| =The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
It's Paul James with you on this Thursday, April 9, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Close to 30-thousand people have been moved out of their homes amid a chemical plant fire which is still raging in Fujian.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is proposing joint maritime inspections with Vietnam amid a trip to Beijing by one of the country's top officials.
Boston Marathon bomber Dzokhar Tsarnaev has been found guilty on all 30 charges against him.
In business... China has filed a WTO complaint against the European Union over poultry quotas.
In Sports... A member of the Indiana Pacers has been stabbed outside a night club in New York.
In Entertainment... Fashion Week is underway in Shanghai.
First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...
Weather
Beijing will be overcast today with a high of 17 degrees Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to 5.
Shanghai will be overcast with a high of 14 and a low of 9.
In Chongqing, it will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 17.
Overnight it will be overcast with a low of 13.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 38.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 23.
Over to North America,
New York will see showers with a high of 8 degrees.
Washington, showers with a high of 14 degrees.
Honolulu, windy, 27.
Toronto, Canada, will have rainy with a high of 11 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 29.
And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Fire still rages at Fujian chemical plant
Fires have been raging on and off at a chemical plant in Fujian for nearly 60 hours since an initial fire on Monday night triggered an explosion at the PX plant.
Two storage tanks at the plant in Zhangzhou caught fire yesterday after the original blaze was distinguished a day earlier.
Authorities say the newest fire is now under control.
However, strong winds have been making it difficult to keep the fire contained.
Police and soldiers have helped evacuate some 29-thousand people living near the plant.
"We entered villages this morning and went door to door to persuade residents to evacuate from this hazardous location. We helped old people who live alone and those who have difficulties moving around to pack their luggage and contacted vehicles for them. We also assisted them to get on vehicles."
Those evacuated are being sheltered in schools some 15-kilometers from the plant.
Officials say no excessive pollution is being detected at the villages where the people have been moved from.
Monday's explosion occurred after an oil leak at the xylene facility caught fire.
14 people have been hospitalized.
It is the second blast at the same facility in the last 20 months.
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 here in China have met with strong public opposition in recent years.
China, Vietnam pledge further maritime cooperation
Leaders from China and Vietnam are promising stronger maritime ties.
The pledge has been made at a meeting between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, in Beijing.
Among the proposals put forward by Li Keqiang include joint inspections with Vietnam in the waters at the mouth of the Beibu Gulf.
The water of the Beibu Gulf, which borders Guangxi and northern Vietnam, has not been completely deliniated.
For his part, Nguyen Phu Trong says Vietnam wants to work out a solution which will be acceptable to both sides.
Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese leaders have also signed an agreement to maintain ties between China-Vietnam, despite their differences in the South China Sea.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has also accepted an invitation to visit Vietnam.
A date for that trip hasn't been set.
Nguyen Phu Trong's time in China has also seen the signing of a string of deals, including an extradition treaty and an agreement establishing working groups connected to infrastructure and financing.
China calls on US be responsible on talks over regional territorial disputes
The Chinese government is calling on the United States to be more responsible when discussing regional territorial disputes.
The comment comes after U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter went on-record saying the US opposes any attempt to "undermine Japan's administrative control" of the Diaoyu Islands.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying:
"Now as you all can see, China and the relevant countries have reached a consensus to continue to push forward for the resolution of the issue through dialogue. We hope the U.S. side can respect the wishes of China and relevant countries to resolve the problem via dialogue, say more responsible things and make more responsible moves, so it can genuinely play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability."
China and Japan reached a four-point consensus last year.
That agreement has allowed for the re-opening of government-to-government talks between China and Japan, while at the same time, acknowledging the differences between them over the Diaoyu Islands.
Carter is currently on his first trip to Japan as a U.S. defense chief.
As part of his time there, the US and Japan have agreed to speed up work on revising their defense cooperation guidelines.
The revision, when completed, would be the first of its kind regarding U.S-Japan defense cooperation since 1997.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been moving to try to ease the constraints of Japan's pacifist constitution on the nation's military.
