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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Paul James with you on this Tuesday, June 10, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The Chinese government is promising its continued support as Iran meets directly with the United States for the first time in decades.
Chinese authorities say they have evidence linking April's terrorist attack at Urumqi's main train station to the East Turkistan Islamic Movement.
A new call is being made for more transparency in college enrollment here in China following the conclusion of the Gaokao.
In Business... securities regulators have approved the IPO's of ten more companies here in China.
In sports... Li Na has maintained her 2nd place ranking in the world, despite her early exit from Roland Garros.
In entertainment... British comedian Rik Mayall has passed away.
Weather
Beijing will see thundershowers today with a high of 29 degree Celsius.
Overnight it will also have thundershowers and temperatures should drop down to around 17.
Shanghai will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 27.
Overnight, it will still be cloudy with a low of 21.
In Chongqing, it will have some showers with a high of 25.
Overnight showers and lows are expected to be around 22.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 40.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 25.
Over to North America,
New York will see moderate rain today with a high of 26 degrees.
Washington will have moderate rain with a high of 28 degrees.
Honolulu, rainy, 29.
Toronto, Canada, will be overcast with a high of 23 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 17.
And Rio de Janeiro will see moderate rain with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.
Top News
China to play constructive role in Iran nuclear talks
The Chinese government is promising to keep playing a constructive role with the Iranian nuclear talks.
The comments from the Chinese side comes as Iran is holding its first bilateral talks in decades with the United States.
The Iranian side is also going to hold separate talks with Russia.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"Now the negotiation is entering uncharted waters. It will now involve more complicated and sensitive issues. All parties need to put aside differences to seek a common ground. We believe that bilateral talks between Iran and individual members of the six powers will help to strengthen mutual understanding and promote negotiations. We are willing to keep close contacts with all parties and play a constructive role in the process. "
US, Iran hold nuclear talks after decades of standoff
A 2nd day of direct talks between the United States and Iran are set to get underway later on this Tuesday in Geneva.
The two days of direct talks will conclude today.
The two sides met for closed-door sessions for the first time in years yesterday.
It's unclear how the first round of meetings went.
Iran and the United States are meeting for the first time directly in decades to discuss issues connected to Iran's nuclear program.
Iran and Russia are also set to meet separately in Rome following the sessions in Geneva.
The talks come as Iran prepares to meet with the P5+1 again in Vienna next week.
The last round of P5+1 talks failed to come up with a final resolution to the long-running dispute.
China calls for international support to fight terrorism
The Chinese government says it has new evidence that it was the East Turkistan Islamic Movement which was behind late April's deadly attack on the main railway station in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi.
The foreign ministry says an individual named as Ismail Yusup, operating outside China, used the internet to insight his followers to carry out the attack.
The attack left 3 dead and close to 80 others injured.
The East Turkistan Islamic Movement has been labeled a terrorist organization by the Chinese government and a number of other countries around the world.
China to join RIMPAC naval drill
The Chinese navy has announced it's going to join this year's Rim of the Pacific exercises later this summer near Hawaii.
This is the first time China is joining the military drill.
The Chinese missile destroyer Haikou, along with a frigate, a supply ship, a hospital ship, and two helicopters will take part in the exercises.
Xu Hongmeng is the deputy commander of the Chinese navy.
"This mission is an important diplomatic mission. It is an opportunity showcasing the new type of relationship between China and the U.S. and that of the military forces of two countries. This is also a diplomatic mission to boost our ties with Southern Pacific countries. It will play a positive role in strengthening our cooperation with the U.S and Southern Pacific nations."
The drill, hosted by the United States every two years, is the largest international maritime exercise.
23 countries will take part in this year's drill.
The exercises are expected to run for five weeks, and will wrap up in August.
Pakistan is "conflict zone": Official
Pakistan's Interior Minister says the whole country needs to be on alert.
Chaudry Khan has made the comments following Monday's deadly attack at Karachi's main airport.
"It is an uneven fight. Pakistan is now a conflict zone. So keep this in mind that there are threats everywhere. Our intelligence agencies, media and people have to be proactive. Every area is a target; every building is a potential target."
The Pakistani Taliban has since claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, which began Sunday.
It left 28 people dead, including security personnel and the 10 militants who launched the assault.
