The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, April 16th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
A meeting has been held between the Chinese and Russian foreign ministers in Beijing, ahead of multilateral talks on the Ukraine crisis...
The five nuclear weapons states recognized under the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have renewed their disarmament vows following a meeting in the Chinese capital...
And a US navy sub is back in the water following yesterday's abbreviated search for that missing Malaysia Airlines jet...
In Business...the growth rate for Chinese land prices has slowed...
In sports...the first upset at the ATP's Monte Carlo Masters
In entertainment...the Beijing International Film Festival begins tonight...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
Weather
Beijing will be cloudy today, with a high of 21 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 12.
Shanghai will see moderate rain during the daytime with a high of 19.
Overnight, it will see slight rain with a low of 17.
In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 21.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 12.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 29.
Kabul will have heavy rain with a high of 20.
Over to North America.
New York will have moderate rain today with a high of 18 degrees.
Washington will have moderate rain with a high of 20 degrees.
Honolulu, showers, 27.
Toronto, Canada, will see moderate snow with a high of 1 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 20.
And Rio de Janeiro will be overcast with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.
There are several ways to keep in touch with us on the BJH
Weibo/Wechat account: the Beijing Hour
Email: [email protected].
Top News
Bluefin-21 backs in water for second search
Anchor
The unmanned submarine being deployed to look for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight is back in the water again after completing its first mission yesterday. CRI's Yu Yang has more.
REPORTER
The US Navy's Bluefin-21 cut short its first underwater search on Tuesday after exceeding its programmed depth limit in the Indian Ocean.
But the sub did manage to record a number of images from the ocean floor.
Malaysian defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein:
"The Bluefin-21 AUVs have been deployed and 16 hours have been done to search and photograph the seabed and photographs are being analysed at the moment."
The sub covered about 30 percent of its planned search area in 6 hours before exceeding its 4.5 kilometers depth limit.
Officials say the sub has then been reprogrammed with better instructions to keep it operating within its limits.
Surface searching continued on Tuesday as eleven aircraft and eleven ships joined the hunt for the missing passenger jet.
To better facilitate the search, the Chinese navy also decided to cancel an international fleet review for the Western Pacific Naval Symposium to be held later this month.
Meanwhile, in terms of the ongoing investigation of the flight's crew members, it is reported that the mobile phone belonging to the co-pilot was switched on and made contact with a network tower 30 minutes after the plane was diverted.
The US official who revealed the information said a network communications tower in Penang, Malaysia detected the signal.
Malaysia has been tight-lipped about its ongoing investigation, saying that revelations could hinder further probes into the vanished flight.
For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.
Ban Ki-moon express alaram at tension in Ukraine
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his alarm at the rising tension in eastern Ukraine.
Ban Ki-moon made the comment after speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone conversation.
Stephane Dujarric is the spokesman for the U.N. Secretary General.
"As I mentioned, the Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the disturbances ongoing in eastern Ukraine, he has called on all parties to do their utmost to deescalate the situation and avoid further violence."
Earlier, Ukraine launched an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Russian activities in the country's eastern cities.
The government says Special Forces have recaptured a small airport that had been occupied by militiamen in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.
The move comes as the first military action against the pro-Russian uprising, which has seen activists occupy government buildings in at least nine eastern cities.
The activities are demanding broader autonomy and closer ties with Russia.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says Ukraine is now on the verge of civil war, urging the Ukrainian government to pursue talks with all segments of its population.
"The only way to save Ukraine and to normalise the situation is to provide normal conditions for the country's development, a dialogue with its own people, consideration for all ethnic groups, recognition that Russian speakers are the same citizens as Ukrainian speakers."
Meanwhile, the United States says it gives its tacit support to Ukrainian military action.
White House spokesman Jay Carney:
"And we agree that the use of force is not a preferred option. That said, the Ukrainian government has the responsibility to provide law and order. And these provocations in eastern Ukraine are creating a situation in which the government has to respond."
