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

Coming up on the program this evening...

China calling on the Philippines to stop its provocative statements and moves in the South China Sea...

China issuing a white paper on its military strategy going forward...

Iraqi government starting military operations against Islamic State fighters in Anbar...

Business: The IMF announcing that the Reminbi is a fairly valued currency...

In Sports: live updates of tonight's AFC champions league action...

In Entertainment: A top Chinese TV host kicking of his latest film production with a campus tour...

All of that coming up in just a moment, but first, just a reminder there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

You can follow us on our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour, find us on WeChat by searching "beijinghour", or email us directly at [email protected]. You can also visit english.cri.cn for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top NewsChina Cautions on the Philippine side on proactive commentsChina's Foreign Ministry has issued another statement concerning the situation in the South China Sea.

This comes after Philippine President Benigno Aquino III went on record saying that his country would join the United States to strengthen military patrols in the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying cautioned that the Philippine side should stop provocative comments and moves.

"We can see that recently some people from the Philippine sides are continuously stirring up tensions on this issue. China has made its stance quite clear. We want to kindly remind the Philippine side, China will never oppress small powers, but at the same time we don't think that small powers should continuously make trouble out of nothing. We hope the Philippine side can stop stirring up tensions and making provocative movements, and instead go back to negotiations and talks. "The Chinese government has lodged serious representations with the United States over the US fighter jets presence in the South China sea last week.

On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the US is not a party concerned to the South China Sea issue.

Instead of stirring up troubles, Hua Chunying said the US side should be discreet with words and actions and create an enabling environment for the consultation between China and ASEAN countries.

China Issues White Paper on Military StrategyAnchor:

China issued its first white paper on military strategy on Tuesday, stressing "active defense" and pledging closer international security cooperation.

CRI's Huang Shan reports.

Reporter:

The some 9-thousand word paper has rolled out a roadmap for the Chinese army's active defense strategy.

Researcher with the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Wen Bing, who took part in drafting the paper, explains further.

"Compared with the previous documents, this year's white paper offers a comprehensive interpretation of the country's guiding principles for a military strategy. Particularly, the paper indicates the strategic guidance should shift from efforts to contain crises and wars to efforts to establish a beneficial security posture. This indicates that the focus on military strategy is defense in an active state."The white paper introduced China's national security situation, missions and development of armed forces, strategic guidelines of active defense, preparation for military mission, and military and security cooperation.

In addition, it marked the protection of overseas interests as a strategic task for the Chinese army.

Researcher Wen Bing says that this can be achieved by promoting international security cooperation in areas closely linked to overseas interests.

"For example, we could ensure the security of maritime strategy passage by carrying out joint escort missions with involved countries. In some investment concentration areas, we could maintain their stability and security through military operations, such as holding joint military exercises, and participating in international rescue operations."The paper has also put forward four critical security domains for the first time, which includes maritime, outer space, cyberspace and nuclear capabilities.

The document says the country's naval forces should be more capable to conduct missions on the open seas.

Researcher Wen Bing believes this is in line with the extension of China's national interests and the development of naval capabilities.

"The PLA Navy will gradually shift its strategy of offshore waters defense to a combination of offshore waters defense and open seas protection. This is not an invasion or an identification of sphere of influence. This is a way to safeguard our own interests and the security interests of the international community."The document says China aims to enhance the development of its cyber force to deal with "grave security threats".

It also promises to preserve space assets and opposes a space arms race.

Moreover, the white paper also reiterates that China will never join any nuclear arms races.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

Callin on the Defense Minsitry's White Paper For more on the white paper released by the Defense Ministry, CRI's Zhou Jingnan earlier spoke with Jia Xiudong, Senior Research Fellow from The China Institute of International Studies.

Back Anchor:

Jia Xiudong, Senior Research Fellow from China Institute of International Studies, speaking with CRI's Zhou Jingnan.

Chinese Premier Proposes Four Pillars for Sino-Latin American TiesAnchor:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called on both sides to deepen China-Latin America cooperation in four key areas, especially cooperation in production capacity.

He made the comment while attending a UN economic conference in Santiago, capital city of Chile.

