新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/06/18

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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese and Australian leaders have congratulated each other on the signing of a Free Trade Agreement after years of negotiations¹...

Massive rallies have been held outside the Legislature in Hong Kong as the regional government begins debate on its long-awaited political reform package...

And Eurozone finance minister are meeting today to discuss the Greek bailout program...

In Business...net capital inflows in China hit 20 billion through the first five months of the year...

In Sports...China vs. Cameroon in the final 16 at the Women's World Cup...

In entertainment...the start of the 69th Edinburgh Film Festival...

Top NewsChina, Australia sign free trade agreementAnchorLeaders of China and Australia have exchanged congratulations on the signing of a long-awaited bilateral² Free Trade Agreement, hailing it as a paradigm³ of regional economic integration⁴.

In his message to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Chinese President Xi Jinping says the signing of the FTA will provide a better platform and an improved institutional guarantee for closer cooperation.

Meanwhile, Abbott says the FTA marks a fresh start for Australia-China relations.

For more details here is CRI's Xie Cheng.

ReporterThe deal has been signed at a ceremony in Canberra, capping off a decade of negotiations.

Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng says the free trade agreement is a landmark⁵ achievement.

"The China-Australia FTA is or has attained⁶ its goal of being a comprehensive, high-quality and balanced agreement. It has the highest degree of liberalization amongst all the FTAs that China has so far signed with another economy. This signing is going to provide us with a more open, convenient and regulated institutional arrangement for our trade and investment exchanges going forward."Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott also oversaw⁷ the signing in Canberra this Wednesday.

"What you have collectively done is history making for both our countries. It will change our countries for the better, it will change our region for the better, it will change our world for the better."One of the highlights of the deal includes Australia opening up its services sector⁸ using a negative-list approach, which lists sectors⁹ that won't be open to investment, rather than areas that are open.

The Chinese side is also opening up its service sector as part of the new FTA, but will be using the positive-list approach.

Professor Tu Xinquan with the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing says the use of the traditional positive-list makes sense for China at this point.

"China is still a developing country. During the negotiations, we decided¹⁰ we only wanted to open our services sector in a positive-list approach, listing the sectors we intend to open up. This will better control the degree of opening up. It also makes it easier to regulate."As part of the deal, tariffs¹¹ are going to be lifted on 95-percent of Australian exports to China.

It will also make it easier for Chinese businesses to invest in Australia.

Mei Xinyu, a researcher with China's Ministry¹² of Commerce, says a number of different Chinese sectors are going to benefit from this.

"I believe this will allow for good opportunities in the tourism industry in Australia. Last year, a privately-run company from the province of Shanxi purchased a local hotel in Australia, which makes good financial sense for both sides. On top of this, areas such as agricultural development, including farming, animal husbandry, forestry¹³ and aquaculture will also benefit. Chinese companies will even be allowed to invest in mineral resource development for primary products, provided they have enough capital."The deal will also allow for more Chinese nationals to travel to Australia on working holidays.

It's expected the Australian side will benefit from cheaper electronics and home appliances.

China is Australia's largest trading partner, with the two-way trade between the two sides hitting 130-billion US dollars last year.

For CRI, I am Xie Cheng.

Lawmakers start to debate on reform plan with crowds of supporters outside LegcoAnchor:

Lawmakers in Hong Kong have begun debate on the proposed political reform package connected to universal sufferage.

This comes amid massive rallies outside the Legislative¹⁵ Council complex with both opponents and supporters of the proposal voicing opinions.

CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has more.

ReporterVocal supporters of the proposal have been out in-force, playing the national anthem¹⁶ and waving the Chinese flag outside the Legco building, hoping to convince lawmakers inside Legco to vote "yes" on the reform plan.

"Hong Kong is our home. We want it to be stable and prosper¹⁷, but some people even lawmakers are trying to destroy it. We are here to show that we love our country and Hong Kong."Stanley Ng is one of the organizers of the "yes" rallies.

