 
Over 100 casualties reported in DR Congo clash
 
A new round of fighting in the DR Congo has left more than 100 people killed.
The government says the fighting has taken place in the eastern part of the country between government forces and the M23 rebels.
The clashes have taken place in a town just a few miles away from the eastern provincial capital of Goma.
This is the same area which saw massive clashes between rebel forces and DR Congo government troops last year.
The government claims most of those injured in the latest clashes are M23 rebels.
This is the first flare-up of fighting in weeks.
The rebels and the DR Congo government have existed in an uneasy stalemate since the M23 rebels launched a major assault in the eastern DR Congo last year.
The rebels only pulled back from their positions after pressure by other countries in the region to accept negotiations.
It's said the rebels have since been weakened by infighting among political and military factions within the M23 movement.
 
 
China's Largest Search-and-rescue Vessel Visits Indonesia
 
China's largest patrol and rescue vessel, the "Haixun-1," has kicked off a goodwill visit to Indonesia.
As part of the 4-day stop, the vessel is due to join an exercise with Indonesia's coast guard.
Bobby Mamahit is the Indonesian Director-General for Sea Transportation.
"The Indonesian sea patrolling guard will conduct an exercise with our Chinese counterpart focusing on maritime rescue. Chinese maritime personnel have abundant experience about maritime rescue and dealing with emergencies. It is a good opportunity for us to learn from them."
This marks the first time Chinese authorities have sent a patrol and rescue ship into the Southern Hemisphere.
 
 
Another new batch of legal aid volunteers have been sent to less developed regions
 
The Chinese government has sent another batch of some 200 legal aid volunteers to over 100 counties across the country.
The campaign was first launched in 2009 by China's Ministry of Justice.
Deputy Justice Minister Zhao Dacheng says the campaign is designed to help serve underprivileged groups.
"The campaign has given legal assistance to more than 300 counties without lawyers or in urgent need of lawyers. It plays an important role in maintaining the legal rights for locals in the central and western regions and helps in promoting social stability."
Zhao Dacheng says the project has benefited over 17-million people around the country.
Government figures show at least 100 Chinese counties have no lawyers at all.
 
 
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 continued to rally as Citigroup released upbeat earnings to start a busy week for corporate earnings.
Chinese economic data also eased fears over a slowdown in that country and boosted sentiment.
The rally brings the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 to close at all-time highs for the third consecutive day.
The Dow rose 0.1 percent.
The S&P 500 ticked up 0.1 percent.
The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.2 percent.
Meanwhile, Canada's S&P/TSX gained 0.5 percent.
In Europe, European shares rose on Monday to extend a recovery after hitting low points in late June.
Banks were among the top performers as better-than-expected earnings from U.S. bank Citigroup lifted financial stocks.
Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent.
France's CAC 40 was up 0.6 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 also up 0.6 percent.
 
 
Call-in China aims to more than quadruple solar power generating capacity by 2015
 
The central authorities here in China have announced new plans to increase solar power generation four-fold by 2015.
The State Council hopes to see 35-gigawatts of solar power produced in China by 2015.
The previous goal was 21-gigawatts by that time.
As of the end of last year, solar power provided 8-gigawatts of power to the Chinese grid.
To support the new target, the State Council has also announced a series of new plans.
They include promoting small-scale solar power generators, increasing financial support for large solar panel producers, and encouraging mergers and acquisitions in the sector.
For more on the new plan, we are joined on the line by Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily.
1. First of all, what problems is this move trying to address?
2. Any concern that by extending this hand, the government would incentivize more local governments to jump on new solar panel projects and further aggravate the overcapacity problem?
3. How likely this ambitious target will be achieved and what are the prospects of solar power as an alternative source of energy in China?
back anchor: Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily
 
 
GSK senior executives under arrest over suspected bribery and tax-related crimes
 
Four senior executives with GlaxoSmithKlein are now formally being held on suspicion of commercial bribery and tax-related crimes by Chinese police.
The suspects are accused of channeling bribes to Chinese officials and doctors through travel agencies to in order to expand the company's market share here in China.
Liang Hong is the vice president and operations manager of GSK's Chinese division.
"We began to cooperate with Shanghai Linjiang International Travel Service Co., Ltd. since 2010. Within the following three years, about 10 meetings had been held, with participants ranging from over 100 in small meetings to 2,000 in large-scale meetings. The expenses for the largest-scale one exceeded ten million yuan."
Investigators say GSK transferred as much as 3-billion yuan to more than 700 travel agencies and consultancies over 6 years.
Authorities allege these firms then used the money to offer benefits to doctors and hospitals on behalf of GlaxoSmithKlein.
Authorities contend these bribes pushed up drug prices, in certian cases, 10-fold.
 
