新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/04/08

The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition 
 
 
Paul James with you this Tuesday, April 8, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening...
This year's Bo'ao Forum for Asia has opened in Hainan.
Israel's President has begun a state-visit here to China.
Despite optimism yesterday about potential signals, search crews in the southern Indian Ocean today have been unable to find more evidence connected to the disappearance of flight MH370.
In business... a new report from HSBC is suggesting the bank is becoming bullish about the Chinese stock market.
In sports. UConn has taken this year's US national college basketball title.
In entertainment. Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi is starring in a new Coldplay video.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be hazy tonight with a low of 12 degrees Celsius. Cloudy tomorrow with a high of 28 degrees.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 14, Sunny tomorrow, with a high of 23.
Chongqing will be cloudy, 17 degrees the low, showers tomorrow with a high of 23.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 28.
Kabul, sunny, 19.
Over in Australia
Sydney, overcast, high of 23.
Canberra, overcast, 21.
Brisbane, sunny, 28.
And finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 28.
 
 
Top News 
 
 
Preview of Boao Forum for Asia 2014
 
Anchor:
This year's Bo'ao Forum for Asia is underway in Hainan, with government and business leaders from different parts of the world gathering to discuss a wide-range of issues connected to Asian development.
CRI's Zhang Wan has more from Bo'ao.
Reporter:
The Boao Forum for the Asia Annual Conference 2014 is held from Tuesday to Friday, with the theme "Asia's New Future: Identifying New Growth Drivers".
The opening ceremony is scheduled to be held on Thursday, when Chinese Primer Li Keqiang will be attendance to make a keynote speech.
Nine leaders from other countries will also attend this year's Boao Forum, including Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott; Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov, and South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hongwon.
The Boao Forum for Asia was launched in 2001 by 28 Asian nations as a platform for high-level leaders from government, business and academia to discuss pressing global and regional issues. Wu Jun, Executive Director of Boao Forum for Asia, says the mission of the Boao Forum is to strengthen cooperation among countries in Asia.
"What's special for Asia is its diversity. So how do we promote countries in Asia to achieve an agreement on sustainable development and strengthen cooperation among these countries with different cultural backgrounds, political systems and economic modes? Finding that direction for social development among Asian nations is the mission of the Boao Forum for Asia."
This year's conference will include 60 panel discussions, with a focus on reform, innovation and sustainable development. Discussions on reform will include topics such as global financial reform, reshaping the energy landscape, reform in some of the main economic bodies, reviving the competitiveness of emerging markets, the future of central banks, deregulation and the opportunities for private enterprises.
Wu Jun says the annual conference has been growing rapidly over the years.
"The Boao Forum for Asia, from the beginning of its inauguration to four or five years ago, had only 20 to 30 sessions each year. However, during the four-day duration of this year's Boao Forum, we are having 68 sessions and events."
What's more, over a thousand journalists from about 190 media organizations have registered to cover this year's conference.
For CRI, I am Zhang Wan in Bo'ao.
 
 
Callin with Zhang Wan
 
For more on what's happening in Bo'ao, we are now joined live by our reporter Zhang Wan.
…
CRI's Zhang Wan reporting from Bo'ao in Hainan.
 