"It's encouraging to see so many people showing up. Even though we are not optimistic about the result, we are still making our last-ditch effort. We hope lawmakers can respect our voice."Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, who led the government task force on political reform, is one of those who is pressing to have the proposal passed.

"Public opinion is clear. The majority of Hong Kong people would like to see their right to vote being put in place in 2017 so that there will be development in political reform."The proposal to change the voting structure to allow for a system of universal sufferage in Hong Kong will require a two-third majority to pass.

With many lawmakers already pledging to vote no, it appears unlikely the political reforms will make it through.

Still, supporter Regina Ip is urging her fellow lawmakers to pass the bill.

"It is very touching¹⁸ to see those supporters outside in such hot weather, old and young, male and female. They want our political reform to be passed. I will persuade lawmakers who want to veto the plan that the Central Government is sincere and determined¹⁹ to give us universal suffrage²⁰. This is a big step forward in the democratic process. I hope they can face up the history, and don't lose this opportunity. "Hong Kong legislators are expected to vote on the proposals before Friday.

So far, the demonstrations²² outside Legco have been taking place without incident, with supporters and opponents vowing²³ to remain on-site until the vote takes place.

Security has been tightened²⁴ in the area.

If the proposal is passed, 5 million eligible²⁵ voters in Hong Kong could elect the next chief executive through "one person, one vote" from among a group of candidates chosen by a nominating committee in two years.

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

Torrential rains flood eastern Chinese citiesHeavy rains have been battering²⁶ areas along the Yangtze River, including the provinces of Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu and the cities of Chongqing and Shanghai since Tuesday.

Some 20 roads and some residential²⁷ buildings were flooded in parts of Shanghai.

In nearby Jiangsu province, the cities of Nanjing, Changzhou, Wuxi and Suzhou have also been flooded.

Flood-control headquarters in Hubei said on Wednesday that water levels in several lakes and around 400 reservoirs have exceeded warning levels.

The downpours have affected²⁸ 800,000 people in Hubei province alone and there are reports of three fatalities²⁹ there.

The National Meteorological Center has issued a rainstorm warning, forecasting more heavy rains for parts of Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou provinces, as well as Shanghai on Thursday.

Eurogroup Meeting to Discuss Greek Bailout ProgramEurozone finance ministers are due to meet today to discuss the Greek bailout program.

The meeting is seen as the final chance for Athens and its international creditors³⁰ to reach a final agreement before a June 30 deadline.

Greece needs to strike a deal with its creditors before then, or face a default crisis on payments of 1.6 billion euros due to the IMF.

Though both sides have said that time is running out, the dialogue has been in a deadlock³¹.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says he does not expect any new proposals from Greece.

"I noticed that Greece doesn't have the intention to come up with new proposals at the finance ministers meeting coming up on Thursday. That makes time even tighter."On the other side, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis says he is not optmistic about possible outcomes.

Question: "Can there be an agreement tomorrow at the Eurogroup meeting?""I do not believe so. Eurogroup meetings are not designed to stage fresh conversations that have not been prepared in advance. I do not believe this preparation has taken place and also it's my considered opinion that now the agreement has to be reached at a level of political leaders, heads of state, prime ministers, chancellors³²."For more on the Greece debt talks, we earlier spoke³³ with Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Questions1 Previous talks seemed to focus on the issue of pension cuts. What are the different positions between Greece and its debtors³⁴ on this issue? Why can't they reach agreements on these issues?

2 What would it mean for Athens if no agreement can be reached today?

3 How would a Grexit impact the Eurozone as a whole?

Back anchor: That was Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

WHO Concerned about MERS Outbreak in S KoreaThe World Health Organization has held another meeting of the Emergency Committee regarding the MERS outbreak in South Korea.

Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Security, says MERS has yet to become a public health emergency of international concern.

