新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/03/31

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

 
Shane Bigham with you on this Monday, March 31st, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has resumed, with crews scrambling to find it before the black box recorder's locator battery dies...
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Belgium, where he marked the opening of a new panda exhibit with the country's king...
And the central government says it will not accept arbitration regarding a territorial dispute with the Philippines, which has filed a formal plea to an international tribunal
In Business... China Railway Express is launching a new courier service between 20 cities...
In sports... The Beijing Ducks have captured another CBA title...
In entertainment... we'll check out Nikolodeon's 27rh annual award show
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy today, with a high of 19 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 10.
Shanghai will be overcast, the high of 16, and a low of 11 in the night.
Chongqing will be overcast with a high of 17.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 13.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 28.
Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 18.
Over to North America.
New York will see slight rain today with a high of 17 degrees.
Washington will be sunny, the high of 10 degrees.
Houston, Texas will be cloudy on Monday with a high of 26.
Honolulu, cloudy, 27.
Toronto, Canada, will be sunny with a high of 10 degree.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 22.
And Rio de Janeiro will see moderate rain with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.
 
 
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TIMECHECK
 
 
Top News
 
 
Search for Malaysia Airlines flight continue
 
Anchor:
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight continues, with international crews racing to locate the plane's black box recorder, days before its batteries are set to die.
CRI's Tu Yun has more.
Reporter:
Ten planes and eight ships scanned the search area in the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday, in the most intensive day of searching so far during the operation.
Australian authorities say several objects were spotted by its aircraft. Some have already been ruled out but there remains at least four objects of interest.
Lieutenant Russell Adams is with the Royal Australian Air Force.
"We were able to detect many objects in the water today, we were able to rule a few out as fishing buoys and fishing nets. However, of interest today we did encounter an area within approximately 500 nautical miles, included at least four orange coloured objects, greater than approximately 2 meters in size each. I must stress that we can't confirm the origin of these objects, however the details of these in association with a GPS buoy have been passed on to our rescue coordination centre."
He says the origin of the objects cannot be verified until they have been recovered.
On Saturday, a number of objects were retrieved by Chinese and Australian vessels, but later proved to be fishing equipment and other flotsam.
A total of seven Chinese ships are participating in the ongoing search for evidence of the missing flight.
An Australian vessel carrying a sophisticated U.S. black box locator and an underwater drone is expected to join the search in the coming days.
The black box locator is designed to detect ultrasonic signals from flight recorders and can operate up to a depth of about 6,000 meters.
The flight recorder's batteries are expected to run out in about a week's time.
Meantime, a new group of relatives of some of the missing Chinese passengers has arrived in Kuala Lumpur.
The relatives are calling on Malaysian authorities to release all related search data, and are demanding an apology for saying the plane "ended" in the Indian Ocean, a conclusion they call 'hasty.'
Wen Wanchang is the father of one of the passengers.
"They have not provided evidence that the plane went down in the sea. What we want is evidence. We know there were signals being sent by at least four transmitters, even this they cannot provide as proof. On what grounds are they saying the plane went down in the sea?"
The families are also calling for a meeting with aircraft manufacturers and service providers.
Earlier, Malaysian authorities said the search for survivors will continue.
Malaysia Airlines also says it will send family members to Perth once it has been confirmed that the wreckage of the missing flight is found.
The MH370 disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur more than three weeks ago.
Two-thirds of the passengers aboard the plane were Chinese.
Today's search will resume subject to weather conditions.
Strong gales are forecast in the next two days with big waves and low visibility in the search site west of Australia.
For CRI, I'm Tu Yun.
 
 
Chinese, Belgian heads of state launch panda house in local zoo
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Belgium, the last leg of his current four-nation European tour.
The Chinese president's Belgium visit has included a stop at a zoo in the country, where Xi Jinping and King Philippe observed the opening of a new panda house.
The move is seen as a display of friendship between the two countries.
The pandas were sent to Belgium from Sichuan province last month, as part of a joint research project involving scientists from both countries.
Hao Hao, the female, and Xing Hui, the male, are both four years old. They will stay in the country for the next 15 years.
Pandas are considered envoys of friendship, and President Xi says their arrival in Belgium has demonstrated the Chinese people's deep feelings for the Belgian people.
Xi Jinping's visit to Belgium is the first by a Chinese head-of-state in 27 years.
 