 
Peres: Israel Would Like to Further Co-op with China
 
Anchor:
Israeli President Shimon Peres has begun a three-day state-visit to China today.
Ahead of his trip, Peres sat down with Chinese reporters in Israel to talk about what he hopes to accomplish here in China.
CRI's Tu Yun has more.
Reporter:
President Peres started by sharing his ideas regarding the faltering peace talks with the Palestinians.
"I hope the negotiations will be resumed, but this time discretely. We need peace, all of us. We don't have a better alternative. We need two states, it's clear to us. But when you negotiate, let's not put it to the critical eyes of different people, because they will exaggerate the difficulties and underrate the achievements."
During his China visit, Peres will discuss further cooperation between Israel and China in such sectors as economy, high-tech and education.
Trade between China and Israel increased to almost 11 billion US dollars last year.
And China is now among Israel's top-three export destinations around the world and the largest in Asia.
Peres says Israel welcomes more Chinese investment.
"The difference in size between China and Israel is also the difference in the nature of our economies. We are too small to become an industrial country, so we can only live on research. China is large enough to have the most advanced research and it's improving all the time. And at the same time, to produce, because you have people to produce it."
The President also encourages more people-to-people exchanges between China and Israel.
"We would like to send our own children to China. We would like to have Chinese youngsters coming here. And we would like to enlarge the opportunities to fly. We can send El Al (Israel Airlines), and we suggest that China will send their planes here. There is a very profound friendship between our two countries, and we would like very much to enhance it, to spread it."
Peres, who is active on social media, has set up his account on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblog service in China, in the hopes of sharing ideas with Chinese netizens.
"First of all, I shall try to relate to what they will ask. I'm not going to lecture anything and I'm not going to sell anything, but I'm going to answer questions. And I would like also to put questions. So it will be really a dialogue."
Peres's China visit lasts till Thursday.
For CRI, I'm Tu Yun.
 
 
Chinese, U.S. defense officials begin talks
 
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is now into the 2nd day of his 4-day visit here to China.
The Pentagon chief arrived in Qingdao on Monday, and has already met for talks with Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan.
As part of those discussions, Chang has taken issue with recent comments made by Hagel when it comes to the establishment of the Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea.
"China's stance regarding East China Sea and South China sea is consistent. China has indisputable sovereignty over Diaoyu Islands and islands of South China sea as well as affiliated islands. China hope relevant parties can solve some issues regarding islands sovereignty and marine demarcation through negotiations."
Hagel has been quoted this week in a Japanese publication saying the Chinese move to establish the Air Defense Identification Zone was unilateral and provocative.
Despite this disagreement, Hagel says they still hope to estabilish a better working relationship with China when it comes to their militaries.
"Exchanges like this at every level of command are critical. They are critical for building mutual understanding and also respect. Our vision is a future where our militaries can work closely together on a range of challenges, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief missions."
This is Hagel's first visit to China as Defense Secretary.
However, it's the third meeting between Chang and Hagel since they each took up their respective positions last year.
 
 
Iran expects to find solution for Tehran nuclear issue in 6 months
 
The Iranian government has released a new statement ahead this current round of nuclear talks, warning not to expect any draft of a final deal to be produced in this round of talks.
However, the Iranian side says it is planning to begin working on a draft following this week's meetings in Vienna.
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
"Following the talks tomorrow and the day after that we are going to start writing the draft of a final deal. And well, that is the difficult part. There will most likely be many differences when we begin to prepare the draft. We are going to negotiate over this very important document beginning next week. There is no draft at this moment and there will not be one in this round of negotiations."
China, as a member of the P5+1 grouping, is also working to help strike a final deal.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.
"China hope parties concerned can deal with individual concern and find more common view as well as promote the negotiation to make progress. China will continue playing a positive and constructive role in the talks."
The 5-permanment members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, have been pressing Iran to scale back its nuclear enrichment programs in exchange for sanctions relief.
An interim agreement reached late last year is set to expire in a few weeks.
 