 
U.S. retail, food sales up 0.4 percent in June
 
New stats show U.S. retail and food service sales came in up 0.4 percent in June.
This represents a 5.7-percent increase from the same month a year earlier.
Excluding automobiles, retail and food service sales in June were virtually unchanged from the month before.
Retail sales, which accounts for about 30 percent of US consumer spending, increased 0.5 percent in May.
This has come in below economists' forecasts of a 0.8 percent increase in June.
This is suggesting consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, is slowing significantly from the first quarter's 2.6-percent annualized growth rate.
As a result, Goldman Sachs has cut its second-quarter GDP growth estimate from 1.3-percent down to 1-percent.
 
 
U.S. business inventories up 0.1 percent in May
 
New stats from the US Department of Commerce show manufacturing and trading company inventories edged up 0.1 percent in May.
This follows a revised 0.2-percent gain the previous month.
However, the May increase is up 3.8-percent on an annualized basis.
The total business inventories-to-sales ratio stood at 1.29 by the end of May, which is slightly lower than the reading of 1.3 in April.
The ratio measures the time span of inventories being sold.
Meanwhile, the combined sales for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers jumped 1.1 percent in May from the previous month.
It is normally interpreted as a positive sign for an economy when businesses increase their inventories.
However, the new figures also show the business inventories-to-sales ratio is still far from the pre-recession high of nearly 1.5.
This is being viewed as a sign business owners are still cautious about the broader US economic outlook.
 
 
European companies face negative cash flow in 2013: Fitch
 
Fitch is forecasting European companies will generate negative free cash flows of around 9 billion U.S. dollars this year.
The ratings agency is downgrading its expectations about the free cash flow because of concerns over the utility and transport sector.
Free cash flow is an indicator of the financial strength of a company and a measure of its ability to manage volatility.
Persistent negative flows significantly lessen flexibility, mostly by preventing a company reducing its debt.
The same analysis by Fitch also suggests telecom, media and technology companies have weakened, partly due to the impact of rising competition.
Fitch has lowered its forecasts for utilities due to weaker gas and electricity demand, combined with continued higher import prices for natural gas.
 
 
Ernst & Young raises British growth forecast to 1.1 pct
 
Ernst & Young has increased its growth forecast for the UK economy to 1.1 percent.
This is up significantly from the 0.6-percent growth expection it issued in April.
The firm says the upward adjustment reflects the relatively rosy outlook being brought on by the recent series economic results through the second quarter.
The London-based economic forecaster says the current pick-up is being driven by consumer spending and the housing market.
Ernst & Young is forecasting British consumer spending will rise 1.6 percent this year.
Housing prices are expected to increase over 2.2-percent this year, and 5.5-percent next year.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China economy slows further in second quarter
 
Market observers are suggesing the latest economic stats here in China may offer global investors better opportunities as Beijing toughs out the slowdown.
The latest figures show the Chinese economy grew 7.6-percent through the first six months of this year, with the growth in the second quarter slowing to 7.5-percent.
This is the weakest first-half economic growth in China in three years.
Observers are suggesting Monday's economic data is a healthy reminder that the days of double-digit growth fueled by strong exports and lavish investment are over.
 
 
Rains force more evacuations across China
 
More and more people are being moved out of their homes amid the heavy rains which continue to pound several regions of China.
Around 3-hundred people have been confirmed dead or missing after rainstorms and Typhoon Soulik hit China, causing flooding, landslides and buildings to collapse.
The rains this year are creating some of the worst flooding in Sichuan in half a century.
Meanwhile, in Jiangxi, over 14-hundred people have been rescued from the flooding brought on by Tyhpoon Soulik, which rolled into China's southeast this past weekend, bringing massive downpours.
Soulik has since disapated into a regular storm-front.
And in the northwest of China, 27 people are now confirmed dead amid flooding which has been innondating parts of Shaanxi.
 
