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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Paul James with you this Friday, April 4, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening,
An undersea search is underway in the desperate hope of locating the black-box of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 before its battery runs out.
Philippine authorities are pointing the finger at the Abu Sayyaf militant group as being responsible for the kidnapping of a 29-year old Chinese woman this week in Malaysia.
At least one person is dead following a residential building collapse this morning in the suburbs of Ningbo in Zhejiang.
In business, a new report is suggesting Chinese banks are going to have to undergo stress-testing amid concerns about bad loans.
In sports, the battles for semi-final spots are underway at the China Open snooker tournament here in Beijing.
In entertainment, the latest film in the Marvel Comics series has hit Chinese IMAX theatres today.
Weather
Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of 8 degrees Celsius. Sunny tomorrow with a high of 21 degrees.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 10, cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 19.
Chongqing will be cloudy, 16 degrees the low, rainy tomorrow with a high of 19.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, cloudy with a high of 26.
Kabul, rainny, 13.
Over in Australia
Sydney, rainy, highs of 23.
Canberra, cloudy, 21.
Brisbane, sunny, 30.
And finally, Perth will be cloudy with a high of 30.
Top News
Sub-surface search for MH370 black box underway as more aircraft mobilized
An underwater search is now underway for the flight data recorder of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
A Chinese ship is joining an Australian submarine in the first sub-surface search for the flight's so-called black box.
Angus Houston, head of a joint agency coordinating the search in Perth, says today's search area has been refined based on updated analysis of images and other data.
"The towed pinger has been deployed today on Ocean Shield. The search is currently ongoing and of course it's not just Ocean Shield that's doing the search with a towed pinger but HMS Echo, the British Oceanographic ship which is coming on a converging course over a 240 kilometre track and it has good equipment for finding things on the floor of the Ocean."
The hunt for MH370's black-box comes even as search crews have yet to find any definitive signs of the missing flight in nearly 4-weeks of searching.
The batteries of an airplane's black-box generally run out after around a month, which is adding urgency to the search for the airliner's flight-data recorder.
As the underwater search begins, more planes are being added to the surface search in the southern Indian Ocean.
An additional three civilian aircraft have been mobilized to help assist in the search for any signs of MH370, which disappeared March 8th with 239-passangers and crew onboard.
Philippine military tags Abu Sayyaf in Sabah kidnapping
The Philippine government is now pointing the finger at the Abu Sayyaf militant group as being responsible for the kidnapping of a Chinese national this week in Malaysia.
A report from the Philippine military suggests the kidnapping of 29-year old Gao Huayun and a Filipino worker at a resort in Sabah on Wednesday evening has been carried out by a known terrorist.
Philippine authorities say a group of 7-men led by a known member of Abu Sayyaf kidnapped the two women at gunpoint Wednesday evening from a popular tourist resort, then eluded Malaysian authorities and made their way into the Philippine Sea.
It's believed the kidnappers and their hostages are now in the southern Philippines.
Phlippine authorities have not disclosed how they've come-by this information, or whether any ransom demands have been issued.
Tang Wu-Chiang, manager of the Singamata Resort, has explained to the media what took place that night.
"When the incident happened, they caught one of my workers, they were carrying a weapon."
(Reporter: What kind of weapon did they carry?)
"Others told me that it was a heavy weapon, but I am not definite. They took my worker to the boat and then left quickly, in less than a minute. Some other staff immediately began to shout for help, and our administrator called the police, who arrived at the scene in a short time."
Reporter: Approximately how long did it take for police to arrive at the scene?)
"About three to five minutes. Within five minutes they were already here."
The resort itself has been temporarily shut down while the investigation unfolds.
The Singamata resort in Sabah is a popular destination for Chinese tourists.
29-year old Gao Huayun from Shanghai was in Sabah with a friend learning to Scuba dive when she was abducted.
One dead after China building collapse
One person is dead following a residential building collapse this morning in Zhejiang.
Part of a 5-story building collapsed in Fenghua, which lies on the southwest outskirts of the city of Ningbo.
