Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on our program this morning...

The woman wanted by French police in connection to the Paris terror attacks is now believed to be in Syria...

the Chinese Foreign Minister has outlined a four-point plan to promote peace in South Sudan...

And Haiti marks the 5th anniversary of a devastating earthquake, as the government battles the perception of eroding credibility...

In business...China's biggest movie theatre operator scales back the price of its IPO...

In Sports...Ronaldo is named the world's best footballer for the second straight year...

In entertainment...a recap of the 72nd Golden Globe Awards...

First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be hazy today with a high of 4, still hazy tonight with a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Shanghai will be rainy with a high of 10, also rainy tonight with a low of 7.

Chongqing will be sunny with a high of 3 and a low of minus 8.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.

Islamabad, slight rain with a high of 15.

Kabul, also rainy with a high of 7.

Over to North America.

New York will be cloudy with a high of minus 1 degree.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 3 degrees.

Honolulu, overcast, 26.

Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of minus 12 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be rainy with a high of 25.

And Rio de Janeiro will be rainy with a high of 33 degrees Celsius.

 

 

Top News

 

 

Paris Attack Suspect Crosses into Syria from Turkey

 

Surveillance video appears to show the female accomplice of one of the Islamist militants behind the recent attacks in Paris crossing into Turkey five days before the killings.

Turkish authorities say 26-year-old Hayat Boumeddiene arrived in Istanbul from Madrid on January 2 and crossed into Syria six days later.

Interior Minister Efkan Ala says Turkey had received no request from Paris to deny her access.

"There was no notice from France on this person stating that she is dangerous and she should be banned from entering the country. Therefore, there isn't a specific entry ban on this person."

French police are seeking Boumeddiene after her partner Amedy Coulibaly was killed in a raid on a Jewish supermarket where he had taken hostages.

There was some confusion at first about whether she had been present in the supermarket when police stormed it, and had escaped.

Back in France, about 10,000 troops have been deployed in the country to protect sensitive sites following last week's terror attacks that left 17 people dead.

It is the first time troops have been deployed within France on such a scale.

Nearly half of them will be assigned to protect over 700 Jewish schools across the country.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve visited several Jewish schools in Paris, describing the security measures as "exceptional."

"As interior minister, I cannot accept that some parents are scared to send their children to schools because they could be threatened."

Security has also been stepped up around synagogues and mosques, following some retaliatory attacks over the Charlie Hebdo killings.

According to the Central Council of Muslims in France, there had been more than 20 attacks on Islamic buildings and 30 threats against Muslims since Wednesday when the violence started.

 

 

US Centcom Twitter account hacked by pro-IS group

 

The Twitter and YouTube accounts of the US military command have been hacked by a group claiming to back the Islamic State.

Some internal military documents appeared on the Centcom Twitter feed.

The Twitter account, which usually provides updates on strikes against IS, was later taken down.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest says they are investigating the extent of the incident.

"I can tell you that this is something that we're obviously looking into and something that we take seriously. However a note of caution to folks who are covering this story, there's a pretty significant difference between what is a large date breach and the hacking of a twitter account."

The hack happened as President Barack Obama was giving a speech on cyber security in which he said the internet creates "enormous vulnerabilities".

 

 

Six attackers killed by police in Xinjiang

 

Police in Xinjiang shot and killed 6 people on Monday as the group attempted to set off a bomb in the Kashgar region.

Local police were tipped off about a man seen carrying an explosive device.

Police say the suspect tried to attack the officers with an axe when confronted.

Five others then attempted to set off the bomb.

All were killed.

A minibus with explosive devices was also spotted at the site.

The motivation behind the attack remains unclear at this point.

 

 

China urges conflicting parties of South Sudan to speed up peace process

 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has proposed a four-point initiative to promote South Sudan's peace process.

He raised the initiative while attending a consultation with rival partities in the country, as well as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, IGAD.

