| The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
It's Paul James with you on this Wednesday, April 8, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
A second fire at a controversial chemical plant in Fujian has been put out after it flared up overnight.
Beloved Chinese track star Liu Xiang has officially announced his retirement.
The US has confirmed its moving to increase weapons shipments to the Saudi-led forces battling the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In business... China's external debt levels on the rise through last year.
In Sports... reigning F1 Champ Lewis Hamilton talks about his chances in Shanghai this weekend.
In Entertainment... European auditions are underway for the "Voice of China" reality show.
First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...
Weather
Beijing will be overcast today with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to 5.
Shanghai will be overcast with a high of 13 and a low of 8.
In Chongqing, it will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 17.
Overnight it will have showers with a low of 14.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 36.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 22.
Over to North America,
New York will see showers with a high of 7 degrees.
Washington, showers with a high of 12 degrees.
Honolulu, windy, 27.
Toronto, Canada, will have rainy with a high of 3 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 27.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Reignited Fire at chemical plant in Fujian has been put out
A fire which reigned at a chemical plant in Fujian is now out.
It took crews around 4-hours to put out the secondary fire, which is said to have been sparked by discarded fuel at the site.
The second fire came just hours after firefighters put out the original fires following a blast at the same chemical plant on Monday night.
A total of 14 people have been treated for injuries in the fires in the city of Zhangzhou.
Waste water from the fire has been collected.
No excessive pollution has been detected in three nearby villages.
The blast occurred after an oil leak at a xylene facility caught fire, setting off explosions in three nearby oil tanks.
It is the second accident in 20 months at the same facility.
The plant produces paraxylene, which is an industrial chemical used for making fiber and plastics.
PX plants are highly controversial in China.
A number of proposed plants have met strong public opposition in recent years.
Last detachment of China's peacekeeping infantry battalion leaves for South Sudan
An additional 130 Chinese peacekeepers are due to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan later on this Wednesday.
The troops from the Jinan Military Command Area in Shandong are set to join 570 of their colleagues who are already stationed there.
"On top of our regular small arms, we are also equipped with light machine guns. This weapon is not only light and portable, but it also has a clip which can carry 50 rounds. The weapon has a relatively fast rate of fire. This has filled the gap between pistols and rifles."
Among the new group of Chinese peacekeepers are 13 female soldiers, representing China's first female light infantry squad taking part in a peacekeeping mission abroad.
Wang Pei is the squad leader.
"We have gone through the same training as the men. We will be carrying out peacekeeping missions together with them after arriving in South Sudan. We have no doubt about the success of our forthcoming mission. At the same time, we want to tell our parents that we will definitely be returning home safe and sound."
The 700-member unit is China's first deployment of a full infantry battalion to a UN peacekeeping mission.
China is currently the biggest contributor to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan among the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council.
There are more than 27-hundred Chinese peacekeepers posted in the UN's nine mission areas in South Sudan.
China, Vietnam pledge closer friendship, partnership
Leaders from China and Vietnam have delivered new promises to control their maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
The pledge has been made during talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the visiting General Secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong in Beijing.
Xi Jinping, who is also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, says the two sides need to work hard to ensure their relationship develops along the right track.
"Because the international situation is undergoing complex and profound changes, China and Vietnam both face new opportunities and challenges in our socialist construction and the development of the relationship between our two parties and our two countries. China hopes to work with Vietnam to continue developing our bilateral ties along the right track. We also want to push for the stable and healthy development of our comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership."
For his part, Nguyen Phu Trong says the Vietnamese side wants more high-level interactions between the leadership of the two countries.
The two leaders have also discussed the Chinese-proposed 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative.
Nguyen says his side is studying the proposal.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Vietnam.
Bilateral ties hit a low point back in May after a dispute in the South China Sea led to attacks against Chinese nationals and Chinese interests in Vietnam.
Tensions have since eased following diplomatic reproachments from both sides.
President Xi to attend Moscow celebrations of WWII victory
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the Russian government expects Chinese President Xi Jinping is going to attend celebrations in Moscow in May marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
He's made the remarks at a press conference following a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow.
At the same time, the two foreign ministers also discussed the overall ties between China and Russia, with both hailing the current relationship.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
"Both countries share the belief that relations between Russia and China, our overwhelming partnership and strategic cooperation, have already become one of the important pillars for the development of both countries and one of the important safeguards for peace and stability in the region and the world."