Ukeru Magosaki, former head of Japan's Intelligence and Analysis Bureau, says he believes Abe is using the concept of strengthened defense ties for personal political motives.
"Abe will be praised by the United States and he consider the getting the support from the United States, he can stay longer as the prime minister. So, this is not for the sake of Japanese security, but for the sake of personal reasons of Abe as the prime minister."
The US and Japan are expected to unveil their new defense guidelines later this month.
U.S. POWs Used for Live Experiments in Japan during WWII
A museum in Japan is exhibiting materials admitting the Japanese military was directly involved in medical experiments on US prisoners of war in 1945.
The display highlights how 8 US POWs were captured and moved to a medical school after their bomber was shot down during the late-stages of the war.
The testing included injecting the victims with seawater to test if it could serve as a substitute for sterile saline solution.
Others had parts of their livers removed to determine if they could survive.
None of the crew survived the testing.
The display at Kyushu University is drawing big reactions among those who visit.
"Many people, or we can say most people, do not know history like this. To make people have more knowledge of history, Kyushu University displays its history, or its own historical stains, which I think is very amazing."
Hideki Sumimoto is the dean of Kyushu University's medical school.
"We will not have future unless we treat the history seriously and deeply retrospect over the past."
The Japanese military also did testing on other prisoners during the war, including the testing of chemical weapons on Chinese prisoners of war at a controversial military base in northeastern China.
Boston Marathon bomber found guilty
21-year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been found guilty of all 30 charges connected to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
It took the jury just 12-hours to find Tsarnaev guilty on all counts.
The jury is now deciding what sentence the 21-year-old will receive.
He could face the death penalty.
Karen Brassard, Boston Bombing Survivor
"We just as a group wanted to come out and say thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen. We are obviously grateful for the outcome today. It's not a happy occasion but it's something that we can put one more step behind us."
Tsarnaev's lawyers maintained throughout the trial that although he played a role in the attacks, his older brother Tamerlan was the driving force behind the bombing.
Tamerlan was killed in a shootout with police in the days following the attack.
The bombing at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon left 3-people dead, including a young woman from China who had been studying in Boston at the time.
The attack left more than 260 others injured.
Protestors march against fatal police shooting in South Carolina
Protestors have taken to the streets in South Carolina following the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer.
Officer Michael Slager has been charged with murder after a video surfaced showed him shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott multiple times in the back.
Saturday's shooting took place after Slager stopped Walter Scott for a broken brake light.
A video shot by a bystander shows Scott and Slager getting into a scuffle after Slager tazed him.
The officer originally claimed this is when he shot the 50-year old, saying he feared for his life.
However, the video clearly shows the officer firing several shots at Scott as he was running away.
Anthony Scott is the older brother of the victim.
"From the beginning when it happened the first day, all we wanted was the truth, and I think through the process we've received the truth. And, we can't get my brother back and my family is in deep mourning for that, but through the process of justice being served, I don't think that all police officers are bad cops, but there are some bad ones out there and I don't want to see anyone get shot down the way my brother got shot down."
The US Department of Justice and the FBI are now investigating.
This is the latest in a string of high-profile police shootings involving black victims and white police officers in the United States over the past year.
The incidents have stirred debate across the United States about how police used their weapons, as well as and racial profiling.
US soldier killed in firefight between NATO and Afghan troops
An American soldier and an Afghan soldier have been killed in a firefight between Afghan and NATO forces.
The fighting broke out at a compound in Afghanistan where a senior US diplomat had been meeting with a provincial governor in eastern Afghanistan.
Jalalabad Police Chief Fazil Ahmad Sherzad.
"An Afghan army soldier opened fire on American soldiers with a machine gun and in response to the attack American soldiers opened fire and killed the soldier. Two Afghan army soldiers were wounded in the firefight and I don't have any specific information about the casualties of ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces) soldiers."
Two American soldiers were also injured.
It remains unclear at this point what set-off the fire-fight.
