Welcome to the Beijing Hour; we are coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the programme this evening:

China and Ecuador agree to a new partnership ahead of a major meeting among China and Latin American and Caribbean countries this week.

A new round of consultations has begun in Hong Kong connected to plans for universal suffrage.

Indonesian officials say they've discovered the critical tail section of the downed AirAsia flight.

In business.... Chinese steel mills moving to replenish their iron ore stocks amid the depressed price of the commodity.

In sports... Steven Gerrard following in the footsteps of Beckham, with plans to head to sunny California next season.

In entertainment.... a Chinese release date has been announced for the latest in the Hunger Game franchise.

But first, a check on what's happening weather wise...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be cloudy tonight, with a low of minus 6. It will be cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 5 degrees.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 2, tomorrow will be sunny, with a high of 8.

Chongqing will see slight rain tonight, 8 degrees the lowest, tomorrow it will also be rainy with a high of 9.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 18.

Kabul, sunny, 9.

Over in Australia

Sydney, sunny, high of 30.

Canberra, mostly sunny, 32.

Brisbane will see showers, the high of 28.

Finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 32.

 

 

Top News

 

 

China and Ecuador set up strategic partnership

 

Anchor:

China and Ecuador have agreed to broaden their ties through a new strategic partnership.

The agreement has been made following a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa here in Beijing.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

Reporter:

Chinese President Xi Jinping says the partnership has been formed as the two countries move to create new developments across a range of different sectors.

In drawing up the partnership agreement, Xi Jinping says the two sides need to create more exchanges on a government and legislative level, while at the same time, expand cooperation in areas including energy, mining, agricultural technology and infrastructure.

The collaborative document also includes proposals to increase cultural exchanges and cooperation in international organizations.

For his part, Rafael Correa says the new partnership contains opportunities for both countries.

"China has the capital that Ecuador desperately needs for its development. Meanwhile, Ecuador can provide resources and energy for China's development. President Xi Jinping once said that he hopes to turn "Made in China" into "Created in China". Innovation is our future. Personnel, technology and the spirit of innovation are the keys to such change. We agree with President Xi Jinping on this front, and hope we can have further cooperation in this regard."

This year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Ecuador.

Rafael Correa is the first Ecuadorian leader to visit China.

The two leaders have also overseen the signing of cooperation deals in areas including education, technology and finance.

This follows on the heels of China and Costa Rica agreed to set up a strategic partnership on Tuesday.

Xi Jinping and Costa Rican president Luis Solis have also agreed to begin work on a 5-year collaboration plan running from 2016 to 2020.

"This should be based upon seven pillars: infrastructure, investments, agriculture, security, services, finances, and economic zones and energy. I see then lots of space for growth in the future."

Solis has also promised easier access for Chinese tourists.

He says Costa Rica also wants to work more closely with China on issues such as climate change and reforming the United Nations.

Both Rafael Correa and Luis Soils are in Beijing to attend the first-ever China-CELAC forum later this week.

CELAC is the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which represents 33 different states in South America and the Caribbean.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

 

 

China willing to duly handle arrest of Chinese loggers in Myanmar: Chinese FM

 

The Chinese government has found itself involved in a cross-border logging case.

Chinese authorities are looking into reports that over 100 people, said to be mostly Chinese nationals, have been arrested as part of an illegal logging operation in Myanmar, in an area close to the border with Yunnan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.

"The Chinese embassy in Myanmar is now verifying the details. We are willing to duly settle the issue with Myanmar and safeguard order along the Chinese-Myanmar border. But at the same time, we want to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of any Chinese nationals being held are protected."

The government of Myanmar banned the export of logs from its country last year amid concerns about deforestation.

Northern Myanmar is home to large swaths of tropical forests with many rare varieties of trees.

 

 

Zhou Yongkang Case Handed over to Judicial Organ

 

China's top ant graft body says the case of Zhou Yongkang has been officially handed over to Chinese judicial authorities for potential criminal prosecution.

To this point, the former member of politburo's case was being handled by the CPC's discipline department.

