新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/04/10

 
The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
 
Weather
Beijing will be overcast tonight with a low of 11 degrees Celsius. Also overcast tomorrow with a high of 18 degrees.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 14, overcast tomorrow, with a high of 21.
Chongqing will be rainy, 19 degrees low, also rainy tomorrow with a high of 21.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 30.
Kabul, overcast, 22.
Over in Australia
Sydney, rainy, high of 24.
Canberra, rainy, 19.
Brisbane, sunny, 29.
And finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 31.
 
                                                                   Top News
 
Boao China confident to keep economy in proper range: premier
 
Anchor
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has delivered his keynote speech to the opening of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia in Hainan, focusing largely on economic integration.
CRI's qizhi has more.
Reporter
Li Keqiang's speech has mostly focused on economic integration and regional cooperation.
"To resolve issues in Asia will require development. Development changes the world and creates the future. It is still the priority for Asian countries."
As part of his address to the Bo'ao Forum, Li Keqiang says China will work with the parties involved to accelerate negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.
He says he hopes to see the RCEP signed next year.
"The RCEP is the largest trade negotiation, with the most extensive participation in East Asia. It will help establish integration of mature free trade zones and it is compatible for Asia's industrial structures, economic models and social traditions."
Li keqiang also says the Chinese government has an open attitude to toward the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
He says both the RCEP and the TPP can become important supplements to the multilateral trading system.
Li Keqiang has also used his speech to address security in Asia.
"Asia's progress benefits from regional stability. Peace and stability are the basic guarantees for Asia's development. China is firm in its resolve to uphold its territorial sovereignty. It's China's plan to solve its regional disputes through peaceful means. China will give full support to initiatives that help strengthen maritime cooperation and will respond firmly to any provocations that undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea."
Li Keqiang's speech has also touched on China's economic growth, saying this year's target is "about" 7.5-percent.
The word 'about,' the Premier notes, allows for a range in GDP growth.
"We will not resort to short-term stimulus policies just because of a temporary economic fluctuation. We will be paying more attention to sound development in the medium and long run. With all the principles we have established, and with the policy options at our disposal, we can handle all possible risks and challenges. China's development has strong resilience."
This year's annual Bo'ao Forum for Asia runs until Friday.
For CRI, This is qizhi.
 
 
China's first special zone for medical travel under construction
 
Anchor:
Authorities in Hainan are constructing this country's first special zone for medical travel, specifically targeting so-called "migrant birds."
CRI's Zhang Wan has more.
Reporter:
Traditionally in China, people prefer to stay where they are when they grow old and seldom travel.
But now, an increasing number of people have been breaking with tradition.
When winter comes, they will pack their luggage and go to Hainan, China's tropical island province, to avoid the cold in the north.
They are dubbed "migrant birds."
Huang Ping from Beijing is one of them.
In middle age now, she is looking for a place to travel and spend her winters after retirement.
Hainan is one of her possible options. However, she has concerns about the availability local medical services and amenities.
"The place for me must have several facilities: first, a nice place to live; second, quality medical service. For example, when I am old, I will probably need good medical services under some emergency situations. Third, there must be facilities, such as cafes, restaurants and so on."
Huang Ping's expectations when it comes to a good place to live and travel will soon become a reality in Bo'ao, Hainan province. The Island is building China's first special zone for medical travel.
The Bo'ao Lecheng International Medical Travel Zone will be located near Qionghai city and Bo'ao Town, covering an area of about 20 square kilometers.
Lu Zhiyuan, director of the Hainan Tourism Development Committee says Hainan Island has a unique advantage for developing medical tourism.
"Hainan Island has very good air quality, very pure water, blue sky and ocean. Currently the pm2.5 in Boao is at 4."
The Director of The National Health and Family Planning Commission, Li Bin, says China has further advantages in the development of international medical tourism, with its rich resources, quality medical service, low costs, and even Chinese traditional medicines.
"Through developing medical tourism, the health service industry and tourism industry will be linked together. That will be favorable to the country's economic transformation and upgrading, and it will also provide more job opportunities, meanwhile, it will make Chinese medical institutions take steps to adapt to international demand, so that the overall standard of medical service will be enhanced."
Li Bin adds that the International Medical Travel Zone in Hainan is taking the lead in the mission the healthy development of the health service industry. The government is allowing several privileges and policies in the trial zone.
Overseas medical institutions will be allowed to set up business within the zone. Other preferential policies will include lower taxes for imported medical instruments and medicines, and some frontier medical programs will be allowed.
Medical tourism, which combines travel with leisure and healthcare, is already popular in some Asian countries and regions like Singapore and Hong Kong.
Former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke says he believes the Bo'ao Lecheng International Medical Travel Zone is promising.
"The island of Hainan is an extremely attractive place, so the concept of bringing together the best western medicine, specialists and Chinese medicine here in this great new center, it's absolutely a magnificent concept. And I'm absolutely sure it's going to be an outstanding success, because it has what people need, and it will be great for the economy of Hainan, and it would be good for China."
Hawke adds that the issue of aging populations is confronting the world today, and that will help the international medical travel zone prove to be a success.
Construction of the zone is estimated to cost up to 100 billion yuan, or some 16 billion US dollars.
For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.
 
