新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/01/19（在线收听）

It's Shane Bigham with you on this Monday, January 19th, 2015.

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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Hundreds of Chinese citizens are trapped in Myanmar following renewed fighting between government forces and an ethnic group fighting for independence...

The Chinese delegation at the Iran nuclear talks says consensus has been broadened on a number of issues...

And Islamist insurgents from Nigeria are suspected of kidnapping dozens of people in neighbouring Camerroon...

In business...China's first private online lender is now doing business...

In Sports...China tops group B at the ongoing Asian Cup football tournament

In entertainment...a superstar from Taiwan gets married in the English countryside...

Weather

Beijing will be sunny in the day with a high of 5, cloudy tonight with a low of minus 6 degrees Celsius.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 10, cloudy tonight with a low of 3.

Chongqing will be cloudy with a high of 16 and a low of 6.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.

Islamabad, cloudy with a high of 15.

Kabul will have sleet with a high of 5.

Over to North America.

New York, rainy with a high of 11 degrees.

Washington, also rainy with a high of 5 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 26.

Toronto will have sleet with a high of 3 degrees.

Finally, in South America,

Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 29.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 34 degrees Celsius.

Top News  

Hundreds of Chinese Trapped in Northern Myanmar amid Armed Clashes

The Chinese embassy in Myanmar says it is working on verifying news about Chinese citizens being trapped in the conflict zone in northern Myanmar.

This comes as media reports suggest of clashes between Myanmar government forces and the ethnic Kachin Independence Army, and that hundreds of Chinese nationals are trapped in the area.

Qiu Yongzheng, a reporter with the Beijing-based Global Times, says Chinese loggers, businessmen, and miners are among the citizens affected.

"Some Chinese citizens crossed the border illegally. So if they want to exit Myanmar from another inland area, they will have to admit to illegally entering Myanmar."

An intelligence officer from a rebel group told the newspaper that none of the Chinese nationals were injured, but there is limited food and water left and no medical supplies.

The clash broke out on Thursday after the KIA ambushed a convoy of the Kachin state Transport Minister on a highway.

The minister was freed after questioning but three police officers who escorted the minister were abducted.

Local media reports that heavy weapons have been used by government forces in attacking the KIA.

Qiu Yongzheng says it may be safer for the Chinese citizens to stay where they are.

"You are likely to go through the battle zone if you want to leave the country from the KIA controlled area. At the moment, both sides are engaged in intense fighting. It would be safer to stay with local residents in the villages or churches or temples."

The Chinese embassy notes that it has so far received no request for help from Chinese nationals in Myanmar.

China: New Round of Iran Nuclear Talks Broadened Consensus

Discussions between Iran and the P5+1 group about Tehran's nuclear program have been held in Geneva over the weekend.

No major breakthroughs were achieved, but representatives from Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany agreed to hold more talks early next month.

Wang Qun, the leading Chinese delegator, says the latest round of negotiations have led to a broader consensus on the issues.

"The current round of negotiations is very serious, very pragmatic and in depth, with existing consensus expanded, and the next round of negotiations is anticipated to be held early next month."

Wang also revealed that China will have talks with the United States and Iran separately.

Iran's chief negotiator is Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

"It's too soon to say if we are able to make any progress or not, we are still trying to bridge the gaps between the two sides. We try our best and as, as I have always said, as diplomats we are always hopeful."

The West accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the cover of civilian nuclear programs, which Iran has denied, insisting that its nuclear programs are for peaceful purposes only.

Following an interim accord in November 2013, two deadlines for a final deal have been missed, and now a third one is looming on July 1.

A flurry of diplomatic activity in the lead-up to Sunday's talks has sought to break the stalemate.

US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Geneva on Wednesday, and again in Paris on Friday.

Zarif also met with the German and French foreign ministers in Berlin and Paris respectively.

Israel kills 6 Hezbollah fighters in southern Syria: TV

Tension is on the rise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights after an Israeli helicopter strike reportedly killed six Lebanese Hezbollah fighters in a southern Syrian town.

