新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/03/18

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

Paul James with you on this Tuesday, March 18, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offically recognized Crimea as an independent state following this week's controversial referendum.
Chinese authorities are pressing their Malaysian counterparts for more timely information as the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight enters its 11th day.
The government has confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet with US President Barack Obama later on this month in Europe.
In Business... the 2nd day of expanded trading of the Renminbi is upon us following a relatively calm first day through Monday.
In sports.... Xinjiang and Beijing gearing up for the start of the CBA finals this week.
In entertainment.... Prince and actress Zooey Deschanel have cut a full-length duet of a song they performed recently on TV.
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, a high of 15 degree Celsius in the daytime and a low of 6 in the night.
In Shanghai, it will be cloudy, the highest of 24 degree Celsius, and 13 degrees in the night.
Chongqing will be overcast, with a high of 22 degree Celsius in the daytime, and 16 in the night.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 25.
Kabul, moderate rain with a high of 8.
And in North America
New York, cloudy, with a high of 4 degree.
Washington, sleet, highs of 4.
Houston, sunny, 23.
Honolulu, cloudy, 24.
Toronto, cloudy, minus 1.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 20.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny, with highs of 30 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Putin recognizes Crimea as sovereign and independent state
 
Anchor
Russia's leadership has made the latest move in connection with the potential return of the Black Sea region of Crimea to Russia.
CRI's Su Yi with the latest developments.
Reporter
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to recognize Crimea as a sovereign and independent state.
The move follows an official declaration of Crimean independence from Ukraine following a Sunday referendum, which has seen nearly 97-percent vote in-favor of seceding.
The Crimean parliament has since sent a formal request to Moscow to join the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to address the Russian Federal Assembly later on this Tuesday in connection with the request by Crimea to join the Federation.
Ukrainian authorities in Kiev have dismissed the Crimean referendum as "illegal," saying it violates Ukraine's constitution.
Kiev has since recalled its ambassador to Moscow.
In the fallout from this, the Chinese government has issued a new statement reaffirming its position connected to the situation in Ukraine.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.
"China always respects the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. The Crimea issue should be politically resolved in the framework of law and order. All sides should remain restrained and avoid acts that may escalate the tensions. The international community should play a constructive role in trying to ease the current tensions."
Meantime, US President Barack Obama has announced sanctions against 7-Russian and 4-Ukrainian officials, including ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
The European Union has brought down sanctions against 21-individuals.
The United Nations has also issued a new statement, saying Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned about the latest developments in Ukraine.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
"The Secretary-General continues to closely follow the situation in Ukraine. Since the beginning of this crisis the Secretary-General has urged all parties to avoid hasty steps in this already complex and tense situation. The Secretary-General is deeply disappointed and concerned that the Crimea referendum will only exacerbate this situation. He encourages all parties to work for a solution that is guided by the principles of the United Nations charter, including respecting Ukraine's unity and sovereignty."
The referendum in Crimea follows the February ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
 
Latest evidence hardened suspicion that the Malaysian jetliner could be hijacked
 
Anchor:
As the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 enters its 11th day, airline officials say the co-pilot of the missing plane is the one who spoke the final words to ground controllers.
But at the same time, investigators still haven't been able to determine exactly when the communication systems were intentionally switched off.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter:
Search for the missing Flight MH370 jetliner has been expanded to include 26 countries in total.
Satellite data suggests the plane could be anywhere in either of two vast corridors: one stretching north from northern Thailand to Kazakhstan, the other south from Indonesia into the Indian Ocean west of Australia.
The government of Kazakhstan is reportedly less-than-enthusiastic about joining the search, suggesting it believes there's very little possibility the radar and airspace controls of the various countries along the route could have missed the plane going by.
The Australian government, for its part, is taking the lead in searching in the southern Indian Ocean west of Perth.
At the same time, Malaysian police have intensified their investigation into the pilots and anyone else on board who had technical flying knowledge.
Malaysian Airlines CEO, Ahmad Jauhari Yayh, says an informal "all right, good night" is the last spoken words ground controllers received from MH370.
"The initial investigation indicated that it was the co-pilot who basically spoke the last time it was recorded on tape."
Jauhari Yayah also says they're still not exactly certain when the plane's communication system was switched off.
"Last ACARS transmission was 1:07. OK, we don't know when the ACARS was switched off after that, it was supposed to transmit 30 minutes from there another transmission but that transmission did not come through, that was the very last transmission we've got, 1:07. When it got switched off? Anytime between then and the next 30 minutes."
The new evidence has increased speculation the plane was diverted thousands of miles off course by someone with deep knowledge of the aircraft and commercial navigation.
In the wake of the new revelations, the Chinese side is readjusting its search efforts, with the focus no longer in the South China Sea.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has also spoken over with phone with his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak.
Besides reiterating China's stance of prioritizing the search, Li Keqiang is also requesting Malaysian authorities provide more timely information connected to hunt for the missing plane.
China has dispatched more than 10 specialized vessels, multiple airplanes and 21 satellites to assist in the search.
The authorities have also asked Chinese commercial ships traversing the areas to help.
Flight MH370, with 239 passengers and crew onboard, disappeared around an hour after take-off on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8th.
154 of those on the flight are Chinese.
For CRI, I am Lucy Du.
 
