新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/04/03（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Morning Edition

It's Paul James with you on this Friday, April 3, 2015.

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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Close to 150 people are dead following a terrorist attack on a University in Kenya.

A preliminary Iranian nuclear agreement has finally been inked after close to 8-days of continual negotiations.

A leading Chinese think-tank has issued new analysis of China's foreign diplomacy.

In business... Xiaomi and a division of Alibaba teaming up for a new mobile payment method.

In Sports... Ding Junhui continues his impressing run at the China Open snooker tournament.

In Entertainment... Sylvia Chang has turned out to help premier her new film.

First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...

Weather

Beijing will be cloudy today with a high of 16 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop to 5.

Shanghai will have slight rain with a high of 21 and a low of 14.

In Chongqing, also cloudy with a high of 30 and a low of 21.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 37.

Kabul will be sunny with a high of 19.

Over to North America,

New York will be rainy with a high of 18 degrees.

Washington will have thundershowers with a high of 24 degrees.

Honolulu, partly cloudy, 29.

Toronto, Canada, will be overcast with a high of 15 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be clear with a high of 32.

And Rio de Janeiro, also clear with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Top News

147 Killed in Kenya University Siege

A hostage taking at a university in eastern Kenya has left 147 people dead.

Islamist militants stormed Garissa University College early Thursday, taking students hostage and battling security forces for several hours before being taken out by Kenyan security forces.

Kenyan Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery:

"When I talked to you this evening, at about quarter to seven, I told you that the operation was still ongoing, 90 percent of the threat has been eliminated. I want now to confirm to Kenyans that the operation has ended successfully, all the terrorists are killed, the four terrorists are killed."

Around 500 students managed to escape the attack.

"As you can see the situation we are in. I've even run naked. We weren't even given time to know what is happening,"

Somali militant group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility.

This is the same group behind the 2013 attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi.

Al-Shabaab has been attacking targets in neighboring Kenya following the Kenyan government decision to back an African Union force in Somalia meant to root-out the militant group.

Al-Shabaab had defacto control of large portions of Somalia during the 20-years the country was without a central government.

It still maintains control of significant portions of southern Somalia.

Iran Nuclear Talks Reach Outline Deal

Anchor

Following marathon talks, a new Iranian nuclear deal has finally been reached.

Under the deal, Iran will reduce its uranium enrichment capacity for at least a decade in exchange for phased sanctions relief.

CRI's Qi Zhi has the details.

Reporter

In announcing the preliminary agreement in the Swiss city of Lausanne, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is applauding all-involved in getting a deal done.

"Today we have taken a decisive step. We have reached solutions on key parameters of a joint comprehensive plan of action. The political determination, the goodwill and the hard work of all parties made it possible."

This follows 8 days of intense diplomacy, which is the culmination of 18 months of off-and-on negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is describing the deal as "a major step forward".

"We have stopped a cycle that was not in the interest of anybody. Not in the interest of non-proliferation and not in the interest of anybody to one that will in fact be a gain for all parties concerned."

Under the preliminary deal, Iran will shut down more than two-thirds of its centrifuges for 10 years, reduce 98 percent of its stockpile of enriched uranium for 15 years, dismantle a reactor that could produce plutonium, and accept verification.

In exchange, economic sanctions currently imposed on Tehran are to be rolled back, but only after the United Nations confirms compliance.

If at any time Iran fails to fulfill its commitments, the sanctions will -quote- "snap back" into place.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, along side Iran, will now start writing the text of a comprehensive accord to be reached by June 30th that is expected to end the 12-year nuclear standoff.

U.S. President Barack Obama is describing the breakthrough as historic, saying it meets Washington's core objectives.

"This framework would cut off every pathway that Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran will face strict limitations on its program and Iran has also agreed to the most robust and intrusive inspections and transparency regime ever negotiated for any nuclear program in history. So, this deal is not based on trust, it's based on unprecedented verification."

At the same time, the Obama administration is cautioning that only full-implementation of the deal will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

US Secretary of State John Kerrry.

