-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
It's Shane Bigham with you on this Thursday, April 02nd, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital...
Coming up on our program this evening...
Myanmar officially apologizes to China over the bombing last month that resulted in the deaths of five people in Yunnan province...
Chinese authorities express anger after two US warplanes land in Taiwan...
And a Russian fishing trawler has sunk, with 54 confirmed dead so far...
In Business: changes to China's social security fund...
In Sports: looking ahead to the semi-final matchups at the Miami Open tennis tournament...
In Entertainment: Hong Kong based Asia Television loses its broadcast license1...
First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...
Weather
Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of 6. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 17.
Shanghai will see slight rain with a low of 15, with more rain and a high of 17 expected on Friday.
Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 23. Those clouds will still be there tomorrow. A high of 33 is expected.
Elsewhere in Asia,
Islamabad will have some clouds with a high of 37.
Kabul, sunny, 19.
In Australia
Sydney will have showers with a high of 21,
Canberra, partly cloudy, 20,
Brisbane, thundershowers, 27,
Perth will be sunny with a high of 28 degrees Celsius2.
Top News
Myanmar apologizes to China over warplane bombing
Myanmar has formally apologized to China over an accidental bombing that killed five people in southwest China's Yunnan province last month.
A warplane crossed the border into Chinese territory while on a mission against an armed ethnic3 group in Myanmar.
Myanmar's Foreign Minister is paying a visit to China as his President's special envoy4 to discuss the aftermath of the bombing.
He offered the apology during talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
He also pledged compensation for the five Chinese who were killed and another eight who were injured.
The bombing incident occurred when Myanmar government forces were battling ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, which borders China's Yunnan province.
China expresses anger about US planes land in Taiwan
The Chinese Foreign Ministry5 has expressed anger after two U.S. fighter jets landed in Taiwan on Thursday.
Hua Chunying is the spokesperson with the Foreign Ministry.
"We have also noticed the reports and have already lodged7 a solemn representation to the United States. China urges the U.S. to strictly8 abide9 by the 'one-China policy,' the principles of three China-U.S. joint10 communiqués, and to cautiously and appropriately handle this incident."
Taiwan's Central News Agency says the two F-18s landed at an air force base in southern Taiwan yesterday after experiencing mechanical problems. It says it was not clear where they were coming from or where they were going.
This is a rare official contact between the militaries of the United States and the island.
Russian trawler sinks with 54 dead
A Russian trawler has sunk off the Kamchatka peninsula, with 54 sailors confirmed dead so far.
Sixty-three people have been rescued, many suffering from hypothermia. Information is coming from a maritime11 rescue center in Russia's Far East.
The freezer trawler had 132 people on board.
Colonel Timur Tedeyev, Spokesperson from the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
"The rescue operation is continuing in the Sea of Okhotsk where the trawler Dalniy Vostok sank. Currently more than 14 vessels12 are involved in the search and rescue mission. At the moment after the ship disaster in the Sea of Okhotsk the Far Eastern prosecutor's office initiated13 a review of safety on the sea. In the course of this review we will assess whether the ship was at sea legally, we will look into the availability and quantity of the life-saving equipment, etc.
According to Russian emergency services, drifting ice may be responsible for the sinking.
Seventy-eight of the crew were Russian, with the remainder coming from countries including Latvia, Ukraine, Myanmar and Vanuatu.
Thai military government replaces martial15 law
Thailand's military government has lifted martial law but has replaced it with new security orders, retaining sweeping16 powers for the military.
Special security measures - including a ban on political gatherings17 of more than five people - will continue under the new orders.
Political observers say lifting martial law has been partly prompted by the need to attract foreign investment to the Thai economy.
Puang-thong Pawa-kapan, Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations at Chulalongkorn University.
"They think that by lifting martial law, tourists - especially European tourists - will arrive to Thailand more. But I think this measure is too little too late now, because economic stagnation18 is a huge problem - it can't be solved by just boosting the tourism industry."
Martial law was introduced in Thailand in May of last year, shortly before the army staged a coup19, seizing power from then Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Families of Victims of Germanwings Flight to get Different Payouts of Compensation
Families of those killed aboard the Germanwings flight are likely to receive vastly different payouts depending on their nationalities and where tickets for the flight were purchased.
However, In Germany, damages are calculated based on the victim's lost earnings20 and other financial consequences of the loss, and there is typically no separate award for pain and suffering, which means Lufthansa is not obliged, legally, to pay such compensation.