The U.S. and Russia have expressed different views on the current unrest in Ukraine, both urging the other side to help bring the situation to an end.
Chinese FM underlines dialogue to solve Ukraine crisis
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov here in Beijing.
Wang Yi discussed with Lavrov the forthcoming multilateral talks on the Ukrainian situation planned for this Thursday.
"We would be happy to see it succeed as it is in line with China's calls to advocating peace and talks. We also think that the key to success of the talks is to take care of the reasonable interests and concerns of all sides. We hope that the multilateral talks will find a solution acceptable to all sides. China upholds an impartial and objective stance on the issue, and will continue to play a constructive role in seeking a proper solution."
For his part, Sergey Lavrov says Russia is against the use of force to end the demonstrations in the eastern part of Ukraine.
Five nuclear-weapon states renew vows to disarmament
Five nuclear-weapon states have renewed the commitment to nuclear disarmament after wrapping up a meeting here in Beijing.
The five countries including China, the U.S and Russia have issued a statement, reaffirming that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty remains the cornerstone for the control of nuclear arms.
Wang Qun is the head of the Arms Control Department under China's Foreign Ministry.
"The treaty has played an irreplaceable role in disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It has made a great contribution in maintaining world peace and security. China believes that the universality, authority and validity of the document should be further enhanced. To achieve this, we need joint efforts in promoting the disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy in a comprehensive and balanced way."
The five nuclear powers also agreed to complete nuclear disarmament step by step in keeping with the treaty's obligations.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which came into force in 1970, is designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote peaceful uses for nuclear energy.
190 countries have joined the treaty.
The treaty recognizes five states as nuclear-weapon states. They are China, the U.S, Russia, the UK, and France.
The five countries have held four meetings to review the progress made in fulfilling NPT commitments.
The next meeting is scheduled to be held in London next year.
Officials calls for promoting trilateral cooperation among China, Japan, S.Korea
A trilateral summit involving China, Japan and South Korea has kicked off in Seoul.
Officials and experts at the meeting have been calling for an increase in cooperation, despite the current disputes among the three neighbors.
South Korean spokesperson Ju Chul-ki says countries in East Asia need to cooperate, particularly when it comes to the North Korean nuclear issue.
"North Korea's nuclear problems are the greatest obstacles to fully realizing the stability and prosperity in the northeast Asia. We are open to various ways to reopen the nuclear talks with Pyongyang if we are assured that there will be real progress in Noth Korea's denuclearization."
The annual trilateral summit first began in 1999.
This is the first time it's been held since 2012 amid lingering disputes over historical and territorial disputes.
UN committee receives letter from Iran on U.S. visa denial: spokesperson
A United Nations agency has received a letter from Iran regarding the US decision to reject Tehran's choice for UN ambassador.
A meeting regarding this issue has now been scheduled for next Tuesday.
The United Nations Committee on Relations with the Host Country deals with issues concerning the relationship between the host country and the UN community.
According to the 1947 UN headquarters agreement, as host country for the United Nations, the United States must provide rights to persons invited to the New York headquarters. But Washington says it can deny visas for "security, terrorism, and foreign policy" reasons.
The US rejected Hamid Aboutalebi's visa application over his role in the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, in which the US emabssy in Tehran was seized by activists and its staff held captive for more than a year.
Boston Honors Survivors
Anchor
Tributes have been held in the United States to mark the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings which claimed three lives and injured some 260 others. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says America will never yield to terrorism.
CRI US correspondent Xiaohong has the story.
At 2:49 Tuesday afternoon, the city of Boston paused to remember the tragedy that occured at the marathon's finish line.
Earlier, nearly three thousand people gathered in downtown Boston to pay tribute to victims and survivors of the attack.