"And of course, once we're able to finalize a comprehensive deal, the process of implementation then remains in front of us as well. But that's a good challenge to have, frankly."

Both Obama and Kerry are also warning their domestic critics in Congress not to do anything to sabotage their diplomatic efforts until the deal is finalized by the end of June.

Meanwhile, critics abroad, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, appear much less positive about the deal.

Both the Israelis and the Saudis have expressed concerns about the concessions which will allow Iran to maintain significant portions of its nuclear program.

Israel has dismissed the framework deal as being detached from reality, vowing it will continue lobbying world powers against a "bad" final deal.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

China takes global diplomacy center stage: blue book

Anchor

Analysis of China's foreign policy through this past year has been released by one of the country's leading foreign policy think-tanks.

The so-called "Blue Book" report by the China Institute of International Studies is suggesting Chinese diplomacy has gone a long way through 2014.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

Reporter

The "Blue Book" describes China's role in global diplomacy as "taking the center stage" through 2014.

The report notes two major summits were held last year in China.

Shanghai hosted the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

And in November, world leaders decended on Beijing for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The "Blue Book" report suggests this has given China a stronger voice on the international stage.

Chen Xulong heads the team which authored the "Blue Book" for the China Institute of International Studies.

"Chinese leaders attended a total of 11 multilateral summits last year. The leadership now views those summits as the main playing field for China's foreign diplomacy. They plan it carefully and try to strike a critical balance in maintaining various geopolitical partnerships. Therefore, the leadership thinks they cannot afford to miss any of those summits."

The "Blue Book" also highlights the various international initiatives the Chinese government helped to formulate this past year.

These include the "Belt and Road" initiatives, the BRICS Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Observations in the "Blue Book" also suggest China's voice on the international stage has been assisted by other major world powers being embroiled in their own problems, including the United States' continued entanglements in the Middle East, as well as Russia's issue with Ukraine.

The "Blue Book" also has a forecast for China's involvement in international affairs this year.

Ruan Zongze is the vice director of the China Institute of International Studies.

"One of dominant themes of China's global diplomacy is peace. There are three major 70th anniversaries this year. The 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the 70th anniversary of the victory of China's war over Japan and the 70th anniversary of the world's victory against Fascism. We will reflect on the past and we will also work on how to better contribute to the future."

The "Blue Book" issued by the China Institute of International Studies is an annual project designed to give the Chinese leadership, as well as the rest of the world, a general observation of how China views its role in international affairs.

For CRI, I am Qian Shanming.

Myanmar apologizes to China over warplane bombing

The Chinese government says Myanmar has formally apologized for an accidental bombing that killed five people in Yunnan last month.

A Myanmar government warplane dropped ordinance on Chinese territory while on a mission against an armed ethnic group on the Myanmar side of the border.

Myanmar's Foreign Minister has issued the apology while meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here in Beijing.

Wunna Maung Lwin also says they're preparing compensation for the families of the 5 Chinese killed, along with 8-others who were injured in the blast.

At the same time, Myanmar's military has also issued an apology.

Authorities in Myamar originally discounted their role in the bombing, suggesting it may have been shelling from the rebel forces.

However, a joint report has since determined it was a Myanmar government warplane which dropped the fatal bomb inside Chinese territory.

The Myanmar government has accepted the findings of the study.

China expresses anger about US planes land in Taiwan

The Chinese government has lodged a formal complaint with the United States after a pair of US fighter jets made a rare landing in Taiwan on Thursday.

Hua Chunying is with the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"We have also noticed the reports and have already lodged a solemn representation to the United States. China urges the U.S. to strictly abide by the 'one-China policy,' the principles of three China-U.S. joint communiqués, and to cautiously and appropriately handle this incident."

Reports from Taiwan say the two F-18s landed at an air force base in southern Taiwan yesterday after experiencing mechanical problems.

It's not been made clear where they were coming from or where they were going.