"The emergency committee unanimously agreed that the current situation was of concern but that it did not constitute a public health emergency of international concern. This was transmitted to the (WHO) Director-General (Margaret Chan) and she has agreed with their guidance."The death toll³⁵ from the MERS virus has surged to 20 in South Korea, as one more death reported on Wednesday.

Kwon Jun-wook, head of South Korea's MERS management team, says all the latest infections are linked to health care facilities in the country.

"Eight additional MERS cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to 162 patients. There was one death in the morning after we issued press releases. A 54-year-old woman, who was the 42nd confirmed MERS patient, died. As of now, a total of 20 people have died and a total 19 people have been discharged from hospital. Therefore, a total of 132 MERS patients are (currently) undergoing treatment."Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has ruled out MERS in a suspected case of the virus.

A 25-year-old man is now hospitalized after returning from South Korea.

Health authorities announced Wednesday that the patient was not infected with the deadly virus.

Yemen Peace Talks Continue in GenevaTalks among Yemen's warring parties have moved to a second day in Geneva.

Yemenis foreign minister Reyad Yassin Abdulla says he is not optimistic about the result of the peace talks with the Houthi militants³⁶.

"It is true I am not optimistic because their actions on the ground, from the destruction and killing³⁷ of innocents, and especially in Aden and Taiz and the rest of Yemen's cities, and their actions and words here since they arrived in Geneva, do not demonstrate any good intentions on their part, nor any real desire to reach a real solution."Meanwhile, a member of the Yemeni parliament, Abdel-Aziz Jubari, has condemned³⁸ the Houthi rebels for destroying his house in Yemen, while he is attending the peace talk in Geneva.

"Today, while I am in Geneva and we came with open hearts and open minds in order to reach a solution, unfortunately, I was surprised to hear that they blew up my house last night. This is regrettable that people's manners and behaviors can reach this point."The bombing came along with fresh air strikes by Saudi-led forces on military targets throughout Yemen.

United Nations officials are urging the Geneva talks to be settled with a humanitarian³⁹ ceasefire, in order to enable international agencies to assist some 21 million Yemenis affected by the civil war.

The truce⁴⁰ option is reportedly under discussion.

But the warring parties still haven't been able to reach a consensus⁴¹ on their clashing agendas.

Palestinian Reconciliation⁴² Challenged as Unity²¹ Gov't May ReshuffleAnchorThe Palestinian unity government, which formed only a year ago, is facing a probable reshuffle.

It is considered a big challenge for Palestinian reconciliation.

CRI's Qi Zhi has more.

ReporterA Palestinian official says Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah handed his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday afternoon, and Abbas ordered Hamdallah to form a new government.

Abbas announced on Tuesday that the current unity government would resign within 24 hours.

Palestine Liberation Organization official Ashraf Khatib says the unity government has faced tremendous difficulties with both Israeli policies against the Palestinians and internal issues.

"There was a war that took place against Gaza. We have also the problem that is taking place in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, the settlement activities, and Israeli policies weakening the government regarding withholding⁴³ the Palestinian tax money. The other problems are also the reconstruction⁴⁴ in Gaza, and preparing for the presidential and parliamentary elections, yet these issues, especially the internal issues, have been difficult in the last year or so."Talk of reshuffling the government began after it emerged that Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has been holding separate, indirect talks with Israel on ways to firm up an informal ceasefire agreement reached last August, ending the 50-day war in Gaza.

Professor Mukhaimar Abu Saada with Al-Azhar University in Gaza says if the government resigns, it means the Palestinian reconciliation has reached a dead end.

"The government came as the result of Palestinian consensus between Hamas and Fatah, and since this consensus no longer exists because Hamas is going its own way with Israel, Abu Mazen (Abbas) and Fatah feel that there is no need for this government to function anymore. President Mahmoud Abbas feels that any deal between Hamas and Israel will deepen the rift⁴⁵ between West Bank and Gaza, and will probably push Gaza to become a separate entity⁴⁶."After Abbas' announcement on Tuesday, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad condemned the unilateral decision to change government, saying they were not consulted.