 
Rape victim's mother wins labor camp lawsuit
 
A provincial high court in Hunan has ruled in favor of a rape victim's mother who sued a local authority for putting her in a labor camp.
The Yongzhou municipal re-education through labor commission has been ordered to pay Tang Hui over 26-hundred yuan in compensation for infringing upon her personal freedoms and causing psychological damage.
But the higher court has rejected Tang's other demand for a written apology.
Tang was put in the labor camp after she publicly petitioned for harsher punishment for those found guilty of raping her daughter and forcing her into prostitution.
 
 
GSK senior executives under arrest over suspected bribery and tax-related crimes
 
Four senior executives with GlaxoSmithKlein are now formally being held on suspicion of commercial bribery and tax-related crimes by Chinese police.
The suspects are accused of channeling bribes to Chinese officials and doctors through travel agencies to in order to expand the company's market share here in China.
Investigators say GSK transferred as much as 3-billion yuan to more than 700 travel agencies and consultancies over 6 years.
Authorities allege these firms then used the money to offer benefits to doctors and hospitals on behalf of GlaxoSmithKlein.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Beijing beefs up flood safety
Summary
Authorities here in Beijing are increasing safety inspections ahead of more potentially heavy rain days.
The increase in flood safety inspection follows last year's deadly flooding in the capital which left dozens of people dead.
Authorities are focusing their inspections around the mountainous areas in the suburbs and overpasses in the downtown core.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
New food safety regulations
Summary
A fresh set of regulations on the safety assessment of foods have been released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Under the new rules, if the safety of licensed foodstuffs does not meet technological standards, the commission can launch a secondary assessment of the product in question.
The new regulation is set to come into effect on October 1st.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Graduate movement numbers remain flat
Summary
The Shanghai Education Commission says the employment and further studies rate among local graduates reached 88 percent last week - almost the same percentage as last year.
This includes graduates who have secured a job, been admitted to postgraduate studies, those who have decided to study abroad or those who are starting up their own businesses.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Guangzhou tops public-service list
Summary
A new survey shows Guangdong's capital Guangzhou is the best city in China when it comes to public services.
The survey by Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University has assessed 19 cities.
Guangzhou ranks the best in areas including identifying public need, providing services and government responsiveness.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Apple to probe phone charging death
Summary
Apple has announced its involvement in the death of a woman, whose family claims she was electricuted while answering her iPhone5 while it was charging.
The company adds it will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter.
It's also offered up its condolances to the family of the victim.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Donor demands school pay up
Summary
The family of a 15-year-old boy whose organs were donated to five people has enlisted a lawyer to claim money raised by his school.
Yan Sen, a student from the community of Liaocheng in Shandong died of a brain hemorrhage in March.
Yan's school launched a donation drive among students' parents to help the family, which has incurred a large amount of debt for the daughter's medical costs.
The family's lawyer says the school has raised about 310-thousand yuan, but has given Yan's family around 60-thousand of it.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Tax official suspended
Summary
Anti-graft authoriteis in the city of Dongguan in Guangdong have suspended a national tax official amid allegations he owns 173 business complexes.
The Dongguan Party Commission of Discipline Inspection is launching the investigation into Luo Shaoqiang, who has been dubbed the "uncle of business complexes" by people in Dongguan.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Kissing cousins app proving popular in Iceland
 