Shooting erupted shortly after the American diplomat left the compound.
The frequency of "insider attacks" in Afghanistan has fallen sharply, as most foreign forces have already withdrawn from the country.
A small contingent of around 12-thousand NATO troops have remained in Afghanistan.
They're supposed to be there to help train the Afghan military.
Greece did not seek financial aid from Russia – Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin is rebuffing suggestions Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras requested financial assistance from Russia during his recent visit to Moscow.
There has been speculation Tsipras had been looking for Russian aid to ease Greece's debt crisis, while at the same time, countering pressure from its creditors from the European Union.
However, Putin says no formal request for broad-based loans has been made.
But in saying that, Putin does say the Russian side would consider loans to Greece for big joint projects, potentially in the energy sector.
"The Greek party hasn't asked for any aid. That's first. Secondly, we discussed cooperation in different sectors of the economy, including carrying out massive projects in the energy sector. Within these projects there can be situations that would allow us not only to credit the plans that we discussed, but also resolve questions on credit relations in a wider context."
Putin is also hinting Moscow may be preparing to lift its embargo on food imports from Greece.
Russia has been banning selected food imports from the EU in retaliation for sanctions the EU has been imposing on it.
A re-opening of Greek food imports could be worth millions of euros for Greek farmers.
Russia was among Greece's leading trade partners before the sanctions were introduced.
Combined with Greece's own economic problems, trade between the two countries is down by some 40-percent.
11 civilians killed as mortars hit houses in Egypt's Sinai
At least 11 people have been killed and 6 others injured in a mortar attack in Egypt's North Sinai.
Egyptian officials say extremists launched a series of mortars at armed forces in the city of Sheikh Zuweid.
However, the mortars missed their mark, hitting a pair of houses instead.
At the same time, 5 militants have been killed in clashes with Egyptian security forces in the North Sinai amid raids on suspected militant hideouts in the peninsula.
Violence in the Egyptian Sinai has increased dramatically since the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July of 2013.
The Sinai was one of the power-bases for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt before it was declared a terrorist organization.
12 jailed for selling meat from sick pigs
Twelve people convicted of selling meat from sick pigs have been sentenced to prison in Fujian.
The sentences range from 2.5 to 16-years behind bars.
The courts in Fujian have heard the group used illegal connections to sell potentially-tainted pork to restaurants or other food distributors.
Zhang Runjiang is with the local prosecutors office in the city of Longyan.
"By bribing government officials, the suspects managed to transport a lot of sick and dead pigs to other places."
Through the bribes, the group was able to obtain the proper qualifications for the animals.
One group illegally purchased sick and dead pigs and sold the meat for 12 million yuan, or 2 million US dollars, after processing.
Another group made 43 million yuan by renting licensed slaughter houses to butcher such pigs.
Under Chinese law, pigs which have died of disease can't be sold on the market.
Instead, they're supposed to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
China keeps tabs on misbehaving tourists
Anchor
China's National Tourism Administration has released new measures to keep tabs on Chinese tourists who misbehave.
Tourists who break the rules may be recorded in a provincially-administered black list for up to 2 years.
CRI's Yin Qiuqi has more.
Reporter
Based on new rules, authorities will record tourists who get caught violating local customs, destroying public facilities or historical relics, becoming unruly on public transportation, or taking part in illegal gambling.
The tourism authority will notify the tourists about the record, and in some cases report them to the police, customs, and banks.
Li Jinzao is the Director of the National Tourism Administration.
"We will share these records with other sectors, such as airlines and hotels. We feel if we don't do this, the black-list won't have any impact."
The move follows a series of recent incidents involving Chinese tourists.
In the latest incident, 3 Chinese tourists in Japan during the Tomb Sweeping holiday were arrested for sexual harassment.
Liu Simin with the Beijing Tourism Society says the creation of the black-list is more about creating a deterrent than it is about punishment.
