新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2016/02/11（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour (Monday-Friday)

Morning Edition

Bob Jones with you this Thursday February 11th 2016. Day Four of the Spring Festival holiday

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

Coming up on the program this morning.

Japan rolls out sanctions on North Korea over its rocket launch on Sunday, amid continued international condemnation.

Time running out in the search for survivors in an earthquake damaged apartment complex in southern Taiwan.

10 million Ethiopians could run out of food by April, amid the worst drought in 50 years.

In Sport - Nestle ends a partnership with the International Association of Athletics Federations because of the ongoing scandal surrounding the sport.

And The Mermaid sets a new single-day record for Chinese domestic movies.

All that coming up in the next 30-minutes....

In the 2nd half of the hour, we'll bring you an edition of People In the Know.

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Top

Japan Imposes Sanctions on North Korea Over Rocket Launch

Anchor: Japan has rolled out a series of sanctions on North Korea, following the country's rocket launch on Sunday that has prompted international condemnation.

Pyongyang is forbidden under U.N. resolutions from testing ballistic missile technology and from staging nuclear tests.

CRI's Xie Cheng reports.

Reporter:

North Korea's most recent satellite launch was seen by Washington as cover for the development of ballistic missile technology that could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon.

On Wednesday, US ally Japan reacted to the launch, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announcing sanctions on Pyongyang.

"The government has decided to impose stern sanctions on North Korea. We will cooperate closely with the international community in order to resolve the abductions, nuclear and missile issues."

Apart from the nuclear issue, North Korea's alleged abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s have been another major sticking point straining bilateral relations.

Under the sanctions announced Wednesday, foreign nuclear technology scientists living in Japan who have traveled to North Korea will not be re-admitted to Japan.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga elaborates on the latest move.

"First of all, we have taken measures to control the movement of people by expanding the ban to include a wider range of people. This includes the re-entry of foreign residents who are involved in nuclear and missile technology who have travelled to North Korea."

Suga says the sanctions will also involve money transfers and ships traveling from North Korea.

"We are reducing the lower limit of the remittance notification for amounts of money taken out of the country as a means of payment. As a rule we are banning remittances to North Korea. We are also banning the entry of all North Korea-registered ships including those for humanitarian aid purposes, we are also banning the entry of ships from third countries which have been to North Korea. "

Suga added Japan will freeze the assets of more groups and individuals that are connected to North Korea.

Meanwhile, South Korea has halted work at the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex with North Korea, for the first time in a decade.

This comes after South Korea's parliament passed a resolution on the launch.

The resolution urges North Korea to stop its provocations and become a responsible member of the international community.

It also calls on the South Korean government to work with the U.N. Security Council to develop strong sanctions against North Korea.

The UN has also vowed to "adopt expeditiously a new Security Council resolution" at an emergency meeting.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

No Signs of Life Found in Collapsed Quake-hit Building in Taiwan: Rescuers

Search and rescue officials have said that no more survivors have been found in a collapsed apartment complex in southern Taiwan.

The announcement came on the fifth day after a massive 6.7-magnitude earthquake jolted the city of Tainan.

So far 46 deaths have been confirmed and around 100 others listed as missing, reportedly trapped deep under the rubble of the collapsed 17-storey Wei Guan building.

Cheng Ming-chang, director of Tainan city's Civil Engineering Association, says that search and rescue work would continue.

"If there are still survivors at the bottom, we must not delay the process, and we'll search for them as quickly as possible. If we find areas with bodies then we will deal with them after the entire search process has finished."

Heavy machinery is being utilized to try to reach more victims, but hopes are fading as the 72-hour "golden window" for finding survivors has expired.

The earthquake struck at around 4 a.m. last Saturday morning just 2 days before the Chinese lunar New Year.

Developers of the Wei Guan building have been arrested, as poor construction quality has been blamed for its collapse.

Reports suggest the walls of the Wei Guan building, which was built 20-years ago, may have been packed with empty cooking oil containers during the construction process.

