Welcome to the Beijing Hour; we are coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the programme this evening:

The Chinese government is bringing in significant changes to this country's pension system.

Hong Kong Chief Executive has held his first regular Q&A session since the Occupy Protest first began in the city.

The head of Spain's regional government of Catalonia has announced new elections to test the waters for potential independence.

In business.... land prices across China have risen for the first time in 2014 in December.

In sports... an update on the action today at the AFC Championships in Australia.

In entertainment.... the nominations are set to be revealed later tonight for this year's Academy Awards.

But first, a check on what's happening weather wise...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will have some smog tonight, with a low of minus 3. It will be cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 4 degrees.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 4, tomorrow will also be cloudy, with a high of 11.

Chongqing will be overcast tonight, 9 degrees the lowest, tomorrow will also be overcast with a high of 13.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, sunny day tomorrow with a high of 23.

Kabul, sunny, 13.

Over in Australia

Sydney, showers, highs of 30.

Canberra, sunny, 26.

Brisbane will have some clouds, 33.

Finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 33.

 

 

Top News

 

 

New Unified Pension System Introduced in China

 

Anchor:

The Chinese government has unveiled changes to this country's pension system.

The new plan is designed to eliminate a dual pension system which has existed between the public and private sector over the last 2-decades.

For more details, here is CRI's Wang Mengzhen.

Reporter:

The new scheme is requiring government and public institution employees to hand over 8-percent of their monthly salaries to their pension.

Their employers have to add 20-percent of an employee's monthly salary into the pot.

The changes affect around 40 million people working in Chinese government agencies and public institutions.

Jin Weigang with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security says the changes are meant to make pubic-sector pensions more equitable with private ones.

"Currently, we have different mechanisms for the pension system, so there exist differences in treatments, especially in government agencies. Their employees don't have to pay for the pension, but they enjoy a relatively higher treatment than enterprise employees. The reform could settle the disputes of equality on this matter."

Right now, most government employees don't have to make any contributions to their pensions, while corporate employees have to foot at least part of their own bill.

However, government employees are still going to be able to get between 80 to 90 percent of their monthly salary after they retire. The average retirement package for a private-sector employee ranges between 30 and 60-percent.

Yang Yansui, director of the Social Insurance Center at Tsinghua University, says the new changes to the pension system aren't likely to be the last.

"How to unify the dual pension system remains the biggest challenge. The current changes offer us a new perspective, as it emphasis the idea that 'the more you pay, the more you will gain after retirement'. At the same time, the new regulations link pensions with retirement age and average life expectancy. As such, it lays a foundation for the government to take further steps in the future."

Alongside the regular pension, government employees are also going to be required to put 4-percent of their annual salary into a supplementary fund. Employers will have to pay 8-percent.

Chu Fulin is with the Social Insurance Center at the Central University of Finance and Economics says the additional money is going to be invested in the markets.

"The new system separates the responsibilities between the government and the market, and underlines equality and efficiency. The regular pension insurance you pay monthly will be managed and secured by the government. The supplementary fund will be market-driven. This should help reduce obstacles for the government when it wants to make further changes to the pension system."

The new scheme is being made retroactive to October 1st of this past year.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

 

 

China to Strengthen Auditing amid Major Policy Implementation

 

China's lead auditor has outlined a number of key areas his organization is going to focus on this year, including pension insurance, affordable housing and expressway construction.

The National Audit Office says it's going to beef-up its scrutiny of these areas to ensure public funds are not misused.

Liu Jiayi is China's Auditor-General.

"For major problems involving violations of law and party disciplines, major losses and waste, and failure on any level to perform official duties, we will intensify our efforts to investigate and punish those officials who have jeopardized the interests of the people."

Projects connected to areas such as disaster relief, poverty reduction and environmental protection are also in for greater scrutiny this year.

This comes amid a pledge by President Xi Jinping this week that the government's crackdown on graft and waste isn't going to let-up this year.

 

 

CY Leung attends Q&A Session at Legco

 

Anchor:

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung has attended a question and answer session in the Legislative Council this Thursday, a day after unveiling the government's policy agenda for this year.

CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has more.

Report:

Taking questions in LegCo, CY Leung says it's unrealistic to re-start the process of constitutional reform, and says lawmakers in Hong Kong need to understand that.

"I am calling for all lawmakers to put aside their own views and reach consensus to realize the goal to elect our next chief executive through universal suffrage in a pragmatic and lawful manner. The Occupy Movement last year didn't help the process at all, but, in fact, jeopardized the rule of law as well as our society's core values."

In making the statement, CY Leung also says lawmakers will be depriving the people of Hong Kong their right to elect the city's next leader through "one person, one vote".

Any changes to the voting structure in Hong Kong is going to require two-thirds support of all Hong Kong lawmakers to pass the framework laid down by the Central Government.

However, several lawmakers in Hong Kong have said they plan to either oppose or boycott the vote.

Meanwhile, CY Leung says he hopes to have more face-to-face conversations with young people this year to garner their views on Hong Kong's future.

"Young people especially, when they are in college, should have the space for thinking and communication, needless to say, their freedom of speech. But they should also bear in mind that there is 'right and wrong' in terms of their personal morality, social ethics as well as national identity."

Leung says the Hong Kong Government is also working to increase youth participation in other areas, including political development, housing and welfare, among others.

The Chief Executive normally attends a Q&A Session at the Legislative Council four times a year.

But the last regular session in October had to be cancelled for security reasons because of the now-concluded "Occupy Movement."

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

 

 

France to review planned military job cuts

 

French President Fran?ois Hollande has revealed his government is planning to re-think a planned military cut in the fallout from last week's terror attacks in Paris.

There are current plans on the books to cut 34-thousand military personnel over the next 3-years.

However, a week after the terrorist attacks which left 17 civilians dead, the French government has since deployed over 10-thousand troops across the country to protect sensitive sites.

These include Jewish schools, synagogues, mosques and travel hubs.

France's defense minister is expected to present a new plan for defense spending in the next couple of days.

At the same time, Hollande says his administration has decided to deploy an aircraft carrier to the Middle East to join the fight against the Islamic State.

"The aircraft carrier will work in close cooperation with coalition forces. It will give the coalition all the capabilities for a launch at any moment if the tension mounts, that's how important the mission you're conducting is. In the international context I've just described, and with the attack that took place in our own country, to a certain extant you are on a mission."

France is already among the coalition using fighter jets to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq.

 

 

Divers to examine AirAsia fuselage

 

Divers in the Java Sea have reached the fuselage of the downed AirAsia jet in a bid to find the missing remains of the passengers and crew.

More than two-thirds of the bodies of 162 passengers and crew of the AirAsia flight are still missing.

Searches suspect most of the bodies are still inside the main fuselage of the airliner.

So far only 50 bodies have been recovered.

The divers are trying to determine whether bodies will have to be moved out individually, or whether the wreckage can be raised from the sea floor with the victims still inside.

Bambang Soelistyo is the head of Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency.

"From this finding of the fuselage we're back to our main priority, which is to find additional bodies of our brothers who are the victims of the crash which may be located around the wreckage or inside the fuselage."

The AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore went down in bad weather on December 28th.

Both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder are undergoing analysis after being recovered earlier this week.

Investigators hope to have a preliminary determination as to what happened to the flight to be complete within a month.

 

 

Haiti appoints new PM amid political stalemate

 

Haiti's President has appointed a new Prime Minister, a day after the country's parliament was dissolved.

Former Port-au-Prince mayor Evans Paul has been named the new PM.

The move is considered controversial, as Paul's original nomination failed to be approved by parliament before lawmaker's terms in office expired earlier this week.

"It is difficult to be approved by a parliament that is dysfunctional. I am not responsible for the dysfunctional situation of the parliament. I was nominated by President Michel Martelly on December 25 by a decree and the parliament had enough time to follow up the process. But now in this particular context, there are two paths of legitimacy. The first is the consensus with political parties. And the second is people's acceptance."

Haiti's legislative elections are 3-years behind schedule.

This has led to the opposition staging street protests for months, demanding quick elections.

