新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/04/11

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

 
 
Shane Bigham with you on this Friday, April 11th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The Chinese premier largely focused on issues of economic integration while giving his keynote speech to the Bo'ao forum in Hainan...
The people who kidnapped a Chinese tourist from a resort in Malaysia have come forward with an 11-million US dollar ransom demand...
And for the fifth time, an Australian search vessel has picked up a signal that may be from missing flight MH370...
In Business...an official with the International Monetary Fund comments on the recent fluctuations in the value of the yuan...
In sports...several NBA teams will visit Shanghai and Beijing in October...
In entertainment...the animated feature Rio 2 is now on screens in China...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be overcast today, with a high of 18 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 10.
Shanghai will see slight rain during the daytime with a high of 21.
Overnight, it will see moderate rain with a low of 15.
In Chongqing, the rain continues with a high of 25.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 19.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 30.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 22.
Over to North America.
New York will see moderate rain today with a high of 18 degrees.
Washington will have thundershowers a high of 23 degrees.
Honolulu, sunny, 26.
Toronto, Canada, will be overcast with a high of 16 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 22.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.
 
 
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.
 
 
How American Urbanization inspires China
 
Anchor
Premier Li Keqiang also mentioned the country's urbanization plan in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony. CRI's Alexander Aucott takes a closer look at the issue, which is also high on the agenda of panel discussions at this year's forum.
Reporter
"The scale and speed of urbanization in China has never been seen before in world history. Taking Beijing as an example, every year more than 500,000 people come to Beijing. The number is equal to the population of a middle-size city. Most of these people are migrant workers. How can we make such a large number of people adapt to the city?"
That is Chen Gang, Vice Mayor of Beijing.
He says so far the population in Beijing has reached more than 21 million, with 8 million being from the migrant population.
The city is finding it increasingly hard to deal with the rapid growth in its population due to limited energy, land and water.
Therefore, Chen says urbanization is a trend that is inevitable.
According to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, urbanization is the certain route to modernization and an important basis for integrating the urban and rural structures.
Wang Lu, a senior government adviser of Hainan Province, says the government should make efforts in human-focused urbanization.
"Currently the rate of urbanization in China is 53.7 percent. However, less than 40 percent of migrants has city household registration. That is to say there is still over 10 percent population without equalized city service."
Daniel Doctoroff, CEO of Bloomberg, also the former deputy Mayor of New York City, gives an example of how a city has achieved successful urbanization.
"The way we judge, certainly in America, the success or failure of a city is actually about its ability to grow. And we have an attitude to grow, the least smart grow, is good and it's the best evidence that what you are offering as a city is successful, that the free market of people moving in and out of jobs, moving in and out of visitors, moving in and out is the best evidence of success."
Transportation is considered play an important part in urbanization.
Doctoroff says making the city more walkable could be also helpful.
"One of the pieces of advices I'd give to Beijing is continue to focus on ways of making it more walkable, creating much more activity on the street level, and that obviously is a difficult thing to do."
According to this year's government work report delivered last month, China will carry out a new type of people-centered urbanization that will grant rural people who live in cities more social welfare currently enjoyed by the city dwellers.
The report says China will grant urban residency to around 100 million rural people who have moved to cities, rebuild rundown city areas and villages inside cities where around 100 million people live, and guide the urbanization of around 100 million rural residents of the central and western regions in cities there.
For CRI, I am Alexander Aucott .
 
 
Chinese Tourist Kidnappers Demand $11 mln Ransom
 
The kidnappers who abducted a Chinese female tourist from a holiday resort in Malaysia have asked for a 500-million peso ransom. That's about 11 million US dollars.
The latest development is according to a statement released by the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs.
A 29-year-old Chinese tourist from Shanghai was kidnapped along with a Filipino resort worker by a group of gunmen at a hotel in Sabah on April 2.
A phone call from the kidnappers was made to the family of the tourist last Sunday claiming that she was safe. But no ransom demands were made at the time of the phone call.
Philippine military officials say the search for the 7 gunmen is still underway in a province in the southern Philippines.
 