 
No robot submersible operation before more signals: MH370 search leader
 
Anchor:
So far, no new sings have been detected in today's search in the area where possible signals from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370's black-box were picked up yesterday.
Despite this, the search for any evidence about the fate of the missing airliner will continue.
CRI's Qizhi has more.
Australian officials say they're not willing to launch a submersible to search for the flight-data recorder of missing flight MH370 until another signal is detected.
Search team leader Angus Houston says the Australian ship which discovered a pair of signals during Monday's search had no luck on Tuesday.
Houston notes that unless they receive another signal to help them better triangulate the possible location of the black-box, an undersea search wouldn't be practical.
"If we go down there now and do the visual search it will take many, many, many days because it's very slow, very painstaking work to scour the ocean floor. So - and of course the depths are very deep and it's very challenging".
He says search crews are going to continue scouring the water near the suspected location with a towed-pinger until they find another signal, or are convinced the black-box has run out of battery power.
Also this Tuesday, Hishammudin Hussein, Malaysia's Acting Transport Minister, says the signals detected over the weekend remain their best lead in the hope of finding the plane.
"It is. Very cautiously hopeful and we await more information from Perth and basically that's the best lead that we have. And I hope that on a daily basis, get information, I'm in direct contact with Angus Houston and the location of the black box is the key. I think that today the most important is to continue to find the signals."
The batteries connected to an airplane's flight-data recorders generally last for a month.
It’s been one-month since flight MH370 disappeared while enroute to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.
The search has registered a number of signals through the weekend which could be consistent with the black-box of an airplane.
Two of them were detected by Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01.
Four Chinese and British vessels are still trying to pick up signals in an expanded search area.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy commander in charge of the American search teams says the surface search for debris is being maintained.
Adam Schantz is describing their task as like searching for a "needle in the haystack."
"When we go search an area, if we don't find anything, then we're able to eliminate that area from any additional searching and move on to the next, so it gives a good way to concentrate our search assets on new areas."
There are currently over 2-dozen ships and airplanes taking part in the daily search for any sign of the missing flight, which disappeared March 8th with 239-passangers and crew onboard, 154 of whom are Chinese.
For CRI, this is Qizhi.
 
 
Canadian man convicted guilty of murdering Chinese female student
 
A court in Toronto, Canada has convicted a man in the murder of a Chinese student nearly 3-years ago.
32-year old Brian Dickson has been found guilty in the first-degree murder of 23-year old Liu Qian.
She was a student at York University at the time of her murder.
She was sexually assaulted and murdered by Dickson in April of 2011, in a case Canadian media has dubbed the "webcam murder."
Liu Qian was talking to her boyfriend via Skype here in Beijing at the time Dickson forced his way into her apartment and attacked her.
Her boyfriend testified at the trial about what he saw and heard while the webchat was still going.
The jury in the case has rejected the defense argument that Dickson never meant to kill the girl.
Dickson has been sentenced to an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25-years.
 
 
Indian army officer, policeman killed in ongoing gunfight in Indian-controlled Kashmir
 
An Indian military officer, a police officer and two militants are dead amid an on-going gun battle in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
The fighting broke out late Monday night in a frontier area of Kashmir, about 125-kilometers north of the regional capital, Srinagar.
Four Indian police officers have also been wounded in the battle.
Reinforcements are being moved into the region to continue the fight against the militants.
This latest skirmish follows an attack last month in the southern part of Indian-controlled Kashmir which left 6 people, including two civilians, dead.
Indian forces in Kashmir have been engaged in a 25-year battle with insurgents opposed to Indian control of the restive region.
Fighting in the region last year left over 200-people dead.
 
 
Inspectors find no contamination in 2nd trip into U.S. nuke dump
 
A second trip inside a nuclear waste dump in the US state of New Mexico has not revealed any new signs of radiation leaks.
The latest trip into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southwestern New Mexico has taken crews in deeper into the facility than the first trip inside on Friday.
The Friday trip into the nuclear waste dump site comes close to 2-months after the facility was evacuated after elevated levels of radiation were detected in 21-workers at the site.
All of them were only exposed to extremely low levels of radiation.
Still, authorities shut down the site on February 14th, and have been forced to transfer other nuclear testing materials to a different storage facility in Texas.
The nuclear waste dump in New Mexico is the main US repository for materials involved in the US government's decades of nuclear testing.
 