Syria's national TV says an Israeli helicopter fired two rockets from inside the occupied territories toward the town.

Hezbollah says the men were killed during a field reconnaissance mission.

Israel has declined to comment, though unnamed sources confirmed a helicopter strike.

They claimed those targeted were conducting reconnaissance for a Hezbollah attack.

Reports say one of those killed was Jihad Mughniyeh, son of a top Hezbollah field commander killed in 2008.

The incident comes days after a warning to Israel by the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, that his forces might retaliate against what he called repeated Israeli strikes inside Syria.

"Retaliation is an open issue. No side has committed itself to saying that the Israeli attacks would not be responded to. No one has said that. It is not only Syria's right to respond but also it is the right of the axis of resistance to respond."

Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and some Palestinian factions consider themselves an "axis of resistance" against Israel.

Hezbollah militants have been supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the four-year Syrian conflict.

Israel has conducted several air strikes inside Syria since the conflict began, said to be aimed at preventing the transfer of stockpiles of rockets from the Syrian government or Iran to Hezbollah.

3 Ukrainian troops killed in airport battle in restive east

The Ukrainian city of Donetsk has been shaken by intense artillery fire following a battle for control over the city's airport.

Three soldiers were killed and 31 others wounded during the battle between government forces and independence-seeking insurgents.

Ukrainian troops announced that it has retaken the airport.

In the meantime, Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko has vowed to reassert control over his country's eastern regions.

"In the night our soldiers at Donetsk airport are demonstrating courage, patriotism, heroism and they are an example of how to protect the state. We will not to give an inch of our land."

Poroshenko made the comment while attending a rally in Kiev's central Independence Square, while thousands of people assembled to show solidarity with those killed after a bus was hit by a shell in eastern Ukraine.

Also on Sunday, Russian media reported that Poroshenko has rejected a peace plan proposed by his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

The plan is said to be proposing a ceasefire between government troops and rebel forces in eastern Ukraine.

Islamist group Boko Haram kidnaps dozens in Cameroon

Suspected militants from Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram have killed 4 and kidnapped dozens of people in raids in neighbouring Cameroon.

Many of those kidnapped were reported to be children.

The raids come as more African countries are gathering strength to counter the extremists after its notorious kidnapping of 200 girls in north-eastern Nigeria last April.

Chad, which also borders Nigeria, has just sent soldiers to help Cameroon in the fight against the militant group.

Planned anti-Islam rally cancelled after threat: Germany

A weekly rally by a German group protesting what it calls "the Islamisation of the West" has been called off due to a death threat against one of its organizers.

Dresden Police spokesman Thomas Gleithner said that there had been a call for attackers to mingle with the demonstrators and kill one of the protest organizers.

"Further hints do exist. For example, there is a Twitter account where it was explained in Arabic that Pegida is the enemy of Islam. There are more hints which assessed the situation as a concrete threat. It is a concrete threat because it is about a single person, but it has the characteristics of a terrorist attack where it's not just one person being harmed, but the whole environment. And the environment, in this case, includes several thousand people, and we see that as a high risk."

Instead of holding a rally, Group organizers are asking supporters to hang flags out of their windows and light candles on Monday night.

The move comes amid heightened security concerns across Europe following the recent attacks in Paris, in which 17 people were killed.

Man arrested for potential link to Belgium jihadist cell

Belgium has officially asked Greece to extradite a suspect believed to have direct ties with a jihadist cell in Belgium.

The man was one of two arrested on Saturday as part of investigations into a wide-range terrorist cell operating in Europe.

Belgian police launched several raids last week on a suspected jihadist cell believed to be plotting an "imminent" attack.

During the raids, thirteen people were arrested and two others were killed.

Unofficial talks held between US and NKorea

US academics and former senior officials have met up with North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator in Singapore, following years of disagreement over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

US representatives say the meeting was set up to exchange each other's positions on North Korea's nuclear missile program.