Paul says that a new electoral council will be appointed within weeks, and says the legislative elections will take place this year.

 

 

State officials in Mexico investigated over cover up in army killings

 

Twenty state officials in Mexico are being investigated in connection with a case involving murder and torture by Mexican soldiers.

The officials are being looked at in connection with a case in June, when soldiers were ordered to arrest a gang in a raid.

It was later revealed the military murdered at least a dozen of the gang members after they had surrendered.

The officials are being investigated for allegedly covering up the murders, as well as ignoring the torture and sexual threatening of at least two of three women who survived the June raid.

Mexican State Attorney Alejandro Gomez says both police and prosecutors are being looked at.

"None have been removed from their positions yet because there is a presumption of innocence. Each and every one of them is willing to collaborate in the investigations. "

There has been growing criticism of local authorities in Mexico following the disappearance and suspected murder of 43 college students last year.

Local police in that case have been accused of handing over the students, who were would-be protesters of a local mayor, to a local drug cartel, which - it's believed - murdered all of them.

 

 

Spain's Catalonia calls for snap vote to gauge local lawmakers support for independence

 

Lawmakers in the Spanish region of Catalonia have announced plans for an election in September.

The move is being made to determine whether there's enough support among the population to potentially declare independence.

Separatists in the southeastern region of Spain contend the regional parliament should be able to declare unilateral independence if a majority of the 135-lawmakers vote for it.

The call for a new regional election coincides with plans from regional President Artur Mas to try to re-open independence negotiations with Madrid.

"And after this agreement I have decided to hold regional elections in Catalonia on a very symbolic date. A date that has a special significance to me. September 27 of 2015. On September 27 it will be a year since I, in a very symbolic and solemn manner, signed in this very palace, the decree for the consultation that allowed Catalans for the first times in decades and why not centuries to decide whether Catalonia should become a state, and if that was the case if that state should be independent."

Catalonia's regional government held an independence referendum in November, which the Spanish high-court later deemed illegal.

Only 40-percent of the population of the region, which includes Spain's 2nd largest city of Barcelona, turned out for that vote.

Catalan accounts for around a fifth of Spain's economic output.

The region has been historically independent.

However, the separatist movement only resurfaced in the mid-1970's following the death of long-time dictator Francisco Franco.

 

 

U.S. House approves bill easing regulation on Wall Street

 

The first shot has been fired by the US Congress, in what is likely to be a prolonged, 2-year battle between the Republicans and Democratic President Barack Obama before his last term expires.

The House of Representatives has passed new legislation which is going to delay of regulations on US banks and Wall Street.

The Republican-controlled House has passed a bill which will put-off implementation of the Dodd-Frank bill until 2019.

The new legislation is now headed to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it's widely-expected to pass as well.

US President Barack Obama has warned he is likely to use his veto power to send the bill back to lawmakers.

The Dodd-Frank bill, passed in 2010, is meant to put strict controls on how banks and fund management companies handle people's investments.

It was put together in the fall-out from the global financial crisis.

 

 

Chinese medical teams heading towards West Africa to fight against Ebola

 

Two Chinese Army medical teams are joining the fight against Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The first team of 75 members has already arrived in Liberia.

Wang Yonghua is a nursing assistant in the team.

"We are all experts and elites in our areas of expertise. This is a comprehensive team of experts in infectious disease control, as well as cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive sciences, among other areas. In addition, we also have inspection and quarantine professionals."

Another team from Chengdu is going to join them later this month.

At the same time, a 2nd medical team has arrived in Sierra Leone after leaving Beijing.

Liu Minghua is the chief of the Chinese army's health department.

"So far, the first and second waves of medical teams sent to Sierra Leone have received and treated a total of 617 Ebola patients. And the first wave of teams in Liberia has received and treated 61 Ebola patients, as well as trained over 1,500 local medical personnel and residents."

The two new Chinese medical teams are the latest in a series of medical professionals and other assistance China has been offering West African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak in the past year.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Anchor:

First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets this Thursday.

Joining me on the desk is Poornima Weerasekara.