Wang is urging a ceasefire among the conflicting parties and the early establishment of a transitional government.

The top Chinese diplomat also calls for greater international efforts to support the peace process in South Sudan.

Wang Yi also stresses that China will continue to support IGAD's role in mediating the conflict in South Sudan.

South Sudan plunged into violence in 2013, when fighting erupted between troops loyal to the President and his political rival.

The clashes have left thousands of South Sudanese dead and forced nearly 2 million people to flee homes in the world's youngest nation.

Wang Yi is now on a 5-nation African tour that started in Kenya over the weekend.

He will next travel to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and DR Congo.

 

 

Indonesia to fetch AirAsia cockpit voice recorder early Tuesday

 

An operation to lift up the Second black-box of the crashed Airasia plane will be conducted today.

The cockpit voice recorder remains on the floor of the Java Sea.

The flight data recorder was recovered yesterday.

These two black boxes should provide essential information about the plane and all of the conversations between the captain and co-pilot for the duration of the flight.

Meanwhile the identification of the victims is still underway.

Budi Yono, Head of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI)team:

(Soundbites/ 0113 Budi Yono/Indonesian)

"As of this afternoon we have identified two more bodies. From the total of 48 that we have received, 34 have been identified while 14 bodies are still being examined. Hopefully all can be identified soon."

More bodies are belived to be trapped in the plane's fuselage.

Searchers have located the fuselage of the ill-fated plane, but high waves have made it difficult for divers to confirm the location of more bodies or to retrieve them.

 

 

Haiti Marks Quake Anniversary amid Political Standoff

 

Haiti is marking the fifth anniversary of the massive earthquake that ravaged an already desperately poor nation, in one of the worst natural disasters of modern times.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake collapsed concrete buildings by the tens of thousands in the densely populated capital Port-Au-Prince.

More than 300,000 people were killed and over a million others left homeless.

Haitian President Michel Martelly and First Lady, Sophia, placed white flowers at a memorial in the northern outskirts of the city.

But the event has been overshadowed by an ongoing political crisis in the country. Martelly has been in a showdown with opposition lawmakers over legislative elections that have been due since 2011.

The president says progress toward ending the stalemate has been made.

" I'm willing to sit down with every party, as I've been doing, and yesterday we signed an accord with most of the political parties, particularly those of the opposition, to make sure that we can govern together and put Haiti on that right track."

The government's three-year failure to organize elections has undermined Martelly's authority.

An electoral law must still be approved by lawmakers to put the constitutional process back on track.

 

 

Former Ukrainian President, PM on Red Notice of INTERPOL

 

INTERPOL has put former Ukrainian President Vicktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on their wanted list.

INTERPOL says as requested by Kiev, the individuals named are wanted on charges including embezzlement and misappropriation of funds.

Mr Yanukovych was ousted in early 2014, after clashes between police and protestors in Kiev left more than a hundred dead.

 

 

China to Fully Apply Better Testing Methods in Blood Donation

 

China's top health authority is demanding the country's blood-collection stations use better testing methods to detect viruses.

The move follows the revelation that a five-year-old girl in Fujian province contracted HIV through a blood transfusion during heart surgery four years ago.

The local health authority has ruled out any wrongdoing by the hospital or the blood center, saying that the blood donor's HIV infection was not found because they were still in the window period, the weeks after infection where the viral load is too low to be detected.

Mao Qun'an, spokesperson for the National Health and Family Planning Commission, has supported the investigation result, calling it a heart-wrenching case.

He says China will lower such risks in the future by adopting the Nucleic Acid Test, or NAT.

"Theoretically speaking, the NAT could sharply shorten the window period. For example, using traditional testing methods, it takes about 20 days for HIV antigens to be detected. But using the NAT, it takes only 10 days."

Mao adds that the NAT can also be used to control risk for other blood-borne diseases, such as hepatitis.

He is also calling for setting up a compensation system by introducing insurance and a fund.

