新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/05/01

The Beijing Hour

 

Morning Edition

Shane Bigham with you on this Thursday, May 01st, 2014.

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

Coming up on our program this morning...

A terrorist attack at a train station in the capital of Xinjiang has resulted in at least three deaths and dozens of injuries...

There are reports in Ireland that Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been taken into custody over a bombing that happened in Belfast in 1971...

And Ukraine's government has pledged to hold a vote on the country's territorial integrity...

In Business...China's securities watchdog has approved several new IPOs, the first in 18 months...

In sports...no Champions League final for Chelsea...

In entertainment...our "Spidey" senses are tingling...

But first... lets get a check on the weather...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will see thundershowers today, with a high of 29 degree Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 14.

Shanghai will be sunny during the daytime with a high of 27.

Overnight, it will be clear with a low of 17.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 30.

Overnight lows are expected to be around 17.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 37.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 20.

Over to North America.

New York will be cloudy today with a high of 21 degrees.

Washington will be cloudy with a high of 24 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 27.

Toronto, Canada, will see slight rain with a high of 13 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 19.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

 

 

There are several ways to keep in touch with us on the BJH

Weibo/Wechat account: the Beijing Hour

Email: beijinghour@cri.com.cn.

TIMECHECK

 

 

Top News

 

 

Three dead, 79 injured in Xinjiang railway station terrorist attack

 

Anchor

A violent terrorist attack has taken place in a railway station in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang.

It happened last night. So far, three people have been confirmed dead while 79 others are injured.

CRI's Ding Lulu has more.

Anchor

The attack took place at the exit of Urumqi's South Railway Station at around 7:10 at night.

A train from Chengdu to Urumqi just arrived at the station and passengers were pouring out of it when the blast happened.

The explosion hit the area between the station exit and a bus stop.

According to the Xinhua news agency, the initial investigation shows knife-wielding mobs slashed people at the exit and set off explosives.

A witness is quoted by saying that he heard two explosions.

Some luggage and damaged motorcycles have been left at the scene.

Police cordoned off all entrances to the station square after the blast.

Trains were suspended for some 2 hours before the station resumed operation late last night.

The station is one of the three in the city, and the largest in Xinjiang.

After the blast, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged "decisive actions" against violent terrorist attacks.

He calls the battle against separatist forces in Xinjiang long-term, complicated, and acute.

Last night's attack follows Xi Jinping's recent inspection tour in the region.

Terrorist attacks have increased in Xinjiang in recent years and have also targeted places outside Xinjiang.

On March 1, knife-wielding assailants killed 29 civilians and injured another 143 at a railway station in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming.

Evidence linked the attack to separatists from Xinjiang.

For CRI, I am Ding Lulu.

 

 

Northern Ireland police arrest 65-year-old man over IRA-linked murder

 

There are reports that Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been arrested, in relation to a deadly bombing in Northern Ireland in 1971.

Police have only confirmed that a 69-year-old man is in custody. The attack at McGurk's bar in north Belfast resulted in the deaths of 15 people, and injuries to several others.

Some have blamed that attack for launching the bloody tit-for-tat campaign of bombings in Northern Ireland and the UK in the 1970s.

It's not clear if any actual charges have been filed.

The bombing has been under a new review since 2011 following a police ombudsman's report.

One of the bombers was arrested in 1977.

He confessed his part and received a life sentence, though he never named his accomplices.

 

 

Ukraine pledges to hold poll on territorial integrity

 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk has pledged to hold a poll on the country's territorial integrity later this month.

The vote will be non-binding.

It comes as pro-Russian activists in at least two eastern regions are calling for a referendum on independence.

"Today the cabinet of ministers of Ukraine will consider and submit to the parliament a law on a Ukrainian poll to be held on May 25 this year - a Ukrainian poll on those issues that affect Ukraine today. Namely --- unity, territorial integrity and the decentralisation of authority."

Ukraine's upcoming presidential elections are also scheduled on the same day.