Reporter:

Chinese markets rebounded strongly today, after the central government announced its plans of insurance reform for 40 million-strong public servants.

At close, the Shanghai Composite Index surged 3 and a half percent, led by the insurance setor, which posted an over 8 percent increase.

The Shenzhen Component Index jumped over 2 percent, led by the financial sectors.

Bank and property shares rallied after data showed that China's new yuan loans and total social financing both hit a record high last year, indicating abundant liquidity in the market.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng advanced nearly three quarters of a percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,

The Japanese Nikkei rose almost 2 percent, marking the biggest daily gain in four weeks as the yen fell against the dollar.

South Korea's KOSPI ended flat.

Singapore's Straits Times Index was up nearly two fifth of a percent.

But in Australia, the ASX 200 slid two fifth of a percent.

 

 

Land Price Posts First Quarterly Gain in Q4 Last Year

 

The Ministry of Land and Resources is reporting land price in China posted their first quarterly rise of the year through the fourth quarter.

The ministry says land prices in major cities increased to an average of 35-hundred yuan per square meter in the quarter, up nearly 1 percent from the 3rd quarter.

Zhao Song is director of the Ministry's land price institute.

"The price change is related to the policy adjustment in the real estate market. For example, the government lifted restrictions on home purchasing and mortgage and cut interest rates in the fourth quarter of 2014."

The same stats show land prices in China's first-tier cities increased faster than in other cities.

The 0.9-percent rise in overall land prices through the last quarter is still well below the rate of inflation, meaning land prices are still decreasing on an adjusted basis.

 

 

China to Create 40-bln-yuan Fund to Spur Innovation

 

Anchor:

The State Council, China's cabinet, has announced plans to create a 6.5-billion U.S. dollar fund to spur innovation.

Following a bidding process, several fund management companies will be selected to manage the fund.

They will also be given the authority to make investment decisions.

The money will mainly be funneled toward start-up companies in emerging industries.

For more on the creation of the new fund, the Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Cao Can, CRI Financial Commentator.

 

 

Switzerland eliminates cap on purchases of the Franc

 

The Swiss Franc has risen by alsmot 30 percent against the euro after Switzerland's central bank shocked the global market by doing away with a cap it had put in place on the purchase of its currency.

The Swiss central bank says its making the move to eliminate the cap, it says while the value of the currency is still high, overvaluation has decreased as a whole.

The value of the Swiss Franc began to skyrocket during the height of the euro crisis in 2011, as the country's currency was considered a safe-haven for investors looking to get away from the euro, while at the same time, keep their money in Europe.

Switzerland is one of the few countries in Europe which decided not to join the eurozone.

At the same time, the Swiss National Bank has sharply lowered its deposit rate to minus-0.75 percent.

It says its making this move to ensure the removal of the cap doesn't lead to an inapproprate tightening of monetary conditions.

 

 

Chengdu to Build a 11 Billion Dollar New Airport

 

Regulatory approvals have been given to build a new 11-billion-dollar airport in Sichuan's capital, Chengdu.

The new airport in Southwest China is scheduled to be completed by 2025.

The new Chengdu airport is going to have three runways, and should be able to handle 40 million passengers per year.

Chengdu's existing International Airport, built in 1938, is already the 5th busiest airport in the country, behind only Beijing, the two airports in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Some 37-million people flew in and out of the Shuangliu Airport last year.

 

 

Xiaomi Launches Thinner-than-iPhone6Plus Smartphone

 

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has unveiled its latest smartphone, the Xiaomi Note.

The new device has larger screen than Apple's iPhone 6-Plus.

It's also slightly thinner and 11 grams lighter than the 6-Plus.

The new device is the first smartphone to be launched by Xiaomi since receiving a major cash infusion from investors over the past few months.

Xiaomi has also launched a new app called the "internet of things", which will link all the devices the company offers, including air purifiers, wireless routers and other home-appliance devices, allowing users to turn the devices off and on with their phone.

 

 

Victoria's Secret Beauty Stores Open in China

 

Victoria's Secret has announced it is opening five new brick-and-mortar stores in China later this month.