Anchor
A new smartphone app has been created in Iceland to try to ensure the country's small population of just over 300-thousand people don't make the mistake of becoming romantically involved with someone they're related to.
CRI's Wei Tong explains.
Reporter
The Islendiga-App, or "App of Icelanders" was created by three software engineering students from University of Iceland in submission to a contest calling for "new creative uses" for the Islendingabok, or Book of Icelanders. The Islendingabok is an online database of residents and their family trees stretching back 1,200 years.
Kari Stefansson is the chief executive of the Icelandic biotech company deCODE Genetics, which ran the contest that led to the development of the app.
"We are not particularly closely related to each other today, but we are. If you go a few centuries back in time, a relatively small number of people account for a very large percentage of the population today."
Hakon Prastar Bjornsson, an app developer, says the system has aroused great interest among people in Iceland.
"The bump is here because Iceland really has a national interest in genealogy and a lot of people do think it's a fun feature to have in your phone, to be able to instantly see how you are related to any person you meet."
The Book of Icelanders database was developed in 1997 by deCODE and software entrepreneur Fridrik Skulason.
The database can be sourced online by any Icelandic citizen or legal resident.
As such Decode programmer Thordur Kristjansson demonstrated how the app can use the database to work out that he is closely related to Iceland's famous singer, Bjork.
After logging on, using his Icelandic social security number, and quickly searching for the singer's full name, he can see that they share the same ancestors in the 17th century.
"This is how I'm related to Bjork. Our common ancestors are Ingibjorg Einarsdottir and Bjarni Gudmundsson, born in 1659 and 1637."
Kari Stefansson says the app now makes such genealogical data available to Icelanders on their mobile phones, with the added anti-incest feature.
"What we aspire to do, is to contribute to our understanding of who we are as a species, who we are as individuals, where we came from, understanding where we came from and where we are going. We are also hoping that this understanding is going to allow us to deal with certain bad consequences of human diversity, which is the difference in the risk of serious diseases."
Most of the population in Iceland originated from a group of Viking settlers dating back to the ninth century.
Iceland is also one of the few countries in the world that bears an online database holding genealogical details of almost the entire population.
For CRI, I am Wei Tong.
 
 
Sports
  
 
Players prepare ahead of the Open Championship
 
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan were among those taking an early stroll around the course at Muirfield ahead of the Open Championship.
Defending champion Ernie Els discussed the challenges of Muirfield at a press conference.
"The Open courses depends so much on the weather//This week is getting very firm although there is lots of rough. Accuracy is going to be at a premium. And your shot making is going to be really tested. You are going to have to come in high sometimes and sometimes you are going to have to come in with some bump and runs. Your short game will be tested. This one (Muirfield) is right up there at the top of the list for me. Right at number one."
Els named Phil Mikelson as his best competition to take home the trophy this year, since the American is coming straight off a win at the Scottish Open.
19 year-old Jordan Spieth earned a last minute berth at the Open after his victory at the John Deere Classic.
Spieth became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 82 years after besting David Hearn and Zach Johnson in a threeway playoff.
He was the first teenager to win since Ralph Guldahl took the Santa Monica Open in 1931.
The first round at Muirfield begins on Thursday.
 
 
Cyclists get ready for stage 16 at the Tour de France
 
At the Tour de France,
After enjoying their second and final rest day, cyclists are getting ready to attack stage 16.
The upcoming 168 kilometer route will be easier than Sunday's climb up Mount Ventoux, but its still testing terrain.
These late stages have been known to favor attacking riders, and those hovering behind the leaders pack can push themselves back into contention.
Chris Froome has been growing comfortable in the race leader's yellow jersey, but not even his intimidating four minute 14 second overall lead is untouchable.
Saxo-Tinkoff directeur sportif Fabrizio Guidi stated moments after Froome's stage 15 victory that the winner had yet to be decided.
Meaning there are still opportunities for other cyclists to take over the lead.
 
 
Chinese shooters enjoy success at the Universiade games
 
After a disappointing start, China's top university shooters redeemed themselves by claiming two gold medals at the Universiade games in Kazan.
Liu Zhiguo, Cao Yifei, and Liu Lilong won at the mens 10m air rifle team event.
Liu Zhiguo also walked away with the individual title.
Huang Sixue won the silver medal in the womens skeet individual event.
The 27th Universiade games will wrap up tomorrow. Host nation Russia now holds 102 gold medals, 55 silver, and 46 bronze.
 
 
Arsenal and Chelsea tour in Asia for pre-season play
 
In the English Premier League,
Arsenal arrived in Hanoi ahead of their match against Vietnam's national squad tomorrow.
The English side's Asia tour got off to a winning start after they demolished Indonesia's Dream Team 7-0 in Jakarta over the weekend.
The tour is important pre-season training for the club, before the start of the English premier league, which manager Arsene Wenger predicts will be especially competitive next season.
"For the next season, the Premier League will be interesting. England is one of the few countries in Europe now where many teams can win the Premier League. Chelsea will have a good team again and the fact that Ferguson retired there is a bit of uncertainty there but I am sure that Moyes will do a good job and they will be a candidate as well to win the Premier League."
Chelsea is also over in Asia for some pre-season play. The club will take on Thailand's Singha All Star XI in Bangkok tomorrow.
 