 
Australian aircraft detected possible fifth signal
 
Anchor
An Australian aircraft has detected what may be a fifth signal coming from the locator beacons of the missing Malaysian Airlines jetliner.
The finding adds to hope that searchers will soon deploy a submarine to confirm if the signals are connected to the missing plane.
CRI's Yu Yang has more.
Reporter
Australian air force AP-3C Orion aircraft detected the signal in the area where an Australian vessel picked up pings earlier this week.
Authorities say the acoustic data shows potential of being from a man-made source.
The data is now under analysis.
If confirmed, the signal can further narrow the hunt for the missing jetliner, which vanished early in March while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard.
Thursday's search was confined to just under 58,000 square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean.
Narrowing the search area is crucial before an unmanned submarine can be sent to create a sonar map of a potential debris field on the seabed.
William O'Halloran is the Director of Marine Operations at Bluefin Robotics, which manufactured the submarine.
"One of the great things about it is that it can work at the extreme operational environment, at the great depths that we're expected to have to survey. And that allows us to put the vehicle down, map the area and return objects of interest."
O'Halloran says since the sub moves slowly, it will take six-to-eight weeks to canvass the current underwater search zone, which is a 1,300 square kilometer patch on the ocean floor.
The Australia air force has been dropping sonar buoys to maximize the sound-detectors operating in the search zone.
Up to 14 planes and 13 ships have been assigned to assist in Thursday's search.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry says China will spare no efforts in the search as it is now a critical stage to locate the black boxes.
Nine Chinese vessels have joined the search.
Meanwhile, as the investigation of the flight crew continues, it is reported that the flight's captain was the last person on the jet to speak to air-traffic controllers.
Previously, media reports suggested the final words had been spoken by the co-pilot.
It is said that there is nothing unusual about the captain's voice and there were no third-party voices.
For CRI, I am Yu Yang.
 
 
China calls on Japan to take practical actions to mend ties
 
China has called on Japan to take practical actions if it wishes to put China-Japan ties back on track.
The Foreign Ministry's comment comes after Hu Deping, a former official of the Communist Party of China visited Japan.
Media reports say Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida expressed Japan's willingness to improve relations with China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says China's position on China-Japan ties is very clear.
"We urge Japan to strictly abide by the principles and spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and at the same time demonstrate sincerity and take concrete actions. Japan needs to clear away the political barriers it has created between the two countries and take concrete actions and make real efforts to improve the China-Japan relations."
Hong says that Hu Deping was invited to visit Japan on a people-to-people exchange.
Hu arrived in Tokyo on Sunday.
 
 
Ukraine authorities do not rule out use of force in retaking buildings
 
Ukraine's deputy interior minister says the authority has not ruled out the use of force, as pro-Russian protesters continue to occupy government buildings in eastern Ukrainian cities.
Protesters in Donetsk and Luhansk have set up tents and barricades in front of government buildings, demanding a referendum on the federalization of Ukraine.
Ukraine's Deputy Interior Minister Sergei Yarovoy:
"We are trying to find some kind of a compromise in order to free those buildings, but at the same time these slogans and demands that the so-called occupants are voicing are unacceptable to us. In any case, the aim of the interior ministry in these difficult and protracted negotiations is to reach an agreement and avoid casualties and the use of force, but it cannot ruled out for the moment."
Earlier, activists in Donetsk declared the region an independent republic.
Ukraine has blamed Russia for stirring up tension.
White House and NATO have renewed warnings that if Russia moves into Eastern Ukraine, they will trigger a tougher round of sanctions against Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian officials say Russia will take action based on its own interests, not in response to threats.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov:
"The more appeals for sanctions we hear, the stricter they are, the stronger Russian society will mobilise, the more united it will be. No threats will make either Vladimir Putin or other political forces act the way the US, Germany and other partners want them to. Based on our own interests, we will take action."
Russian President Vladimir Putin also warns that Ukraine's delays in paying for Russian gas have created a critical situation.
Putin says Ukraine could be required to make gas payments one month in advance due to growing debts.
Pipelines transiting Ukraine deliver Russian gas to several EU countries.
 
