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This is the Beijing Hour.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Begum with you on this Monday, August 3rd, 2026.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, the U.S. president's called off strikes on Iran and says talks will begin again on Monday.
Spanish authorities say most of the migrants who flooded into Sudan last week have returned to Morocco.
And AI glasses are becoming a focal point of China's expanding tech portfolio.
In business, China announces measures to enhance cooperation between mainland and Hong Kong markets.
In sports football friendlies in the U.S. ahead of the Premier League season.
In culture and entertainment, the new Spider-Man movie has enjoyed a massive global opening.
Now the day's top stories.
U.S. President Donald Trump says negotiations with Iran will begin on Monday after backtracking on his threat to launch a new attack.
Trump says the talks will cover reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's denuclearization.
Iran has yet to respond to the U.S. President's announcement of new talks.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Mazud Pazeshkin says the country must compel the U.S. to stay committed to the memorandum of understanding the two sides agreed on in June.
Renewed U.S. threats to attack Iran have raised concerns among countries in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others have urged the two sides to de-escalate tensions.
Jagruti Devay has more from Washington.
If we look at what the president is saying on Truth Social, he said that the US is locked and loaded and ready to go.
But despite this, he claims that the US has been asked by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off on any attack in that the perimeters of a deal have been agreed to.
This deal would include immediate
Complete and total reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.
So based on this, he says he has agreed to cancel the attack subject to being able to rapidly make a deal.
And he says Israel is joining him on this.
So we first heard reports about Saudi Arabia asking Donald Trump to hold off on new attacks from Axios.
And that appears to be confirmed by a statement on Saudi Arabia's state news agency, which said that the crown prince, MBS, had spoken to Donald Trump.
And he talked about the importance of de-escalation to preserve regional stability, according to this statement.
To prevent Gulf countries from being drawn into a wider conflict, the statement says, whose repercussions would affect regional and international security and stability.
These are, of course, concerns about the energy infrastructure in the Gulf.
Media reports that said that the US was planning
A strike with Israel on Iran's infrastructure, well, the response to that potentially could have been for Iran to hit energy infrastructure across the Gulf.
And that is very much worrying Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies.
And so that is why they appear to have pushed President Trump to hold off on these strikes for now.
We know that both sides, both Iran and the US, deep
Distrust each other.
The ball is back in the court of the mediators.
Oman and Iran are currently going through the agreement on the Strait of Hormuz to see if they can come to an agreement that is palatable to Iran as well as the United States.
The question is, can mediators overcome this deep distrust on both sides to prevent a more dangerous escalation
That was Jagruti Devay reporting.
Iran's military has denied U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Tehran asked Washington to call off strikes, adding that Iran's armed forces remain at the highest level of readiness.
Meanwhile, many Iranians have expressed wariness about the past five months and the soaring cost of living.
Saper Sarami has more from Tehran.
Iran has rejected President Donald Trump's account of the latest developments while stressing that the country remains prepared for any possible military confrontation.
Iranian military sources have denied Trump's claim that Tehran asked Washington to call off the strikes, describing his remarks as a new lie and an attempt to pressure the countries in the region.
They say Iran's armed forces remain at the highest level of readiness.
Acting Defense Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza has also said Tehran considers every threat from its adversaries to be real and credible, even when it may be part of psychological warfare.
He said Iran would not be caught off guard or remain passive.
And would respond by strengthening its military readiness, deterrence and defense capabilities.
Here on the ground, however, many Iranians appear increasingly tired of the repeated cycle of escalation followed by diplomacy.
After years of military threats,
Sanctions and uncertainty, public fatigue seems to be growing, particularly as economic pressure continues to intensify.
For many people, their immediate concerns remain inflation, livelihoods and the rising cost of living.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry says the Strait of Hormuzal not returned to its pre-war status, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that a deal to reopen the vital waterway is taking shape.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Begay said Iran is discussing shipping arrangements with neighboring Oman, but stressed there are no talks on fully reopening the strait.
We've had very tough experiences in these past few months, so we must ensure that the street of Hormuz does not become an area of exploitation by the parties attacking us.
What's necessary is that we adopt a mechanism so that Iran's sovereignty rights are fully respected.
Begay also said Britain, Bulgaria, and Ukraine had assured Tehran they'd not join any military action against Iran following reports they'd provided bases to the United States.
His remarks came after Trump said,
He'd ordered U.S. forces to pause further strikes, claiming Middle East allies had agreed on the framework of a deal that would include the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.
Iran's defense minister said Tehran remains neither surprised nor passive and will stay vigilant against any threats from the United States.
Global oil prices have tumbled after the U.S. president's latest announcement.
Brent crude futures dropped more than 6% to over $82 per barrel.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused sharp fluctuations in oil prices since fighting began back in February.
Meanwhile, seven OPEC-plus countries have agreed to raise their oil production cap by 188,000 barrels per day
In September to support the oil market.
And for more on the tensions between the U.S. and Iran and the situation in the broader Middle East,
Zhong Shi spoke to Associate Professor Zheng Qichu from Fudan University's School of International Relations and Public Affairs in Shanghai.
US President Donald Trump says he has called off a new attack on Iran because Iran has reached out and a deal could be signed soon.
What do you make of the situation here?
Well, I think Trump's announcement is classic transactional brinkmanship style.