At the same time, the Communist Party's anti-corruption watchdog has also confirmed it's now looking into the graft allegations against former senior political advisor Ling Jihua.

The announcements have been made as part of a news conference this Wednesday, where anti-graft officials have outlined the work they've been doing as part of their year-long anti-corruption campaign.

The Party's Discipline Inspection Commission is reporting over 20-thousand officials involved in over 50-thousand different violations have received serious sanctions.

Huang Shuxian is the deputy head of the Commission.

"In 2014, as part of our work, we investigated and prosecuted a wide-ranging corruption case in the coal-rich province of Shanxi. We have also pursued accountability in a sweeping election fraud case in Hunan. This investigation included punishing 467 local officials and handing over 69 of them to judicial officials for potential prosecution."

Authorities also say they've managed to repatriate over 500 corrupt officials from overseas, collecting close to 450-million dollars in ill-gotten gains from them.

 

 

Hong Kong launches 2nd round of consultation on political reform

 

Anchor:

The Hong Kong government has launched its second round of consultations for the election methods to be used to choose the city's new Chief Executive in 2017.

At the same time, the current Chief is pleading with Hong Kong lawmakers not to boycott the discussions.

CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has more.

Report:

Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam has kicked off the two-month consultation exercise in a Legislative Council speech.

She says the consultations are going to be based on the legal framework outlined in Hong Kong's Basic Law and how the National People's Congress interprets it.

"Following the discussions of the disputes over the constitutional developments this past year or so, as well as the unlawful 'Occupy Movement' which lasted for more than two months, we firmly believe that when we formulate the methods for selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage, we must uphold the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' and act in strict accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law and the relevant Interpretation and Decisions of the NPC Standing Committee. These are solid constitutional principles."

Carrie Lam also says this new round of discussions is an opportunity for all lawmakers in Hong Kong to express their views.

"The Legislative Council has a vital constitutional role and responsibility in the constitutional development of Hong Kong. Regardless of their position on constitutional development, people of different political parties and camps should look forward to establishing a suitable system of universal suffrage in Hong Kong so that Hong Kong people can, through "one person, one vote", elect a Chief Executive to lead Hong Kong's future development."

A number of lawmakers walked out during Lam's speech in a symbolic protest.

But many others stayed to voice their support for the process, which involves the Hong Kong government inviting public input on four key areas.

They include how the nominating committee will be formed, the details of the nominating process itself, the voting process, as well as debate on smaller issues, such as the length of the nominating committee's term of office.

Under the current plans, two or three chief executive hopefuls will have to obtain the support of more than half of the 12-hundred member-strong nominating committee before being eligible to stand for election as Chief Executive.

That committee is made up of members of Hong Kong's business, professional, social and political circles.

Meanwhile, current Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung has delivered a statement.

In it, he says all views must be expressed in a lawful manner, and is urging all sectors of the community, including the entire Legislative Council, to take part in the process, despite their political differences.

A vote on the plan is expected sometime between April and June.

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

 

 

Tail of crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501 found

 

Searchers have located the tail section of the AirAsia jet which was lost in the Java Sea.

The discovery is seen as a major breakthrough, as the tail section of the plane is where the so-called black boxes are located.

Indonesia's search and rescue chief, Bambang Soelistyo has confirmed the find.

"I confirmed that this is part of the tail (QZ8501) with evidence of the images we see on the screen. There is clearly visible a tail section with the words of Papa Kilo Alpha X-ray (PKAX) written on it."

The black boxes of an airplane are the flight data and voice recorders.

Information contained on those devices will be crucial in helping identify what caused the jetliner to go down two-Sundays ago.

The AirAsia Airbus A320 went down on December 28th while enroute from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore with 162 people on board.

So far, 40 bodies have been recovered.

Five large sections of the plane have been detected on the sea floor.

Initial indications are the plane came down in bad weather, as the pilot had requested a change in altitude to avoid a weather system shortly before the flight disappeared from radar screens.

 

 

Separate attacks target police academies in Yemen & Afghanistan

 

At least 50 people are dead following a suicide bombing in Yemen's capital, Sana'a.

