新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2015/04/03

 The Beijing Hour

Evening Edition

It's Shane Bigham with you on this Friday, April 03rd, 2015.

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

Coming up on our program this evening...

China's former security chief has officially been charged with several corruption 1-related crimes, and disclosing state secrets...

Reaction from Kenya following the deadly attack by Al-Shabaab militants 3 at a school, where 147 are confirmed dead...

Iranian officials say the country has reached its goals at the bargaining table, where a landmark 4 framework agreement has been reached on Tehran's nuclear program...

In Business: China's services sector 5 continues to record growth...

In Sports: China's top track and field star is about to announce his retirement 6...

In Entertainment: a Chinese star who got married in the UK in January will soon be a first-time dad...

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

Weather

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 5. It will remain cloudy on Saturday with a high of 15.

Shanghai will see slight rain with a low of 13, then more rain with a high of 23.

Chongqing will be overcast 7 with a low of 21. Overcast tomorrow too, with a high of 30.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 34.

Kabul, sunny, 19.

In Australia

Sydney will have rain and a high of 19,

Canberra, showers, 17,

Brisbane, thundershowers, 28,

Perth will be partly cloudy with a high of 28 degrees Celsius 9.

Top News

Zhou Yongkang Faces Raft of Charges

China's former security chief has been offically charged with bribery 10, abuse of power and the intentional 11 disclose of state secrets.

The indictment 12 has been filed in Tianjin.

Zhou Yongkang is the most senior party figure charged in the fight against corruption since 1978, when China's reform and opening-up was launched.

The investigation 13 was first announced in July.

Zhou Yongkang sat on the nine-member Standing 14 Committee of the CPC Politburu from 2007 to his retirement in November 2012.

He has already been expelled from the party.

Kenya on high alert after 147 killed in Garissa University assault

Security was tight in Garissa, Kenya a day after gunmen from the Islamist militant 2 group al Shabaab stormed a university in the town and killed at least 147 people on Thursday.

Somali gunmen shot their way into the University campus in a pre-dawn attack, taking hundreds of students hostage.

At least 79 people were injured in the siege that lasted for over 15 hours.

Patrick Lumumba, a teacher at a nearby primary school, said there had been several warnings that an attack in the town could be imminent 15.

"Most of us are fearful, and we don't known what the government will do unless we are convinced that the security will actually work and put things in place, then we may go back, but we're afraid that if the situation continues some of us are likely to go back to their places, because you cannot work at a place where there is no security at all."

Four of the gunman were eventually surrounded in a dormitory, and died when their suicide vests detonated. A fifth gunman has reportedly been arrested.

Kenyan troops entered Somalia in October 2011 in an effort to crush the Islamists, but have had little success.

The group was behind the Westgate shopping mall attack in 2013, when 67 people were killed.

For more on this we are joined live by Ahmad Haji, CRI's Nairobi correspondent.

Goals Achieved in Nuclear Talks: Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif says Iran has reached its goals during the recent nuclear negotiations 16 with the world's major powers.

Zarif says if the negotiators transform the plan into a comprehensive pact 17, the crippling economic sanctions the country has suffered for years will reach an end.

"According to international law, the US administration will be obliged and responsible to lift the sanctions at once. If anybody is talking about gradual lifting of sanctions, beware that they are talking against what has been agreed so far. In the past we saw that some papers were published instead of the reality."

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

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 18 of a joint 19 comprehensive plan of action. The political determination, the goodwill 20 and the hard work of all parties made it possible."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the framework nuclear agreement clinched 21 by international brokers 22 and Iran on Thursday is "good news" for the world, and has laid solid foundation for a further comprehensive agreement.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to reduce its installed centrifuges by several thousand and suspend the highest enrichment of uranium for at least 15 years and cut its stockpiled low-enriched uranium from about 10 thousand kilograms to 300 kilograms for 15 years.

In addition, Iran will allow regular access to all of its nuclear facilities for inspections 23 by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and agreed to redesign and rebuild a heavy water research reactor 24 in Arak that will not produce weapons-grade plutonium.