The new outlets are going to be in the cities of Chongqing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

The announcement comes after the US lingerie brand opened three stores in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou earlier this week.

Victoria's Secret is already registered in Shanghai's Free Trade Zone as an importer.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

China to Strengthen Auditing amid Major Policy Implementation

 

China's lead auditor has outlined a number of key areas his organization is going to focus on this year, including pension insurance, affordable housing and expressway construction.

The National Audit Office says it's going to beef-up its scrutiny of these areas to ensure public funds are not misused.

Projects connected to areas such as disaster relief, poverty reduction and environmental protection are also in for greater scrutiny this year.

This comes amid a pledge by President Xi Jinping this week that the government's crackdown on graft and waste isn't going to let-up this year.

 

 

Fresh gunfight rages in Indian-controlled Kashmir

 

Another gun battle has erupted in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

This time the fighting between suspected militants and Indian troops is taking place in a wooded area about 80-kilometers south of the regional capital, Srinagar.

There have been no reports of casualties at this point.

The new round of fighting comes just a day after Indian troops and militants traded gunfire northeast of Srinagar on Wednesday after local authorities raided an area where a suspected militant leader was thought to be hiding.

One militant fighter was killed in that exchange.

 

 

7 killed in U.S. drone strike in Pakistan

 

At least seven people have been killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region.

It's being reported the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a house thought to be a militant hideout in North Waziristan.

This is the restive region of northwest Pakistan which the US has long-complained is a refuge for fighters who cross the border and launch raids into neighboring Afghanistan.

It's unclear at this point who the targets in the house were.

This is the 2nd US drone strike in Pakistan so far this year.

 

 

Suspect caught after E. China bus fire

 

A 53-year old man is in custody after allegedly setting both a public bus and his former work-place on fire in Fujian this morning.

Authorities in the city of Xiamen say the suspect set the bus on fire during the morning rush-hour.

At least one person suffered burns, while several others have been hospitalized after the driver of the bus was forced to slam on the brakes when the fire broke out.

The extent of the injuries hasn't been made clear.

The same man is accused of setting the building of his former employer on fire earlier in the day.

No one was hurt in that blaze.

 

 

Heavy fog disrupts air traffic in North West China

 

A blanket of heavy fog in northwest China has left more than 10-thousand passengers stranded at airports in Xinjiang.

Over 300 flights have been canceled since Wednesday at the main airport in the capital, Urumuqi.

Poor visibility is also affecting road traffic.

Four people have been injured in a crash involving 21 vehicles on a highway linking Urumqi to the city of Kuytun in Xinjiang.

Unlike the smog which is affecting the air quality and visibility in Beijing, Xinjiang's problems are mostly natural, as air-quality readings in the region are nominal.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHINA DAILY

Shanghai tops country in year-end bonus

Employees in Shanghai lead the country in earning the highest amount of year-end bonus with 8,515 yuan or over 13-hundred US dollars on average, followed by their peers in Shenzhen and Beijing, according to a recent survey.

Internet finance was the sector that paid its workers the highest average year-end bonus of 40-thosuand yuan.

The research involved more than 6-thosuand companies across China.

Although a year-end bonus is not legally required, over 84 percent of companies chose to reward their workers. In contrast, 15 percent of them did not plan to do so.

46 percent of the employees' year-end reward was between 5-thosuand to 10-thosuand yuan.

Some 78 percent of the companies provided bonuses in cash, 8 percent gave shopping cards and about 4 percent offered free trips as rewards.

--

GLOBAL TIMES

Baby havens close, renewing concerns

A report says several baby hatches, or safe havens, in China continue to either cease operations or are forced to close down after the country's first baby hatch stopped receiving additional abandoned babies 10 months ago.

This triggers renewed public concerns over abandoned children.

Employees at the baby hatch in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province have been persuading parents not to abandon their children, after the number of babies it received in 2014 tripled that of 2013.

Experts say that the lack of professional skills and manpower is a grave problem.

The baby hatch, also called a "safe island" for babies, is where abandoned children are sent to.

Before such facilities were established, many abandoned children were left to die on roadsides or in the wilderness.