Yatseniuk also says he will sack his ministers if they fail to restore order in eastern Ukraine.

Earlier, pro-Russian activists seized government offices in more Ukrainian towns.

The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of being behind the unrest, a charge Moscow denies.

The U.S. and the EU imposed a new wave of sanctions against Russia this week and threatened tougher economic measures if Moscow does not de-escalate the crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says his country will not take any immediate retaliatory measures.

"We do not want to act immediately, we want to give our partners the opportunity to calm down, but if they want to pull economic levers, well, we will start to reassess the situation."

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund has approved a two-year financial aid program totaling 17 billion U.S. dollars for Ukraine to support its economy.

Since February, Russia has almost doubled gas prices to Ukraine.

The EU buys a quarter of its gas from Russia, which is transported through Ukraine.

The three parties are scheduled to hold talks on the ongoing gas dispute later today.

 

 

Polling stations closed in Iraq

 

Polling stations have closed in Iraq's first parliamentary election since the withdrawal of U.S. troops over two years ago.

Some 22 people were killed and 62 others were wounded as insurgents attacked polling centers across the country on Wednesday.

Despite the violence, the electoral commission says over 12 million voters, out of 22 million that are eligible, made it to the polls.

Younis Kumar is the head of Baghdad's al-Karrada polling centre.

"The election process has successfully ended, and we congratulate the Iraqi people and those who participated in the voting. The election process here in the al-Karada district went well. Thanks to God that the percentage was more than 50 percent and the process went smoothly and accurately, and there is not a single complaint."

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is seeking a third term.

Political analysts say no party is likely to win a majority in the parliament.

Sunni Arabs and Kurds have accused Maliki's Shia-dominated government of centralizing power.

Sectarian tensions have heightened in the country in recent years.

Over 2,000 people were killed in the first three month of this year as Sunni tribesmen took control of parts of Anbar province.

For more on the elections, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke with Li Guofu, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.

( LGF Q&A)

Li Guofu, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.

 

 

Thai government, poll body agree on July 20 vote

 

Authorities in Thailand have agreed to a new national election date.

The state Election Commission announced the date after meeting with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and other members of her Cabinet.

Puchong Nutrawong is the Secretary-General of the commission.

"We have reached an agreement that the appropriate date is July 20, 2014. As part of the Election Commission, we will draft the proposal and propose it to the prime minister for royal endorsement."

This, after the results of the initial vote earlier this year were thrown out by the Election Commission.

The commission will meet next week to draft an election decree.

 

 

Tax reduction policy issued to help business startups

 

Anchor

The central authority here in China has approved tax incentives to help new startups and employers who hire people officially listed as unemployed.

CRI's Li Dong has the details.

Reporter

According to a new joint statement issued by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security and State Administration of Taxation, businesses established by registered unemployed workers are allowed a maximum annual tax reduction of 9,600 yuan--that's about 1,560 U.S. dollars.

Xu Jikun, who started his own travel agency after many years of preparation, says he believes this policy may benefit many medium and small business startups like his.

"Many enterprises may pay taxes up to tens of thousand of yuan, some need to pay one or two thousand yuan in taxes each month. The policy can benefit these enterprises. If the tax can effectively be reduced, these businesses would be willing to pay taxes, rather than risking tax evasion."

But Xu Jikun also says the policy is a bit rigid. For instance, to benefit from the policy, new graduates need to prove that he or she has been unemployed for more than six months.

Moreover, Xu Jikun notes the biggest cost for people who want to start their own business doesn't come from paying taxes.

"The biggest burden is the rent. They want to get a license and enjoy the tax reduction policy. But if they register, there must be a registration address on the business license. How can they afford the high rent in Beijing!? "

Liu Baocheng, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, suggests the government provide supplementary policies and services for these enterprises.

"The medium and small enterprises are fragile, so an overall support policy is needed, rather than just a tax reduction. In the U.S., there is a governmental department that provides support, particularly for small enterprises. There are similar NGOs in China that help these enterprises to make business plans. The government might guide them to provide additional support."