For his part, Lavrov says Russia remains eager to broaden its economic ties with China.
"I would like to specifically underline that our strategic cooperation is developing transparently and is not aimed against anybody, but first of all is within the interests of our countries and peoples, both in our bilateral relations and in international affairs."
The economic relationship between China and Russia has been on the rise over the past year, including the signing of a major natural gas deal.
The two sides have also been working on programs to create more small-scale cross-border trade along their shared border along Heilongjiang.
US speeds up arms to Saudi-led coalition against Yemen's Houthis
The Pentagon is preparing to speed up the transfer of arms to help the Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi fighters in Yemen.
US Assistant Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made the pronouncement while visiting the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
"Saudi Arabia is sending a strong message to the Houthis and their allies that they cannot overrun Yemen by force. As part of that effort, we have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing, and we have established a joint coordination planning cell in the Saudi operation centre."
Warplanes involved in the Saudi-led coalition have been pounding Shi'ite Houthi rebel positions in an attempt to keep the rebels from over-running the city of Aden.
The Houthi's ousted Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after over-running the Yemeni capital, Sana'a in September.
The rebels are said to be backed by troops loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was forced from power during the Arab Spring.
Meanwhile, fighting has reportedly escalated in Aden, with reports of overflowing hospitals, hijacked ambulances and bodies left in the streets.
A Red Cross attempt to send tons of medical supplies into the country has so-far been thwarted by a lack of logistical support.
Around 550 people have been killed in the fighting in Yemen over the past two weeks.
Some 2-thousand others have been injured.
And more than 100-thousand people have been displaced since the Saudi-led air strikes began two weeks ago.
Kenyan police arrests 17 suspects linked to university terror attack
A court in Kenya has ordered 17 suspected Al-Shabaab operatives to be held without bail for another month.
The group is said to have links to the University massacre in Garissa last week which left 148 dead.
Five Kenyans and one Tanzanian are among the group of suspects arrested.
Police are looking into allegations the group may have supplied weapons to the attackers.
Kenyan authorities have also frozen the accounts of 86 others thought to be funding al-Shabab.
Officials are also cracking down on informal money transfer services which are thought to be used to funnel funds to Somalia.
Meanwhile, Hundreds of people have been holding a candle-lit vigil in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to remember the victims of last week's attack at Garissa University College.
At the same time, a march has also been held in Garissa to commemorate those killed.
Sen. Paul Joins 2016 Race
Anchor:
U.S. Senator Rand Paul has officially joined the 2016 Republican race for the White House.
"Today begins the journey to take America back."
The libertarian is campaigning on a slogan to "Beat the Washington machine and unleash the American dream."
CRI's chief Washington correspondent Xiao Hong has more.
Reporter:
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has used his official announcement on Tuesday to portray himself as a "different" Republican.
"Too often when Republicans have won, we have squandered our victory by becoming part of the Washington machine. That's not who I am."
In making his pitch for the Republican nomination, Rand Paul says he is going to overcome the Washington machine.
To do this, he's proposing setting term-limits for lawmakers, suggesting those in Congress should be limited to two-terms each.
In laying out his campaign strategy, Rand Paul is also promising to kill the NSA's controversial surveillance program if he becomes President.
"And as president on Day 1, I will immediately end this unconstitutional surveillance."
At the same time, the libertarian-leaning Senator has also laid out his thoughts on foreign policy, highlighting his position on the Iranian nuclear negotiations.
"We brought Iran to the table through sanctions that I've voted for. Now we must stay strong. That's why I've co-sponsored legislation that ensures that any deal between the U.S. and Iran must be approved by Congress."
Rand Paul is the 2nd GOP candidate to enter into the race for the White House following Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
A string of campaign debuts are expected to be rolled out in the next couple of weeks.
Leading Republicans including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and current Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker are widely-expected to roll out bids for the Republican nomination.
On the Democrat side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is still the main focus of discussion.
Clinton remains the Democrat's likely choice to try to replace Barack Obama.
Her team has already leased office space in New York.
Clinton's announcement is said to be imminent.
Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.
Washington Power Outage Hits White House
The White House has not been immune from a short power outage which rolled over a wide swath of Washington, DC on Tuesday.
The outage itself has been caused by an explosion at a nearby power plant.