CRI's Xyee reports.

Reporter:

Premier Li Keqiang gave a speech at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, capital city of Chile.

Li Keqiang says China attaches great importance to its ties with Latin American countries.

He proposes to strengthen "four pillars" in a move to deepen China-Latin America cooperation, including strengthening political trust, upgrading economic and trade cooperation, promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and improving the comprehensive cooperation mechanism between the two sides.

"China is willing to deepen cooperation with Latin America. We can learn from each other and jointly create a new journey for our partnership, so we need to strengthen cooperation in four key areas or the 'four pillars'. China has issued joint statements with all the four countries, pointing out the priorities for future relationships. "Against the backdrop of a weak global economy, Li Keqiang says cooperation in production capacity between China and Latin America will not only benefit the two sides but also contribute to global economic recovery.

Such cooperation is a vital component to the upgrading of economic and trade cooperation between the two sides and one of the major tasks for Li Keqiang's visit.

"China-Latin America cooperation in production capacity will benefit both sides. This is because China has advanced technologies to make manufacturing equipment while Latin American countries are in urgent need of infrastructure construction and industrial upgrades. We can also combine advanced technologies of western countries into our cooperation, so as to help them build infrastructure and upgrade local industry at a lower cost."Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean expresses her appreciation of China's efforts to promote comprehensive partnership with Latin America.

"We believe that the mechanism proposed by China is a good way for Chinese enterprises to enter Latin America's fields such as auto industry, infrastructure construction, energy sector and logistics. It will help us upgrade industries in the region, while Latin America can provide China with experience in terms of pollution treatment and urbanization. "China is now the second largest trading partner of Latin America, and the biggest trading partner of several countries in the region.

For CRI, I am Xyee.

China, Chile Push for Closer Trade TiesAnchor:

Numerous deals, including a multi-billion US dollar currency swap agreement, have been signed between the Chinese and Chilean governments as part of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's time in the country.

The details from CRI's Qi Zhi.

Reporter:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet have overseen the signing of various deals connected to areas such as politics, trade, finance, mining, agriculture, production capacity and science and technology.

The People's Bank of China has also entered into a 3-year currency swap agreement worth 22 billion yuan, or around 3.5 billion U.S. dollars.

Li Keqiang says China and Chile are going to look at upgrading their decade-old free trade agreement.

"We've decided to apply zero-tariff to cover 97 percent of our products this year. In addition we've just signed an agreement to upgrade our Free Trade Agreement. An upgrade of the China-Chile FTA is expected to further expand bilateral trade and at the same time raise the trade quality."Under the deals, a renminbi clearing bank is also being established in Chile, the first in South America.

The Chinese Premier says the government is going to encourage Chinese companies to bid for construction projects connected to Chile's "two-ocean tunnel," which connects the Pacific and the Atlantic.

Li Keqiang says his time in Chile also marks a pair of important milestones.

"This visit of mine to Chile coincides with the 45th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between China and Chile. And it is also the 10th anniversary of the signing of the free-trade agreement between China and Chile. Therefore this visit has very important commemorative significance because of those two historic moments."Chilean President Michelle Bachelet suggests Li Keqiang's visit is another landmark in bilateral ties.

"Mr. Premier, your visit to Chile will mark a clear starting point for our work in pursuit of a deeper understanding. We know that the prosperity from our relation will result in bettering living conditions and more development opportunities for our countries and our people."Chile is the last stop of the premier's four-nation Latin American tour.

He's also made stops in Brazil, Columbia and Peru.

For CRI', I'm Qi Zhi.

Xi orders rest home fire responseChinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an all-out effort to treat the injured of a fire at a senior citizens rest home in central China's Henan Province.

The fire occurred at a privately-owned rest home in Lushan County on Monday evening.

It has killed 38 people and injured 6 others.

The complex is home to over 50 senior citizens.

Xi Jinping has demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire.

He has also required health and safety departments nationwide to implement safety measures in order to prevent such accidents.

Iraqi forces start military offensives against IS in Anbar, Salahudin provincesIraqi security forces have commenced two military offensives to drive out Islamic State militants from Anbar's provincial capital city of Ramadi.