A total of 7-people became trapped after part of the building came down around 9 this morning.
All have since been extracted from the rubble
One woman has died of her injuries in hospital.
At least one other is in critical condition.
15 of the 40 apartments in the 20-year old complex collapsed, the cause of which remains unclear.
Cargo ship carrying DPRK crew sinks off S. coast of S. Korea
At least 2 North Korean sailors are dead and several more are missing after their boat sank off the southern coast of South Korea this morning.
The ship was on its way from North Korea to port in Shandong when it went down early this morning.
So far only three have been rescued.
11 others remain missing.
Kim Eui-do is with South Korea's Unification Ministry.
"A Mongolian cargo ship named 'Grand Fortune 1' sent a rescue signal some 40 miles off the coast of Yeosu's Geomun-do. Our Coast Guard, after receiving the signal, sent a vessel and a plane, and rescued three of the sailors. Two were found dead, and we are continuing our rescue operations. The sunk ship is a Mongolian cargo ship with 16 crew members identified as North Korean citizens."
The ship was carrying steel products from North Korea's east coast to China when it went down.
The cause of the sinking remains unclear at this point.
S. Korea slams Japan for renewed territorial claims via textbooks
South Korean authorities have summoned the Japanese ambassador to Seoul in protest over content in Japanese textbooks when it comes to the disputed Dokdo islands.
This comes after a Japanese education committee approved textbooks that claim the disputed islets as part of Japan's territory.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho Tai-young.
"The South Korean government clearly warns that if the Japanese government continues provocations over Dokdo through its textbook approval system, it will be a long time before the two countries can see improvement in their relations."
The South Korean side is also blasting Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook for this year.
The diplomatic paper, approved today by the Japanese cabinet, also says the Dokdo Islands, known as Takeshima in Japan, are Japanese territory.
Two journalists shot in Afghanistan
An Afghan police officer has opened fire on a pair of foreign journalists in the eastern province of Khost, killing one and injuring the other.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown.
Security officials say the shooter has since been arrested.
The victims are employed by the Associated Press.
They were covering the movement of ballots for tomorrow's Presidental election in a district governor's office building when the police office opened fire.
Afghan authorities have been increasing security ahead of tomorrow's balloting in response to threats of violence by the Taliban.
Despite the threat of violence, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is pleading for people to take part in the upcoming vote.
"The significant participation of our people in this election will be the biggest guarantee of the continuation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. A strong participation will be the greatest response to those who believe violence and destruction will act as a deterrent against our people."
Around 55-hundred polling centers have been set up across Afghanistan.
The Taliban, which has already staged a series of attacks over the past few weeks, is threatening violence against anyone who tries to vote this weekend.
This election will mark the first democratic transfer of power from one president to another since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.
Eight candidates are vying for Karzai's position.
He is constitutionally-barred from seeking another term in office.
Panic buying grips quake-hit Iquique
Residents in the northern Chilean city of Iquique have made a run on the local supermarkets, snapping up whatever basic necessities they can come by, after a series of earthquakes left six people dead and crippled the city's economy and infrastructure.
Local authorities have ramped up security on the streets of Iquique to help maintain law and order outside local supermarkets, were long queues have been forming outside stores.
"I've bought water, rice, sugar and bread. These are all basic necessities. I don't even know how long the food can sustain my family. Everything is uncertain."
"What I need most is water, bread, milk and diapers for my baby. Everyone is only allowed to buy three packs of diapers now. But it's far from enough."
Iquique Mayor Jorge Soria says the municipal government is going to devise steps to curb price hikes, as price gouging is starting to take place.
A 7.8-magnitude aftershock, accompanied by several smaller ones, have struck off the north coast of Chile over past 48-hours, following the deadly 8.2-magnitude quake which hit the region on Tuesday evening.
The powerful quake was strong enough to sent a tsunami across the Pacific, though its impact on shores here in Asia was minimal.
Worsening Air Pollution Raises Concerns in the UK
Anchor:
People in the UK are being advised to reduce their outdoor activities, as portions of the country are being engulfed in blankets of smog this week.