 
Biz Reports 
 
 
Stocks
 
Mainland markets closed out the first trading day of the week up significantly, with the Shanghai Composite Index up 1.9 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index also gained 1.9-percent on the heels of a new report by HSBC about the prospects for the mainland markets.
We'll have more on that report in just a few moments.
Down in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng also had a strong session, up 1-percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
Tokyo shares ended lower, weighed down by a stronger yen and losses in the overnight U.S. market.
The Nikkei-225 closed down 1.4-percent.
South Korean shares ended an extremely bullish session on Tuesday, as foreigners kept buying local stocks after Samsung Electronics unveiled its first-quarter earnings results.
The South Korean KOSPI jumped 3.3-percent.
Singapore's Strait Times Index gained 0.5-percent.
And finally, Australia's ASX All Ordinaries Index dipped 0.1-percent.
 
 
Chinese shares "too cheap to ignore": HSBC
 
New analysis by HSBC is suggesting now might be a good time to invest in the Chinese stock markets.
The bank's latest "China investment atlas" analysis notes many Chinese shares have fallen to levels well-below their 5-year average, suggesting these shares are -quote- "too cheap to ignore."
The investment prospectus does note there has been a large amount of negative economic data coming out of China so far this year, which has dampened investor confidence.
And at the same time, the value of the renminbi has dropped to its lowest level in a year.
Despite this, the HSBC analysis suggests that while it's still difficult to determine if the markets here in China have hit bottom, the underlying risks of investment have been minimized by the devaluation of many of the Chinese components on the market.
HSBC is estimating the broader value of the Shanghai Stock Exchange this year should finish at around 24-hundred.
Shanghai opened the trading day today at 2-thousand-54 points.
If the analysis comes to fruition, it could mean potential returns, including dividends for investors, in a range of between 11 and 24-percent by the end of next year.
 
 
HTC losses worse than expected
 
Taiwan mobile phone maker HTC is reporting a worse-than-expected loss through the first quarter of the year.
HTC is reporting a loss of 62 million US dollars.
This compares to the 2.8-million dollars the company earned during the same period last year.
HTC had been an early-market leader in smartphones equipped with Google's Android software.
However, the company has lost a lot of ground to rivals such as Samsung.
Despite this, HTC says it expects to return to profitability through this current quarter following the release of its HTC One M8 smartphone last month.
HTC is hoping to challenge market leaders Apple and Samsung with its latest model.
Shares in HTC dropped by 38-percent this past year.
Meanwhile, Samsung is also forecasting a drop in profits for the second quarter in a row.
It expects to bring in an operating profit of 7.9-billion US dollars through the first quarter.
This would be down 4-percent from the same period last year.
This follows a 6 percent decline in operating profits through the previous quarter.
 
 
Five Chinese brokers granted online business access
 
Five brokerage firms here in China have been given permission to take part in the online securities business, marking the country's first official approvals for the industry.
The brokers include CITIC Securities and Ping'an Securities.
Although no specific details have been released to the public, the e-brokerage services are expected to cover online purchases, financial management and stock transactions.
The five brokers are not the first in China to expand their business online.
Sinolink Securities, in collaboration with Tencent, began offering the sector's first online brokerage service, Yongjinbao, two months ago.
 
 
Call-in with Gao Shang
 
Anchor:
The price of gold is being closely watched by the global markets as the financial crisis continues to unravel.
Gold hit $13-hundred US dollars an ounce last week for the first time in seven sessions, following the release of US jobs data, reversing the previous week's loss of 1.3 percent.
Reports here in China are suggesting demand for gold is down because of the weakness of the renminbi.
Physical prices in Shanghai are below spot prices, compared to a premium of about 20-US dollars an ounce in January.
Chinese banks have also bought less gold over the past month due to falling demand.
For more on this, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Gao Shang, commodities analyst with Guantong Futures.
…
Gao Shang, commodities analyst with Guantong Futures, speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.
 