China disagrees with U.S. sanctions program on overseas cyber attackers

The Chinese government is taking exception to a new Executive Order from US President Barack Obama imposing sanctions on overseas individuals or entities the US accuses of being involved in cyber attacks.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

"Cyber security concerns the common interests of all countries. The international community should jointly solve the issue of cyber attacks through dialogue and cooperation, and based on mutual respect and trust."

In issuing the executive order, Obama has declared "a national emergency" to address percieved threats from cyber attackers.

Under the presidential order, the sanctions include freezing all assets of targeted individuals or entities.

It also denies their entry into the United States.

The US government has accused the Chinese government of sponsoring cyber attacks.

The Chinese government has steadfastly denied the allegation, noting China is often a target of international cyber attacks itself.

Increasing Awareness Urged for Autism-suffering Children

Anchor

New calls are being put out by both medical workers and parents here in China for more awareness of children suffering from autism.

CRI's Yu Yang has more.

Reporter

The call for more awareness of autism in children comes as China prepares marks World Autism Awareness Day.

Autism is a developmental disorder which creates significant communication, social and behavioral challenges for children.

In some cases it can lead to incurable functional impairment.

The number of children suffering from autism in China hasn't been fully assessed.

Estimates range from 1.5 to 1.8-million.

However, only a small fraction of these children often receive professional help.

There are only 11-thousand autistic children registered in rehabilitation organisations nationwide.

One of the facilities which helps care for children with autism is the Yangyong Youyi Rehabilitation Center in Beijing.

There, autistic children at preschool age are given training to help prepare them for primary school.

But despite their efforts, many of them are rejected from entering primary schools.

Wei Qingyun helps care for the children at Yangyong Youyi.

"The children we receive here around September and October every year are mostly the ones rejected by primary 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."

Being a parent with an autistic child has challenges beyond just education.

He Huiquan is a father of an autistic child.

"The older our children grow, the more worried we're becoming. We're worried about their education, job and their capacity for independent living. We can take care of them for now, but what about after we pass away?"

A number of rehabilitation centers and training schools have been set up across the country.

The Soong Ching Ling Foundation has launched a fund for autistic children, with 3-million yuan as initial capital.

However, the overall number of facilities to treat autistic children in China remains comparatively low.

There are only around 3-hundred autism rehabilitation centres in China.

Most of them are privately run.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Saudis: Using ground troops on the table

The Saudi ambassador to the United States is hinting his country may be considering sending in ground troops to combat Shiite Houthis in Yemen.

"We don't have, we don't have troops, formal Saudi troops in Aden. The issue of using ground troops is always something that is on the table."

Adel al-Jubeir's comments come as Shiite rebels make advances into the port city of Aden.

They've reportedly seized the presidential palace, as well as a strategic hilltop in the southern city.

The Saudi-led air campaign has been targeting the Houthis, as well as their allies, who are said to be forces loyal to Hadi's predecessor, ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Yemeni officials allied with President Haider al-Abadi say a number of foreign troops from various countries have begun arriving in Aden to help assist forces loyal to Hadi.

Those reports have not been confirmed.

UK Election Race Heated up by Seven Party Leaders TV Debate

Anchor

The first televised debate involving 7 of Britain's main-stream political parties has taken place a month ahead of the general election.

CRI's London Correspondent Duan Xuelian with more.

Reporter

Seven party leaders from the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish Nation Party, UK Independence Party, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have gone head to head in the televised debate, which was broadcast live across the nation on Thursday evening.

(Sound1 debate sound clip)

Economic recovery, public spending and the National Health System are among the key issues brought up during the two-hour debate.

The debate is the first time Conservative leader David Cameron and Labor's Ed Milliband, the two main contenders for 10-Downing, have met each other face to face in the run up to the May 5th vote.

The outcome of the debate itself remains somewhat mixed among pundits.

Simon Hix, parliamentary expert with the London School of Economics, says he feels Ed Milliband probably benefitted the most from the TV appearance.