 
Xi Jinping wraps up German visit with economic highlights
 
Anchor:
Earlier, the Chinese leader wrapped up a three-day visit in Germany by speaking on the highlights of Sino-German economic cooperation.
Yin Xiuqi has the details.
Reporter:
President Xi Jinping concluded his German visit after touring the city of Duisburg and presenting a keynote speech at a gathering of German business leaders in Dusseldorf.
During his visit to Duisburg, the world's biggest inland harbor, Xi Jinping called on China and Germany to work together to build a modern-day Silk Road economic belt. The Silk Road refers to an ancient trade route connecting China and central Asia and Europe.
He said China's proposal to establish the Silk Road economic belt aims to better connect the Asian and European markets.
He noted that China and Germany, which are located at the opposite ends of the belt, are two major economies currently serving as the driving engines for economic growth in Asia and Europe respectively.
The two countries are now linked by the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe international railway with Duisburg acting as its European terminus.
The Chinese president witnessed the arrival of a cargo train at the railway station in Duisburg from the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing.
He expressed his hope that the Port of Duisburg would play a bigger role in both China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation.
While addressing a gathering of business people in Dusseldorf, Xi Jinping called on them to seize the opportunities arising from the envisaged greater Sino-German economic cooperation in the coming years.
"Economic and trade ties are the cornerstones and propellers of China-Germany relations. Multiple cooperation documents have been inked between Chinese and German authorities, which are a major positive signal to the enterprises of both countries. These deals will further promote economic cooperation, trade exchanges and mutual investment, and play an exemplary role in furthering economic and trade ties between China and Europe."
Xi Jinping said that the coming five to ten years will be a crucial period of reform and development for China and Germany, as the two countries seek to grow and achieve progress together.
The Chinese leader's remarks were echoed by Sigmar Gabriel, Vice German Chancellor and Minister of Economics and Energy.
"Let me make it clear, Germany and Europe are as open as ever to investment from Chinese enterprises. We are willing to try our best to help Chinese enterprises better position themselves in Germany."
During the Chinese leader's visit in Germany, the two nations signed a string of deals, including a memorandum of understanding for establishing an RMB clearing and settlement mechanism in Frankfurt.
Currently, Germany is China's largest trading partner in Europe, while China is Germany's largest partner in the Asia-Pacific region.
Official figures showed that bilateral trade between the two countries reached over $190 billion US dollars last year.
For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.
 
 
China insists on bilateral talks on disputes on South China Sea
 
China is again urging the Philippines to stick to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and return to the path of bilateral talks in resolving disputes.
The statement comes after the Philippines filed a formal plea to an international tribunal regarding a territorial dispute over the Nansha Islands.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says in a written statement that China will not accept the international arbitration filed by the Philippines.
He says China holds a clear and consistent stance that it has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and adjacent waters.
Hong says China has always adhered to direct bilateral negotiations with relevant countries to solve disputes regarding sovereignty over islands and maritime demarcation.
He says the position is in line with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and ASEAN nations as well as the consensus reached by China and the Philippines in a series of documents.
The spokesman notes the direct cause of the disputes between China and the Philippines on the South China Sea is that the Philippines illegally occupied some Chinese islets.
Over the weekend, the Philippines sent a supply ship with journalists on board to the Ren'ai Reef off China's Nansha Islands.
The Philippines grounded a warship near the Reef in 1999 and refused to retrieve the ship.
In a recent statement, the Philippine side claimed that the stranded warship has served as a permanent installation since 1999.
The Philippines has also repeatedly attempted to deliver construction materials to build on the reef, in order to intensify and expand its military presence.
Hong Lei says the Philippines' action cannot change the fact that China has sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and China's stance is in full compliance with international law.
 
 
North threatens "new form" of nuclear test
 
North Korea says it will not rule out a new form of nuclear test to bolster its nuclear deterrence.
The statement, released by the Foreign Ministry and read out on state television, says the Korean People's Army will take part in new drills which will involve more diversified nuclear deterrence.
"Now that the US is staging ceaseless nuclear war exercises by mobilising all types of nuclear strike means aimed at 'occupying Pyongyang' while describing the exercises as 'annual ones,' the Korean People's Army drills will involve various forms of exercises in which more diversified nuclear deterrence will be used for hitting various medium and long-range targets with a variety of striking power."
Earlier, the United Nations Security Council said North Korea violated UN resolutions after launching two medium-range ballistic missiles off the east coast of the country.
The missile launch comes as U.S. and South Korean troops start annual military drills.
 