 
S. Korea signs FTA with Australia for stable energy imports, auto exports
 
Visiting Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and South Korean President Park Geun-hye have signed-off on a new free trade agreement.
"We welcome the free trade agreement that our two countries have negotiated and like you, I think this will be very important in further deepening and strengthening, which is already a very strong economic bond."
The new agreement is expected to boost Australian farm exports to South Korea.
However, some Australian industries, including vehicle and automotive part production, may face increased competition from South Korean imports.
Tariffs of up to 300-percent will be eliminated on Australian agricultural exports such as beef, wheat, sugar, dairy, wine, horticulture and seafood, as well as resources, energy and manufactured goods.
South Korea is Australia's third biggest export market and fourth biggest trading partner, with two-way trade totaling 30-billion US dollars last year.
Tony Abbott is due to fly here to China tomorrow, where he's expected to sign off on a long-awaited FTA with China.
Abbott has already concluded the signing of a Free-Trade Agreement with Japan as part of the first stop on his current East Asian tour.
 
 
Headline News 
 
 
Preview of Boao Forum for Asia 2014
 
This year's Bo'ao Forum for Asia has kicked off in Hainan.
The official opening ceremony is scheduled to be held on Thursday, when Chinese Preimer Li Keqiang will give the keynote speech.
Leaders from 9-other countries are also scheduled to attend the forum.
The Boao Forum for Asia was launched in 2001 as a platform for high-level officials to discuss pressing global and regional issues.
 
 
Chinese, U.S. defense officials begin talks
 
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has met with Chinese State councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan on the 2nd day of his 4-day visit here to China.
As part of the talks, Chang has taken issue with recent comments made by Hagel when it comes to the establishment of the Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea.
Hagel has been quoted this week in a Japanese publication saying the Chinese move to establish the Air Defense Identification Zone was unilateral and provocative.
Despite this disagreement, Hagel says the US side still hopes to establish a better working relationship with China when it comes to their militaries.
 
 
No robot submersible operation before more signals: MH370 search leader
 
Australian officials say they're not willing to launch a submersible at this point to search for the flight-data recorder of missing flight MH370 until another signal is detected.
The search team leader says the Australian ship which discovered a pair of signals during Monday's search has had no luck today.
The batteries connected to an airplane's flight-data recorders generally last for a month.
It’s been a month since flight MH370 disappeared while enroute to Beijing from Kuala with 239-passangers and crew onboard, 154 of whom are Chinese.
 
 
Ukraine launches 'anti-terrorist' operation in eastern city, 70 arrested
 
Ukrainian authorities have arrested around 70-people in the eastern city of Kharkiv in connection with the seizure this week of a regional administration building.
Ukraine's Interior Minister is describing the arrests as an "anti-terrorist" operation, describing those arrested as "separatists".
The arrests come after pro-Russian crowds stormed government buildings in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv, all cities in Ukraine's heavily Russian-leaning east.
In Donetsk, protesters have proclaimed the region independent and are demanding a referendum on the possible secession of the region.
 
 
Quebec separatist party leader resigns after big defeat
 
Canada appears to have avoided another battle over separation.
The Liberal Party in Quebec is set to form a majority provincial government, routing the province's main separatist party in Monday's election.
With nearly all ballots counted, the Liberals have won 41-percent of the vote.
Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois has resigned following the defeat, with her party only obtaining 25-percent support.
Liberal leader Philippe Couillard is set to become the province's premier.
The Parti Quebecois, which has held power previously in Quebec, has a stated agenda of separating the predominantly French-speaking province from the rest of Canada.
Previous attempts to separate through a referendum process have failed.
 