Elmar Giemulla is an honorary professor of aviation law at Berlin's Institute of Technology.
"In my opinion, Lufthansa should be open to the survivors21 when they stress this point. It cannot be accepted, morally nor from a point of view of the reputation of Lufthansa that Lufthansa denies completely that there is compensation for moral damage."
With many claims therefore likely to be based mainly on financial considerations, this means that revelations by Lufthansa that its flight school knew of pilot Andreas Lubitz's depression are unlikely to affect outcomes in many countries, apart from the United States.
Germany's Allianz, which is co-coordinating the insurance response, says that all claims arising from the crash would be handled fully22, fairly and as quickly as possible.
The insurer's preliminary estimate for the total cost of the crash is 300 million dollars but it has said the figure could change as new information becomes available.
Chile floods death toll23 rises to 27 as clean-up operations continue
The number of dead from last week's devastating24 flash floods in Chile has risen to 27 with 57 people still unaccounted for according to rescue officials in the north of the country.
The Chinese embassy is working with Chilean authorities to try to recover the bodies of four Chinese nationals who are among the dead.
The victims were engineers at a Chilean subsidiary of a Chinese road and bridge construction company.
Almost 11,000 people have been affected25 and more than 4,500 have been taken to temporary shelters in the area.
One of the survivors from the worst floods to hit the region in over 80 years.
"My house is on a hill, on the corner. I heard screams, women screaming, noise and people starting to run upwards26, those on the river bank.
Among the thousands who lost their home is Victor Zamora, one of the Chilean miners who was trapped underground for 69 days in 2010.
International donor27 pledge US$3.8 billion for humanitarian28 aid in Syria
International donors29 have pledged 3.8 billion US Dollars to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
The United Nations is seeking to help 18 million people inside Syria and those scattered30 throughout the region by more than four years of civil war.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon headed a donor summit in the Kuwaiti capital on Tuesday along with more than 80 governments and dozens of aid agencies.
"The violence has left so many Syrians without homes, without schools, without hospitals and without hope, and today the international community stepped forward in an unprecedented31 show of solidarity32 to ease their plight33."
The number of people needing humanitarian aid has increased by 2.9 million in just the past 10 months.
Some 200,000 people have died and nearly half the Syrian population has been displaced by the turmoil34 that began with anti-government protests in 2011, that later spiraled into a full-scale civil war.
Pollutions Sources Identified among Major Cities
Anchor:
China's environmental protection authorities have laid out the results of their preliminary findings of the leading pollution sources among this country's major cities.
CRI's Qi Zhi has more.
Reporter:
According to the latest research, vehicles, coal-burning, airborne dust and industrial production account for 85 to 90-percent of the major airborne pollution sources in most Chinese cities.
Vehicles are the biggest polluters in Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Coal-burning emits the most particulates35 in Shijiazhuang and Nanjing.
Tianjin is mostly troubled by airborne dust, while in Ningbo, it is industrial production.
In Shanghai so-called "mobile sources", including ships, are said to be responsible for most of the pollution.
The research program was initiated and led by the Ministry of Environmental Protection two years ago.
Hai Yin is an official with the Ministry's Environment Monitoring Department.
"We selected nine cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, Yangtze River Delta36 and Zhujiang River Delta, as they tend to have a lot in common. Firstly, they have a good technology backgrounds for conducting this kind of researches. Secondly37, historically speaking, pollution in these cities is relatively38 heavier than other cities. And thirdly, the cities themselves have conducted their own research into pollutants39 such as PM10, which laid a good foundation our additional research."
The new analysis is meant to try to provide local officials with information as to how to better manage air pollution.
As an example, the results for Shanghai suggest municipal officials should focus not only on vehicles, but also the city's shipping40 industry, both domestically and internationally.
Luo Hailin is with Shanghai's environmental protection bureau.
"There are a lot of opportunities for Shanghai to tackle 'mobile sources.' Authorities should be better controlling so-called yellow-labeled vehicles. As for the ships, it hasn't been our priority in the past. But now it seems they have a considerable impact on the environment. Moreover, another issue is the trucks. Generally speaking, the number of vehicles in Shanghai is less than that of Beijing. However, our calculations show the pollution levels from this category are almost the same in the two cities. The main reason is Shanghai is home to more trucks."
Yellow-labeled vehicles refer to those whose exhaust emissions42 are below national standards.
Beijing's municipal authorities already laid out an updated emergency plan for heavy pollution days this week.