"These measures will definitely have an effect on tourists' behaviors. But it is more about making the tourists aware of their actions, as there are not many specific punishment measures. So in this sense, the record is more like a shame list, which could force tourist to behave accordingly. "
Meanwhile, Chen Caiyin, a manager with a tourism site, says more information about local customs should be provided to tourists to avoid cultural misunderstanding.
"A number of Chinese tourists who violate local rules or misbehave while visiting other countries did not do these things on purpose. Sometimes, they just didn't know, they were not aware of local customs."
Liu says that to reduce misbehavior, the key is to build awareness.
"On one hand, we can enforce the existing laws to regulate tourists' behaviors; on the other hand, we need the public and media to keep a constant focus on this issue. As long as the awareness is built, we may see less misbehavior among tourists."
The new rules were enacted earlier this week.
For CRI, I'm Yin Qiuqi.
Biz Reports
Anchor
First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.
U.S. stocks posted modest gains on Wednesday, with the minutes of the Federal Reserve's March policy meeting suggesting the officials are split about when to raise interest rates.
According to the minutes, several Fed officials have suggested the US central bank would be able to raise interest rates in June.
However, others have said a rate hike wouldn't be warranted until later in the year.
A couple of Fed members even argued the US economy probably wouldn't be ready for tighter policies until sometime next year.
At the same time, the energy sector, dragged down by tumbling oil prices, was the biggest loser among the S&P 500's ten sectors, declined more than 1 percent Wednesday.
Despite this,
The S&P 500 added 0.3 percent.
The Dow Jones gained 0.2 percent.
The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 0.8 percent.
European equities retreated on Wednesday, although energy shares rallied following the announcement of Royal Dutch Shell's 70-billion dollar bid for BG.
At the close, Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.4 percent.
Germany's DAX finished down 0.7 percent.
Finally France's CAC 40 shed 0.3 percent.
China launches WTO litigation over EU poultry tariff quota
The Chinese government has launched a complaint with the WTO in a dispute with the European Union over poultry quotas.
At issue is a treaty the EU has with Brazil and Thailand.
The treaty gives those two countries some 96-percent of the quota for low-tariff imports of poultry meat.
China's argument with the WTO is the treaty discriminates against Chinese poultry products by imposing a higher tariff.
Chen Fuli is with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce legal department.
"In 2014 alone, Chinese poultry exports to the European Union hit 133-million US dollars. Nearly all of these failed to receive the EU's low tariffs, as Brazil and Thailand have the largest allocation under their existing treaty. I have been told by poultry exporters that the export value of their poultry products could double if we can undo the EU's quota assignments."
In filing the complaint, the Chinese side says it has no plans to employ any retaliatory measures, saying it hopes the dispute can be settled within the WTO framework.
The EU's treaty with Brazil and Thailand has been in-place since March of 2013.
Call-in with Cao Can China eases forex controls for foreign-invested enterprises
Anchor:
China's foreign exchange regulator has released new rules to relax foreign exchange controls for foreign-invested companies.
Starting in June, foreign-invested companies won't have to get pre-approval before settling their bills with foreign currency.
They will be also allowed to convert up to 100 percent of their registered foreign-currency capital into yuan based on their business needs.
But at the same time, regulators say foreign businesses won't be able to invest that money into the markets or use it to provide or pay-off loans.
For more on the changes, we are joined on the line by CRI financial commentator, Cao Can.
Q1: In what aspects can the new rules help to facilitate foreign-funded firms' business transactions here in China?
Q2: The rules also set boundaries regarding foreign firms investing capitals in stocks and loan payments. What are the concerns behind the boundaries?
Q3: China has been promoting the internationalization of its currency the renminbi. How big of an impact do the new rules have on this respect?
Back anchor
Cao Can, CRI financial commentator.
Japan to discuss AIIB with China in June
Chinese and Japanese finance officials are reportedly going to meet in early June to discuss potential Japanese involvement in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Japan's Nikkei Business Daily is quoting sources close to Japan's Finance Minister as saying the both Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso and his Chinese counterpart, Lou Jiwei will attend the meetings.
Japan has so-far only hinted at possible interest in joining the AIIB.