 
Turkey's ruling party takes lead in local elections
 
Turkey's ruling Justice and Development party, or AKP, has reportedly taken a strong lead in the country's municipal election.
Voting was held on Sunday.
Turkish media report that with around 35 percent of the votes counted, the AKP stands at nearly 48 percent, while the main opposition Republican People's Party holds 28 percent.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the elections amount to a referendum on his rule.
"Our people will tell the truth above anything else. And beyond what's talked about in the public squares, what will be decisive, is what the people will say. In my opinion, what the people say goes. The people's decision is respected. Anything outside of this, one way or another, will be recorded only in history, once the results from the polls are in tonight.."
The elections come as the ruling AKP government has faced corruption allegations.
Four ministers have resigned following anti-corruption raids in December targeting businessmen close to Erdogan and sons of ministers.
Erdogan has called the raids as a campaign of espionage to topple him.
The elections are seen as a key test for Erdogan ahead of presidential elections in August and parliamentary elections next year.
Official results are due to be out later today.
 
 
Technology helps to ensure more accurate economic census data
 
Anchor:
China's third national economic census is now in its final day of registration after the completion of a three-month long fieldwork data collection project.
CRI's XYee finds out how technology has been used to carry out the most accurate check-up to date on the world's second largest economy.
Reporter:
Nearly 3 million statisticians have been knocking on the doors of some 10 million companies and 60 million private businesses across the country for the past three months.
These data collectors had been sent on a government mission to record the ownership details, staff sizes, balance books, production volumes and research and development activities of every one of those businesses.
Dubbed as the most comprehensive check-up of the country's economy to-date, ensuring accuracy was key to producing credible and usable data results.
"Right now I am taking a photo of this building whilst using my GPS to mark the exact location of this shop. This is to ensure that not only is the data we collect available in number form, but also that these details are also recorded photographically on a map."
Liu Ji is conducting his final on-site survey of his designated neighborhood in the Pudong district of Shanghai.
He is using a piece of equipment called a portable data assistant, or PDA that has been dished out to every one of the three million statisticians to assist their work.
The PDA, which can take in every piece of information needed, is connected to a centralized database through the internet.
At the same time, it features both GPS and mapping software, as well as a three-D camera, much like the Google Earth service.
Cheng Wensheng, director at the provincial Bureau of Statistics in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous region, explains why the third census is much more credible.
"First of all, by employing the PDA device we make sure that the business being surveyed exists. Secondly, we make sure that the surveyor was on-site and actually conducted the survey himself. These two aspects guarantee that the data we collected is verifiable and accurate."
Ensuring the surveyor has done his job is one thing, making sure the business being surveyed provides accurate data is another.
The two previous censuses often encountered problems with data being fabricated or in some cases, survey conductors being shunned by business owners.
Many of the businesses in these cases were found to have been trying to hide activities relating to tax fraud or concealed business earnings.
Xu Yifan, director general of the national economic census under the State Council, stresses that all business information gathered in the survey will be safely held within the database.
"Firstly, the information we obtain through the census will not be distributed to any third party or used for any purpose other than research and analysis. It is illegal to use this information as evidence to prosecute a business. In addition, the surveyors will be held legally accountable if they leak the data, particularly confidential business information, to a third party."
Additionally, the third national economic census also includes energy consumption and employee salary information for some cities and regions.
This data will be crucial for assisting the government in its drive to carry out economic reforms aimed at improving the country's economic development pattern, as well as people's livelihoods.
The census data will be processed in the next three months.
The first analysis of the data will come out in late June, after which it may be used for other purposes.
For CRI, I am XYee.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
This week is going to be big for economy, for two reasons.
The first is that the first week of the month is always big in terms of the calendar for economic data.
On April 1st, we'll get PMI manufacturing numbers from all over the world, giving us the latest on what's happening in China, Europe and the US, not to mention several other key emerging markets like Russia, Turkey and Brazil.
Throughout the week there's other top-shelf data that will tell us about the state of the labor market, including car sales and initial jobless numbers in the US. And then on Friday we'll have the US jobs report and the latest non-farm payroll data for March.
And here's where we get into the second big reason you should pay attention this week: we're about to start finding out how much the winter weather really contributed to the slowdown of data in the US.
If the data keeps coming in poor, it will raise troubling questions about what is going on economically. Or we might see a spring pickup and a return of the growth story.
On Tuesday, the World Economic Forum holds its Latin American Forum in Panama City.
Wednesday will see China release its HSBC services PMI
On Thursday, 80 national delegations will attend the EU-Africa summit in Brussels with the theme of "investing in people, prosperity and peace."
On Friday, we'll expect Russia's CPI figure.
 