"I don't think the debate will have a big influence on the result but the one thing it could influence is people's perception of Ed Milliband. The public's perception right now is that he is not an effective leader and not very charismatic. If he comes across as a trustworthy leader who the public can actually imagine sitting in Number 10 as the Prime Minister then I think that could influence the election. So in a sense he has little to lose, David Cameron has much more to lose in the TV debate because the public feels they already know David Cameron but they don't really know Ed Milliband."

Political obsever Tony Travers says the televised debate is likely to have little impact on the overall vote.

"The way people vote will have more to do with five years of embedded attitude or behavioral response to what's going on more than a debate about the budget or some terrible gaffe during the election campaign involving some leading member of a party."

In an instant poll following the debate shows around 30-percent of those asked say they are likely to vote for Labour as a result of the debate.

The Conservatives polled almost as equally as well, garnering 29-percent support among the roughly 1-thousand asked.

For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian in London

Biz Reports

Stocks

First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

U.S. stocks posted modest gains on Thursday, as investors mulled economic data and the preliminary agreement reached on Iran's nuclear program.

U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly fell over the past week, suggesting the labor market continues to expand at a solid pace.

This has also set the stage for March's closely-watched nonfarm payroll report, due out later on this Friday.

However, U.S. markets are closed for Good Friday.

At close,

The Dow Jones added 0.4 percent.

The S&P 500 also closed up 0.4 percent.

The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.1 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe, European markets closed mostly lower on Thursday.

Investors there appeared reluctant to take any sizable positions ahead of the Easter holiday and the release of the U.S. nonfarm payroll report.

At the close,

The UK's FTSE 100 gained nearly 0.4 percent.

While Germany's DAX fell 0.3 percent.

Finally France's CAC 40 was up 0.2 percent.

Alibaba unit, Xiaomi link mobile payment system

Alibaba's finance arm Ant Financial and smartphone maker Xiaomi have announced plans to jointly develop mobile payment systems through wearable technology.

The two companies say the system will enable the Alipay Wallet mobile app to link with Xiaomi's Mi Band smart fitness bracelet.

This will allow users to bypass the need for passwords, avoiding potential security pitfalls connected with near-field wireless technology.

It's going to be made available on the current version of Alipay Wallet for the Android operating system.

It's also going to be made compatible with Apple's operating system.

Corporate News of the Week with Doug Young

Anchor

Let's check out some of the main events taking place on the corporate front in China this week.

Joining me on the line now is Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

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JD.com Launches Equity Crowdfunding Platform

China's leading online direct sales company JD.com, has launched JD Equity Crowdfunding platform, to help finance the creation of start-up companies in China.

The platform will give China's entrepreneurs access to a broad set of potential early-stage investors.

Under the model, each investment project will be led by a professional investment manager, who will be responsible for working directly with the investee companies.

The platform is expected to be China's largest equity crowdfunding platform.

1) JD.com is said to be the first e-commerce company to launch such an equity Crowdfunding platform after the State Council gave its backing to e-commerce companies to do so last month.

So, what are advantages of the new model in funding early-stage start-ups, compared with the traditional Venture Capital model?

2) Does the JD.com act like an intermediary agent under the newly-established platform? What are the ways for JD.com to gain profits from the platform?

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Merged Didi, Kuadi Taxi App Value Could Reach $8.75 Bln after New Stake Sale

The market value of merged Didi and Kuaidi, China's two largest taxi apps is expected to reach some $ 8.7 billion after new stake sale, a nearly 50% increase.

That will be one fifth of the market value of U.S. taxi app Uber.

This comes after Coatue Management-led consortium is planning to buy nearly $400 million worth of stake from the combined firm.

Didi and Kuaidi, backed by e-commerce giants Tencent and Alibaba, announced their merger deal in February.

Speculations are ongoing about whether Kuaidi will sell all its stakes and quit once the merge completes.

1) The increasing market value of the combined firm has raised doubts on whether the two taxi app companies will create a monopoly in China's taxi app market. How do you perceive the potential monopoly after their merge?