If heavy smog lingers for more than three days, a top-level emergency plan will go into effect to reduce emmissions, including limiting the use of private vehicles.
Apart from the nine cities in the latest analysis, another batch43 of 26 cities will have their main sources of pollution disclosed later this year.
The findings are said to be just the first step towards a broader pollution management plan for China.
The next step will see researchers take a 'bigger picture' look at atmospheric44 pollution on a regional level.
For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.
Largest online gambling45 case involves huge amount of bets
Chinese police say they have cracked the largest lottery-related online gambling case the country has ever seen.
As much as 400 billion yuan or about 64 billion US dollars worth of bets were placed each month.
Lu Feng is an official with the public security department of south China's Guangdong Province.
"We want to warn those illegal companies to strictly abide by laws and regulations, including internet service providers and Internet Data Center service providers. At the same time, we want to warn the public that gambling is illegal, no matter in what form."
Over one thousand suspects have been arrested in the online gambling network, and half of them now are in detention46.
The group, led by two men from Guangdong Province, built around 200 gambling websites and rented them out at high prices.
Chinese police bust47 cross-provincial48 fake medicine network
Police in east China's Anhui Province have destroyed a production and sales network that had been making fake medicine.
The operation was said to span 12 provinces.
Yang Wen is an official with Anhui's Provincial Ministry of Public Security.
"We destroyed 30 dens49 and busted50 seven gangs. We seized over 1.8 million pills on the spot, as well as some manufacturing equipment. The involved value, at the market price, amounts to 440 million yuan or around 70 million US dollars."
Last July local police received a report saying a downtown drug store in the city of Ma'anshan was selling medicine under the brand name of a well-known foreign company.
The owner of the store later confessed that he obtained the fake medicine from a city in central China's Henan Province.
After months of investigation51 into physical evidence such as bank transaction details and account books, the police found the case involved 12 provinces, as well as many foreigners.
The final round-up of the case was led by the Ministry of Public Security, with 59 suspects arrested.
Forty-four Chinese Tourist Attractions Downgrad
A number of highly rated Chinese tourist attractions have fallen from grace after a crackdown on irregularities in the industry.
China National Tourism Administration, or CNTA, says that ratings awarded to 44 tourist attractions, mostly in the 2A and 3A categories, have been removed.
Peng Decheng is the director of the Planning and Financing Department of China National Tourism Administration.
"All these moves are a good step in solving problems in the vacation areas, especially focusing on safety issues, sanitation52, service quality, and management."
The move is a part of a campaign kicked off by CNTA in January to fix issues including market monopolies, illegal business operations, bullying53 tourists, and forced shopping.
Peng also says that ten 5A scenic54 spots were given a "warning", including Nanjing Confucius Temple, Qinhuaihe River Scenic Area, and Hangzhou Qiandao Scenic Area.
The warned tourism attractions have to fix problems identified by the authority and have 3 to 6 months to return to industry standards.
Business licenses55 have been revoked56 for 12 travel agencies, and 33 others were ordered to stop business till problems are fixed57.
The CNTA says the campaign will continue, with the next focus on illegal one-day tours and other "budget" offerings.
China has a five-tier rating system for tourist attractions, based on criteria58 such as the importance of the site, transportation, and sanitation. 1A is the lowest and 5A the best.
Chinese medical workers and parents call for increasing awareness59 about autistic children
Chinese medical workers and parents have issued a call for enhanced awareness and aid for children suffering from autism.
Today is World Autism Awareness Day.
Wei Qingyun is a medical worker in a Beijing rehabilitation60 center.
"The children we receive here around September and October every year are mostly the ones rejected by schools. Their parents tell me that their children were rejected or asked to quit after admission. I think this is a very tough social problem now."
Wei says ordinary schools tend to be unwilling61 to accept children with autism, while special-needs schools don't offer classes tailored for autistic children.
Many parents are in a dilemma62 about where their children can receive proper education.
"The older our children grow, the more worried we're becoming. We're worried about their education, jobs, and their capacity for independent living. We can take care of them for now, but what about after we pass away?"
Reports say there are currently around 1.6 million child-patients diagnosed with autism in China and the number keeps rising annually63.
The children suffering from the disease tend to lack emotional reactions, language, and social skills.
Biz Reports
Anchor:
First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets on this Thursday evening.
Joining me on the desk is Niu Honglin.
Reporter:
Chinese stocks ended higher with nearly 140 shares increasing by the daily limit of 10 percent.