 
Chinese, U.S. presidents to meet in Netherlands
 
The Chinese government has confirmed President Xi Jinping is set to attend a Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands later on this month.
Deputy Chinese Foreign Minister Li Baodong.
"It is the first time that President Xi will attend the summit. During the meetings, President Xi Jinping will put forward China's stance on nuclear security and introduce the measures the Chinese government has taken to strengthen nuclear security. Also, he will highlight the achievements we have made, and discuss with leaders from other countries about international cooperation in this field."
Nuclear Security Summit is set to be held on the 24th and 25th.
Xi Jinping is also expected to meet with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the meetings.
The bilateral meeting will be the first between the two Presidents this year.
Xi Jinping is also due to travel to France, Germany, and Belgium during his trip, which will see him make stops at the headquarters of both the European Union and UNESCO.
 
 
Obama urges Abbas to quicken steps in US-brokered Palestine-Israel peace deal
 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sat down for talks with US President Barack Obama at the White House.
Obama has told Abbas it will require "tough" political decisions and risks to achieve peace in, what he has described as, "challenging" Israeli-Palestinian talks.
"As I said to Prime Minister Netanyahu when he was here just a couple of weeks ago, I believe now is the time for, not just the leaders of both sides, but also the peoples of both sides to embrace this opportunity, but, we are going to have a lot of details that we are going to have to discuss. It's very hard, it's very challenging, we are going to have to take some tough political decisions and risks if we are able to move it forward."
For his part, Abbas has told Obama the Palestinian side is working for a solution "based on international legitimacy."
But while not specifically mentioning the Israeli demand for the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, Abbas notes his side has recognized "the state of Israel" for over 20-years.
The Obama administration has been pressing both sides to enter into framework agreement which would eventually pave the way for a permanent peace deal.
However, little headway has been made in the US-brokered negotiations, which were renewed last summer after a 3-year break.
The current mandate for this round of negotiations is due to expire in April.
Most Palestinian factions, including Abbas' PLO, have called on the Palestinian leadership to let the window close, saying the proposals being put forward are still too slanted toward Israeli demands.
 
 
Peres apologizes to Jordan over killing of judge
 
The Israeli government is moving to try to ease tensions with neighboring Jordan following the shooting death of Jordanian judge at an Israeli border crossing last week.
Israeli President Shimon Peres has issued a formal apology to Jordan's King Abdullah in a telephone call on Monday.
Peres has reportedly told the King the Israeli-side deeply regrets the incident and is committed to working with Jordan in a joint investigation.
38-year old Raed Zeiter, a Jordanian judge of Palestinian decent, was shot and killed at a border crossing linking Jordan and the West Bank.
The Israeli Defense Forces claim Zeiter, who was on his way to visit his family, tried to grab a gun from an Israeli solider at the crossing, and was subsequently shot once in the torso.
The IDF then claims Zeiter tried to attack the soldier again using a metal rod, and was shot again and killed.
However, witnesses at the crossing say the Israeli soldier shoved the judge, leading to an argument and the eventual shooting.
The same witnesses say the judge never tried to steal the soldier's weapon.
 