 

 

Police in Shandong Bust Baby-trafficking Ring

 

Police in east China's Shandong province have arrested over one-hundred people suspected of human trafficking. A total of 37 babies have been rescued.

A local detective says the investigation has revealed the horrible conditions of the babies.

"All the 30 plus babies we have rescued suffer different diseases. Some babies have even been hidden in the morgue of a hospital for infectious diseases, having only instant noodles as food."

One of the suspects, Gong Zhenqi, rented an abandoned factory in a suburb of Jining city and transported pregnant women to the place from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

The women gave birth in the factory and then sold the babies to Gong before leaving. Boys can be sold for as much as 80,000 yuan and girls for 60,000 yuan.

Chen Shiqu, director of the anti-human trafficking department of the Ministry of Public Security, is calling for harsher punishment for the crime of baby trafficking.

"Selling one's own babies constitutes the crime of baby trafficking and is punishable for up to 5 years in prison; Punishment for the crime of buying abducted children is less than three years. We are making suggestions to amend the criminal law to levy heavier punishment on the baby buyers."

Some women took new-born babies from Sichuan and Yunnan to be sold in Shandong.

Some of the babies carry sexually -transmitted diseases and HIV-AIDS from their mothers.

Police say it is difficult to find the parents of all the babies who sold them. At present, the babies will be put in the care of their foster parents or charity homes.

Police have documented their DNA information in their data base.

 

 

Nephew of Macao 'Casino King' Nabbed over Prostitution Ring

 

A nephew of Macao's "King of Gambling" is under arrest after the police busted a large prostitution smuggling ring.

Police arrested Alan Ho and five other suspects after raiding the Hotel Lisboa.

68-year-old Alan Ho is the nephew of gambling tycoon Stanley Ho.

He is also the managing director of Hotel Lisboa Macao.

Police say 96 suspected prostitutes, aged between 20 and 27, are being held for investigation. 95 of them are from the Chinese mainland.

The suspected prostitutes were forced to pay monthly "protection fees" to operate in the hotel.

Choi Iat Peng is the head of the Crime Scene Investigation Division of Macao's judiciary police.

"If someone wants to do business there, she has to pay 150-thousand RMB as an entrance fee, because it involves the hotel's security department and lobby manager. Then they will allow the prostitutes to solicit customers in the hotel. Besides the entrance fee, they have to pay 10-thousand RMB per month as a protection fee."

Evidence shows more than 2,400 women registered in the hotel during the past year.

Police estimate that the ring, which started in 2013, has earned more than 50 million US dollars.

 

 

Bird flu to cause short in poultry products in Taiwan: expert

 

Experts in Taiwan have expressed concern that the spread of bird flu may cause a shortage of poultry products and price fluctuations in the market.

Taiwan Poultry Association Secretary General Wang Chien-pei says the spread of the virus could make it hard to meet demand for poultry ahead of the approaching Spring Festival.

"We usually need two million poultry to meet customers' demand for Spring Festival. But our investigation shows that there are only 1.5 million now."

The supply shortage may cause price hikes, but concerns over the risk of bird-flu infection may drag the price down again.

Local epidemic control authorities recently tested poultry from 24 facilities across Taiwan after suspected bird flu was reported.

They have detected H5N8 bird flu virus in Chiayi County and H5N2 virus in Pingtung County.

So far 120 thousand chickens in Pingtung have been culled, but those chickens represent only a small number of poultry in Taiwan.

In the meantime, Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety has banned all egg imports from Taiwan with immediate effect due to bird flu outbreaks.

About 6 million poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Taiwan between January and November last year.

 

 

China Speeds up Promotion of TCM around the Globe

 

Anchor:

The Chinese goverment is moving to standardizing Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM.

CRI's Yin Xiuqi has more.

Reporter:

At a national TCM conference held in Beijing over the weekend, Wang Guoqiang, Director of China State Administration of TCM, says standardization of TCM is crucial for its internationalization. 　