At the closing bell, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index traded higher by two fifths of a percentage percent.
The Shenzhen Component64 Index gained around a quarter percent.
More than 2,000 shares across the two boards posted gains on this trading day.
Shares related to home appliances, environmental protection and electric instruments led the gains.
Analysts66 expect more volatility67 on the future performance of the stock market over the upcoming round of initial public offerings that will come after the annual Tomb-Sweeping Day on April 5.
Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced around three quarters of a percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
The Japanese Nikkei jumped nearly one and a half percent, posting the biggest daily percentage gain since mid-February.
South Korea's KOSPI added a fraction of a percent.
Singapore's Straits Times index increased one fifth of a percent.
In Australia, the ASX 200 closed up by two thirds of a percent.
China Broadens Investment Scope for Social Security Fund
Anchor:
China's cabinet has announced that it will broaden the investment scope of the nation's social security fund.
The move will allow the fund to invest in local government bonds and corporate68 bonds.
The maximum share of investment on these two kinds of bonds will be raised to 20 percent from 10 percent.
The fund's direct equity69 investment will be allowed in centrally-administered enterprises and their subsidiaries, as well as credit-worthy private firms.
Meanwhile, the upper limit of the fund's trust loan investment will be raised to 10 percent from 5 percent, with orientations70 toward projects such as affordable71 housing and municipal infrastructure72.
The government will also allow the fund to directly invest in interbank certificates of deposit and manage such investment as bank deposits.
For more on the overall health of China's social security fund,the Beijing Hour's Paul James earlier spoke6 with CRI's Financial Commentator73 Cao Can.
China to Implement74 New Fuel Quality Standards by the end of 2016
China is to implement a new set of quality standards for gasoline and diesel75 fuels by the end of next year.
The China V fuel quality standards were issued in 2013 and were originally set to be adopted nationwide in 2017.
The standards involve desulfurization of gasoline and diesel fuel to a maximum sulfur76 content of 10 parts-per-million (ppm).
The improved fuel will reduce emissions from all motor vehicles while enabling advanced emission41 control technologies to be deployed77.
The time change means oil refiners will have less time to upgrade their refineries78 to produce the cleaner fuels.
The new fuel standards are a critical step forward for China to combat its worsening air pollution.
Former CNOOC deputy general manager under probe
China's top anti-graft watchdog says the former deputy general manager of the China National Offshore79 Oil Corporation has been placed under investigation.
Wu Zhenfang is being investigated for suspected severe violations80 of discipline, language often used to refer to corruption81.
Details of the investigation haven't been revealed.
Brazil's Petrobras Gets $3.5bln Funding from China Development Bank
Brazilian state-owned oil giant Petrobras has signed an agreement to obtain 3.5 billion US dollars in funding from the China Development Bank.
The deal is part of a cooperation agreement to be implemented82 through this year and next.
Petrobras says the company and the CDB have also confirmed their intention to undertake further cooperation in the near future to strengthen synergies between the economies of the two countries.
Petrobras' stock has made a recovery since its 52-week low in March.
Analyst65 says this injection of Chinese funding comes at a crucial time, and it will influence a turnaround for the Brazilian oil giant.
Delta Air to take payments via Alipay from Chinese travelers
Delta Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to accept payments via Alipay, a service run by Alibaba that is used by hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers.
Last November, the U.S. signed an agreement with China, extending one-year visas issued to Chinese travelers to up to a decade. This deal is expected to bring more Chinese tourists to America.
Delta has opened non-stop U.S.-China flights since 2009. It flies direct between Beijing and Shanghai and Detroit and Seattle, and from July 9 will link Los Angeles and Shanghai.
US Hedge Fund Firms Invest $600m in Didi, Kuaidi
Two US hedge funds are leading a consortium buying a 600 million US dollar stake in the newly-combined Chinese taxi-hailing services of Didi Dache and Kuaidi Dache.
The investment is expected to increase the combined company's current value by almost 50 percent.
But this is still lower than that of US competitor Uber, which is reportedly valued at 41 billion US dollars.
Headline News
Myanmar apologizes to China over warplane bombing
Myanmar has formally apologized to China over a Myanmar warplane bombing that killed five Chinese in southwest China's Yunnan province last month.
Myanmar's Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin is paying a visit to China as Myanmar President U Thein Sein's special envoy to discuss the aftermath of the bombing.
He offered the apology during talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
He also pledged compensation for the five killed Chinese and another eight injured.