Liu Baocheng adds that transforming the function for the related departments is more important than simply creating policy.

The tax reduction policy is a renewal of previous pro-employment measures that expired at the end of last year, with wider coverage, no restrictions on industries and simplified administrative procedures. The new policy will stay effective until the end of 2016.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

 

 

Year of South Africa in China launched in Beijing

 

Anchor:

The Year of South Africa in China, a year-long program to showcase South Africa's culture and charm, has kicked off in Beijing.

The program involves more than 50 events about South Africa, including trade seminars, art programs and educational projects.

For more on this, CRI's Xiong Siqi had an exclusive interview with ambassador Jerry M. Matjila, director-general of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa.

She started by asking what the "Year of South Africa in China" may bring to the peoples of these two nations.

BACK ANCHOR: Ambassador Jerry Matjila, director-general of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, talking to CRI's Xiong Siqi.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Anchor

First off, a check on the closing numbers in North America and Europe.

Joining me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.

Reporter

All three major US indexes closed higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones finishing at a record high.

The Dow Jones, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all rose 0.3 percent.

In coporate news, shares in social-networking site Twitter fell 8.5%, after the company published disappointing user growth figures as part of its earnings release late on Tuesday.

eBay also saw a slide in its stock price, after the online auction firm reported a first-quarter loss as a result of a large tax bill. Shares in the firm fell nearly 5%.

US nuclear power generator Exelon Corp announced a plan to buy power company Pepco Holdings for $6.83bn in cash, offering a 20% premium to Pepco's closing price on Tuesday.

As a result, Pepco jumped 17.5%, while Exelon fell 3%.

European markets slipped, with losses for shares of BNP Paribas and GlaxoSmithKline among those tugging the pan-European equity benchmark back from a strong gain logged in the previous session.

Europe's top advancer was Alstom, surging 9.3% as the board of the French conglomerate backed a review of a 12 billion dollars bid from General Electrics for Alstom's energy business.

When the market closed, London's FTSE 100 was up almost 0.2 percent.

Frankfurt's Dax added 0.2 percent and Paris's Cac 40 lost 0.2 percent.

 

 

China OKs IPOs after 18-month suspension

 

China's securities watchdog has approved applications for initial public offerings for the first time in 18 months.

The first batch to be approved are Kuaijishan Shaoxing Rice Wine, Guangdong Ellington Electronics Technology, and Nanjing Kangni Mechanical and Electrical.

According to the China Securities Regulatory Commission, edg China did not pass the review.

The CSRC says it will go on to review another three companies' IPO applications on May 7.

 

 

Call-in China expands VAT to telecom sector

 

Anchor

China is to replace the turnover tax with a value-added tax in the telecom sector starting in June.

The move follows similar changes in transport and some service sectors in 2012.

Basic telecom services, such as voice calls and rental or sales of bandwidth, will be subject to 11 percent VAT while services such as messaging, data and Internet access will be subject to a 6 percent rate.

Overseas clients will be exempt.

Turnover tax refers to a tax on the gross revenue of a business, while a VAT refers to a consumption tax, added whenever value is added at a stage of production and at final sale.

For more on this, we're joined live now by Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

Questions:

--How do you think this tax reform will influence telecom operator's profitability?

((some have predicted big drop in profits - up to 36%))

--Will this change business models? and if so, what changes can consumers expect to notice?

--Some say VAT reform will actually raise the tax burden instead of reducing it. Can you brief us on how important this structural reform is to China's overall tax system?

--Do you see this tiered tax policy to be gradually brought into more areas?

Back Anchor

Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

 

 

China poised to overtake US economy: World Bank ranking

 

New data from the World Bank shows that China is advancing rapidly to overtake the United States as the biggest economy in the world.

The World Bank says "the United States remained the world's largest economy, but it was closely followed by China" once data was adjusted for comparison on a standard basis.

It also says that "India is now the world's third largest economy, moving ahead of Japan."

The World Bank's study on the rankings of national wealth creation is on the basis of 2011 figures.