CRI's UK correspondent Duan Xuelian has more.
Reporter:
"This week large parts of England and Wales have fallen under the spell of a hazy sky. The Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said pollution in the southeast of England, including London, reached nine on a scale of 10."
Jill Meara is a public health spokeswoman:
"Today, there is forecast to be high or very high levels of air pollution across a lot of the south of England, so we want to warn people if they already have lung disease, asthma or heart disease, that they may need to be extra cared for and maybe stay inside and limit their exercise during this smoggy weather."
This is a rare occurrence in the UK.
Professor Martin Williams, from the Environmental Research Group at King's College London, explains why there are such high levels of air pollution this week:
"We've been analyzing the measurements and looking at the various components of the particle mix that we measure and by doing that we can have a very good idea of where do the sources come from and it looks as if the large part, maybe even 70% of particle pollution measured in the southeast UK yesterday afternoon and today has been imported from the rest of the Europe, as some of the rest are contributed by the UK sources. But there's also an unusual combination of Saharan dust, which means winds from the Sahara desert can lift dust from the desert and transport the dust across Europe. And it looks as if there's been a transport of Saharan dust all the way through Europe, through Spain and France and up to the UK, so there are three main components of the pollution, mostly from continental Europe, some from the UK itself and some from the Saharan dust. "
Professor Williams says today's pollution mix is different from that which plagued the UK in its industrial past, these days the number one pollutant threatening the country's air quality is produced by diesel engines.
Medical researcher Dave Newby says that invisible particles in the air, from these engines, run deeper into the human body and stay longer.
"The particles are released by diesel engines, they are so small they get very deep down, even into the blood stream. And we think that these can cause very bad effects on blood vessels, they can cause bad effect on the hardening of the arteries, it could even cause or precipitate heart attacks."
Last month, Paris was caught in a similar polluted air situation and imposed restrictions on the numbers of cars running on the road.
Public transport is also made free of charge to the public to relieve the pressure on traffic.
It is unsure of whether Britain will follow suit.
But Professor Williams points out that while the government is introducing tighter emission standards, it does not necessarily cut down the quantity of emission in real practice.
"Now that's seems a little bit odd, but it's a fact of life. We've shown that diesel emissions, for example emissions from diesel cars haven't really improved in the last 20 years even though the standards have reduced quite a lot. That's because the test the cars have to pass, the regulatory test, isn't appropriate to what happens in the real world. So there's always that little question mark about emission standard for vehicles."
For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian reporting from London.
Environmental protection economy booming in China
Anchor:
Chinese environment officials are warning their self-declared "war on smog" is likely to be a protracted battle.
CRI's Li Jing explains.
Report:
Frequent smog has made face masks and air purifiers commonplace in many households here in China.
"We have air purifier at home because sometimes the air quality is too bad."
"We didn't have face masks at home in the past, but now we have a lot. It has become a habit to check whether I have a mask in my purse before I go out. "
Statistics show more than 200-thousand people bought face masks online in the first week in February alone.
2.8 billion yuan was spent on air purifiers in China last year.
At the same time, environmental protection has been inscribed as an important pillar in China's economic growth, with the authorities vowing to spend 5 trillion yuan on environmental protection in the period between 2011 and next year.
Beijing's municipal authorities have already thrown 8 billion yuan at the air quality problem since last year.
Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, Wu Xiaoqing, says not only government, but financial institutions, businesses and the broader society have to work together to help solve the problem.
"We have to transform the development mode of industries, improve the structure of energy consumption, rein in the rapidly increasing vehicle pollution, as well as strengthen city management. It is an enduring and hard process to root out air problems."
Yan Lufei is with a company that develops carbon emission management software.
He says more and more companies are now looking at transforming their business models, rather than just reducing emissions.
"The idea of carbon emissions reduction is highly accepted by enterprises now. They feel the pressure and the impetus from the government and market. They have to become low-carbon to avoid high risks, because their products should be in line with the public needs as well as the development of society."