The illegal cost-saving technique by developers has been pointed to as one of the factors behind the deaths of over a thousand people after Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999.

Nearly 60 people killed in NE Nigeria suicide attacks

Nigerian officials say two female suicide bombers have struck a refugee camp in the northeastern state of Borno, killing nearly 60 people.

The attack targeted a camp for those made homeless by the Boko Harem Islamist insurgency in the town of Dikwa, some 90 km from the state's capital, Maiduguri.

Officials say the two women secretly entered the site and detonated their bombs in the heart of the camp.

Nearly 80 people were also injured in the explosion.

The attack is believed to be a reprisal for a military strike on Boko Haram strongholds in the area last week.

The extremist group has increasingly used suicide and bomb attacks as the military pushes them out of territories it once controlled.

The Boko Haram insurgency has left at least 17,000 people dead and forced more than 2.6 million from their homes in nearly seven years of violence that has also spread to neighbouring countries.

NATO Defence Ministers Approve Enhanced Force for East

NATO defence ministers have agreed to enhance its forward military presence in Eastern Europe.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the move at a news conference held after a ministerial meeting in Brussels.

"It will be multi, it will be rotational and supported by a programme of exercises and it will be complemented by the necessary logistics and infrastructure to support pre-positioning and facilitate rapid reinforcements. Our military planners will provide advice on the size and the composition on our enhanced presence this spring."

Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz also expressed his support for the multinational force.

"If we are dealing with an aggressor, an aggressor that has decided to undermine the peace and stability in Europe that has been in place for decades, I believe only actions will be sufficient to stop the aggressor and this would be a sign that the aggressor has gone one step too far. So only firm and decisive actions can be effective."

NATO increased its presence in the eastern part of the Alliance in light of the Ukraine crisis.

Taking steps toward reinforcing the alliance's collective defence and deterrence was the main topic for discussion at the meeting of defense ministers.

Millions of Ethiopians to run out of food in April

It's estimated that emergency food aid for 10 million Ethiopians will run out in April, amid the worst drought in 50 years.

To prevent this happening, the International charity, Save the Children, has called on donors for 245 million US dollars by the end of February.

Without the additional funds, the organization says there could potentially be a catastrophic elevation of the level of malnutrition among children in the country.

Salema is a mother of two and says her children have already started to fall ill.

"I went to the hospital and after the screening, they identified my baby was suffering from moderate to acute malnutrition. I was referred to the health facility here where the nurse started treating her. After treatment, her health condition improved."

El Nino-related weather conditions have caused sporadic droughts and flooding across Africa, leaving millions without food.

Currently the country with the greatest need is Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation.

More than 400,000 Ethiopian children are estimated to be suffering from severe malnutrition.

Efforts to send aid can take more than four months to reach the landlocked country, via neighboring Djibouti's congested port.

In an effort to combat this slow response time, The World Food Program has begun importing food from Somaliland.

American Voters React to New Hampshire Results

The American electorate appears ready for a political shake up after two outsiders ran away with the country's first primary in New Hampshire.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won Tuesday's primary for the Democrats, while New York billionaire Donald Trump led the Republican contest in the same state.

Voter Liz Muirwood says the results show the public is seeking political alternatives.

"I think it says that the American public is very disgruntled with the current political process and they'll accept any alternative to it -- even if it's one that goes against their best interests. I think it's the same story as with Trump: the American public, whether they're conservative or liberal are looking for something different than what has emerged from the political process of the past two decades and Bernie Sanders is certainly an alternative to that."

New York voter Mike Webster has questioned the motives behind the results in New Hampshire.

"I mean I understand that there's a lot of anger out there. And actually, well, the two guys who won yesterday are outsider candidates tapping into that anger. But, you know, what do you do with that anger, that's the question."

Analysts say Sanders' proposals to break up big banks and have the government pay for college tuition appealed to the young in New Hampshire, but say that he may struggle outside liberal northeastern states.