The Taliban is also threatening more attacks, saying they want revenge for a US drone strike in November, which killed one of the group's leaders.
The attack has further dampened the prospects for a resumption of peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Taliban.
Iran, Turkey further boosts bilateral ties
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has been meeting with Turkish officials in Ankara in an attempt shore up ties among the two countries.
Rouhani has overseen the signing of a number of deals connected to banking, transportation and energy.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says both sides want to build a preferential trade partnership agreement.
The talks come after years of relative estrangement between the two countries.
"We discussed all of this. Both sides have already pledged to turn this unfortunate course around and to reach our goal of 30 billion US dollars."
When it comes to the Iranian nuclear issue, Rouhani says his side appreciates the position Turkey has held.
"On the nuclear issue, we share similar points of views. We discussed it. Turkey has always been cooperative regarding this issue (nuclear), both during the P5+1 negotiations and also on the fair rights of all those countries which are after peaceful nuclear technology."
Iran and Turkey have had a cool relationship for the past 20-years, as previous Turkish governments have allied themselves with Europe.
However, Rouhani's election last year has allowed the two Islamic countries to become more diplomatically engaged.
Rouhani's trip to Turkey is the first time an Iranian president has gone on a state visit to the country since 1996.
Floods in northern Afghanistan kill more than 80
Over 80 bodies have been found after a devastating flash flood in Afghanistan's mountainous north.
Local police in Baghlan province say the official death toll now stands at 81.
The flooding, which started on Friday, has destroyed around 850 houses across several villages, leaving thousands of people in need of shelter and food.
Abdullah Abdullah, the front runner in Afghanistan's presidential runoff election, has visited the area.
"I will provide you the facility to cook food for yourselves here and will use donkeys to move the food to the remote areas."
Last month, a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a village in a remote area in Afghanistan's northeast, killing over 300 people.
Flooding and landslides often occur during the rainy season in northern Afghanistan.
Xi urges independent innovation in science, technology
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed "innovation" is the key to the development of science and technology here in China.
He made the remarks a joint conference for the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, two top think tanks in this country.
He's also talked about the need to develop more home-grown talent in the field.
More than 13-hundred researchers have attended the event, which is meant to help develop collaboration in the area of science and technology.
Other members of the politburo have also attended the session.
Transparency urged in college students’ enrollment
Anchor:
The Ministry of Education here in China is calling for more transparency and supervision when it comes to college enrollment.
The call comes as students across China wrapped up the annual national college entrance exam, or Gaokao.
CRI's Li Dong has more details.
Reporter:
The exam, known in Chinese as "gaokao", took place on June 7 and 8 this year across the country, attracting nearly 9.4 million participants.
Gaokao is viewed by many Chinese as one of the most important opportunities to change their fate.
However, some people began to doubt admission transparency and fairness after a scandal involving a corrupt admission official was exposed.
Cai Rongsheng, former head of admissions at Beijing's Renmin University of China, was arrested a week ago on charges of receiving huge bribes.
Cai was put under official investigation last November. He is accused of taking over 10 million yuan or about 1.6 million U.S. dollars to unfairly "help" students during enrollment.
Xiong Bingqi, deputy-director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, says interference from administrative leaders is the main source of corruption during university enrollment.
"Because the student recruitment is still a job mainly carried out by executive departments, though some schools have a so-called enrollment committee. But that's not an independent department. This situation provides opportunities for the executive administrators to interfere with the enrollment work."
Xiong points out that relevant government departments need to take their responsibilities to effectively supervise the enrollment process.
"The government should urge and strengthen the supervision of universities' publication of recruitment information. According to the Ministry of Education, the recruitment process should be transparent. Violators should face certain punishments. But, so far, it seems the government is not taking their responsibility to supervise the schools' related information publication work."
He adds that a more independent enrollment mechanism needs to be established in China's universities to ensure the fairness of the enrollment work.
"Universities' internal management procedures should be reformed. Admission and enrollment should be the work of an independent commission. They are the ones who set the standard and execute it. However, nowadays, schools' administrative departments are still having a big say in the enrollment process. Their function should be reduced."