Australian plane detects suspicious signal in MH370 search
 
The coordinator of the international hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 says they have detected a possible signal today.
The acoustic echo has been reportedly picked up by an Australian search plane in the same area where signals were also detected this week.
Angus Houston says the data still needs to be further analysed.
He does say the data is pointing to the signal being man-made.
Thursday's search area has become even more precise.
Over two-dozen planes and ships are being tasked to cover the new search area, which has now been confined to just under 58-thousand square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean, aproximately 23-hundred kilometers northwest of Perth, Australia.
 
 
China plays a constructive role in Iranian talks
 
Negotiations in the latest round of the Iranian nuclear talks are into their 2nd and last day.
Both sides have been suggesting progress is being made in their talks in Vienna.
However, both the P5+1 and Iran admit there are still hurdles to overcome.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.
"The Iranian nuclear issue is complicated. It is very difficult to conclude a comprehensive deal. It is inevitable that Iran and the six world powers to have differences. But importantly, the attitude of the parties involved is constructive, and all the parties have expressed their willingness to deal with each others's concerns, agreeing to continue to seek common-ground through negotiations. "
Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, heads the P5+1 negotiation team.
"A lot of intensive work will be required to overcome the differences which naturally still exist at this stage in the process. We will now move to the next phase in the negotiations, in which we will aim to bridge the gaps in all the key areas and work on the concrete elements of a possible comprehensive agreement."
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has gone on-record this week saying Tehran will neither give up nor slow down its nuclear research and development as the nuclear talks continue.
This current round of negotiations comes ahead of the July 20th expiration of the current interm agreement, which has seen Iran curtail its nuclear enrichment activities in exchange for an easing of sanctions.
Both sides say they're planning to create separate final-draft agreements after this current round of talks is over.
 
 
Palestine, Israel indicate willingness to find way forward in peace talks: Kerry
 
US Secretary of State John Kerry is expressing optimism about the potential re-start of stalled peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Kerry's comments have come ahead of a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Washington.
"Both parties indicate they would like to find a way to go forward with the talks. We obviously want to see that happen. We think it's important for them and for the region."
For his part, Lieberman says Israel remains committed to securing a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians.
"Now we are in the midst of a very crucial process and I think that you and us have the same, same desire to achieve comprehensive solution to achieve final status agreement. We're willing to sacrifice a lot for this goal. We've proved our desire to achieve real peace with our neighbours."
The meeting between Kerry and Lieberman comes after the U.S.-brokered peace talks ran into a stalemate last week when both sides accused one-another of "unhelpful unilateral actions."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has signed documents to apply for membership to 15 United Nations agencies last week.
The Israeli government has refused to release a fourth and final tranche of 26-Palestinian prisoners as part of the original deal to reopen the bilateral talks negotiated last year.
The current round of talks, which began last year after a 3-year hiatus, have so-far failed to produce any tangible results.
 
 
Protestors in Luhansk refuse to surrender
 
Pro-Russia demonstrators in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk say they're refusing to surrender under the terms offered by Ukrainian authorities.
The Pro-Russian protestors have been occupying the regional headquarters of the Ukranian Security Service since Tuesday.
They are calling for a referendum to split from Ukraine.
"The terms offered are unacceptable for us. They are promising clemency in exchange for us giving up our weapons - this is not appropriate for us."
"We would like to become a federal district, at this point within the state of Ukraine. Afterwards, it's the people who will make a decision, we cannot decide for the people."
Ukranian authorities have warned they plan to solve the escalating situation in the next 24-hours, either by negotiation or force.
Protesters are warning that any attempt to storm the building will be met with force.
Demonstrations in eastern Ukraine have been growing in recent days following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula last month.
 