The baby hatch scheme was first introduced in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province in 2011, and 32 hatches have since been established so far, receiving over 1-thousand abandoned babies since July 2013.

--

BBC

Inactivity 'kills more than obesity'

University of Cambridge researchers said about 676-thousand deaths each year were down to inactivity, compared with 337-thousand from carrying too much weight.

They concluded that getting everyone to do at least 20 minutes of brisk walking a day would have substantial benefits.

Experts said exercise was beneficial for people of any weight.

Obesity and inactivity often go hand in hand.

However, it is known that thin people have a higher risk of health problems if they are inactive. And obese people who exercise are in better health than those that do not.

It is also found that the diseases caused by inactivity and obesity were largely the same, such as cardiovascular disease. However, type 2 diabetes was more common with obesity.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, attempted to tease out the relative dangers of inactivity and obesity.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Peking Opera Well Received by Young Students

 

Anchor:

With the continued decline in people attending Peking Opera shows, culture and education officials in China are taking steps to try to revive the artform by trying to adapt it to better-fit today's modern lifestyle.

CRI's Luo Wen takes us through a primary school in east Beijing where a new course on Peking Opera is being taught.

Reporter:

Beijing Shijia(史家) Primary School is one of 14 pilot schools chosen by Beijing's education authorities to experiment with a Peking Opera course.

The textbook, the first of its kind, has been compiled by teachers at the Chinese Theater Arts Academy and child-education specialists working together.

Hou Shoufeng(侯守峰) is the Editor-in-chief of the textbook, which is called "Happy Peking Opera".

"In Peking Opera courses, the teachers not only teach students how to sing specific scenes, but also how to understand the traditional art form by telling them the stories behind them. It's a concern that Chinese students are losing interest in Chinese traditional culture and arts. Courses on Peking Opera will help them to gain a greater understanding of traditional culture."

A combination of music, dance, literature, face-painting and acrobatics, Peking Opera is one of the most influential and representative of all operas in China.

There is no doubt that Peking Opera is one of the highest expressions of Chinese culture. But the question is: can young children accept, appreciate and learn this sophisticated art form?

Gao Manhong (高满洪) is the headmaster at the Shijia Primary School. He says the fondness the students have shown for Peking Opera has far exceeded his expectations:

Act 2 Gao, male in Chinese

"Most of our students like Peking Opera, its characters, the costume, the make-up, the arias… they all take part enthusiastically in the training and performances staged. The parents also support it."

So far the Peking Opera classes have proved to be very popular and the little ones are excited to learn all about it.

-student A: "I don't think it's difficult at all. I like it very much."

-Student B: "I couldn't find the right tune at the beginning. With the help of the teachers, I can now sing a passage or two."

Jiang Fang(姜芳) from the Central Drama Academy in Beijing is in charge of the Peking Opera Society at Shijia Primary School.

She speaks highly of the pilot program and believes it's vital that Peking Opera is brought into the education system.

"The young students are very smart and quick at learning. Incorporating Peking Opera into the school curriculum is a good way for students to learn how to appreciate their national culture. It will give them a positive influence for the rest of their lives."

If it is feasible, more primary and middle schools in the capital city will add Peking Opera as part of their courses to give students a hands-on experience in the traditional Chinese art.

BACH ANCHOR:

CRI's Luo Wen reporting.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Asian Cup: Bahrain falls to United Arab Emirates 2-1.

 

In Asian cup action:

The United Arab Emirates have downed Bahrain, 2-1.

And Iran are taking on Qatar. [udpate live]

 

 

Brazil International Midfielder Goulart signs four-year deal with Guangzhou Evergrande

 

Brazil international midfielder Ricardo Goulart has signed a four-year deal with Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande, his club Cruzeiro said on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old, who had also been linked with a move to China' s Shandong Luneng, reportedly signed for a fee of about 13 million US dollars.

Goulart scored 38 times in 105 appearances for Cruzeiro and played a key role in the team's 2013 and 2014 Brazilian Serie A title victories.

He was handed an international call up by Brazil coach Dunga for the Selecao's friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador in September.

