新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2016/02/19（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Evening Edition

Shane Bigham with you on this Friday February 19th, 2016.

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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Chinese officials are urging other nations to use restraint in regards to the North Korean nuclear issue...

China is easing the application process for foreigners seeking permanent residence status...

And European Union officials report progress in the negotiations to keep Britain within the bloc, but say much work still needs to be done...

In business...Some Chinese commercial bank will not be able to enjoy preferential reserve requirement ratios because they failed to meet certain standards..

In sports...seeking public opinion on the design of winter Olympic venues in Zhenjiakou...

In entertainment...the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is now in wide release across China...

All of that is coming up in the next hour, but first, a reminder, there are several ways you can reach us at the Beijing Hour.

You can follow our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

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Email us at [email protected].

Visit ChinaPlusnews.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top

China has urged all parties involved in the Korean nuclear issue to act prudently and not to aggravate the situation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says tougher sanctions and pressure may worsen the situation.

"Under the current sensitive situation of the Korean Peninsula, all parties should stay calm, exercise restraint and should not do things that may escalate the situation. China believes that no hot issues can be resolved through simple means of sanctions and pressure. Nor will any action that hurt the interests of third-parties can solve the problem, and they will only complicate the situation. We hope all parties involved can act prudently and not to cause troubles."

The comment comes after U.S. President Barack Obama signed-off on new sanctions on North Korea.

The new law requires the US government to sanction anyone involved with North Korea's nuclear program.

It also targets anyone who sells luxury goods, launders money or supports human rights abuses in North Korea.

The new US law also authorizes 10-million US dollars a year for the next 5-years to fund non-sanctioned broadcasts into North Korea, as well as to assist anyone who leaves North Korea.

North Korea launched an Earth observation satellite into orbit earlier this month and tested what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb last month.

Protests planned for NYPD officer Peter Liang following his found of guilty

Nationwide protests are being planned on behalf of NYPD officer Peter Liang on Saturday.

This comes after Liang was found guilty of manslaughter earlier this month in the death of an unarmed black man.

However, Liang's defense team says the killing was an accident, as the gun was mistakenly fired in the stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project. The bullet ricocheted off a wall killing 28-year-old Akai Gurley.

Peter Liang's sentencing is planned to take place on April 14. He could face up to 15 years in prison.

Supporters say Liang is being used as a scapegoat, after other police officers across the US were cleared in police shootings.

John Liu is a New York City politician.

"Asian Americans suffer from a couple of different stereotypes. Perpetual foreigner syndrome basically says that you know we're Asian Americans, we're not real Americans, we're foreigners, potential spies for other countries and so we shouldn't be treated the same way. We don't necessarily deserve equal justice under the system. Model minority, good little boys and girls, they always behave and if one of them misbehaves, the other boys and girls will still remain well behaved and remain quiet and silent and not make a fuss."

Liang's conviction comes amid nationwide scrutiny over the use of excessive force by police officers.

Several previous cases involving the deaths of unarmed black individuals by white officers have failed to result in criminal convictions.

China to innovate permanent residence policy to attract foreign talent

Chinese authorities are to ease the application process for foreigners seeking permanent residence status in the country, in a move that aims to attract more foreign talent by providing them with better services.

The move was announced by the Ministry of Public Security in a statement on Thursday.

Authorities say China must attract elite professionals from outside the country in a more open manner, to ensure continuous economic and social development.

The ruling Party's central office also issued a circular on Thursday, saying China will explore grading applicants' qualifications based on their salaries, taxes, and social scores, and allow more entities to employ permit applicants.

Officials say the qualifications for permanent residence are going to be more flexible, pragmatic and market-orientated.

The application procedures are also going to be simplified.

Foreigners working in fields with strong government support will be given priority.

There will also be fewer limits for overseas student applicants.

Under the permanent residency program, foreigners with permanent resident status are to enjoy equal treatment with Chinese citizens.

For more on this, our reporter Zhou Jingnan earlier spoke with Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, a think tank based in Beijing.