To ensure a fair enrollment for this year's college applicants, the Ministry of Education has just taken the first step to order strict adherence to the country's admission policies and severe punishment for any malpractice on the part of enrollment officials.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
Gender Equality in Workforce
Despite gender equality being enshrined in the Chinese constitution, many women in this country complain they're still finding it difficult to climb the corporate ladder.
Salaries for women doing similar to their male counterparts still lag behind as well.
And with more women entering into the job market following college, concerns are being raised about issues surrounding gender disparities in the work place.
To that end, CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier with Julia Broussard, country program manager at the UN Women China Office.
Julia Broussard, country program manager at the UN Women China Office, speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.
Biz Reports
Wall Street advanced on Monday, with the Dow up 0.1-percent.
The S&P 500 also gained 0.1%, while the Nasdaq rallied 0.3%.
In absence of major economic data in the States, investors cheered China's exports jumping 7 percent year on year in May.
Pharmaceuticals Incorporated saw its shares skyrocket over 200%, after U.S. drug maker Merck announced it will acquire Idenix for 24.50 dollars per share in cash.
European stock markets also advanced,
Germany's DAX, France's CAC 40 and Britian's FTSE all advanced 0.2%.
China approves 10 IPOs after four-month halt
The China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved 10 new IPO applications.
The move marks the official restart of the IPO process, which has been stalled since mid-February.
The CSRC says five companies will be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Five others will be listed in Shenzhen.
The names of the companies haven't been released.
The CSRC plans to allow 100 new IPO's before the year is out.
About 600 companies are now awaiting to be listed here in China.
There have been concerns about the restart of the IPO process, as investors are worried the new listings might dilute market values, leading to potential losses for people currently in the market.
China c.bank cuts banks' reserve requirement ratio by 50 bps
Anchor:
China's central bank is set to cut the level of deposits that banks have to keep by 50 basis points for some lenders.
The move is meant to free up more cash for lending to bolster flagging economic growth here in China.
The People's Bank of China says the reduction will be effective from June 16th.
In making the move, the central bank also says the current amount of liquidity in the Chinese banking system is ample, and that the direction of the country's monetary policy hasn't been changed.
For more on this, we are joined on line with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.
Questions:
1. This is the second "selective" RRR cut within two months. How effective will the cut be in supporting the economy?
2. Some people were expecting "reducing the RRR across the board for all banks", will the market be disappointed?
3. Does this mean the Central bank will not try to intervene in the cooling real estate market?
Gao Shang, analyst with GuangTong Futures.
China, U.S. hold new talks on investment treaty
A new round of negotiations over an investment treaty between China and the United States is underway in Beijing.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce says the two sides are discussing "core issues" during the five-day negotiations.
The ministry has not provided any other details.
Talks connected to the treaty began in 2008.
The two sides held their last round of talks in Washington in March.
New Zone established to develop marine economy
The State Council has approved the establishment of a new zone in the city of Qingdao.
The idea is to develop ocean exploration and other maritime resources.
Located on the west coast of Jiaozhou Bay, the new zone covers 5-thousand square of ocean and over 2-thousand square-kilometers of land.
Qingdao is a port city on China's east coast.
Chairman of Dagong Global Credit Rating calls on building up "correct outlook on rating"
The Chair of Beijing-based Dagong Global Credit Rating is calling for "a new credit rating system to assign impartial and independent ratings."
Guan Jianzhong says the "severe damage" to the international credit system triggered by the flawed credit ratings assigned by other credit rating agencies "has led people to think deeply about the relations between credit rating and economic and social development."
Guan has made the comments while visiting a Dagong office in Rome.
Former top COSCO executive expelled from the CPC
A former COSCO executive has been expelled from the Communist Party of China for taking advantage of his position and claiming expenses for personal items.
Xu Minjie was an executive director at China's largest bulk shipping company until last November.
He was sacked in November as part of this latest crackdown on corruption.
Microsoft, Qihoo 360 sign tie-up deal
Microsoft and Chinese Internet security company Qihoo 360 have signed a new cooperation deal.
The two are hoping to collaborate in the area of mobile Internet products, including Microsoft's chatbots Xiaobing and Qihoo 360's mobile security services.
Microsoft Search Technology Center Asia says they expect to move on to technology exchanges in artificial intelligence as well.
Earlier this month, Microsoft finished a series of deals with Chinese companies to promote Xiaobing.