 
Pentagon chief reiterates U.S. support to Ukraine
 
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has reaffirmed American support for the current regime in Kiev.
Hagel placed an in-flight call his counterpart in Kiev, following his recent Asia-Pacific tour that saw him stop here in China between Monday and Thursday.
The Defense Secretary told his Ukrainian counterpart that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine, and both sides pledged to remain in close contact going forward.
The two defense officials also discussed the situation in Crimea, as well as Russia's military activities along Ukraine's borders.
 
 
Polling for the third phase of India's general election begins
 
The third phase of India's general election is underway.
This 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 dynasty.
 
 
Obama marks 50th anniversary of Civil Rights Act
 
US President Barack Obama has paid tribute to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Obama says he is a benefactor the law, signed 50-years ago by then-President Lyndon Johnson.
Obama delivered an emotional speech at the Civil Rights Summit, held in the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
The current President says the civil rights law opened many doors for people, including himself, adding that's why he is standing as America's commander-in-chief today.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and ended racial segregation in schools and public places.
The act, together with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Medicare, are viewed as the most important legacies of Johnson.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
First, the latest market figures, here is Tu Yun.
U.S. stocks took a hit Thursday, as a sell-off on tech shares resumed after a two-day rally for the market.
The Nasdaq plummeted 3 percent to a two-month low, logging its biggest drop since November 2011.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped more than one and half percent. And the S&P 500 was down 2 percent.
European shares also went lower as investors cashed in on the star performers after some disappointing data and more jittery market conditions.
London's FTSE100 added a fraction of a percent, France's CAC40 lost two thirds of a percent, and Germany's DAX was down half a percent.
 
 
Yuan's recent fluctuation not intended depreciation: Lagarde
 
A senior official of the International Monetary Fund has voiced support for the view that the recent increased variation of China's yuan is not an intended depreciation of the currency, but a move in the direction of the yuan's internationalization.
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde made the remarks at a news conference ahead of the IMF-World Bank Spring meeting due to open on Friday.
Having appreciated by more than 20 percent since China introduced a more market-based exchange rate regime in 2006, the yuan has weakened by about 2 percent in recent months.
Yi Gang, deputy governor of China's central bank, said during a panel discussion at John Hopkins University on Thursday, that compared with other currencies, the yuan's recent fluctuation is small and within the normal range.
He said China's exchange rate policy is market-determined and that trend will be more apparent in the mid-to-long term.
 
 
China eases control on overseas investment by companies
 
China's top economic planning body says China has taken measures to ease controls on Chinese companies' overseas investments.
The National Development and Reform Commission adds Chinese companies planning to invest less than 1 billion U.S. dollars overseas will only need to register with authorities rather than seek approvals from the Commission.
But the rule does not apply to investment projects in "sensitive countries, regions or sectors."
Previously, Chinese companies planning to invest 300 million U.S. dollars or more in natural resources exploitation and 100 million U.S. dollars or more in other sectors would all be subject to approval from the Commission.
The procedure for approval has also been simplified. A company planning to invest overseas can directly submit applications to a provincial-level economic planning body, rather than going through county- and city-level authorities.
Investors will normally need to wait about 20 working days for the approval results. When an application requires third-party evaluation, the time will be no longer than 40 working days.
The registration process will require no more than seven working days.
 
 
Call-in Corp news with Doug
 
Anchor:
Let's check out some of the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
Doug Young joins me on the line, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
1,Imax Corp, the world's leading giant-screen theater operator, plans to sell a 20 percent stake in its Chinese business to two China-focused investment companies in an 80 million US dollars deal. An IPO in the Chinese market is also anticipated, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Q1: What are the benefits for IMAX to partner with the two China-focused investment groups?
Q2: What are the likely markets for IMAX's future IPO? What are the advantages and disadvantages of those markets?
2. Xunlei is one of the last major video sharing sites in China that hasn't been acquired yet. But now the company has landed 310 million US dollars in funding, led by China's budget smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi.
Q1: What assets does Xunlei have that make it attractive to Xiaomi?
Q1: What are the chances this deal could lead to a merger or acquisition down the road?
Back Anchor:
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
 
 
Greece successfully returns to int'l bond markets after 4 years
 
Greece has returned to international bond markets after a four year absence due to the debt crisis, selling 3 billion euro worth of five-year bonds at 4.75 percent interest.
The Greek Finance Ministry says the transaction is expected to settle next week, after the closure of the first long-term Green bond auction since 2010.
The auction process lasted just a few hours on Thursday and demand was very strong, exceeding expectations. The initial goal was to raise 2.5 billion euros at approximately 5 percent interest rate.
The Greek Finance Ministry says the participation of long-term investors outside Greece is expected to approach 90 percent.
 