2)Right now, the two companies seem to have shifted their focus from developing traditional taxis to high-end taxis by signing contract with car-rental firms. The booming high-end taxis have forced the traditional taxi industry to make some change such as cutting the franchise fee.

How do you think the merger deal could introduce more market force into China's taxi industry?

Back Anchor

Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

Bright Food, Tnuva deal completes

China's Bright Food Group has completed the purchase of some 77 percent of Israel's largest food company Tnuva.

Bright Food's purchase now values Tnuva at over 2-billion US dollars.

The price-tag for Bright Food's investment hasn't been revealed.

However, reports in Israeli media suggest Bright Food has paid some 1.2-billion US dollars for its stake in the Israeli firm.

The two companies will set up a new management team to oversee the joint business, which will focus mostly on the dairy industry.

Chinese bullet train maker CNR forms Australian JV

A subsidiary of the soon-to-be-merged China North Railway, or CNR, has formed a joint venture with an Australian company.

Qiqihar Rolling Stock, based out of Inner Mongolia, is teaming up with Australia's B&W in a 50-50 joint venture.

The companies will both produce freight cars and provide repair services for them.

Qiqihar Rolling Stock has already exported over 12-thousand freight cars to Australia since 2000.

Ford JV to upgrade plant in US$1.1b deal

Ford's joint venture with Chongqing Changan has announced plans to take over and upgrade a factory in northeast China in a deal said to be worth 1.1-billion US dollars.

The factory is currently owned by a subsidiary of Chongqing Chang'an in Harbin.

In making the announcement, Chang'an-Ford says the takeover will increase its production capacity in China by 200-thousand vehicles annually.

Ford currently has factories in Chongqing and Zhejiang's capital, Hangzhou.

Chinese cell phone makers have 30% of market share in Africa

New data suggests the market share of Chinese mobile phone makers in Africa hit some 30-percent last year.

This represents growth of 50-percent year on year.

Huawei, Tecno and Alcatel have all entered the top five in the African market.

Headline News

147 Killed in Kenya University Siege

A hostage crisis at a university in east Kenya has left 147 people dead.

The four gunmen who lauched the deadly attackk have been killed by security forces.

Militants stormed Garissa University College at dawn on Thursday, taking students hostage and battling security forces over several hours.

Somali militant group al-Shabaab is claiming responsibility.

This is same group behind the 2013 attack on the upscale Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi which left dozens dead.

Iran nuclear talks reach outline deal

A preliminary deal on Iran's nuclear program has been reached following marathon talks between Iran and 6 world powers in Switzerland.

The agreement will see Iran will shut down more than two-thirds of its centrifuges for 10 years, reduce 98 percent of its stockpile of enriched uranium for 15 years, dismantle a reactor that could produce plutonium, and accept verification.

In exchange, economic sanctions currently being imposed on Tehran are to be rolled back, but only after the United Nations confirms compliance.

Negotiators are now working on the specifics required to complete a comprehensive deal by June 30th.

U.S. President Barack Obama is hailing deal as historic, saying it meets Washington's core objectives.

However, Israel is dismissing the deal as being detached from reality.

China helps 10 countries evacuate nationals from Yemen

The Chinese Navy is now assisting 10 different countries in evacuating their nationals from Yemen.

Some 225 foreign nationals are being transported on a Chinese missile frigate from the Port of Aden in Yemen to Djibouti.

This follows on the heels of the Chinese Navy safely extracting some 570 Chinese nationals who have been living in the war-torn country.

The foreign nationals being assisted by the Chinese Navy come from countries including Pakistan, Germany and Britain.

China's Navy has been active in the Yemen region for a number of years as part of the global anti-piracy imitative around the Horn of Africa.

Germanwings co-pilot probed suicide methods: prosecutors

New revelations suggest the co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings flight which plowed into the French Alps last month searched for ways to commit suicide shortly before taking the plane down.

