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(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-09 07:59

Hawking to reveal universe's secrets on Discovery

TV network Discovery has joined hands with British theoretical physicist Dr Stephen Hawking to release a special program on the prestigious scientist's views on the universe, which will be broadcast in Beijing TV on Sept 20, 27, Oct 4 and 11.

In four episodes, Hawking expounds on the mysteries of the universe in first person - from the Big Bang to the end of time, and the possibility of alien life and time travel.

Cutting-edge effects, digitally enhanced NASA footage and live action combine to bring Hawking's extraordinary vision of the universe to the small screen for the first time.

Discovery spent three years on the project and will also do a special program on the wormhole, a hypothetical "tunnel" connecting two different points in spacetime, featuring the voiceover of Morgan Freeman.

Sony to partner with Vienna Philharmonic

The Vienna Philharmonic has signed an agreement with Sony Music to make its renowned New Year Concert accessible to a wider audience.

The concert recordings of the works of the Strauss family will appear on Sony Classical, in CD, DVD and Blu-ray, from January 2012.

One of the world's most watched classical events on television, the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year Concert is broadcast from Vienna's Musikverein to more than 70 countries and reaches more than 40 million viewers.

"The Vienna Philharmonic devotes itself to the Strauss family's masterpieces and always presents the world with audio and video recordings of great beauty and enormous appeal," says Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment.

"Sony Music is proud to be the orchestra's new partner for these remarkable releases."

Creating a new balance in running with N-ergy

American sportswear label New Balance has initiated N-ergy activity to promote the importance of running.

More than 50 Beijing citizens shared their stories while running. Celebrity Muqi Miya showed up and said her energy for dancing and singing derived from her good habit of running.

According to the brand, running is not only a sport, but also a healthy way of life. The project invited more citizens to share their stories while running. It also has a new pair of shoes "1226" coming out. Using Stabilicore technology, 1226 shoes provide a more stable experience for wearers while they are running.

Publishing giant teams up with French group

The Phoenix Publishing and Media Group from Jiangsu province has set up a joint venture with French publishing giant Le Groupe Hachette Livre.

The Hachette-Phoenix Cultural Development (Beijing) Company Ltd will engage in publishing and distributing French books translated into Chinese.

It will also endeavor to facilitate the export of Chinese titles already published in China, according to its general manager Jing Bartz.

The Chinese side will hold the controlling stake of 51 percent in the joint venture.

The Phoenix Publishing and Media Group is the largest in China in terms of annual sales volume and assets.

China's publishing industry and book market have been growing steadily in recent years.

In April 2009, the Chinese government expressed its intention to open up the nation's publishing industry.

China Daily