A tactic often used by the Trump administration recently is to threaten
Severe military action before offering a sudden tactic opening.
And the intention here is to force all regional stakeholders to react instantly.
So this creates high urgency to negotiate under pressure.
And the announcement currently, I would say, buys space and lowers immediate military risk.
But the history of broken interior understandings in the region mean that the pause could be fragile and reversible.
And right now, my observation is that in the next stage, the two sides are expected to discuss the arrangement of Strait of Hormuz as well as Iran's deployment.
Now, Iran views its impact on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as its primary geopolitical leverage, and also it prefers structuring any agreement through mutual mediators like Oman rather than framing it as a surrender to the United States' demands.
So far, it still remains difficult to bridge the fundamental divide between the United States and Iran.
Professor, let me ask you about the likelihood of a more lasting solution to this crisis we're all seeing.
Even if a deal could be struck this time around, what difference, what real differences could that possibly make?
I think it's always hard to predict, but currently it seems that limited reversible de-escalation on hormones is more likely than a comprehensive settlement.
Indeed, like you said, most of the Gulf states, they have consistently pressed the United States to avoid further
Major escalation that will endanger their own energy infrastructure.
And also Iranian foreign minister has also helped with talks with Saudi and any counterparts.
So far, I think regional mediators can
Do something and make some contributions, such as facilitating limited practical understandings on the shipping safety and maybe temporary de-escalation.
But obviously, they have far less ability to close gaps on enrichment, missile issues, or long-term security on TK.
Because this is due to Iran, which continues to treat foreign news as a course of leverage issue and links for reopening to broader U.S. restraint.
That was Associate Professor Zhang Chuchu from Fudan University talking about the latest situation in the Middle East.
Israeli media say the U.S. cancelled its plans to attack Iran without notifying Israel.
They say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister learned of the cancellation through Trump's social media posts.
Israeli military and diplomatic officials eventually received confirmation from the U.S. about Trump's back down.
A senior Israeli official expressed frustration, saying Tel Aviv concentrated all of its military resources on a single battlefield, only to find its efforts completely wasted.
Reports say Israel believes Trump may change his mind again, so its military remains on high alert.
Two days of Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 18 Palestinians in Gaza.
And it comes just days after U.S. President Trump announced Hamas had agreed to disarm under the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, although Hamas has said that this is contingent on Israel's withdrawal.
On Sunday, Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza City, Deir el-Bala and Han Yunis.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Tel Aviv has not agreed to halt attacks on Gaza.
He added that Israel might take full control of Gaza if Hamas does not disarm first.
Trump's Board of Peace has published a 15-point roadmap
Setting out the final steps to realize last year's ceasefire agreement.
Coming up, Spain says most of the migrants in Souda have gone back to Morocco.
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The number of deaths in last week's migrant influx from Morocco into Sudan has climbed to at least 72.
More than 50,000 people crossed into the Spanish enclave by land and sea on Thursday, prompting alarm across the European Union.
Spanish authorities say more than 50,000 have returned to Morocco.
Meanwhile, a confrontation between right-wing activists and locals in Ceuta has revealed deep divisions over the migrant crisis.
Ken Brown has more.
A standoff in Ceuta.
The presence of Nucleo Nacional, a neo-Nazi group and other extreme right leaders caused a mobilization through social media of many Ceutans and Moroccans opposing their political stance.
Standpoint.
Alvise Perez is a far-right politician, a member of the European Parliament, and he's trapped in this café in central Ceuta.
He's been accused of spreading racist, xenophobic and anti-Islamic views.
They have come to propagate their hate speech in our city.
They are against the Muslim citizens of Ceuta.
With emotions high, the police escort from the cafe turned into a chaotic scene.
Parents chased through the streets as the police struggled to maintain order.
Streets of conflict here in Ceuta.
Behind me, that is Alvise Perez.
He is the creator of the Se Acabó la Fiesta party.
It means the party's over.
He managed to win the votes to get into the European Parliament.
Alvise Perez is here in Ceuta.
People are screaming around me.
They are saying that he is only here to create trouble, to use the crisis, the migratory crisis for his own political gain.
They're telling him to get out of here.
He needs a police escort to get out of here.
Eventually, he had to be escorted from the city in an armored police vehicle as protesters
That's weird.
We heard differing opinions on the street.
He came here for nothing, for a photo op for his political campaign, and he's off again.
He came with a certain political ideology to support people with everything that's happening in the city, and he's been impeded from doing that.
There was a boycott shared on social media, particularly among Muslim groups.
And from what I read, they even aimed to injure him.
On Sunday, the leader of Spain's far-right Vox party also showed up in Ceuta.
The person responsible for this is Pedro Sanchez, but he shares that responsibility with Morocco.
A migration and humanitarian crisis that's become a political crisis, revealing a deepening political divide.
That was Ken Brown reporting.
Spain's fully deployed floating sea barrier along its North African enclave of Souda following a recent surge in migrant arrivals from Morocco.
The barrier aims to prevent irregular sea crossings after thousands of migrants entered the enclave by swimming.
Spanish authorities said at least 72 people have died in connection with the crisis, while identification continues for bodies recovered from the sea.
Security operations remain underway as Spain tightens border controls.
The Spanish enclaves of Suda and Melilla have been a magnet for migrants trying to reach Europe.
Surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea, they are the only land borders between the European Union and Africa.
Daniel Aratmoy looks at the history of migrant surges in the past few years.
In May 2021, in what many saw as a political move, Moroccan border forces relaxed their controls.
In just a few days, an estimated 8,000 people swam into Ceuta and the city was overwhelmed.
It was a moment of high diplomatic tension between Spain and Morocco.
The Spanish government responded by sending its armed forces to the border to restore order.
The diplomatic crisis between Spain and Morocco over the Western Sahara region was the key driver behind the sudden border opening.
Just over a year later, in June 2022,
The focus shifted to the other Spanish enclave of Melilla.
This time the attempt to enter ended in tragedy.
A huge number of migrants stormed the border fence, leading to violent clashes.
Roughly 2,000 migrants, many from sub-Saharan Africa, tried to force their way into Melilla.
At least 23 people with some reports saying up to 37 died in stampedes.
And now this past week, the situation in Ceuta spilled out of control, reaching a level of chaos not seen before.
The crisis was triggered by a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that said migrants cannot be immediately sent back to Morocco if they are stopped at sea.
That ruling spread quickly online, encouraging many to try to cross.
The result was a flood of migrants.
With some estimates suggesting as many as 60,000 people entered the shelter in just 24 hours.
The Spanish government has since said most of the migrants have returned to Morocco.
That was Daniel Aratmoy reporting.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he's spoken with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez about the migration crisis, praising Spain's rapid response to the recent surge in arrivals.
I've exchanged messages with the Spanish Prime Minister and the news from Spain is that around 98% of the people who came into Spanish territory last week have now been returned to Morocco.
Burnham said the UK would maintain regular dialogue with the European Union on broader migration issues, including its relationship with the Schengen area.
The UK, like many European countries...
Continues to face migration pressure from people fleeing conflict, poverty, and climate-related crises.
Burnham has pledged to stick with the Labour Party's tougher migration policy after net migration fell from more than 900,000 in 2023 to 171,000 last year.
He also noted that English Channel crossings are down 40% this year compared with the same period in 2025.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, efforts to maintain the Ebola outbreak continue to be outpaced by the spread of the virus.
The heads of the World Health Organization and Africa's Centers for Disease Control will visit Bunia, the outbreak's epicenter.
They'll meet with the country's leaders, frontline health workers, and affected communities.
Officials say more than 3,600 cases have been confirmed, including over 1,500 deaths.
This is now the world's second largest outbreak.
Its rapid spread since mid-May has been attributed to a lack of funding and no vaccine against the rare Bundabugio strain.
The Africa CDC says it needs $1.4 billion.
The WHO says vaccines under development show promise, including one in a Singapore lab.
Last week, a volunteer received the first dose of an experimental vaccine developed by Oxford University.
Chris Okamringa has more from Kinshasa.
So the DRC government has sent more health experts to Bunia, to Ituri province, to try and coordinate the response effort.
They have also sent some health workers over there.
But there is a challenge that they have been facing.
You know, health workers, they have been complaining about not being paid since this outbreak began.
There have been a couple of strikes that they have held, which has really disrupted the response effort.
And the government said that notice that the payroll system was inflated with names of people who were not supposed to be there.
So they're trying to clean it up.
And in the meantime, they have promised to pay these people promptly.
So people have returned to work, but then the disease is outpacing the response effort.
We're told now that there are 1,600 people who have died and more than 3,600 cases have been reported in that area.
So there is a lot that needs to be done.
Health workers are saying that some of the people, the cases that they have detected, are not linked to the people that they've already recorded.
So that means that the delay in detecting this disease led to the spread in a wide area, and that outbreak has occurred in an active conflict zone where there are very many displaced people who have fled to different parts of the country.
So there's this fear.
That the disease, the number, the actual number of cases is much higher than what has been reported.
And that's why the World Health Organization and Africa CDC are really stepping up the fight to try and mobilize for more resources so that they can bring this outbreak to an end.
That was Chris Okamringa reporting.
Brazil's ruling workers' party has officially nominated incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election, as he seeks a fourth term in office.
At the party convention, Lula defended his record and called for national unity, saying another term would bring further change to Brazil.
I want you to know that my...
I want you to know that my fourth term as president is about changing a lot of things in this country.
I want you to know that.
And there's going to be a fight over parliamentary amendments and the role the legislative branch plays today.
Lula also vowed to strengthen Brazil's defense industry and protect the country's rare mineral resources.
His main challenger, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, has received public backing from members of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lula served two terms after winning the 2002 and 2006 elections.
He returned to office following his 2022 victory.
Brazil's official election campaign begins on August 16th.
Coming up, AI glasses are gaining prominence in China's vast tech portfolio.
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Among China's expanding high-tech export portfolio, AI glasses are becoming a new focal point.
Biran explains how the cutting-edge products are penetrating global markets.
As Chinese-made AI glasses expand into global markets, this emerging export is drawing growing attention to the market for AR and ER glasses.
China shipped 2.46 million smart glasses in 2025, up 87% year-on-year.
Chinese brands accounted for 23% of global shipments.
And dominated the ar and er segment with an 87 share
Companies including renewal and x-rail are expanding across europe and the u.s while xiaomi rocket emo and alibaba's q1 are accelerating their overseas push
So we headed to Hangzhou, one of China's top innovation hubs, to visit the companies behind them and see the future for ourselves.