They are also in an operation to retake remaining parts of Salahudin province.

The Iraqi army and allied Sunni and Shiite militias advanced in the early hours of the day from their positions toward Ramadi.

They are trying to cut the IS supply routes in south of Ramadi, in preparation for liberating the city.

The fall of Ramadi into the IS control last week has been a strategic blow to the Iraqi government in its battle with the militants.

Turkey, U.S. start train-equip program for Syrian rebelsThe U.S. and Turkey have started a program for training and equipping Syrian rebels in the Kirsehir province of central Turkey.

The program has been delayed several times since the two countries signed the agreement in February.

It plans to train 15-thousand Syrian opposition fighters during a three-year period.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Foreign Minister has reiterated the need for a no-fly zone protection for trained Syrian opposition fighters from air strikes by Syrian authorities.

The minister has also suggested the trained rebels should enter Syria through a secured area.

Australia plans new law to strip citizenship for terror crimesAustralia plans to pass a law within weeks to give the Australian Immigration Minister power to strip citizenship from dual nationals who are suspected terrorists.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott underlines that the decision would be subject to judicial review.

"We will be legislating within a few weeks to strip dual citizens involved in terrorism of their Australian citizenship. For a long time, since 1948, in fact, the Citizenship Act has provided that a dual citizen who is fighting against our country will automatically forfeit citizenship."However, the provision to remove the citizenship of Australians who hold no other passport became a topic of intense government debate.

Monday evening's Cabinet meeting on the topic saw six members of Abbott's cabinet speak out against the proposal.

More than 100 Australians are suspected to be fighting with the Islamic State movement and other militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

Up to 50 percent of those fighters are estimated to be dual citizens.

A Sydney mother has recently been reported to have abandoned her two children in order to join the IS in Syria.

Tornado kills at least 13 in Mexican border with U.S.

At least 13 people have been killed after a violent tornado ripped through the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Acuna Monday morning.

An estimated 180 people were injured in the whirlwind, which damaged as many as 350 homes.

State civil protection authorities said they were working on clearing the debris of the destroyed buildings and cars that were displaced.

Authorities said the death toll in Acuna could rise once all agencies had finished their search.

Meanwhile, twelve people were reported missing on Monday in the US state of Texas after the holiday home they were staying in was swept away by rushing floodwaters in a small town popular with tourists.

At least 2,000 Texans had to evacuate their homes following tornadoes that caused major flooding in the area.

San Marcos Mayor Steve Thurber says debris removal will begin tomorrow.

"We are going to help them clean up. It's a tremendous cleanup operation for them. They've lost their homes, they've lost their livelihoods and some businesses. So, we're there to get it cleaned up. The debris removal process will start tomorrow."Emergency crews rescued several people who were stranded by the torrential rains that swelled the Blanco River over the weekend in and around Wimberley.

Greece pledges to meet June debt repaymentsA Greek government spokesperson has said Greece wants to keep repaying its debt after the country's Interior Minister warned it had run out of funds.

Gabriel Sakellaridis said Athens hopes there will be a deal reached soon.

"This government has the responsibility to pay its obligations in Greece as well as abroad. The liquidity problem is known, we want to be consistent in our obligations, and for that reason we hope there will be a deal soon which will give us breathing space with Greece's liquidity problems."He also rejected the possibility of capital controls that would restrict money transfers and access to savings.

After four months of talks with its euro zone partners and the International Monetary Fund, Athens is still scrambling for a deal that could release up to 7.9 billion dollars in remaining aid to avert bankruptcy.

Athens is still under pressure to agree to more cuts and reforms to secure the funding.

Brazil prison riot leaves 8 deadA prison riot in northeastern Brazil has left 8 inmates dead.

Officials in the Brazilian state of Bahia said the riot followed a fight between two gangs, which quickly escalated.

Nearly 50 people, mostly visiting family members, were held hostage for several hours.

They were eventually released unharmed.

5 inmates were also injured in the violence.

International CES Asia Opens in ShanghaiAnchor:

A Consumer Electronics Show has opened in Shanghai, the first of its kind in Asia.