 
Venezuelan government, opposition coalition hold first peace talks
 
The Venezuelan government and the country's opposition coalition have held their first round of peace talks in Caracas.
The first round of talks have come to an end with both sides agreeing to hold another round of discussions as soon as possible in a bid to end weeks of violent unrest that has left 39 dead and over 600 injured.
The talks are being overseen by a group of foreign ministers from different South American countries.
Opposition leader Ramon Aveledo.
"I want to take this opportunity to show my thankfulness to the foreign ministers of the Union of South American Nations who have made great mediation efforts."
Jorge Arreaza is Venezuela's Vice President.
"We hope that another formal talk can be held in the next few hours, and it will be fully open to the media so that everyone can see the progress made."
Venezuela's capital has seen weeks of demonstrations by those accusing the administration of Nicholas Maduro of overlooking the country's middle-class for the sake of the country's poor.
 
 
Early polls show opposition lead in Indonesian elections
 
Initial polling is suggesting Indonesia's largest opposition party is leading the country's parliamentary elections.
The Democratic Party of Struggle is said to be holding just over 19-percent of the vote.
Current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party is currently sitting in fourth position.
The opposition lead in the parliamentary elections is expected to boost support for popular Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo's chances of winning July's presidential election.
Official results from the parliamentary elections in Indonesia will be released in early May.
 
 
Polling for the third phase of India's general election begins
 
The third phase of India's general election is underway.
Today's voting block is one of the biggest in the 9-phase electoral process.
Polling is taking place across several regions, including parts of Delhi and the restive regions of Chandigarh and Kashmir.
Tens-of-thousands of security personnel have been deployed to ensure the vote goes off smoothly.
"I am very excited as I am the first one to cast my vote. I would like to appeal to all the people to participate in the election and cast their votes. People should encourage others to cast their ballot."
"This time we have to vote against corruption. We have come early to beat the rush at the polling booth".
The multi-stage vote is due to finish in India on May 12th.
Final results are expected four-days after.
The vote is pitting the incumbent Congress party against the opposition BJP.
Initial polling is putting the Hindu-nationalist BJP ahead of the Nehru-Ghandi legacy.
 
 
Over 24,000 people demonstrate against austerity measures in Greece
 
Close to 25-thousand people have taken to the streets in Athens as part of a 24-hour strike by public and private sector unions against the Greek government's austerity measures.
The protesters have marched on Parliament agaisnt the government's program of tax increases and spending cuts.
The Thursday demonstration follows on the heels of thousands of journalists and media workers taking to the streets a day earlier over layoffs.
The Greek government has alreayd approved a new austerity bill as a prerequisite for its next installment of EU bailout money.
 
 
Car bomb explodes outside Greek central bank, no injuries reported
 
A car bomb has exploded outside the the Greek Central Bank in central Athens.
No injuries have been reported.
The early-morning blast did cause damage to nearby offices.
Authorities say a telephone warning was issued to local media outlets shortly before the blast went off.
So far there's been no claim of responsibility.
 
 
22 injured in stabbing rampage at Pennsylvanian high school
 
21 students and a security guard have been stabbed at a high school in the US state of Pennsylvania.
A 16-year-old student is in custody.
Officials say the young man came in armed with two knives and began the assault.
The victims, ranging from 15 to 17-years old, are all in hospital.
7 of them are in critical condition.
The attacker was eventually disarmed by the school's principal, who tackled him to end the rampage.
So far authorities have not offered any motivation for the attack.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
stocks
Asian stocks rose broadly today, although weaker than expected trade data from China capped gains to some extent.
Chinese share prices jumped significantly today as investors turned to buying after China's securities regulator announced plans to allow cross-market stock investment from the mainland and Hong Kong.
We'll have more on this in just a few moments.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite jumped 1.4 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed up 1.5 percent.
The Shenzhen Component gained 0.7 percent.
Japanese shares ended flat, erasing early gains.
Toyota shares dropped 2.4 percent after the automaker announced a recall of over 6 million vehicles yesterday.
On the economic front, Japan's core machine orders, a leading indicator of capital expenditures, tumbled an 8.8 percent in February from the previous month.
Economists expected a 3-percent decline.
Australian shares have risen to a near six-year high, buoyed by upbeat jobs figures.
The benchmark ASX200 rose 0.3 percent, led by banks and retailers.
Shares in Seoul extended gains for a fourth day, lifting the benchmark KOSPI up 0.5-percent to a four-month high.
The KOSPI has closed above the psychological 2-thousand point level for the first time this year, led by gains in tech and defense shares.
Singapore's Straits Times Index ended the trading day down 0.2 percent.
 