Professor Abu Saada says Hamas has a concern that a new government may not deal with Gaza problems, and from a constitutional prospective⁴⁷, Hamas will not be able to establish its own government in Gaza.

But PLO official Khatib says discussions to form a new government will include consultations⁴⁸ with all Palestinian factions⁴⁹.

"We are talking about a government that will have specific tasks, among these tasks is the internal issues in terms of the reconciliation, the reconstruction of Gaza, and also preparing for the presidential and parliamentary elections. What we are planning to do is trying to found a consensus government, with representatives from different parties, and that might help in tackling some of the difficulties this current government has been facing."The current unity government was formed last June after the reconciliation between the two major Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas.

It it expected to continue to function until a new government is formed.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

FARC and Colombian Government Start New Round of Peace TalkRepresentatives of Colombia's main rebel group and the govermment have started a new round of peace talks in Cuba.

The talks come amid increasing military action in conflict zones between government forces and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC.

FARC representative Enrique Gomez is calling for a ceasefire.

"Once again we call for a bilateral ceasefire, which will bring relief and new hope to our people. We call for contradictions to be dropped, for an act of profound reflection and for a final agreement which halts the conflict immediately."The rebel group broke a unilateral ceasefire in May.

The peace talks have dragged on for two years.

The two sides have managed to reach some consensus on issues such as victim's rights, land reform and the political participation⁵¹ of former guerrillas.

But contentious⁵² issues and renewed fighting have impeded⁵³ the progress of the talks.

China Signs Agreement on Egyptian Infrastructure⁵⁴ InvestmentA high-level Chinese business delegation⁵⁵ visiting Cairo has signed a raft of deals on Egyptian infrastructure investment.

The new investments are worth 10 million U.S. dollars.

In addition to energy projects, new railway lines and a number of factories in sectors including chemicals, petroleum⁵⁶, and infrastructure are to be built.

Mohamed Bialy with the Egyptian firm Minta Petroleum Serivces is pleased to see closer cooperation with China.

"To cooperate with China is very important to generate different resources of our income and of our cooperation. Instead of dealing⁵⁷ only with Europe or only with the United States, China and Russia also are very important to Egypt for the cooperation."Trade between Egypt and China has increased significantly.

It reached 10 billion US dollars at the end of last year, up by 40 percent in the last five years, making China the largest trading partner for Egypt.

53 suspicious banking⁵⁸ relations in FIFA probeThe Swiss attorney general is reporting the finding of 53 possible acts of money-laundering in the investigation⁵⁹ of FIFA's 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.

This is the first revelation of the investigation after the Swiss Office of the Attorney General seized data and documents stored in computer systems at FIFA last month.

Attorney General Michael Lauber says his office will give priority to the case, which he describes as "huge and complex".

"The world of football needs to be patient. By its nature this investigation will take more than the legendary⁶⁰ 90 minutes. Be assured, the OAG (Office of the Attorney General) will give priority to this case, and will act according to the principles of the rule of law."He adds the investigation will not exclude interviewing the President of FIFA Sepp Blatter, who has stepped down after corruptions⁶¹ allegations in the football governing body.

Lauber declined to discuss a timetable for the case, which is said to be targeting criminal mismanagement and money-laundering in the bidding contests.

Speculation⁶² is rising over how the investigation will affect the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, won by Russia and Qatar respectively.

Georgian PM apologises for spreading false informationA man in Georgia has been mauled to death by a tiger which broke loose from a zoo in the capital TbilisiAfter severe flooding.

The tiger was then shot dead by police.

However, the zoo's administration said a day earlier that all the seven tigers in the zoo were killed in the flooding.

Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has apologized for the faulty information.

"Two days ago, I repeated in the report prepared by the emergency group, which was based on information given by the zoo administration stating that there were no wild animals on the loose and there was no threat to the population. I want to apologise to the public for giving out false information, even though it was based on the account given by the zoo administration, which has repeatedly said that animals are not on the loose."The prime minister also ordered the interior minister to personally oversee⁶³ the count of how many animals have died and how many remain missing.