"We should make full use of international platforms, such as WTO and ISO, and actively participated in the establishment of relevant TCM standards. We should also nurture TCM medical staff through international cooperation and internationally-recognized TCM brands."

TCM is a broad range of medicinal practices dating back thousands of years.

It includes various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and dietary therapy.

Many in China still rely on Traditional Chinese Medicine, but its acceptance overseas has been hindered by its lack of modern scientific proof and cultural differences.

Critics argue that TCM's theory isn't based on scientific knowledge, complaining there is a lack of cost-effectiveness in researching TCM.

But proponents say TCM is based upon a different way of thinking and unique outlook on the human body, which should not be judged by the standards of conventional medical science.

The Chinese government has been trying to make TCM globally accepted through international accreditation.

The International Organization for Standardization, the ISO, last year approved two TCM standards, including one which requires that sterile acupuncture needles can only be used once.

An additional 19 ISO standards for TCM are under development, including the standardizing of a devices which is used in the cooking of herbal medicines.

Jiang Libing is the chief manager of a Beijing-based medical equipment maker which manufactures the device.

"China should have a leading voice in setting the standards for this device. We feel our device should extract at least 50-percent of the medical-effective ingredients of the herbs. But this proposal has been opposed by Japan and South Korea, because they can't make devices up to our standard."

Ye Zhengliang with Tianjin Tasly Pharmaceutical, a TCM drug maker, says his company is pushing for the approval of its Dansheng Dripping Pill by US regulators.

The pill, used for heart failure and blood vessels disorders, is undergoing the final phase of clinical testing by the US Food and Drug Administration.

"The prospective standard of the pill will not only cover the Dansheng Dripping Pill but also cover its original materials, manufacturing process and its herbal additives. We feel the standards, once approved, it will help the standardization of other TCM medicines."

Dansheng is the Chinese name for Salvia miltiorrhiza, a perennial plant highly valued for its roots in traditional Chinese medicine.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Stocks

Anchor:

First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

Joining me on the desk, Luo Wen.

Reporter:

U.S. stocks declined on sinking crude prices and as concern grows ahead of the start of corporate earnings season.

Oil prices extended their recent free-fall, with Brent falling some 5 percent to settle at 47 U.S. dollars a barrel and U.S. crude dropping 4.7 percent to 46 U.S. dollars a barrel.

In response, the energy sector suffered a big loss of a 2.8-percent decline on the day.

On the corporate front, Tiffany shares slumped 14 percent after the upscale jeweler cut its full-year profit forecast, citing a disappointing holiday shopping season.

At close,

The Dow Jones dipped about half of a percent.

Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq retreated around four fifths of a percent.

Meanwhile, European shares closed higher amid growing speculation on further stimulus from the European Central Bank.

At the closing bell,

The UK's FTSE 100 closed unchanged.

Germany's DAX rose about one and a third of a percent.

And finally France's CAC 40 added one percent.

 

 

State Asset Watchdog Sets Timetable for SOE Reform Policies

 

A timetable has been set for the reform of China's state-owned enterprises.

An official with the country's Assets Management Division says the majority of policies will be rolled out before Spring Festival, which falls on February 19th this year.

The State-owned Asset Supervision and Administration Commission is putting together new rules for mixed ownership of state assets, as well as changes to the evaluation system for this country's SOE's.

Mixed ownership will allow private capital to enter into SOEs.

The move comes amid the deterioration of profits at China's SOEs.

Combined profits only increased 4.5-percent through the first eleven months last year.

This is down from the 8.2 percent growth posted a year earlier.

 

 

Wanda Cinema Line Seeks to Raise $203 mln in Scaled-back IPO

 

Anchor:

China's biggest movie theatre operator, Wanda Cinema Line, is reportedly going to scale back its IPO, scheduled to take place on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange later this week.