In return, the U.S. and the European Union will suspend sanctions on Tehran, along with the lifting of all of the UN Security Council's past sanction resolutions.

On this matter, I earlier talked with Li Guo Fu, Chief of the Middle East Studies Center, China Institute of international studies.

Yemen rebels quit Aden palace after air raids

A senior local official says Houthi rebel forces have left the persidential palace in Aden after they stormed the building amid heavy clashes in the southern port city.

Reports say the rebels pushed through to the heart of the city with tanks and armored vehicles, despite air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition 25.

More than 40 people have reportedly been killed in the fighting, including more than a dozen civilians 26.

Aden was President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi's last seat of power before he fled to Saudi Arabia last week.

The Saudi-led coalition launched an air war on March 26 to try to stop an advance by Shiite Houthi rebels and allied 27 military units.

Hadi fled to Aden from Sanaa after the rebels seized power in the capital in February, and the southern palace came under fire from warplanes twice during his stay.

China has successfully evacuated 29 225 nationals from 10 countries from Yemen

The Chinese government has successfully helped 10 countries to evacuate 28 225 nationals from Yemen, taking the people to Djibouti onboard a Chinese frigate 30.

Jiang Guoping is a Chinese military official onboard the ship.

"The evacuation is quite urgent and the situation is complex. To ensure the task is safe and efficient, when boarding, the evacuees 32 are divided into 11 groups and we also set up 6 security channels in the precautionary area."

A Pakistani evacuee 31 thanked China for bringing them out of the war-torn country.

"Thank you for the Chinese cooperation, and all the Chinese people. We are very happy, you came here, and you gave very good help. Thanks again."

Meantime, Chinese Foreign Ministry 33 spokesperson Hua Chunying speaks highly of this evacuation effort.

"This evacuation is humanitarian 34 aid by the Chinese government, in response to other countries' requests. It is also the first time China has assisted in the evacuation of foreign nationals during an international crisis, showing the Chinese government's humanitarian spirit and internationalism ideals."

The evacuees will be arranged to return to their home countries by their respective governments.

Second black box of crashed Germanwings airplane found and can be useful: official

The French prosecutor 35 leading the Germanwings crash investigation says the second of the two "black box" flight recorders has been found, and he hopes to be able to retrieve 36 useful data, despite damage.

The prosecutor said 150 profiles of DNA 37 have been identified from the crash site, and that every family of the victims will be informed right away of the result.

At the same time, German state prosecutors 38 say they believe the co-pilot who crashed the plane had searched on his computer for ways to commit suicide shortly before the crash.

The airbus A320 crashed in the French Alps on March 24th, killing 39 all 144 passengers and six crew members on board.

Biz Reports

Anchor:

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

Joining me on the desk is Niu Honglin.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks rose for the third consecutive 40 day ahead of the Tomb-Sweeping 41 Day holiday, with environmental protection shares leading the gains.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed at a fresh seven-year high, gaining one percent.

The Shenzhen Component 42 Index traded higher by half a percent.

Over 100 shares across the two boards hit the daily increase limit of 10 percent for a third consecutive day.

China's securities regulator has approved 30 initial public offerings, a move that could cool the stock market rally as investors 43 look to move funds from existing stocks.

Analysts 44 say a safe choice for investors is to lock in the profit accumulated during the recent rapid rise.

But holding the stocks for more gains is also acceptable as the upbeat market sentiment is expected to stay for a while.

Elsewhere in Asia,

The Japanese Nikkei jumped two thirds of a percent.

South Korea's KOSPI jumped four fifths of a percent, its highest finish since last September.

Stock markets in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia are closed for the public holiday.

Deposit Insurance to Maintain Financial Stability in China: PBOC

The Chinese government announced on Tuesday that it will implement 45 the long-awaited bank deposit insurance scheme in May, reimbursing 46 savers if their banks suffer insolvency 47 or bankruptcy 48.