Authorities say they don't believe there was anything criminal or terror-related behind the explosion.
U.S. Military Commander, Admiral Bill Gortney.
"What it really goes to is, we have a lot of vulnerabilities out there. It is our reliance on critical infrastructure that our nations need in order to operate -- be it banking, be it power, be it rail, be it the FAA. And if someone either through a nefarious act or through just an act of nature, that the impact on us, so I think all of those critical infrastructures are fragile. And when I say fragile it's just because we really don't know the true vulnerabilities. We try to mitigate them as best we can, but it causes me great concern."
The White House had to briefly rely on a backup generator before power was fully-restored.
The power outage also affected the US Capitol Building and the State Department.
It stretched from downtown Washington into neighboring Maryland.
The power outage at some of the United States most important and sensitive facilities has raised questions as to why buildings such as the White House and Capitol are not powered on an independent source.
Legendary hurdler Liu Xiang's retirement wins regret and support
Anchor
Both the sports and non-sports world in China are buzzing following the official retirement of Chinese Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang.
CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.
Reporter
"We were really sad when we saw his performance in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London, as we had great expectations for him. Now, looking back, we know that he has his own difficulties that he was not able to really talk about. Now, I feel the criticism he received then was really unfair to him. "
Jia Baoqiang is like many in Beijing and around the country who are pausing to reflect on the achievements and disappointments in Liu Xiang's career.
Liu Xiang first broke on to the scene in 2001 by winning the 110-meter hurdles event at the East Asian Games in Japan as an 18-year old.
From there, his career began taking off, winning a number of international meets leading up to the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
While not considered the favorite at the event in Greece, he emerged triumphant, earning China its first-ever men's Olympic gold in track and field.
His time of 12.91 seconds in the final also tied the then-World Record.
This led to a series of endorsements and a continued string of victories in subsequent international events.
However, his career took a hit in-front of his home country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, when he was forced to withdraw from the 110-meter hurdles with an Achilles strain following a false start, devastating many of his Chinese fans.
And four years later at the 2012 Olympics in London, his injury finally caught up with him for good.
"The doctor had been using physical methods to press my Achilles' tendon, to make it numb. At that time I really did not know how to deal with my injury."
"I did not know what happened to my right foot. It felt like someone had whipped me from behind. Then I lost balance and fell down. I remember I looked at my foot and it felt like part of my ankle was empty. It was then that I knew my Achilles' tendon had broken."
Despite the injury, Liu Xiang still attempted to return to the track.
But after undergoing a number of surgeries and rigorous training, the injury proved too much.
Liu Xiang's coach, Sun Haiping.
"Liu Xiang delayed announcing his retirement until today, because Liu Xiang wanted to hang in there. We did our best to try to help him recover. However, our results just weren't good enough."
In bidding farewell to competitive track, Liu Xiang says he's looking forward to embarking on a new journey.
"Everyone has things that he wants to do. I just want to do things that are simple and practical. It doesn't have to be big. After retirement I really want help people if it's within my capability. I want to be able to help young people with their athletic career."
Among the Shanghai-native's achievements, aside from an Olympic gold, was holding the 110-meter world record for a time at 12.88 seconds, which he set at a meet in Switzerland in 2006.
For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.
Biz Reports
First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, Niu Honglin.
Reporter
U.S. markets ended Tuesday slightly lower after a mostly flat session, with investors assessing a strong U.S dollar against an across-the-board stock surge around the world.
The U.S. dollar also climbed against most major currencies on Tuesday.
Overseas stock markets witnessed broad-based rallies on Tuesday.
Here in China, the Shanghai Composite Index surged 2.5 percent on Tuesday after a resumption of trading following the three-day Tomb Sweeping Day holiday.
The Japanese Nikkei gained 1.3 percent on Tuesday.
At close in New York,
The Dow Jones ended almost unchanged.
The S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent.
The Nasdaq Composite Index dipped 0.1 percent.
European equities rose sharply on Tuesday, as FedEx's bid for TNT helped bolster sentiment.
We'll have more on that in just a moment.
At close, London's FTSE 100 Index jumped nearly 1.9 percent.
Germany's DAX rallied 1.3 percent.
Finally France's CAC 40 increased 1.5 percent.
Fedex to acquire TNT with 4.8 billion
Global delivery giant FedEx has announced plans to buy Dutch package delivery firm TNT Express in a deal worth some 4.8-billion US dollars.