The event also paid tribute to the city's first responders, medical staff, volunteers and the brave citizens of Boston.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says the tribute is not just for Boston, but for the whole American nation. He praised survivors for their resilience, saying they have become the face of American resolve.
"It takes you incredible courage for you to be here. I want you to know that you're an inspiration without knowing to people all across this country who suffered tragedies and are going through tragedy. They'll hear you, they see you, they know of you. And the fact you're here, I promise you, gives them the hope that maybe, maybe, they can overcome what they're facing now."
The vice President says the city's response to the attacks a year ago is something the citizens of Boston can be proud of.
"We're Boston. We're America. We respond. We endured. We overcome. And we own the finish line!"
Some survivors attending the event shared their stories. Dance instructor Adrianne Haslet-Davis lost a leg in the tragedy but is standing once again, and danced with her prosthetic leg. She said it's okay sometimes to feel not ok, but urges people to act.
"We use this day not just as a day of remembrance but as a day of action. I wish that everyone who is facing adversity can have the support that we have had. Let April 15 be a very that we all work together to make the world a better place."
Xiaohong, CRI, Boston.
Lebanon to limit influx of Syrian refugees: Minister
Lebanon's government says the country can't bear the burden of more refugees arriving from Syria.
The Interior Ministry has announced that it's working on measures to limit the number of new arrivals from its neighbour.
Syrian refugees already represent 27 percent of Lebanon's population, while accounting for 10 percent of Jordan's population and 4 percent of Turkey's population.
According to the UN Higher Commission for Refugees report on Syrian refugees on Monday, more than one million Syrians have registered as refugees in Lebanon.
Algerian president calls for massive vote amid boycott
Algeria's president is urging voters to participate in the country's forthcoming election, amid opposition calls for a boycott.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika calls voting a duty which engages ones concience regarding the future of the country.
Several opposition groups, secular and islamist, have been urging people not to participate in the election, accusing Bouteflika and his government of resorting to fraud to maintain control of the country for another five years.
Six candidates will be running for president on Thursday.
Beijing issue tobacco control draft to solicit public opinions
Anchor
Municipal authorities here in Beijing are circulating new draft legislation to toughen-up the city's indoor smoking rules.
The details from CRI's Xie Zhao.
Anchor
Under the new rules, indoor smoking will not be permitted in any enclosed public space.
The current rules only cover smoking in, what has been described, as densely populated areas.
The proposed new rules are drawing a lot of attention from both smokers and non-smokers.
"The old regulations should have been better. I cannot control my husband. But I think he will be controlled if the government tightens up the rules."
"I am a heavy smoker, but I think the smoking rules should be changed. If no one else smokes, I will not do it any more."
"The draft is good. But the key point is monitoring and enforcement."
There are 12 cities here in China which have issued tougher tobacco-control regulations.
However, none of the regulations have ever been enforced effectively.
Weak enforcement of the rules is being cited as the main downfall of the laws.
As such, the new rules being proposed here in Beijing clarifies the punishments for violators.
Zeng Fanyu with the Chinese Association for Tobacco Control says Beijing can learn a lesson from Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong's health department lays out the rules and other municipal departments cooperate with it. This means only one department is accountable. In Shanghai, as an example, authorities enforce the law by many departments. Consequently, one department does not control smoking and cannot control it. "
Under the current restrictions for smoking here in Beijing, you can only be fined 10 yuan if caught breaking the rules.
The new anti-smoking draft will increase the fine to 50-yuan.
Repeat offenders can be hit with fines of upto 200-yuan.
Despite the planned changes, Zeng Fanyu says the punishments are still weak.
"In Hong Kong, the smoker will be fined up to 1500 yuan in public areas no matter whether it is the first time or second time. In Shenzhen, the smoker will be find up to 200 yuan. So here in Beijing, he or she doesn't really care if they're going to be fined 50 yuan."
With local governments stepping up their own fight against smoking, national leaders are also taking notice.