US business confident of China's economic growth

Anchor:

Recent statistics show that China surpassed Canada as the largest U.S. trade partner in goods for the first time in 2015.

Business insiders are optimistic about China's economic growth and believe there is huge potential for the trading partnership between Beijing and Washington.

Our reporter Guo Yan has details.

Reporter:

Statistics show that the annual trade of goods between the U.S. and China exceeded 590 billion US dollars last year.

Many business insiders see new growth opportunities in the enhanced China-US economic relationship.

David Goldin, founder and CEO of Capify, a small-business lender in the United States, says economic growth in China remains relatively strong compared to most other countries.

"The challenge is people were accustomed to China growing at double digit rates, and especially the majority of the S&P companies in the U.S. There's a lot of buyers in China that some of the S&P companies are selling to, and I think there is macro-economic concerns that even the U.S. companies are going to see slowdown based on less Chinese spending and less China growth."

The comment came after US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said that China's unclear policy over its currency was stoking turbulence in global markets and exacerbating global economic growth concerns.

Goldin says people shouldn't be surprised by what's happening with the Chinese economy, calling it a soft landing as officials in the country shift the economy from one that is export-driven to one that is consuming-driven.

"People don't want to face reality sometimes, and I think that people don't want to give up a good thing, especially the last seven plus years with the U.S. economy right after we had the global crisis. So I think the combination of the Fed raising rates, even though we knew it was coming for a long time, and the reaction that the markets had is really the first wake-up call now that economists and both consumers, businesses, and market traders now realizing wait a second, this really is happening."

The trade volume and the stock of two-way investment between China and the US have both increased rapidly.

Official figure shows that the two major economies have made huge contributions to global economic growth of 27.8 percent and 15 percent respectively.

Figures show that China will become the biggest importer in the world by 2022 and that US exports to China will exceed 530 billion US dollars, generating more than 3 million jobs.

It's expected that China-US economic ties will be further enhanced in the coming years.

For CRI, this is Guo Yan.

China Unveils New Measures Targeting Winter Air Pollution

Anchor:

A suite of strict and targeted measures have been announced to address severe air pollution in the area around China's capital during the winter heating season.

CRI's Luo Bin has details.

Reporter:

Recent data from China's Environmental Protection ministry has shown that although air quality improved continuously nationwide last year, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region still suffered heavy pollution, largely caused by PM2.5 particles.

The same data showed the average density of the particles in Beijing in the first ten months last year was cut by over 21 percent compared with the same period in 2014.

However, during the heating season, which began in mid-November, the PM2.5 density in the city surged over 75 percent year on year.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Environmental Protection Minister Chen Jining said the latest step in the regional air pollution fight is to unify standards for issuing air pollution alerts and those alerts would be issued according to the forecast maximum level of PM2.5.

"Unified standards for issuing air pollution alerts in Beijing and five neighboring cities, including Tianjin Municipality as well as Baoding, Langfang, Tangshan and Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province, will be rolled out before March 15."

Beijing and its surrounding area is one of the worst PM2.5-polluted regions in China.

Coal-fired electricity generation, as well as vehicle exhaust, are said to be the main factors driving up pollution levels across the region in the annual heating season.

According to Chen Jining, a strong El Nino effect, which brought static weather patterns making it difficult for airborne pollutants to disperse, made the situation even worse this winter.

He said apart from a revised air quality warning system, a slew of follow-up measures will also be put in place to prevent air pollution from getting worse again.

"Continued efforts including information sharing, tougher supervision over polluting firms, crackdowns on polluting vehicles and replacing coal with electricity or gas in heating will be carried out to cope with winter smog."

China enacted its Environmental Protection Law a year ago, and the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law this January.

Chen Jinning noted it is also be a priority to implement these new laws effectively.

"Despite the deterrence of penalties and the growing public awareness of environment protection, many enterprises still risk being punished for discharging pollutants. During the 13th Five-year plan period, a major crackdown will be launched against polluters. But it requires the efforts of both the environmental protection authorities and groups from all walks of society."