Zoo officials say new counts indicate a tiger cub⁵⁰ and a hyena⁶⁴ could still be on the loose.

The flooding triggered by torrential rains over the weekend has killed at least 19 people in Georgia.

Many houses and roads have been destroyed.

Six people remain missing.

WeatherBeijing will see thundershowers with a high of 31 degrees Celsius⁶⁵.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 19.

Shanghai will see slight rain with a high of 25 and a low of 21.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 29 and lows of 22.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 30.

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 39.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 30.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast⁶⁶ with a high of 22 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 27.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 26 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 9.

And Rio de Janeiro will have slight rain with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina, Australia sign free trade agreementLeaders of China and Australia have exchanged congratulations on the signing of a long-awaited bilateral Free Trade Agreement, hailing it as a paradigm of regional economic integration.

In his message to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Chinese President Xi Jinping says the signing of the FTA will provide a better platform and an improved institutional guarantee for closer cooperation.

Meanwhile, Abbott says the FTA marks a fresh start for Australia-China relations.

Talks on the FTA began in 2005 and were concluded in November last year.

Lawmakers start to debate on reform plan with crowds of supporters outside LegcoLawmakers in Hong Kong have begun debate on the proposed political reform package connected to universal sufferage.

The proposal to change the voting structure to allow for a system of universal sufferage in Hong Kong in 2017 will require a two-third majority to pass.

Massive rallies took place outside the Legislative Council complex with both opponents and supporters of the proposal voicing opinions.

Hong Kong legislators are expected to vote on the proposal before Friday.

China plans civil facilities in Nansha IslandsChina is planning to construct new civil facilities such as lighthouses and radio navigation stations on the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

Facilities used for environmental observation, disaster prevention and alleviation⁶⁷, transportation and logistical support are also on the cards, according to the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic regulator.

The commission is stressing the facilities are meant to ensure local civil needs, provide the international community with public services like assistance and salvage⁶⁸ at sea, and promote international cooperation on maritime⁶⁹ scientific research.

Eurogroup Meeting to Discuss Greek Bailout ProgramEurozone finance ministers are due to meet today to discuss the Greek bailout program.

The meeting is seen as the final chance for Athens and its international creditors to reach a final agreement before a June 30 deadline.

Greece needs to strike a deal with its creditors before then, or face a default crisis on payments of 1.6 billion euros due to the IMF.

Greece's central bank is warning for the first time that the country could be on a painful course to default and exit from the euro zone.

Canadian government websites hacked⁷⁰ due to controversial anti-terror billCanada's federal government web servers have been hacked.

The cyber attack happened Wednesday afternoon, causing several Canadian government websites to break down.

The group Hackers⁷¹ Anonymous⁷² says it launched the attack to retaliate⁷³ Canada's recent approval of new anti-terrorism bill that expands the powers and reach of Canada's spy agency.

The bill was passed last week, but has generated controversy⁷⁴ since it was introduced in January.

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

Our reporter Sophie Williams.

ReporterU.S. stocks closed modestly higher on Wednesday as investors⁷⁵ were digesting the Federal Reserve's statement and Fed Chair Janet Yellen's remarks.

The Fed signaled that it was on track to raise the benchmark interest rate this year despite the lower-than-expected economic outlook. We will have more on that in just a moment.

At the close,The Dow Jones, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all increased 0.2 percent.

On the commodities front, U.S. oil prices edged slightly down. Brent crude rebounded⁷⁶ a little after four-day retreat as traders started to buy the dip.

Meanwhile in Europe,The British central bank released its meeting minutes on Wednesday showing all members voted to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.5 percent because the strength of the headwinds to growth has begun to ease.

Some analysts⁷⁷ have said this means some countries would likely start to normalize monetary⁷⁸ policy, especially the United States.