Help me to find the Rocket office building.
Their products are better and lighter, more lifestyle-friendly version of AI eyewear, something people might actually wear and use in daily life.
Right now, I can see the field navigation interface projected into these glasses, guiding me directly into the office building.
Smart glasses or AI glasses, whatever, will be the most popular AI terminal device to the end user and in the AI era.
So I think it's going to get more popular.
Maybe in the coming three or five years, everybody's going to put AR glasses on.
The rise of multimodal AI is giving the category new momentum.
They become a tool for translation, navigation, note-taking, photography, entertainment, and even real-time assistance.
And in scenarios that demand richer visual experiences, AR glasses are more than just assistance.
They are becoming portals for work, entertainment, communication, and spatial computing.
That was Bi Ren reporting.
The Chinese Navy's 83rd Task Force has arrived at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, Indonesia,
For a four-day goodwill visit.
The visit includes reciprocal ship tours, cultural and sporting exchanges, a deck reception, and open-day activities for local residents and the overseas Chinese community.
Task Force Cadet Guo Baisheng shared his experience.
Standing at a foreign port, I truly felt that a warship is not only a floating piece of national territory, but also a bridge of peace and friendship.
This voyage has strengthened my professional skills and given me a first-hand understanding of the PLA Navy's openness and inclusiveness.
Following the visit, the Chinese and Indonesian navies will conduct joint maritime exercises.
Many areas in Japan and South Korea have reported record high temperatures.
In Japan's Kwakit Kumamoto Prefecture, an elderly woman died from suspected heat stroke as she was taking shelter in a car following the earthquake.
Almost 100 people, most of them elderly, have been sent to hospitals for heat-related cases.
In South Korea, more than 10 areas across the country have reported temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius.
More than 1,700 heat stroke cases were reported, with 13 dead from mid-May to the end of July.
Agriculture and livestock have also been affected.
Global weather and climate models indicate a 90% probability of an El Nino event this year, with climate experts warning of extreme weather across Africa.
The African Union says it's urging member states to prepare while coordinating measures to reduce the potential socioeconomic impacts.
Becca Atoma has more from Addis Ababa.
Africa is still recovering from the 2023-24 El Nino, which brought severe droughts and floods, destroyed crops and livestock and pushed millions into hunger.
Now, with a new El Nino forming this year, potentially the strongest on record, experts warn the continent could face even harsher consequences than before.
This El Niño year is very strong.
I mean, it's the strongest in the last 30 years.
We expect the consequence to be very, very strong.
We learn our model, our climate model, to simulate what will happen.
For example, August, September, November, we will see that El Niño will impact likely East Africa, where we are, being more rain than usual.
And we expect at the end of the year, going to November, December, January, we have very drought, strong drought in South Africa country in general.
So that's really what we expect.
So it's really harsh.
We expect to have very strong negative impact in the population.
As experts warn of severe impacts, the African Union convened an urgent ministerial meeting to assess member states' preparedness and strengthen early warning systems.
Ethiopia, facing forecasts of excessive rainfall in the coming months, said preparations have already begun.
Ethiopia has already started a national level planning involving the concerned stakeholders and responsible ministers to make the necessary preparations to reduce the possible effects of anticipated El Nino resulting flooding and destruction on infrastructure.
Lives and livelihoods as well.
And that will follow also with a prolonged drought situation.
So that's already analyzed and identified.
So based on that, Ethiopia is going to make the necessary preparations.
The Africa Union said it is leading a continental effort to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the projected El Nino event.
Member states are at different levels of being prepared, but in addition to that at continental level we have had a meeting where we also brought in users of climate information.
And some of them were from the water sector.
They also strategized on response measures.
We had people from health.
They also strategized on how they can deal with issues of diseases and other health risks.
And we also had those from energy sector and so forth.
So basically, even agriculture.
So we had
Brought all these together to make sure that they actually prepare their individual sectors, you know, to be able to cope with the expected earnings.
The Africa Union and its member states are optimistic these early actions offer the best chance of easing the consequences.
But for millions across the continent, the stakes remain high.
Hungary is facing a potential energy crisis as record low water levels on the Danube River threaten to force a shutdown of the PAK's nuclear power plant, which supplies nearly half of the country's electricity.
Prime Minister Peter Majar called the upcoming day's
The country's most critical period, warning that the plant could remain offline for more than a month if cooling operations are disrupted.
The shutdown would mark the first full closure of the plant's 44-year history.
Authorities have introduced emergency measures to stabilize the grid amid a heat wave pushing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
At 29 past the hour, Beijing, thundershowers overnight and through tomorrow.
It's down to 24 this evening, up to 31 on Tuesday.
Shanghai will be overcast tonight and tomorrow, a low of 27, a high of 36.
Chongqing is getting a light rainfall tonight, easing to clouds tomorrow, a low of 23 and a high of 33.
Nanchang is getting cloudy skies overnight and through the day tomorrow.
A low of 28 and a high of 36.
Alaska is getting a light rainfall through tomorrow with a low of 9.
The high is 22 degrees.
Also in Asia, Islamabad will be getting moderate rainfall tonight and tomorrow.
The low is 25.
It's up to 31 degrees on Tuesday.
Vientiane is getting heavy rainfall, easing to moderate tomorrow.