CRI's Qian Shanming reports.

Reporter:

Over 250 exhibits have been set up in a 20-thousand square-metre arena in Shanghai's Pudong district.

The three-day event is meant to showcase both international and Chinese technology.

CES Asia director John Kelly says setting up a show in China just made sense.

"Time and time again we heard that China would be the place to do such a show. There are several factors for that. One; there's a rising middle class here in China with disposable income. there's a lot of technology enthusiasts here, just the sheer size of the market. These are all factors that play into why companies put such an emphasis on this marketplace. Behind the United States, this is the second largest marketplace in the world for consumer electronics."Numerous Chinese companies are showcasing their latest technology in Shanghai.

JD Smart is showcasing their new DingDong Smart Speaker.

JD Smart's Chief Technology Officer, Leslie Liu, says Chinese companies are making a lot of headway when it comes to technological advancements.

"Ten years ago it's hard to imagine that a Chinese company will be a major player in the very competitive domain such as home automation or telecommunication, but today it's happening. This is a great opportunity for JD to showcase to the world that the Chinese company not only can make, but also can innovate."Numerous vehicle-makers are also showing off their latest tech advancements.

International automakers, including Audi, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen and Ford have displays at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Mike Tinskey, Ford's Global Director for vehicle electrification & infrastructure, says advancing new tech for their vehicles in China is one of their top priorities.

"Technology is driving the entire market and everything, every consumer that we're probably selling to probably has embraced a smartphone, probably has a high speed data plan, and the vehicle needs to be an extension and we need to embrace all that connectivity and offer them all the features. So, I would say that at equal or more anywhere in the world China is important relative to a technology standpoint."Stats suggest consumer technology spending hit one trillion US dollars last year, with sales in Asia making up around one third of that.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Shanghai runs through Wednesday.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

China, Russia vow to boost cooperation on regional, global issuesVisiting Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi has met with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow.

The latest round of China-Russia strategic security consultations focused on bilateral ties and the current global situation.

Yang Jiechi says China will fully support Russia's efforts to hold the summits of the BRICS countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in July.

Both sides have also discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming China visit to commemorate the 70th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Solar Impulse 2's Flight to Hawaii DelayedThe 7th leg of Solar Impulse 2's global journey has been delayed due to concerns about the meteorological conditions over the Pacific.

The solar-powered aircraft was scheduled to take off around 3:00 a.m. Tuesday from Nanjing, capital of eastern China's Jiangsu Province, for the cross-Pacific flight to Hawaii.

However, the Flight Mission Team decided against taking off for reasons of a worsening weather situation and increased risk.

Pilot Andre Borschberg says the team has to be more careful this time because the trip to Hawaii is considered as the most challenging one.

"For us to fly to Hawaii, we need every morning, sun, to recharge the batteries to be able to continue, so we have to fly a path which gives us this possibility."So far Solar Impulse 2 has already spent more than one month in Nanjing.

Earlier it had also been held up for weeks by less than ideal weather at Chongqing airport.

No details have yet been released on when the plane might take off for Hawaii.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 21, tomorrow will also be cloudy with a high of 32.

Shanghai is cloudy tonight with a low of 20, tomorrow will have shower, high of 24.

Chongqing will have shower tonight with a low of 19, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 29.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny tomorrow with a high of 38.

Kabul, sunny, 30.

Over in AustraliaSydney, sunny, high of 21,Brisbane, overcast,25,Finally Perth will be overcast with a high of 19 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina Cautions on the Philippine side on proactive commentsChina's Foreign Ministry has issued another statement concerning the situation in the South China Sea.

This comes after Philippine President Benigno Aquino III went on record saying that his country would join the United States to strengthen military patrols in the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying cautioned that the Philippine side should stop provocative comments and moves, and to solve the issue through negotiations and talks.

China rolls out military roadmap of "active defense" strategyChina has issued the first white paper on military strategy, stressing its "active defense" guidelines and pledging closer international security cooperation.

The paper highlights four critical security domains, including the ocean, outer space, cyberspace and nuclear arms.