Witnesses say a van full of explosives went off outside the front gate of a police academy, where hundreds of would-be police officers had gathered to register to be a student at the school.

"We heard a violent explosion. When we came to the scene of the explosion, the explosion was a car bomb which targeted the police college. At the time of the explosion, there were students coming out of the college. Most of the victims are students."

Dozens of others have been wounded in the attack.

Local reports say at least 100 people have been sent to hospitals in the area.

So far there's been no claim of responsibility.

This is the same police academy which was hit by a bombing in the summer of 2012 which left over 20 people dead.

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for that attack.

Meanwhile, a group of attackers have stormed a police academy in the Afghan city of Khost.

Local officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up at the front gate, allowing two others to launch an attack inside the facility with hand grenades.

However, Afghan authorities say the two attackers were eventually killed by police after an hour-long standoff.

No one else was hurt.

 

 

Former Thai PM may face long-term ban from politics

 

Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is preparing for an impeachment hearing this coming Friday which could see her face a long-term ban from politics.

The impeachment hearings by Thailand's National Assembly are expected to be concluded before the end of this month.

Yingluck was removed from office in May after being found guilty of mishandling a rice subsidy scheme that lost the government over 15-billion US dollars.

Thailand's military administration is warning the army will crackdown on any street protests during the impeachment hearings.

The military-backed National Legislative Assembly has opened impeachment hearings on 38 former senators.

 

 

Korean Air heiress charged over 'nut rage' case

 

South Korean prosecutors have laid formal charges against the former Korean Airlines executive at the center of the so-called "nut rage" scandal.

Cho Hyun-ah is accused of creating a safety hazard on flight after forcing her flight to return to the gate at an airport in New York after she was served nuts in a bag, rather than on a plate.

Cho, the daughter of the airline's chair, has been formally charged with violating aviation security laws and hindering a government investigation.

The case has sparked a national uproar in South Korea.

 

 

Bushfires continue to burn across Australia as temperatures soar

 

Firefighters in southern Australia say they expect to start getting the upper-hand on Thursday on a series of wildfires.

Temperatures above 40-degrees Celsius in parts of the states of South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia have led to massive brush fires breaking out over the past week.

Officials say they expect to gain control of the worst areas in the southwest part of the fire zone tomorrow, as temperatures and wind conditions are expected to become more favorable.

The overall fire area is said to be around 85-percent contained.

One of the fires in South Australia has already torched close to 13-thousand hectares of brush, leaving 140-people injured.

Around 40 homes and more than 160 buildings have been torched in the fires.

 

 

China to encourage NGOs in civil litigation against environmental offenders

 

China's Supreme Court has officially codified a new initiative which allows non-governmental organizations to file suit against those who violate environmental protection laws.

The new rules, which take effect immediately, allow environmentally-based NGOs to file suits across China, regardless of where the NGO itself is located.

Zheng Xuelin heads the environmental tribunal at the Supreme People's Court which has approved the new legal rules.

"New types of social organizations are emerging as part of China's broader social, economic and cultural development. As such, we've determined these new social organizations, such as NGOs, should have the right to initiate environmental lawsuits."

The legal interpretation issued by China's top court also suggests the legal fees for NGOs should be lowered if they're fighting for environmental protection.

The Supreme People's Court has also determined the defendants will be forced to pay all the legal bills if they're found guilty of polluting.

There are over 700 environmental-based NGOs based in China.

 

 

Norovirus sickens 140 pupils in China school

 

There's been another Norovirus outbreak in Guangdong.

This time, over 140 Grade 1 and 2 students have come down with the virus at a school in Shenzhen.

Classes at the foreign language school have been suspended as a result.

None of the sickened students are said to be in serious danger.

Local health authorities have begun disinfecting the school, and are asking parents and staff to wash their hands properly and more frequently.

A similar outbreak of the Norovirus hit a school in Guangzhou just before Christmas, sickening over a hundred young students.

Noroviruses cause flu-like symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea.

The virus is normally passed on through unsanitary conditions, but is normally not fatal.