A low of 24, high of 29.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, the U.S. president has called off strikes on Iran and says talks will begin again on Monday.
Spanish authorities say most of the migrants who flooded into Souda last week have returned to Morocco.
And AI glasses are becoming a focal point of China's expanding tech portfolio.
Shane Bigamuthi, stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
The transition to a greener future is no longer a distant goal.
It's happening now.
In power plants, factories, farms and cities across China.
As the world grapples with climate change, energy security and the growing demand for electricity, China is searching for new ways to cut emissions while keeping its economy moving.
Across the country, our reporters visit renewable energy hubs, industrial centers, and agricultural communities to see what that transformation looks like in practice.
Through first-hand stories and on-the-ground reporting, we explore the opportunities, the challenges, and the ideas shaping China's green transition.
Listen to China's Green Code, Rewriting the Rules of Growth, a special series from Climate Watch, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host...
I'm Shane Bigum with you on this Monday.
Still to come...
In business, China announces measures to enhance cooperation...
Between mainland and Hong Kong markets, in sports, football friendlies in the U.S. ahead of the Premier League season.
In culture and entertainment, the new Spider-Man movies enjoyed a massive global opening.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at CGTN Radio.
You're also welcome to subscribe to our Substack newsletter, Beyond Beijing, for the world's biggest stories, along with sharp insights and exclusive analysis.
But first of all, with the check of the day's headlines, here's Tianlu.
Thank you, Shane.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson says Tehran is not currently holding talks with Washington, despite US President Donald Trump saying negotiations with Iran will begin on Monday.
Meanwhile, Iran's military has denied Trump's claim that Tehran asked Washington to call off strikes, adding that Iran's armed forces remain at the highest level of readiness.
Iranian President Massoud Pesachkian says Iran must compel the U.S. to remain committed to their Peace Memorandum of Understanding.
He says the MOU will be the focal point of Iran's foreign relations in the future and that national and regional security will improve with the MOU.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Bader Abdel-Ati has called for renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
During a phone call with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Abdel-Ati said political dialogue remains the only path to lasting regional peace and urged greater international and regional efforts to ease tensions.
He also held separate talks with the foreign ministers of Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait on regional developments.
In another call, Abdelati discussed the situation in Gaza with Nikolai Mladenov, the U.S. high representative for Gaza, and efforts to advance the U.S. proposed peace plan.
The discussions came after US President Donald Trump said the Board of Peace had reached a deal on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
Two days of Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 18 Palestinians in Gaza.
It comes just days after US President Donald Trump announced Hamas had agreed to disarm under the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, although Hamas says this is contingent on Israel's withdrawal.
On Sunday, Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza City, Deir el-Bala and Han Yunis.
Israeli Energy Minister Ali Cohen said Tel Aviv has not agreed to halt attacks on Gaza.
He added that Israel might take full control of Gaza if Hamas does not disarm first.
Trump's Board of Peace has published a 15-point roadmap setting out the final steps to realise last year's ceasefire agreement.
Spain has fully deployed a floating sea barrier along its North African enclave of Ceuta following a recent surge in migrant arrivals from Morocco.
The barrier aims to prevent irregular sea crossings after thousands of migrants entered the enclave by swimming.
Spanish authorities said at least 72 people have died in connection with the crisis while identification continues for bodies recovered from the sea.
Security operations remain underway as Spain tightens border controls.
Brazil's ruling Workers' Party has officially nominated incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election as he seeks a fourth term in office.
At the party convention, Lula defended his record and called for national unity, saying another term would bring further change to Brazil.
Lula also vowed to strengthen Brazil's defense industry and protect the country's rare mineral resources.
His main challenger, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, has received public backing from members of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lula served two terms after winning the 2002 and 2006 elections.
He returned to office following his 2022 victory and began his third term in January 23.
Brazil's official election campaign begins on August 16.
And finally, a team of Chinese medical experts has arrived in Kinshasa to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The five-member team includes specialists from China's National Health Commission, customs authorities and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is the third Chinese medical team to the DRC since the outbreak was declared in May.
They will assist health authorities in the African country with disease surveillance, laboratory testing and emergency response measures.
All right.
Thank you very much.
That's Tianli with headlines.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour.
Coming up in business, China announces measures to enhance cooperation between mainland and Hong Kong markets.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed lower on Monday.
The Shanghai Composite was down nearly 0.6%.
The Shenzhen component lost almost 1%.
Forestry and aerospace equipment shares led the gainers.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index rose nearly half a percent.
Japan's Nikkei decreased over nine-tenths of a percent.
China's top securities regulators announced 10 policy measures to strengthen cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong's special administrative region and support Hong Kong's capital market development.
The initiative aims to boost high-quality growth in both markets and reinforce Hong Kong's status as a global financial hub.
Key measures include facilitating mainland listings in Hong Kong.
Launching more China-linked index products and expanding futures cooperation with more RMB-denominated contracts.
Both regulators also pledged to enhance supervision collaboration, promote green finance disclosure, and support local brokerages in expanding globally from Hong Kong.
And for more on China's financial market and the new supporting policies, Lily Liu spoke with Chen Jiehe, chief investment officer at Novomarket Technologies.
So the CSS is new initiatives.
How do you think these are going to help to facilitate cross-border financing for domestic firms and to boost the connectivity between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong capital markets?