It also stresses a bigger role of the PLA Navy, saying the Navy's strategy will be gradually shifted from "offshore waters defense" to include "open seas protection".

This is China's ninth white paper on national defense since 1998, but the first one addressing military strategy.

Xi orders rest home fire responseChinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an all-out effort to treat the injured of a fire at a senior citizens rest home in central China's Henan Province.

The fire occurred at a privately-owned rest home in Lushan County on Monday evening.

It has killed 38 people and injured 6 others.

The complex is home to over 50 senior citizens.

Xi Jinping has demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire.

He has also required health and safety departments nationwide to implement safety measures in order to prevent such accidents.

Iraqi forces start military offensives against IS in Anbar, Salahudin provincesIraqi security forces have commenced two military offensives to drive out Islamic State militants from Anbar's provincial capital city of Ramadi.

They are also in an operation to retake remaining parts of Salahudin province.

The Iraqi army and allied Sunni and Shiite militias advanced in the early hours of the day from their positions toward Ramadi.

They are trying to cut the IS supply routes in south of Ramadi, in preparation for liberating the city.

Tornado kills at least 13 in Mexican border with U.S.

At least 13 people have been killed after a violent tornado ripped through the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Acuna.

An estimated 180 people were injured in the whirlwind, which damaged as many as 350 homes.

State civil protection authorities said they were working on clearing the debris and warned that the death toll could rise further.

Meanwhile, twelve people were reported missing in the US state of Texas after the holiday home they were staying in was swept away by rushing floodwaters in a small town popular with tourists.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Turning now to our business news. Let's have a look at the numbers from across the Asian markets to close out this Tuesday evening.

Joining me on the desk is CRI's Luo Bin.

Reporter:

Thank you Spencer.

Chinese stocks rallied for their sixth successive day to close at a fresh seven-year high on Tuesday.

The rally was led by military equipment and infrastructure stocks.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index surged 2 percent, It finished at a little over 4,900 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index gained 3.4 percent.

The ChiNext Index, China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, rose 4.3 percent, reversing earlier losses.

During Tuesday's trading, gainers outnumbered losers both in Shanghai and in Shenzhen.

Altogether, nearly 400 stocks rose by their daily limit of 10 percent.

Combined turnover for the two bourses reached a new record high of 2.15 trillion yuan, or some 352 billion U.S. dollars.

This surpassed Monday's record of 2 trillion yuan.

As China issued its first white paper on military strategy earlier today, a total of 14 military equipment-related stocks rose by the daily limit.

The infrastructure and communication sectors both climbed nearly seven percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 0.9 percent, boosted by the approval of the long-awaited fund recognition scheme between the mainland and Hong Kong.

Elsewhere in Asia,The Japanese Nikkei ended almost unchanged, as the Japanese curreny showed continued weakness against the U.S. dollar.

South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.2 percent.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index finished slightly lower.

And finally over to Australia, where the ASX 200 added 0.9 percent.

Back to you Spencer.

IMF: Renminbi is fairly valuedThe International Monetary Fund has declared that the exchange rate of the Renminbi is fairly valued.

The IMF held a press conference for the completion of the 2015 Article IV Consultation to China in Beijing.

The organization's First Deputy Managing Director, David Lipton said the the exchange rate of Renminbi is no longer undervalued after the past 12 months.

"While the undervaluation of Renminbi was a major factor causing the large imbalance in the past, our assessment now is that the substantial real effective appreciation over the past year has brought the exchange rate to a level that is no longer undervalued."He also highlights the need to make rapid progress towards greater exchange rate flexibility as China is integrating rapidly to the global financial market.

He added that the Renminbi has become wildly used in neighboring countries and regions, which is good for China's businesses and people.

IMF also projects that China's economy will grow at 6.8 percent this year, consistent with the Chinese government's growth target of about 7 percent.

Reserve ratio or interest rates cuts more likely in June: analystsAnalysts say China is likely to announce another bank reserve requirement ratio cut or interest rate cut in June.

Haitong Securities chief analyst Jiang Chao says that following a lackluster money supply in April, the central bank will probably make an additional four RRR and rates cuts to speed up banks' lending capacity.