At close,The UK's FTSE 100 decreased by 0.4 percent.

Germany's DAX lost 0.6 percent.

France's CAC 40 was down by 1 percent.

China Capital Inflows ReversesNet capital inflows to China have reached 20 billion U.S. dollars in the first five months of this year.

A continued inflow of foreign exchange starting from the second quarter reversed a downward trend in the previous nine months, which showed capital inflows were falling.

Wang Yungui is with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

"There had been nine months in a row from August 2014 to April this year that China had net capital outflows, but the turnaround happened in May when banks bought a net 1.3 billion U.S. dollars' worth of foreign exchange for clients,"Wang says the change shows the market is becoming more balanced, which will help market players to better allocate⁷⁹ capital and hedge foreign exchange risks.

The stable market environment is also expected to help the authority to introduce reforms on China's foreign exchange policy measures.

Cisco to Invest over 10 Bln USD in China in Following YearsUS-based technology firm Cisco has announced plans to invest more than 10 billion US dollars in China over the coming years.

Cisco chair John Chambers⁸⁰ and incoming CEO Chuck Robbins have made the announcement as part of a visit to China.

The MOU signed with the National Development and Reform Commission says the focus of the investment will be research and development.

The agreement also includes working with Chinese universities to develop talent in science and technology.

Cisco's sales in the third fiscal⁸¹ quarter of 2015 in China were reduced by 20 percent year-on-year, while that of the global market gained 5.1 percent.

For more on Cisco's expanding investment in China, we are joined on the line by Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator⁸².

1. Why did Cisco's sales in China drop?

2. What will Cisco's investment bring to China?

3. What do you think of Cisco's cooperation with China's Association of Universities of Applied⁸³ Science, for cultivating talents in science and technology?

Back anchor:

Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

China streamlines⁸⁴ business registration⁸⁵ to encourage startupsPeople wishing to start a business in China will need only to apply to just one office for the three essential business certificates, rather than three offices currently.

The move announced by the State Council aims to cut red tape and encourage startups.

It also says business licenses⁸⁶, tax registration certificates, and organization code certificates will all be issued by the Administration of Industry and Commerce, the AIC.

At present, people have to go to three different authorities for the three certificates, namely the AIC, quality supervision⁸⁷ departments, and taxation⁸⁸ bureaus.

The State Council also announced plans to roll-out a series of measures to make it easier for fledgling companies to secure financing.

Rules for making initial public offerings will be relaxed and the Shanghai bourse will launch a new board for emerging and creative firms.

Banks are also being told to increase their support for new businesses by providing targeted financial products and services.

China's startups boom as money pours inNew statistics show in the first quarter of 2015, Chinese investors staked about 260 million U.S. dollars in angel capital, tripling the amount registered in the same period a year earlier.

Venture capital and private equity⁸⁹ research firm Zero2IPO says this means young entrepreneurs are rushing to launch their dream business as investors and policy makers¹⁴ enthusiastically encourage a new startup trend.

Of the money invested, 43 percent was put into companies related to telecommunications and 37 percent in Internet.

Some analysts say the investment was over-concentrated in those sectors.

But policy makers believe more innovation and high-tech⁹⁰ industries can help renew the made-in-China image and help support the economy.

Fed keeps rate unchanged; calls US growth 'moderate'

The US Federal Reserve has left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at near zero, describing US economic growth as "moderate" after the winter slowdown.

Fed chair Janet Yellen announced the decision at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The committee still expects a moderate pace of GDP growth with continuing job gains and lowering energy prices supporting household spending."However predictions made by the individual participants in the Fed's monetary policy meeting indicated they expect the federal funds rate to rise above 0.5 percent by year-end.

The Fed Open Market Committee trimmed its economic growth forecast for 2015 to just 1.8-2.0 percent, down from March's 2.3-2.7 percent outlook.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen added there are still signs of cyclical weakness in the economy, especially in the labor⁹¹ market.