German prosecutors say they've discovered search-terms on Andreas Lubitz computer connected to airline cockpit doors and safety precautions.

Meanwhile, French officials say the aircraft's flight-data recorder has been located.

That device, if still functional, will be able to provide investigators technical details of how Lubitz brought the plane down.

At the same time, 42 mobile phones discovered among the wreckage are being tested.

The fight from Barcelona, Spain to Duesseldorf, Germany slammed into the French Alps following an eight-minute descent last week, killing all 150 people on board.

Newspaper Picks

BEIJING NEWS

Headline

Xi Jinping App

Summary

An application which features Chinese President Xi Jinping's theories and speeches has been activated.

The application includes experts' interpretations of Xi Jinping's words and actions, poems quoted by the Chinese President in his speeches, academic papers about his political theories and editorials about the president.

GLOBAL TIMES

Headline

Online porn crackdown

Summary

Three Chinese internet firms, namely Baidu, NetEase and MoMo, are being publically named for spreading pornographic content online.

Police are investigating NetEase for allegedly carrying digital novels that contain obscene or pornographic content.

Baidu has already been fined more than 210-thousand yuan carrying online publications without permit and uploading obscene and pornographic novels onto its app.

MoMo, known for its dating app, was also fined 60-thousand yuan in March.

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Senior care plans

Summary

Chinese health authorities have announced plans to explore new methods to share the responsibility of senior care for single-child families.

A pilot program is being launched involving trained personnel who can provide community health services.

PEOPLE'S DAILY

Headline

Rural school additions

Summary

Ministry of Education has announced it added nearly 360-thousand new teachers to rural primary and middle schools through this past year.

The figures comes just a day after the central authorities approved a plan to increase rural teachers' incomse and persuade urban teachers to work in rural schools.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

Global food prices

Summary

The United Nations food agency says global food prices fell in March to their lowest in almost five years.

The agency says high global production and low crude oil prices have helped cap food prices for the past year.

BEIJING MORNING POST

Headline

Tourism ratings revoked

Summary

Chinese tourism authorities have announced the official ratings of 44 scenic spots and the licenses of 11 travel agencies have been revoked.

This move is the first round of what will be an ongoing campaign against malpractice in the tourism industry.

Special Reports

Bella Thorne gets mean in 'The Duff'

Anchor

A teen comedy is being released in the UK next week, highlighting some of the challenges teenagers face when dealing with social "cliques."

CRI's Doris Wang has more on "The DUFF."

Reporter

Devastated by the discovery of what "duff" mean, Bianca is determined to change people's perceptions of her.

American actress Bella Thorne co-stars as the popular, and mean, Madison. She is the leading role Bianca's nemesis.

While Thorne relished the role, she originally wanted to play the title character.

"I auditioned for Bianca, Mae's character, and I wanted to play the designated ugly fat friend and our director was like 'I think you're much more of a Madison character. Would you consider being this? Would you consider looking at this role? And I was like 'of course, of course I will. I just want to be in this film because I love the message, I love the actors, the director is so talented and won an Oscar. He's really a great guy."

Although the film is about high school kids, Thorne was one of the only actual teenagers on set.

At 17-years-old, she's considerably younger than star Mae Whitman, who is 26, and Robbie Amell, also 26, plays the love interest of both characters.

However, Thorne didn't find working with much older actors strange.

"Nope, it's not weird. I don't know why people think it's weird. It's very normal because people tell me I am more mature, but of course I am because I've been working for a long time, I've grown up all around adults my whole entire life. This is just the natural human being - you mimic the things that you see around you. So, that's what I've been doing my whole life, is mimicking adults because that's constantly what I'm around."

"The Duff" was released in the US in February and has been compared to teen classics such as "Mean Girls," and John Hughes' popular '80s flicks, like "The Breakfast Club."　

According to Thorne, one of the potential reasons behind the film's success is its accurate depiction of high school life.

Derogatory terms, like the Duff, are regularly used in schools.