The earliest will probably happen in the coming month.

A researcher for the China Macroeconomic Information Network, Zhao Zhaoyi, believes there is plenty of room for more RRR and rates cuts in the second quarter.

China's central bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points on May 11, the third such rate cut in six months.

CNOOC starts Australian LNG supply baseAn overseas liquefied natural gas supply base of China National Offshore Oil Corp has commenced operation.

The base is located in Queensland, Australia, and is set to secure an annual supply of 3.6 million tons of liquefied natural gas for China for 20 years.

Proven and explorable reserves in the base total 350 billion cubic meters.

China's appetite for natural gas has grown substantially with industrialization and urbanization initiatives to cut carbon emissions.

So far, China has imported a total of 70 million tons of liquefied natural gas from overseas.

China Railway Corp issues 15bil yuan in bondsChina Railway Corporation issued a second batch of corporate bonds worth 15 billion yuan or some 2.4 billion U.S. dollars earlier today.

Of the raised total, 90 billion yuan will be used in railway projects, and the other 60 billion yuan will be used to purchase railway-related equipment.

The company issued an initial tranche of 20 billion yuan ten days ago, including some 15 billion yuan with a tenor of 10 years and 5 billion yuan with a 20-year tenor.

Analysts point out that the frequency of the bond issues indicates that railway construction projects are under fundraising pressure.

China's banking giant ICBC takes over Turkish lenderThe Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has completed its acquisition of a 75-percent stake in Turkish bank Tekstilbank.

Tekstilbank mainly caters to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as to retail customers.

ICBC Chairman of the board Jiang Jianqing says the acquisition will provide convenience to local business.

"After acquisition, the Tekstilbank will specially improve service quality to Turkish medium-large enterprises, enhance financing and settlement services for Turkish large enterprises and multinational companies. We are also dedicated to providing quality service to small enterprises and costumer services, to accelerating finance services for trade to China, and to promoting offshore RMB settlement."The purchase of the majority stake is the first Chinese banking foray into Turkey.

ICBC says it is also prepared to make a full purchase of Tekstilbank if the Turkish government will allow it.

ICBC is now active in 42 countries and regions around the world.

Shake-up in key Samsung assets to cement heir's grip as succession loomsSamsung Group's de facto holding company on Tuesday sought another cornerstone to smooth the path for management succession.

As the move reconstructs the conglomerate, the company is offering more than $8 billion to buy an affiliate with a key stake in flagship firm Samsung Electronics.

Cheil Industries, with interests from construction to fashion, is offering new stock priced at about 8 billion U.S. dollars to buy building firm Samsung C&T Corp.

After recent market jitters on Samsung's overhaul, shares in both rose nearly 15 percent.

The move combines what analysts consider two key companies in the sprawling family-controlled conglomerate.

Malaysia Airlines revamp dueLoss-making Malaysia Airlines is set to undergo a complete overhaul as it is restructured into a new company.

With a rebranding and changes that will be unveiled next week, the new CEO of the company Christoph Mueller says the new company will be like a start-up.

Changes will be made to its fleet and network strategies. A massive layoff is also expected very soon.

It is estimated that the layoff will affect 6 thousand out of 20 thousand staff.

The airline, which has seen successive years of losses, suffered huge damage to its brand after flight MH370 disappeared in March last year, followed by the shooting down of MH 17 over Ukraine.

The airline was then pulled from the stock market and taken private by Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund.

Microsoft Reportedly May Acquire BlackBerryMicrosoft is reportedly looking to get a bigger piece of the mobile market by buying BlackBerry.

Reports claim that, the company is just one of many companies trying to do so.

Chinese firms including Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi are also interested in picking up BlackBerry following the company's recent return to profitability.

This comes on the heels of BlackBerry announcing it is cutting jobs across its global business units in an attempt to consolidate its software, hardware and applications business.

SportsAFC Champions League live update: Beijing Guo'an - Jeonbuk MotorsKicking us off tonight with action from the AFC Champions League,On the field right now, Beijing Guo'an are hosting South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors in leg 2 of their round of 16 games.