Reports say Wanda will seek to raise about 1.2 billion yuan or 203 million US dollars, much less than the original plan of 370 million dollars.

It is said that Wanda decided on a price of 21 yuan a share following the China Securities Regulatory Commission's call to tighten IPO sales.

The theater operator applied for the IPO last July but was rejected due to high pricing.

Wanda Cinema Line's IPO will be the second Wanda listing after the company's property arm went public in Hong Kong at the end of last year.

Industry reports suggest Wanda Cinema had a 14 percent market share of China's 30 billion yuan movie market last year.

For more on Wanda Cinema Line's IPO, we are now joined live by Gao Shang, analyst with Beijing-based Guantong Futures.

Questions…

Back Anchor:

Gao Shang, analyst with Beijing-based Guantong Futures.

 

 

China 2014 Auto Sales Beat 23 mln, but Growth Slows

 

China's auto sales continued to expand last year, but annual growth halved from a year earlier.

Auto sales in the country exceeded 23 million vehicles last year, a year on year increase of 6.9 percent.

However, the growth is a sharp drop from the 13.9 percent increase recorded a year earlier.

Despite the loss in momentum, China remained the world's biggest auto market last year, well ahead of the United States.

Industry observers attribute the slow growth to the economic downturn, sluggish growth in the commercial cars market, as well as the higher comparison base a year earlier.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers forecast car sales this year to top 25 million, a year on year rise of 7 percent.

 

 

JD.com and Tencent Invest $1.5 bln in Online Car Sales Portal Bitauto

 

China's online retailer JD.com and Internet giant Tencent have injected a 1.5 billion-dollar investment into online car sales portal Bitauto.

Under the deal, JD.com will acquire 25 percent of Bitauto.

Tencent, which owns about 17 percent of JD.com, will take a 3.3 percent stake in Bitauto.

Bitauto offers sales data and other information on new and used vehicles.

The website saw sales of around 300-million dollars during Double-Eleven Day in November.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

Paris Attack Suspect Crosses into Syria from Turkey

 

Turkish authorities have confirmed that the female accomplice of the Paris supermarket attacker has crossed into Turkey.

The 26-year-old Hayat Boumeddiene is now believed in Syria.

French police are seeking Boumeddiene after her partner Amedy Coulibaly was killed in a raid on a Jewish supermarket where he had taken hostages.

About 10,000 troops have been deployed in France to protect sensitive sites following last week's terror attacks that left 17 people dead.

Nearly half of them will be assigned to protect over 700 Jewish schools across the country.

 

 

China urges conflicting parties of South Sudan to speed up peace process

 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has proposed a four-point initiative to promote South Sudan's peace process.

He raised the initiative while attending a consultation with rival partities in the country, as well as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, IGAD.

Wang is urging a ceasefire among the conflicting parties and the early establishment of a transitional government.

The top Chinese diplomat also calls for greater international efforts to support the peace process in South Sudan.

Wang Yi also stresses that China will continue to support IGAD's role in mediating the conflict in South Sudan.

Wang Yi is now on a 5-nation African tour that started in Kenya over the weekend.

 

 

Former Ukrainian President, PM on Red Notice of INTERPOL

 

INTERPOL has put former Ukrainian President Vicktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on their wanted list.

INTERPOL says as requested by Kiev, the individuals named are wanted on charges including embezzlement and misappropriation of funds.

Mr Yanukovych was ousted in early 2014, after clashes between police and protestors in Kiev left more than a hundred dead.

 

 

Haiti Marks Quake Anniversary amid Political Standoff

 

Haiti is marking the fifth anniversary of the massive earthquake that ravaged an already desperately poor nation, in one of the worst natural disasters of modern times.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake collapsed concrete buildings by the tens of thousands in the densely populated capital Port-Au-Prince.

More than 300,000 people were killed and over a million others left homeless.

Haitian President Michel Martelly and First Lady, Sophia, placed white flowers at a memorial in the northern outskirts of the city.