Leon Sigal is director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council, a U.S.-based private think tank.

"I mean, what we are talking about is the obvious important issues: the nuclear missile programmes in the North, and their sense of where they are. It's two ways of taking each other's temperature."

North Korea's team is led by Ri Yong Ho, the chief negotiator for the six-party denuclearization talks.

The talks which also involve China, Japan and Russia, have been stalled since 2008.

The US has refused to restart the talks before North Korea shows its commitment to giving up its nuclear program.

The U.S Embassy in Singapore, which had been tight-lipped on details of the Singapore meeting, said in a statement that this would be one of many "Track 2 meetings" and the U.S. government is not involved.

Track 2 diplomacy often refers to non-governmental, informal, and unofficial contacts and activities between private citizens or groups of individuals.

North Korea has recently offered to temporarily suspend its nuclear tests if the United States suspends joint military drills with South Korea.

Preview of Obama's State of Union Address

Anchor:

US President Barack Obama is scheduled to give his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Political pundits say there are no big surprises to expect. But it may include some smaller initiatives that can change the lives of millions of Americans.

Our Washington correspondent He Fei has the details.

Reporter:

US President Barack Obama has pushed hard to implement his agenda even after the Republicans took control of Congress.

These include the hotly debated Presidential decree halting the deportation of illegal immigrants and reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba that has stalled for almost half a century.

However, the US media and political pundits all say that they are not expecting much from the President's upcoming State of Union address.

Allan Lichtman is a History Professor at the American University.

He says the annual Presidential address, despite all the fanfare, was a rather "boring" affair. He doesn't foresee any grand initiatives that might be announced in the upcoming address. But there are some smaller changes that could still have a large impact.

"He has certainly signaled he is going to push for a program to provide free two-year's of community college for high school graduates across the country."

This is among the three new proposals that President Obama has unveiled in the week leading up to his address. The other two focuses on strengthening cyber security and expanding broadband access and giving workers paid family leave.

But Congress has a tendency to sideline the policy proposals which the President unveils. This year, Obama faces an uphill battle to convince the congress led by Republicans to increase government spending to implement such policies.

Prof. Allan Lichtman again.

"I think that there are a couple of things that they could agree on, and I think I pointed some of those out. Cyber security – I mean, that's pretty non-controversial. Perhaps some kind of tax reform, but I'm much less optimistic about that. And perhaps the Trans-Pacific Partnership."

According to Lichtman, the State of the Union address is more of a ritual to pump up the spirits of the American people.

"No. 1, an expression, of course, that the union is strong. He's got a lot of positive things that he could point to, most notably a finally strong recovery with a rapidly growing economy, with job creation that we haven't seen since the 1990s, unemployment almost cut in half down from a peak of close – around 10 percent down to the middle 5 percent range. If you look at the consumer confidence index, it's the highest it's been in a very long time."

In addition to focusing on domestic challenges and the economy, Obama is also expected to touch upon the challenges abroad. This year, ISIS and Iran are expected to top his list of concerns.

"He, of course, is going to talk about the challenges abroad, the strong response to ISIS, the continuing negotiations with Iran, and will, I think, plead with Congress not to impose new sanctions on Iran."

This year the White House is also searching for new ways to spread the key message delivered in the speech. Therefore, for the first time Obama's first big post-speech interview will be broadcast online via YouTube and not on via traditional media like established Newspapers or even a TV news channel.

For CRI, I'm He Fei in Washington.

Shots fired outside US VP's home in Delaware

Multiple gunshots have been fired near the US Vice-President's home in Delaware, but the Secret Service says Joe Biden was away at the time.

The shots were fired from a vehicle which then sped off.

One man was arrested nearby shortly after the shooting but it is not known if he was directly involved in the incident.

The shooting comes four months after an intruder armed with a knife managed to dodge guards and enter the White House.

That breach prompted the resignation of the head of the Secret Service.

Singer's Death Raises Breast Cancer Awareness

The death of 33-year-old pop singer Yao Beina has brought breast cancer to the fore again in China.