"People say 'that's so harsh, those are such harsh words,' but honestly if we dumbed-down high school to fit for the big screen, it wouldn't make sense and people would call you out, because high school is mean - news flash! People say much worse things in high school than what we're saying in this movie."

"The DUFF" opens in UK cinemas on April 6.

Back anchor

That's CRI's Doris Wang reporting.

Sports

Ding Junhui through to quarterfinals of China Open

Home favorite Ding Junhui will play against John Higgins at the quarterfinals of 2015 World Snooker China Open here today.

After suffering from early exits in the first round for six times in a row in 2015, Ding finally regained his touch, beating Mark Williams 5-2 in the third round games yesterday evening.

The World No.4 started the first frame with a 68-point break, and a 103-point one helped him establish a 3-1 advantage before the break.

Meanwhile in Judd Trump's match against John Higgins, Trump came back from a 1-3 deficit to make it 4-4 and even took the lead in the ninth frame with a 59-point break. But Higgins showed magic and no mercy on Trump to win by a 65-59 margin.

Current World No.1 Mark Selby also booked a final eight spot by beating David Gilbert 5-2, he will meet the world No. 17 Robert Milkins, who has to win the match to secure a place in the World Championship

NBA preview

In the NBA this morning. Just three games are being played.

It's the Miami Heat against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Houston Rockets play Dallas Mavericks

And the Phoenix Suns take on the Golden State Warriors

Arsenal face liverpool at home in important match

Arsenal face Liverpool at home tomorrow in an English Premier league match that could help the team close the points gap on leaders Chelsea to four.

Liverpool have been struggling recently and are currently in fifth place on the table with 54 points.

Arsene Wenger on the importance of the match.

"It is a big game and an opportunity for us to continue our run, that is what we want to do. We are on a strong run and we just want to focus to win our games, win the next one and Liverpool is a big opponent but we play at the Emirates and we want to do it."

Chelsea are strong favorites to finish as champions for the first time since 2010 as they lead with 67 points, six clear of Manchester City with a match in hand.

Morocco win appeal against ban from Africa Cup of Nations

Morocco have won their appeal against their ban from the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

The court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned the ruling made by the Confederation of African Football after Morocco did not host the tournament's 2015 finals.

It also reduced the fine imposed on Morocco's football association from 1 million dollars to 50,000 US dollars.

Morocco wanted to postpone the tournament because of the outbreak of Ebola in Africa but their request was rejected by the Confederation of African Football who as well as moving the event to Equitorial Guinea, expelled the team from taking part.

John Isner powers through to Miami Open semi-finals

John Isner has powered his way through into the semi-finals of the Miami Open with a 6-4 6-3 win over fourth seeded Kei Nishikori.

Isner became the first American man to reach the final four of the tournament since Mardy Fish in 2011.

Either world number one Novak Djokovic or David Ferrer will await Isner who has not been broken in the tournament.

Earlier this morning, Carla Suarez Navarro advanced to the women's final after topping Andrea Petkovic 6-3 6-3. The 12th seeded Spaniard didn't face a single break point and will meet either top-seeded Serena Williams or third-seeded Simona Halep in Saturday's final. It's the eighth time Suarez Navarro has reached a WTA final.

Later on today Novak Djokovic will take on David Ferrer and Serena Williams will play Simona Halep.

Lydia Ko ties Annika Sorenstam's LPGA record

Lydia Ko has tied Annika Sorenstam's LPGA Tour record with her 29th consecutive round under par shooting a 1 under 71 yesterday at the ANA Inspiration.

17 year old Ko saved par on the par 4 seventh, her 16th hole after hitting an approach shot through a gap in the trees. She hit a 6-iron to 18 inches to set up a birdie on the 158 yard, par 3 eights and closed with a par on the par 5 ninth.

The top ranked New Zealander's worldwide streak is 32, counting her three rounds this year in her victory in the Ladies European Tour's New Zealand Women's Open.

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And in further golf news, Rickie Fowler has admitted he is hungry for a major breakthrough this year after going close in all four majors in 2015.