Chen also added that the ministry is considering pollutant emission fees based on different seasons to encourage polluting enterprises to increase production in summer while decreasing during the winter.

For CRI, this is Luo Bin.

China Expropriates Record Amount of Narcotics in 2015

Anchor:

China's Narcotics Control Commission has released a report, showing the current state of drug abuse in the nation, and the efforts being made to tackle the problem.

It highlights China's "zero tolerance" policy towards narcotics, and pledges to shoulder greater responsibility in the international fight against drug abuse and smuggling.

For more on this, CRI's Huang Shan reports.

Reporter:

According to the report, Chinese police confiscated 102.5 tonnes of narcotics in 2015, a record amount which marks an increase of 48.7 percent year on year.

Police are said to have handled 165,000 drug-related criminal cases during the past year, and captured 194,000 suspected criminals in total.

Liu Yuejin, deputy director of the National Narcotics Control Commission, said the prevalence of narcotics in China is generally under control, but several new problems have arisen.

"In terms of narcotic abuse, we found the proportion of people taking opioid drugs such as heroin has seen a decrease. But the popularity of synthetic drugs has been growing. Drug users come from all age groups, different education levels and various occupational groups in society."

The report shows the unemployed make up over 69 percent of the drug abusers, followed by farmers, students and celebrities, which account for some 17 percent, 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent respectively.

The deputy director added that the illegal manufacture and smuggling of new psycho-active substances was spreading from the Yangtze River Delta to other parts of China.

"In the past year, we've listed and legislated against over one hundreds new psychoactive substances, although most of them have not yet been found in cases of drug-addiction in China. We aim to strengthen regulations and penalties as a priority, to prevent the development and extension of the third generation of narcotics across the world."

Liu Yuejin also pointed out that China faces pressure on two fronts - in dealing with the source of narcotics, with a greater inflow of drugs from overseas, and also a threat from domestic drug production.

"In recent years, we have been leading joint narcotic raids involving countries in the Lancang or Greater Mekong Area, especially targeting the "Golden Triangle", Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Now those operations are beginning to delivering results. Such cooperation has played a pivotal role in carrying out drug control efforts in the most severe narcotic sourcing countries."

In the first three quarters of 2015, 93.8 percent of confiscated heroin and 87.9 percent of crystal meth tablets came from the "Golden Triangle" in Southeast Asia.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

3 Missing Children Found in East China

The three children who were reported missing in eastern China on Tuesday have been found near a cave in the mountains not far from home.

They are said to be healthy.

Wang Qiusheng is the villager who found the children.

"We discovered them while searching on the mountain and saw them sitting there by the water. They didn't move while we shouted at them. They should have heard us but they just didn't move. We gave them food and ran down to call for help."

The three children, including a 7-year-old boy and two girls, aged 8 and 12, disappeared from their village in Zhejiang province at around noon on Tuesday.

One of them is on record as saying they got lost while playing outside the village.

More than 4-thousand people, including 10 specialized rescue teams, participated in the search for the children.

Authorities say the cave they stayed in was only a few kilometers away from their villages but the complicated terrain in the area made the searching difficult.

Authorities in Harbin promise to further investigate the "overpriced fish" incident

Authorities in Harbin have met with a customer who claimed he was overcharged in a local fish restaurant.

Chen Yan says he's content with the attitude of the authorities in dealing with the incident.

"First, I'm content with the attitude of their meeting with me in person. And during the meeting, I was quite honest and told them all the details of the incident. They have promised me to give me a result of the investigation as soon as possible. "

The initial investigation by the Harbin price authorities shows that the fish was sold at a reasonable price.

However, media revelations show that the Huso sturgeon in the restaurant was actually priced much higher than others.

Unreasonable charges in China's catering industry have long been a target of public criticism, especially during holidays, and it's feared the practice is damaging the development of tourism in China.

Ill-behaved tour guide confirmed as legal but may face fine: report

It's been reported that the tour guide seen swearing at tourists in a viral video was not working illegally, and in fact has the necessary registration required by the industry.