SportsChina to play Cameroon at WWCStarting things off with football,China is pitted against Cameroon in the last 16 at the Women's World Cup.

Cameroon downed Switzerland 2-1 to move up to second place in Group C and set up a clash against China, second place in Group A.

The two teams will fight for a spot in the quarter-finals when they play on Sunday morning Beijing time.

Other results...

Japan is through with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador, winning all three group games,And Ecuador is out after losing all of the games.

Switzerland will move forward as one of the best third-placed teams, thanks to superior goal differential.

In Group D,The United States and Australia are through and Nigeria is out.

Serbia, Brazil in U-20 World Cup finalAt the U-20 World Cup,Serbia is into the final after a 2-1 win against 10-man Mali.

Ivan Saponijic scored the winner for Serbia 11 minutes into extra time.

Serbia will face Brazil in the final in Auckland, New Zealand.

Brazil had earlier booked a place in the final by thrashing Senegal 5-0.

Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 at Copa AmericaMore football action...

At the Copa America, Argentina has won its Group B clash against Uruguay 1-0.

Sergio Aguero scored the only goal of the game in the second half, meeting a cross to bury a header past Uruguay's goalkeeper.

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino knows what his team is capable of but says they need greater control of the game.

"Something that everybody knows is how much the team wants to play. They are always searching, elaborating, wingers that go far, central players that go deep, to the extremes, central players who stay in the middle of the pitch, controlled advances. For me there is no doubt about this. I was very satisfied by what I saw in the first half despite the 0-0 score. Perhaps today, unlike in the match against Paraguay, we lacked some depth."Argentina will face Jamaica in their final group match while defending champions Uruguay take on Paraguay.

In other action,Paraguay took out Jamaica 1-0,And in just a few minutes, Brazil will come up against Colombia.

Arturo Vidal apologizes for DUISome off pitch football news,Chilean football player Arturo Vidal has apologized for driving under the influence.

Vidal was arrested after crashing his Ferrari.

The 28-year-old midfielder who plays for Juventus spent a night in jail but was spared suspension from the Copa America.

A tearful Vidal apologized to his team and country and took responsibility of his actions.

"I can hardly speak, but I'm very ashamed about what happened. All I can do is apologize, feel the support of the people and show in the field that this opportunity they're giving to me is for a reason."The crash left Vidal and his wife with light injuries.

Wawrinka out of Aegon ChampionshipsOver in tennis,French Open champion Stan Wawrinka is the latest casualty at the Aegon Championships in London.

Wawrinka fell in the second round, knocked out by Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-6, 7-6.

Wawrinka admitted Anderson was better and he couldn't match up against him.

"In general I think I was trying my best, trying to stay with him, trying to find, trying to get any opportunity. I had two set points in the first set. I did a great return - serve and volley really well. Then I miss the second return. But, yeah, in general you have to accept sometimes. He just played well. I was trying to find a solution but maybe didn't return great. But he was having (unclear)."Anderson says the win over a top player will motivate him in the upcoming matches.

"Yeah, it was a very good match for me today. Any time that you beat one of the top four players in the world I think it is a great win and something that I am definitely going to take a lot of confidence from today's match. And on the other hand, it is the second round of the tournament. Through to the quarter-finals, still a few matches to go to get where I want and I am playing for a title here. But I have a day off tomorrow (Thursday) and I think that there are a lot of positives I can take from today's performance."Anderson's opponent in the quarter-finals will be Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who defeated RafaelNadal's conqueror⁹² Alexander Dolgopolov.

Milos Raonic and Gilles Simon also reached the last eight.

In Halle, Germany,Roger Federer, Florian Mayer, Tomas Berdych, and Ivo Karlovic are in the quarter-finals.

EntertainmentMarvel congratulates Jurassic World for achievementsMarvel has congratulated Jurassic World for breaking the US Box Office opening weekend which was previously⁹³ held by The Avengers.