 
China to allow cross-border Hong Kong, Shanghai stock investment
 
Authorities here in China have announced plans to allow cross-border stock investments between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission says this will allow mainland investors to trade in designated companies listed in Hong Kong, and at the same time let Hong Kong investors buy shares in Shanghai-listed firms.
The CSRC says the designated companies available for investment would mostly be limited to Chinese firms with existing dual listings on both exchanges.
In addition to dual-listed companies, Hong Kong investors will be able to buy shares in companies listed in the Shanghai and SSE380 Indexes.
The new plan doesn't allow for foreign investment Shenzhen.
Hong Kong-based investment in mainland stocks will be limited to an overall quota of 300-billion yuan, with a daily limit of 13-billion yuan.
Mainland investment in Hong Kong will be limited to 10.5-billion yuan.
 
 
China to establish Shanghai-HK stock exchanges connectivity mechanism
 
Chinese premier Li Keqiang has announced plans to establish a connectivity mechanism between the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
He's made the revelation during his opening speech to the Bo'ao Forum for Asia earlier today.
Li Keqiang also says the government plans to introduce a system to clarify government powers.
He also says the central authorities are working on a management model based on a negative-list approach.
A negative-list is currently being employed in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone to determine what companies 'aren't' allowed to do, rather than what they 'can' do.
 
 
China central bank adds first liquidity in 9 weeks
 
The People's Bank of China is pumping more money into the banking system.
The capital injection, the first in 9-weeks, comes ahead of the tax-collection season when individuals and companies typically need extra funds to pay their bills.
It also comes after a disappointing economic report today which shows exports unexpectedly fell this past month.
The PBOC is injecting 55-billion yuan into the banking system this week through its regular open-market operations.
 
 
Economist Ma Jun quits Deutsche Bank to join PBOC
 
Deutsche Bank economist Ma Jun is joining the People's Bank of China, saying he wants to be involved in economic changes he expects will be "very aggressive".
The 50-year old takes over as the chief economist of the central bank's research bureau, ending 13-years with Deutsche Bank.
Ma Jun takes over as the head of the PBOC's research bureau at a time when officials here in China are moving to try to transform this country's economy into a consumer-driven system.
He worked as an economist at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank from 1992 to 2000 before taking up his role as an economist with Deutsche Bank.
 
 
China's exports down 6.6 pct in March
 
Anchor:
New data shows exports from China have slumped 6.6-percent in March.
The General Administration of Customs is reporting imports are also down 11.3-percent.
Total foreign trade volume has declined 9-percent.
As such, the trade surplus has increased by 7.7-billion US dollars this past month, following a deficit of 23 billion US dollars through February.
For more on the new figures, we're joined live now by Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of Economics and Business…
 
 
BAIC Motor eyes Hong Kong IPO later this year
 
BAIC Motors has announced plans to list in Hong Kong in the second half of this year.
BAIC is hoping to raise 10 to 20 billion-yuan through the listing.
The company originally had plans for a dual-listing on both the Hong Kong and mainland capital markets.
However, the company's CEO says they're still not sure about when the mainland listing may happen.
The plans for a listing comes just over a year after Daimler agreed to buy a 12-percent stake in BAIC Motor.
As part of the announcment, BAIC has also increased its stake in the Mercedes-Benz joint venture with Daimler from 50 to 51-percent.
This allows BAIC to consolidate the joint venture prior to the IPO.
 
 
S.Korea freezes interest rate for 11 months
 
South Korea's central bank has decided to leave its interest rates unchanged.
The decision by the BOK marks the 11th month in-a-row it's decided to keep rates on-hold at 2.5-percent.
The current policy rate has been anchored at 2.5-percent since last May, when the central bank lowered borrowing costs by 25 basis points.
 