 
Newspaper Picks 
 
 
Global Times
"Local firms to continue XP support"
Microsoft is set to end updates and security support for its popular personal computer operating system Windows XP on Tuesday.
However, it seems that Chinese users are not fazed by the move, since domestic computing firms are actively leaping to safeguard Windows XP.
A Wednesday report by Beijing-based China Internet Network Information Center indicates that only about 25 percent of survey participants plan to upgrade to a newer generation operating system and more than half of them intend to continue using Windows XP as long as possible.
The US software company has long been persuading users of Windows XP worldwide to migrate to a more updated system for safety concerns.
And China's major third-party software providers - Qihoo 360 and Kingsoft - voluntarily pledged continuous protection for domestic Windows XP computers in late February.
Analysts, however, are worried that protection from third-party firms is unreliable. They suggest only Microsoft has a strong knowledge of its OS and can nip all security risks in the bud.
China News Service
"Govt asks netizens for help in exposing graft"
China's top anti-graft agency has called on netizens to expose corruption, such as lavish banquets at private clubs, as part of its crackdown on graft ahead of the holiday season.
The commission said on its website that Officials' corrupt activities have become more difficult to track.
And the move was aimed at implementing the "eight-point" guideline issued by the CPC Central Committee in late 2012, which requires officials to avoid extravagance and excessive bureaucracy.
Corrupt activities like using public funds to buy gifts, paying for personal travel and holding banquets are likely during the upcoming May Day holiday, according to the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
In its online discussion portal, the commission encouraged the public to expose corruption.
Several netizens have since answered the call and reported various cases of corruption on the commission's website.
Medical News Today
"Is there a gene for procrastination?"
Researchers from the Daniel Gustavson of the University of Colorado-Boulder have found that there may be a genetic explanation for the tendency to waste time and push projects off till the last minute.
Researchers asked 181 pairs of identical twins and 166 pairs of fraternal twins to complete a number of surveys that focused on their inclinations to act impulsively or to procrastinate, as well as their habits for setting and maintaining goals.
Like impulsivity, the researchers found that procrastination can be genetically inherited.
Knowing this, interventions may be developed to prevent procrastination.
The Telegraph
"Shouting at children 'increases their behavior problems'"
According to a new research, mothers who angrily tell off their children when they step out of line may be making behavior problems worse.
A team by the London School of Economics analyzed almost 19,000 children born in the first two years of the millennium. Data was collected from parents just before children's first birthday then when they turned three, five and seven.
Researchers said that "particularly excessive shouting, punishing or ignoring a naughty child" increases their behavioral problems, adding: "Only reasoning does not impact the child's behavior."
The study also suggested that children in poor households were "more affected by their mother's parenting style" than in wealthier families.
It is the latest in a line of recent studies to assess the link between parenting and children's behavior.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
National Museum of China to show diverse cultures of the world
 
Anchor:
Today marks the 41st anniversary of the passing of famed Spanish painter Pablo Picasso.
To commemorate his work, a Picasso exhibition is now on display at the National Museum of China here in Beijing.
CRI's Xiong Siqi stopped by to check it out.
Reporter:
Acquired by the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) in 1991, Picasso's Vollard Suite is considered by many historians to be a masterpiece of twentieth century engravings.
The series, produced by Pablo Ruiz Picasso between 1930 and 1937, reflect the unique, solitary and complex personality of this great Spanish artist.
"Picasso. Suite Vollard," is receiving a warm welcome in China.
"I am from Beijing and often come here with my friends. I'm very happy to see this exhibition. Picasso is one of my favorite artists around the world. I have been to Spain, but I didn't have a chance to see his works then. I never imagined I could see his works here."
"The exhibition had a terrific impact on me. I'm not an art expert, so I can't understand it in a professional way. I just want to know the background knowledge and the story behind the works."
Huang Chen is the head of the museum's public education department. He says such international exhibitions are always popular among the visitors.
"These kinds of exhibitions are highly welcomed here. We can see people are fond of these projects very much from the number of visitors and their reactions. Sometimes, people have to wait outside the entrance, since the space is limited. We have to control the number of people in the exhibition hall within 1-thousand to better protect the exhibits."
The exhibition, "Picasso. Suite Vollard," is jointly organized by the National Museum of China, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and the Spanish Embassy in China.
It is also one of the activities marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.
Exhibition curator Alicia Gómez says she believes the exhibition can help the Chinese people to know more about Spanish art, culture and history.
"Each piece of work in the exhibition is unique. The Minotaur is one of Picasso's later works in Suite Vollard. At that time, Picasso was nearly blind; the vibrant and powerful Minotaur is used by Picasso as a kind of alter ego, which allowed him to show his passion and anxiety in life, while remaining hidden. I think this kind of cultural exchange is very necessary and important; it brings people from two countries closer. "
For CRI, this is Xiong Siqi.
 