Jurassic World starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard raked in 209 million dollars at US cinemas over its opening weekend, beating Marvel's The Avengers opening weekend earnings⁹⁴.

Marvel's president Kevin Feige congratulated the team behind Jurassic World's achievement in a post on Twitter yesterday.

Globally, Jurassic World became the first film to gross half a billion dollars in a single weekend. The previous record was previously held by Harry⁹⁵ Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Colin Trevorrow who directed the latest installment⁹⁶ of the dinosaur⁹⁷ franchise⁹⁸ has ruled himself out of directing the film's sequel. While Chris Pratt revealed this week that he's signed up to star in multiple Jurassic Park films in the future.

Neil Young speaks out after Donald Trump⁹⁹ song useRocker Neil Young has lashed¹⁰⁰ out at presidential candidate Donald Trump after he played one of the star's songs to launch his campaign.

The Donald entered the stage to announce his candidacy to Neil Young's 'Rockin' In The Free World'.

The musician released a statement on his Facebook account airing his frustrations¹⁰¹ at the song's usage. He said had he been asked to allow his music to be used for a candidate – he would have said no.

Following the uproar¹⁰², Trump's campaign manager spoke to Rolling Stone magazine and said 'The Donald' will refrain from using the song again despite the fact that he is a big fan of the star.

Neil Young is Canadian and therefore ineligible¹⁰³ to vote in US elections however he said he is a supporter of Democratic Presidential hopeful Bernie Saunders.

Netflix pays $60 million for Brad Pitt filmIt's been revealed that Netflix forked out 60 million dollars for Brad Pitt's War Machine film.

The streaming site revealed on June 8 that they had picked up the adaptation of Michael Hastings' book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, both Pitt and director David Michod wanted to make a non mainstream¹⁰⁴ comedy that would appeal to audiences in the same way American Sniper did.

Netflix have recently ramped¹⁰⁵ up its push into original films with a four picture deal with Adam Sandler along with the worldwide rights to Jadotville, an Irish war drama starring Jamie Dornan.

A spokesman for the streaming service told The Hollywood Reporter that both David Michod and Brad Pitt are known for the fearless and intelligence of their work which is why War Machine will be popular with Netflix audiences around the world.

Edinburgh Film Festival kicks offThe 69th Edinburgh Film Festival kicked off last night with a premiere of The Legend of Barney Johnson.

The Edinburgh Film Festival invites local and international audiences to engage with a dynamic program of fiction and documentary work.

Brotherhood¹⁰⁶ of Blades from the Chinese mainland, Paradise in Service from Taiwan and It's Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, jointly¹⁰⁷ produced by Hong Kong and the United States are also among the films in the Festival program.

Awards at the film festival include Best International Feature Film, Best British Feature Film and Best International Documentary Feature along with awards in the categories of animation¹⁰⁸ and short film.

The festival will close on June 28 with the British-German jointly made film 'Iona'.

Disney quashes rumours¹⁰⁹ Princess Diaries 3 is in the worksDisney have quashed rumours suggesting a Princess Diaries 3 film is currently in the works.

The rumours began last week when the Tracking Board reported a sequel was currently in development and continued after Heather Matarazzo, an actress in the franchise posted a message on Twitter hinting that good news was on the way for fans of the franchise.

Disney however aren't ruling out never making a follow up to the two films however until the studio is happy with a story that fits in with the franchise, fans will have to keep waiting.

The original Princess Diaries film took 165 million dollars at the worldwide box office while the second installment brought in 95 million dollars at the domestic box office.

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

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

Chinese and Australian leaders have congratulated each other on the signing of a Free Trade Agreement after years of negotiations...

Massive rallies have been held outside the Legislature in Hong Kong as the regional government begins debate on its long-awaited political reform package...

And Eurozone finance minister are meeting today to discuss the Greek bailout program...

In Business...net capital inflows in China hit 20 billion through the first five months of the year...

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

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