 
Syria expects reconciliation as army defeats rebels in battles
 
The Syrian government has begun renewing its calls for reconciliation with the rebel forces in the country.
This follows the seisure of a key rebel stronghold over the weekend.
Syria's reconciliation minister says the seisure of the city of Yabroud has left the rebels in a "dead end" position.
In the wake of this, he says the Syrian government is ready to begin real reconciliation, saying its become frustrated with a lack of political movement in the 4-year-long conflict.
Ali Haidar does admit there are still big challenges to overcome before any reconciliation process can begin.
He says the biggest threat to any reconciliation process is from foreign jihad fighters.
In recent weeks, members of the Free Syrian Army, the main rebel fighters who originally defected from the Syrian military, have begun fighting a second front against radical Islamists who have begun attacking the rebels.
 
 
Venezuelan authorities seize opposition stronghold
 
Venezuelan authorities say they've retaken control of a public square in eastern Caracas which has been a stronghold for anti-government protesters.
Some 600 security forces swept into Altamira Square on Monday, saying several arrests have been made.
The Venezuelan government claims many of the protesters were given 5-thousand bolivars, or just under 800-US dollars, per week to generate violence and vandalism in the area.
While the Venezuelan side hasn't explicitly said where it believes the money is coming from, the government of Nicholas Maduro has pointed the finger at US officials for inciting the unrest.
Since the protests in Venezuela began over a month ago, 28-people have been killed and over 400-others injured.
Demonstrators have accused the Maduro government of marginalizing the country's middle-class in an attempt to appease its low-income supporters.
 
 
Achievements and challenges for China's wildlife protection effort
 
Anchor:
As part of the recently-concluded "two sessions," members of the CPPCC, including former basketball star Yao Ming and actor Jackie Chan have issued calls for the better protection of wildlife both here in China and beyond.
For the past few years, more and more celebrity advocates have been coming forward to try to further the cause of wildlife protection here in China.
For more on the achievements being made, CRI's Catherine Xu spoke earlier with Andrew Wetzler, Director of the Endangered Species Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Back anchor:
That was Andrew Wetzler, Director of the Endangered Species Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council, speaking with CRI's Catherine Xu.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Relief that sanctions imposed by the US and EU have failed to touch on Russia's vital economic interests helped global stock markets power ahead on Monday.
U.S. stocks climbed, as concerns eased over the situation in Crimea, while economic data indicates the US economy is improving after a winter slowdown.
The Dow gained 1.1 percent.
The S&P 500 rose 1 percent, while the Nasdaq added 0.8 percent.
Meanwhile, Shares in Sina surged on Monday after the company's subsidiary, the Weibo social media network, filed paperwork late last week to list shares in New York.
Yahoo is benefiting once again from its stake in China's hottest Internet company, Alibaba Group. Investors latched on to Yahoo in anticipation of a huge windfall from Alibaba's initial public offering later this year.
Canada's S&P/TSX ended flat.
Over in Europe, financial market reactions are suggesting most investors think the sanctions the US and EU are imposing on Russian and Ukrainian individuals are fairly minimal and unlikely to trigger to a big response.
That sentiment appears to be holding in Moscow as well, where the main RTS index spiked 4.9 percent on Monday.
Moscow Exchange spokesperson Nikita Bekasov.
"We can see the positive dynamic of the stock market from the first minutes of trading. Moreover, we saw the positive dynamic already on Friday after a substantial fall by five percent versus Thursday's closing. So that fall was recovered already on Friday. Now we're back to the levels of the middle of last week, and the positive dynamic is continuing so far. The volatility index has decreased, the volatility on the market is still high, but is still lower than in the previous few weeks."
Elsewhere in Europe, the FTSE 100 closed up 1.4 percent.
Germany's DAX rose 1.2 percent.
The CAC-40 in France ended 1.3 percent higher.
 
 
First trading day smooth with wider band
 
The China Foreign Exchange Trading System says the first day of trading on Monday with a wider trading range for the Renminbi went smoothly.
The central parity of the Renminbi increased 25-basis points against the U.S. dollar on Monday, while the spot market ended the trading day 0.75-percent lower.
The movement, well under the new 2-percent daily limit, is in line with market expectations.
The People's Bank of China widened the yuan's daily trading band from 1-percent to 2-percent starting yesterday.
Chinese banks can exchange the yuan in the foreign exchange spot market at 2 percent above or below the central parity each trading day.
The PBOC has been gradually raising the yuan's daily trading limit, from 0.3 percent in 1994 to 0.5 percent in 2007 and 1 percent in 2012 to the latest 2 percent.
 