The tour guide has been identified as a man surname Wang, who lives in Beijing and has been a tour guide for years.

The municipal tourism authorities say his behavior is in violation of industry rules.

His tour guide license may be revoked and he could be fined up to 30-thousand yuan.

The travel agency that Wang works for will also face fines.

Wang will be added to a blacklist that is displayed on the official website of the Beijing tourism sector.

Shanghai teachers among world's most qualified: OECD survey

A survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows Shanghai middle school teachers are among the world's most qualified.

The organization surveyed 4-thousand teachers from 200 junior middle schools in Shanghai last year along with teachers from 37 other countries.

According to the survey, 99 percent of the teachers surveyed have bachelor's degrees, while the global average is 93 percent.

It also shows the average age of the Shanghai teacher is 38, five years younger than the average level in the world.

Much Remains to be Done on Britain's Membership of EU: European Council

European Council President Donald Tusk says much remains to be discussed among EU leaders on Britain's renegotiation of its membership in the EU.

His comments on Friday came as the majority of the 28 EU heads-of-state and government left the summit.

"For now I can only say that we have made some progress but a lot still remains to be done. Now I will hold a series of bilateral meetings, starting with (British) Prime Minister (David) Cameron, (French) President (Francois) Hollande, (Czech) Prime Minister (Bohuslav) Sobotka and (Belgian) Prime Minister (Charles) Michel."

Tusk says EU leaders have reinforced their commitment to building a European consensus on migration.

"We must respect the rules and laws that we have all adopted together. This concerns both the decisions on relocation as well as the need to gradually get back to a situation where all members of the Schengen area fully apply the Schengen borders code."

Tusk, who chairs the summit meetings, also announced the EU will hold a special meeting with Turkish leaders on the migration crisis at the beginning of March.

An EU official says the meeting is being scheduled for March 5.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had been due in Brussels on Thursday but cancelled his trip due to a bomb attack in Ankara the previous day.

Merkel Comments on Britain's Relationship with EU and Refugee Crisis

German chancellor Angela Merkel has addressed her European peers who have gathered in Brussels for a two-day European Union summit.

Commenting on changes demanded by Britain regarding its relationship with the EU, Merkel says the advantages of keeping Britain as a member state outweigh the disadvantages.

"It became clear that there were differences in opinion when it comes to question of an ever closer (European) Union. The opinions on European integration diverge significantly, that has become clear in today's discussion, but we are prepared to find a compromise here, even if it is difficult, because the advantages of Britain as a member state greatly outweigh the disadvantages that an exit would bring, which is why we have shown willingness to compromise."

Commenting on the refugee crisis in Europe, Merkel says there is support across the EU for strengthening the exterior borders of the Union.

"We will have a substantial change in our capacity to protect our exterior borders by agreeing on a NATO mandate, which was today again approved and supported by everyone. With the help of NATO we want to improve the monitoring of the Aegean sea in coordination with the Turkish coast guard and Frontex."

Merkel says that with the number of refugees making the perilous journey across the Aegean Sea likely to rise with the beginning of spring, it is important to see quick results from the new measures.

Japan's opposition parties file bills requesting to scrap security laws

Five Japanese opposition parties filed two bills to the National Diet's lower house on Friday, demanding the retraction of a series of controversial security laws.

The opposition camp aims to make the issue a debate in the upcoming upper house election, before the security legislation takes effect on March 29.

The legislation, enacted last year, gives a green light for Japan's Self-Defense Forces to aid allies in armed conflicts overseas, the first time such deployments will have been permitted since WWII.

More than 90 percent of Japanese constitutional experts consider the security laws to be in violation of the country's Constitution, which bans Japanese forces from exercising what is known as collective self-defense.

The ruling coalition aims to secure the majority of the upper house in the summer's election, so to review the country's pacifist Constitution.

Turkish President accuses PYD of carrying out Ankara attacks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the Kurdish Democratic Union Party of carrying out the bombing in Ankara on Wednesday, despite denials of any wrongdoing from that group.