 
CRE to launch courier services
 
China's leading logistics company, China Railway Express, or CRE, is planning to launch courier services via high-speed rail in 20 cities, including Beijing, Shenyang and Zhengzhou starting from Tuesday.
It's being reported that the charge for same-day delivery is at 130 yuan for the first kilogram.
That is 20 Yuan cheaper than the same service provided by private courier SF Express.
25 yuan will be charged for each additional kilo.
For next-day delivery, CRE's cost will be 17 yuan for the first kilo and 10 yuan per ­additional kilo.
China's express delivery industry realized revenue of 144 billion yuan, or some 23 billion US dollars, for the past year.
 
 
China, Britain sign RMB trading deal
 
Anchor:
The U.K. has made a deal with China to appoint an RMB clearing bank in London, aiming to attract more Chinese investments and create more jobs.
The People's Bank of China and the Bank of England will sign an agreement on RMB clearing and settlement in London today.
The UK was the first G7 country to agree to an RMB swap line with the PBOC, and the agreement on clearing and settlement arrangements is the first outside Asia.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of Economics and Business.
Questions:
---Besides the increase in yuan transaction volume, what other advantages will an official clearing bank bring for both sides?
---How long do you estimate it will be before Chinese tourists can complete payments using yuan in UK department stores?
---How much demand is there for investing in the Chinese financial market via RMB in UK?
---How much of the impact will this have on the yuan's recognition globally and the acceleration of its internationalization?
Back Anchor:
Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of Economics and Business.
 
 
CNOOC posts 11% drop in 2013 net profit
 
CNOOC, China's top offshore oil producer, posted an 11 percent decline in 2013 net profit, as weakening crude prices and higher operating costs hurt earnings.
Net profit fell to around 56 billion yuan last year from nearly 64 billion yuan in 2012.
But its revenue rose 16 percent to exceed 280 billion yuan.
CNOOC said its operating expenses surged 40 percent to 30 billion yuan last year because of the Nexen acquisition and higher costs for some new projects.
It plans to bring seven to 10 new projects on stream this year.
In January, CNOOC said it would keep its goal of 6-10 percent average growth in annual output from 2011 to 2015.
 
 
CCB announces 2013 profit gains
 
China Construction Bank, one of the country's Big Four banks, has posted a 9.2 percent increase in net profit for the final three months of 2013.
Its net profit rose to nearly 40 billion yuan from 35 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012.
For the full year, net profit surpassed 210 billion yuan from around 190 billion yuan in 2012.
CCB's non-performing loan ratio rose slightly to 0.99 percent from 0.98 percent three months earlier.
 
 
Bank of Communications 2013 net profit up 7%
 
The Bank of Communications is reporting its net profit has risen 7% from a year earlier.
Net profit of China's fifth-largest lender has come in at 62 billion yuan for the past year.
That's up 4 billion yuan from a year ago.
Net interest income rose 9% on the year to a little over 130 billion yuan.
Fee and commission income rose 24% to 30 billion.
The net interest margin narrowed to 2.5 percent in 2013 from 2.59 percent a year earlier.
The bank's nonperforming loan ratio rose to just above 1% at the end of last year.
 
 
GM recalls 824,000 more vehicles
 
US auto giant General Motors is recalling another 824 thousand vehicles in its home country.
The additional recalls include models sold between 2008-2011.
GM says it will replace the ignition switch in all affected US model years of its Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Pontiac G5, Solstice, and Saturn Ion and Sky. The concern is that faulty switches may have been used during previous repairs.
GM last month recalled 1.6 million vehicles world-wide to fix faulty ignition switches that have been linked to a dozen deaths.
GM also recently recalled some 1.7 million vans, sport-utility vehicles, and Cadillac luxury cars to fix a variety of problems
GM has recalled more than 3.3 million vehicles world-wide since mid-February, with the majority of those sold in the U.S.
 