She died from the disease last Friday in Shenzhen.

Breast cancer has been the most lethal disease among Chinese women.

While the average age of onset for the disease in women in China is 45, the disease is also on the rise in younger women.

Luo Yonghui, a doctor from the Second Affiliated Hospital to Nanchang University, suggests women, especially aged 35 and above, should perform a breast self-exam once a month.

"If there is one or more lumps found in breast, you'd better go to see a doctor without delay. The treatment of early-stage breast cancer has proven effective."

The doctor urges those from families with a history of the disease to pay more attention.

Late childbearing, lack of sleep and irregular medical checks are believed to be main factors that contribute to the disease.

Doctor Luo Yonghui is also warning that men can also contract the disease, saying alcohol is the main cause.

Currently in China, one out of every 100 breast cancer patients is male.

Biz Reports

Market preview

Anchor:

First let's get a preview of what we can expect on the markets this week.

Join me on the desk, Bejan Siavoshy

Reporter:

The week ahead promises to be another wild one after the Swiss National Bank's sudden decision to remove the ceiling on the country's currency, allowing the value of the Franc to float freely against the Euro.

With the European Central Bank meeting on Thursday, all markets are likely to be volatile ahead of the expected move to increase monetary stimulus.

And euro challenges haven't been cleared yet. Greek voters head to the polls on January 25th with a leftist, anti-bailout party still in the lead, potentially triggering Greece's exit from the currency bloc.

The U.S. equity market will contend with plenty of earnings releases as investors hope for some kind of salve to cut off a period of selling driven by falling commodity prices and worries about weak growth worldwide.

Next week's housing data will likely confirm that a slow and steady recovery pattern continues in the U.S.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council holds open session in Washington on Wednesday.

The agenda includes an update on benchmark reform efforts and a discussion of the Council's process for considering nonbank financial companies for potential designation.

Beyond the U.S. and Europe, the focus more immediately is Asia. China's economy may grow as much as 7.3 percent this year, with falling commodity prices keeping the number down.

On Tuesday, the country's fourth-quarter GDP data is scheduled for release. New Zealand and Australian dollar traders will be on edge.

For banks and brokerages - Morgan Stanley reports earnings for the fourth quarter before markets open.

Investment banking and retail discount securities brokerage company TD Ameritrade reports first-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

Finally, on the corporate front,

eBay reports fourth-quarter results ahead of the PayPal split on Wednesday.

The e-commerce giant is expected to report earnings that reflect the relative weakness of its marketplace division compared to the overall market.

Qianhai Webank in Shenzhen, China opens for trial period

Anchor:

Webank, an online-only bank located in the southern city of Shenzhen, backed by internet giant Tencent Holdings, has opened.

For the time being, access is limited to a few select customers as Webank wants to make sure everything is working properly.

The bank is to mainly serve individual customers and small and micro-businesses.

With the arrival of the new generation of lenders, the face of the banking sector is set to change radically this year.

China's official banking sector has been dominated by big state-owned lenders who lend mostly to state-owned enterprises.

Rates are kept down through a state-controlled cap on deposit rates.

By contrast, smaller and more dynamic companies are often forced to look for funds in a vast but weakly regulated sector, where savers can get higher returns but have little protection.

Lending to small and medium-sized businesses is under particular threat at the moment as the big banks struggle with a rise in bad loans that is crimping their ability to extend new credit.

For more this, we are now joined live by Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

…

Tourism to spur Chinese GDP growth

The direct investment in China's tourism sector is expected to exceed 480 billion US dollars in the coming three years.

Li Jinzao, head of the National Tourism Administration, predicted that direct investment would attract additional investment projects worth 2.4 trillion US dollars during the period.

Official data showed direct investment in the tourism industry hit 105 billion US dollars in 2014, up 22 percent over the previous year.

The growth rate for tourism investment surpassed the general investment growth rate for the tertiary industry by 5 percentage points.