 
Sports
 
 
UConn Huskies win men’s national championship after beating Kentucky
 
In basketball news,
No games in the NBA today, but the NCAA March Madness tournament ended with a bang when the University of Connecticut claimed its fourth national title and second in four years with a 60-54 win over Kentucky.
UConn never trailed, and the Kentucky freshmen who have been such playmakers throughout the tournament weren't able to pull ahead. One of Kentucky's problems boiled down to the 11 missed free throws. They were 13 for 24 from the line, a fatal stat in this case.
Shabazz Napier had 22 points in that final game, and said he remembers promising his team at the beginning of the season that they would be the ones with that trophy.
"It's so surreal that it actually happened. You know I told them we was in the up at the podium I everybody look at me and I said, 'What did I tell you all when we lost against Louisville at home?' And everyone was, like, 'Man, you said we was going to hold that trophy,' and I said, 'Man I don't lie I think we the best team in the country,' It's not the Shabazz show, no, I don't need to get recognized. They understand that it's the University of Connecticut Huskies and we went out there and proved it."
UConn actually has a chance to walk away with not just the men’s title, but the women’s as well. The UConn ladies will face Notre Dame in their final later, the first time two undefeated teams meet in this tournament.
 
 
Vancouver Canucks eliminated from playoff contention after 3-0 loss to Anaheim
 
In the NHL,
The Vancouver Canucks had their playoff hopes dashed after falling to the Anaheim Ducks 3-0. Anaheim's John Gibson made 18 saves for shutout in his debut NHL game. With that win, the Ducks are neck and neck with the San Jose Sharks in the battle for the Pacific Division's top spot.
Charlie Coyle scored the sole goal to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 1-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The Wild are one step closer to securing a playoff spot in the western conference, the only way they're missing out on the playoffs is if they lose their final three games and Phoenix wins four in a row.
Calgary's Karri Ramo recorded his second NHL shutout with 31 saves when the Flames beat the New Jersey Devils 1-0.
 
 
Sunderland's situation growing desperate after getting thrashed by Tottenham 5-1 in EPL
 
Yesterday in the English Premier League,
No lucky break for a struggling Sunderland side yesterday, as they were demolished by Tottenham 5-1.
Sunderland is hanging by a thread at the very bottom of the league table. And with just five matches left to play, manager Gus Poyet is not sugar-coating his club's situation.
"I'm realistic. When you look at the table and you look at the games that we have got left and how many we need to win...I think we need a miracle. We need something unique...a shock, because if not I cannot see it (survival in the EPL) coming."
The inevitable rumors are starting to circulate about Poyet's future with the club.
Today in the Champions league, two matches are getting underway.
Paris St-Germain is looking to defend their 3-1 lead against Chelsea in the second leg of their quarterfinals clash. The way the French champions are situated, they can lose against Chelsea and still progress.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho warned journalists at the pre-match press conference that he was a little bit grumpy, but he's still banking on the chance that his side could possibly progress.
"At 9:30 we can be out (of the tournament) and we know we have this risk. But at 7:45 we have chances to be in the semi-final. So we have to be at 7:45 with a smile on our faces, going play, give everything. At 9:30 let’s see what happens."
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund will be looking to overturn a 3-0 deficit in the second leg of their quarterfinal clash against La Liga side Real Madrid.
 