 
Japan prices rise for ninth month ahead of tax increase
 
Consumer prices in Japan increased by 1.3% in February year on year, making that nine consecutive months of gains.
The figure met analysts' expectations, but is still well below Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's inflation target of 2%.
Japanese consumer spending also slowed ahead of a planned tax increase in April.
When the tax increase comes into effect tomorrow, sales tax on everyday goods will increase from 5% to 8%.
A separate release revealed that Japan's jobless rate fell to 3.6% - the lowest rate in six years.
Official figures also showed that household spending posted a surprise decline of 2.5% in February.
Retail sales in Japan increased by 3.6% in February, which is slower than the 4.4% growth in January.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
MH370 Search
 
The search for missing flight MH370 has resumed, but crews are scrambling to find the missing Malaysia Airlines jet before the batteries run out on the black-box recorder.
Ten planes and eight ships scanned the search area in the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday, in the most intensive day of searching so far during the operation.
Australian authorities say several objects were spotted by its aircraft. Some have already been ruled out but there remains at least four objects of interest.
On Saturday, a number of objects were retrieved by Chinese and Australian vessels, but later proved to be fishing equipment and other flotsam.
An Australian vessel carrying a sophisticated U.S. black box locator and an underwater drone is expected to join the search in the coming days.
The black box locator is designed to detect ultrasonic signals from flight recorders and can operate up to a depth of about 6,000 meters.
The flight recorder's batteries are expected to run out in about a week's time.
 
 
Xi Jinping in Belgium
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has observed the opening of a new panda exhibit at a zoo in Belgium.
The president is on the final leg of his four-nation European tour.
The pandas were sent to Belgium from Sichuan province last month, as part of a joint research project involving scientists from both countries.
The move is seen as a display of friendship between the two countries.
Hao Hao, the female, and Xing Hui, the male, are both four years old. They will stay in the country for the next 15 years.
Pandas are considered envoys of friendship, and President Xi says their arrival in Belgium has demonstrated the Chinese people's deep feelings for the Belgian people.
Xi Jinping's visit to Belgium is the first by a Chinese head-of-state in 27 years.
 
 
21 people killed in Tanzania road crash
 
A road crash in southern Tanzania has claimed 21 lives.
The accident on Saturday night also injured 9 people. Local police say a mini-bus rammed into a lorry. It was a head-on collision.
This crash follows the deaths of 12 women less than 24 hours earlier in another accident.
Roads in Tanzania claim thousands of lives every year, and most of the accidents are caused by what police term as reckless driving and bad road conditions.
 