Mao Qun'an with the National Health and Family-planning commission says national authorities are also working on new anti-smoking legislation.
"Our commission is working on getting the new proposals out this year. In the meantime, we are also working on tobacco control legislation, which will need to be approved by the National People Congress."
It's estimated there are currently around 300-million smokers in China.
Around a million people die in this country every year from smoking-related illnesses.
For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.
China bear farm to be turned into rescue center
A black bear farm in south China, where the animals are raised for their bile, will be turned into a rescue centre.
The Animals Asia project made the announcement on Tuesday along with the Nanning-based Flower World Bear Farm in Beijing.
Bear farms profit from taking bile from live bears and selling it to drug stores.
The practice, which inflicts pain and damages the health of the animals, has drawn criticism from animal rights groups and the public.
130 bears live at the farm in Nanning. 28 of them are said to be sick, and five million dollars is to be spent to move those animals to a bear rescue centre in Sichuan for treatment.
In traditional Chinese medicine, bear bile is hailed as a cure for ailments such as eye and liver problems.
But doctors believe there are at least 50 herbs that can be used as a substitute in herbal pharmaceutical products.
Biz Reports
Anchor
First off, a check on the closing numbers in North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Tu Yun.
U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday, lifted by gains in such big names as Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson.
Coca-Cola jumped more than three and half percent percent, thanks to its better-than-expected quarterly revenue.
Johnson & Johnson rose 2 percent after it posted earnings that raised its full-year profit view.
Both the Dow and S&P 500 gained more than half a percent. And the Nasdaq inched up nearly a third of a percent.
In Europe, concerns over rising tension between Ukraine and Russia contiues to sag European indices.
Britain's FTSE 100 lost three fifths of a percent.
Germany's DAX lost nearly 2 percent.
And France's CAC 40 was down almost 1 percent.
Land price growth declines for the first time in two years
Land prices in China has grown at a slower pace for the first time in two years.
The Ministry of Land and Resources says the growth rate in the first three months of this year decreased almost one fifth of a percent from the previous quarter.
Among all, gains in residential land prices slowed nearly half a percent.
Price gains of land plots designated for commercial and service purposes also saw a slowdown of half a percent.
As for residential land prices in particular, the ministry says that most second and third-tier cities saw land price gains decline as a result of high inventories of new homes coupled with slow population growth.
EU Parliament greenlights Banking Union reforms
The European Union's Parliament in Brussels has passed laws to enact the biggest banking union reforms in the bloc.
Lawmakers signed off on the creation of a European authority with the power to dissolve or restructure failing banks, as well as a system that will see banks' creditors take losses first when lenders fail.
The approval came after months of tough negotiations between national governments and the parliament.
Lawmakers say the new rules effectively put an end to the era of massive bailouts and ensure taxpayers will no longer foot the bill when banks face difficulties.
Parliament also passed a bill that protects all deposits of up to 100,000 euros in case of bank failures across the 28-nation bloc.
Official figures show European governments have pumped some 600 billion euros into saving ailing banks since the financial crisis first erupted in 2008.
Tianjin bans new steel, cement plants
The government of Tianjin says it will not approve construction on any new steel, cement, or non-ferrous metals plants in the city.
The announcement follows similar statements by the governments in neighbouring Hebei province and Beijing.
Central authorities have identified Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin as key targets to curb smog. Major industries like steel, thermal power and cement are considered major contributors to the problem, along with vehicle emissions.
According to the ministry of environment, the capital and those two provinces account for 55 percent of national steel production, 40 percent of cement output and over 50 percent of gasoline and diesel, despite covering just 8 percent of the country's total area.
Tianjin used nearly 50 million tonnes of coal last year, and aims to cut 10 million tonnes by 2017.
China Film to invest in Hollywood productions
China's state-owned film distributor China Film is now making its first investment in Hollywood movies.
Hollywood production company Legendary Entertainment confirmed that China Film will make an "eight digit investment" in two of its upcoming films, "Seventh Son" and "Warcraft."