The young American was consistent in the majors last year, recording a top-five finish at the Masters before claiming a share of second at the US Open and the Open Championship.

He has cashed in during all five of his appearances this year and is hoping that playing in this week's Shell Houston Open will give him the preparation he needs to challenge for a Green Jacket at Augusta.

Prosecutors rest murder case against NFL star

Prosecutors have rested their murder case against former National Football League star Aaron Hernandez, bringing to a close weeks of testimony in a trial that has shaken US professional sports.

Prosecutors say Hernandez who played tight end for the New England Patriots, gunned down semi-pro player Odin Lloyd in an industrial park near Hernandez's house in Maasachusetts in 2013.

Defense attorneys will begin presenting their case on Monday with closing arguments in the middle of the week.

Prosecutors say Hernandez and two friends killed Lloyd after Hernandez and Lloyd had a disagreement at a nightclub two nights before. The weapon has not been found.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty and faces possible life in prison if convicted.

Entertainment

Sylvia Chang Promotes Her New Film "Murmur of Hearts"

The lead actors in the new film "Murmur of Hearts" have met with the media in Taipei ahead of its premiere.

The film is by Sylvia Chang.

It's the actress-turned-director's big-screen return after a 7-year hiatus.

"Believing in myself and in the story I want to tell are motivations for making a movie. Of course, I don't want to make judgments on making commercial films. There is no right or wrong. The important thing is that you choose the path you want to take. "

The film follows the story of three young people from Taiwan who remain haunted by their childhood relationships with their parents.

The fim stars Joseph Chang, Isabella Leong, Angelica Lee and Lawrence Ko.

"Murmur of the Hearts," is set to hit theatres on April 10th.

Box-Office preview: 'Furious 7' revving up for record April opening

Universal's "Fast and Furious 7" is about to make history.

"Furious 7", the final film from the late Paul Walker - is expected to gross $115 million or more at the North American box office this weekend.

If this comes to fruition, it would be the largest-ever grossing title for an April release.

Overseas, the movie is also poised to do massive business, with its global debut estimated at some 250-million US dollars.

'Uptown Funk' is longest-leading Hot 100 No. 1 of the 2010s

Mark Ronson's hit "Uptown Funk!," featuring Bruno Mars, has become the longest-leading song on the Billboard Hot 100 during this current decade, ruling the chart for a 13th straight week.

The song has now surpassed Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," to take sole possession of the Hot 100's longest Number-1 hit this decade.

"Uptown Funk!" is also just the 10th single in the Hot 100's history to spend at least 13 weeks at Number-1.

Meanwhile, newcomer Natalie La Rose has hit the top 10 with her debut hit "Somebody," featuring Jeremih.

Celebrated Portuguese movie director Manoel de Oliveira dies aged 106

Celebrated Portugese film director Manoel de Oliveira has died.

He was 106.

Oliveira's career began with a silent documentary about Porto, Portugal's second-largest city, in 1931.

He made his first feature-length movie in 1942.

However, his output was sporadic until he was 76, when he began directing a film almost every year.

He made more than 30 feature films and dozens of short films and documentaries.

He was over 100 years old when his last feature, "Gebo and The Shadow," came out in 2012.

Doctor Who episodes officially released to BitTorrent by BBC

BBC has released an official digital "Doctor Who" box-set via BitTorrent to celebrate 10-years of "Doctor Who" being back on television.

Fans can download or stream a 10-minute preview of the first 2005 episode 'Rose,' as well as an introductory video through the file-sharing network.

To unlock the rest of the full 10-episode bundle, fans will have to pay 12-dollars US.

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

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

Close to 150 people are dead following a terrorist attack on a University in Kenya.

A preliminary Iranian nuclear agreement has finally been inked after close to 8-days of continual negotiations.

A leading Chinese think-tank has issued new analysis of China's foreign diplomacy.

In business... Xiaomi and a division of Alibaba teaming up for a new mobile payment method.

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.