Li also predicted that rural tourism, small townships, large scenic spots, holiday resorts and online business would be key areas for investment during the three years.

New direct flight links NW Chinese city and Bangkok

China Eastern Airlines has launched a regular direct air route between Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Bangkok, Thailand.

The 4 hours and 20 minute trip will operate every five days using an Airbus A320.

The new route is the first direct route linking the two cities.

House prices still falling, but more slowly

A new survey from the National Bureau of Statistics shows house price across China continued to decline, but at a slower pace.

Of the 70 cities monitored, price drops for new homes were registered in 66 of them last month, compared to 67 cities in November. Prices were unchanged from a month earlier in three cities.

Shenzhen, in southern China, is the only city that recorded an increase in home prices.

Analysts say the rate of price decline fell by 0.2 percentage points compared to November for both new and existing homes.

They believe that if this trend continues, and especially when prices start to recover in some cities, they might be able to conclude that home prices in Chinese cities are bottoming out.

Online info security boosted by alliance

The first national "smart device security alliance" has been founded in Shanghai to improve Internet information security.

The China Smart Device Alliance aims to ensure the security of e-commerce, personal privacy protection, and mobile payment.

The alliance covers the whole industry chain from chip designers, handset vendors, operating system developers, and dot-com giants.

China's smart device security market is seen to be worth over 16 billion US dollars and growth is expected to be rapid this year and next year.

In 2014, sales of smartphones in China totaled 389 million, accounting for 30 percent of the global market.

Domestic phone makers snared over 78 percent of the Chinese market last year.

China's security hardware firms seek to boost Mideast business

Chinese security equipment firms are trying to promote themselves in the growing market in the Middle East at the annual security trade fair "Intersec" in Dubai.

The organizers say this year's Intersec attracted more than 12-hundred exhibitors from over 50 countries, while more than 200 Chinese companies brought products to the exhibition.

The Middle East's security market is growing at 11 percent annually, double than the world's 5.5 percent, due to the worsening security situation in some countries in the region.

By 2016, the global market for security cameras, disaster recovery technology, equipment for police and fire brigades, and electronic security items is expected to reach 116 billion U.S. dollars.

Headline News

Hundreds of Chinese Trapped in Northern Myanmar amid Armed Clashes

The Chinese embassy in Myanmar says it is working on verifying news about Chinese citizens being trapped in the conflict zone in northern Myanmar.

This comes as media reports suggest of clashes between Myanmar government forces and the ethnic Kachin Independence Army, and that hundreds of Chinese nationals are trapped in the area.

Chinese loggers, businessmen, and miners are reportedly among the citizens affected, with limited food and water left and no medical supplies.

The clash broke out on Thursday after the KIA ambushed a convoy of the Kachin state Transport Minister on a highway.

New Round of Iran Nuclear Talks sees no breakthrough

Discussions between Iran and the P5+1 group about Tehran's nuclear program have been held in Geneva over the weekend.

No major breakthroughs were achieved, but representatives from Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany agreed to hold more talks early next month.

Following an interim accord in November 2013, two deadlines for a final deal have been missed, and now a third one is looming on July 1.

Israel kills 6 Hezbollah fighters in southern Syria: TV

Tension is on the rise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights after an Israeli helicopter strike reportedly killed six Lebanese Hezbollah fighters in a southern Syrian town.

Syria's national TV says an Israeli helicopter fired two rockets from inside the occupied territories toward the town.

Reports say one of those killed was Jihad Mughniyeh, son of a top Hezbollah field commander killed in 2008.

Hezbollah militants have been supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the four-year Syrian conflict.

Islamist group Boko Haram kidnaps dozens in Cameroon

Suspected militants from Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram have killed 4 and kidnapped dozens of people in raids in neighbouring Cameroon.

Many of those kidnapped were reported to be children.

The raids come as more African countries are gathering strength to counter the extremists after its notorious kidnapping of 200 girls in north-eastern Nigeria last April.

Chad, which also borders Nigeria, has just sent soldiers to help Cameroon in the fight against the militant group.