The exact amount of the investment has not been specified.
China Film, which is planning to go public, owns stakes in movie theater chains that make up half of the country's box office receipts.
Its parent company, China Film Group, is the gatekeeper for foreign studios because it controls film imports and co-productions.
BTC China launches bitcoin ATM Web app
Anchor
BTC China, one of the world's leading bitcoin trading exchanges, has unveiled Shanghai's first-ever Bitcoin ATM and a corresponding Web app.
The Picasso ATM allows users to exchange the digital currency for cash.
Users can load the currency into a Picasso wallet and then sell it in major currencies through the Web app.
Picasso ATM requires confirmation from both the buyer and seller for a bitcoin ATM transaction to be completed.
The innovation comes as an increasing number of banks have stopped providing services for bitcoin trading in China.
OKCoin.com says a branch of China Merchants Bank has suspended services for the website's top-up business, but services from other banks are normal.
Huobi.com also reports that a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China will suspend its website services on April 18, "following notices from the superior bank."
For more on this, we're joined live now by Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research in Shanghai.
Questions
--With banks suspending Bitcoin services, trading companies seem to have found a new way to reach customers. But how effective do you think Bitcoin ATMs will be in rebuilding trust in the once-hyped virtual currency?
--Steps have been taken to address the ambiguity of Bitcoin regulation, but what still needs to be done in this regard?
--Do you personally favor a more laid-back attitude regarding regulation or you think a more stringent measure should be adopted?
--Can Bitcoin be a complementary currency with wide user appeal or is it just for speculators?
--Central banks in many countries are taking a cautious approach to Bitcoin. Is this just for the sake of consumer protection or does the currency pose a real risk to national economies?
Back Anchor
Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research in Shanghai.
Headline News
Bluefin-21 backs in water for second search
The unmanned submarine being deployed to look for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight is back in the water again after an abbreviated first mission yesterday.
The mission for the US Navy's Bluefin-21 was cut short yesterday after the sub exceeded its programmed depth limit in the Indian Ocean.
But the sub did manage to record a number of images from the ocean floor, covering about 30 percent of its planned search area.
Officials say the sub has then been reprogrammed with better instructions to keep it operating within its limits.
Meanwhile, in terms of the ongoing investigation of the flight's crew members, it is reported that the mobile phone belonging to the co-pilot was switched on and made contact with a network tower in Malaysia 30 minutes after the plane was diverted.
Malaysia has been tight-lipped about its ongoing investigation, saying that revelations could hinder further probes into the vanished flight.
UN chief calls on Russia to work to ease tension in Ukraine
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin and others to work together to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine.
In a phone call with Putin, Ban "expressed his alarm about the highly volatile situation in eastern Ukraine and underlined that any deepening of the crisis would be profoundly detrimental for all concerned.
A new wave of unrest erupted in Ukraine's east over the weekend, as pro-Russia activists seized several government buildings in several cities demanding a referendum on autonomy and closer ties with Russia.
They were reports of heavy casualties on both sides.
Ban also phoned Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, on Monday, expressing the hope that Ukraine can continue exercising restraint in its effort to de-escalate the situation and find a peaceful solution.
President Xi Calls for Enhanced Relations with Russia
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, calling for enhanced mutual political support between the two countries.
The President says bilateral relations are at their best and have not only benefited each country, but also have an irreplaceable role in maintaining world peace and stability.
He welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to pay a state visit to China and attend the Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in May in Shanghai.
During the meeting, Lavrov briefed Xi on Russia's stance regarding Ukraine. The President elaborated on China's position on the issue.
Chinese FM underlines dialogue to solve Ukraine crisis
The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers have held a meeting Beijing.
Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov discussed the forthcoming multilateral talks on Ukraine which begin tomorrow.
Wang says one of the keys to success at the bargaining table will be taking care of the reasonable interests and concerns of all parties at the discussions.