FedEx is financing the deal through loans, with the Atlanta-based company taking advantage of the current low interest rates.
Observers say the deal is an attempt by FedEx to battle for market share in Europe with German-based DHL and UPS.
The tie-up should give FedEx around 17-percent market-share in Europe.
DHL controls 19 percent of the European delivery market, while UPS has around 16 percent market share.
TNT is best known for road-based deliveries in Europe.
China's crude steel output dips further in first two months
New figures show Chinese steel output has been slowing to start the year.
The latest figures from the National Development and Reform Commission show total crude steel output is down 1.5-percent through the first two months of this year.
Chinese mills still pumped out over 130-million tons of steel through the first two-months.
This is more than half of the world total.
But while output is down somewhat slightly, steel-makers profits are down around 45 percent year on year through January and February.
Steel prices have been on a downward slide since the start of the 2008 financial crisis.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is suggesting it may take at least 2-years to tackle overcapacity in the Chinese steel sector.
Call-in with John Ross]China's external debt edges up in 2014
Anchor
New stats show China's outstanding external debt came in at nearly 900-billion US dollars at the end of last year.
This is up 2.5-percent from a year earlier.
Of the total outstanding debt, short-term external debt, due within a year, makes up just over two-thirds of China's overall debt-load.
Medium- and long-term debt makes up the rest.
Despite the increase, China's forex regulator insists the country's external debt risk remains within control.
For more on China's debt, we're joined on the line by John Ross, Senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.
1, As the new stats show short-term external debt takes up a major proportion of the debt. Is it a good thing in the big picture? (Short-term VS Medium-long-term, merit/shortcoming)
2, Can you give explain a bit to our listeners, how the risk is evaluated? Is the risk below international alert levels? (The ratio of debt to GDP of China, debt ratio and debt servicing ratio, these numbers all related to risk is evaluation.)
3, In terms of currency structure, debt denominated in U.S. dollars accounted for 80 percent of the outstanding external debt. Internationally, is it normal to have such large amount of greenback debt?
Back anchor:
John Ross, Senior fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University in Beijing.
World Bank ready to share experience with AIIB
The head of the World Bank says his organization is prepared to share the bank's experience with the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Jim Yong Kim is proposing the World Bank discuss potential collaboration between both his organization and the AIIB during the World Bank and IMF Spring meetings next week.
In making the suggestion, World Bank President Jim Young Kim notes there is still a shortfall of 1 to 1.5-trillion US dollars for infrastructure projects around the world every year.
At the same time, Jim Yong Kim also notes that by 2030, the world is likely going to need 40-percent more energy and 40-percent more clean water.
Over 50 countries and regions have expressed interest in becoming founding members of the AIIB.
The final tally of who will be involved is to be announced by the end of next week.
Australia drops anti-dumping probe into imported Chinese solar panels
Australia's anti-dumping commission has announced its dropping a dumping investigation into imported solar panels from China.
The Australian side has determined that while Chinese companies had been selling their products at countervailing prices between 2012 and the end of 2013, the impact on Australia's solar panel industry has been minimal.
The investigation itself lasted for over 11 months.
Australia accounts for around 5 percent of China's solar panel export market.
The annual export value of Chinese solar panels to Australia currently sits at around 400-million US dollars.
iPhone market share in China on the rise
A new report shows the overall market-share for the iPhone in China has been on a dramatic rise since the launch of the new iPhone 6 back in November.
Market research by Kantar World panel suggests the Chinese market-share for the iPhone in China jumped from 18-percent back in November to nearly 28-percent by the end of February.
The same analysis also suggests the Chinese market is the exception.
Kantar's review suggests the iPhone's market share in the United States dipped by some 9-percent to just under 40-percent between November and the end of February.
iPhone saturation in Japan dipped from 60-percent to just below 50 during the period.
Competition from other handset manufacturers, including Samsung and others have created more market competition for Apple in the world's major mobile phone markets.
Xiaomi touches base with customers in India
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is teaming up with an Indian retail chain in an attempt to once-again try to tap the world's third largest smartphone market.
Xiaomi is teaming up with "The Mobile Store" retail chain to sell Xiaomi handsets at 35 different outlets across India.
This comes now that Xiaomi has been cleared to directly sell its handsets in the Indian market following the resolution of a legal dispute.