 
Google to sell Glass to public next week
 
Search engine powerhouse Google will soon take online orders for its Glass wearable gadget, in its biggest push to get the 1,500 dollar wraparound Web-ready glasses out to the U.S. public.
For a limited time starting Tuesday, Google will make the wearable device available to more than just the select group of users such as apps developers in its Glass Explorer program.
In a blogpost, Google did not say how many pairs it would sell, just that the quantity would be limited.
Many tech pundits expect wearable devices to go mainstream this year, extending smartphone and tablet capabilities to gadgets worn on the body, from watches to headsets.
But Google Glass has also raised privacy concerns, prompting some legislators to propose bans on the gadget.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Premier Li pledges equal treatment to foreign companies
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has pledged to give equal treatment to foreign companies in China, and create an operating environment with fair competition.
Speaking at the ongoing Bo'ao Forum for Asia, he promised China is committed to comprehensive reform and further opening of its markets.
The premier also stated that China is committed to the development of industries that use clean energy, low carbon, and environmental protection practices.
Li Keqiang also reaffirmed efforts to strengthen intellectual property protection.
 
 
Chinese Tourist Kidnappers Demand $11 mln Ransom
 
The Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs says the kidnappers who abducted a Chinese female tourist from a holiday resort in Malaysia have asked for a 500-million peso ransom. That's abount 11 million US dollars.
A 29-year-old Chinese tourist from Shanghai was kidnapped along with a Filipino resort worker by a group of gunmen at a hotel in Sabah earlier this month.
Philippine military officials say the search for the 7 gunmen is still underway in a province in the southern Philippines.
 
 
Putin suggests urgent consultations over Ukraine with European leaders
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling for talks with European Union leaders over the situation in Ukraine.
Specifically, he wants to discuss Ukraine's gloomy economy. Putin is insisting that Russia has been playing a supporting role in the country's stability.
In a letter sent to 18 European leaders, the Russian president says Ukraine's economy has been plummeting, with its industrial and construction sectors declining sharply.
Putin has told the other leaders that it is vital to hold, without delay, consultations at the level of ministers of economy, finance and energy in order to stabilize Ukraine's economy and ensure delivery and transit of Russian natural gas.
 
 
Car bombings kill 12 in Iraq
 
At least 12 people have been killed in two separate car bombings in Iraq. 55 others have been wounded.
Earlier on Thursday, 25 people were killed and 31 wounded in multiple attacks reported across the country.
The violence comes less than three weeks ahead of Iraq's landmark parliamentary elections, scheduled for April 30th.
This is the first voting since the withdrawal of US troops from the country in late 2011.
 