He reiterated that China has taken an impartial and objective stand on the crisis in Ukraine and will continue to play a constructive role in seeking a proper solution.
For his part, Sergey Lavrov says Russia is against the use of force to end the demonstrations in the eastern part of Ukraine.
House party stabbing leave five people dead in Calgary of Canada
Police in a western Canadian city are investigating what they call the worst mass killing the community has ever seen.
Five people at a house party in Calgary, Alberta have been stabbed to death.
The killings happened early on Tuesday. The suspect, a 23-year-old college student, was arrested shortly after the incident.
The five victims were all in their 20s.
The motive for the attack is not known.
Newspaper Picks
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Govt to give public better access to low-price drugs
Summary
A multidepartment effort has been introduced to give the public better access to commonly used medications at a relatively low price.
Officials say the price limit that the government places on commonly used drugs will be eliminated under the new initiative, which comes in response to a series of shortages of commonly used and low-price drugs.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Pollution discharge fees to rise dramatically
Summary
North China's Tianjin city will raise pollution discharge fees drastically starting July 1 to deal with worsening smog. Under a new policy, discharge fees for four major water and air pollutants will be increased on a seven-level sliding scale based on the amount of pollution discharged.
A professor of Nankai University says when fees are too low, they tend to encourage enterprises to pay to pollute rather than to invest in pollution reduction.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Car parking charges in downtown set to rise to help fight congestion
Summary
A senior official in Shanghai says the city government plans to increase parking rates in downtown areas as part of a wider plan to ease traffic congestion.
Currently, the cost of parking downtown is 15 yuan for the first hour and 10 yuan for every additional 30 minutes.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Desalinated seawater from Hebei to supply Beijing
Summary
Residents in Beijing will reportedly get access to desalinated seawater from Hebei province as early as 2019.
The purified seawater will account for 30 percent of the capital's total water consumption.
The price of desalinated seawater will reportedly reach eight yuan per ton, after processing and transport costs are accounted for.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Cancer now most deadly disease in Guangzhou
Summary
Statistics from the Guangzhou Center of Disease Control are suggesting cancer has become the disease with the highest incidence of death in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.
The statistics shows over 300 of every 100,000 residents in urban areas have cancer.
The incidence of cancer in Guangdong province is more than 20 percent higher than the country's average, while the death rate is 7.5 percent higher than the national average.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Thousands revel in the Songkran Festival water spree
Summary
Thousands of visitors and local residents have attended a Songkran Festival in Southwest China's Yunnan province.
Songkran Festival is an annual water-splashing event in celebration of the New Year in the ethnic Dai people's calendar, which fell on Tuesday this year.
Other activities include launching rockets, dragon boat rowing and hunting in the mountains.
Special Reports
Dynamic Diamond Industry in Israel by Zhang Jin
Anchor
This year's US and International Diamond Week has come to an end in Israel, with the show highlighting Israel as one of the world's leading diamond trading hubs.
CRI's He Fei has more.
Reporter
The Israel Diamond Exchange, or IDE, is the world's largest and most secure diamond bourse, which houses 1,400 companies in 2,200 offices.
IDE Managing Director Moti Besser says the event is held to benefit their members.
"We are using our facilities in order to create an added value for our members. The trading in the diamond industry is mostly by participating exhibitions. Here in Israel, we invited hundreds of buyers from all over the world."
The U.S. and International Diamond Week has attracted hundreds of buyers from around 20 countries and regions, with diamonds worth more than 1 billion US dollars being offered for sale by more than 400 diamond suppliers.
Kobi Amir, is the CEO of Andre Messika Diamonds, one of the leading diamond companies in Israel.
"It's a very dynamic market. This is something you cannot see somewhere else. It's a good idea to put all the dealers together at the same room. You can see each other. You can see the goods. You can see all the brokers going around and checking for goods. You can deal with them right away on the table, to be fast. It's very positive for all the industry in Israel."