The teams tied 1-1 in the first leg. With an away goal under their belt, Beijing only need to go on the defense and draw 0-0 to book a place in the quarterfinals.

But that is not how coach Gregorio Manzano wants to play it.

Manzano said they will attack while making sure the defensive end is secure.

Jeonbuk are in a worse position and their only option will be to score as many goals as possible.

Midfielder Han Kyo-Won is suspended for the game due to a red card in the domestic league, which could save Beijing a lot of trouble to check his moves.

Beijing had fallen twice to South Korean teams in this round before. It will be their first appearance in the quarter-finals in team history if they make it through.

French Open recapChina's Zhang Shuai is out of the French Open with a 7-6, 6-4 defeat by 12th seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.

Zhang had a few chances and even came close to taking the first set. She conceded defeat and thanked her fans for support.

"I missed several games due to injuries last year and dropped in rankings. I have lost too many times so I think I should be calm and handle defeat in a better way. I understand that many people may lose patience when I'm not making any breakthroughs, but your support today has given me a lot of confidence."Zheng Saisai has also been knocked out by a Czech player. She lost against Lucie Hradecka 6-3, 6-0.

In other action,Maria Sharapova beat Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-4;Sloane Stephens beat former champion Venus Williams 7-6, 6-1.

On the men's side,Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, Dominic Thiem are all through to round two.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams are all scheduled to play today.

Volvo Ocean Race: SCA catch up with smart manoeuvres; Dongfeng poised to cut Abu Dhabi's overall leadIn sailing,The fleet is gathering pace in the battle to reach Lisbon in leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race.

All-female team SCA are piling pressure on overall leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, as the two teams are struggling in the back of the pack.

Team SCA took a risk and went on a different route north of the Azores High. Stronger wind helped them close the 100 nautical mile gap and brought them back into the game.

Abu Dhabi's Skipper Ian Walker said it is where teams could win or lose it all.

"It's hard to understate the importance of this because if this goes our way and we can turn this around it could save the whole race overall. And if we don't turn it around then the race is back on overall. This is probably the most important point of the entire race so far."Team Brunel are leading with less than 500 nautical miles to go. They have opened up a small gap between MAPFRE and China's Dongfeng Race team, which are going neck by neck in the chase.

Dongfeng have pretty good chances to slash their 6-point deficit on Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing on the leaderboard.

But everything could still change as the fleet compresses under lighter wind as the boats approach Lisbon.

The fleet is expected to arrive in Lisbon within 24 hours.

The jury will hear four cases after the leg for alleged breaches of rules.

Team SCA, Dongfeng, and MAPFRE are to answer cases that they sailed against traffic flow in the TSS exclusion zone.

NBA: Rockets beat WarriorsTurning over to the NBA,The Houston Rockets are still in the Western Conference Finals after four games against the Golden State Warriors.

Houston survived elimination by beating the Warriors 128-115.

They set the right tone and led by 10 points in the first half. Coach Kevin McHale said It was a good position to be in.

"And it just ends up, any game you play in, you want to be ahead and make them chase you. And I told our guys, that's our goal, is to, we got to get ahead in Golden State and have them chase us. And it's punch, counter punch and hopefully you can make the last run and we got to win a road game."The Warriors lead the series 3-1 going into Game 5 on Thursday morning Beijing time.

Golf: Liang Wenchong in US Open; Wu Ashun misses cutIn Golf,China's Liang Wenchong made it into the US Open Championship by winning the Asia qualifying in Japan.

Liang fired 16 birdies and finished at 14-under 144 with a two-shot lead.

It will be Liang's second successive time in the US Open.

Wu Ashun, winner of the Volvo China Open and the first Chinese golfer to capture a European Tour title, missed the cut with a 7-under.

China in women's volleyball Asian Championship semi-finalsVery quickly in women's volleyball,China beat Kazakhstan 3-0 to ease into the semi-finals at the Asian Championship.

China are undefeated so far after four games.

They will next face defending champions Thailand who took out Japan 3-0.

Entertainment"Star Wars" saga to be screened in China for the first timeFor the first time ever Chinese movie goers will finally get to watch all six movies in the "Star Wars" saga on the big screen.