But when these figures are presented on a per capita basis, the outcome is very different.

The United States emerges in 12th position and China comes in 99th place. The list is headed by Qatar, Macao, Luxembourg, Kuwait and Brunei.

The study was carried out with several international organisations after adjustment to reflect varying buying power, a method knows as purchasing power parities.

 

 

US Federal Reserve continues to slow monthly bond-buying

 

The US Federal Reserve has announced a further reduction of its economic stimulus efforts, after a two-day meeting in Washington.

The US central bank says it will continue trimming its monthly bond-purchases by an additional 10 billion dollars to 45 billion.

The bank has been buying bonds to keep long-term interest rates low and stimulate economic activity.

Fed chair Janet Yellen said the bank will continue to support the US economy for as long as it deems necessary.

 

 

US economic growth slows sharply to 0.1% in first quarter

 

The continued cut-down in stimulus measures comes on the same day when official figures show the US economy grew at an annual rate of just 0.1 percent in the first quarter of 2014.

The rate is the slowest for a year and a large fall from the 2.6 percent increase in GDP in the final quarter of last year.

The US Commerce Department says an unusually cold and disruptive winter, coupled with tumbling exports, contributed to the decline, but economic activity already appears to be bouncing back.

Most economists expect a strong rebound in growth in the April-June quarter. The consensus view is the economy will expand by 3% in the second quarter.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

Three dead, 79 injured in Xinjiang railway station terrorist attack

 

There has been a terrorist attack at a train station in the capital of Xinjiang.

At least three people have died and nearly 80 others have been injured.

It happened just after seven last night at Urumqi's South Railway Station, the largest in the city.

Eyewitness and police reports indicate a mob of people wielding knives slashed at people at one of the exits of the train station and set off the explosives.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has already made a call for decisive action against terrorism.

The attack follows Xi Jinping's recent tour in the region.

 

 

Ukraine pledges to hold poll on territorial integrity

 

Ukraine's government has announced there will be a poll later this month on the country's territorial integrity, and whether power needs to be decentralized.

It will happen on May 25th, the same day as voters choose a new government.

However, the vote on the territorial issues is non-binding, meaning the new government will not be forced to take action on the results.

Pro-Russian activists in at least two regions in eastern Ukraine have been calling for a referendum on independence, with the ultimate goal being to join the Russian Federation.

Activists in several cities and towns have seized government buildings, with some even fighting with Ukrainian security forces.

Moscow and Kiev have been blaming each other for the violence.

Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund has approved a 17-billion US dollar two-year aid package for Ukraine, to help stabilize the country's troubled economy.

 

 

Bolivia announces schedule for general elections

 

Bolivia's Supreme Electoral Tribunal has announced the country's next general election will be held on Oct. 12.

It will be the first such election organized by the new electoral body.

It will also be the first to include a presidential runoff if no candidate wins a majority in the initial balloting.

The potential presidential runoff will take place in December.

The new term will start in January next year and last for five years.

Bolivian President Evo Morales, currently serving a second term, plans to run again.

 

 

Chinese, Australian PMs discuss MH370, bilateral ties over phone

 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, together with leaders from Malaysia and Australia, has pledged to continue the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

He made the pledge during a phone call with his Australian counterpart, Tony Abbott, who briefed the Chinese leader about the current searching operation.

Abbott said his country would intensify the seabed hunt for MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean and expand the search area.

An initial investigation report on the disappearance of the plane is expected to be released by Malaysian authourities today.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Chengdu leads internet innovation in central and western China

Summary

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, is the only city in China's central and western regions to make the top 10 in terms of internet innovation and entrepreneurship.

Tencent, China's internet giant, issued a ranking list based on the earnings of third party developers from its open platform from March 2013 to March 2014. Chengdu ranked 10th place.

The top three are Beijing, Guangzhou and Haikou.

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Journalism campaign aims to raise environmental awareness

Summary

China's National People's Congress has launched a national journalism campaign on environmental protection here in Beijing.