 
Some 437,000 people murdered worldwide in 2012: UN crime agency
 
The United Nations says more than 430-thousand people fell victim to homicide in 2012.
According to a latest UN report, the highest murder rates were recorded in the Americas and Africa. The lowest rates were found in Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
The stats have been compiled by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
It says men account for 8 out of every 10 homicide victims, while women account for the vast majority of domestic violence fatalities.
95-percent of the perpetrators of those domestic crimes are men.
The report also highlights the fact that almost 750 million people live in countries with the highest homicide rates -- mostly in the Americas and Africa -- meaning that almost half of all murders occurs in countries that are home to just 11 percent of earth's population.
Globally, there are only 43 convictions for every 100 intentional homicides recorded.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Beijing mulls insurance for adverse vaccine reactions
Summary
Beijing health authorities say Beijing is considering introducing insurance to cover adverse vaccine reactions.
A director of the disease prevention and control department says though the probability of severe abnormal reactions is only 1 in several million, the reactions have a major effect on children and their families.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Hainan expanding duty-free shopping
Summary
The vice-governor of Hainan says the province will establish the world's largest duty-free store in the resort city of Sanya as a way to attract more tourists and benefit the local economy.
Hainan is planning to relocate an existing DFS downtown in Sanya, in a 60,000-square-meter complex at Haitang Bay.
Sanya's current DFS is about 10-thsand square meters.
GLOBALTIMES
Headline
Trash sorting rules feature fines
Summary
According to a new regulation that will take effect on May 1st, Shanghai residents will face fines of up to 200 yuan, or some 30 US dollars, for failing to sort their garbage.
The regulation requires institutions and individuals citywide to sort their trash into four categories: dry, wet, toxic and recyclables.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
More funds promised for city's bookshops
Summary
Shanghai authorities say the city government will provide additional financial support for bookstores in a bid to help them compete against online retailers and digital media.
The focus will be reportedly on stores located near schools, and within local communities and commercial centers.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Small plane crashes near Miyun Reservoir
Summary
A small civilian aircraft crashed near Miyun Reservoir in northeast Beijing's Miyun county on Thursday.
Beijing Emergency Medical Center dispatched a helicopter to the scene.
One pilot was injured, and the other was dead.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Liuhe Pagoda reopens
Summary
Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province has reopened to tourists after a year of renovation.
Liuhe Pagoda is situated at the side of Qiantang River.
XIAOXIANG MORNING POST
Headline
Angry TV presenter asked to leave studio
Summary
A television presenter in Wuhan, central Hubei province, was asked to leave the studio when he became angry while criticizing a county government for using public funds to build luxury office buildings.
The presenter surnamed Cui got angry and used curse words during a live broadcast.
The head of the Hubei channel later said the incident was a "broadcast accident".
 
 
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 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
 
 
Haas Takes Masters Lead
 
In golf.
The 78th edition of the iconic Masters tournament is ongoing in Augusta Georgia.
Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus hit the ceremonial tee shots Thursday morning with fans already lining both sides of the first fairway.
The "Big Three" combined to win 13 green jackets, including seven in a row at the start of the 1960s.
Over to the formal play.
Bill Haas has taken the clubhouse lead after he birdied the 18th hole.
Haas shot a 4-under-par 68, his first round under 70 in five years of Tournament play.
Haas' round on Thursday included six birdies, three from long range on numbers 4, 7 and 14.
He finished by holing a short birdie putt on No. 18.
Defending champion Adam Scott is in second place with a 3-under-par 69.
This year's tournament doesn't see the return of the dominant figure Tiger Woods, which makes it far more difficult to predict a winner.
And it's seen as the most wide-open Masters in years.
 
 
Jamaican sprinter gets a 18-month ban
 
A Jamaican anti-doping disciplinary panel has issued an 18-month ban to Asafa Powell.
Powell is the former 100 metres world record holder and two-time 100m world championship bronze medallist.
The Jamaican sprinter tested positive for the stimulant oxilophrine at last year's national championships.
The ban has been backdated to June 2013 and will end this December.
Powell missed last year's world championships as a result of this failed test.
In January, he testified that Canadian physical trainer Chris Xuereb provided him with nine supplements which contain the stimulant.
Powell stated, quote, "I have never knowingly taken any banned substances."
But Xuereb has denied providing performance enhancing drugs.
Powell has said he would lodge an appeal against the decision.
 
 
Kenya's First Lady ready to pursue marathon history
 
Kenya's First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta, has been in full preparation for the upcoming London Marathon.
She will be the first wife of a Head of State to complete the ultimate distance of over 42km.
The First Lady and her team are participating in the marathon to raise awareness and funds for the "Beyond Zero Campaign" which she launched on Jan. 24 this year.
Legendary marathon runner Haile Gebrselassie says this year's Marathon the "best ever".
Gebrselassie calls the men's field the strongest ever assembled.
The match will include all of last year's top six finishers, the defending Olympic champion, the course record holder and debutant Mo Farah.
Gebrselassie has backed Mo Farah to finish in the top-three in his London marathon debut.
Mo Farah is a Somali-born English international track and field athlete in the long distance and middle-distance.
He has won two Olympic gold medals in 10,000 metres and 5000 metres Olympic.
The London Marathon will start at 10:30 local time this Sunday morning.
The course will wind through the streets of London before finishing opposite Buckingham Palace.
 