It's being reported the Japanese government will decide whether to join the AIIB after a summit with the United States later this month.
So far, 35 countries in and out of Asia have been accepted as prospective founding members of the Chinese-initiated Bank.
Any Japanese involvement in the AIIB would likely be as a non-founding member, as it's believed Japan did not apply to become a founder before the March 31st deadline.
Founding members are allowed a say as to how the structure of the AIIB will be laid-out.
State Council Cuts Power Prices for Factories
The Chinese government is lowering power prices for this country's industrial sector.
The State Council says prices for coal-fired electricity will be cut by 2-yuan per 100-kilowatt hours for factories and businesses.
The adjustment comes amid a continued decline in coal prices brought on by sluggish power production.
Standard coal prices have been declining for 14-weeks in a row, with prices down around 10-percent since the start of the year.
In making the move, the State Council says it still plans to maintain its punishments for heavy-polluting industries.
Coal-fired electricity generation is one of the leading causes of air pollution in China.
China halves iron ore resource tax to help miners
The State Council has decided to cut the production tax for iron ore miners by half.
The resource tax on iron ore will be reduced as of May 1st.
China's iron ore producers have been struggling with high production costs and sluggish demand from steel mills.
An industrial report published at the end of last year shows over 70-percent of Chinese iron ore mines are losing money.
Only around three-fifths of the iron ore mines in China are currently active.
At the same time, close to 80-percent of the iron ore used by Chinese steel mills last year was imported.
This is because of more competitive prices from abroad.
China Life and Ping An in Boston Real Estate Deal
China's two biggest insurers have announced plans to jointly-fund a 500-million US dollar commercial real estate project in the city of Boston.
China Life and Ping An Insurance are partnering with New York developer Tishman Speyer Properties in a deal that will see each party invest about 167 million dollars in the first phase redevelopment of Boston's Pier 4.
Chinese insurers have been on a shopping spree over the past 3-years since a Chinese regulatory ban on foreign property investment was lifted.
They're now permitted to invest up to 15-percent of their roughly 1.7-trillion dollars in assets in overseas properties.
Beijing-based Anbang Insurance completed a 2-billion US dollar purchase of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York in February.
Headline News
Fire still rages at Fujian chemical plant
Fires have been raging on and off at a chemical plant in Fujian for nearly 60 hours since an initial fire on Monday night triggered an explosion at the PX plant.
Two storage tanks at the plant in Zhangzhou caught fire yesterday after the original blaze was distinguished a day earlier.
Authorities say the newest fire is now under control.
However, strong winds have been making it difficult to keep the fire contained.
Police and soldiers have helped evacuate some 29-thousand people living near the plant.
Officials say no excessive pollution is being detected at the villages where the people have been moved from.
China issues guideline to improve employee welfare
The Chinese government is promising reforms to both the welfare and wage payment systems.
The move is meant to address issues arising from labor disputes.
New guidelines say steps will be taken to make sure employees are paid on-time, and in full.
Programs are also going to be established to offer guaranteed financial support for migrant workers.
They are often the victims of unscrupulous employers.
At the same time, the new regulations will ensure employees will be given holidays without compromising their wages.
Belarus to expand trade and economic ties with China: Lukashenko
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is promising his country's support for the Chinese government's Silk Road Economic Belt plan, saying his country will play an active role in it.
Lukashenko has made the comment while meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Minsk.
The Belarusian President says his country is looking for more Chinese investment in areas such as energy and finance.
For his part, Wang Yi says China would link its Silk Road Economic Belt initiative to the national development strategies of Belarus to explore new space for cooperation.
UN judges uphold Tolimir genocide conviction
The Yugoslav war crimes court has upheld a majority of a Bosnian Serb army general's convictions, as well as his life sentence, for his involvement in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.
General Zdravko Tolimir was convicted in December 2012 of genocide and other crimes in the massacre by Bosnian Serb forces of some 8-thousand Muslim men and boys in the seige of Srebrenica in July of 1995.