 
Australian jobless rate unexpectedly falls
 
Australia's unemployment rate has dropped unexpectedly through March.
The jobless rate in Australia has fallen to 5.8-percent in March from an upwardly revised 6.1% in February.
Most economists had been predicting unemployment to remain flat through March.
The number of people finding new jobs has increased by 18-thousand.
Analysts had expected the number of people without work to increase by 10-thousand.
 
 
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Boao China confident to keep economy in proper range: premier
 
Premier Li Keqiang has delivered his keynote speech to the opening of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia in Hainan, focusing largely on economic integration and regional cooperation.
Li Keqiang says China will work with the parties involved to accelerate negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Li keqiang also says the Chinese government has an open attitude to toward the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Li Keqiang has also used his speech to address security in Asia, saying China is firm in its resolve to uphold its territorial sovereignty.
 
 
Australian plane detects suspicious signal in MH370 search
 
The coordinator of the international hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 says they have detected a possible signal today.
The acoustic echo has been reportedly picked up by an Australian search plane in the same area where signals were also detected this week.
Angus Houston says the data still needs to be further analysed.
He does say the data is pointing to the signal being man-made.
Thursday's search area has become even more precise.
Over two-dozen planes and ships are being tasked to cover the new search area, which has now been confined to just under 58-thousand square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean, aproximately 23-hundred kilometers northwest of Perth, Australia.
 
 
China to allow cross-border Hong Kong, Shanghai stock investment
 
Authorities here in China have announced plans to allow cross-border stock investments between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission says this will allow mainland investors to trade in designated companies listed in Hong Kong, and at the same time let Hong Kong investors buy shares in Shanghai-listed firms.
 
 
6 dead, 26 injured in Brazilian prison fire
 
Six inmates are dead following a prison riot in Brazil.
Another 26 have been hospitalized, 11 of whom remain in critical condition.
All of those injured in the riot were housed in the same cell.
Authorities have not said what sparked the unrest.
 
 
22 injured in stabbing rampage at Pennsylvanian high school
 
21 students and a security guard have been stabbed at a high school in the US state of Pennsylvania.
A 16-year-old student is in custody.
Officials say the young man came in armed with two knives and began the assault.
The victims, ranging from 15 to 17-years old, are all in hospital.
7 of them are in critical condition.
The attacker was eventually disarmed by the school's principal, who tackled him to end the rampage.
So far authorities have not offered any motivation for the attack.
 
 
Beijing pollutants too much for environment: report
 
A new report has confirmed that despite government efforts to curb pollution, the quality of Beijing's environment is not still improving.
The report by the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau says pollution in Beijing through last year was much greater than the environment could handle.
The analysis shows the average PM2.5 reading exceeded national standard by 156-percent.
Among all the six fine-particulates monitored, only sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide emmissions met standards last year.
 