 

 

Virus-infected panda might have died due to inadequate treatment measures

 

Authorities dealing with a group of sick pandas at a research facility in the city of Xi'an admit they're almost helpless when it comes to trying to save the animals.

So far two pandas have died from distemper.

Researchers say one of them may have died due to a lack of effective treatment measures.

Xia Xianzhu with the Chinese Academy of Engineering is one of the researchers who has been brought in to try to save two other pandas who have distemper.

"At this point, we don't have many tools to deal with the panda's disease. We're asking ourselves questions, such as, where do we get the serums, the substances needed for pandas' immune systems, for viruses that attack pandas? We really only have access to those used for other animals. Serums for pandas are very rare."

A group of pandas came down with distemper in early December at the research facility.

Distemper is an infection which normally affects dogs and cats.

The virus normally attacks an animal's respiratory and circulatory systems.

While it sometimes only creates cold-like symptoms, in certian cases distemper can attack an animal’s nervous system, which is almost always fatal.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets this Wednesday.

Joining me on the desk is Min Rui.

Reporter:

Chinese markets closed mixed today, ending a two-day rally which launched the trading year.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose nearly three quarters of a percent, with the energy sector leading the gains.

But the Shenzhen Component Index trimmed half a percent, with investors turning to profit-taking.

The gold sector rose across the board with Shandong Gold expanding to daily limit of 10 percent, as global gold prices continued to rise.

The continued decline in oil prices and growing concerns over the euro zone's economy have triggered a move to gold as a safe haven.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng gained four fifhts of a percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,

The Japanese Nikkei ended flat after its biggest plunge in nearly 10 months yesterday.

South Korea's KOSPI added slightly a tenth of a percent.

In Australia, the ASX 200 slid a fraction of a percent.

And in Singapore, the Straits Times Index gained more than half a percent.

 

 

Iron Ore Price Rebounds as China Steel Mills Replenish Stock

 

Global iron ore prices have rebounded so far this week, with Chinese steel mills leading the charge to replenish their stocks.

Iron ore prices have rallied around 6 percent this week, after finishing the calendar-year down 47-percent to under 67 U.S. dollars a ton.

Inventories at Chinese ports have fallen to their lowest levels in 11 months.

This has reportedly begun prompting Chinese steel mills to buy.

Aside from taking advantage of the ultra-low price, Chinese steel makers are also betting on more robust demand for their products this year.

The enthusiasm is being buoyed by a Chinese government announcement this week that investment into infrastructure projects could total over a trillion dollars this year.

The infrastructure projects, mostly aimed toward transportation, are expected to help absorb some of the overcapacity of steel in China, which has been left over in the sluggish housing market.

 

 

China's Express Delivery Sees 42 Percent Growth

 

New stats are suggesting China's express delivery sector has seen a revenue growth of over 40 percent this past year.

The delivery sector in China is now an over 30-billion US dollar business.

China's postal regulator says Chinese couriers delivered around 14-billion parcels last year, the most in the world.

At the same time, the State Post Bureau says it is opening up the market to more foreign players, while at the same time, helping the domestic industry expand overseas.

Three new foreign courier firms received licenses to operate in China last week.

 

 

Raw Milk Price Declines for 10 Consecutive Months

 

Anchor:

Reports are surfacing that dairy farmers across different parts of China are being forced to throw out their milk or use it to feed other livestock amid a major downturn in dairy prices.

Wide-ranging reports are suggesting many of China's major dairy producers are refusing to accept new milk products from farmers.

Dairy farmers in Hebei, Qinghai, Shandong and Guangdong are reporting their raw milk is selling at below 3-yuan a kilogram, which is considered unsustainable.

Milk prices in China have been on a steady decline for the last 10-months, forcing a number of small-scale dairy farmers to abandon their businesses all-together.

For more on what's been happening in the Chinese dairy sector, the Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Ben Cavender, Principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.

 

 

Potato to be the fourth staple food in China

 

China's Ministry of Agriculture has announced its intention to make the potato this country's fourth staple food, after rice, wheat and corn.

The Ministry has unveiled plans to double the acreage potatoes are cultivated in over the next 5-years.