It was Europe's worst mass killing since World War II.
Tolimir was a trusted aide to former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic.
Mladic is currently on-trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague.
Newspaper Picks
Beijing News
Headline
Beijing hospital rankings
Summary:
Beijing health authorities have, for the first time, released a comprehensive ranking of the city's 93 hospitals.
Peking University's Number-3 Hospital tops the list, followed by Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the Beijing Friendship Hospital.
The rankings are based on medical services and safety.
Beijing Times
Headline
New government vehicle auction
Summary
A 3rd round of government sedans are to be auctioned in Beijing starting from this Saturday.
Nearly 600 government vehicles will be up for grabs.
Initial bids will be set at 75-hundred yuan.
=====
China Daily
Headline
New air routes
Summary
Chinese authorities have laid out new plans to open 10 new one-way air passages.
China's air cooridors are expected to handle more than 10 million flights in 2017
Air traffic restrictions because of the military, as well as a lack of air traffic controllers, often lead to long delays in China.
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Global Times
Headline
Lawyer stats
Summary
New figures show the number of licensesd lawyers here in China over 270-thousand among the 22-thousand registered law firms as of the end of last year.
About 90 percent of the lawyers are full-time professionals.
The same analysis shows 330 new offices were set up by over 260 foreign law firms last year.
====
Modern Gold Express:
Headline
Wenzhou body donation
Summary
A family of five in the city of Wenzhou has signed an agreement to donate their bodies to science.
It's thought to be the first time in China an entire family has agreed to donate their bodies.
The move follows reports medical colleges in China are running short of human cadavars to study on.
=====
Chongqing Morning News
Headline
Lunar Rover producer
Summary
A 26-year old CEO of a start-up company from Chongqing has announced plans to manufacture a Lunar Rover.
The CEO of tech firm Yunwei plans to display a model of his planned invention at the "Cloud Fair," which starts tomorrow in Chongqing.
Special Reports
Australian children's book, The Adventures of Poucher and Big Guy in China
Anchor
A new book in a popular children's series by an Australian author is set to feature China in the latest edition.
CRI's Doris Wang with more.
Reporter
From the mind of Australian businessman turned children's writer, Arthur Charles, comes an adventure of Poucher the Kangaroo and his friend, Big Guy. In the book, "The Adventures of Poucher and Big Guy in China," the two globetrotters are invited to explore one of the oldest countries in the world.
According to Charles, it was his illustrator, Kate Anderson, who inspired him to write about China.
"My illustrator has spent seven years here. She loved Beijing. She loved China. We came here for a trip two years ago and we visited the place that I talked about. So when I started writing, I thought it's important that Poucher come to China."
This new book is part of a series called Adventures of Poucher and Big Guy, about two fun loving characters from the Australian countryside and their travels around the world. Together, they have been to Africa, America and around their own native Australia. According to the author, the stories are inspired by his own childhood experience.
"It was inspired by my wish to share with children around the world the stories of what it was like to grow up in the Australian countryside. You were always surrounded by animals in Australia and at the farm we have at the moment, there are always 30 or 40 kangaroos down below us. But when I was growing up, you spend every night at home with your parents playing games, talking, or reading books. It was a wonderful to grow up actually."
In their latest adventure, readers will see Poucher and Big Guy meandering through some of the most beautiful and fascinating tourist sites in China.
"After some adventures in Hong Kong, we go to the Tiger-Leaping Gorge. There's a little girl about to be drowned by a big wave of water and Poucher bounds down. He's the first person ever, after the tiger, to leap across the gorge and saved the little girl. And then we move to Chengdu. We see some naughty people trying to steal Panda cubs. We follow the bad people and rescue the panda cubs and take them back to their mothers. That was very heart-warming for us."
Written in a fun-loving and humorous manner, children of all ages can follow the beloved kangaroo as he hops across the country, from one scenic spot to the next. Young readers can cheer as Poucher and Big Guy chase after robbers and laugh at the kangaroo's strange antics. Accompanying them on their journey are two Chinese children, Ling and Bo.