"Star Wars" Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance are getting ready for the first-ever screening of the complete saga in China, ahead of the debut of the latest installment, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which opens worldwide on Dec. 18.

The franchise will be screened at the 18th edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Shanghai Film Festival organizers and Walt Disney are collaborating for the saga's theatrical debut.

The festival begins on June 13 to the 21, and hosts the prestigious Golden Goblet award ceremony, alongside the Jackie Chan Action Movie Week and the Asian New Talent Award.

'Gardenia Opened 2015' launches campus tourFamous Chinese TV host He Jiong has brought with his latest film production to kick off a campus promotion tour.

The film, 'Gardenia Opened 2015' made its first stop in Shenyang University.

The movie tells a story about several young classmates fighting against obstacles to achieve their dreams.

It will be officially screened on July 10.

The campus tour will also be held in other nine cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

'Lost in Wrestling' releases its trailerChinese 3D action movie 'Lost in Wrestling' has released a new trailer.

The movie tells a story of a wrestler from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region taking part in a competition in Japan.

She later falls in love with the contest's host.

The film features mainland actress Zhao Ke and Hongkong actor William Chan.

Many different kinds of ring sports are included in the movie, such as boxing, wrestling, and even sumo wrestling, bringing plenty of excitement to audiences.

The film will be officially screened on the Chinese mainland on June 5th.

French hip-hop dance show performed in BeijingFrench modern hip-hop dance show 'The Roots' has been performed in Beijing.

The performance comprises part of the ongoing 15th 'Meet in Beijing' Arts Festival which will last until May 30th.

The show centers on a human adventure performed by 11 dancers.

Many different kinds of dancing styles were showcased during the 2-hour show including hip-hop, modern dance, aerobatics and even Kathak.

The diversity of different music such as electronic and classical music also played an important role in the performance.

The show's choreographer Kader Attou hopes to use his work to build a bridge linking different kinds of cultures.

Many audience members had good things to say about the dance show; and gave the dancers a standing ovation at the end.

Chinese/English silent film with live musical accompaniment to screen in BeijingA contemporary silent film with live musical accompaniment is set to screen in Beijing this Thursday.

Set in modern day, Beijing, "Written in Dust" or Hui Chen, tells a lyrical and moving tale of three friends from rural China who move to the big city to seek new life. The tensions created by the pursuit of money and the repression of love lead to moral corruption, betrayal, deception, and finally, the ultimate tragedy.

Directed by English filmmaker Gareth Rees, "Written in Dust" is an example of Gorilla-style filmmaking, with a budget of only around 7 thousand US dollars. And the live music will be played by local Chinese artists.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to be Aired on HBOIt's been announced that this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is going to be aired on HBO for the first time.

A lot of celebrities have been invited as guests and presenters including Miley Cyrus and Paul McCartney.

Foundation CEO Joel Peresman says the event and its music is different from the scores of concerts and award shows that populate the entertainment landscape.

"What we do at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is really talk about the history of rock and roll. We try to preserve it, we try to exhibit it, we try to do a lot of things to teach people the significance of this art form in our culture and this show is different. We're not pushing singles or an agenda. We're pushing history and we're trying to show people the significance of acts that are promoting a career and the significance of the influence of their careers opposed to just a single."People who have seen previous induction ceremonies say the highlight of these events are the musical jams put on by inductees.

The event will premiere on HBO on Saturday.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 21, tomorrow will also be cloudy with a high of 32.

Shanghai is cloudy tonight with a low of 20, tomorrow will have shower, high of 24.

Chongqing will have shower tonight with a low of 19, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 29.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny tomorrow with a high of 38.

Kabul, sunny, 30.

Over in AustraliaSydney, sunny, high of 21,Brisbane, overcast,25,Finally Perth will be overcast with a high of 19 degrees Celsius.

That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

China calling on the Philippines to stop its provocative statements and moves in the South China sea...

China issuing a white paper on its military strategy going forward...

Iraqi government starting military operations against Islamic State fighters in Anbar...

Business: The IMF announcing that the Reminbi is a fairly valued currency...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Spencer Musick in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together...