 
Call-in China's new plan targets quality urbanization
 
Anchor:
New questions about cost are being raised following the release of the Chinese government's new urbanization strategy this week.
Under the so-called, National New-Type Urbanization Plan, the authorities hope to see the urban population increase from its current level of 53.7-percent to 60-percent by 2020.
The plan also calls for the construction of green cities, using ecological advancements in urban development to create both green production and consumption.
The new broad-based outline has not detailed any costs.
However, most observers expect the goals will require hundreds of billions of yuan in investment to achieve the government's overall vision.
For more on the new urbanization initiative, we are now joined live with Gao Shang, analyst with Guangtong Futures.
1, Will this plan stimulate investment in China?
2, What does the plan have impact on China's stock markets? On Monday, Chinese shares rallied on urbanization expectations.
3, China's Premier Li Keqiang has announced that the government is expecting the economy to expand at the rate of 7.5% this year. But there are worries about the pace of growth in the Chinese economy, after the country's exports dropped by 18% in February from the previous year,
Does this plan drive China's economy to grow in the long term?
Back to Anchor:
That was Gao Shang, analyst with Guangtong Futures.
 
 
China Developer With 3.5 Billion Yuan Debt Said to Collapse
 
It's being reported a Chinese real estate developer holding some 3.5 billion yuan worth of debt has collapsed, and its largest shareholder detained.
The reports are suggesting Zhejiang Xingrun Real Estate doesn't have enough cash to repay its creditors, who include more than 15 banks.
China Construction Bank holds more than 1 billion yuan worth of the company's debt.
Zhejiang Xingrun's majority shareholder and his son, its legal representative, have been detained and face charges of illegal fundraising.
It's being reported the assets of the company have shrunk by 1.4 billion yuan in recent years due to declining land prices in the city of Fenghua in Zhejiang.
 
 
China, S.Korea start 10th FTA talks
 
China and South Korea have begun their 10th round of negotiations connected to a potential bilateral free trade agreement.
The Chinese delegation to the talks in Seoul says the new round of talks are focused on goods, services and investment, rules of origin, technical barriers, intellectual property rights and other related issues.
The fresh round of negotiations is set to run through Friday.
South Korea and China completed the first stage of the talks in early September.
Seoul and Beijing have tentatively agreed to abolish tariffs on 90-percent of all products, and have opened the door for raising the threshold during this current second-phase of negotiations.
China is South Korea's largest trading partner, with Seoul's exports to Beijing accounting for a quarter of its overall total in 2012.
 
 
Chinese companies earn locomotive contracts in S. Africa
 
South Africa's ageing freight rail network is set to get a thousand new trains in a 4.7 billion US dollars investment.
More than half of the trains will be manufactured by Chinese companies CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive and CNR Rolling Stock South Africa.
GE South Africa and Bombardier Transportation South Africa are supplying the rest.
The trains will be run by Transnet, South Africa's state-owned freight transport company.
Most of the trains will be built in South Africa.
The investment represents the country's single biggest corporate infrastructure purchase.
 
 
Eurozone inflation falls to 0.7% in February
 
New data shows inflation in the euro area has fallen to 0.7-percent in February, down from 0.8-percent in January.
The rate of inflation is well below the European Central Bank's target of just below 2-percent.
Despite this, the European Central Bank still expects inflation to gradually increase to 1-percent this year before eventually reaching its target of 2-percent in 2016.
The ECB is also forecasting a gradual increase in economic growth in the eurozone to 1.8-percent by 2016.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Putin recognizes Crimea as sovereign and independent state
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to recognize Crimea as a sovereign and independent state.
The move follows an official declaration of Crimean independence from Ukraine following a Sunday referendum which has seen nearly 97-percent vote in-favor of seceding.
The Crimean parliament has since sent a formal request to Moscow to join the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to address the Russian Federal Assembly later on this Tuesday in connection with the request by Crimea to join the Federation.
Ukrainian authorities in Kiev have dismissed the Crimean referendum as "illegal," saying it violates Ukraine's constitution.
For its part, the Chinese government says its maintaining an objective and fair position when it comes to the situation, calling for a political solution through dialogue as soon as possible.
 