Meanwhile, significant progress is said to be being made in finding the primary cause of China's choking smog.
However, deputy director of the Department of Environmental Monitoring, Zhu Jianping, says it will take a long time to analyze the data.
"We have to choose appropriate stations to watch and monitor 6 regular indicators, but also other indicators that may have impact on the pollution, such as organic matter and black carbon. It is very complicated and it is a long process."
Among the 10 most heavily polluted cities, seven are in Hebei, the province which encircles Beijing.
Tianjin is also in the top 10.
Over 100-million people live in the region.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Reporter:
Asian stocks were mixed Friday, at the end of a broadly positive week for the region, as markets made small moves ahead of the U.S. labor report later in the day.
Markets were cautious ahead of the main monthly health check on the world's largest economy. The Labor Department's March jobs report is expected to show an increase in hiring after a winter slowdown.
Chinese shares closed higher on Friday, as Beijing's recently announced stimulus package had a positive impact on markets.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.7 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index gained 1 percent,
Hong Kong's Hang Seng on the other hand went down a quarter of a percent.
Japan's Nikkei edged down less than 0.1 percent.
South Korea's KOSPI fell 0.3 percent.
Singapore stocks finished lower on Friday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index down 0.2 percent
And Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2%.
China regulator to run stress tests on banks: paper
The Shanghai Securities News is reporting China's banking regulator is going to conduct regional and national stress tests on this country's banking system.
This, after a spike in bad loans through last year.
The China Banking Regulatory Commission is being quoted as saying all CBRC offices must organize stress tests of banking institutional organizations in a timely manner and urge banking financial institutions to make emergency plans.
Chinese banks' non-performing loan ratios have risen to their highest level in two years through the final quarter of last year, averaging around 1-percent.
The CBRC is also reportedly urging banks to curb lending to local government financial vehicles and industries facing overcapacity, including property and steel firms.
The report in the Shanghai Securities News hasn't provided any details about how or when the stress tests will be conducted.
GlaxoSmithKline Cuts Staff in China Amid Probe
GlaxoSmithKline has reportedly been doing a significant amount of house-cleaning here in China, as the U.K. drug company grapples with accusations it bribed doctors and officials to boost its sales in this country.
Wall Street Journals is citing a person familiar with the matter saying Glaxo has terminated a number of employees in China in recent months following an increase in monitoring of its employee expense claims.
It isn't clear how many employees have been let go.
GSK has been accused of making up to 500-million dollars worth of payments to doctors in the form of travel, entertainment and cash in exchange for giving their drugs preference.
Industry insiders here in China say such practices are common place and wide-spread.
Cooperate news of the week
Anchor:
In corporate news here in China this week, small construction materials company has become the 2nd Chinese firm to default on a multi-million yuan domestic bond.
And at the same time, a pair of media companies in Shanghai have announced a merger.
For more on these stories, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Doug Young, Associate Professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
…
That was Doug Young, Associate Professor of Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters, speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.
Tarena succeeds as first Chinese IPO on U.S. stock this year
Chinese Education company Tarena International has made its debut on the Nasdaq, becoming the first Chinese initial public offering on the U.S. stock market this year.
The company priced its IPO at 9 U.S. dollars per share.
This has valued the IPO at 138-million US dollars.
Tarena's shares closed up 6-cents on the day to 9-dollars-6-cents on its first day of trading, bucking the trend amid a general dip in tech shares.
Tarena trains IT engineers, among other professionals.
China announces anti-dumping duties on cellulose pulp imports
The Ministry of Commerce here in China is set to impose anti-dumping duties on cellulose pulp imported from the United States, Canada and Brazil.
The duties will last for five years, starting from Sunday.
The Ministry says companies from the US, Canada and Brazil have dumped cellulose pulp on the Chinese market, causing substantial damage to the domestic industry.
The MOC launched its anti-dumping probe into imported cellulose pulp in February of last year.
Cellulose pulp, made from plant fiber, is used as a raw material in the production of rayon and other fibers used in clothing and industrial fabrics.