Poucher and Big Guy also made stops in Xi'an and Beijing. They continued to perform courageous and heroic acts and their bravery was eventually recognized as they, along with their new-found friends, were rewarded with shiny, gold medals.
Back anchor
CRI's Doris Wang reporting.
Sports
Basketball: Indiana Pacers' Chris Copeland Stabbed Outside NY Nightclub
Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed early on Wednesday, with police arresting two Atlanta Hawks players for preventing police from starting their investigation.
Copeland, his wife and another woman were stabbed following an argument on the street near a Manhattan nightclub.
Police say the couple was arguing on the street as the attacker eavesdropped, and started to interfere.
The dispute escalated until the 22-year-old suspect pulled out a knife and started slashing, police said.
The suspect, Shezoy Bleary, was in custody, authorities said.
The 31-year-old Indiana Pacers forward, was stabbed in the left elbow and abdomen and his wife, Katrine Saltara, was slashed in the arm and across the breast.
The second woman, who was believed to be with the attacker, was slashed in the abdomen.
The victims were hospitalised and in stable condition, police said.
Basketball: NBA Recap
Tipping things off with hoops action from the National Basketball Association:
13 games on deck for this morning,
------------------------------------
Currently underway:
Toronto vs. Charlotte;
Chicago vs. Orlando;
Washington vs. Philly;
Boston vs. Detroit;
Atlanta vs. Brooklyn;
Indiana vs. New York Knicks;
-----------------------------------
Coming up a little later this morning:
New Orleans face Memphis;
Cleveland take on Milwaukee;
Houston will battle San Antonio;
The Los Angeles Lakers hit the court against Denver;
Sacramento will meet Utah;
Dallas host Phoenix;
and Minnesota is on the road in Portland
Golf: Masters Tees Off Today
In Golf:
The 79th Masters tees off today down at Augusta National.
Defending champion Bubba Watson is aiming to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only players to win consecutive titles.
Speaking of Woods, much buzz has circulated around ther former world no. 1 when he took a nine-week break from tournament play. With a lackluster performance to kick off the year, Woods' chances at the tournament are in doubt, with Las Vegas giving him 25-1 odds at victory.
But American golfer Jordan Spieth, who has been in impressive form this season and tied for second at last year's Masters, is not counting Woods out:
He wouldn't be here if he wasn't ready and excited to see him back at the top of his game."
World no. 1 Rory McIlroy is targeting the Augusta National par-fives at the Masters this week as a key to joining golf's elite club of career grand slam champions.
"Mentally, I feel like I'm in a far better place on the golf course, and being able to handle adversity whenever it might come my way out there."
The Masters officially gets underway at about 6 p.m., Beijing time.
Football: ACL, European League Football Recap
In football action:
First, from the Asian Champions League:
Shandong Luneng and Kashiwa Reysol drew 4-4 after an eight-goal thriller in Group E action in Jinan, China.
And Urawa Red Diamonds tied 1-1 with a 10-man Beijing Guoan squad in the fourth round Group G clash at the Saitama Stadium in Japan.
Over in the English FA Cup:
Liverpool makes it into the semifinals after beating the Blackburn Rovers 1-0.
In accion de La Liga:
Barcelona extend their lead in the Primera Division after beating Almeria 4-0, their sixth-straight league win.
Real Madrid are still on the hunt to regain their top spot in La Liga, notching a 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.
Celta Vigo netted a crucial goal in stoppage time to tie Granada 1-1.
Deportivo La Coruna and Cordoba also tied 1-1.
Over in Serie A's Coppa Italia:
Lazio took a 1-0 win over Napoli; they will go on to meet Juventus in the final.
Hockey: NHL Preview
In on-ice action from the National Hockey League;
Just getting underway,
The Toronto Maple Leafs are taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets (UPDATE)
Later this morning;
The Boston Bruins take to the ice against the Washington Capitals. Boston is looking to extend their five-game winning streak and secure a post-season spot against a Caps team that secured a playoff berth and are aiming to secure home-ice in the first round.