 

 

Christiano Ronaldo Wins FIFA's Ballon d'Or for 2nd Time

 

Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo won a second successive FIFA Ballon d'Or award in Zurich, Switzerland.

He beat Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich goalkeeper manuel Neuer to the award.

The Portugal striker scored 61 goals in all competitions in 2014 and set a new record with 17 goals in the Champions League, leading Real to a record tenth title in European club football's premier competition.

Ronaldo won the award from 2010 to 2012.

He had also previously won the Ballon d'Or in 2008, when the award was only for the European player of the year.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

Beijing Youth Daily

Headline

Heavy pollution comes to the city

Summary

Beijing will see thick air pollution over the next three days.

The Environment watchdog has issues a yellow alert and suggests less outdoor activities.

Global Times

headline

Court hears defamation lawsuit vs CCTV reporter, doctors' group

Summary

A Beijing court has started to hear a lawsuit filed by a reporter from the Southern Weekly.

He accused a China Central Television reporter and the Chinese Medical Doctor Association for defamation for claiming his reports widened doctor-patient disputes.

Chai Huiqun claims that articles published on the association's website damaged his reputation as they accused him of fabricating information on medical incidents.

The Court has not reached a verdict yet .

China Daily

Headline

Suspect relieved to be home

Summary

A returned official said he felt a sense of relief as he stood on Chinese soil after living a fugitive's life in the United States for two years.

Wang Guoqiang was the top official in Liaoning province's Fengcheng.

Earlier reports alleged that the 54-year-old had sold a State-owned thermal power plant to a businessman and fled to the US with more than 200 million yuan.

The Beijing Times

Headline

Subway library

Summary

Passengers can read e-books for free at subway stations on line 4 by scanning QR codes with their cellphones.

The move is part of a Charitable campaign co-initiated by Beijing Mass Transit Railway Corporation and the National Library to provide more opportunities for the public to read.

A Themed station has been set up at the National Library stop to display related activities.

Jianghuai Morning Post

Headline

Ice challenge

Summary

A local resident in Anhui wins an ice challenge game by staying for two hours in a container filled with ice

The winner Cui Yide is also a world record holder for swimming at the freezing cold sea of the North Pole.

Shanghai Daily

Headline

Lessons in Chinese abacus prove a huge hit

Summary

More than 200 students at Shanghai Lixin University of Commerce have applied to take a course on how to use a Chinese abacus.

Such lessons were once mandatory at the university, but they were phased out about 20 years ago as interest in the ancient calculating device waned.

Tutors say the school wants to pass on this ancient skill and is now considering expanding the classes to the local community.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Future of original Chinese musicals promising: Broadway insiders

 

Anchor

The music industry has seen steady growth in China in recent years, as has the country's middle class.

In the US, Broadway insiders are now suggesting that original Chinese productions, a sector still developing compared to major New York productions, have a promising future on the global stage.

CRI's New York correspondent Su Yi has more.

Reporter

Four theaters for staging musicals will open in downtown Beijing this October. They are located in Tiaoqiao Art District and close to the Chinese National Ballet and several crosstalk studios.

It is the latest sign that musicals are gaining in popularity in China's first-tier cities. In the latest round of its mainland tour, the Mandarin version of Mamma Mia pocketed 200 million yuan, with some 400 performances staged. Also, The Phantom of the Opera drew more than 100-thousand people and took in 60 million yuan in two months.

Now, an increasing number of Chinese producers are trying to tap the robust domestic market for musicals and they are not satisfied with just buying Broadway shows – they want to do something original.

Zhang Yu is the president and general manager of the state-run China Arts and Entertainment Group. His company will run the four theaters at the Tianqiao Art District.

He says it is the right time for some original productions.

"As long as the market needs this, then all depends on how hard you will work on it. If we do nothing in the coming 20 years, I can guarantee you China won't have original musicals by then."