Hilary Clinton trailed behind Sanders in the Democratic race.

For the Republicans, New Hampshire showed Donald Trump's staying power after losing to Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucuses last week.

Investigators Focus on Signals Controller in German Train Collision: Source

German investigators are said to be focusing on the actions of a signals controller as they seek the cause of Tuesday's fatal train crash.

An unnamed source made the comment to media on Wednesday. The source added a single track stretch was opened for two trains, leading to the crash.

German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt says an initial black box analysis has revealed no technical malfunction.

"After the first black box was analysed it became clear that on this particular stretch of tracks there was no technical fault and that the train driver acted according to the rules. The signals were correct and so were the relevant responses from the train driver."

Dobrindt added that two more black boxes are yet to be examined.

A German Rail official says the equipment involved in the collision had been regularly tested right up until last week.

Local police say a full investigation could take weeks or even months.

A total of 10 people were killed in the collision in Bad Aibling in the state of Bavaria.

Fabius to be Constitutional Council chief

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says he is leaving that post to be named chief of the Constitutional Council, France's top court that makes sure bills comply with the Constitution.

Fabius has been foreign minister since 2012.

His successor has not been named, as a government reshuffle is expected in the coming days.

The reshuffle is an opportunity for President Francois Hollande to re-shape his team ahead of the 2017 presidential election, as he seeks to improve his very low approval ratings.

Pace of Future Interest Rate Hikes Could Slow: U.S. Fed Chair

The U.S. Federal Reserve Chairwoman, Janet Yellen, has signaled that the Fed still keeps door open to further interest rate hikes, but flagging risks that could delay any further moves.

Yellen says her country's economy faces a number of global threats which could derail growth.

"Ongoing employment gains and faster wage growth should support the growth of real incomes and, therefore, consumer spending, and global economic growth should pick up over time, supported by highly accommodative monetary policies abroad. Against this backdrop, the Committee expects that with gradual adjustments in the stance of monetary policy, economic activity will expand at a moderate pace in coming years and that labour market indicators will continue to strengthen. As is always the case, the economic outlook is uncertain."

She added that such threats are even likely to compel the Fed to slow the pace of future interest rate rises.

"If the economy were to disappoint, a lower path of the federal funds rate would be appropriate. We are committed to our dual objectives, and we will adjust policy as appropriate to foster financial conditions consistent with the attainment of our objectives over time."

The Fed decided to raise benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points in December last year, the first interest rate increase since 2006 and marking the end of an era of extraordinary easing monetary policy.

Many economists had expected 4 interest rate hikes this year, but they now say the Fed may raise rates twice, or maybe even less.

After Yellen's comments, U.S. stocks closed mixed Wednesday with the Dow Jones fell 0.6 percent while the Nasdaq rose 0.4 percent.

Taxis Protest Against Uber in London

Thousands of London's traditional black taxi cabs have taken part in a protest in the centre of the capital against the car hailing company Uber.

A line of black cabs blocked traffic in Westminister, sounding their horns outside Downing Street.

The protesting drivers say Uber avoids paying taxes, and sidesteps taxi regulations by presenting itself as an IT company. Uber allows customers to hail a taxi using an App.

Len Martin from the United Cabbies Group says that Uber needs to be subject to the same regulations as regular cabs.

"It's not about us being afraid of technology. All we are saying is if you are going to use technology to do this job, then you have to comply with the rules and regulations of this country."

Last month, London decided to exempt Uber and other private hire companies from strict new transport rules.

Cold front to chill China during holiday

A strong cold front is moving across China from west to east, bringing a drop in temperatures, rain and snow to some parts.

The national observatory says the cold air would bring sleet and snow to Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia and Shaanxi in the northwest from Wednesday night to Saturday, the end of the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.

Meanwhile, the cold front will move eastwards and southwards, bringing temperatures down by up to 12 degrees celsius, as well as bringing rain or sleet to most parts of the east and south regions.