The NPC's Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee plans to take media representatives to the provinces of Anhui, Henan, Shanxi, Jiangsu and Hebei this year, aiming to highlight environment issues and raise public awareness.

The annual campaign has been held for the past 20 years.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

Shanghai aims to cut VOC for clean air

Summary

Shanghai will implement a comprehensive plan to cut emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and improve pollution prevention capability of industries which emit VOC excessively.

VOCs are organic chemicals, including benzene and acetone, that evaporate or vaporize readily and are harmful to human health and the environment.

The move is expected to enforce the five-year Clean Air Action Plan introduced last year.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

Airports set for Labor Day travel

Summary

Shanghai's airport authority says the city's two airports are expected to handle more than 600,000 passengers during the Labor Day travel period.

1,909 flights were handled yesterday.

The airports have warned passengers not to pack portable chargers for electronic devices in their checked luggage to minimize delays when they go through security checks.

BEIJING TIMES

Headline

Tough checks on drunk driving

Summary

Beijing transport authority is going to conduct large scale night watches during the Labour Day holiday, focusing on drunk driving, fake car plates, running red light, etc.

Once found, drunk drivers will be fined 2,000 yuan, with a six-month-ban on their driving licenses.

Beijing News

Headline

Kindergarten teachers detained over beating students

Summary

Two kindergarten teachers in Chaoyang district have been detained by police over beating students.

The suspects have been beating, scolding and threatening their students for more than a year, causing obvious bruises on their bodies.

The education committee of Chaoyang district is conducting investigation on all the 12 class in the kindergarten.

Four psychology experts are sent to help the children.

YANZHAO METROPOLTAN DAILY

Headline

Relief supplies for earthquake found moldy

Summary

Relief materials for the 8-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 were found rotten at an office in Xinsheng township in Southwest China's Sichuan province.

The materials, including instant noodles, rice, bottled water and clothes, should have been distributed to the victims after the massive quake on May 12, 2008.

Those who were responsible for the distribution of the materials were suspended by the local Party committee on April 25.

The case is still under investigation.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

A Bite of China 2", Starting From Food and Ending with People

 

Anchor

Season two of the highly-popular documentary series "A Bite of China" has returned to Chinese television screens.

CRI's He Fei has more.

Reporter

The tantalizing second season of "A Bite of China" is finally back on the screen. Audiences have been waiting for the mouth-watering program for two years. Thus, it is no surprise the show has gained top ratings and rave reviews online.

"It is not only about food, its about people, as well. It can be quite touching at times."

"If you were the one traveling or working far from home, after you watch the documentary, you would miss home a lot, rather than merely think about the food presented on the show."

"Gourmet food is not the only thing shown in the series. The show reveals philosophies about life--the relationships between people and between human beings and the Mother Nature."

To differentiate itself to other food documentaries, "A Bite of China 2" has blended in a variety of filming and editing techniques. Each episode uses diverse methods to tell a story; some are like Hollywood family films, while other have the elements of road movies or even gangster movies, according to the chief director.

But of course, they all vividly portray the plethora of food China has to offer.

"Our cameramen capture a sense of spirituality to the food they shoot. They used many techniques, like a shallow depth of field or a macro shot, all of which make the food look mouth-watering. In fact, when we were editing the films, we were always hungry."

The roiling oil crackling in a pan; the roar made by a man squeezing juice from seeds; the vivid rabbit-shape desserts on a table; all of these come from extensively shooting source material. Since March of last year, the camera crew of more than 30 people went to some 60 different places around the country to shoot the series. And the air-time of the show had been delayed because of the complicated producing process.

The chief director pointed out that they look at people from the angle of food, but they do not end there.

"Food is our starting point, but not our finishing line. Our goal is to bring more understanding about Chinese people, through food."

The second season of "A Bite of China" spans eight episodes and will cover the stories of more than 150 people, and over 300 types of food.Whether you it is a cup of your tea, or your kind of flavor, you'll have to sample it yourself.