 
Chinese premier asks Malaysia to provide more detailed, accurate info on MH370
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been discussing the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak.
Li Keqiang has asked the Malaysian side to provide more detailed information about the missing plane in a "timely, accurate and comprehensive" manner.
China so far has dispatched over 10 vessels, several aircraft and mobilized 21 satellites to take part in the search.
For his part, Najib Razak says the Malaysian side is doing its best to deal with the situation.
He has also promised to provide better services to the families of Chinese passengers aboard the missing plane both in Beijing and in Kuala Lumpur.
 
 
Chinese, U.S. presidents to meet in Netherlands
 
The Chinese government has confirmed President Xi Jinping is set to attend a Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands later on this month.
Nuclear Security Summit is set to be held on the 24th and 25th.
Xi Jinping is also expected to meet with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the meetings.
The bilateral meeting will be the first between the two Presidents this year.
Xi Jinping is also due to travel to France, Germany, and Belgium during his trip, which will see him make stops at the headquarters of both the European Union and UNESCO.
 
 
Tough political decisions needed in "challenging" Mideast talks: Obama
 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sat down for talks with US President Barack Obama at the White House.
Obama has told Abbas it will require "tough" political decisions and risks to achieve peace in, what he has described as, "challenging" Israeli-Palestinian talks.
For his part, Abbas has told Obama the Palestinian side is working for a solution "based on international legitimacy."
 
 
First trading day smooth with wider band
 
The China Foreign Exchange Trading System says the first day of trading on Monday with a wider trading range for the Renminbi went smoothly.
The central parity of the Renminbi increased 25-basis points against the U.S. dollar on Monday, while the spot market ended the trading day 0.75-percent lower.
The movement, well under the new 2-percent daily limit, is in line with market expectations.
The People's Bank of China widened the yuan's daily trading band from 1-percent to 2-percent starting yesterday.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DIALY
Headline
Returning students Job fair
Summary
A job fair for graduates and scholars returning from overseas is set to be put on by the Ministry of Education on March 29th.
Officials say a total of 120 universities, companies and organizations will participate in the job fair, providing more than a thousand positions for those returning from overseas.
Foreign-funded companies and joint ventures are said to account for about a quarter of the 120 participants.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Medical equipment safety checks
Summary
China's Food and Drug Administration is planning a nationwide safety campaign to check the manufacture, sales and use of medical devices.
A senior CFDA official says the five-month probe will focus on fake certificates, illegal manufacturing and sales, false advertising claims and the use of unapproved products.
Products for external use, such as contact lenses, hearing aids and various reagents, will also be the focus of the probe.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Metro Line 10 expansion
Summary
Construction of the second phase of Shanghai's Metro Line 10 is now scheduled to begin this year.
The just-over 10-kilometer section of the line will run from New Jiangwan Town Station to the Jilong Road Station through the Free Trade Zone in Pudong.
Other stations will open along the route.
Construction of the new section is expected to take 3.5-years to finish.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Gelatin probe
Summary
China's food and drug watchdog is launching an investigation into illicit gelatin products.
This follows media reports that certain companies have been using gelatin made from industrial waste leather to produce food and drug capsules.
The administration has sent in work teams for on-site inspections.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
JD.com teams up with convenience stores
Summary
JD.com, the second-largest business-to-customer e-commerce company here in China, has teamed up with more than 10-thousand convenience stores from 15 cities across the country.
The idea is to leverage JD's online experience in the offline world.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Delays in Family Planning changes
Summary
Planned reforms to the family planning policies in Guangdong have been delayed.
Local authorities say the policy is still "under the process of getting approval."
XIAOXIANG MORNING POST
Headline
Millions exposed to unsafe drinking water
Summary
A new report released by China's environment authorities are suggesting an estimated 280 million people are using unsafe drinking water in this country.
The survey has found that 110 million people are living less than a kilometer away from at least one industrial site with pollution concerns.
The report is calling for better environmental health monitoring in this country's high-risk areas.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Online advertising regulation
 