His company did not buy any Broadways last year and focused on two original productions. Zhang says they intended to use the two low-budget shows to test whether the market is ready for original works. According to him, original Chinese musicals are not in the experimental phase anymore.

In fact, some Broadway producers have already realized the growth of the Chinese market and the potential of original works on the global stage.

Robert Nederlander Jr., President and CEO of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, is one of them.

His family has run Broadway theaters and shows for three generations and his company recently brought a Spanish version of Broadway classic RENT to Cuba in coincide with the rapprochement of the US and Cuba.

"It is vibrant. It continues to grow rapidly. It is a market that we are very excited about. We are going to continue to collaborate both in bringing great shows to China and take Chinese shows to the United States."

Nederlander says in the first several years of collaboration with his Chinese partners in Shanghai, they had to explain what Broadway is to half of the audience, but things have changed a lot.

When it comes to original productions, he suggests Chinese producers examine the key to the success of Broadway: great stories.

"We want people to say it is a great show, not a great Chinese show. They are seeing it because it is tremendous entertainment that happens to coming from China and telling the Chinese story. That is the recipe for success."

That is exactly what Chinese producers are doing now. As China Arts and Entertainment Group Chief Zhang Yu points out, they see producing the Mandarin version of Broadway classics as part of the learning curve and they are not in a rush to emphasize the Chinese identity too soon.

"It makes no sense if somebody claims he will grow 'Chinese pears' if he has never tasted a pear at all."

Zhang says a successful project, no matter if it is from Broadway or from China, will help to nurture the young Chinese musical market, as well as its audience and talent.

"A successful work is capable to double the audience number, double the market share and double the production capacity."

For CRI, I'm Su Yi in New York.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Christiano Ronaldo Wins FIFA's Ballon d'Or for 2nd Time

 

"And the winner is...Christiano Ronaldo [Cheering]"

Real Madrid and Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo won a second successive FIFA Ballon d'Or award in Zurich, Switzerland.

Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer were the other two players vying for FIFA's honor for the world's best player of the previous year.

Messi, who won the award from 2010 to 2012, finished second in the voting ahead Neuer, who was bidding to join Lev Yashin as the only other goalkeeper to hold the Ballon d'Or.

Ronaldo scored 61 goals in all competitions in 2014 and set a new record with 17 goals in the Champions League, leading Real to a record tenth title in European club football's premier competition.

Ronaldo had previously won the Ballon d'Or in 2008, when the award was only for the European player of the year.

 

 

Lionel Messi Denies Rumors About Enrique Firing, Move to England

 

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has denied that he asked for Coach Luis Enrique to be replaced or that he is seeking an exit from his boyhood club and a move to England.

"I heard many things about me from the past and from now. They say that I rule the club but I?m just another player in the dressing room as my team mates. I don?t take decisions and I don?t ask anybody to take them. I haven't asked for anything to stay here because I have never wanted to go anywhere else. I have also heard that my father has spoken to Chelsea and City but it's all lies, it?s all lies and I take the opportunity to deny it so everybody knows the truth."

The Argentina and Barca captain was responding for the first time to widespread reports of a falling out with Luis Enrique, who took over from Messi's compatriot Tata Martino at the end of last season.

 

 

Asian Cup: Japan Beats Palestine, Iraq Edges Jordan

 

In yesterday's Asian Cup action;

Holders Japan swatted aside the challenge of outsiders Palestine to kick off their Asian Cup title defence with a 4-0 victory.

Yasuhito Endo, Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda notched first half goals, with Maya Yoshida adding another after the break in a contest that was one-sided for the record four-times champions.

And a magical goal from midfielder Yaser Kasim gave Iraq a crucial 1-0 win over a 10-man Jordan team.

Kasim, who plays for Swindon Town in the third tier of English football, scored the winner in the 77th minute.

Taking the ball from outside the Jordan box, the 23-year-old dribbled his way past three defenders, then unleashed his shot at goal and hitting net.