Planned anti-Islam rally cancelled after threat: Germany

A weekly rally by a German group protesting what it calls "the Islamisation of the West" has been called off due to a death threat against one of its organizers.

Police in Dresden say there have been a call for attackers to mingle with the demonstrators and kill one of the protest organizers.

Instead of holding a rally, organizers are asking supporters to hang flags out of their windows and light candles on Monday night.

The move comes amid heightened security concerns across Europe following the recent terror attacks in Paris.

Man arrested for potential link to Belgium jihadist cell

Belgium has officially asked Greece to extradite a suspect believed to have direct ties with a jihadist cell in Belgium.

The man was one of two arrested on Saturday as part of investigations into a wide-range terrorist cell operating in Europe.

Belgian police launched several raids last week on a suspected jihadist cell believed to be plotting an "imminent" attack.

During the raids, thirteen people were arrested and two others were killed.

Newspaper Picks

The Beijing News

Headline

A man without an identity

Summary

A villager living in Tongzhou district in Beijing has been living without the right of residency for over 40 years because of an error on his Hukou, or resident certificate.

The man has spent 43 years seeking help from various authorities to solve his Hukou problem.

The 62-year-old suffering severe eye problems and diabetes but has difficulty finding healthcare and can't even get registered at hospital.

The man has been confined in the village, not able to book train or flight tickets.

The Beijing Times

Headline

Fake drug gang busted

Summary

Beijing police says ten people have been arrested for selling false Botox on Wechat.

The Botox has been sold to beauty salons at a low price, while the customers are required to pay a hundredfold increase.

Shanghai Daily

Stranded online parcels

CHINA Post says reports that thousands of parcels from overseas have been languishing at a Shanghai port for months because it owes millions of yuan in port fees are "partly untrue."

This follows online claims that 200 containers mostly containing goods bought online from Japan — brought by ship to the city -- are piled up at a Shanghai port.

A hotline employee of China Post's EMS service says their managers are now reviewing the relevant materials and will make a statement in due time.

Beijing Morning Post

Headline

Shortage for nursing rooms

Summary

Surveys find that Beijing has a shortage of baby care rooms in public places, like shopping malls and hospitals.

Nursing mothers find it awkward to breastfeed their babies in public places.

The Children's Healthcare authority says the cost of making a nursing area would cost only 2000 yuan and it called for the building of more baby care rooms.

Global Times

Headline

CAE confirms suspension of scholar over ethics violation

Summary

The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) has confirmed its decision to suspend a member for violating a new regulation on ethics standards.

The suspension is on Li Ning, a leading scientist in animal cloning.

He was arrested in June 2014 on suspicions that he embezzled 20 million yuan in research funds.

He was believed to be the first CAE academic to have his title suspended.

His title will be revoked if the court should find him guilty.

Special Reports

WHO's Tobacco Control Video Competition

Anchor:

With around 300 million smokers, China has been striving for effective ways to talk its tobacco users out of this harmful habit.

Our reporter Zhou Jingnan takes a look at the latest efforts from the China office of the World Health Organization to engage young people in the fight against smoking.

Reporter:

This is from one of the entries submitted to the WHO China office's 2014 Tobacco Control Video Competition. From November to December last year, students from Peking University and Duke University submitted original videos, centering on the theme "Smoke free — a fashionable way to live your life".

Dr. Angela Pratt, head of the Tobacco Free Initiative at WHO's China office is happy with the students' creativity shown in the more-than two dozen videos.

"A lot of them have come up with things about smoking is not trendy, it's uncool, but lots of other quirky and creative ideas as well, (eg.) smoking means you won't be able to get a girlfriend, because the girls will find you unattractive if you smoke because your breath stinks."

The winning entry is an animated video called "Smoke free, barrier free". It depicts a bus stop where people around a smoker put on protective bubbles to avoid the smoke.

"And so he put out the cigarette, and then the bubble become a big cloud, and show a colorful world."

Zhang Hao from the winning team explains the message they try to convey.