Newspaper Picks
 
China Daily
"Environmental watchdog to tighten supervision"
The country's environmental watchdog has vowed to tighten its supervision of polluting enterprises nationwide to further improve air quality.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection fined more than 1,800 industrial enterprises for unlawful conduct during an inspection campaign from November to February.
Warnings and fines were issued to over 2000 construction sites with excess dust pollution, nearly 2000 underground oil refining workshops and coking plants, and over 14,000 restaurants without oil fume purification facilities during the investigation.
Already 29 polluting enterprises have been suspended or shut down.
The ministry said it will use new technology to carry out environmental supervision, including unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite remote sensors.
And unmanned aerial vehicles are capable of identifying how enterprises discharge pollutants.
Shanghai Daily
"Travel agencies win over tourists with free Wi-Fi"
A FREE Wi-Fi service offered by travel agencies to tourists traveling overseas is proving popular.
Tourists are keen to share their travel photos on social media platforms like WeChat and weibo and are also needing solid wifi to keep in contact with their family members.
However, the high costs and the inconvenience of surfing online abroad makes it difficult, travel agencies say.
Now tour guides from travel agencies carry rented wireless Wi-Fi devices similar to routers overseas and each device can provide free Wi-Fi for five tourists.
The free Wi-Fi connections cover over 100 countries including Australia, the US, Japan and South Korea and regions.
For individual tourists who book air tickets or accommodation on one of the online travel agencies, they can also rent the Wi-Fi device for about 40 yuan per day.
Tourists can also search for useful information about their destinations if they have such service.
Asia One
"Fasting in the land of plenty: Germans say less is more"
High-end clinics specializing in deprivation rather than pampering are all the rage in Germany, one of the homes of the fasting movement, and in some cases it is even covered by health insurance plans.
For its proponents, fasting helps prevent heart disease and treat asthma, arthritis, chronic digestive diseases, some chronic respiratory infections and even depression.
"Fasting stimulates the body's own regenerative powers," said the managing director of this kind of clinic which has a history of 60 years with thousands of patients at each establishment. "It's not a scientific study but it's a statistical fact," the clinic's chief doctor said.
Few randomised controlled trials with large sample sizes have been completed on the subject.
And medical experts warn that like any extreme change in habits, fasting should be practised in moderation under a doctor's supervision and expectations for dramatic long-term health benefits should be kept in check.
The Associated Press
"Police taught to spot signs of psychiatric crisis"
Police officers in Scranton, Pennsylvania now get 40 hours of training in how to recognize and respond to mental illness and psychiatric emergencies.
Mental health advocates say that training can help police spot when someone's in crisis and adjust their tactics accordingly, potentially reducing injuries to officers and people with mental illness as well as the frequency of arrests.
And one police officer from Lower Merion Township did use his mental health training to calmly talk to one man suspicious of mental illness and successfully defused the crisis without using any force.
In AMerica, dozens of mentally ill people die in run-ins with police every year. And such crisis intervention teams have been installed in nearly 3,000 police departments out of 18,000 nationwide.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
 
Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival to Open Soon
 
Anchor:
Preparations are underway for this year's "Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival, which is set to kick off later on this month.
CRI's Xiong Siqi has a preview.
Reporter:
As the climate warms with the approach of spring, the capital city of China has also been warming up for its major cultural event, the 14th "Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival.
From April 28th to 25th next month, the event will feature dance, music, drama, outdoor musical festivals, and an art exhibition. More than 200 art troupes from over 30 countries are set to step onto the stage.
At the press conference for the festival, Pu Tong, an official from the Ministry of Culture, says the festival will connect China with the rest of the world.
"As a comprehensive art festival, the event is dedicated to promote the international communication of cultural exchange. For decades, the festival has served as a platform for multilateral cultural communication. "
From the ballet version of Don Quixote and mellifluous singing of the leading children's chorale to the free-styled African dances and blood-boiling hard rock: audiences will be thrilled by the rich diversity of the festival.
According to the organisers of the festival, shows from Latin America are the highlight of this year, which includes a 3-day Latin American and Caribbean musical festival and a concert. During the concert, the China National Orchestra will use traditional Chinese musical instruments to present classical repertoires from Latin American countries for the first time.
Rosario Portell, the Uruguayan Ambassador to China, hopes that these cultural exchange will promote further artistic innovations.
"The communication during this art festival is just like building a bridge. Latin America countries use music, dance, painting, photography, and design, to recreate our arts and renew these art forms during this communicating process."
Domestic talents also set to shine during the festival, with the controversial dark comedy The Face of Chiang Kai-Shek as well as the concerts of popular Hong Kong singers Alan Tam and Hacken Lee featuring in the line-up. Musician Feng Mantian will fuse the music of Zhong Ruan, a Chinese plucked string instrument with jazz, rock, and blues melodies.
In order to attract more young visitors, the festival is also going to launch four major outdoor events, including Intro Electronic Music Festival and Strawberry Music Festival. Through selling low-price tickets and establishing feedback channels, the organizers hope to help locals gain wider access to the world-class performances.
For CRI, this is Xiong Siqi
 