Carnival Spirit Lights Up Through Generations During Spring Festival

Anchor:

One of the activities that people enjoy during the Lunar New Year is taking part in temple fairs, which have become a staple of Spring Festival celebrations here in China.

CRI's Huang Yue has more.

Reporter:

Miaohui is an event that dates back to ancient times, when farmers would offer New Year sacrifices to their village gods.

As time progressed, the event later saw marketplaces spring up, with villagers peddling their wares and performers putting on shows.

The temple fairs, they are known today, grew in prominence throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1368 to 1911.

But after the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, temple fairs disappeared.

However, they began re-emerging in the 1980's.

Jin Mao, an expert on traditional Chinese culture and history, says the revival of temple fairs in China began in Beijing.

"The country's first official temple fair after 1949 was in 1985 at Beijing's Ditan, or Temple of the Earth. Now, they are once again an important part of the Spring Festival and they continue to evolve. The carnivals in parks such as Ditan and others with a long history largely remain true to tradition, and they evoke imperial times and folk memories."

Miaohui has become a festival filled with food and activities that are enjoyed by every generation.

Each generation remembers temple fairs differently.

However, every generation views them as a joyful place to go during the Spring Festival.

Children in China have been referred to as the "God of Happiness."

As such, during temple fairs, the "Gods of happiness" pass "lucky cards" to visitors at the temple fair.

Whomever receives the "lucky card" is considered blessed for the whole year.

This is one of a number of activities children enjoy during the temple fairs.

"I love temple fair because I can buy kites and candy haws."

"This year I want to blow sugar figurines when I go to temple fair."

"My younger sister and I can watch traditional plays, such as dragon dance show."

People, born in the 1940's or 50's have seen significant changes made in temple fairs through the decades.

Yan Yunxian is "laobeijing" -- a term for those who were born and raised in the capital city.

Yan says she remembers children with red cotton-padded jackets running out of their hutongs to join the temple fairs and see traditional folk art that now can rarely be seen, such as the creation of sugar figurines.

"When I was young, there was only the Changdian event, which was not an official temple fair. But we called it Miaohui anyway. One of the things I remember dearly is the sugar figurines that were popular in traditional stories. I really enjoyed watching and eating afterwards."

He Yunwei and Li Jing, two famous cross-talk actors, have used the creation of sugar figurines as part of their act.

The two tell a funny story of a grandchild and grandfather making blow sugar figurines during the Spring Festival.

Yan Yunxian says while temple fairs have changed through the decades, the spirit of them hasn't.

"In recent years, temple fair has not been like the ones when I was little because of the rapid change in society. However, I think Beijing has preserved a lot of the old traditions and blended it with the new trends. It offers a chance to immerse ourselves in life in ancient China. It's also an opportunity for Chinese parents to show their children facets of Chinese tradition. In the end, it's simply a great way to spend quality time with the family."

Younger generation who were born in the 80's or 90's have also come to know Miaohui as part of the Spring Festival tradition.

Wang Zhe recently finished her undergraduate and graduate studies in the United States.

She says she's really excited to go to this year's temple fair in Beijing, as its been a while since she's been back at this time of year.

"I remember the last time I went to a temple fair was six years ago since I always returned to China during the vacations. I like the traditional Beijing snacks so much. The best traditional Beijing snacks are the candied haw, the Sweetened Fried Flour balls and Beijing Sausage. Although sometimes you can find these snacks in other places, they always taste the best during a temple fair because of the atmosphere. "

This year's temple fairs have different themes, and have adopted today's modern entertainment trends.

For example, the Longtan Park is adding ice-related games to celebrate China's successful bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2022.

And Ditan Park will put on show the connection in traditional culture and customs of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei to hail the central government's integrated development plan of the northern Chinese region.

Organizers say a total of 124 temple fairs have been arranged in Beijing for this year's week-long Spring Festival holiday with over 2.5 million visitors anticipated.