Evergrande have clinched the past four Chinese Super League titles and won the 2013 Asian Champions League.

 

 

Brazil great Ronaldo contemplating comback.

 

Brazil great Ronaldo has revealed plans to make a comeback to football with US second-tier club Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

The 38-year-old said Wednesday he is targeting a return for the Strikers' first match of the North American Soccer League season against New York Cosmos on April 4.

Ronaldo, voted FIFA World Player of the Year three times, was a member of Brazil's 1994 and 2002 World Cup-winning squads.

He has not played since ending his career with Brazilian club Corinthians in 2011.

The former Real Madrid and Barcelona striker suggested he would use his connections to attract high profile players from Brazil and Europe.

 

 

Tennis: Juan Martin del Potro falls at Apia International

 

Defending champion Juan Martin del Potro was beaten in the quarter-finals of the Sydney International.

The Argentine lost in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) to Kazakhstan qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin.

Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion returning from an 11-month injury layoff, needed a wild-card entry to get into the main draw because his world ranking had dropped to 338.

Kukushkin will now play Argentine Leonardo Mayer, who earlier beat Julian Benneteau of France, 6-3, 6-7.

 

 

CBA: Tianjin beats out Bayi Rockets 106-98.

 

Last night in the CBA:

Tianjin downed the Bayi Rockets 106-98;

The Sichuan Blue Whales beached against Shandong; Shandong won 100-78;

Xinjiang won their match against Zhejiang Guangsha 110-96;

Shanghai edged Fujian 103-100;

Beijing routed Shanxi 126-101;

Guangdong Southern clinched the W against Jiangsu Tong Xi 125-112;

Jilin Northeast beat Chongqing 113-103;

Liaoning trounced Zhejiang Chouzhou 130-101;

And it was the Jiangsu Dragons going down to Dongguan 130-119.

 

 

NBA: Atlanta Hawks win 10 straight with 105-91 victory over Boston

 

A full slate of games were played earlier in the NBA:

The Atlanta Hawks have the best record in the Eastern Conference and have won 10 straight for the first time in 17 years.

Life is so good for the Hawks, they even have the depth to platoon starters during a busy stretch.

DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague responded from a night off with 22 points apiece, helping the Hawks to a 105-91 victory over the Boston Celtics.

And over in Oakland, the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors continued their latest roll Wednesday night, overwhelming the undermanned Miami Heat 104-89 for their eighth straight victory. Golden State (31-5) has won by an average of 19.8 points per game during its current streak.

In other action:

The San Antonio Spurs edged the Charlotte Hornets, 98-93.

The Orlando Magic got the better of the Houston Rockets in a surprise 120-113 upset.

Memphis bested Brooklyn 103-92.

New Orleans upset Detroit 105-94.

Toronto put the 76ers to shame, 100-84.

Washington took out the Chicago Bulls, 105-99.

The Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks, 114-107.

And it was the Los Angeles Clippers over the Portland Trail Blazers 100-94.

 

 

Golf: Guan Tianlang, 16, looks ahead at HSBC Championship action to come

 

A stellar field has gathered in Abu Dhabi for the tenth edition of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

Nine Major champions are among the competitors, including world number one Rory McIlroy - who has twice finished as runner-up in the event, and three-time champion Martin Kaymer.

Also among the competitors is one of the world's premiere golf prodigies, Chinas' Guan Tianlang. At only 16, he has his work cut out for him as he goes up against some of the biggest names in the game.

"The golf course is very pretty, and it is much like the ones in China. It is a beautiful place to play golf. I used to watch this championship before, and I am honored and happy to actually take part in the game this time."

Looking towards the upcoming action, he says he will try his hardest to stand out among the distinguished field of players.

"I think for this week, I am just going to do my best and enjoy the tournament. I will bring my full ability into play."

Tee-off is set to take place in just a few minutes time.

 

 

Snooker: Ding Junhui upset at Masters

 

In Snooker:

China's Ding Junhui suffered his fourth successive first-round defeat at the snooker Masters as he was upset by 14th seed Joe Perry 6-3 on Wednesday.