If we look at these measures, they are mainly aiming at building up more connectivity between the mainland and Hong Kong stock markets.
In more details, these measures have encouraged the companies from both the Hong Kong and mainland markets to get financing from each other.
These measures have encouraged the cooperation between different stock markets in both Hong Kong and mainland.
And they have encouraged the cooperation between market participants in both of these stock markets, including the regulators, the financial industry employees, the agencies, the companies, everyone.
So overall speaking, these measures are aiming at building more cooperation
After all, we know that the larger a joint market is, the more efficient can the market become.
That means the cooperation between mainland and Hong Kong stock markets can increase the efficiency of all these markets.
This is the purpose for these measures to come out.
Let's talk a little bit more on the five-year Chinese Yuan government bond futures that are issued in Hong Kong.
What practical gaps does this product fill for global market participants?
Why is there a strong market demand for such an offshore hedging tool?
Well, the fixed income future is very important for the global fixed income market as well as the fixed income investors, basically because fixed income is a market that is very sophisticated.
Investors use various types of financial tools in order to build portfolios that are more profitable as well as more stable where stability is something really important in the investment of fixed income because when people are choosing bonds as their main investment tool they are not only looking
Looking at the rate of return.
Otherwise, they would go to equities.
But they look more for stability.
But the bonds alone cannot be too stable.
So financial derivatives and tools such as future is very important for this market.
And this new introduction of fixed income future in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is definitely beneficial to the global investors who are interested with investing in China's bonds.
And this improvement of the toolbox for investors will definitely bring more investment towards China's fixed income market.
Chinese government bonds have become increasingly popular among large global institutional investors in recent years.
Could you elaborate on the core drivers behind this growing preference?
Well, the growing preference of global investors toward bonds in China, especially the government bonds, is powered by the globalization of China's financial market as well as the growing of China's economy.
When China is becoming the world's second largest economy, China is offering global investors a very stable market.
That this stability is something very important to offset the fluctuation that can get from other global main capital markets such as Europe, North America, Japan, etc.
Therefore, by choosing China as an additional investment target, global investors can get more return as well as get better stability.
Also look at the credibility of China's government bonds.
We can see that the credit rating for China's government bonds is very high.
That means when people are putting their money here,
They can be more guaranteed for their investment return.
That also explains why more investors are looking to invest in China.
I was Chen Jiehe, Chief Investment Officer, Novo Markei Technologies.
Five-year Chinese-Yuan government bond futures have officially launched in Hong Kong.
This follows the opening of onshore government bond futures trading to qualified foreign investors three months ago.
Now, the coordinated opening of onshore and offshore markets provides international investors with convenient and efficient tools for managing interest rate risk.
Currently, international investors hold Chinese bonds amounting to 3.2 trillion yuan or around 474 billion US dollars, with demand for interest rate risk management continuing to grow.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited officially implemented the second phase of its minimum tick size reduction for the Hong Kong securities market on Monday.
Minimum tick size refers to the smallest possible price increment for a stock.
The exchange has described these measures as a critical component of its ongoing strategy to refine market microstructure, boost transaction efficiency, and strengthen Hong Kong's competitive edge as a premier financial hub internationally.
The initial phase of this tick size reduction was successfully implemented in August of last year and has already delivered tangible results.
The average bid-ask spread for the securities covered in the first phase is narrowed by around 35%, while order matching times have also been cut by an average of 30%.
China's central bank says it'll continue to implement a moderately loose monetary policy in the second half of the year.
It'll also take steps to promote sustained economic development.
The bank will maintain ample liquidity and improve financial services for private enterprises and small and medium enterprises.
The PBOC also pledged to develop a technology board for the bond market.
While implementing risk-sharing instruments for tech innovation and private business bonds.
At this year's China Joy in Shanghai, much of the gaming industry's attention has been fixed on how artificial intelligence is reshaping game development.
Key focuses at the largest annual gaming expo in China include lifelike characters and tools that can help newcomers turn an idea into a playable project.
Junxue Xuan has more.
AI has entered the game development industry By describing an idea in ordinary language creators can use the system to generate code that has lowered the entry barrier for game developers
The first batch of games built from the AI platforms have already debuted on the Chinese market.
This time we introduced AI agents so that players can freely talk to them.
But behind this, we've trained a data volume of about 100,000 words per character.
This role-playing game, for example, having just released on Thursday, was built with the AI agents developed by the Chinese tech giant Tencent.
The rapid advancement of generative AI has made players' interactions with game characters feel more natural and fluid.
Ideas can be validated at a very early stage and the cost of trial and error is greatly reduced.
But lowering the barrier does not mean the barrier disappears, it merely shifts from, can it be made, to, is the idea good enough.
Creativity and judgment will only become more scarce in the future.
So AI reallocates developers' energy to where it truly matters.
AI is helping developers create and update games faster while also bringing down production costs.
At the same time, Chinese titles are reaching far beyond the domestic market.
Self-developed games generated more than 12 billion US dollars overseas in the first half of the year, up more than 30% year-on-year.
Games are also becoming a testing ground for general-purpose AI tools.
Their complexity allows developers to see whether an agent that performs well in game development can handle other demanding tasks.
We consider games to be an industrial-grade application with high integration and complexity among Internet applications.