Xiaobing, the artificially-intelligent chatbots developed by Microsoft, has been removed from WeChat by Tencent over suspicions it might violate its operational rules.
Sony 'overtakes' rival Nintendo in console sales
Sony has overtaken Nintendo for the first time in eight years, based on the total number of game consoles sold.
Sony sold 18.7 million systems in the last fiscal year.
This compares to Nintendo's tally of 16.3 million video games machines.
Sony's PlayStation 4 has emerged as the bestselling "new-gen" console.
Demand for Nintendo's Wii U has lagged far behind the original Wii.
Headline News
China, Bangladesh vow to further partnership
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has met with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina Wajed in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The two sides have expressed the willingness to further develop the cooperation relationship in trade, energy and a number of other areas.
The Premier says he hopes Bangladesh would support for China's collaboration with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
Wajed is in China for a 6-day official visit.
Indian PM Modi meets with Chinese FM
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Modi says India's new government is willing to work toward common development with China.
He has also suggested the two countries maintain high-level visits and use each other's strengths to deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and I-T.
Wang Yi has also met with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.
New line-up of Greek cabinet reshuffled
The conservative-led coalition government of Greece has been reshuffled.
The new administration of Antonis Samaras includes a 21-member cabinet.
Among some of the notable names includes Evangelos Venizelos staying on as government vice-President and foreign minister.
The new cabinet ministers are scheduled to be sworn-in later on this Tuesday.
Over 50 insurgents killed in Nigerian military raid
Nigerian authorities have announced they've killed over 50 suspected Boko Haram rebels in operations through this past weekend.
The deaths come amid both raids and the Nigerian military's successful repelling of an insurgent attack.
Most of the fighting has taken place in the restive northeast of the country, which is the main base area for Boko Haram.
Boko Haram has been a major security threat in recent years, with the group involved in massacres and kidnappings.
The group took up arms in 2009 to try to back its demands for Sharia Law to be enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
16 security troops killed in northern Iraq
At least 16 Iraqi security officers have been killed in an attack in northern Iraq on Monday.
The attack near Mosul has also left 6 other Iraqi security forces injured.
A suicide bomber drove a truck loaded with fuel into an Iraqi military compound.
It's believed al-Qaeda's offshoot in Iraq is responsible.
The assault on the army base is the culmination of a day of violence in Iraq on Monday, which has left 46 dead and close to 170 others injured.
Newspaper Picks
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Police detain bombing suspect
Summary
Local police in Heilongjiang have detained a person suspected of setting off a home-made bomb at a chain restaurant that injured two police officers.
The suspect has been caught after an 18-hour manhunt.
Police say the bombing is an act of "revenge," but have not provided further details.
THE BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Refinery fire in east China
Summary
Firefighters have extinguished a blaze which followed an explosion in an oil refinery in Nanjing.
No one was hurt.
Environmental damage has also reportedly been kept to a minimum.
The cause of the explosion remains unclear.
THE BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Fatal apartment blast
Summary
Police have ruled out the possibility of terrorism following an explosion at an apartment in Yunnan.
Three people were killed and four others injured in a blast in Kunming.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Ministry officials punished for graft
Summary
Five high-ranking officials with the Ministry of Land and Resources have been disciplined for corruption.
Three of them have been fired.
The sanctions are connected to abuse of power, the misuse of public funds and improper overseas travel.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Prostitution accounts closed on WeChat
Summary
Tencent is cracking down on about 20 million prostitution-related WeChat accounts and about 30-thousand accounts that sell counterfeit products.
WeChat has been a popular portal for prostitution and fake products.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Celebrity 'sorry' for sex scandal
Summary
Chinese actor Huang Haibo has issued an apology for being caught with a prostitute in a Beijing hotel.
Huang has issued the apology online.
The scandal has created an uproar on the internet.
Special Reports
1,600 Paper Pandas start their tour in Hong Kong
Anchor:
Hong Kong is now playing host to a display of some 16-hundred paper-mache Pandas.
The stop in Hong Kong is part of an exhibition tour, which has already made stops in Europe and other parts of Asia.
CRI's reporter in Hong Kong is Li Jing.
Report:
The panda flash mob has been unveiled at Hong Kong airport, but will stop at more than 10 Hong Kong landmarks, including Victoria Harbor and the giant Tian Tan Buddha, to surprise locals and tourists.