Xiaomi's market share in India now stands just over 4-percent.
The company had been using an online sales strategy while its handsets were banned from direct sale in the Indian market.
Headline News
Reignited Fire at chemical plant in Fujian has been put out
A fire which reigned at a chemical plant in Fujian is now out.
It took crews around 4-hours to put out the secondary fire, which is said to have been sparked by discarded fuel at the site.
The second fire came just hours after firefighters put out the original fires following a blast at the same chemical plant on Monday night.
A total of 14 people have been treated for injuries in the fires in the city of Zhangzhou.
New president appointed for China's CCTV
The central authorities have appointed a new head for China Central Television.
Nie Chenxi is taking over for Hu Zhanfan.
The outgoing Hu Zhanfan has been removed from the post due to his age.
Nie Chenxi is the former deputy director of the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
2000: Iran, UAE become AIIB prospective founding members
Iran and the United Arab Emirates have been approved as founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
China's Ministry of Finance says the decision was made by all existing members, including China, France, Germany, India, and the United Kingdom.
The total number of prospective founders has now increased to 35.
The final number of founding members will be confirmed on April 15.
The bank is expected to be established by the end of this year, with a mission to support infrastructure projects in Asian counties.
1800: S.Korea protests Japan island claim report
South Korea has expressed its anger at a Japanese report which claims that disputed islets located on the waters between South Korea and Japan are Japanese territory.
Japan's just-released 2015 Diplomatic Bluebook says the islets are Japanese sovereignty due to historical facts and international law.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry has summoned a Japanese Embassy official in Seoul in protest.
The sovereignty of the islets, called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese, has been a topic of long dispute between the two countries along with various historical issues.
Russian nuclear submarine 'on fire'
Reports out of Russia say one of the country's nuclear submarines has caught fire at an Arctic naval shipyard.
The same reports say the fire aboard the "Orel" has been contained.
No injuries have been reported.
The same reports also suggest the submarine's nuclear reactor remained unaffected by the fire.
It's said that welding on the ship sparked the blaze.
The submarine itself doesn't have weapons or nuclear fuel on board.
The "Orel" has been in-service since 1992, and is part of Russia's northern submarine fleet which patrols the Arctic.
Newspaper Picks
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Ex-mayor sentenced
Summary
Ji Jianye, the former mayor of Nanjing has sentenced to 15 years in jail for accepting bribes.
He pleaded guilty to taking bribes to help others in the form of cash and cars.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Medical fraudsters sentenced
Summary
Three men have sentenced for defrauding six victims out of more than 270-thousand US dollars in Shanghai.
Ringleader of the trio has received 12 years, while the two others received 11 and 8-year punishments.
The group convinced their victims to purchase phony drugs and medical products and services after illegally obtaining their medical records.
HUANGSHANG DAILY
Headline
Ancient tomb exposed
Summary
A tomb complex has been discovered in the ancient city of Baoji in Shaanxi.
The tomb's entrance was uncovered by a canal collapse caused by heavy rain.
Excavations of the tomb are being put on-hold until a nearby road can be fixed first.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Ancient vase purchase
Summary
Chinese tycoon Liu Yiqian has spent nearly 15-million dollars on an ancient vase at auction in Hong Kong.
The simple octagonal piece, an 800-year-old vase from the Southern Song Dynasty, went for nearly double the book price at the sale by Sotheby's.
Liu, who also owns his own museum in Shanghai, has said he is on a mission to bring ancient Chinese artifacts back to the country.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Landmark project nears completion
Summary
Oriental Gate, a landmark building in the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu is nearing completion after more than a decade of construction.
A 34-thousand square-meter garden will be built on the top floor of the skyscraper.
The garden will be shared between the two presidential suites on the top floor.
The building has been panned on the internet as resembling a pair of long underwear.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Online blood donations
Summary
Blood donors in Beijing are now able to register and make appointments online via their smartphones.
Donation centers can now access donors information by scan a QR code which will have their personal information online.
The service is expected to be widely accessible later on this year.
Special Reports
Hong Kong to introduce campaign to promote tourism
Anchor
Hong Kong is considering a campaign in the summer to attract more visitors as tourism has experienced a slump in recent months.
CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has the story.
Report
Every year, thousands of mainland tourists flood into Hong Kong during the Qingming Festival holiday, but this year, the number of tourist groups has dropped by 20 percent compared with last year. And the number of tourist arrivals last month also saw a year-on-year 9 percent slump.