If it can perform well in such a complex industrial environment, I believe it can also perform better in other daily work and general tasks.
Getting more game developers onto the platform is also beneficial for the AI developer to expand its applications.
So the company is for the first time hosting a game development competition for college students this year.
Many of our student teams don't actually come from traditional backgrounds like computer science or art, yet they are making games.
Many of them, for instance, and this impressed me, include civil engineering majors and landscape design majors.
They bring their own professional perspectives.
From more responsive characters to tools that help newcomers build their first game, AI is becoming a power up for both player experience and development process.
It is changing who can create a game and how quickly an idea can become something people can play.
That was Zhang Shishuan reporting.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour and coming up in sports, football friendlies in the U.S. ahead of the Premier League season.
Sideline story brings you all things sports related the hottest topics latest events juiciest stories all with a very personal take
Subscribe to sideline story podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in china and around the world
Turning to sports now.
In football, Enzo Moresca says he's satisfied despite suffering defeat in his debut as Manchester City manager, losing to Inter Milan on penalties in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong after a one-all draw.
The Italian praise decides performance, calling it the first game of their Asian tour.
Many positive things, especially minus for the legs that in this moment is important.
In two weeks we have the first official game so it's important to prepare the legs and the body and also some good performance.
So happy with the result.
With the performance, for sure, like always, there are things that we can do better, but slowly, slowly, we're going to improve.
On the match marked Maresca's first game in charge of Man City after replacing Pep Guardiola at the end of last season.
In Chicago, Leeds United rallied from two goals down to beat Liverpool 4-2 in a pre-season friendly, handing the Reds their first loss under new manager Andoni Irola.
Liverpool led 2-0 at halftime.
The comeback started in the 60th minute with three more goals by the 85th minute.
The victory is Leeds' second on their U.S. tour.
In the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Xinhua lost to Liaoning TRN 3-1 on the road to suffer their third straight defeat, prompting coach Leonid Slutsky to step down.
With the win, TRN sits in 8th place in the league standings.
Struggling Shenhua is in 13th.
In other matches, that concluded on Sunday.
Chengdao West Coast beat Chengdao Hainiu 2-0.
Shenzhen Peng City upset Chongqing Tongliang Long 2-0.
Chengdu Rongcheng remains on top of the league with 45 points.
For a nation of just over half a million, football is more than a game in Cape Verde.
Weeks after the men's historic World Cup run, the women's team now makes its long-awaited debut at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, carrying the hopes of a small island nation with big dreams.
Julie Shire reports.
There were no giant public screens.
History was watched much more intimately.
Across the capital, Praia, families gathered to witness Cabo Verde's first Women's Africa Cup of Nations match.
Unfortunately, it was...
This time we couldn't win.
We fought hard, but as I always say, we leave with our heads held high.
A few things happened during the match that I believe the team will discuss.
I'm sure they'll win the next game.
I always stay positive.
Against one of Africa's traditional powerhouses, Ghana struck early through Doris Boaduawa.
Cape Verde showed resilience before an own goal sealed a 2-0 defeat.
But supporters remained firmly behind their team.
Considering this is our first time and we're playing against big teams that already have investment and experience in this competition, Cape Verde did well.
We lost 2-0, but we have to encourage the girls.
Cape Verde's football journey has been transformed in recent years.
Inspired by the men's unforgettable World Cup campaign, the women now hope to build on that momentum.
We've always been motivated, and now we'll continue on our journey.
Of course, after the historic achievement of the men's team, people look at us differently, but our goal is to keep building our own path.
We know what our objectives are, and we're focused on what we have to do.
The opening results may not have gone Kabovic's way, but for many supporters, the bigger victory is already here.
That was Chili Shire reporting.
In tennis, China's Shengjun Cheng has reached the second round of the ATP Montreal Masters, delivering a composed performance and defeating Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
The 21-year-old broke early, taking that first set in just 34 minutes.
Vallejo fought back to lead 2-0 in the second, but Chung rallied to regain control and closed out the match.
It marks his first Masters win since returning from injury.
Next up for Chung is a second-round clash with 10th seed Andrei Rublev.
Linda Noskova is still processing her Wimbledon triumph as she returns to the court in Toronto for the first time since winning her first Grand Slam title.
The 21-year-old Czech defeated compatriot Karolina Mischova in last month's final.
Noskova says it took about 10 days to realize what she'd achieved.
Still, she insists the early success only fuels her motivation to keep going.
It's something that i have always worked for um they have played my tennis my whole life for so it did take me a couple of days not couple i would say like a week maybe 10 days to actually realize it
But
Maybe I will not realize it 100%.
You know, it's always just one of those big things that actually happen and you're not, you know, preparing yourself for that.
It's kind of like a big shocker.
But, you know, you have to restart and keep going.
While the world number seven and sixth seed in Toronto has a bye until the second round, her match is scheduled for Wednesday.
In volleyball, world number one Poland rallied to beat the United States 3-2 in the FIVB Men's Nations League Final in Ningbo, claiming their second straight title and third overall.
Wilfredo Leon shone early as Poland took the first set.
The U.S. fought back to win the next two, but Poland forced a decider and won the fifth set 15-10.
Poland outside hitter Tomasz Fornal expressed great excitement.
This is for the whole team.
All players deserve this.
The guys who start the game, the guys from the bench.
They have to choose someone.