"So we want to tell others, if everyone can quit smoke(ing), and environment will be better, and other people will be close to you."

In order to combat tobacco, the Chinese government has enacted a series of laws and regulations in the past few years, but the measures have often been dismissed as unenforceable. However, the Representative of the WHO in China, Dr. Bernhard Schwartlander, says China has been improving the effectiveness of its anti-smoking rules.

He highly appreciates the new law that bans smoking in public places.

"I think the new law is actually much better in particular not only as they are much more strict in describing which places would fall under these law, but also that they are much more clear (about) what happens if people don't adhere to that. A very specific example is that there have been regulations already that say that you shouldn't smoke in a restaurant, however there was no clarity at all whatsoever what happens if somebody actually breaches and does smoke in a restaurant, the new law, and that's a good example, is very clear in that the owner of the establishment, of the restaurant, is responsible for making sure that nobody smokes in his or her restaurant."

Apart from the ban on smoking in public places, China is also considering tough curbs on tobacco advertising.

For CRI, this is Zhou Jingnan.

Sports

Asian Cup: China Beats N. Korea 2-1 to Top Group Stage

Starting things off with action over the weekend from the Asian Cup;

China is at the top of Group B after their 2-1 win over North Korea on Sunday.

A pair of goals by China's Sun Ke first ensured Team Dragon finished the group stage of the tournament with a hundred percent record as they beat North Korea 2-1 in Canberra.

Sun Ke capitalised on the poor header by Jang Song Hyok to get the opening goal with just 46 seconds on the clock.

China then doubled their advantage just before the break.

DPR Korea stepped up after the interval and managed to reduce the arrears in the 56th minute. Jong IL Gwan's shot was cleared off the line but Gao Lin was the unlucky party as the ball went in off his back.

China will go on to face Australia, who became Group A runners up after losing 1-0 to South Korea on Saturday.

Uzbekistan got the runner-up spot in Group B after clinching a crucial win against Saudi Arabia. The Wolves won the match 3-1 and eliminated the Saudis from the competition.

The Uzbeks will face Group A toppers South Korea in the quarter finals.

In today's action, which kicks off at 6 p.m., Beijing time;

Iran will take on the U.A.E.

And later; Qatar and Bahrain will meet each other on the pitch.

English Premiere League Recap

In Premiere League football action;

West Ham beat Hull City 3-0;

Arsenal took a 2-0 victory over Man City.

Earlier this weekend;

Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-0;

Stoke City beat Leicester 1-0;

Tottenham edged Sunderland 2-1;

Crystal Palace downed Burnley 3-2;

Man U shutout the Queens Park Rangers 2-0;

New Castle went down to Southampton 2-1;

and Chelsea stomped Swansea 5-0.

Basketball: NBA recap and today's preview

We have a light schedule over in the NBA today, with just three games on deck:

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Toronto Raptors

The Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Orlando Magic

and tipping off at about 8 a.m., Beijing time;

The Utah Jazz are in San Antonio to face the Spurs.

Over the weekend;

The Charlotte Hornets beat Indiana 80-71 in overtime;

Detroit's Kyle Singler's 20 points helps the Pistons beat Philadelphia 107-89;

The Atlanta Hawks clinch their 12th win with a 107-99 victory over Chicago;

The Grizzlies edge Portland 102-98, thanks to a double-double from Zach Randolph;

Blake Griffin and Mat Barnes hit a combined 56 points to push the LA Clippers up 117-108 against Sacramento;

Golden State down the Rockets at Houston 131-106;

The Wizards beat Brooklyn 99-90;

Minnesota beat Denver 113 to 105.

Tennis: 1st Round of Australian Open Begins Today

In Tennis:

Today, at about 9 a.m., Beijing time;

The first round of the Australian Open begins.

In women's action, Chinese competitors Peng Shuai, Wang Qiang, and Duan Ying-Ying will all hit the court today.