The bombing incident occurred when Myanmar government forces were battling ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, which borders China's Yunnan province.
Death toll from Kenyan university attack rises to 15
At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 65 others injured after gunmen stormed a university in northeast Kenya early Thursday.
Kenya's Majority Leader of the National Assemby, Adan Duale, confirmed the numbers, saying a major security operation is still underway to rescue more students who remain trapped inside the university.
Somali militant83 group Al-Shabaab has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kenya's Internal security ministry says the Moi University campus in Garissa has been secured.
The ministry says three out of four hostels85 have been evacuated86. Attackers occupy the other hostel84.
The heavily armed assailants forced their way into the university at about 5:30 a.m. local time and gained entry into student hostels after firing at guards manning the main gate.
U.S. embassy in Jamaica closes hours for suspicious package
The US embassy in Jamaica closed for several hours today after someone tossed a package over the wall into the compound.
Local police say it happened just before 8 o'clock in the morning and officers quickly arrested a "white man who spoke with an American accent."
Bomb disposal experts were called to the scene to examine the package but officials say no threat was detected.
US President Barack Obama is to visit Jamaica on April 9th, one week from today.
China to tackle old-age care in single-child families
China's health authorities say officials will explore a new method of elderly care to give support to single-child families.
Officials say nursing, health care, companion and first-aid services will be provided with a priority for single-child families with financial difficulties and bed-bound seniors.
37 pilot programs will be in place to explore new techniques to procure87 government services, foster old-age care enterprises, and facilities that run on-demand and customized elderly care.
The number of seniors in China, as a percentage of the population, will increase significantly over the next decade-or-two.
And the one-child policy implemented in the past several decades has placed additional burden on the younger generation to care for their elderly family members.
Newspaper Picks
China News Service
"Millennial88 temple's advertising89 for new media talents goes viral"
A 1,500-year-old Buddhist90 temple has become a hit online after an advertisement recruiting new media talents received more than a million clicks, and 4,000 applications worldwide within five days.
The advertisement, which combines music, cartoons and humorous wording, was posted by Donghua Zen Temple in Shaoguan City of south China's Guangdong Province.
It offers eight posts, including application operation, user interface91 design, new media communication and IT maintenance.
It was first posted five days ago on the temple's official account on Wechat, China's most popular social network and went viral through retweets.
The ad reads "Half a month in the forest relaxing your nerves and half a month in the city. Easy, flexible, full of freedom, what are you waiting for? Our Buddha92 needs you!".
Yahoo News
"World lights up for Autism Awareness Day"
Buildings and famous landmarks93 around the world will be lit with blue lights to bring awareness to World Autism Day, which is today.
Marking World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, advocates are arguing more autism-specific employment services are needed.
Advocates are pushing for young people diagnosed with autism to receive more targeted support in their hunt for full-time94 work.
While youth unemployment is high across the board, more than half of Australia's young people with high functioning autism are out of work.
Most - an estimated 80% - of adults with autism aren't employed largely because of a lack of vocational training, not enough support with job placements and discrimination.
At the same time however, there is research to suggest that people with autism can be good employees because they are good at recognizing patterns, reasoning and are able to focus greater attention to detail.
BBC
"Mediterranean95 Sea 'accumulating zone of plastic debris96'"
Scientists say large quantities of plastic debris are building up in the Mediterranean Sea.
A survey found around one thousand tonnes of plastic floating on the surface, mainly fragments of bottles, bags and wrappings.
The Mediterranean Sea's biological richness and economic importance means plastic pollution is particularly hazardous97, according to Spanish researchers.
Plastic has been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, turtles and whales.
Very tiny pieces of plastic have also been found in oysters98 and mussels grown on the coasts of northern Europe.
A high abundance of plastic has also been found in other seas, including the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea and Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean.
Special Reports
Raising the Bar came to HK for the first time
Report:
Hong Kong has become the third city in the world, and also the first city in Asia, to host a "Raising the Bar" event.
CRI's Li Jing has details.
Reporters:
"Raising the Bar" originated in New York City last year, when 50 professors have 50 lectures at the same time in bars across the city, as patrons drank and had thought-provoking discussions with top academics.
Eppie Lau is the lead organizer here in Hong Kong.
"Sometimes it can be very scary to only learn in school or in university, instead, we want to advocate for bringing education out of the 'ivory tower', and advocate for learning to happen 'everywhere and anywhere'. And that's the best conversation that you can have spontaneously with those who are around you."