Joseph Tung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, says the city's tourism industry is experiencing its hardest time since the "SARS" pandemic in 2003.
"We haven't seen such sharp drop since SARS. I think there are two factors. On one hand, the currencies in neighboring countries are depreciating, while Hong Kong dollars are relatively strong. On the other hand, the protests against parallel goods traders and some impolite behavior towards visitors have left the impression that they are not welcome in Hong Kong. "
Official figures show that retail sales in January went down nearly 15 percent from a year ago, with sales of jewelry and watches plunging 21 percent.
A shop owner in the prime shopping area of Causeway Bay for the past decade says she feels the chill recently.
"It is not as busy and crowded as it used to be. The number of individual tourists is falling. The other countries are opening up to mainland people, so they go to other places rather than coming to Hong Kong."
As a result, the official organization overseeing tourism in the city, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, is planning to make campaigns together with restaurants and retail stores during the summer holiday, to attract tourists with discounts and other preferential policies.
President of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades Simon Wong hopes the government can work with tourism insiders to boost consumption.
"We have 24-thousand restaurants providing different kinds of food. It is important to have a common goal but we don't have enough resources to make it on our own. We had a successful lottery campaign in Hong Kong restaurants before, with the participation of lawmakers. "
Hong Kong Disneyland is actively promoting in Thailand and Philippines, and will fine tune its strategies in line with market demand.
Due to sluggish sales, rental rates in Causeway Bay, which was crowned as the highest rent street in the world back in 2012, has declined by 10 to 15 percent, and is expected to drop more if consumption does not pick up soon.
For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.
Sports
F1: Lewis Hamilton Talks Chinese Grand Prix Ahead of Race
F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton comes to the Chinese Grand Prix, which takes place this coming Sunday, as the points leader but Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel is the new danger.
Hamilton won the opening race in Australia easily, but Vettel came back with a surprise win at the second Grand Prix in Malaysia to open up the championship.
The Mercedes racer is confident in his chances in Shanghai, but says it is still a tough course to run:
"China has been a race that I have very much enjoyed over the years and the fanbase they have there seems to be growing every year so it makes it an exceptional weekend for me. But the circuit is incredibly tough. It's a lot of right-handers, very, very tough on the front tires so front graining is the biggest issue. So it is really important to find a good balance."
Mercedes driver Hamilton comes to the Shanghai track with 43 points and Vettel, driving his first season for Ferrari, is second with 40. Third is Hamilton's Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg with 33.
Duke Beats Wisconsin to Win NCAA Championship
Freshman guard Tyus Jones hit a key 3-pointer to help Duke to its fifth national title yesterday in a 68-63 comeback win over Wisconsin at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
In a fierce on-court battle, the teams hit the interval tied 31-31.
Perhaps the biggest basket of the game came from Tyus Jones, who made a 3-pointer that extended Duke's lead to 66-58.
Wisconsin rallied to close the gap, but Duke gutted it out and edged the Badgers 68-63.
Tyus Jones on the big win with this season's Blue Devils squad:
"It's hard to put it into words. This is just such a special group. The best team I've ever been a part of and we've worked hard all year and this has been our one goal that we were working for. No matter if it was getting up extra shots, or extra running, trying to get in better shape, tough practices, just believing in one another, believing in coach and everything they were telling us, because we knew at the end if we did accomplish this, it was all going to be worth it."
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski captured his fifth title, putting him in second place alone behind UCLA's John Wooden.
Basketball: NBA Preview
In hoops action from the National Basketball Association:
Six games on deck for this morning:
The Phoenix Suns are on the hunt for a playoff spot as they kick off their four-game road trip against the Atlanta Hawks.
Miami Heat, riding a four-game losing streak, take on the Charlotte Hornets. Both teams are trying to break into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
New Orleans are back in playoff contention, but they will host Golden State, which are 11-0 against the Pelicans.
San Antonio will meet Oklahoma City; the Thunder are struggling with injuries to maintain their place in the post-season.
The Los Angeles Clippers are looking to sweep the series against the LA Lakers with a win today, which would put them closer to getting home-court advantage in the post-season.
And Minnesota will play Sacramento.