Taking a look at action taking place today now in Australia,

South Korea hits the pitch against Kuwait at around 4 p.m. Beijing time,

and later, the host country will face Oman.

 

 

CBA and NBA preview

 

Switching over to Basketball;

A light schedule tonight in the CBA with just one game scheduled;

Qingdao is on the road to hit the court against Guangdong Foshan at 8 p.m., Beijing time. Qingdao was victorious in their last meeting with Guangdong, beating Foshan 127-110.

Pretty light schedule over in the NBA as well, with just four games on schedule to get underway this morning.

The New Orleans Pelicans take on the Boston Celtics. The Houston Rockets are in Brooklyn to face the Nets. Detroit is going up against the Toronto Raptors. And the Chicago Bulls host the Orlando Magic.

 

 

Tennis: Men's and Women's Preview at International Sydney

 

Switching over to Tennis,

In action down at the Apia International in Sydney,

On the Women's side;

China's Peng Shuai downed Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 yesterday. She will go on to face second-seed Czech Petra Kvitova in today's action.

Shezhen Open winner Simona Halep will face Czech Karolina Pliskova,

Third-seed Agnieszka Radwanska will face Spain's Garbine Muguruza,

And fifth-seed german Angelique Kerber will battle Russia's Daria Gavrilova.

On the Men's side;

Seventh-seed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy takes on American Sam Querrey,

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Emperor Qianlong's throne sells for $5.15 million

 

A throne belonging to Emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty in the 1700's has sold for 5.15 million US dollars at auction.

The sale took place in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province.

The throne, made of rosewood and inlaid with gold and a floral pattern, was owned by philanthropist Li Chunping.

It took him three years to buy the throne from a descendant of a royal highness of the Qing Dynasty in Tianjin.

Li said the final price was lower than he expected and that the throne will have a higher value after two or three years.

A buyer from Beijing bought the throne after three rounds of bidding.

 

 

72nd annual Golden Globes

 

A recap for those who didn't catch up yesterday's Golden Globe award result,

Coming of age film "Boyhood" took the top honors at the 72nd Golden Globes.

The movie which took 12 years to make, won best film drama, with Patricia Arquette with best supporting actress and Richard Linklater named Best Director.

Linklater dedicated his award to his parents.

"We're all flawed in this world. No one's perfect. I just want to dedicate this to my parents and who gave so much love and support. I want to dedicate this to parents that are evolving everywhere and families that are just passing through this world and doing their best. Thank you very much."

Best actor in a drama went to Eddie Redmayne for his role as Professor Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything."

Best actress went to Julianne Moore for her portrayal of a linguistics professor struggling with stages of Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice."

George Clooney was at the ceremony to accept his lifetime achievement award.

During his speech he paid tribute to late star Robin Williams and also voiced his support for the victims of the Charlie Hedbo attack.

The outcome of the 72nd Globes will not influence the Academy Awards slate, but it can give crucial momentum to the Oscar race.

 

 

"Fifty Shades of Grey" trailer debuts during Golden Globes 2015

 

Amidst the fanfare of the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, a new trailer for the upcoming "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie debuted.

An extended clip from Dakota Johnson's raunchy movie with Jamie Dornan aired at the awards show.

The preview opens with female lead Anastasia Steele interviewing Christian Grey in his office.

It shows them getting to know one another, and falling into their new relationship as a slowed-down version of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" plays.

"Fifty Shades of Grey" premieres in the US on February 13th, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

 

 

Chris Brown club shooting

 

Five people have been injured at a shooting near a club where Grammy Award winner Chris Brown was performing.

Police say Brown escaped any injury in the early morning shooting in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that the shooting happened near San Jose's Fiesta nightclub, where Brown was performing for a private party.

Cellphone video posted online by fans appears to show Brown wincing as the shots rang out nearby, then being ushered away by others.

Police say all five people injured in the shootings are expected to survive, and they have detained several people.