"Even though those who head the PYD and PKK say this has no connection with them, based on the information obtained by our interior minister and our intelligence agencies, it is identified that this is done by them."

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says a Syrian national with links to Kurdish militias carried out the attack in concert with Turkey's own outlawed Kurdish rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party.

Salih Muslim Muhammad, a PYD co-chairman, denied the accusation, and said the Islamic State group was responsible for the Ankara attack.

The blast on Wednesday claimed the lives of 28 people, including several military personnel, and wounded 61. It came a day after another attack which killed 6 Turkish soldiers.

14 people have been detained in connection with the attack.

Countries including China and Russia, along with the United Nations, have all strongly condemned the latest terrorist attacks in Turkey.

Weather

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of -5; sunny tomorrow and a high of 4.

Shanghai, also cloudy with a low of 6; sunshine tomorrow with a high of 11.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 8; same skies tomorrow, highs of 13.

Lhasa, clear tonight with a low of 0; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 18.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 23.

Kabul, cloudy, 4.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will see slight rain, highs of 28.

Brisbane, slight rain, 28.

Perth, cloudy, 34.

And finally Auckland will have some clouds with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline News

Chinese FM on Korean nuclear issue, South China Sea

China has urged all parties involved in the Korean nuclear issue to act prudently as U.S. President Barack Obama signed-off on new sanctions against North Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said the Korean nuclear issue cannot be resolved by simple sanctions.

Meantime, the spokesperson also urged the concerned countries to get clear understanding of the basic facts of the South China Sea.

Hong Lei made the remarks after U.S. State Department said the missiles on Yongxing Island were installed recently and there was no sign of China stopping the militarization of the island.

He stressed China has ample historical evidence and legal proof over its sovereignty of the Nansha islands and their adjacent waters.

New human H7N9 case reported in east China

A new human case of H7N9 avian flu has been reported in Shandong Province, the first case in the eastern Chinese region since September.

A 57-year-old man is in a critical condition.

He was diagnosed with the flu on Wednesday and had been in contact with poultry.

EU leaders vow to implement existing agreements on migration

European Union leaders have agreed to implement existing agreements concerning the ongoing migration crisis hitting Europe.

Leaders at the two-day European Summit said the implementation of the EU-Turkey Action Plan remains a priority.

Under the deal, Turkey agreed to protect EU borders from the flood of refugees in exchange for billions of U.S. dollars from the EU.

Brazil's Air Force joins fight against Zika transmitting mosquito

Brazil's Air Force has joined the fight against mosquitoes that carry Zika and other viruses.

200-thousand Brazilian soldiers are involved in the "Zika zero" campaign, searching for possible mosquito breeding grounds.

The government has decided to inspect around three million houses in the country's 350 cities.

Brazil is currently in a state of emergency due to the spread of Zika and its possible link to the increasing cases of microcephaly in the South American country.

Tibetan antelope sanctuary applies for world heritage

The remote western Hoh Xil nature reserve in western China has applied for UNESCO world natural heritage status.

The reserve, home to 70-thousand Tibetan antelope, covers 60-thousand square kilometers in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

It will be the only site in China to apply for listing in 2017.

The UNESCO committee will inspect the reserve in September with findings expected to be released in the summer of 2017 at the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee.

Biz Reports

Anchor:

Time to check today's business news, starting with the closing market numbers in Asia.

Here is CRI's Min Rui.

Reporter:

China's stocks closed mixed on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index inching down 0.1 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen index closed nearly half a percent higher. The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises gained 0.9 percent.

Over in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index lost 0.4 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Japan's Nikkei ended lower on the yen's advance, down 1.4 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI gained 0.4 percent.

Singapore's Straits Times inched up 0.1 percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX/200 lost 0.8 percent.

Central Bank denied rumors on lifting RRR for banks

Chinese central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan denied rumors the Central Bank will increase the reserve-requirement ratios for some commercial banks because they issued new loans too fast.