Anchor:
With concerns rising over the security of personal information transmitted online, industrial standards for internet advertising in China have now taken effect.
CRI's Li Dong has the details.
Reporter:
The standards created by the China Internet Association require that the collection, use, transfer and sharing of user information stick to mutual agreements and abide by laws and regulations.
Websites are required to make it clear to users when they are collecting and using information and notify users in a timely manner for privacy protection. Sensitive information can only be collected after the user agrees, according to the standards.
The association says that, unlike traditional advertising, online ads can target special groups of users based on their online behavior, which can be recorded and analyzed, which has evoked concerns over privacy.
Xiao Zhou often shops online. She says sometimes, she is surprised to see her search results on shopping portals pop up on other websites.
"Sometimes, I found the search result I just used pop out on another website. I think there's some link beneath these websites; they may steal your QQ or cell phone number, because using your personal information to register a 'whatever' account is common nowadays."
The industrial standard was made in a bid to protect consumers' privacy. But Xiao Zhou says people can't totally rely on an executive regulation to protect their privacy.
"Relying only on an executive order to protect your privacy is impossible. I think, in an internet era, you should raise your awareness of protecting your privacy. If you scan a QR code wherever you can, like buying beverages at a vending machine, just because it's convenient, just because it saves you one yuan, you are actually putting your personal privacy at risk."
According to the association, mainstream internet companies, advertising firms, and third-party corporations have also participated in creating the standards.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Xinjiang and Beijing gear up for start of final series tomorrow night
 
In basketball,
Tomorrow night the CBA playoffs continue as Xinjiang and the Beijing Ducks go head to head in the first game of their final series.
The first two games are road games for the Ducks, which will be a challenge. Teams usually play better at home, but it is especially so for Beijing.
The final series is best of seven, so the two teams will be back in Beijing for games 3 and 4 later this week.
In this morning's NBA action,
Philadelphia vs. Indiana
Atlanta vs. charlotte
Phoenix vs. Brooklyn
Tipping off at 8am its Oklahoma City vs. Chicago, and Utah visits the Houston Rockets.
Dallas hosts the Boston Celtics at 8:30, and at 10:30 the LA Clippers are on the road at Denver.
 
 
Wins for Nepal and Ireland in qualifying matches for ICC Twenty20 World Cup
 
In cricket,
Qualifying matches for the World Twenty20 World Cup are underway in Bangaldesh, as teams try to make it into the main draw before tournament play begins this weekend.
Ireland scraped past Zimbabwe with a last-ball three wicket win in their opening qualifying match.
Ireland top Group A after that victory and still have to blast through the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates to make it into the tournament's main draw.
Meanwhile, Nepal defeated Hong Kong by 80 runs in their opening Group A game. The matchup was the first time two Associate Nations played each other at a World T20 tournament.
Tournament play begins this weekend. England will open their campaign against New Zealand on Saturday.
Captain Stuart Broad is highly confident about both his squad's prospects despite a growing injury list that includes himself, Joe Root and all-rounder Ben Stokes.
"In Twenty20 cricket, you need key guys to stand up and deliver. We've got some match winners in our side by the likes of (Eoin) Morgan, Buttler, the power they have, Alex Hales, and recently has been named the number one T20 batsman in the world, so we got the guys who can perform, which is exciting because as they say test match cricket I've always believed you need eight or nine guys to have a really good game to win a test match. T20 you need 2 or 3 max. So, we certainly got opportunities here and the guys are excited about what we can do."
One person who is not excited about the upcoming World Cup is Dutch cricketer Tim Gruitjers, who took to social media to accuse the Netherlands Cricket Board of cheating after he lost his place on the national squad.
Gruitjers was replaced by Australian-born all-rounder Tom Cooper, and he was not thrilled about that decision and said so in a Youtube video.
"Hello, my name is Timothy Gruitjers I would have played in the Dutch cricket team had it not been for the fact that the Dutch coaching staff decided to bend the rules,　act against the spirit of cricket and basically cheat. Let me give you the facts."
The angry cricketer describes how the Dutch coaching staff forced him to undergo medical scan that showed a back injury and then he was omitted from the squad.
The Netherlands team manager responded that the coaching staff had been tracking his injury for weeks and had doubts about his mobility from early March.
 