BACK ANCHOR

That was CRI's He Fei reporting.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Atletico Madrid sail to Champions League final at the expense of Chelsea

 

Spanish La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid will now join Real Madrid in a Madrid derby for this year's Champions League title.

Atletico booked its ticket in the final for the first time in 42 years after beating Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge and 3-1 on aggregate, following the two teams' first leg scoreless draw last week.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone took advantage of Jose Mourinho's heavily defensive tactics and came from behind to score three goals in the space of under fifty minutes to secure the victory.

Simeone explains why he thinks he could get better of Mourinho.

"I am a football man and I respect different ways of setting up your team in a football match. I think it depends on the most convenient way of setting up your team and who you are playing against. To defend well is not easy, so you have to congratulate a team that defends well and to attack well is not easy, so you have to congratulate a team that goes on the attack. "

The final, which takes place in Lisbon on May 24th, will now see a historic city derby after Real advanced to the final at the expense of title holders Bayern Munich yesterday.

 

 

Guangzhou Evergrande snatch fifth straight win with a 5-0 demolition of Shanghai ShangGang

 

Over here in the Chinese Super League,

Last night, defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande demolished Shanghai ShangGang 5-0 at the Tianhe Stadium to extend their winning streak to Five in the domestic league.

In addition to Zhao Xuri's goal, Guangzhou's three Brazilian strikers Elkeson, Muriqui, and Rene each scored to put the leaders ahead 4-0 before stoppage time.

An in-form Elkeson then added his second goal of the match during injury time to complete the 5-0 thrashing.

Earlier, newly-promoted Harbin Yiteng held Henan Jianye to a 1-1 draw and thus stopped their eight-game losing run.

Hangzhou GreenCity beat Tianjin Teda 2-0.

Beijing Guo'an defeated Jiangsu Sainty 1-0 and moved back to second place after Shandong Luneng lost to Changchun Yatai and slided to the third.

 

 

San Antonio take on Dallas in Game Five

 

In the NBA playoffs,

In action now, regular season leaders San Antonio are now battling to get ahead of Dallas in Game Five.

The two teams are currently tied at two games apiece in their first-round series.

The Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets are also in action right now.

The two sides each have two games in hand after the first four meetings.

Later on, Portland will be looking to sweep Houston and move onto the next round with their series currently at 3-1.

Off the court in the NBA, a number of people have expressed desire to buy into the LA Clippers franchise following the league's decision to ban the team's owner, Donald Sterling, from games for life.

Boxing great Oscar De la Hoya said he is keen to buy into the LA Clippers if the NBA's plan to force Sterling to sell the team goes ahead.

Fellow boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr is also considering getting involved.

"I was going to actually - I called Al today about that to see if me Leonard and Al and hopefully Rich and a couple of other guys - see if we can come together and come up with - hopefully we can come up with it. It's not just talk. I do want to buy. But once I get ownership in the Clippers I can no longer bet. So I'll have to stop that. I can no longer bet. Have to stop that completely."

If successful, De la Hoya and Mayweather will follow Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan as athletes turned professional sports team owners.

80-year-old Sterling was caught on record asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games.

That woman, speaking through her lawyer, has released a statement saying she was never Stirling's mistress and that she had absolutely no role in recording the leaked conversation.

 

 

Bouchard into the last eight at Portugal Open

 

In tennis, Canada's Eugenie Bouchard is now into the quarterfinals of the Portugal Open after she eased past Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 6-2 in the second round.

"A good opponent and I think that she doesn't give a lot of rhythm, you know? She can hit really big balls, you know, some winners, some errors... it's a bit all over the place, so it's really tough to get a rhythm against her and I felt like shewas controlling the point a bit too much today, which I wasn't happy with, but I still feel like my game is good and I've jut got to keep trying to get better."

20-year-old Bouchard has been on excellent form recently, having reached the Charleston semi-finals after beating Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic.

Her opponent in the last eight will be Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, who overcame Spain's Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor in three sets.