Passengers at the airport are impressed by the spectacular view of so many pop-up pandas.
"I think they are really cute. It's a good way to unite people around to. There is also a sign of what we can be doing better in our environment. There's no reason that they should be going extinct, we just need to better take care of their environment."
"There are only 1600 pandas in the wild now, so we need to protect them."
French artist Paulo Grangeon, who designed the paper pandas, says he hopes the exhibition will remind the public of nature conservation, and leave a legacy more than just photos and idle talk.
"Environmental conservation is a serious theme, but we express it in an entertaining way. I hope people are aware that the pandas are endangered. Not only pandas, but other animals, plants and even oceans are facing severe environmental issues. We choose pandas, which are loved by people worldwide, to start with, and later, we can do more to protect other species."
The pandas are made with recycled paper, rice and environmentally friendly paint. They are strong enough to resist light rains, but in case of storms, they will have to be moved into shelter.
Each exhibition requires new pandas to be made. This time, the pandas have been made in a Thai village, taking two months to make, and the whole preparation for their arrival in Hong Kong took up to six months.
SK Lam is head of the AllRightsReserved organization, the same team that brought the Rubber Duck to Hong Kong last year, and the 100 Doraemon expo in 2012.
"During the exhibition of Doraemon, we understand people really enjoy family gathering, that's why we think why not we do something more special? That's why Rubber Duck artist Hoffman to do something together. There were no exhibition at the Victoria Harbor ever before. And this time I think it is another challenge, because we go to more than 10 iconic landmarks. Some flash mobs are not in the day time, but at the midnight or early in the morning. So it is not easy. "
After the show, an adoption program will be launched in which owners can name the pandas.
All the funds will go to WWF to promote sustainable development between humans and nature.
Later this month, the pandas will go on a two-week display at PMQ, a new hub for creative industries in Hong Kong.
Since 2008, the paper pandas have visited more than 100 cities in 20 countries.
For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.
Sports
Hewiitt reaches the second round at Queen's
In tennis,
Four time former Champion Lleyton Hewitt has advanced to the second round at Queen's Club Championship in London.
The Australian veteran beat Spanish Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-3, 6-3.
Hewitt has been joined in the second round by compatriot Bernard Tomic, who downed American Tim Smyczek 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
It is Tomic's first victory in a main draw match since reaching January's ATP final in Sydney.
Defending champion Andy Murray will begin his campaign against France's Paul-Henri Mathieu on Wednesday.
----
In tennis news from off-the-court.
Maria Sharapova has moved back into the top-5 in the world following her victory this past weekend at the French Open.
At the same time, runner-up Simona Halep has moved into 3rd place in the world rankings.
Sharapova moves into 5th spot, up from 8th.
Halep has jumped from 4th to 3rd, pushing Agnestita Radwanska down to 4th.
Serena Williams still maintains the world's top position.
And Li Na, despite her surprising first-round exit from the French Open, stays in 2nd.
----
For the men,
French Open winner Rafael Nadal continues to top the world rankings.
Britain's Andy Murray has moved from eighth to fifth following his semi-final appearance.
Novak Djokovic remains in second spot, followed by Stan Wawrinka in 3rd and Roger Federer in 4th.
NHL playoffs resume
In the NHL,
The Stanley Cup finals resume later this morning,
The New York Rangers will be looking to avoid going in a deep hole in the finals, as they play host to the LA Kings this morning.
The Rangers are down 2-games-nothing after dropping the first two games of the series on the road in Los Angeles.
Puck drop is at 8am Beijing Time.
Heat-Spurs Game 3 preview
In the NBA finals,
It's a travel day to day, as the Miami Heat hope to continue build momentum in Game 3 after evening the finals 1-1 with the San Antonio Spurs yesterday morning.
The Heat bounced back to beat Spurs 98-96 in Game 2.
LeBron James scored 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the playoffs.
The series now shifts to Miami for the next two games.
Game 3 is set for tomorrow morning at 9am Beijing time.
England beat Belgium 3-2 in the men's hockey World Cup
In field hockey,
At the World Cup in the Netherlands,
England's men's team has earned a place in the semi-finals with a 3-2 victory over Belgium.