 
8 killed, 28 injured in clashes amid Turkey local elections
 
Local elections happening across Turkey have been bloody, with violence reported in several towns and provinces.
At least 8 people were killed on Sunday, with another 28 being injured.
In one of the worst incidents, six people were killed in southern Sanliurfa Province, in a gun battle that apparently involved rival candidates and their families.
More than 52-million people in the country are eligible to vote for mayors, administrators, and city council members.
Local media says the incumbent AKP is expected to win the election, despite a recent shakeup involving an ongoing corruption investigation.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Android targeted most by malware
Summary
China's Internet security authority say malicious software for mobile phones soared in the last year, with almost all of new malware targeting the Android operating system.
Of the malicious software, over 71 percent are used to steal telephone fees.
Meanwhile, a "white list" of smartphone apps that informs mobile phone users if a particular software is safe or not was published by the Anti-Network Virus Alliance in 2013
GLOBALTIMES
Headline
E China province bans kindergartens medicating children
Summary
East China's Anhui Province has passed legislation to ban kindergartens medicating kids after recent scandals involving several Chinese kindergartens illegally feeding antiviral drugs to children.
Recently, kindergartens in Northwest China's Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, northeastern Jilin and central Hubei have admitted giving children antiviral drugs, stirring public outcry.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
City's minimum wage up by 200 yuan
Summary
The minimum wage of workers in Shanghai will be raised to 1,820 yuan per month starting next month, up 200 yuan from last year.
Meanwhile, the minimum wage per hour will be hiked to 17 yuan from 14 yuan.
Officials say the adjustment has been made based on many factors such as residents' living expenditures, consumer price index, average salary and economic development.
Shanghai's minimum wage is reportedly the highest in China's mainland.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
New police unit mulled to handle food safety crimes
Summary
Hua Jingfeng, a senior official with the Ministry of Public Security says a food and drug safety police division could be established to better supervise food and drug safety.
Hua says the new bureau, which has been planned for over a year, is still at a theoretical stage but "hopefully will have a result soon."
Under the current regulatory system, the China Food and Drug Administration is responsible for safety issues in the market while police handle cases which violate law.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
China launches campaign against guns, explosives
Summary
China's Ministry of Public Security has launched a campaign against crimes involving guns and explosives.
Authorities are urging police nationwide to check all leads so as to seize as many guns and explosives as possible.
The ministry also urges all police to monitor online forums to guard against violations involving guns and explosives.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Remains of Chinese soldiers finally home
Summary
A Chinese plane carrying the coffins of the soldiers has landed at an airport in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli attended a solemn welcome ceremony there.
Tens of thousands of Chinese People's Volunteers soldiers died on the Korean Peninsula during the Korean war, which ended in an armistice in 1953.
XIAOXIANG MORNING POST
Headline
Villager builds himself an elaborate tomb
Summary
Tan Zhiding, a 62-year-old villager from South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has spent the last 6 years building himself an elaborate tomb.
The tomb includes a pavilion, rock columns, an altar, a tomb chamber and a stone tablet - as well as calligraphy and drawings carved in the rock.
Tan is reportedly still trying to perfect his final resting place.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Chinese Overseas Tourism
 
Anchor:
China has seen a surge in outbound tourism.
Latest official figure shows a record high of 97 million Chinese citizens went abroad on holidays in 2013, an increase of 14 million compared to the previous year.
The Chinese Tourism Academy estimates that by 2020 there could be as many as 200 million Chinese tourists travelling abroad.
The number of Chinese tourists travelling abroad presents new commercial opportunities for the tourism industries of many nations.
For more on this, CRI's Nathan Wakelin-King earlier spoke to Dr. David Beirman, a tourism expert at the University of Technology, Sydney.
Anchor:
That was Nathan Wakelin-King speaking with Dr. David Beirman, a tourism expert at the University of Technology, Sydney.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Beijing captures second CBA title with a 4-2 series over Xinjiang
 
In basketball,
the Beijing Ducks have captured their second CBA title after beating the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
The final score was 98-88, with the Ducks winning the series in six games, 4-2.
Beijing's American duo of Stephon Marbury and Randolph Morris combined for 58 points.
The game had been even at 73 points each with just 8 minutes to go, but Beijing's two American imports stole the game by making some crucial buckets and building an 8 point lead, 93-85, with one and a half minutes remaining.
Morris, who poured in 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Ducks, was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2013-14 CBA finals.
Xinjiang has made to the CBA finals four times in the past.
The last three times they lost to eight-time champions Guangdong Southern Tigers.
 
 
Cleveland beat Indiana 90-76
 
In the NBA,
Three games are just wrapping up.
In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant had 31 points and dished out nine assists as the Thunder roared past the Utah Jazz 116-96.
Russell Westbrook scored 19 points, Serge Ibaka had 17 points and Caron Butler added 15 for the Thunder.
Enes Kanter had 18 points and Richard Jefferson added 17 for the Jazz, who have dropped four in a row.
Over in Cleveland, Indiana continued to slump, dropping their fifth straight road game 90-76 to the Cavaliers.
Dion Waiters scored 19 points and Luol Deng added 15 for Cleveland, who have won for the fourth time in five games and kept their play-off push going.
Later on, Golden States hosts the New York Knicks.
Memphis is on the road at Portland.
And the Los Angeles Lakers are also in action at home, waiting for the Phoenix Suns.
 