He made the remark while attending the annual Chinese Economists 50 Forum in Beijing this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the central bank issued a statement on its website saying that it will abolish preferential reserve requirement ratios for some banks after they failed to meet official requirements.

The central bank has examined banks' implementations of targeted RRR cuts announced last year and found a small number of lenders had failed to meet the standards attached to such cuts.

The standards were related to the banks' support for the farm sector.

The latest changes to the RRR will take effect next Thursday.

China to lower tax on property transactions

Chinese authorities have decided to lower taxes on home purchases in most cities to help end the property glut.

The finance ministry announced on Friday that houses above 90 square meters will be levied a deed tax at 1.5 percent of the home's value, down from the current 2 percent, for first time buyers in all Chinese cities.

In terms of a second home purchase, tax rates will be cut to 1 or 2 percent depending on the size of the home, but the change excludes first-tier cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Previously the rate was 3 percent, regardless of floor space.

In addition, sales of houses held more than 2 years will be exempt from business taxes in most cities.

The new policy will take effect on Monday.

China has recently reduced the minimum down payment required for first- and second-time home buyers in most cities, a move aimed at clearing a housing glut that is weighing on the broader economy and discouraging new investment.

China to use more new energy vehicles in public institutions

More public institutions will have greener auto fleets by 2020.

Institutions including government ministries, education, hospitals, cultural venues, and sports facilities will be affected by the government edict to reduce their respective carbon footprints.

According to a statement from the National Government Offices Administration, these institutions are expected to take the lead and add more new energy vehicles to their fleets.

The statement acknowledges that the institutions may struggle with covering the cost of building charging stations and other expenses.

The statement also encourages private companies to build charging stations and to provide other services.

Aston Martin to develop electric car with China's LeEco

Aston Martin set up a venture with Chinese consumer electronics group LeEco to jointly develop the British luxury car brand's first electric vehicle.

This is viewed as an example of the deepening ties between the technology and automotive industries.

Companies like Alphabet and LeEco are developing automotive expertise because they want to broaden their reach beyond computers and cellphones into cars, while automakers want Internet connectivity to give drivers live traffic updates and infotainment.

Aston Martin and LeEco say they plan to develop an electric car based on the British automaker's Rapide S model, before developing other potential electric vehicles, including ones for LeEco.

Currently, China's government is promoting electric vehicles to cut the smog that frequently envelops its cities.

Officials say sales quadrupled last year and this has turned China into the world's biggest market for these vehicles.

Marriott Targets China's Mid-Scale Hotels & WeChat's Fees

For some other major events that have been taking place on the corporate front in China this week,

The Beijing Hour's Bob Jones spoke earlier with Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

Filmmaker inks 5-year deal with Universal

A Chinese entertainment firm has announced it will offer 250 million US dollars in financing to Universal Pictures in the US.

Beijing-based Perfect World Pictures said it will invest in Universal's films for the next five years.

It will also share global revenue for at least 50 co-financed movies with Universal, which is behind film franchises such as "Jurassic Park" and "The Fast and the Furious."

Perfect World is best known in China for producing TV shows, but is also behind domestic films.

Chinese companies are increasing investment in the foreign entertainment industry.

Last month, Wanda Group signed a US$3.5 billion deal to buy Hollywood studio Legendary Entertainment, said to be China's biggest-ever cultural takeover.

Sports

Zhangjiakou preps for 2022 winter Olympics

And in some Olympic news:

Co-host city, Zhangjiakou, is gearing up to see some serious changes in its sports venue, after Beijing was picked to host the 2022 winter Olympic games.

As the city is preparing to build this new venue, they are looking for public opinion on what designs should be picked.

Netizens can go to the city's official website, look at the 5 designs listed and give their thoughts and comments.

This new venue will hold several different areas for competition, including a stadium, a gymnasium and a speed skating rink.

The area for construction will cover around 50 hectares and when its completed, the venue can host over 70,000 people.

Local authorities have promised the public this new venture will be a frugal and sustainable development.