Lau, together with a dozen of international volunteers, has been making preparations for this event for about six months.
The talk topics range from the internet to music, from social issues to politics. Puja Kapai, a law professor with the University of Hong Kong, is one of the speakers.
"I think that bringing the conversation to the bars is a very innovative99 and new idea to help, provide access to these topics. So I was very excited when I heard the initiative Raising the Bar has been brought to Hong Kong, I think it is a great way to get the conversation started or continuing on social issues that affect Hong Kong."
Audience member May Sarmiento says she has enjoyed the night very much.
"Actually I had fun with the questions and answers. The audience were very very attentive100 and they were able to share their ideas. I think people can really enjoy, instead of just the lecture part."
The venues102 were provided free of charge by ten different bars in Hong Kong. Aruna Rana is the owner of an art bar called Culture Club, which has hosted a wide range of cultural events over the past four years since its operation.
"We are a multi-cultural venue101 and yes, that's why we do a lot of cultural events. The reason that we rent out the venue is for the cultural thing and something like Raising the Bar. I won't say it will directly promote the venue but it is always like word of mouth. "
Organizers say they will seriously review audience feedback, so as to improve future activities.
For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.
Sports
Tennis: Tomas Berdych defeats Juan Monaco for place in the semi finals
Starting us out in tennis:
Tomas Berdych beat Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-4 to set up a Miami Open semi-final clash with two-time former champion Andy Murray.
Berdych and Monaco traded breaks early in the first set, but the World No. 9 earned the pivotal break for a 5-3 lead. The 29-year-old Czech went on to serve out the first set at love.
The second set was even-keeled for the first eight games before Berdych broke for a 5-4 lead.
The Czech served out the 92-minute victory at love.
Berdych's best showing in Miami was a runner-up finish in 2010, when he lost to Andy Roddick.
The last meeting between the pair was in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, which the Scot won in four sets.
And turning over to the WTA:
Third seed Simona Halep battled the stifling103 heat - and a determined104 comeback in the second set - before claiming a 6-1, 7-5 win over unseeded American Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5.
That fired the Romanian into the semifinal stage of the Miami Open.
However Halep will be face a stern test - as she takes on seven-time champion Serena Williams for a place in the final.
Williams overcame some hard moments to beat Sabine Lisicki of Germany 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 for her 700th career victory.
The No. 1-seeded Williams withdrew before the Indian Wells semifinal earlier this month with a right knee injury.
She had been scheduled to play Halep, who went on to win the title and leads the women's tour with 24 victories this year.
Basketball: Taiwan player Jeremy Lin makes list of top 30 point guards in NBA
Over to basketball, first a piece of news from the NBA about everyone's favourite Chinese point guard:
With the 2014-15 NBA regular season coming to an end in the next couple of weeks, a top sports magazine has ranked the 30 best point guards in the league.
Although nowhere near the top, Taiwan player Jeremy Lin is among the top 30 ranked.
Lin is 28th on the list ahead of Isaiah Canaan of the Philadelphia 76ers (29) and the Utah Jazz's Daunte Exum.
It appears that Lin's best attribute in these rankings is his scoring ability. Lin comes in at 22 overall in that category which is behind of Darren Collison (21), George Hill (20) and Jose Calderon (19) and ahead of Isaiah Canaan (23), Michael Carter-Williams (24) and Marcus Smart (25).
In 18 games after the All-Star break, Lin is averaging 14.8 points, 5.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds105 per game. Lin is also shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 37.0 from beyond the arc. All of these numbers, outside of his three-point shooting, is much improved from the first half of the season.
NBA: Brooklyn Nets claim narrow 100-98 win over the Knicks
Deron Williams had 26 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets past the New York Knicks 100-98 earlier today at Madison Square Garden.
With the win, the Nets grabbed a share of seventh place in the Eastern Conference with the Miami Heat.
In other action:
Milwaukee bagged a 95-91 win over Chicago.
Houston beat out the Sacramento Kings 115-111.
The LA Clippers took out the Portland Trail Blazers 126-122.
Toronto took out Minnesota 113-99.
Utah beat Denver 98-84.
New Orleans beat the Lakers 113-92
Charlotte took out Detroit 102-78.
Washington beat Philly 106-93.
San Antonio beat the Orlando Magic 103-91.
Boston took out Indiana 100-87.
And it was the Dallas Mavericks106 over the OKC Thunder 135-131.