Hong Kong eyes new business hub thanks to regional bridge
In a statement sure to create some local controversy, Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung has suggested Lantau Island could be converted into a new core business hub for the city.
Leung has made the comments while making an inspection tour of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is currently under construction.
The Hong Kong Chief Executive says once the bridge is finished in 2016, it will act as a convergence point among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
He says this will enhance the development potential for Lantau, which is the largest island within Hong Kong's city limits.
Lantau Island is sparsely populated compared to the rest of Hong Kong, and is a popular destination for people in Hong Kong looking to explore nature.
New Zealand's Fonterra fined over botulism food scare
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has been fined 300-thousand New Zealand dollars, or around 260-thousand US dollars, after admitting to four food-safety violations as part of last year's botulism scare.
The scare led to a worldwide milk product recall, with an emphasis on products delivered here to China.
Later testing revealed there were no problem with the firm's products.
The company is the world's largest exporter of dairy products.
Fonterra says it won't contest the fines.
Headline News
Sub-surface search for MH370 black box underway as more aircraft mobilized
An underwater search is now underway for the flight data recorder of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
A Chinese ship is joining an Australian submarine in the first sub-surface search for the flight's so-called black box.
The search itself is taking place in an area about 17-hundred kilometers northwest of Perth, Australia.
It comes just under a month after the flight disappeared on March 8th with 239-passangers and crew onboard.
Black-box batteries generally run out of power after around a month.
Philippine military tags Abu Sayyaf in Sabah kidnapping
The Philippine government is now pointing the finger at the Abu Sayyaf militant group as being responsible for the kidnapping of a Chinese national this week in Malaysia.
Philippine authorities say a group of 7-men led by a known member of Abu Sayyaf kidnapped two women at gunpoint Wednesday evening from a popular tourist resort, then eluded Malaysian authorities and made their way into the Philippine Sea.
It's believed the kidnappers and their hostages are now in the southern Philippines.
Phlippine authorities have not disclosed how they've come-by this information, or whether any ransom demands have been issued.
29-year old Gao Huayun from Shanghai was on a scuba-diving trip with a friend when she was taken.
Two journalists shot in Afghanistan
An Afghan police officer has opened fire on a pair of foreign journalists in the eastern province of Khost, killing one and injuring the other.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown.
The shooter has since been arrested.
The victims are employed by the Associated Press.
They were covering the movement of ballots for tomorrow's Presidential election in a district governor's office building when the police office opened fire.
Israeli military confirms Gaza air strikes following rocket fire
The Israeli military has confirmed its hit a number of targets in the Gaza Strip following a series of rocket attacks into southern Israel.
The airstrikes were launched late Thursday, just hours after four rockets came down in an open area near a town along the border with Gaza.
Israeli forces say they targeted "terror sites," including four in northern Gaza and one in the central part of the Hamas-controlled enclave.
It's being reported at least two of the airstrikes hit Hamas outposts.
No word on casualties from the Palestinian side.
China regulator to run stress tests on banks: paper
New reports are suggesting China's banking regulator is going to conduct regional and national stress tests on this country's banking system.
This, after a spike in bad loans through last year.
Chinese banks' non-performing loan ratios have risen to their highest level in two years through the final quarter of last year, averaging around 1-percent.
The CBRC is also reportedly urging banks to curb lending to local government financial vehicles and industries facing overcapacity, including property and steel firms.
Newspaper Picks
Shanghai Daily
"Student job hunters put life-work balance 1st"
A recent survey found that Chinese students who are on the job hunt most value finding an employer that can offer a good life-work balance.
The interesting thing is that money is ranking less important than it used to, the poll by human resources consultancy Universum found.
The survey covered 51,000 undergraduates, masters and PhD students in 103 key universities in China, over a three-month period ending in January.
More than half of respondents said they most value a position that offers a good life-work balance which won't inconvenience their social life, personal interests, or location.
Young job seekers also prioritize stability and independence researchers said.
And the importance of independence in work moved up two places from last year, making the top 3 for the first time, the report found.