 
Galatasary prepares for UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea
 
In football,
Turkish side Galatasary will face Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League round of 1 tie.
Manager Roberto Mancini's side go in as the underdogs, but he said they've already managed to get through a tough group that contained Real Madrid, Juventus, and FC Copenhagen… so beating Chelsea isn't out of the realm of possibility.
"I think we did a miracle in the group because it was really difficult to go through in that group. Now we are here we know that it's really difficult because Chelsea is one of the best teams in Europe but in football never say never. Anything can happen if you believe in yourself and we want to do a good job tomorrow. After, they may beat us because they are better but we want to try."
Galatasaray's talented forward Didier Drogba actually used to play for Chelsea, and looks forward to seeing his former teammates and fans so much so that the Ivory Coast international said he would tone down the theatrics if he happens to score.
"With all the respect that I have for this club, for the fans and the players, I might not celebrate, but if we win I will be happy."
The first leg in Istanbul ended 1-1 and if Galatasaray pulls of the upset, they will progress to the quarterfinals.
Also preparing for second leg matches tomorrow are Manchester United and Olympiacos, Dortmund and Zenit, and Real Madrid and Schalke.
 
 
Mark Cavendish wins stage six of Tierrno-Adriatico
 
In cycling,
British rider Mark Cavendish won the sixth and penultimate stage of the Tierrno-Adriatico race. Spain's Alberto Contador is still the man to catch, as he retains the overall lead: two minutes and eight seconds ahead of second place Nairo Quintana.
A nasty crash brought down several Lotto-Belisol riders and Cavendish and his Omega Pharma-Quickstep teammates took advantage of a generous gap at the front of the final straight.
That was Cavendish's 111th career stage win and sets him up as one of the favourites for Sunday's Milan-San Remo classic.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Prince and Zooey Deschanel release full-length "New Girl" duet
 
(New Girl)
Those who have seen the episode of "New Girl" which featured Prince as a guest star have already gotten a taste of Zooey Deschanel and The Purple One's funky duet. Now, the two artists have recorded and released a full-length track titled "FALLINLOVE2NIGHT."
In the episode where the song made its initial appearance, Deschanel's character is invited to a mansion party thrown by Prince where a string of misadventures leads to Prince dishing out relationship advice.
The episode aired immediately after the NFL Super Bowl this year and brought in a whopping 25.8 million viewers. "FALLINLOVE2NIGHT" is available on the app iHeartRADIO.
 
 
US Congressman visits Hemingway estate
 
US congressman James McGovner and his delegation on Monday visited Ernest Hemingway's former home near Havana.
The trip was a celebration of a joint US-Cuban effort to preserve and digitise the Nobel Prize-winning author's personal effects.
McGovern attributes Hemingway as a bridge between the two nations.
The Nobel prize winner lived in the so-called Lookout Farm a top a hill overlooking the Cuban capital from 1930 to 1960.
Historians have sought to preserve the house as it was left shortly before his suicide in 1961.
Today, stuffed animal heads remain mounted to the walls and half-full liquor bottles litter the tables as they were left more than half a century ago.
Hemingway's fourth and last wife, Mary Welsh Hemingway, donated the estate to the Cuban government in 1961, just after the author committed suicide in his Ketchum, Idaho, home.
American and Cuban experts are collaborating on the restoration and preservation of 2,000 letters, 3,000 personal photographs and unfinished works found in the basement of the property.
 
 
Sienna Miller in talks for American Sniper
 
Whilst her career has taken a bit of a nose dive during the last decade, Sienna Miller could be coming back with a punch.
The actress is said to have edged out contenders, including Kate Mara and Jaimie Anderson, for a starring role in the eagerly anticipated "American Sniper".
Based on the best-selling memoir of US record-holding sniper Chris Kyle, who will be played by Bradley Cooper.
Miller is tapped for the part of his wife and the movie will be helmed by no other than screen legend Clint Eastwood.
Production is set to start as of next month.
 
 
"The Monuments Men" to hit Chinese screens soon
 
(Monuments)
"The Monuments Men" is coming to China!
Again seen wearing too many hats at once, George Clooney is on hand as writer, director, producer and actor in this historical flick.
It is based on the book. "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History".
The film follows a group from the Allies responsible for rescuing famous works of art from the Nazis.
Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Cate Blanchett round up the glittering cast.
"The Monuments Men" open across China on March 28th.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially recognized Crimea as an independent state following this week's controversial referendum.
Chinese authorities are pressing their Malaysian counterparts for more timely information as the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight enters its 11th day.
The government has confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet with US President Barack Obama later on this month in Europe.
In Business... the 2nd day of expanded trading of the Renminbi is upon us following a relatively calm first day through Monday.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.