For foreign diamond buyers, the event shows a very different atmosphere.
"I think it's a very interesting fair, because there are many types of suppliers of different sizes, different shapes, different qualities, all under one roof, so it becomes very transparent. It's my first trip, and I think I will do it again."
In addition to the diamond trade, the spring edition of this year's event highlights the exhibition of the 'Rainbow Collection', a unique collection of some 300 fancy-colored diamonds owned by renowned Belgian diamantaire, Eddy Elzas.
For Elzas, the collection he has spent some 40 years to make is priceless. It is not for sale, but to bring happiness to people through exhibition.
"The most beautiful picture I have from the 'rainbow collection' with visitors is a huge black and white picture where you see children standing in front of the collection, (with) happy faces. They don't know it's money, they just think it's pretty, the colors are pretty. Therefore I have this big black and white picture from the 'rainbow collection' where you don't see the diamonds, but you see them shining in the eyes in color, it's a black and white picture."
The diamond industry in Israel has an annual turnover of approximately 28 billion US dollars, with annual exports of rough and polished diamonds worth about 10 billion US dollars. The United States is Israel's largest export destination for polished diamonds, followed by Hong Kong.
Back Anchor:
CRI's He Fei reporting
Sports
Djokovic, Ferrer, and Tsonga advance at Monte Carlo, Gilles Simon crashes out
In tennis,
Yesterday first and second round action continued on day two at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Second seed and defending champ Novak Djokovic entered the fray with a matchup against Spain's Albert Montanes. The Serb cruised through that match, winning with panache 6-1, 6-0.
David Ferrer also advanced to the third round after beating Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-0.
Ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took on Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round after a first round bye. The 28 year old Frenchman survived an ugly second set to eventually win 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
But no such luck for his compatriot Gilles Simon who crashed out in the first round after losing the three-set battle with Russian qualifier Teymuraz Gabashvili, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Gabashvili is now faced with a second round clash with top seed Rafael Nadal.
12th seed Gregor Dimitov eased through to the second round after beating Spain's Marcel Granollers 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
And Italy's Andreas Seppi upset 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny to advance to the second round.
Guangzhou Evergrande defeated by Melbourne Victory in ACL clash
In football,
Guangzhou Evergrande fell to Melbourne Victory 2-0 in their Asian Champions League matchup yesterday. That victory lets Melbourne live to see another day in Group G. The Australian side is now on seven points from five matches, the same as Marcello Lippi's champion Chinese side.
Japan's Kawasaki Frontale defeated Guizhou Renhe 1-0 to move closer to qualifying for the knock-out stage in Group H.
The Western Sydney Wanderers beat Ulsan Hyundai 2-0, which means Western Sydney depose Ulsan at the top of the group with nine points.
And Yokohama F Marinos beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-1 to continue their campaign toward booking a place in the round of 16.
Coming up today, Beijing Guoan will host J League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their Asian Federation cup matchup. Both teams are on five points, one point behind the leaders the Central Coast Mariners. Sanfrecce will be without their top scorer Hisato Sato tonight.
Also coming up later today is the Copa del Rey final, that pits arch-rivals Real Madrid against Barcelona.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed yesterday that the club's superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing the match due to a leg injury.
In the English Premier League,
Arsenal came from behind to defeat West Ham 3-1, but most importantly, that allows Arsene Wenger's side to reclaim the number four spot from Everton.
Later today, Everton will play Crystal Palace, and Manchester City faces Sunderland.
Liverpool fans remember the Hillsborough stadium tragedy 25 years later
On a more sober note, yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of what's known as the Hillsborough Stadium disaster in which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death during the FA Cup semifinal.
Current Liverpool players and fans gathered at Anfield to form the number 96.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers made a short address to honor the victims and the family members they left behind.