For CRI, this is Huang Yue.

China's ethnic groups celebrate Lunar New Year

Ethnic groups in southwest China's Guizhou province have been organizing a variety of activities to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year.

In Ceheng county, home to China's Buyi ethnic group, the elderly villagers have been teaching young people a traditional bamboo dance to be performed during the new year period.

The dance uses a bamboo tube about 70 centimeters long with a handle, around which the villagers wrap a piece of red cloth to add a festive touch.

Luo Shiying started to learn bamboo dancing at the age of 14, and says she is hoping to pass on the cultural traditional.

"We like our folk song and dance. We hope to pass on the bamboo tube dancing from one generation to the next."

The bamboo dance made it into the Guinness World Records in 2014 when nearly 9,800 people danced together - a record number for a dance of this kind.

Croatian Goran Milovic joins China's Chonqqing Lifan

In sports news:

Chinese Super League club Chonqqing Lifan has signed Croatia international center back Goran Milovic.

The club confirmed on Wednesday that it secured a three year deal with the football star, who played in Croatia before joining his new team.

Milovic, born in 1989, received his first call-up for the senior national team and made a debut as a substitute for a friendly against Russia last November.

Nestle ends IAAF sponsorship deal amid doping crisis

Swiss food giant Nestle has ended its partnership with the International Association of Athletics Federations because of scandal surrounding the sport.

The company says the decision was taken in light of negative publicity associated with allegations of corruption and doping in sport made against the world athletics governing body.

Nestle added the scandal could damage its reputation and image.

However, the IAAF says it's still "in discussion" with Nestle over the final year of its sponsorship deal.

Nestle had a partnership with the IAAF Kids Athletics program, established in 2012.

Last month, sportswear giant Adidas ended its sponsorship deal with the IAAF.

Stephen Chow's 'The Mermaid' breaks China's single day box office record

In entertainment:

The Mermaid has made a record-breaking splash at the Chinese box office on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Setting a new single-day record for Chinese domestic movies, the film pulled in more than 270 million yuan on its debut.

Stephen Chow, Hong Kong comedian and director of The Mermaid, explains his idea about his film.

"The Mermaid is a fairy tale story, but this time it's different than before, filled with material concerning the earth and environmental issues. First of all, we assume that the mermaid really exists in the world and the treatment of these species reflects what is done to the earth now."

Another of Chow's film "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", which was released in 2013, grossed 1.2 billion yuan on the Chinese mainland alone and ranks as one of the highest grossing Chinese films.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be published in book form

Harry Potter will return to British and U.S. bookstores in July with the release of the script for an upcoming London stage play that chronicles Potter's adult life.

The story "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" picks up 19 years after the end of the original series, with Potter working at the Ministry of Magic, now a father of three.

The play is partly written by J.K. Rowling, author of the Potter books, and will have its debut in London at the end of July.

Weather

Beijing will have slight rain with a high of 6 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will be overcast and temperatures should drop down to minus 1.

Shanghai will have shower with a high of 18 and tonight it will be overcast with a low of 14.

In Chongqing it will be overcast in the daytime with a high of 16 and overnight it will also be overcast with the lowest temperature of 10.

Lhasa, sunny, high of 11, cloudy tonight with a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,

Islamabad, slight rain,13.

Kabul, cloudy, a high of 0.

Over in North America,

New York will have sleet today with a high of minus 2 degrees Celsius.

Washington DC, overcast, miuns 4.

Honolulu, cloudy, a high of 24.

Toronto will be snowy today with a high of miuns 11.

In South America,

Buenos Aires, sunny with a high of 21.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories ...

Japan rolls out sanctions on North Korea over its rocket launch on Sunday, amid continued international condemnation.

Time running out in the search for survivors in an earthquake damaged apartment complex in southern Taiwan.

10 million Ethiopians could run out of food by April, amid the worst drought in 50 years.

On behalf of the rest of the Beijing Hour team, this is Bob Jones in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.