China News Service
"Beijing's water to be most expensive in China"
Beijing has launched two plans for its water rate reform, both of which will make its residents shoulder the highest water rates in China.
The two plans, released on Wednesday, will charge tiered rates for household water consumption and set the bottom-tiered rate at 4.95 yuan and 5 yuan per ton.
No matter which plan is adopted, water rates in Beijing will exceed Tianjin's 4.9 yuan per ton, and make Beijing the city with the highest water rates among other Chinese cities.
Lack of water resources and the cost of South-to-North Water Diversion project are the two main reasons leading Beijing water rates to be the most expensive.
An official from the municipal development and reform commission said that after the adjustment, Beijing's water rates will not be raised immediately.
The final version will be released after a public hearing on April 17.
Yahoo News
"Higher Levels of Vitamin D Might Save Your Life"
According to new research, spending at least ten minutes a day in the sun could help save your life by reducing the probability of developing several diseases.
Vitamin D is credited with not only helping reduce the odds of developing several major illnesses, but it also boosts heart health and even strengthens your bones.
People with low levels of vitamin D have a 35% increased risk of developing heart disease and also have a 14% increased risk in dying from cancer.
Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine nutrient is produced in the body when the sun comes into contact with the sun, so spending more time outdoors is the key.
You can also find Vitamin D in a variety of foods like fish, eggs, soy beans, mushrooms and kale. But according the experts the best thing you can do is get outside and soak up those rays.
Daily Mail
"Six in ten people don't get enough sleep: iPads, smartphones and other gadgets blamed for growing problem"
Research shows that almost six in ten of us are not getting enough sleep – a 50 per cent increase from just a year ago.
Experts blame the rise on growing numbers of people who are using smartphones, tablet computers and other gadgets in bed or the hour or two before we turn in for the night.
Psychologist Richard Wiseman commissioned YouGov to poll over 2,000 adults about their night-time habits.
The survey revealed that 60 per cent of us sleep for seven hours or less a night, up 20 per cent from a poll carried out a year ago.
The average adult needs seven and a half to eight and a half hours of sleep a night.
The poll also found that 80 per cent of us use gadgets that emit blue light in the two hours before going to bed.
Experts say the blue light from these devices suppresses the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.
Special Reports
Job Fair for returning students
Anchor:
A new report about returning Chinese students has been released to coincide with the launch of this year's spring Job Fair being held here in Beijing.
CRI's Mike Fox has more.
Reporter:
Sun Jianming, director of the service center for returning students, introduced the report on the press conference before the start of the job fair. He says Beijing and Shanghai are still the best destinations for returning students.
"Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are the top four desirable destinations among returning students. More than half of them want to work in those cities. They also considered career development as the most important factor for a job".
Job hunters stood in line hours before the launch of the fair. More than 3,000 overseas returnees and 110 enterprises and universities were present.
"What is your salary expectation? I couldn't accept my annual salary below 300,000 yuan"
Rebecca Meng, who had three years work experience in the US, wants to get a job offered by an education company. She told the recruiter she can only accept her annual salary above 300,000 yuan.
For applicants who just graduated from university, their expectations aren't so high.
Zhang Chi, who just graduated from Durham University in the UK, said salary isn't an important concern for her.
"I think happiness is the most important thing for me. There is a saying that one can only be happy during the work when she finds passion in her job."
She added that, she didn't worry about the work and also her parents don't put much stress on her either.
But not everyone's parents have the same feelings.
A father, who came to the job fair with his daughter, showed confidence in her.
"Strong self-care ability is the obvious advantage of my daughter. The students who studied in China mainly focus on book knowledge. But overseas students are good at dealing with different situations by themselves. "
At the fair, Yu Yan, Chairman of Yu Bo Sheng Shi communication Media Company also believed overseas students have some special qualities.
"For a company, overseas students can bring new and great ideas from other countries to China. The overseas education background has also broadened their horizons."
Although the returning students have different expectation on their job, returning to China is the same thing they all wanted.