Snooker: Ding Junhui through to second round of China Open
Chinese snooker ace14 Ding Junhui was on solid form Wednesday as he harvested a 5-1 victory over Mark Davis in the second round of the China Open.
He achieved three breaks of over 50 points en route to beating Mark Davis and booking a third tie round against Mark Williams.
Ding made his fame in the same tournament in 2005, which saw him establish himself as one of the world top players before he rose to top of the world ranking last year.
Also on Wednesday, Mark Selby overcame neck pains to thwart107 Elliot Slessor's attempt to reach the third round for the first time with a 5-0 victory.
Dongfeng race team retires from Volvo Ocean Race
In sailing:
A broken mast has forced Dongfeng race team to retire from leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race after the team realized they could not complete the leg without missing the start of leg six.
The top mast broke on Monday at sea when the Chinese boat was approaching Cape108 Horn. The weather was too rough to attempt repairs so the skipper Charles Caudrelier decided109 to motor to the port of Ushuaia to assess the damage.
Skipper Charles Caudrelier on the race against time to reach the start of leg six.
"We need to be there one week before the start of the leg to be ready to start, that's a challenge against time. We are 2000 miles from Itajai. We need about 10 to 12 days. "
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing110 currently leads leg five having cleared Cape Horn and begun sailing up South America's eastern coast. Close behind are Team Alvimedica, MAPFRE and Team Brunel. The leading four are within 40 nautical111 miles each other.
Entertainment
ATV stripped of its license
The government in Hong Kong has cancelled the broadcast license of 'Asia Television,' the territory's oldest free-to-air TV network group.
A notice was served to the company after a meeting of the Executive Council.
The law require a one year notice period, which means ATV's will first be extended for three months beyond its scheduled expiry, and then cancelled.
ATV's English and Cantonese channels will cease on March 31 next year.
This is the first time in Hong Kong broadcasting history that a whole network has been stripped of its license.
Huayi Brothers finalize112 deal with STX Entertainment
Leading Chinese film and television company 'Huayi Brothers,' have finally approved an 18-film co-financing and distribution agreement, with America's 'STX Entertainment.'
The deal marks one of the first major investments by a Chinese company in a Hollywood studio film slate113.
It became effective after receiving Huayi Brothers' shareholder114 approval at a meeting in Beijing, approved by the company's directors.
Huayi Brothers announced the deal in mid-March, but didn't name the U.S. partner.
Siblings115 Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei, who run Huayi, remain determined to establish a sizeable foothold in the U.S. film business.
To date, the company has invested in individual films including one of Sony's latest releases 'Fury.'
Cynthia Lennon first wife of John Lennon dies of cancer
Cynthia Lennon, ex-wife of late Beatles legend John Lennon has died at the age of 75 after a brief battle with cancer.
Cynthia and John were married from 1962 to 1968, at the very start of the Beatles' rise to mega-stardom.
The remaining members of the band, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, both paid tribute to Cynthia and shared their condolences for her son Julian.
Yoko Ono, who married John Lennon in 1969, the year after his divorce from Cynthia, also shared a statement about Cynthia's "strong zest116 for life."
Following her death, Julian Lennon posted a musical tribute to his late mother online.
"Furious 7" release goes ahead in Thailand
Screenings of the latest installment117 in "The Fast and the Furious" blockbuster franchise118 "Furious 7" have gone ahead in Thailand.
This comes after the overturn of a court injunction which had blocked the film's release in the country.
Last week, Shamongkolfilm International, one of Thailand's major film producers and distributors called on Thai courts to halt the film's release, arguing that local star Tony Jaa had breached119 his talent management contract by appearing in the movie.
The company claimed damages of $49 million and obtained an injunction halting the films release in Thailand ahead of the June court hearing.
However, a Bangkok Civil Court threw out the injunction, arguing that other interested parties would be damaged by the films non-release.
So the scheduled Thailand premiere of "Furious 7" went ahead as planned last night.
Joni Mitchell in intensive care
Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is in intensive care after being found unconscious at her Los Angeles home.
The Canadian born artist was rushed to hospital earlier in the week, and a statement released on her website said she had regained120 consciousness in the ambulance on the way.
It is not immediately clear what illness she has, but the statement added she is awake and in good spirits.
In December Mitchell told Billboard121 magazine that she had a rare skin condition, which prevented her from performing.
Throughout her career, Mitchell has release 19 original albums, with her last in 2007. She is best known for her 1970 hit 'Big Yellow Taxi.'