The reimbursement 49 cap of 500-thousand yuan, or around 82-thousand US dollars covers more than 99 percent of accounts in China's banking 50 system.

Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of China's central bank, says the new scheme can help maintain financial stability and promote a healthy environment for the banking sector in China.

"China's deposit insurance takes into consideration of the similar success schemes in the US. The new scheme will set risk warning and control at early stage to reduce bankruptcy in financial institutions. The enterprise bankruptcy law will also provide legal support to improve the efficiency of risk response and markets withdraw."

He also stressed that the deposit insurance will not impact the profit of entire banking sector.

He says the premiums 51 of deposit insurance will be much lower than that of other countries, which will be adjusted in accordance with market changes and deposit insurance volume.

Higher rates will be applied 52 to the institutions with higher risks, and those with lower risks will pay fewer premiums.

Financial institutions will be required to pay insurance premiums into a fund that will be managed by an agency appointed by the State Council.

China rare earth producers report sharp profit slumps 53

China's major rare-earth miners REHT and China Minmetals Rare Earth reported sharp declines in profits for last year.

Operating revenue of REHT in 2014 dropped more than 30 percent to 5.8 billion yuan, or about 950 million U.S. dollars. Net profits of this market giant are down about 57 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, CMRE has reported a drop of about 60 percent, with operating revenue of 700 million yuan. Net profits recorded a loss of over 55 million yuan.

Both companies attributed the decrease to sluggish 54 demand and low prices.

China and Canada sign Social Security Agreement

China and Canada have signed an agreement on Social Security.

This agreement will provide for continuity of social security coverage 55 for employees sent by their Chinese employers to work temporarily in Canada.

The deal will end situations in which such individuals and their Chinese employers will have to contribute to both the China pension plan and the comparable pension program of Canada for the same work. This will result in substantial savings 56 and increase the competitiveness of Chinese companies operating in Canada.

As well, Canadian companies and their employees sent to work in China will benefit from the same advantage.

The agreement will enter into force once both China and Canada have completed the approval procedures specified 57 in their respective legislation.

HSBC China Services PMI up in March

New data from HSBC has signaled a further expansion of business activity across China's service sector in March.

The bank's services purchasing managers' index (PMI) posted at 52.3 in March, up slightly from 52 in February.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

However, HSBC notes that growth remains 58 modest overall since the pace of job creation has eased to a marginal rate that was the weakest since last May.

Meanwhile, HSBC's manufacturing PMI fell to 49.6 last month, down from 50.7 in February.

Official statistics show Chinese manufacturing bounced back to expansion territory with a reading of 50.1 in March after two months of bad news.

Official PMI covers large enterprises as well as small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while the HSBC poll is more focused the latter two kinds of enterprises.

ADB Plans to co-finance Projects with China's Lenders

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is planning to work with China's banks to co-finance Asian projects outside China.

The ADB has signed a memorandum 59 of understanding with the China Development Bank (CDB) and Export-Import Bank of China on their investment cooperation.

The ADB has not yet identified appropriate projects for co-investment.

The ADB has a capital base of 165 billion U.S. dollars.

China Development Bank's total assets stand at 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars.

The move toward cooperation comes amid the emergence 60 of new institutions such as the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure 61 Investment Bank, which has initial capital of 50 billion U.S. dollars.

China's Online Retail 62 Trade Expands in 2014: Report

A report by the China E-Commerce Research Center (CECRC) shows China's online retail trade volume grew last year by nearly fifty percent, year on year, to some 450 billion U.S.

The online trade makes up about 11 percent of the total retail volume last year.

Analysts have attributed the online market growth to several factors, including expansion in rural areas, overseas transactions, and vendors 63 using the popular instant messaging application WeChat.

Last year, transactions carried out via mobile Internet in China expanded 240 percent to over 900 billion yuan amid massive promotions 65 for mobile shopping apps.

Headline News

Iran nuclear deal good news for the world, says Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the framework nuclear agreement reached between six world powers and Iran is "good news" for the world.

He says the deal has laid a solid foundation for a final agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue.

The deal came after eight days of intense negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

The parties agree that Iran must reduce the number of its centrifuges that can be used to enrich uranium into a bomb by more than two-thirds.

Tehran also has to redesign a power plant so it cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium.

In exchange, economic sanctions currently being imposed on Iran are to be rolled back, but only after the United Nations confirms Iran's compliance 66.

Chinese ambassador condemns 67 terrorist attack on Kenyan university

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa has condemned 68 Thursday's terrorist attack on Garissa University College in northern Kenya, which has claimed 147 lives.

The ambassador says the Chinese government is "deeply shocked and saddened by the terrorist attack."

He stresses that China will continue to staunchly support the Kenyan government's efforts to fight terrorism and safeguard national stability and public security.

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

Somali militant group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

New navy escort fleet leave for Gulf 69 of Aden

A new Chinese navy fleet is sailing towards the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia on an UN-authorized anti-pirate escort mission.

The fleet is comprised of a missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply ship.

It's also equipped with two helicopters and staffed by dozens of special operations soldiers and more than 800 officers and other soldiers.

China started its escort missions off the Horn of Africa in 2008.

China, Canada sign social security agreement

The Chinese and Canadian governments have signed an agreement on social security.

What it means is that Canadians sent to China by their employers will continue to contribute to the Canada Pension Plan, and Chinese sent to Canada by their employers will continue to contribute to China's pension program.

The agreement eliminates situations in which individuals and their employers have been forced to contribute to both pension systems.

Companies and workers on both sides should realize substantial savings as a result of the new deal.

New city to be established in China's Tibet

China's State Council has approved the application of Nyingchi to become the fourth prefecture-level city in Tibet.

Nyingchi is located in southeastern Tibet with an average altitude of 3,100 meters.

Nyingchi is a top tourist destination in Tibet with the lowest altitude in the region and has a warm and temperate 70 climate.

The other three prefecture-level cities in Tibet are the regional capital Lhasa, Qamdo and Xigaze.

Newspaper Picks

Fortune

"Chinese ready to burn paper iPhones in Tomb Sweeping holiday"

In addition to the traditional paper money, paper cars, and attractive paper young women, paper iPhones have joined the most popular offerings in China's upcoming Tomb Sweeping holiday on Sunday.

Some sellers on Alibaba's Taobao and elsewhere are rushing to offer paper iPads, iPhones, chargers, and even an Apple Watch, leading to a groundswell of buzz among the public.

Some people reckon paper money and houses are a better gesture to the dead than a modern device that came out thirty years after they died, while others are saying it is the ritual that matters, rather than what are burnt.

As part of the upcoming holiday, or qing ming jie, families ritually burn paper versions of things the dead may find useful in the afterlife.

The holiday shopping rush is happening on Taobao. Alibaba generally, and Taobao in particular, are the epicenter of every holiday that involves buying stuff in China.

China News Service

"Railway authorities mull guide dog policies"

China's railway authorities are considering policies to allow visually impaired 71 passengers to board trains with their guide dogs.

A Beijing Youth Daily report says registration 72 of guide dogs began prior to the introduction of the new policy, which is expected in the near future.

A department of the China Disabled Persons' Federation 73 has organized a seminar with railway authorities, the China Blind Person Association and guide dog owners and trainers.

The seminar was held following reports that a visually impaired passenger and his guide dog were prohibited from boarding a train in Nanjing.

Huang Xin, director of the operations department of the transportation bureau at the China Railway Corporation, said the department will work with the CDPF to accelerate the pace of policy-making.

Visually impaired piano tuner Chen Yan, who owns a guide dog and attended the seminar, says a well-trained guide dog will not attack people.

Live Science (US)

"Cleaning with Bleach 74 May Lead to Childhood Infections"

A splash of bleach can kill germs on a kitchen counter, but it may also cause health problems in children, a new study says.

Researchers found a link between a weekly use of bleach in the home and the frequency of infections, particularly respiratory ones.

According to the findings, children in the study who lived in homes or went to schools where bleach was used for cleaning had higher rates of influenza 75, tonsillitis and other infections, compared with kids who weren't exposed to bleach.

It is concluded that passive exposure to bleach was associated with a 20 per cent increase in the risk of flu in the previous year.

The increased risk of infection was modest, but the findings published online are said to likely spur further research into health effects linked to the cleaning agent.

Special Reports

Citizens experiment with eco-friendly memorials on Tomb-sweeping Day

Anchor

Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese Festival. People visit the graves of their ancestors or deceased family members. This year, people are expected to choose more environment-friendly ways to pay tribute to their deceased loved ones as the country is promoting low-carbon memorials.

Our reporter Guo Yan has more,

Tomb-sweeping is regarded as the most important custom of Qingming Festival. traditionally, people burn fake cash, flowers, and even fake luxury good for their ancestors.

Now, some citizens have begun experimenting with more environmentally-friendly ways to pay tribute to their ancestors.

Some websites are now providing services allowing people to build virtual memorial halls for their deceased beloved ones.

Instead of burning paper-made goods, people can upload photos, videos, and leave messages to the website.

Zhang Zhaolin is the general manager of Tiantang Network Technologies, which runs a memorial website.

"We combine the concept of low-carbon with traditional sacrifice ceremonies. Also it's convenient. Some migrant workers like me are very busy during holidays. It's difficult for me to travel back to my hometown to attend the ceremony. Now people like us can do it online.

The new concept of "online cemetery 76" has been recognized by the public as a low-carbon solution to honor ancestors. Still, most Chinese are opting 77 for traditional memorials.

Since 2010 when the website was first established, Zhang Zhaolin says waheaven.com has been losing money. He believes it will take time for people to accept a new way of celebrating the traditional festival.

"We have lost nearly ten million yuan. It's only from recent years that people have started to become familiar with this idea. And I've been in this industry for five years. I think it's hard to let people accept a new thing immediately."

The manager adds that despite profit losses, registration at the website still increased last year as more people got to know and accept the concept.

Zhang suggests people should not be confined to only one form of honoring the dead. Instead people can have more options as long as they keep their ancestors in mind.

Zhao Xudong, is the director of the anthropology 78 institute of Renmin University.

He says though technologies make it easier for people to honor their ancestors, for most people making a real trip to the burial ground is still preferred.

"Over-reliance on virtual space can make people feel detached from the community. People need face-to-face exchanges. Tomb-sweeping day provides such an opportunity for people to communicate, though the traditional way people celebrate the day may cause traffic jams and seems not to be environmentally friendly. However, in a cultural sense, it caters 79 to people's emotional needs. And it's all about sharing. People believe through these burning activities they can share their hopes and happiness with their deceased beloved ones. "

Many public cemeteries 80 across the nation have also joined the green campaign. Some cemeteries in Beijing have offered mourners free fresh flowers and increased shuttle bus services. Local authorities hope this will encourage citizens to choose a more eco-friendly way to celebrate the traditional event.

For CRI this is Guo Yan.

Sports

China's top athletics 81 star Liu Xiang to retire in April

Starting out with some breaking news from the world of sports:

China's top track and field star Liu Xiang is going to announce his retirement this month after being sidelined for more than two years in rehabilitation 82 from an ankle surgery.

Sports newspaper Titan Weekly revealed the 110m hurdler will formally hang up his boots next Tuesday.

Liu, China's first male Olympic champion in athletics, will be forever looked on as extraordinary for his milestone 83 wins in the 2004 Olympics and world championships.

In Athens, Liu tied the 12.91 second world record to claim the gold medal before he set a new world mark of 12.88 in 2006 IAAF Grand Prix in Lausanne.

In 2007 Osaka world championships, Liu reached the second peak of his career, winning in 12.95 to wrap up the Grand Slam in that event.

Tennis: Novak Djokovic into semifinals of Miami Open with win over David Ferrer

In ATP tennis action:

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, overcoming an early break to oust 84 David Ferrer of Spain 7-5, 7-5.

Djokovic faced a quick 3-0 deficit 85, then rallied and took control by winning 10 of the next 13 games.

He'll play 22nd-seeded John Isner of the United States in the semifinals on Friday night.

Ferrer was celebrating his 33rd birthday. He's now lost his last eight matches against Djokovic.

Earlier on Thursday, Isner rolled past No. 4-seed Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-4, 6-3.

And over on the WTA side of things:

Carla Suarez Navarro faced Andrea Petkovic in the first of the women's semi-finals.

It was the fifth meeting between the two players, with each having won on two previous occasions.

An early break saw Suarez Navarro take control of the opening set.

She broke again, capitalising on a Petkovic error, and duly took the set 6-3.

Suarez Navarro, seeded 12, seized another break early in the second set to put herself firmly in control.

She duly finished it off not long after, taking a 6-3 6-3 win to book her place in the final.

Suarez Navarro will face Serena Williams for the title, who held off third-seeded Simona Halep of Romania 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in her semi final match up.

Taiwan pitcher 86 Chen Wei-Yin pitches for Orioles in preseason game

And in MLB preseason action:

With spring training drawing to a close, Taiwan pitcher Chen Wei-Yin, of the Baltimore Orioles, had a final pre-season hit-out against the Atlanta Braves in Kissimmee, Florida earlier today.

The 29-year-old from Kaohsiung City allowed two runs in five innings, struck out four and walked none.

Atlanta pitcher Alex Wood allowed one run in five innings as the Braves beat the Orioles 6-5 on a game-winning single by Joe Benson in the bottom of the ninth.

The Braves own Taiwan pitcher Wang Chien-Ming struggled, surrendering four runs on five hits in just one and one-third innings.

The Orioles and the Braves open their regular season campaigns with away games on this coming monday.

Baltimore takes on the Tampa Bay Rays, while Atlanta faces the Miami Marlins.

NBA: Houston Rockets claim 108-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks 87

In NBA action, it was a light schedule today:

James Harden had plenty of help a night after carrying Houston with a career high in scoring -- he even got a boost from Dwight Howard not long after the center with the troublesome right knee limped off the court.

Harden scored 24 points, Howard sparked a rally with the strong start to the fourth quarter and former Dallas guard Jason Terry hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer to help the Houston Rockets beat the Mavericks 108-101 Thursday night.

The Rockets (52-24) moved a half-game ahead of Memphis in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference behind Golden State.

Even with the loss, the Mavericks (46-30) are likely to end up with the seventh seed after a win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday put them four games up on the Thunder and gave them the tiebreaker. They're now 3 1/2 ahead with six to go.

In other action:

Cleveland took out Miami 114-88.

And league leaders Golden State squeaked 88 out a win over the Phoenix 89 Suns, 107-106.

Golf: Scott Piercy takes one stroke lead after first round of Houston Open

In PGA golf action:

Scott Piercy tied a tournament record with a nearly flawless 9-under-par 8 63 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Houston Open.

Alex Cejka, playing in one of the afternoon groups, made four birdies on his back nine -- the course's front nine -- but bogeyed No. 9 to finish with a 65.

J.B. Holmes got to 8-under with four holes to play before finding a fairway bunker with his first shot at No. 6. After badly missing the green, Holmes had to scramble 91 to a bogey 90. He also finished with a 65.

Phil Mickelson, Luke Guthrie,Charles Howell III and Houston's Shawn Stefani each shot a 66 and trail Piercy by three strokes.

Golf: - Morgan Pressel leads ANA Inspiration tournament by 1-stroke after first round

Turning over to LPGA action:

The elite 92 of women's golf descended 93 on Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage 94, California for the opening round of the year's first major championship - the ANA Inspiration.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko is chasing her first major title.

The 17-year-old New Zealander coped well with the mornings blustery conditions to card a 1-under-par 71.

In the process, Ko tied Annika Sorenstam's LPGA Tour record with her 29th consecutive round under par.

Japan's Ai Miyazato is outright 95 second.

Miyazato was in fine form on the greens on her way to a 68.

She's a stroke behind Morgan Pressel, who became the youngest ANA Inspiration champion in 2007 at the age of 18.

The American capped a 5-under-par 67 with her fifth birdie of the day at the 18th.

Entertainment

Johnny Depp's latest movie 'Mortdecai' heading to China

Johnny Depp's latest comedy thriller 96 'Mortdecai' is heading to China.

The movie is adapted from the best-selling novel series written by English author Kyril Bonfiglioli.

Depp stars as the lead character, Charlie Mortdecai, an art dealer 97 who rivals with some angry Russians, the MI5, and an international terrorist, all trying to recover a stolen painting rumored 98 to contain a special code that leads to Nazi 99 gold.

The David Koepp directed movie also stars American actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Depp and Paltrow, along with other stars from the movie are expected to be in China for the premiere of 'Mortdecai' on April 17.

Hunger Games Theme Park to open in Dubai

Lionsgate announced it has partnered with Dubai Parks and Resorts to bring a Hunger Games theme park to Dubai.

The new Hollywood-themed park is expected to include a Lionsgate zone that features Hunger Games-inspired attractions and retail facilities, as well as a DreamWorks Animation 100 zone.

With 27 rides and attractions, the park expects to attract over three million visits a year.

Dubai Parks and Resorts is also building Legoland Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Lapita, a Polynesian-themed resort.

The Hunger Games Theme Park in Dubai is set to open around October 2016.

Netflix to renew season 4 of 'House of Cards'

Some good news for 'House of Cards' fans…. Netflix has announced that the political drama will be renewed for a fourth season.

Kevin Spacey and Robin 101 Wright are among the stars set to return for new episodes next year.

Season 3 was a rough ride for the Underwoods, who battled their way through the primaries, while dealing 102 with increased threats from Russia, a frozen Congress and ongoing 103 pressure to kill Frank's sought-after jobs bill.

Now, viewers will get to see how Frank handles his first national election without his wife, who dramatically walked out on the season finale.

Spacey took home a Golden Globe and SAG 64 Award for his portrayal 104 of the rogue 105 president this year.

The fourth season of House of Cards is set to begin production this summer.

Disney to make live-action 'Winnie the Pooh' movie

Disney has announced it's developing a live-action movie version of "Winnie the Pooh."

"Listen Up Philip" writer-director Alex Ross Perry has been hired to write the adaptation.

The focus will be on an adult version of the book's Christopher Robin. Perry was hired after pitching a take on the story to the studio.

The Winnie the Pooh bear character was created by A. A. Milne for a collection of stories in the 1926 book "Winnie-the-Pooh" and the 1928 book "The House at Pooh Corner."

Disney licensed 106 the rights to the character in 1961, leading to TV shows and four feature films.

Recently Disney sought box-office success with a live-action version of "Cinderella" and has similar plans for an upcoming live-action retelling of "Beauty and the Beast."

'Game of Thrones' author releases chapter from next book

'Game of Thrones' author George RR Martin has teased fans by releasing a chapter from his long awaited sixth volume of the 'A Song of Ice and Fire," fantasy series, 'The Winds of Winter.'

The chapter appears on Martin's website and is told from the perspective of Sansa Stark 107, living under the name Alayne Stone. She is played on the HBO adaptation by Sophie Turner.

Season five of 'Game of Thrones' premieres April 12 on HBO.

Martin has already decided 108 against writing for the sixth season, so he can concentrate on 'The Winds of Winter.'

The previous 'Fire and Ice' book, 'A Dance with Dragons,' came out in 2011.

That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour. A quick recap of your headlines:

China's former security chief has officially been charged with several corruption-related crimes, and disclosing state secrets...

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