They choose me.
But in the end, everyone deserves this award.
So it's amazing.
Slovenia claimed an historic bronze medal after beating Japan 3-1.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, and coming up in culture and entertainment, the new Spider-Man movies enjoyed a massive global opening.
From north to south, east to west, people in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat the odds and made a difference?
Footprints brings you the true life stories of their journeys.
53 passed and turning to culture and entertainment.
Sony and Marvel's Spider-Man Brand New Day stopped the North American box office with $355 million during its opening weekend.
This marks the second largest domestic debut ever in Hollywood history, just behind Avengers Endgame.
Combined with its North American performance, it opened to $927 million globally, also the second best worldwide launch.
The Odyssey fell to second place with $51 million.
Toy Story 5 took in $6.3 million for third place, bringing its global total to over a billion dollars.
China's 2026 summer box office has topped 7 billion yuan, over a billion U.S. dollars.
The box office for the year has exceeded 23 billion yuan so far.
The summer season has maintained daily box office earnings of over 100 million yuan for 23 consecutive days as market momentum continues to rise.
Leading the season's blockbusters is an animated film called All Wishes Come True, based on Chinese mythology.
It also sparked a surge in tourism to Yongle in Shanxi province, hometown of Lu Dongbin, one of the eight immortals.
Yongle Palace is drawing 4,000 visitors daily, up more than 20% from June.
The movie's fans wander through its halls, comparing murals with scenes from the film.
The palace is China's largest and best-preserved Taoist temple.
It houses over 1,000 square meters of Yuan Dynasty murals, considered the world's largest surviving collection of ancient Taoist fresco art.
One of China's leading orchestras has kicked off its first ever tour of Brazil.
It's bringing its production, Colors of China, to audiences in six cities.
Lucretia Franco has more.
Their shapes and their sounds may seem strange to many in the audience.
Thousand-year-old Chinese instrument designs playing alongside contemporary electronics in the Sala Cecilia Meireles Theatre in Rio de Janeiro.
Some of China's oldest musical traditions reimagined for the modern stage.
Mixing quiet melodies with unfamiliar sounds and vibrant costumes, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra was full of surprises.
I'm playing electronic and rock music with the Suona because this performance brings youthful and modern energy incorporating AI.
We hope we are bringing something new and refreshing to the Brazilian audience.
Founded in 1952, the orchestra is one of China's leading ensembles.
Its Brazilian tour debut, Of the Colors of China, draws on classical Chinese poetry, philosophy and Chinese color symbolism across nine original works.
Other kind of artistic group.
Production organizer Stefan Dalsberg says the performance is designed to connect the past with the present.
They can blend the artistic features with the ancient and with their tradition.
So it's a blend of tradition and modernity through music and through arts.
That contemporary approach has taken the orchestra far beyond China's borders.
Internationally acclaimed for decades, this orchestra has been bringing China's rich musical heritage to major centers across the world, including Berlin, Paris, and Washington, DC.
This latest performance premiered at the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival in 2024 and has become one of the orchestra's signature productions.
After the tour in Rio, the production continues with performances in five other Brazilian cities.
That was Lucretia Franco reporting.
Museums across China are offering cultural summer cooling with special exhibitions and extended hours.
In Hangzhou, the Zhejiang Provincial Museum and a film group launched a film-integrated exhibition featuring nearly a thousand relics.
Officials say these efforts connect scattered artifacts into richer civilizational stories.
At 57 past the hour, Beijing getting thundershowers overnight and through the day tomorrow.
It's down to 24 this evening and up to 31 on Tuesday.
Shanghai will be overcast tonight and tomorrow.
A low of 27, the high is 36.
Chongqing will get a light rainfall tonight, easing to clouds tomorrow.
A low of 23 and a high of 33.
Nanchang is getting cloudy conditions right through tomorrow, a low of 28 and a high of 36.
Las is getting a light rain tonight and tomorrow, a low of 9 degrees and it's up to 22 on Tuesday.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today, the U.S. president's called off strikes on Iran and says talks will begin once again on Monday.
And Spanish authorities say most of the migrants who flooded into Souda last week have returned to Morocco.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Biggum in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
The best military commander is not he who fights a hundred battles and wins every one of them.
The best military strategy does not lead to the desiccation of the enemy's capital city.
Decoding the Art of War will help you understand why there's no art in war and how Sun Tzu stayed undefeatable using the science of war with fun stories and insightful breakdown of famous battles.
Find Decoding the Art of War wherever you listen.
A poem for the Tibetan antelope, the gentle spirit of the Qinghai Cizon Plateau, spoken by voices from across the world.
Every spring, female antelopes migrate hundreds of miles to Zhuonai Lake to give birth, as we build gentle passages for their journey.
Hello, little Tibetan antelope.
Eyes opening to the light for the very first time.
To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wild flower.
So much wonder calls for so much courage.
But have no fear.
The way home is right there, waiting for you.
From the snows of Kunlun to the winds of Tangula, the wilderness will teach me to be strong.
But the call of life itself never ceases.
A train runs toward the horizon.
A road stretches through the wilderness.
The bridge that soars through the clouds is no barrier across the land, but a gateway to where I truly belong.
Tibetan antelopes' hoof prints loosen the soil, letting snow melt sink into the earth.
Human presence passes through, but we've never walked this land alone.