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour. A quick recap of your headlines:
Myanmar officially apologizes to China over the bombing last month that resulted in the deaths of five people in Yunnan province...
On behalf of all the Beijing Hour staffers, 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.
收听单词发音 |
1
license
|
|
| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
Celsius
|
|
| adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
ethnic
|
|
| adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
envoy
|
|
| n.使节，使者，代表，公使 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
ministry
|
|
| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
lodged
|
|
| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
strictly
|
|
| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
abide
|
|
| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
joint
|
|
| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
maritime
|
|
| adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
vessels
|
|
| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
initiated
|
|
| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
ace
|
|
| n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
martial
|
|
| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
gatherings
|
|
| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
stagnation
|
|
| n. 停滞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
coup
|
|
| n.政变；突然而成功的行动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
earnings
|
|
| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
survivors
|
|
| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
toll
|
|
| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
devastating
|
|
| adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
donor
|
|
| n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
humanitarian
|
|
| n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
donors
|
|
| n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
unprecedented
|
|
| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
solidarity
|
|
| n.团结；休戚相关 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
plight
|
|
| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
turmoil
|
|
| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
particulates
|
|
| n.微粒，粒子( particulate的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
delta
|
|
| n.（流的）角洲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
secondly
|
|
| adv.第二，其次 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
relatively
|
|
| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
pollutants
|
|
| 污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
shipping
|
|
| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
emission
|
|
| n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
emissions
|
|
| 排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
batch
|
|
| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
atmospheric
|
|
| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
gambling
|
|
| n.赌博；投机 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
detention
|
|
| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
bust
|
|
| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
provincial
|
|
| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
dens
|
|
| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
busted
|
|
| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
investigation
|
|
| n.调查，调查研究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
sanitation
|
|
| n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
bullying
|
|
| v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
scenic
|
|
| adj.自然景色的，景色优美的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
licenses
|
|
| n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
revoked
|
|
| adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
criteria
|
|
| n.标准 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
awareness
|
|
| n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
rehabilitation
|
|
| n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
unwilling
|
|
| adj.不情愿的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
dilemma
|
|
| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
annually
|
|
| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
component
|
|
| n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
analyst
|
|
| n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
analysts
|
|
| 分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
volatility
|
|
| n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
corporate
|
|
| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
equity
|
|
| n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
orientations
|
|
| n.方向( orientation的名词复数 )；定位；（任职等前的）培训；环境判定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
affordable
|
|
| adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
infrastructure
|
|
| n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
commentator
|
|
| n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
implement
|
|
| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
diesel
|
|
| n.柴油发动机，内燃机 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
sulfur
|
|
| n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
deployed
|
|
| （尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
refineries
|
|
| 精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
offshore
|
|
| adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
violations
|
|
| 违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
corruption
|
|
| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
implemented
|
|
| v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
militant
|
|
| adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
hostel
|
|
| n.（学生）宿舍，招待所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
hostels
|
|
| n.旅舍，招待所( hostel的名词复数 )；青年宿舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
evacuated
|
|
| 撤退者的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
87
procure
|
|
| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
88
millennial
|
|
| 一千年的，千福年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
89
advertising
|
|
| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
90
Buddhist
|
|
| adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
91
interface
|
|
| n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
92
Buddha
|
|
| n.佛；佛像；佛陀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
93
landmarks
|
|
| n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
94
full-time
|
|
| adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
95
Mediterranean
|
|
| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
96
debris
|
|
| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
97
hazardous
|
|
| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
98
oysters
|
|
| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
99
innovative
|
|
| adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
100
attentive
|
|
| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
101
venue
|
|
| n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
102
venues
|
|
| n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
103
stifling
|
|
| a.令人窒息的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
104
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
105
rebounds
|
|
| 反弹球( rebound的名词复数 )； 回弹球； 抢断篮板球； 复兴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
106
mavericks
|
|
| 未烙印的牲畜( maverick的名词复数 )； 标新立异的人，不合常规的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
107
thwart
|
|
| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
108
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
109
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
110
racing
|
|
| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
111
nautical
|
|
| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
112
finalize
|
|
| v.落实，定下来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
113
slate
|
|
| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
114
shareholder
|
|
| n.股东，股票持有人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
115
siblings
|
|
| n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
116
zest
|
|
| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
117
installment
|
|
| n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
118
franchise
|
|
| n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
119
breached
|
|
| 攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
120
regained
|
|
| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
121
billboard
|
|
| n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
购买
在百度中搜索