 
Sports
 
78th Masters gets underway in Augusta
 
In golf,
The 78th edition of the iconic Masters tournament is just minutes away from getting underway in Augusta Georgia.
The first pair of golfers, veteran Stewart Cink and South Africa's Tim Clark, are set to tee off right about now actually, 7:45am eastern time which is 7:45pm Beijing time.
Defending champion Adam Scott is paired with Jason Dufner and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
They'll tee off at 10:41 tonight. Rory McIlroy, newcomer Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Reed tee off about ten minutes later.
And three-time champion Phil Mickelson, who's paired with Ernie Els and Justin Rose, will tee off at 1:48am.
No Tiger Woods this year, as the world number one is out to recover from back surgery, but there are plenty of familiar faces.
South Korea's KJ Choi is back for his 12th consecutive Masters appearance. Veterans Jim Furyk, Charl Schwartzel, Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar are all there. And world no. 6 Sergio Garcia is making his 16th consecutive Masters appearance.
"Yeah, excited about it.　Good to be back here, and hopefully do something well.　Obviously come off a good week.　I felt so-so on the practice the last two days, but when the tournament starts tomorrow hopefully I'll be feeling good, and we'll get things going and see if we can get in contention."　
The 97-man field also includes 24 rookies, who will contend for the green jacket alongside the world's top ranked players.
One of these is Joost Luiten from the Netherlands, who practiced alongside Rory McIlroy and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee earlier today.
"It's just one big learning curve, playing the majors, playing the Masters for the first time.　It's different than any other tournament I've played in.　And you learn a lot from that, that's what you take onto the course when you play next.　It doesn't matter where, you just take it with you and　those experiences are really important to go through as a player."　
The last time a Masters was won by a first-timer was back in 1979 when a player named Fuzzy Zoeller triumphed.
Earlier today, the traditional pre-tournament par three contest was held. American Ryan Moore won that contest, completing the nine hole course with a six-under par 21. He'll try to shake off the "curse" of the par-three-championship.
 
 
Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid through to UEFA CL semifinals
 
Yesterday in the Champions League,
Bayern Munich is through to the semifinals after defeating Manchester United 3-1, with a 4-2 on aggregate victory.
Man U's David Moyes didn't get down on his players despite the disappointing loss.
"I thought that the players did a great job tonight. The only crime was conceding the goal after we had scored. Within 30 seconds. That was the biggest crime. But the players had done a great job. We had to play against the holders of the competition and for long periods we made it difficult for them but in the end, we just couldn't quite keep it."
Pep Guardiola's side marches on in their campaign to defend their Champions league title. He said he never underestimated Manchester United, but he believes his side proved to be superior.
Ok. It's Manchester United. Ok it's the best but calm down because it's Manchester United (and they are always a threat) so I knew it would be difficult but we are there so it's not easy to play against eight players in the box. That happened in Manchester too and we decided to try and create a little bit of passing in the middle but quickly go to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery and cross. But they defended. Manchester defend. Chelsea defend well. Arsenal defend well The flankers, the crosses. But at the end, you know after one one (in the first leg) we played much better and we deserve to be in the semi-final."
Also yesterday,
Atletico Madrid knocked Barcelona out of the running, after a 1-0 win in the second leg of their quarterfinals clash. Atletico advances to the semifinals with on 2-1 aggregate.
This is the first time since 1974 that Atletico has reached the semi-finals, and it's also the first time that Barca has failed to make the last four since 2007.
Atletico joins Bayern, Chelsea, and Real Madrid in the semifinals, with the draw for that next stage taking place tomorrow.
Over in the UEFA Europa League,
Juventus will host Olympique Lyonnais in the second leg of their quarterfinal clash later today.
The Turin side need to protect their fragile 1-0 lead if they're to advance to the semis.
 
 
Columbus Blue Jackets into playoffs after win over Dallas Stars 3-1
 
In the NHL,
The Columbus Blue Jackets are into the playoffs for the second time in franchise history after a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars.
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Montreal Canadians 3-2 in overtime.
And the Detroit Red Wings gained a single point and secured a playoff spot after a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Calgary defeated Los Angeles 4-3. And the Anaheim Ducks beat San Jose 5-2.
 
 
Wins for Oklahoma City, Indiana, and Cleveland in the NBA
 
In the NBA,
Russell Westbrook returned to the Oklahoma City lineup and scored 30 points as the Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 107 to 101. Kevin Durant added 27.
The Indiana Pacers moved back to the top of the Eastern Conference with a slim victory over the Milwaukee Bucks 104 to 102. Indiana's Chris Copeland was the man of the night after his game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds on the clock.
Cleveland destroyed Detroit 122 to 100, the Atlanta Hawks beat the Boston Celtics 105 to 97, and Portland just barely scraped by Sacramento 100 to 99.
Toronto had a 125-114 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Orlando defeated Brooklyn 115 to 111. And the Charlotte Bobcats took Washington into overtime before winning 94 to 88.
 