Update from Rio Open

In an update from the Rio Open:

Spaniard's Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, the two top seeded players, have advanced after their victories over fellow countrymen on Thursday.

The King of the Clay, Nadal beat Nicholas Almagro 6-3, 7-5 to advance in the tournament, while Ferrer beat Albert Vinolas, 4-6,6-1,6-4.

After the games, Nadal gave comment about how he was feeling.

"The most important thing here, for the moment, is that I am feeling better physically. Last week I had a little bit of trouble with my stomach there (in Buenos Aires), during the whole week and, with the humidity, that was unbelievable. I felt so bad physically in court, suffering too much in every match. Here, physically, I am feeling much better because my stomach is better. So that's the key of my improvement on my game.

Next up for Nadal will be a face-off against Alexander Dolgopolov

and for Ferrer, he will play Dominic Thiem.

Update from Dubai Tennis Championships

And in some tennis news from Dubai:

Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic and the Ukraine's Elina Svitolina have advanced from the quarter finals of the Dubai tennis championships on Thursday.

Strycova beat out world number 17 Ana Ivanovic with a 7-6, 6-3.

A tie breaker in the first set marked the point where the Czech star would start dominate.

After that, Strycova never looked back.

Her next match will be against France's Caroline Garcia in the semi's.

And for Svitolina, she defeated America's Coco Vandeweghe 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in their quarter finals meet up.

This comes after she knocked out tournament second seed, Garbine Muguruza in her previous match.

The world number 21 beat her 46th ranked American opponent in 1 hr and 57 minutes.

Next up she will play Italy's Sara Errani.

Tottenham ties Fiorentina 1-1 in Europa league first leg

And in some Euro football action:

Tottenham has drawn Fiorentina 1-1 in their Europa league first leg on Thursday.

The match took place at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, which meant an away game for the English visitors.

After the game, Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino, gave comment about his team's perfomance.

"Yes, it was tough, a tough game but we knew that Fiorentina is a very good team and I think that until we concede the goal I think that we were playing much better and then I think that we didn't manage properly the ball after we concede the goal. This was...we have a problem to manage the last 25 minutes but very pleased with the performance we gave and now the tie is open and we need to think in the next game. We need to be ready for Sunday, a very tough game against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup."

Despite the game ending in a tie, Tottenham can rest easy after scoring an away goal which could aid them in next Thursday's second leg at White Hart Lane.

NHL's Black hawks honored at White House

and in some Hockey news:

The Chicago Black Hawks were honored at the White House on Thursday for winning their third Stanely Cup in six years.

During the ceremony Obama gave praise to the 2015 Champions.

Three titles in six years, conference finalists in five out of seven years, one of the best records in hockey this year as well. Each year that target on their back grows a little bit bigger. Each year the salary cap makes it a little tougher to keep this group together. But each year the Hawks keep on winning. It is, like I said, a tribute to the front office. It is also, by the way, a tribute to the head of scouting, who just told me that he could help me pick my Supreme Court justice."

The Hawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games last June to seize their sixth Stanley Cup

The president also took a minute to recognize some of the teams unsung heroes, defenseman Kimmo Timonen and backup goaltender Scott Darling.

Timonen was recognized for overcoming is blood clot diagnosis and contributing to the cup win and Darling was recognized for an act of charity during the offseason.

In response to the president's nice words, the team gifted him a permanent parking pass to their Arena, the United Center.

Obama stated that this has been one of the best gifts he has ever received while being in the white house.

Entertainment

"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II" Hits Chinese Theaters

"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II: Sword of Destiny" opened today in Chinese theaters.

Directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, the sequel to Ang Lee's 2000 martial arts classic is set 20 years after the events of the first movie.

Unlike actress Michele Yeoh who reprised her original character as Yu Shu Lien, lead actor Donnie Yen has played a new role named Meng Sizhao, the silent wolf in the film.

Yuen was the action director to Donnie Yen's first martial art film 30 years ago. To Yen, he's always the mentor who helped him start his career.

And this time, it was also Yuen that helped him make up his mind about joining the project.