Around 5-million hectares of land across China is currently used to grow potatoes.

Li Guoxiang is an agriculture researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Potatoes in our country have a relatively high yield, and have long-been a regular dish on Chinese dinner tables. An increase in the cultivating of potatoes will help safeguard food supplies in western China, particularly in impoverished regions."

In making the pronouncement on potatoes, the Agriculture Ministry is warning food demand in China is expected to increase by 50 billion kilograms over the next 5-years.

It notes that while it’s difficult to improve the yields of wheat and rice, it should be much easier to improve potato yields.

 

 

Oil Price Dips to 48 USD, Retail Price Cut Expected in China

 

Global oil prices have plunged nearly 10-percent so far this week, falling to 48 dollars a barrel today.

Crude oil has lost 55-percent of its value since June, when it was trading at 107 dollars a barrel.

The drop below the 50-dollar a barrel mark is bringing with it another retail price cut here in China.

The first 11 rounds of price cuts since oil began its downward spiral in June have knocked down the price of gasoline in China to below 7-yuan a liter.

 

 

Motorola to Come Back with 3 Motos on Jan. 26

 

Motorola has set January 26th for the launch of three new smartphones designs in China, which the company hopes will mark a comeback for the company in China's handset market.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

China and Ecuador reach new partnership agreement

 

China and Ecuador have agreed to broaden their ties through a new strategic partnership.

The agreement has been made following a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa here in Beijing.

In drawing up the partnership agreement, Xi Jinping says the two sides need to create more exchanges on a government and legislative level, while at the same time, expand cooperation in areas including energy, mining, agricultural technology and infrastructure.

For his part, Rafael Correa says the new partnership contains opportunities for both countries.

Corea is in Beijing to attend the first-ever China-CELAC forum, which begins tomorrow.

CELAC is the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which represents 33 different states in South America and the Caribbean.

 

 

Indonesia: Tail for AirAsia Jet Has Been Found

 

Searchers have located the tail section of the AirAsia jet which was lost in the Java Sea.

Indonesia's search and rescue agency has confirmed the find this afternoon.

The discovery is seen as a major breakthrough, as the tail section of the plane is where the black boxes are located.

Information contained on those devices will be crucial in helping identify what caused the jetliner to go down two-Sundays ago.

The AirAsia Airbus A320 went down on December 28th while enroute from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore with 162 people on board.

So far, 39 bodies have been recovered.

 

 

U.S. Urges Japan to Resolve Historical Issues via Dialogue

 

The United States is calling on Japan to continue working with its neighbors to resolve its historical issues.

The US State Department's call is in response to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's latest remarks on Japan's wartime history.

Shinzo Abe has suggested his administration is going to inherit past administration's historical recognition of Japan's wartime past.

He says this will include acceptance of previous statements of regret and apology made by previous Japanese governments.

 

 

Polar freeze grips North America

 

A blast of arctic air has sent temperatures plummeting across large parts of the US and Canada, causing at least four deaths and disrupting air travel.

Over a thousand flights in the US have been cancelled, leaving scores of passengers stranded.

The worst affected airports are Chicago's O'Hare and Newark's Liberty International.

In New York City, Central Park has seen its coldest day since 1896, with temperatures in the Park hitting minus-15.5 degrees Celsius.

Heavy snowfall has also delayed the start of schools in western Pennsylvania and slowed commuter rail and air travel in Philadelphia.

Temperatures are expected to edge up starting Thursday.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHINA NEWS SERVICE

Beijing cautious of sales promotions after Shanghai stampede

Beijing authorities have tightened supervision on sales promotions in shops and supermarkets out of fear of tragedies like Shanghai's deadly New Year's stampede.

Public security and commerce authorities in Beijing's Chaoyang District, a busy commercial area, have ordered some large shopping malls and supermarkets to strictly follow a reporting system for sales promotions.

Retailers are required to apply for a permit for promotions from the local public security bureau 20 days in advance, but the rule has not been taken seriously by some retailers.

They are also required to carefully carry out safety checks and risk assessments, as well as deploy security measures beforehand, such as arranging for security guards at store entrances.