 
Two NBA teams compete in China in NBA Global Games 2014
 
In basketball.
The NBA's Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings will play some games in China this October, as a part of the NBA Global Games 2014.
The Nets and Kings will play in the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai before they travel to Beijing.
Along with those two teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs will also take part in the program this year.
As for today's lineup:
Atlanta will meet Brooklyn.
Indiana vs. Miami.
New Orleans will clash with Oklahoma City.
Houston against Minnesota.
Detroit will take on Chicago.
And Golden State will fight with the LA Lakers.
 
 
7:48:30-7:53:30 Entertainment
 
 
EU launches online film festival to attract Chinese viewers
 
The European Union has launched a three-month online film festival in China.
From now on until July 2rd, Chinese viewers can access a total of 15 films from various EU member states free of charge on euoff.org
Each film will be its original language with Chinese subtitles.
Carmen Cano is the acting head of the EU delegation to China.
"We want to give an opportunity to the general Chinese public to watch recent European films online. But this is also an opportunity to discover the European way of life and foster a deeper understanding of the European cinema."
Peter Sallade, project director of the ongoing online film festival, says organizers will try their best to bring the newest and best films to Chinese audiences.
"We want to be able to have a regular update of new movies. And we want to give, like, this Chinese audience, of people who all are hungering for this kind of new, fresh, very personal, very real, very heart-hitting, like serious movies and comedies are no less heart-hitting. We want to give this audience just the expectation that we will always have the newest and the best European movies for them."
Organisers say they hope these European films, which focus more on people and ordinary life, can offer an alternative to the Hollywood blockbusters which have been especially popular with young Chinese audiences until now.
 
 
Reiner Kallhardt honored for building cultural bridge between Germany and China
 
Staying with that theme the artist and Professor Reiner Kallhardt was last night honored at the German Embassy here in Beijing for the large role he has had in building a cultural Bridge between Germany and China.
With his latest works proudly on display he was joined by the godfather of Chinese contemporary avant-garde, Li Xiantang, as well as two of his former Chinese students, who have gone on to be among the most celebrated artists in Asia.
While we're used to hearing about economic ties between countries, as highlighted by President Xi Jinping's recent European tour, I asked Professor Kallhardt why he thinks cultural exchange is so important.
""All people need culture, for exist, it's a central question, and in our world are very different developments in history and culture and the result is also different actual culture but we are all human beings this is for all people the same and it's necessary for understanding between people."
For many decades Kallhardt, who's now 81-years-old, has been incorporating Chinese ideas such as yin and yang to his Constructivist pieces but perhaps his greatest influence has been as a professor.
His first student Zhou Chunya as well as Zhang Xiao Gang have gone on to become some of the most valued contemporary artists in Asia, often swapping the record for the highest price paid for contemporary Asian art.
One of Zhou Chunya's paintings recently sold for 89 million yuan, or some 14 million US dollars.
 
 
Rio 2 out in China today
 
(Rio trailer)
The animated movie "Rio 2" is out in cinemas across China today.
In this follow-up to the 2011 hit, Blu, Jewel and their three kids decide to take a vacation leaving their pleasant life in Rio de Janeiro and to go to their roots in the wilds of the Amazon Rain Forrest.
But the city slickers soon find it hard to fit in and Blu especially finds himself clashing with a vengeful bird called Nigel - voiced by Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Concords - He also faces his toughest adversary to date... His father-in-law.
The animation from the makers of "Ice Age" should be a good bit of family fun.
 
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The Chinese premier largely focused on issues of economic integration while giving his keynote speech to the Bo'ao forum in Hainan...
The people who kidnapped a Chinese tourist from a resort in Malaysia have come forward with an 11-million US dollar ransom demand...
And for the fifth time, an Australian search vessel has picked up a signal that may be from missing flight MH370...
In Business...an official with the International Monetary Fund comments on the recent fluctuations in the value of the yuan...
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.