BACK ANCHOR:
That is CRI's Mike Fox reporting
Sports
Snooker players competing for final four spots at China Open
In snooker,
It's day four at the China Open here in Beijing and the world's top players are battling for spots in the semifinal round.
Neil Robertson vs. Graeme Dott
Ricky Walden vs. Allister Carter
China's top ranked Ding Junhui vs. Mark King
Mike Dunn vs. Mark Selby
Norway and Canada battling for spot in the finals at the mens curling world championship
In curling,
Tonight teams are meeting for playoff action at the mens world curling championship here in Beijing.
First placed Norway and second place Canada are on the ice right now battling for a spot in the gold medal round.
The loser of that match won't be knocked out, but will have a chance to get into the final by playing the winner of the upcoming Switzerland vs. Sweden playoff.
The Chinese squad, skipped by Liu Rui, were knocked out of the running yesterday after a narrow loss to Sweden, 5-6.
Sri Lanka books spot in final at T20 Worlds after defeating the West Indies
In cricket,
Sri Lanka has made it through to the final at the T20 Worlds in Bangladesh after defeating the defending champions West Indies in the semifinals yesterday.
Sri Lanka's 27-run win was sweet vengeance for the squad after they were defeated by the West Indies in the final match of their home tournament back in 2012.
The West Indies might have had a chance to get back into the game, but a violent hailstorm struck bringing an early end to play.
Officials then consulted the Duckworth-Lewis tables, and awarded Sri Lanka the win by a margin of 27 runs.
West Indies captain Darren Sammy showed his leadership quality and maintained a positive attitude following the loss.
"Yeah, disappointing to come out of the tournament like this, but credit to Sri Lanka, they won the toss, batted first and probably knew some weather was around. But look, we've had a good run in this tournament and it's just sad that we got knocked out via the Duckworth-Lewis system. But that's life, you move on and we will start planning for the next T20 World Cup."
Sri Lanka will face the winner of the India-South Africa semifinal which gets underway today.
And just today, Pakistan's T20 captain Mohammad Hafeez announced that he's stepping down as captain after his squad failed to qualify for the semifinals, being ousted by the West Indies.
"I took this decision for the betterment of Pakistan cricket and to give a clean sheet to them (the PCB). They can see who is better for captaincy, they can select and give responsibility to him. As a player I was never keen to be a captain - I always try to be humble with my team colleagues, and try to perform better and will continue in the future ".
Hafeez isn't bowing out of cricket, but said he'll still be available to represent Pakistan across all three formats.
FC Barcelona president calls FIFA transfer ban an "injustice"
FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu held a press conference yesterday to comment on the transfer sanction handed down by FIFA for the club's violation of international transfer rules.
Barca was banned by FIFA from signing any new players for next season, but Bartomeu said the ban is an "injustice" and the club intends on fighting the sanction.
"The sanctions include that during the next two transfer windows we will not be able to transfer players to our club. But in the case that we appeal to FIFA and TAS that we don't want the sanctions, so we are going to ask them to suspend the transfer window that they are closing to us so that we will be able also to bring players to our club next summer."
One Spanish sports journalist David Bernabeu said he was surprised that Barca is choosing to fight the discipline, rather than acknowledge that mistakes have been made.
"Barca has to recognise they made a mistake. Article 19 from a FIFA regulation indicates how to acquire players under 18 years old with three exceptions. And Barca failed to comply with some of them. I was expecting Barca to acknowledge their mistakes during this press conference. But they didn't."
Bartomeu is adamant that no Spanish regulations have been broken in signing young players to their La Masia academy and went on to say that the club does not intend to alter their model of recruiting youth players.
Feng Shanshan is the early leader at the Kraft Nabisco Championship
In golf,
Bill Haas and Charley Hoffman share the lead after round one of the Houston Open, after the pair carded seven-under-par rounds of 65.
Former world number one Rory McIlroy finished the first day with a two-under 70, five strokes off the leaders.
Over in the LPGA,
China's Feng Shanshan leads with a six under par after round one of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California. The 24 year old had seven birdies and a bogey in her opening round.