Many supermarkets and shops have planned generous discounts for the Chinese Lunar New Year which falls in mid-February.

--

NBC NEWS (U.S.)

Alcohol Kills Six Americans a Day

An American CDC report finds that on average, six Americans die each day from drinking too much alcohol.

Binge drinking accounts for most of those lethal benders. But what's most surprising about the death rate is the vast majority of cases don't involve college-aged young adults but middle-aged white males.

The CDC found that more than 75 percent of alcohol poisoning deaths occur among adults between the ages of 35 and 64. More than 75 percent of people who die from alcohol poisoning deaths are men, and nearly 70 percent are white people.

According to the CDC, more than 38 million American adults report they engage in binge drinking, on average, four times per month - and guzzle an average of eight drinks per spree.

====

CNN

This year, we will all get an extra second on June 30

We're all going to get an extra tick of the clock, known as a "leap second," on June 30 of this year.

The real simple explanation is the Earth is slowing down a little bit, says a scientist.

The previous one was in 2012, but that didn't go entirely smoothly. Some of the software platforms that underpin a lot of websites didn't know how to cope with the extra second.

To get things back in sync, an extra second is periodically added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the world's benchmark time standard.

The issue has become an international sticking point.

Some countries, including the United States, want to get rid of leap seconds altogether, saying they're too disruptive to precision systems used for navigation, communication and other services.

But others, like Britain, have argued that it's risky to allow a divergence between the time kept by atomic clocks and that of the Earth's rotation.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

2015 Goat Year Zodiac Design Competition Kicks off

 

Anchor:

A design competition has been opened by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and the Today Art Museum to create a zodiac design to mark the Year of the Goat, which starts on February 19th.

CRI's Xu Fei has more.

Reporter:

The Chinese Zodiac, or Sheng Xiao, is based on a twelve-year cycle, with each year in that cycle related to an animal sign. It is calculated according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

The year in which a person is born is represented by one of 12 animals in the zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

With the next year being the Year of the Goat, this design competition invites global artists and designers to bring their unique aesthetic to this old Chinese cultural entity.

Sun Bo, from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, says they hope to gain zodiac designs particularly from international artists.

"The involvement of international designers and zodiac-animal design lovers is important in promoting China's zodiac cultural tradition. International designers may interpret how a zodiac design should be made through their unique form of art. So, we sincerely hope more and more international designers and enthusiasts will join this design competition."

Emphasizing the jubilant nature of the coming Chinese New Year, the designs are expected to represent the contest's theme: "Happy Chinese New Year, Three Goats Bringing Bliss," while also integrating their own respective cultural backgrounds.

Sun Bo plans to extent the contest into an annual competition.

"We hope that zodiac designs are not only a concept from China's traditional culture, but represent what's fashionable and what's popular. Once it becomes popular, it will have considerable influence."

Once a zodiac design is officially announced, commodities like T-Shirts, posters and other artwork gift ideas, which are developed on the basis of this design, would soon become available on the market.

The zodiac competition's bigger goal is to sell merchandise using the winning design—something that Sun Bo acknowledges.

"The government is duty-bound in organizing cultural exchanges to spread its culture further. But a better approach for spreading culture is exerting the role of the market where commodities in cultural perspective could be traded. Hence, we are also considering making various types of cultural commodities on the basis of that design."

The winners will be announced on February 1st.

Back anchor:

CRI's Xu Fei reporting.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Tennis: Serena Williams falls to Bouchard in final of Australia's Hopman Cup

 

In Tennis action, from the Hopman cup:

World women's No.1 tennis player Serena Williams was trying to solve a medical riddle on Wednesday after being soundly beaten by Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the final of Australia's Hopman Cup tournament.

The group A section of the indoor tournament was won by Canada 2-1 after Bouchard disposed of Williams 6-2 6-1 in just 50 minutes in the Western Australian capital of Perth.

Agnieszka Radwanska beat Heather Watson in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, to give Poland a 1-0 lead in their Group B tie with Great Britain.

And Andy Murray beat Jerzy Janowicz in straight sets 6-2, 6-4, to level Great Britain's Group B tie with Poland at 1-1.