 
Roger Federer enters German Open Tennis Championships as top seed
 
After crashing out of Wimbledon in the second round, world number five Roger Federer returned to Hamburg for the German Open Tennis Championships.
The tournament represents an important milestone for the Swiss player, because it was at Hamburg that he entered the top ten in 2002.
I've always enjoyed coming back here, I was very successful playing here. I had milestone victories here, milestone other moments for me. I thought I learned a lot. I took the right decisions, took wrong decisions, but then reacted the right way, so for me to come back to Hamburg after losing early at Wimbledon, which allowed me to play this schedule, is an interesting situation for me, and I really hope I can do well, win as many matches as possible and hopefully compete for the title here at Hamburg."
Federer's won the title four times before and enters this year's tournament as the top seed. His first test will be against Germany's Daniel Brands later today.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Star Trek Sequel to Begin Filming in 2014?
 
Spock actor Zachary Quinto has revealed the next Star Trek film may begin shooting as early as next year.
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This comes a shock to many fans considering JJ Abrams the director of the past two Star Trek films will begin filming Star Wars Episode 7 for Disney next year.
In an interview Quinto insisted the entire Star Trek cast was notified by production studio Paramount Pictures filming for the new sequel will begin in 2014.
Quinto went on to say Abrams still wants to direct the film though signing on to direct another massive franchise may get in the way of that want.
Many speculate Abrams will sign on in a producing role though others point out the first sequel Star Trek Into Darkness was pushed back on account of fitting with Abrams' schedule.
 
 
Radiohead's Future, Spotify Responds to Criticism
 
UK band Radiohead's frontman Thom Yorke has sat down with James Bond actor Daniel Craig to discuss the future of Radiohead and Yorke's music career.
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Yorke remarked he wished he had a plan other than taking a year off.
Currently, each member of the band is busy with their own side projects.
Yorke himself has formed an experimental rock supergroup Atoms for Peach which includes Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.
Atoms for Peace has been making headlines after removing their album Amok from the music streaming service Spotify.
In a series of tweets Godrich explained they removed their music in protest of Spotify's business model which he claims unfairly pays shareholders rather than the artists.
Godrich suggests this practice is bad for new artists.
A Spotify spokesperson responded to the claims promising the service is beneficial to artists, new and old alike.
Their long term plan is for users of the free service to sign up for a paid account thus enabling Spotify to pay artists more.
They predict to pay out over 1-billion US dollars to artists by the end of the year.
 
 
Veronica Mars Novels to Follow Feature Film
 
Super TV turned movie sleuth Veronica Mars will be getting a series of spinoff novels following the release of the feature film.
(mars clip)
Vintage Books have acquired the rights to 2 books worth of original stories featuring actress Kristen Bell's character.
The first novel is scheduled for release next year to coincide with the premiere of the movie.
The books will take place following the events in the movie and will be co-written by series creator Rob Thomas.
Veronica Mars was originally a TV series which aired from 2004 to 2007 and was cancelled after 3 seasons.
A film version became reality following a ridiculously successful crowd sourcing fund raising on the website kickstarter.com.
Fans donated a total of 5.7-million US dollars to help get the film off the ground.
 
 
Cory Monteith's Autopsy to be Fast-Tracked
 
Deceased Glee star Cory Monteith's autopsy will reportedly be 'fast-tracked' due to intense public interest.
The Vancouver Police Department expects the results from the autopsy including the cause of death to be known within 2 or 3 days.
The 31-year-old actor-singer was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada following a night out with friends.
The police have noted there doesn't seem to be any evidence of foul play and a cause of death was not obviously apparent.
Monteith struggled with drug abuse since his teenage years and entered a rehabilitation clinic in April.
His Glee costar and girlfriend Lea Michele stood by and supported him during his time in rehab has now asked for privacy following his death.
Fans and celebrities alike have taken to social media sites to express their sadness over the star's passing.