"My putting was really good - even though I still missed one or two more chances. But, I mean, overall my putting was great and it's just like magic, every time (my coach) comes over he fixes my putting and then my putting will be good so maybe I need to keep him with me like every week."
American Michelle Wie and South Korean's Se Ri Pak share second one stroke back.
The girls on these tours seem to be getting younger and younger, and this week's tournament includes a 15-year old high school freshman named Angel Yin who shot a four-under on the first round.
She's just one stroke behind Michelle Wie, who happens to be her sports idol.
The teenager said if there's one person she'd like to meet this week, it would be Wie, but she admitted she'd be so star-struck she'd probably just run away.
Formula One drivers head to Bahrain for third race of the season
Formula One drivers are looking ahead to the third race of the season this weekend in Bahrain.
Drivers are familiar with the track, since they were there for extensive pre-season testing earlier this year, but the Bahrain Grand Prix will be a night race, so that will be the challenge.
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg leads the championship with 43 points after a win in Australia and a second-place finish in Malaysia. His teammate Lewis Hamilton is on 25 after an early exit in Australia.
Oklahoma snaps San Antonio's winning streak at 19
In today's NBA action,
I guess the Spurs had to lose at some point, and it was the Oklahoma City Thunder who finally snapped San Antonio's winning streak at 19.
Kevin Durant scored 28 points to help the Thunder secure the 106 to 94 win.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks beat the LA Clippers for the first time this season, with the final score being 113 to 107.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points and Jose Calderon had 19 for Dallas. For the Clippers, Blake Griffin earned his first triple-double of the season with 25 points, 10 boards, and 11 assists.
Entertainment
'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' Hits IMAX in China
The American superhero action film, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" hits China's theaters today, both on the regular big-screen and in IMAX 3D.
Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson are back in the sequel to 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger."
In the film, Captain America (Chris Evans) and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon, in their fight against evil. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy--the Winter Soldier. Johansson and Evans came to Beijing to promote the film last month.
Reporters that attended an advanced IMAX screening of the movie said seeing it in 3D was more exciting than seeing it in a regular theater because the action scene's felt almost real.
'Late Show' host David Letterman announces he will retire next year
CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman is retiring next year.
During a taping of Thursday's show, Letterman said he has informed CBS that he will step down in 2015, when his current contract expires. But he didn't give his fans a specific end-date.
Along with his network, Letterman thanked the audience and all the people he has worked with over the years. CBS said Letterman's announcement elicited a standing ovation from the audience in the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, fans were surprised to hear the news.
"Well, I am sad, you know, I am sad because I have been a fan since like, 1979 or 80 when he first came on the air. And I just don't think that there is anyone out there who can replace him, ya know. He's a classic."
Letterman, who turns 67 next week, has the longest tenure of any late-night talk show host in U.S. television history, already marking 32 years since he created "Late Night" at NBC in 1982.
There was no immediate word on who might succeed Letterman in the 11:30 p.m. slot on CBS, opposite NBC's top-rated "The Tonight Show."
Shakira promotes latest album and sends people in Chile a heartfelt message
Singer Shakira recently released her tenth pop album. She took the roles as lead songwriter and producer of the self-titled album. It debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
While promoting her latest album, Shakira sent people in the earthquake-stricken Chile a message of hope.
"To all the people in Chile, I send all my love and my strength and energy."
Already a superstar in her native Colombia, the multi-talented singer-songwriter-instrumentalist took the American pop scene by storm when she made her U.S. language debut in 2001 with personal, rich songs about romance and more.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
An undersea search is underway in the desperate hope of locating the black-box of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 before its battery runs out.
Philippine authorities are pointing the finger at the Abu Sayyaf militant group as being responsible for the kidnapping of a 29-year old Chinese woman this week in Malaysia.
At least one person is dead following a residential building collapse this morning in the suburbs of Ningbo in Zhejiang.
In business, a new report is suggesting Chinese banks are going to have to undergo stress-testing amid concerns about bad loans.
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