"Friends and fellow supporters...Thank you for the inspiration you give to us all. The courage, the dignity in all the most trying circumstances inmaginable. We will always strive to honour you, the families, and the memory of the 96 people we lost. You'll Never Walk Alone."
Roberto Martinez received a standing ovation for coming to pay his respects at Anfield, which is the heart of enemy territory for the Everton boss.
"I was only 15 in April 1989, football mad kid, football mad family, like many of you today. And we heard the news. We could not believe the pain and horror that the families would get by receiving the news that their loved ones would not be coming home, would not be coming home from a football match. How can anyone die by watching a the game you love? "That is not right, that isn't fair."
That incident is remembered as one of Britain's most horrific sporting tragedies. The 96 victims ranged in age from 67 years old to just 10 years old.
Brooklyn Nets go for fifth spot in Eastern Conference
In today's NBA action, just two games coming up.
At 8, the Brooklyn Nets are trying to clinch the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference when they host inner-state rivals the New York Knicks.
The Nets are 1 and a half games ahead of Washington for the No. 5 spot with two games left, while the Wizards have just a single game to go.
Yesterday the Wizards manhandled the Miami Heat winning 114-93. Miami is in the running for the top seed in the eastern conference and were playing without LeBron James and Chris Bosh, to rest the two stars up before the playoffs.
And later at 10:30 Denver takes on the playoff-bound LA Clippers.
Entertainment
BJIFF kicks off tonight
The fourth Beijing International Film Festival will kick off tonight at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
Instead of giving a live performance, this year's ceremony will only screen an opening film.
But the Red Carpet remains, welcoming international jurors of the Tiantan Awards, movie stars and other guests.
This year, there will be 282 films available for movie lovers to choose from.
And a Restoration Unit is added to the events. Five movies under restoration will screen again, including Underground and Myriads of Lights.
The BJIFF was founded in 2011.
New policy for China's TV drama
China's media watchdog has announced a new policy regarding the broadcasting of TV dramas.
Starting from next year, each new TV series can only be aired by two different television networks, which is down from the current four.
The new policy also sets a cap of two episodes per night.
The administrative bureau released a statement explaining that the new policy is meant to balance the variety of programs and optimize channel resources.
Business insiders have been speculating on the new policy for some time.
What surprises them most is the limit on the number of episodes that can be broadcast.
They're predicting that the new regulations could impact such things as time schedule, the purchase of TV dramas, advertisement slots, and even the actors salaries.
David Fincher release trailer of Gone Girl
David Fincher has released the first poster and trailer of his new movie "Gone Girl".
In the trailer, Nick, who played by Ben Affleck, is wound up in the mysterious murder of his wife.
Soaked in the classic music "She" from Notting Hill, the trailer flashes back and forth between memories and realities, creating an atmosphere of melancholy and weirdness.
David Fincher is also the director of "Social Network" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".
Judging by the trailer, David Fincher has maintained his iconic dark and treacherous style.
The new movie will open on October 3 in America.
Paul Walker's brothers to help finish Fast & Furious 7
Two of the brothers of late actor Paul Walker will step in to help complete the Fast & Furious 7, which has been on hold since their Walker's death last year.
According to the film's official Facebook page, Caleb and Cody Walker will help film the remaining action scenes.
Walker was in the middle of shooting the movie when he was killed in a fiery car crash in Valencia, California over Thanksgiving break last year.
Filming was held up for several months as the director and writers poured over existing footage and tweaked the script.
Production resumed this month and now the film is being slated for release in April next year.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
A meeting has been held between the Chinese and Russian foreign ministers in Beijing, ahead of multilateral talks on the Ukraine crisis...
The five nuclear weapons states recognized under the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have renewed their disarmament vows following a meeting in the Chinese capital...
And a US navy sub is back in the water following yesterday's abbreviated search for that missing Malaysia Airlines jet...
In Business...the growth rate for Chinese land prices has slowed...
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. |