Reigning champion Australia is also through, after downing India 4-0.
Elsewhere in pool A, Spain cruised past Malaysia 5-2 to leave them fourth, with Malaysia in sixth.
----
In the women's competition,
Host nation the Netherlands beat South Korea 3-0 to finish top of group A and cruise into the semi-finals.
Australia has taken the second group A semi-final slot position after a goaless draw with New Zealand.
At the bottom of group A, Belgium and Japan fought out to a 2-2 draw.
Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken severs spine in accident
Six-time American Olympic gold medalist swimmer Amy Van Dyken has suffered a spinal injury, after an all-terrain vehicle accident over the weekend in Arizona.
It's being reported Van Dyken was launched over a curb while driving the vehicle in a parking lot, and lost feeling in her legs.
Van Dyken has undergone surgery to stablize her spine.
She is said to be in good condition, though it's unclear whether she is going to be permanently paralyzed.
Van Dyken won four gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
She then added two more relay golds four years later in Sydney.
Entertainment
British Comedian Rik Mayall dies aged 56
The British comedian and actor Rik Mayall has died at the age of 56.
The pioneer of 1980s alternative comedy scene shot to fame as the poetry-writing anarchist Rick in The Young Ones, with his friend Adrian Edmonson with whom he later starred in the slapstick comedy hit Bottom.
In another notable role, he played the satirical role of slimy politician Alan B'Stard in the New Statesman, which ran from 1986 to 1992.
(B'stard)
An outpouring of grief has followed the announcement of Mayall's sudden death at his home in London.
No cause has yet been given, though a quad bike accident in 1998 left him in a coma for several days and continued to affect his health thereafter.
Psy releases new single 'Hangover' feat Snoop Dogg
Psy, the Korean pop sensation behind the 2012 Global Smash Hit "Gangnam Style", has released a new single.
This time he has joined forces with the legendary hip-hop star Snoop Dogg for the single, "Hangover."
(Hangover)
The 36-year-old Korean's first smash hit, which really took K-pop to an international audience, made news again recently when the video for the song with its signature dance moves became the first on YouTube to surpass 2 billion views.
The South Korean pop star also holds the record for most overall views, and most views in a day with 38 million for his "Gangnam Style" follow-up "Gentleman."
"It's about like culture exchanging. In Korea, or literally in Asia, we have our specific way of getting avoid from hangover. We have a lot of like really specified ways of getting avoid from it. So I told Snoop like 'we had this, this and this. And in video I want to teach you how to do it."
Psy is set to release his next EP later this year.
Fault in Our Stars tops US Box office
(Fault in Our Stars trailer)
Romance movie, 'Fault in Our Stars', has topped the U.S. box office with more than 48 million dollars for its opening weekend.
The film tells the story of two young lovers, who meet in a cancer support group and is adapted from John Green's popular book of the same name.
To the surprise of many, it easily beat the new Tom Cruise sci-fi epic Edge of Tomorrow, which opened to a disappointing 29 million dollars despite stellar reviews.
The film is performing much better overseas however, especially here in China as well as in Russia and South Korea.
The epic topped Chinese market in the weekend, taking in 25 million U.S. dollars.
The Disney film 'Maleficent' sits safely in second place in its second week of release.
The Angelina Jolie movie has earned over 330 million US dollars worldwide, and is yet to be screened in China and Japan.
Audra McDonald wins record sixth Tony Award for portrayal of Billie Holiday
The Tony Awards, which honour stage acting talent in the US, have just been handed out and Audra McDonald has won her record sixth trophy at a star-studded ceremony in New York.
She was given the prize for best dramatic actress for her role as Jazz Singer Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill.
She is the first person to win an award in all four acting categories.
The best dramatic actor award went to Bryan Cranson for All the Way, which was his Broadway debut.
The star of Breaking Bad, played US President Lyndon B. Johnson in the production, which was also named as best play.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The Chinese government is promising its continued support as Iran meets directly with the United States for the first time in decades.
Chinese authorities say they have evidence linking April's terrorist attack at Urumqi's main train station to the East Turkistan Islamic Movement.
A new call is being made for more transparency in college enrollment here in China following the conclusion of the Gaokao.
In Business... securities regulators have approved the IPO's of ten more companies here in China.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James 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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