Football: EPL, La Liga, Serie A Recap
Switching over to Football action:
In the English Premiere League:
Aston Villa salvaged a crucial point in their 3-3 tie against Queens Park Rangers, thanks to striker Christian Benteke's hat-trick.
Over in La Liga:
Altetico Madrid beat Real Sociedad 2-0;
Eibar defeated Malaga 1-0;
And Levante went down to Sevilla 2-1;
In Serie A's Coppa Italia:
Juventus downed Fiorentina 3-0 to storm into the finals against the winner of the match between Lazio and Napoli.
Football: ACL Recap
In football action from the Asian Champions League:
Hiroyuki Takasaki scored a last-minute winner as Japan's Kashima Antlers beat Guangzhou Evergrande of China 2-1 in AFC Champions League Group H at Kashima Soccer Stadium.
And two-time champions Seongnam FC of South Korea were held to a goalless draw by Guangzhou R and F in Group F of the ACL.
NHL: Hockey Preview
And in Hockey, as the regular season winds down,
There are nine games on schedule this morning:
The New York Rangers, riding potentially their best season in franchise history, are looking to sweep the New Jersey Devils when they meet on the ice.
The New York Islanders are one point away from a playoff berth as they face the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins can still clinch a playoff spot if they can get a regulation win in their match over the Ottawa Senators.
Detroit will face Carolina;
Winnipeg will take on St. Louis;
Chicago hit the ice against Minnesota;
Nashville and Colorado will meet;
Arizona will battle Calgary;
And the defending champions LA Kings will take on the Edmonton Oilers.
Entertainment
European auditions take place for 'Voice of China'
Talent show fever here in China is not subsiding.
"The Voice of China," the Chinese copycat of "the American Idol", is entering its fourth season and it's only getting bigger.
This year, the show's producers are having auditions first in London, then in Paris and in Amsterdam, culminating with a final battle in London on May 10 for the European round.
Daniel Chan is the European project director of the program.
"There are so many oriental Chinese people all over the world and the show has grown so much lately in China and we have 1.3 billion people there, it can only get better and better and bigger and bigger and now even though it's just to find the perfect contestant,"
Dozens of Chinese expats and British Chinese, students and professionals, presented themselves at a London studio hoping to wow the preliminary judges.
Fifteen finalists from across Europe will take the stage at London's Garrick Theater in front of judges Alfred Hui, Zhou Shen and Li Wei and the winner will have a shot at becoming China's next singing sensation.
Blues legend B.B. King to be released from hospital
Blues legend B.B. King will be released from hospital today.
The 89-year-old was hospitalized last Tuesday for dehydration caused by Type 2 diabetes.
The musician posted a message on his website thanking his fans for supporting him through his health scare.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has released more than 50 albums.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No. 6 on its 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
King was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes more than 20 years ago.
In October, he canceled the remaining shows on his latest US tour after falling ill in Chicago.
"American Pie" lyrics sell for 1.2 million US dollars
Singer-songwriter Don McLean's original working manuscript for "American Pie," - one of the most iconic songs of the 20th century - has sold for 1.2 million US dollars at an auction.
It is the third highest price fetched by a few sheets of song lyrics.
The record for a most popular music manuscript is held by Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," which sold for 2 million US dollars last year.
"American Pie" made former folk singer a cult sensation overnight. The song hit the top of the charts in early 1972.
"American Pie" was also ranked as one of the top Songs of the century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Its six verses reflect the social upheavals that were occurring in America in the 1960s and early 70s.
Taylor Swift and Sam Smith lead list of nominees for Billboard Music Awards
Taylor Swift's mega-selling "1989" album has earned her a nomination for top artist at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.
Swift's competition includes Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, One Direction and Katy Perry.
Swift's "1989" is also a finalist for the top Billboard 200 album, where it will battle efforts from Smith, Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 and Pentatonix.
Swift is also up for top female artist and top 100 song for the hit "Shake It Off."
Meanwhile, Sam Smith also earned multiple nominations, including top male artist and shot at the top 100 song with "Stay With Me."
More finalists are expected to be announced later.
The show will air live on ABC on May 17 from Las Vegas.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick look at the headlines before we go...
A second fire at a controversial chemical plant in Fujian has been put out after it flared up overnight.
Beloved Chinese track star Liu Xiang has officially announced his retirement.
The US has confirmed its moving to increase weapons shipments to the Saudi-led forces battling the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In business... China's external debt levels on the rise through last year.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together. |