And Anaheim take on the Dallas Stars. The Ducks can earn the best record in the Western Conference if they can beat Dallas and win their next game in regulation.
Wladimir Klitschko Preps for Title Defense Against Bryant Jennings
Wladimir Klitschko worked out earlier this week at the at the Lucky Street Gym in Hollywood, Florida ahead of his bout with Bryant Jennings on April 25.
Holder of the IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO and "The Ring Magazine" world titles and undefeated over the last ten years, Klitschko returns to Madison Square Garden for the fourth time sporting a record of 63-3-0 (54 KO's).
Klitschko and Jennings meet in the ring at the Garden on April 25th.
Entertainment
China-US alliance plots 'Need For Speed 2'
A sequel to last year's blockbuster film, "Need for Speed" is in the works, with the same Chinese partners that helped Paramount make "Transformers: Age of Extinction".
As an official co-production, the bulk of Need for Speed 2 will be shot here in China.
The production is expected to kick-off later this year.
Need For Speed - starring Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul as a street racer fresh from prison and out for revenge - grossed more than 200 million US dollars worldwide including a 65 million US dollars collection in China.
The US game publisher Electronic Arts has teamed up with Beijing based China Movie Channel, Jiaflix for the co-production.
China's fashion talents showcase latest designs at Shanghai Fashion Week
Top Chinese fashion designer Ban Xiaoxue's latest collection, was launched at the Shanghai Fashion Week that kicked off on Wednesday.
Ban's new collection is called "Love but waste not"
The Chinese designer, who won the International Woolmark Prize Asia award in 2012, usually pays great attention to textiles.
This year, he chose to focus on traditional patterns.
"I used a lot of old style patterns. You can see a lot of patchwork, stripes and lace. We brought in a lot of old components. I wanted to use this combination and opposition of different patterns to showcase a new style."
45 designers are expected to showcase their Autumn/Winter collections at the Shanghai Fashion
This includes rising stars in the local fashion industry like Xhang Yuhao and Cindy Soong
Heavy metal band "Twisted Sister" to disband after 40 years together
After more than four decades together, "Twisted Sister" has announced they're calling it quits—but going out with a bang.
The heavy metal legends, who decided to disband after their drummer A.J. Pero died from a heart attack last month, will be making a farewell tour in 2016.
Twisted Sister has hired drummer Mike Portnoy to replace A.J. Pero to perform at its remaining seven shows this year.
The band also plans an undetermined number of concerts in 2016 to mark the end of their forty years of performing career.
Twisted Sister are ranked No. 73 in VH1's 100 greatest artists of hard rock
Benedict Cumberbatch nominated again for this year's Bafta TV awards
The 38-year-old Benedict Cumberbatch is up for best lead actor for the popular BBC series Sherlock.
It is the third time that he has been nominated for his role as the super detective.
Cumberbatch received a Best Actor Oscar nomination earlier this year for his role as Alan Turing in Morten Tyldum's movie "The Imitation Game."
The BAFTA nominations, announced on Wednesday included three others for the Best actor category.
Toby Jones is recognized for his role in Marvelous.
James Nesbitt also received a leading actor nomination for "The Missing".
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In other nominations,
Olivia Colman has been nominated for the fourth consecutive year.
She is up for best female comedy performance for her role as a vicar's wife in Rev.
The 41-year-old won a Bafta last year for Broadchurch and received two awards in 2013.
In the International category, Netflix scored two nominations for "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards".
This year's Bafta TV awards will be held in London on May 10.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick look at the headlines before we go...
Close to 30-thousand people have been moved out of their homes amid a chemical plant fire which is still raging in Fujian.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is proposing joint maritime inspections with Vietnam amid a trip to Beijing by one of the country's top officials.
Boston Marathon bomber Dzokhar Tsarnaev has been found guilty on all 30 charges against him.
In business... China has filed a WTO complaint against the European Union over poultry quotas.
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. |