 
Napoli upset Juventus 2-0 while Liverpool usurps Chelsea atop the EPL
 
European football news,
First, a shocking result in Italian Serie A as Jose Maria Callejon and Dries Mertens scored to power Napoli to a 2-0 victory over leaders Juventus.
It's only the second loss of the entire season for Juventus, which still has an 11-point lead over second-placed Roma and is 17 points clear of Napoli.
Juve's last defeat was a 4-2 loss at Fiorentina in October.
There are seven more rounds to go in Italy's top-flight league. Juventus is almost assured to win the title, their third league title in a row.
Over in the English Premier League, Liverpool overtook Chelsea atop the table after they thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 at Anfield.
It marked the eighth successive victory for Liverpool, now two points ahead of second placed Chelsea.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers on the team's prospects of winning their first title since 1990.
Chelsea suffered a shock 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The day's other games saw third placed Manchester City held to a 1-1 draw by Arsenal, while defending champions Manchester United moved up to seventh after rallying to beat Aston Villa 4-1.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Annual Nikolodeon Awards
 
Nikolodeon's 27rh annual award show hit LA over the weekend.
Robert Downey Junior took home the award for favourite butt kicker for his role in Iron Man whilst Jennifer Lawrence took home the female equivalent.
Meanwhile One Direction swept the fan voted musical categories, scooping up favourite music group and favourite song with "Story of my Life".
(One Direction)
Elsewhere, Selena Gomez picked up the award favourite female singer.
As for Nikolodoen's first ever lifetime achievement award, that unsurprisingly went to producer Dan Schneider.
Schneider is responsible for hits including "Kenan and Kel", "The Amanda Show" with the trouble former child star Amanda Bynes as well as the wildly popularly "ICarly".
The awards show isn't much more than an excuse to slime some of today's top stars, and first-time host Wahlberg executed several slimmings putting Kaley Cuoco and Pharrell to the green stuff.
However, it was his own children that devised Wahlberg's final down fall as the actor finally fell to his own green ruin at the hands of his three young children.
 
 
Harry Potter pre-quel to turn into film trilogy
 
(Harry Potter)
Good news for Harry Potter Fans, J K Rowling's spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be made into a film trilogy.
Originally published in 2001, the book was billed as one of the famous boy wizard's text books at Hogwarts.
However, the studios have been flexing their muscles and Warner Brothers chief Kevin Tsujihara revealed in the New York Times that he has persuaded Rowling to adapt the book for the big screen.
Last month, Rowling revealed to actress Emma Watson that she completed the draft in just 12 days.
The film will be produced Harry Potter regular David Heyman, whose past work includes Alphonso Cuaron's highly acclaimed space drama "Gravity".
Rowling assures fans that the new flick will be something worth waiting for, having vowed to only return to the wizarding world if the idea was something that genuinely excited her.
The new film will be set some 7 decades before we first meet boy wizard Harry Potter.
 
 
Hugh Jackman revamps "Les Mis" song for BBC radio
 
His performance in "Les Miserables" earnt him a legion of musical fans.
Now Hugh Jackman has revamped his career defining rendition of "Who I Am I" especially for BBC Radio 1 listeners.
(Les Miserables)
The star wittily worked his alter-ego Wolverine into his role of Jean Valjean, performing the song with reworked lyrics which goes:
""Who am I/ Am I a superheroes with some claws/ Or just an actor searching for applause/ Wolverine has all the fans/ But what about Hugh Jackman/ Who am I".
Jackman will be donning his Wolverine gear once again for X-Men: Days of Future Past which hits cinemas in the UK as of 22nd May.
The latest instalment in the franchise will bring together the cast from the original trilogy, including Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, and the First Class cast as they team up to change their pasts and prevent a cataclysmic future.
 
 
Eliza Doolittle cameo in Home and Away
 
(Eliza)
British singer Eliza Doolittle is making a special appearance on a soap from down under.
The "Pack Up" singer will be making a cameo in beloved soap "Home and Away".
The storyline will see character Ricky Sharpe becoming Doolittle's official promotional photographer.
The scenes are shot in London for the first time in 12 years that the soap has travelled to the island country.
Fans in Australian will be able to spot the songstress on TV as of April 1st whilst those in the UK will be able to see the cameo on May 5th.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has resumed, with crews scrambling to find it before the black box recorder's locator battery dies...
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Belgium, where he marked the opening of a new panda exhibit with the country's king...
And the central government says it will not accept arbitration regarding a territorial dispute with the Philippines, which has filed a formal plea to an internatinoal tribunal
In Business... China Railway Express is launching a new courier service between 20 cities...
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.