Meanwhile, Italian number four seed Roberta Vinci is also in the last eight following a comfortable 6-0, 6-2 victory over Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer.

Vinci will next face the winner between Elena Vesnina of Russia and Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski in her quarterfinal matchup.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Spiderman is back in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2

 

(Spierman)

The Amazing Spiderman 2 is now playing across theaters in much of Europe and Asia.

This time around Spiderman has to deal with three different villains, but he's still wearing the same Spidey suit. Director Marc Webb is back, and he's mirroring the direction that Christopher Nolan took his "Dark Knight" series, in that the plot has become darker than ever.

Lead actor Andrew Garfield has made no secret that he was a big Spiderman fan before assuming the role, but the actor's appreciation for the character has soared to new philosophical heights.

"I think the amazing thing about this character is he's a metaphor for all of us, for all of our lives, in the sense that we are all Peter Parker and that's evident. He is the Everyman. We all go through the same struggles, the same imperfections we have. We are all fallible human beings of this Earth, making mistakes, trying again. And I feel like we all have something extraordinary about us to give to the world, just like Spider-Man is that for Peter."

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is set to release in the US tomorrow.

 

 

Hit TV series 24 set to return for season nine after four years absence

 

(Twentyfour)

The clock is ticking down to the newest season of the hit TV show "24".

The Emmy-award winning series will be back for its ninth installment after a four year hiatus.

Star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland will be back as agent Jack Bauer, and he'll still have that remarkable cell phone that never runs out of battery or drops its signal.

After four years off the air, many fans are wondering if Jack Bauer will be up-to-date technology wise. Sutherland says Jack definitely is, but Kiefer Sutherland is not.

"We never thought that those points were going to be as integral to the storytelling as maybe someone with a very wonderful sense of humor did. He's adapted and as much as certain computers and tools have changed, the fundamentals of the information that you can acquire with those tools is not. I think he is as up to date as he needs to be. I, on the other hand, personally, am so far behind technology that it's almost gotten embarrassing to try and ask a question now to learn, because it reveals how bad I have gotten."

Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub is also returning as Chloe O'Brian, and Kim Raver will continue to play Audrey, Bauer's former love.

One of the major changes is that Raver's is married in the new season, a sore point for anyone who hoped to see Jack and Audrey get together.

The cast welcomes Benjamin Bratt as Steve Navaro head of a CIA division, and British star Stephen Fry will guest star.

24 picked up a total of 73 Emmy Award Nominations.

The last episode was broadcast on May 24th 2010, and season nine is set to premiere in the US on May 5th.

 

 

British actor Bob Hoskins dies at 71

 

(Hoskins)

British actor Bob Hoskins has died of pneumonia at the age of 71.

The Oscar-nominated star was best known for his roles in the iconic film The Long Good Friday and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Hoskins won an Emmy for his work on the BBC drama The Street and was Oscar-nominated for his work in 1987 crime drama Mona Lisa, in which he starred alongside Sir Michael Caine and Robbie Coltrane.

His latest film role was as one of the twelve dwarves in the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart.

After that role, Hoskins announced that he was retiring from acting after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

 

 

Willie Nelson tests for fifth degree black belt

 

Country singer Willie Nelson has tested for his fifth-degree black belt in the Korean martial art of Gong Kwon Yu Sul.

The 81 year old star has been studying the discipline for two decades. He didn't display his skills at the test, but his long-time instructor confirmed that Nelson could hold his own.

The singer's athletic success follows right on the heels of his musical success, since last weekend he was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.

Austin City Limits is the longest running US television music show, and Nelson was the show's first performer in 1974.

 

 

 

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

A quick recap of headlines before we go.

A terrorist attack at a train station in the capital of Xinjiang has resulted in at least three deaths and dozens of injuries...

There are reports in Ireland that Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been taken into custody over a bombing that happened in Belfast in 1971...

And Ukraine's government has pledged to hold a vote on the country's territorial integrity...

In Business...China's securities watchdog has approved several new IPOs, the first in 18 months...

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