Perry made his debut in the tournament in 2003 and lost his opening match in his first six appearances. But he finally got past that hurdle tonight with a fine display against world number two Ding.

Ding, who won a record-equaling five ranking tournaments last season, was in poor form this term and made too many unforced errors in the day's fight.

Perry took the opening frame with a break of 79 before Ding, the 2011 Masters champion, leveled with a run of 80. Perry went all the way ahead then, leading 2-1, 4-2 and 4-3 before finishing off the match by 6-3.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Nominations for Academy Awards to be revealed tonight

 

The nominations for the 87th Academy Awards will be revealed tonight.

The nominations will be released during a ceremony in Los Angeles at 5.30 pacific time which is around 9.30 tonight Beijing time.

In a first for the annual reveal, nominations in all Oscar categories will be named.

As we're now right in the middle of awards season, there's lots of speculation as to who might be up for an award and it seems there could be several upsets on the table.

The best actress category is the one which could have the most surprises. Will Jennifer Anniston make the list for her role in Cake?

She's managed to clinch all of the major nominations including the Golden Globes and Critics Choice but some people still struggle to see her as a main contender. If she makes the list, she'll probably be alongside Julianne Moore and Reese Witherspoon.

And in the Best Actor category, will Bradley Cooper receive his third nomination? The actor's performance in American Sniper has been heralded. If he makes it then he will most likely be alongside Eddie Redmayne and Michael Keaton who both won Golden Globes last week.

The movies up for Best Picture will probably be the big main ones The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Birdman and Boyhood. Although it is possible that smaller films such as Mr. Turner and Unbroken could make the cut.

The Academy Awards will take place on February 22nd.

 

 

Concert promoter offers refunds for Bill Cosby's upcoming shows

 

Concert promoter Ticketmaster is offering refunds for Bill Cosby's shows this weekend in Denver, Colorado.

More than 3,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday's performances.

Organizers have said they have a moral obligation for the shows to go on amid planned protests.

Cosby has been accused by more than 15 women of sexual assaults dating back to the 1970s and 1980s leading to cancellations on his North American tour and cancelled tv appearances.

The comedian has denied the claims.

Protests are being planned outside the venue for Saturday's performances.

Cosby's shows in Canada earlier this month went ahead despite demonstrations outside the venue in Ontario.

 

 

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars still atop Billboard Chart

 

Uptown Funk, the collaboration between Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars is taking the music world by storm with its second week atop the Billboard charts.

The song is spending a third week at number one on the digital charts with some 340,000 copies downloaded in the week ending last Sunday. It's passed 2 million digital sales to date.

Uptown Funk is also breaking streaming records with 11.6 million U.S streams.

Last month, UK streams of the song hit 2 million in a single week.

The momentum of Uptown Funk should continue as Mark Ronson's new album, Uptown Special arrived this week and is due for a high debut on next week's Billboard 200 chart.

The album features collaborations with Steve Wonder as well as Bruno Mars.

 

 

Taylor swift helps pay off a fan's student loan

 

Taylor Swift has surprised a fan after sending her a cheque to help pay off her student loan.

The singer has surprised one of her mega fans Rebekah Bortnicker with homemade art and a gift of nearly 2,000 dollars to help towards paying off the fan's student loan.

She also included a photograph of herself painting the picture she sent the fan.

Swift is known for picking out some of her biggest fans for special attention and presents.

She went on a spending spree last Christmas buying fans presents and shipping them to their houses. The video of her fans opening their Christmas gifts has over 15 million views on Youtube.

 

 

Gillian Anderson up for new X files series

 

Actress Gillian Anderson has said she wants to get the X-Files series going again.

The actress shared her desire to return to her Dana Scully character in a recent podcast with The Nerdist.

She told fans that if they could convince Fox to reunite her with David Duchovny for a new series then she wouldn't hesitate to sign on.

Her comments have sparked a full-blown movement on social media sites with fans starting a campaign to bring the show back.

This comes just as many popular shows are returning after a long time away from the small screen.

Twin Peaks is returning some 25 years after it ended. And Fox itself brought 24 back last year after a four year absence.