As will second-seed Maria Sharapova, who will face Petra Martic;

Shenzhen Open winner Simona Halep will face Italy's Karin Knapp;

And fifth-seed Ana Ivanovic will take on Czech Lucie Hradecka.

In men's action;

Second-seed Roger Federer will face Lu Yen-hsun;

Third-seed Rafael Nadal will take on Russian Mikhail Youzhny;

And sixth-seed Andy Murray will battle India's Yuki Bhambri.

Gary Stal Wins 1st Euro Title at Abu Dhabi Championship

France's Gary Stal, rated world 357, took his first European Tour title on Sunday after overhauling misfiring leader, Martin Kaymer, and snatching the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship by one stroke.

Stal has shown good form throughout the tournament, lying in joint fifth place at the start of Sunday and going around the course in a seven-under 65 with seven birdies.

During Stal's round his consistent play gave him the lead as Germany's Kaymer bogeyed the sixth, double-bogeyed the ninth hole and triple-bogeyed the 11th.

The Frenchman seemed almost as shell-shocked by his win as Kaymer was by his failure.

"I play really good for all week and today it was really a good game. Good driving, good putting, all, all, every hole is perfect."

Kaymer was afterwards trying to come to terms with undoing, in three holes, everything he had achieved in the previous three days.

Coming to Abu Dhabi, world number one Rory McIlroy scored a six-under 66 to beat Kaymer by one stroke, but fetch up in second place once again, his fourth in five appearances.

NFL: AFC and NFC Championship Games

Taking a look at American Football action in the NFL:

Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks

And getting under way just about now, the Indianapolis Colts are taking on the New England Patriots for the AFC championship title.

Entertainment

Jay Chou weds Hannah Quinlivan in the UK

Taiwan superstar Jay Chou has married his girlfriend of four years with a wedding bash in the English countryside.

Chou and model Hannah Quinlivan exchanged vows over the weekend at the Selby Abbey in the UK, a day before his 36th birthday.

The wedding was a relatively low-key affair with their parents and about 50 family members and friends.

Chou spared no expense for his big day, with a 20-member live orchestra as the couple walked down the aisle, playing music he composed especially for the occasion.

Chou and Quinlivan will reportedly hold another wedding celebration in Taiwan in March, and one more in Australia, where Quinlivan's parents live.

Chou has just released his 13th studio album "Aiyo, Not Bad", and will soon begin filming the sequel to the 2013 crime thriller "Now You See Me".

Peter Jackson, to attend "The hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies" Chinese premier

Peter Jackson, director of the film "The hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies" has said he will be attending the films Chinese premiere today.

In a Weibo message, he greeted Chinese fans and said he is excited to be able to come to China.

His appearance in Weibo, Chinese version of Twitter attracted thousands of fans instantly.

"The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies" has made around 800 million U.S. dollars in Global box office sales.

The movie will be on screen in China from January 23.

"American Sniper" breaks Box Office records

Clint Eastwood's record-breaking film "American Sniper" has smashed the North American box office.

The Oscar-nominated war film has already earned an estimated 90.2 million U.S. dollars over the weekend, and it's expected to hit a possible 100 million dollar debut.

That's the largest opening of all time for the month of January.

"American Sniper" also took a couple records from James Cameron's "Avatar", which previously held the records for biggest January weekend performance, and biggest gross for a single day in January.

The movie's wide release came on the heels of its success at last week's Oscar nominations announcement.

It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture.

Oscars head Isaacs calls for more diversity after row

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, says she would like to see more diversity in Oscar nominations.

This comes after a row about this year's nominees.

All 20 contenders in the main acting categories are white and there are no female nominees in the directing or writing categories.

After the nominations were announced, the Academy, which picks the contenders, faced strong criticism.

But Isaacs, who is the first African-American president of the Academy, said she was proud of the nominees and that the body was "making strides" towards diversity.

She adds that the organization is "committed to seeking out diversity of voice and opinion."

After the nominees were announced, people mocked the make-up of the awards using the hashtag "OscarsSoWhite" on Twitter.