 

 

Tennis: 8th Seeded Bacsinszky defeats Knapp in Shenzhen, 7-5, 6-2.

 

And in other Tennis action, from the Shenzhen Open:

In women's singles:

8th-seeded Timea Bacsinszky, of Switzerland, defeated Italian Karin Knapp, 7-5, 6-2.

Vera Zvonareva of Russia has defeated Cagla Buyukakcay, of Turkey, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).

 

 

Table Tennis: Jike, others on hand to meet fans at Dubai Ping Pong Festival

 

China's top table tennis stars were on hand to host master classes and meet fans earlier today at the one-day Ping Pong Dubai Festival.

The world's number one and two table tennis men's single players Xu Xin and Ma Long, Olympic gold medalist Zhang Jike and the three highest ranked female players, Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen and Li Xiaoxia participated in the event which was staged two days before the start of the International Table Tennis Federation World Team Cup.

At the ice rink arena in the Dubai Mall, the six top players from the Chinese national table tennis team, interacted and played with table tennis fans.

The interaction between the Chinese players and table tennis fans was also part of this year's ping pong festival, which aims to stimulate the game's growth through accessible community events and activities.

Dubai has been the official sponsor of the Chinese table tennis team since 2013 in a deal intended to support and strengthen existing bilateral ties.

Table tennis is an immensely popular sport in China, with Chinese players dominating global rankings, and over 100 million viewers tuning into the world championship finals every year.

 

 

CBA: Guangdong Foshan taking on Chongqing.

 

In CBA action:

Zhejiang Chouzhou avenged their November loss to Chongqing last night, with a 142-119 victory on the road.

And a full slate of games are now underway:

Guangdong Foshan are visiting Beijing.

The Sichuan blue Whales are taking on Zhejiang Guangsha.

Shandong are playing away to Qingdao.

Shanxi and the bottom-dwelling Bayi Rockets are duking it out.

Tianjin are in Jiangsu taking on the Dragons.

Jiangsu TonXi are up against the Shanghai Sharks.

Fujian are facing Jilin Northeast.

Xinjiang are away to Guangdong Southern.

And Liaoning are playing host to Dongguan.

 

 

NBA: Phoenix gets 102-96 victory over Milwaukee

 

It was a light schedule today in the NBA:

Markieff Morris scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Suns to a 102-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks earlier today.

And down in Texas:

The Pistons guard took a bad inbounds pass by Tim Duncan and drove the length of the court in the final seven seconds, weaving through San Antonio's backpedaling defenders, to bank in an 11-foot jumper. The shot lifted Detroit to its sixth straight victory, 105-104

A full slate of games on tap for tomorrow:

The Charlotte Hornets are playing host to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Cleveland are hosting the Houston Rockets.

The Milwaukee Bucks are hosting the Philadelphia 76ers.

Atlanta are playing host to the Memphis Grizzlies.

It is Boston at Brooklyn.

The Chicago Bulls are hosting the Utah Jazz.

Detroit is away to Dallas.

Denver is hosting Orlando.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing host to the Phoenix Suns.

Sacramento are hosting Oklahoma City.

Indiana is away to the Golden State Warriors.

And it is a battle of the Los Angeles teams, with the Clippers hosting the Lakers.

 

 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to finalize deal with LA Galaxy

 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is on the brink of finalizing an 18-month deal to join Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 34-year-old will sign a contract worth about 6 million dollars across the full term of the deal, making him one of the highest earners in Major League Soccer.

An announcement is expected this week following Friday's shock news that Gerrard will quit Liverpool at the end of the season.

He will be available to join the Galaxy once his Reds contract expires in June.

 

 

Dalian Aerbin bid to sign Argentine Midfielder Dario Conca.

 

In other off-pitch football news, from the Chinese super league:

Chinese club Dalian Aerbin have made an eight million-US-dollar bid to sign Argentine midfielder Dario Conca from Brazil's Fluminense.

The 31-year-old has been offered a monthly salary of 450,000 dollars a month, according to the Uol news portal.