"Actually, the team had been inviting me for years to join the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2 project, but I just can't make up my mind before they decide on the director. To me, the name itself is like a brand already, since the first one was such a success, with an Oscar award. I felt challenged to provide my best performance in the movie, especially without director Ang Lee this time. But then, the producer says my teacher is going to direct, that's what change my mind."

The whole movie was shot in English to better present traditional Chinese culture and art on the international stage.

Before the big release today, the movie had already received wide praise from its world premiere on Tuesday.

The Great Wall Movie Shifts to 2017

Legendary Pictures says that "The Great Wall," a movie originally scheduled to hit US theatres on November 23rd this year, has been pushed to February 17th of next year.

With that change, the movie will go up against Will Smith's 'Bad Boys 3' and the final film in the "Maze Runner" franchise, "Maze Runner: The Death Cure."

The movie was directed by Zhang Yimou and staring Andy Lau and Matt Damon.

Set in 15th century China, the movie revolves around an elite force of soldiers who use the Great Wall to battle otherworldly creatures.

"The Great Wall" is the largest co-production between Hollywood and China to date with an estimated budget of 150 million dollars.

The film is the first full English-language production for Zhang.

James Bond's Newest Sports Car: Sold!

The Aston Martin DB10 Sports car from the latest James Bond movie "Spectre" sold at auction for 3.5 million US dollars.

The sale happened at Christie's in London.

The movie's Associate Producer, Greg Wilson, said the association of "Bond" with luxury and style is what brings in the bidders.

"Bond is a man who likes the refined things in life and one of the reasons for that goes back to Fleming, he was a guy who didn't know if he was going to live to see tomorrow, so while he was here wanted to enjoy the finest foods, drinks and that also means the Aston Martin as you can see behind me, and he also needed to rely on these things to do his job because you never know when you're going to have to chase after, or evade some bad guys."

Ten Astons were made for the film for special effects scenes, except for one that is road-worthy.

Even so, the unidentified buyer cannot really take the car for a spin, since the car does not have the necessary road certifications or safety features, as it was created solely for its 007 film role.

Nine other items from Spectre were sold, including an Omega wristwatch and a Daniel Craig dinner suit.

Meanwhile, a further 14 items continue to receive bids in an online auction which ends next Tuesday.

Amazon Buys Rights to upcoming Woody Allen Film

US online giant Amazon announced on Thursday, that it has acquired the North American rights to Woody Allen's upcoming movie.

The film, which does not yet has a title, is a romantic comedy set in the 1930s and stars Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively and Kristen Stewart.

Set for release this summer, Amazon will open the film with a "traditional, nationwide theatrical release," and then make it available exclusively to Amazon Prime users.

The filmmaker is also writing a television series for Amazon marking his TV debut, which will come out later this year.

Amazon has been seeking to catch up with Netflix, which has developed a loyal following through series such as the dark Washington thriller "House of Cards" and prison comedy "Orange Is the New Black."

Amazon has already won awards with comedy-drama "Transparent" and Golden Globe winning piece "Mozart in the Jungle."

Justin Bieber takes back US Number 1 single from Zayn

Justin Bieber has reclaimed the top spot on this week's Billboard Hot 100, knocking Zayn Malik's Pillowtalk from Number 1, with a song called "Love Yourself."

The new release has racked up more than 100 thousand downloads and has been streamed 17 million times.

Weather

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of -5; sunny tomorrow and a high of 4.

Shanghai, also cloudy with a low of 6; sunshine tomorrow with a high of 11.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 8; same skies tomorrow, highs of 13.

Lhasa, clear tonight with a low of 0; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 18.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 23.

Kabul, cloudy, 4.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will see slight rain, highs of 28.

Brisbane, slight rain, 28.

Perth, cloudy, 34.

And finally Auckland will have some clouds with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories...

Chinese officials are urging other nations to use restraint in regards to the North Korean nuclear issue...

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On behalf of the Beijing Hour team, it’s Shane Bigham in Beijing. Join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together...