 
Entertainment
 
Zhang Ziyi, Gwei Lun-Mei, and Carina Lau attend the Dior show in Hong Kong
 
Luxury brand, Dior, showcased its latest designs in Hong Kong on Wednesday, April 9th.
Chinese A-list actresses Zhang Ziyi, Carina Lau and Gwei Lun-Mei were among those attending the fashion show.
Gwei recently got her big break with her role in the movie, "Black Coal, Thin Ice", which won major awards at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.
However, Gwei still feels like there is so much to learn, especially from seasoned actresses like Zhang and Lau.
"I met Zhang Ziyi at the previous Golden Horse Awards. I told her that I've liked her since her first film. I met Carina at this year's Berlin Film Festival. I'm grateful that she's always very encouraging."
Carina Lau has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress at this year's Hong Kong Film Awards.
However, Lau admits to facing tough competition in her category:
"Law Lan, or Wai Ying Hung; they all did a great job, but I'm not too bad, either."
Other guests attending the Dior show included French model-actress Laetitia Casta, Hong Kong actor Simon Yam and his wife, model Qiqi, and fashionista Hilary Tsui.
 
 
James Cameron's new documentary on climate change to air on Showtime
 
A new documentary on climate change produced by Titanic director James Cameron will air Sunday on the premium cable network, Showtime.
"Years of Living Dangerously" is a nine-part documentary that chronicles the human impact on the global climate and the consequences of climate change.
Cameron says he hoped the documentary will help put the public focus on the pressing global issue:
"The devastation to the planet that we'll be experiencing in the next century is really I think pretty unfathomable for most people, and I think that what the series can do is to bring it home and make it real. This isn't a science show. we're telling the story in very human terms in a way that makes it real."
Cameron has used his medium to get people thinking about the impact of climate change. His 2009 sci-fi 3D epic "Avatar" was a prime example of that.
A star-studded cast, including Harrison Ford, Matt Damon, Jessica Alba, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, act as correspondents in the documentary.
Joining the celebrities is a group of nine scientists who helped the stars highlight the facts about the seriousness of climate change.
 
 
TV series "Fargo" premieres in New York
 
TV series "Fargo" premiered in New York Wednesday night.
The 10-episode series features "Hobbit" star Martin Freeman, along with Billy Bob Thornton, Kate Walsh, Keith Carradine and newcomer Allison Tolman.
Though the show is based on the Coen Brothers' 1996 movie of the same name, Freeman noted that the TV version is not a remake of the film:
(bjh/soundbite 0410 Freeman)
"It's our one. You know we can't do the Coen Brothers film 'Fargo.' That's already been done and they don't need us to do it either better or worse. It has to stand on its own and I really believe it does. I mean obviously it's a fantastic jumping off point, because it's a truly brilliant film but we're not making that film."
"Fargo" will air in the U.S. on the FX Network April 15th.
 
 
'Frozen' tops Billboard album chart for fourth consecutive week
 
The soundtrack to Disney's one-billion-dollar grossing animated film, "Frozen," spent its fourth consecutive week atop the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday.
The "Frozen" soundtrack, which has ridden the popularity of the film and its hit song, "Let It Go," by Broadway actress Idina Menzel, sold 149-thousand copies last week to reach 1.9 million in U.S. sales since its release in November of last year.
It is this year's highest-selling album so far, with about 1.6 million copies sold in 2014.
 
 
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra makes history by winning the Birgit Nilsson Prize
 
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra has been awarded the million dollar (US) Birgit Nilsson Foundation prize.
The award, named after the late Swedish soprano, was founded in 2009 and is given to artists "who have made the biggest contribution to classical music." This marks the first time it has been awarded to an orchestra.
The Birgit Nilsson prize adds to the list of honors accorded to the Viennese ensemble, which is recognized as one of the world's greatest.
The full orchestra will perform works by Liszt and Wagner at the award ceremony in Stockholm on October 8th, which will be attended by Swedish King Carl Gustaf the 16th.
 
 
 
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has officially opened this year's Bo'ao Forum with a speech focusing on regional integration.
Another singal has been detected in the southern Indian Ocean possibly connected to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Early numbers are suggesting Indonesia's main opposition party is crusing toward victory in that country's legislative elections.
In business... mainland authorities have announced plans to allow cross-border investment with Hong Kong.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.