Dalian Aerbin will play in China's second division this year after being relegated from the country's top flight in 2014.

Conca is well known in China after a successful two-and-a-half years spell with Guangzhou Evergrande that ended in December 2013.

He returned to his former club Fluminense in January and scored 16 goals from 59 matches across all competitions in 2014.

 

 

Johnson, Martinez, and Smoltz voted into MLB Hall of Fame.

 

In Major League Baseball News:

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, a trio of star pitchers who dominated in an era of offense, were elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday along with Craig Biggio, the first time since 1955 that sports writers selected four players in one year.

Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz easily earned induction on their first tries, and Biggio made it on his third attempt after falling two votes shy last year.

Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa remained far from election.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Release date for Hunger Games film in China announced

 

A release date has been set for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 in China.

The movie will be released on February 8 in over 4,000 theaters across the country.

As part of the marketing campaign, Jennifer Lawrence has recorded a special greeting for fans and a Chinese trailer has already been released.

The debut will mark first of the three Hunger Games to be released in 3D in China.

Mockingjay has already grossed approximately 375 million dollars internationally.

The franchise is based on the Suzanne Collins' trilogy which has sold more than 80 million copies.

The final film Mockingjay part 2 is set for worldwide release in November.

 

 

Singer Yin Xiangjie Formally Arrested for Drug Offense

 

Public prosecutors have approved the arrest of Chinese singer Yin Xiangjie over drug-related offenses.

Beijing Police detained the 45-year-old singer in Chaoyang district last December, with the seizure of more than ten grams of drugs, including crystal methamphetamine, or "ice", on the scene.

Yin confessed to illegally possessing and taking drugs.

The singer could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

A Beijing native, Yin became a household name after singing "Boat Tracker's Love", with Yu Wenhua, a songstress, in 1993.

 

 

Beyoncé and Jay Z criticized after photo with tiger

 

Beyoncé and Jay Z have been criticized by animal rights groups for their photo with a tiger cub.

The image which recently appeared on photo sharing site Instagram has already stirred controversy.

Animal rights groups have criticized the pair for promoting companies that use tigers as tourist attractions in Thailand.

Dr. Jan Schmidt Burbach from World Animal Protection says that many tourists unwittingly contribute to the suffering of wild animals like tigers. She says that people are not aware that their once in a lifetime photo means a lifetime of misery for that animal.

Beyoncé and Jay Z are currently on holiday in South East Asia and are now reportedly in Cambodia.

 

 

Justin Bieber unveiled as new face of Calvin Klein

 

Justin Bieber has been unveiled as the new face of Calvin Klein.

The star has shown a load of photos from the shoot on his instagram page sending his fan base into a frenzy.

He features in the traditional black and white photos with model Lara Stone.

The 20 year old has been hinting at a collaboration with the famous underwear brand for months.

Along with the photos, the singer also features in a video advert for the brand where he shows off his drumming skills.

 

 

Sting's Broadway musical to close

 

Sting's Broadway musical is to close at the end of the month after poor ticket sales.

The star's Broadway show The Last Ship will close on January 24.

The news of the closure comes despite Sting joining the cast last month in an effort to boost flagging ticket sales and drum up much needed publicity.

The show cost 15 million dollars to produce with 625,000 dollars a week running costs. In the end the producers couldn't make the numbers work.

Sting's decision to join the cast in December led to a doubling of box office figures but the numbers still fell short.

Only some 80 percent of seats were full last week, one of the busiest weeks on Broadway.

The Last Ship was Sting's first musical to hit Broadway and early reviews were mixed at best.

 

 

Saved by the Bell Actor to Stand Trial for Stabbing

 

An actor is to stand trial for stabbing.

The actor who portrayed Screech on the popular 1990s TV series Saved By the Bell has been ordered to stand trial for a Christmas Day stabbing.

Dustin Diamond faces a charge of reckless endangerment and two other counts in connection with the fight at a bar near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The 37 year old actor told police he accidentally stabbed a man while trying to defend his fiancé. The man was not left seriously injured.

The star is currently on a 10,000 dollar bail and could be set to spend up to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision.