新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2015/05/07

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

Coming up on the program this evening...

The Chinese president has departed Beijing on state visits to Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus...

A general election is underway in the UK, with 50 million registered voters eligible¹ to select a new prime minister and parliament...

and Chinese officials offer new guidance on the promotion² and development of "ecological³ civilization..."In Business: the merger⁴ between two chinse rail giants is another step closer to completion...

In Sports: the Rockets even their NBA playoff series against the ClippersIn Entertainment: a chinese-made rock-themed film gets a screening in Beijing at a college film festival...

TopChinese President on state visit to Kazakhstan, Russia and BelarusChinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Thursday afternoon for state visits to three nations.

President Xi's visit to Kazakhstan is at the invitation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

At the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President will visit Russia from May 8 to 10 and attend the ceremony to commemorate⁶ the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic⁷ War in Moscow.

From May 10 to 12, President Xi will visit Belarus at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko.

For more on President Xi Jinping's visit to the three countries, our Zheng Chenguang earlier spoke⁸ with Yu Bin⁹, Professor of Political Science with Wittenberg University in Ohio, USA.

China gains popularity among Kazakh peopleAnchor:

As the ties between China and Kazakhstan become stronger, China is gaining popularity among Kazakh people and becoming an attractive work and study destination for many students.

Our reporter Yunfeng brings more details.

Reporter:

Media reports show China has become, as of last year, the second largest overseas study destination for Kazakhstan.

"Some of my classmates went to China. My brother and sister are also in China. I know people can get a good education there. There are a lot of people and ethnic¹⁰ groups. It's a beautiful country."More and more Kazakh students are learning Chinese, especially after the founding of the first Confucius Institute in Kazakhstan nine years ago.

"There is a Confucius Institute in my college, which gives me easy access to learn Chinese. The institute not only teaches us the language, but also provides opportunities to study in China."In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech on the Silk Road Economic Belt to students at Nazarbayev University. It was the first time the Chinese President proposed the initiative. The project aims to bring together Asia and Europe with closer trade and cultural ties. It involves 24 cities and eight countries.

As the cooperation on this project goes on, local people are excited about the opportunities it brings.

Galym Baithimbetov is a student at Nazarbayev University.

"We college students are very privileged to be able to be part of the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt. As an engineer, I'm not sure what I can do at the moment, but I have a lot of friends who have studied Chinese, gone to China and come back to Kazakhstan. I think they have better opportunities."China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations in 1992 and have been engaged in cooperation in all fields, including energy, infrastructure¹¹ construction, agriculture and housing.

For CRI,this is Yunfeng.

Ambassador on Xi's Visit to BelarusChinese President Xi Jinping is slated¹² to arrive in Belarus on May 10, after his visits to Kazakhstan and Russia.

Chinese ambassador to Belarus Cui Qiming says the visit will inject new momentum¹³ into the bilateral¹⁴ relationships.

"This is a historic visit and will be a milestone¹⁵ in the relations between the two countries. Its fruitful achievements will go down in annals."During his two-day visit, President Xi will attend an economic and trade forum¹⁶ and visit the China-Belarus industrial park, which is the largest cooperative project between the two sides so far.

He will also meet Belarusian WWII veterans.

Located between the Commonwealth¹⁷ of Independent States and European Union, Belarus is a key transportation and logistics hub in Eurasia and plays an important role in the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Polling Starts for the 2015 UK General ElectionAnchor:

Around 50,000 polling stations across the UK opened their doors on Thursday morning for the 2015 general election.

CRI's London Correspondent Duan Xuelian finds out more.

Reporter:

About 50 million people registered to vote for this year's UK general election. In a polling station in north west London's West Hampstead, polling staffer Mary Mackie has welcomed a steady stream of locals.

"We seems to be very busy as people are dropping by before they go to work. Excuse me Sir have you got your poll card? "The poll stations opened at 7 am and will close at 10 pm. The last election, in 2010, saw a remarkably¹⁸ low turnout of 65%. So this time round, to encourage people to vote, the Electoral Committee has introduced an online register. For Londoner Louise Harland, voting is an important way of voicing her concerns as a citizen, and Labour is her choice.

"I think they have a fairer approach to give everyone a chance. And I also think it is important that we stay in the European Union. So I decided¹⁹ to vote for a party that wasn't going to have referendum."And for fellow citizen Steven Garford, Conservative seems to be the only realistic choice to lead the UK towards a better future. But he is uncertain of how the result will influence the UK's political system as the race between the Conservative and Labour parties is too close to call. He is not too optimistic about the prospect²⁰ of a minority government.

"I think it will be awful. Everybody will be doing deals over this or that. And I share the widely held opinion that the Scottish National Party are not a responsible organization because they are only interested in scamming as much money out of London as they can."According to the BBC, voting results from several constituencies will be declared with the final result expected on Friday afternoon.

Tories and Labour neck and neck as UK votes in decisive electionAcnchor:

Voting has begun in the UK, with millions lining²¹ up to elect a new parliament and a prime minister.

The contest is seen as one of the closest election races in Britain in a generation.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara reportsReporter:

Voting in the UK kicked off at 07:00 AM local time, at around 50,000 polling stations across the country.

There are about 50 million people registered to vote.

British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband cast his ballot²² in Doncaster. Conservative leader David Cameron voted in Witney.

The latest Opinions polls that came out the day before the vote suggest the both men are running neck-and-neck and that neither party can win enough seats for an outright²³ majority in the 650-seat parliament.

Labour's Miliband, in his final campaign speech a day earlier, promised to raise income tax for the top 1 per cent, while protecting the interests of working families.

"We're fighting for a Britain where we reward the hard work of every working person not just those who get the six figure bonuses in our country. We're fighting for a Britain where every young person whatever their background, wherever they're from has a chance to live a better life than their parents. We're fighting for a Britain where everyone plays by the same rules. And yes where we take on the tax evaders the hedge funds that avoid their taxes and the Tory donors²⁴ and say enough is enough."The stakes are high in this election because Britain's future in the European Union, as well as its national cohesion²⁵, could hinge on the result.

The Conservative's Cameron has promised to hold a referendum on whether to stay in the EU if he returns to power.

"This is the election that will define this generation. Do we build on the work that's been done these last five years or do we go back to square one and waste all the sacrifice and all the effort that's been put in. I say let's build on what we've done, don't go back to square one."Exit polls also suggest that the Scottish nationalists could emerge as the third-largest party, despite losing a plebiscite last year on whether Scotland should break away from the United Kingdom.

It is feared that a possible coalition²⁶ that includes the Scottish nationalists may open the door for another "independence ballot" in Scotland.

Along with the general vote, more than 9,000 council seats are being contested across 279 local authorities.

For the first time, people have been allowed to register to vote online mainly due to concerns about a low voter turnout. The overall turnout at the 2010 general election was just 65 percent.

Community groups have also been active in trying to get people to exercise their vote.

Christine Lee, the founder²⁷ of "British Chinese Project" has been campaigning to get more British Chinese voters to participate in this year's election.

"For us Chinese communities, we mainly care about how we will financially benefit from the elected. But if we give up our votes, we will probably lose ground in a competition with Indian British and African British for more financial support from the new government."11 candidates of Chinese origin are running for seats in the House of Commons, a record high in British election history.

A handful of seats are expected to be declared by midnight, with the final results expected on Friday afternoon.

For CRI I'm Poornima WeerasekaraChina pledges continued help as Nepal rebuildsChina has promised that it will continue to help Nepal with post-quake reconstruction²⁸.

Qian Keming, from the Ministry²⁹ of Commerce, says more supplies have arrived Nepal.

"so far, we have provided Nepal with two rounds of emergency assistance worth 6 billion yuan. The first round focused on the relocation of the affected³⁰ people and the second round of assistance is to address reconstruction."Qian made the remarks this afternoon during a joint³¹ press conference on China's rescue operation in Nepal.

Alao at the press conference, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao says China will negotiate with the Nepalese side over financial support.

"Nepal is trying to calculate the losses caused by the quake and is seeking 1.8 billion dollars in aid. In the next step, China will negotiate with the Nepalese government over the issue."According to Nepal's Home Ministry, the death toll³² from the earthquake has jumped to more than 84 hundred.

China urges Japan to reflect on aggressive pastChina is again urging Japan to "sincerely reflect on its aggressive past" following international calls for Japan to acknowledge its wartime history.

"We hope Japan takes a responsible attitude, carefully listens to the voice of the international community, sincerely reflects on its aggressive past, and properly handles historical issues so as to gain trust from the international community and its neighbours."Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks after more than 180 Japanese studies academics around the world co-authored a letter urging Japan to "address its history of colonial rule and wartime aggression³³, in both words and action."Hua urged Japan to take real action.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has hinted that he will not use phrases like "heartfelt apology" in his statement in August to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

His attitude has sparked anger, especially in east Asia.

China intensifies³⁴ efforts on battling ecological crisisAnchor:

China's government has issued a guidance promoting "ecological civilization."Officials stress the country is faced with severe a environmental crisis and protection measures are desperately³⁵ needed.

Our reporter Guo Yan has the details.

Reporter:

The guidance has for the first time mentioned the concept of a "red line" or baseline in resources, environment, and ecology exploitation.

Xu Shaoshi is the head of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic regulator.

He highlights protecting the environment by introducing tougher laws, and strong protocols³⁶ to back that legislation.

"First task is to set an upper-limit or ceiling for resource exploitation, and secondly³⁷ to strictly³⁸ maintain the baseline of environment quality, allowing only improvement and not any worsening of conditions. Third is to set up the red line for ecological protection to contain the momentum of environmental degradation³⁹."Ecology will also become a factor in the evaluation⁴⁰ of officials' performances.

Rewards will go to Local governments and officials, especially those who govern major agricultural areas and ecologically vulnerable regions, that successfully meet ecological targets.

Xu says the guidance encourages local governments to work for a good record on ecology and business.

"It is quite positive. Previously⁴¹ we took a "one-size-fits-all" approach to grading officials' performances, without considering regional differences. Different policies should be applied⁴² to different regions. To implement⁴³ flexible assessment⁴⁴ methods, we'll highlight the targets for environmental protection. "Xu points out that "ecological civilization" is not confined only to handling the relationship between human beings and nature properly, but is also related to politics, culture, and social construction.

"Ecological civilization is not only limited to planting trees and grass, or end-of-pipe treatment. It refers to a significant change in the ideology⁴⁵, covering all sectors⁴⁷ including the mode of production and life, economy, politics, culture and social construction. It will be a comprehensive and systematic⁴⁸ project or green revolution."Xu adds that everyone needs to participate in the process, as environmental protection can only be achieved with joint efforts from all parties.

For CRI I'm Guo Yan.

Netanyahu Forms Narrow Coalition at Last MomentAnchor:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secured a narrow coalition government, managing to convince 61 of the country's 120 parliamentarians to be part of his new administration.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

Reporter:

Just 2-hours before a final deadline to create a new government, Netanyahu managed to secure an agreement with the far-right Jewish Home Party, allowing him to secure the slimmest of majorities to form a coalition.

The new Israeli government will include Netanyahu's Likud party, former Likud member Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu Party, a pair of religious parties, as well as the Jewish Home.

Professor Abraham Diskin with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says the last-minute formation of a government in Israel isn't unheard of.

"Maybe (because of) the way that people negotiate, maybe (because) people try to get a little bit more. Both sides, both Likud and their partners try to push forward as much as they can, so they exploit all of the time, and it's quite a routine procedure in Israel. It's not something unique."On Monday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose long-term relationship with Netanyahu has soured in recent months, dropped a bombshell by taking his far-right Yisrael Beitenu party out of the coalition talks.

While the new coalition only includes the bare minimum of 61 seats, Professor Gideon Rahat with Hebrew University says Netanyahu may try to expand his government's majority as time goes on.

"In Israel, the norm is to have wider coalition, and I think he might attempt to do it. He can also not do it actually, but use it as a threat to his partners. If you don't behave, if you are not good members of the coalition, I have my options."Despite the new players in the coalition, Rahat says most don't expect many policy changes to take place.

"There is moderate element like Kahlon, the Jewish Home is smaller, and Lieberman's outside, so I don't think it's more right-wing than the previous one, it's more or less the same."One of the outstanding questions remains⁵⁰ how the new administration is going to address the Palestinian issue.

Abraham Diskin with Hebrew University says policy changes in that area aren't likely either.

"Once there is a move on the Palestinian front to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and once there is a will within the Zionist Camp, if there are the two conditions, there will be a change in the formation of the government, the Jewish home will leave, the Zionist Camp will join, and then we'll see if we can make a progress or not. Right now the two pre-conditions do not exist, so no one can make peace with the Palestinians."Facing a possible defeat by the Zionist movement in the lead-up to the election in March, Benjamin Netanyahu publically stated he did not favor a two-state solution to the Palestinian question.

He later back-tracked from the statement after the election was over.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

Israeli coalition government analysisFor more on the Israeli coalition government, CRI's John Artman earlier spoke with Li Guofu, Senior Research Fellow with the China Institute of International Studies.

WeatherBeijing will see some showers tonight with a low of 14, tomorrow rainy with a high of 18.

Down in Shanghai, cloudy tonight with a low of 17, tomorrow it will have showers, high of 24.

Chongqing will see some rain tonight with a low of 20, overcast⁵¹ tomorrow and a high of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,Kathmandu, mostly sunny, 29,Islamabad will see scattered⁵² thundershowers with a high of 43,Kabul, cloudy, 28.

Over in Australia,Sydney, sunny, high of 20,Brisbane, cloudy, 25,Finally Perth will be sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius⁵³.

Headline newsChinese President leaves for visit to Russia, Kazakhstan, BelarusPresident Xi Jinping has departed Beijing for state visits to Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus.

During his stay to Kazakhstan, the president is expected to promote a series of projects on the "Silk Road Economic Belt" strategy with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

While in Russia, Xi Jinping will attend a ceremony in Red Square to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War.

President Xi is also scheduled to meet President Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus in the last leg of his trip.

Britain's unpredictable general election beginsTens of millions of Britons have flocked to polling stations to decide who will become their next prime minister.

A total of 650 seats in Britain's House of Commons are up for grabs, with nearly 50 million people registered to vote.

The final outcome of the general election is expected on Friday, but results from individual constituencies may start arriving sooner.

China urges Japan to reflect on aggressive pastChina has urged Japan to "sincerely reflect on its aggressive past" following international calls for Japan to acknowledge its wartime history.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has suggested Japan deal with history and gain trust from the international community with real actions.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Nearly 200 Japanese Studies academics worldwide have co-authored a letter urging Japan to address its history of colonial rule.

Four badly-behaved Chinese tourists named and shamedFour Chinese tourists have been "named and shamed" by Chinese tourism officials, after each individual was added to the China National Tourism Administration's blacklist.

Each tourist has been involved in what authorities call "notorious incidents" and say they hope the shaming will raise public awareness⁵⁴ of tourism etiquette⁵⁵.

Two tourists, surnamed Zhang and Wang, brawled⁵⁶ with flight attendants during a flight from Thailand to Nanjing last December. Zhang dumped hot water on a crew member and Wang threatened to bomb the aircraft.

A tourist surnamed Zhou has been blacklisted for opening a plane hatch mid-flight during an incident in January.

The names of those three tourists will kept on the blacklist for two years each. The fourth tourist, surnamed Li, is to be blacklisted for 10 years after standing⁴⁹ on a Red Army statue for a photo.

Cambodia objects attempts to use ASEAN to settle territorial⁵⁷ disputesA senior officer of the Cambodian Foreign Affairs Ministry has reiterated⁵⁸ the country's position on disputes in the South China Sea.

The official says that the territorial disputes must be resolved bilaterally⁵⁹ between China and claimant states, not between ASEAN and China.

She rejected attempts by some ASEAN countries to use the ASEAN "title" to settle territorial disputes, because ASEAN is not a legal or judicial⁶⁰ body.

The official urged all involved countries to continue negotiations⁶¹ peacefully based on international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Biz ReportsAnchor:

Turning now to our business news, but first let's have a look at the numbers from the Asian markets on this Thursday evening.

Join me on the desk is CRI's Luo Wen.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks tumbled for a third day from seven-year highs, registering over 8-percent losses in the past three trading days.

Lingering impacts from central authorities' warnings, and capital withdrawal⁶² because of new IPOs, continued dragging down the figures, triggering vast investor⁶³ worry.

Insurance, infrastructure, steel, shipbuilding and electric power sectors led the declines.

Altogether 53 shares dived by the daily limit of 10 percent, including heavyweights like China Railway Group, Power Construction and GD Power Development.

Insurers edged down, with China Life and China Pacific Insurance tumbling more than 5 percent.

This comes after the China Securities Regulatory Commission denied on its official Sina Weibo account that it was planning controls on margin⁶⁴ trading.

The regulator says advice put forward at a meeting with brokers⁶⁵ only referred to internal control and liquidity⁶⁶ management.

The brokerage sector⁴⁶ remained the pillar, preventing a sharper drop, with the sub-index up nearly 1.6 percent.

At close,The Shanghai Composite Index plunged⁶⁷ 2.8 percent.

The Shenzhen Component⁶⁸ Index slipped 0.2 percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index lost 1.3 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japanese stocks ended sharply lower with its benchmark Nikkei retreating to a five-week low, as the global selloff of government bonds triggered speculation⁶⁹ that borrowing costs will rise.

The index closed down by 1.2 percent.

South Korea's Kospi declined 0.7 percent.

And finally both Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index and Australia's ASX 200 shed around 0.8 percent.

Trading Suspension Last Step for CNR-CSR MergerThe separate trading of China's two high-speed rail (HSR) giants CNR and CSR has been suspended today, marking the last step in the long-awaited merger.

The two companies will form a new company called CRRC Corporation.

The incorporated company will emphasize overseas industrial distribution and management.

It's being reported that the new company's stock is expected to be listed in early June.

Meanwhile, more detailed⁷⁰ mergers⁷¹ in subsidiaries and branch businesses is said to follow.

Exchange data shows that shares in the two train makers⁷² surged over five hundred percent since the announcement of the merger in late October last year.

Shanghai FTZ Mulls Offshore⁷³ Investment Program for Chinese ResidentsAnchor:

Authorities in Shanghai have announced a new program to allow people living in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone to become individual overseas investors⁷⁴.

Under the new scheme, people who have lived and worked in the FTZ for a year will be allowed to become part of the overseas investment strategy.

At the same time, authorities in Shanghai are also planning to expand the annual foreign exchange quotas⁷⁵ from 50-thousand US dollars a year to as much as 300-thousand US dollars.

For more on the move, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke with CRI's fianancial commentator⁷⁶, Cao Can.

China Pledges Deeper Int'l Industrial CooperationThe State Council is promoting industrial integration⁷⁷ with other countries.

The cabinet notes in a statement that such cooperation, especially between nations along the Belt and Road trade networks, could drive Chinese equipment exports and help recipient⁷⁸ countries create jobs and stimulate⁷⁹ growth.

The statement says efforts should be made to "foster an industrial cooperation chain" and build a cross-border yuan payment system.

The cabinet is also urging authorities to simplify investment procedures to pave the way for equipment exports.

At the same time, the cabinet is demanding further efforts to cut government red tape, with a plan to cancel more than two hundred administrative⁸⁰ procedures.

It is also encouraging the public to purchase private health insurance by offering tax reductions for premium⁸¹ payments of less than 2,400 yuan or 392 U.S. dollars per year.

China Starts Building Hualong One Pilot Nuclear Power ProjectConstruction has begun on a nuclear power project in Fujian Province.

Hualong One is domestically-developed third generation reactor⁸² technology.

The National Energy Administration approved construction of two reactors⁸³ in Fujian Province in 2014. The one being built now is in the city of Fuqing.

The State Council gave its approval last month.

Chinese authorities aim to market this technology globally.

SportsHouston Rockets Beat Los Angeles Clippers 115-109 to Square SeriesIn the NBA Playoffs,The Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 115-109 at the Toyota Center on Wednesday to level their Western Conference semi-final series at one game apiece.

James Harden scored 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter to help the Rockets with the win.

Houston Center Dwight Howard said Harden played a great game.

"He (James Harden) was ready to go. I mean he was amped up. We needed a game, a big game from him and he came out and did his thing. We had some tough shots but it was a tough win for us. They're a tough team and they never go away."The Houston Rockets became the first team in league history to win a postseason game while missing 20 free throws.

Game 3 is Friday night in Los Angeles.

In other action,The Cleveland Cavaliers evened their semifinal series with Chicago, beating the Bulls 106-91 in Game 2.

The Cavaliers were without forward Kevin Love due to shoulder surgery and J.R. Smith for a two-game suspension.

Cleveland Head Coach David Blatt said the win is 'important'.

"Today we really stepped up. But we were facing a lot of change in that first game, obviously. We're playing for the first time without 40 per cent of our starting line-up. We're playing after an eight day layoff⁵. We didn't meet the challenge that day. Today we did, but that's it, no more than that, 1-1 (series). It was an important win for us."The Bulls will host Game 3 on Friday.

Football: Barcelona Shut out Bayern Munich 3-0 in UEFA Champions Semi-Finalssoccer action from the UEFA Champions League,five-time European champions Bayern Munich are unlikely to reach the Champions League final after a 3-0 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of their semi-finals match-up on Wednesday.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique Martinez was satisfied with the result.

"This is Champions League semi-finals against a very unique, complicated and difficult rival. We didn't expect a different type of game. It was a game during which both teams tried to annoy and pressure each other as much as we both could when we didn't have the ball. And once we had the ball tried to generate scoring occasions. And I think in that aspect we did pretty well."Lionel Messi struck in the 77th and 80th minutes to put his side up 2-0.

It takes Messi's career total of Champions League goals to 77, bettering the record of 76 set by Cristiano Ronaldo only the night before against Juventus.

This also marks the 100th game for Messi during his football career, making him the third youngest player in history to make 100 appearances.

Football: La Liga Threatens League Suspension Over TV Rights DisputeIn other football news,La Liga will suspend all on-pitch action starting May 16 due to a dispute with the Spanish government intervening in the league's television rights.

Last week, Spain passed a law that will force the Spanish Football Federation⁸⁴ to sell all La Liga TV rights collectively, auctioning⁸⁵ them to the highest bidder⁸⁶.

The Federation will receive 4.55 percent of rights revenues--an amount the league is not happy with.

The league says the law "has not resolved any of the problems affecting soccer," and is threatening the "indefinite strike," which will impact the final two weeks of the league's season, as well as the Copa del Rey final on May 30.

As it stands now, each club is responsible for its own TV rights. The rule has filled the pockets of La Liga powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid. In 2014, the two clubs netted a total of about 318 million U.S. dollars, which was around a third of total TV rights for La Liga that year.

The monetary⁸⁷ gains have long allowed Barca and Real to outbid other clubs in the league for top football talent.

Murray and Nishikori Win in MadridIn tennis action down at the Madrid Open,Top-seeded Roger Federer's hopes of winning a fourth Madrid trophy⁸⁸ ended after an upset loss at the racket of Aussie Nick Kyrgios in a close match that lasted over two hours.

Kyrgios won the grueling duel⁸⁹ 6-7, 7-6, 7-6.

Speaking of his earliest exit in 11 visits to Madrid, Federer says 'there's no surprise'.

"It was a fast paced match in terms of...we don't much time between points and a lot of points were decided by serving. I expected that. I expected it to be a doiffcily match. It was my first round here in Madrid where conditions are entirely⁹⁰ different from Istanbul. Obviously I knew Nick could play so from my side there was no surprises. The result was always going to possible. So from my stand point no surprise."In other action,Last year's runner-up Kei Nishikori reached the third round of the Madrid Masters.

The world number five took out Belgium's David Goffin with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory in nearly two hours.

The Japanese star will next face the number fourteen seed Roberto Bautista Agut from Spain.

Andy Murray also advanced with a 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 win over Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The World No. 3 will meet Marcel Granollers for the sixth time in the third round.

Murray leads their series 4-1.

The Players Championship to Kick off on ThursdayIn golf,The world's top players have arrived in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for the 2015 Players Championship.

World number one Rory McIlroy missed the cut in his first three appearances.

He opened with a 66 en route to a share of eighth place in 2013 and tied for sixth place last year.

Speaking of being paired with Masters Champion Jordan Spieth and Australian Jason Day this year, the Northern Irishman says he is excited with the draw.

"Yeah, I mean, when I saw the draw come out, I was excited to play, not just with Jordan but obviously with Jason Day as well. I've gotten to know Jason quite well over the past number of years, and I remember the first time we played together down in Australia back in 2005 at the Australian Masters. So I'm looking forward to it. It's always nice when you're a part of a group that's got a little bit of a buzz around it and a good atmosphere."The 21-year-old Spieth says he has a lot of work to do before he can challenge for the number one spot.

EntertainmentJackie Chan named as Singapore's first celebrity⁹¹ anti-drug ambassadorMovie star Jackie Chan has been named as Singapore's first celebrity anti-drug ambassador. The announcement was made today by Singapore's Prime Minister's Office.

Jaycee Chan, the son of the Hong Kong actor, was released from jail in Beijing in February after serving a six-month sentence on drug charges.

Jackie Chan spoke about his son's drug crimes after the Singapore announcement.

"The day I found out, I am so ashamed and angry. I'm lucky, I could find out sooner. If it was too late, it was probably too late. I was very angry but it made me more determined⁹² to be against drugs,"He also took the opportunity to warn youths in Singapore not to do drugs.

The older Chan has served as a goodwill⁹³ spokesman for the China National Anti-Drug Committee since 2009, promoting anti-drug education.

Rock Theme Film "Rock Hero" limited screened at Beijing college student film festivalThe movie "Rock Hero" is getting a limited screening at the Beijing College Student Film Festival ahead of its official premiere in China, scheduled for the end of the month.

The film centers on the love story of a gifted rock star and a pop diva and is full of heartbreak and betrayal.

Film director Tan Hua says the story draws from the real life story of Chinese rock legend Dou Wei and his roller-coaster affair with Faye Wong.

Dou Wei was a famous rock singer back to the 1990s. He was among the Top 3 Artists of Magic Stone Records together with Heyong and Zhangchu.

Dou Wei married Faye Wong in 1996 and they divorced three years later.

"Rock Hero" is produced by Annie Shizuka Inou and stars actor Qinhao.

'Supergirl' Ordered to Series at CBSSuperman is returning to the big screen next year, but for now his cousin is in the spotlight⁹⁴.

It has been confirmed that CBS will be picking up its new drama, Supergirl.

One of comics' most famous female heroes comes back at a time when there is a big push on social media for more super powered women on the screen and in wider pop culture.

"Glee" alum Melissa Benoist will play Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin and fellow Kryptonian, who has been hiding her powers, but at the age of 24, decides to show the world what she can do.

Calista Flockhart of "Ally McBeal" fame returns to TV as Kara's boss, another DC Comics character, Cat Grant.

Supergirl's battle for truth and justice will begin as early as this fall.

Kristin Davis talks new documentary on elephant poachingUS actress Kristin Davis, known for her role in the HBO series "Sex and City," is using her fame to raise awareness about endangered elephants in Africa.

She's produced a documentary called "Gardeners of Eden" which premieres on the Pivot⁹⁵ network Wednesday.

Davis talks about her experience in 2001 of helping⁹⁶ a wildflife trust in Kenya save an orphaned⁹⁷ elephant, as part of the fight against illegal ivory poaching.

"We found her (the elephant) it was a many day ordeal⁹⁸ trying to find her she was terrified, she kept running away from us. It was a whole thing. But, luckily we found her. she went to the nursery, and she's probably a victim of poaching."The actress says another elephant is killed every 15 minutes for its tusks⁹⁹.

WeatherBeijing will see some showers tonight with a low of 14, tomorrow rainy with a high of 18.

Down in Shanghai, cloudy tonight with a low of 17, tomorrow it will have showers, high of 24.

Chongqing will see some rain tonight with a low of 20, overcast tomorrow and a high of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,Kathmandu, mostly sunny, 29,Islamabad will see scattered thundershowers with a high of 43,Kabul, cloudy, 28.

Over in Australia,Sydney, sunny, high of 20,Brisbane, cloudy, 25,Finally Perth will be sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

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

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

The Chinese president has departed Beijing on state visits to Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus...

A general election is underway in the UK, with 50 million registered voters eligible to select a new prime minister and parliament...

and Chinese officials offer new guidance on the promotion and development of "ecological civilization..."In Business: the merger between two chinse rail giants is another step closer to completion...

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

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