 
Norwich City comments after sacking Hughton
 
Speaking of sacked managers, Norwich City officially spoke after firing two year coach Chris Hughton.
The Canaries are five points clear of the relegation zone, but Norwich City chief executive David McNally said Hughton just hasn't been delivering the results they want to see.
"We felt we were left with no choice. Recent form and performances and results have been disappointing, we've lost four of the last six games and we've lose seven away games consecutively. So we're in a position where we felt that we were, unfortunately it's very sad to see Chris leave, but we were left with no choice, we had to do something, to ensure that we have, the best possible chance of staying in this league."
The reins have been handed to youth coach and former player Neil Adams, who's first test will come this weekend in the club's relegation clash at Fulham.
Then it's going to be a tough road to the end of the season, with matches against title contenders Liverpool and Chelsea, a trip to Manchester United, and a final game with Arsenal at home.
 
 
First day of practice interrupted by heavy rain at the Masters
 
In golf,
Players were out on the course for a practice round ahead of this week's Masters Championship.
Time was cut short though when some fierce stormclouds rolled in and rain started to pour.
With Tiger Woods out of contention for the first time since 1994, a few players are in a position to take over the no. one ranking with a win this week. Australia's Jason Day is one of them.
"My goal is obviously to be able to get to No. 1 one day and to have a green jacket, and I can do that in one week.　That's exciting stuff for me, it really is.　Because I know that there's been a lot of hard work and dedication that I've put into the game for many, many years, and it could all pay off in one week."
Another Australian who will be watched closely this week is Adam Scott, the defending Masters champion.
"Well, I'm not superstitious, however, preparing in a similar way to last year, because I don't want to change up too much of a winning formula, but I've spent the better part of the last month or so with Augusta on my mind and playing a little bit on Tour to get the competitive juices flowing."
The tournament will get underway in Augusta Georgia later this week.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Zhang Ziyi stars in new Coldplay video 'Magic'
 
Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi is starring in a new Coldplay video for the song "Magic".
The black and white video plays out like an old movie.
The "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" star goes through a variety of costume changes in the video, as she plays a magician abused by her partner.
Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin plays two roles in the video: both the magicians assistant secretly in love with his master, as well as the magician's evil partner.
The video has been directed by Swedish filmmaker Jonas Akerlund, who has previously worked with stars such as Madonna, U2 and Moby.
"Magic" is the first single from Coldplay's new album, "Ghost Stories," which is due for release on May 19th in the UK.
 
 
Swedish band ABBA launches new book, reacts to death of Peaches Geldof
 
Swedish supergroup ABBA is marking 40-years since their international breakthrough hit "Waterloo" with a party at London's Tate Modern gallery.
The band has launched their official photo book at the party, which includes a series of never-before-seen photographs throughout the band's long career.
ABBA member Frida Lyngstad admits to being surprised by some of the photos in the book.
"The Max Strom book publishing company in Sweden put together a book that covers photos from very early on until the present time. They have actually been researching and found photos we had no clue existed. So then they put this beautiful book together and I really like it a lot. And it comes from us, we've been quite much involved in the whole process."
ABBA as a group has also taken a moment to reflect on the sudden passing of Peaches Geldof.　
Frida Lyngstad: "It's very, very sad."
Bjorn: "We have children, our thoughts go out to him (Bob Geldof) and I think we can understand completely, so terrible."
Peaches Geldof, daughter of legendary music producer Bob Geldof, was found dead at her home in England on Monday.
She was just 25.
The young woman had already begun to carve out a career for herself as a television presenter and model, and was a staple-figure at many social events throughout London.
The cause of her death hasn't been revealed, though police are describing it as "unexplained and sudden."
 
 
'Captain America 3' confirmed for May 2016 release up against 'Batman vs. Superman'
 
After setting box office records worldwide with "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel has announced the release date for the patriotic superhero's next solo adventure.
Marvel has officially confirmed the next "Captain America" movie will hit theatres on May 6th, 2016.
The release date will set the Marvel franchise up for a head-to-head battle with another big superhero flick, Warner Brother's yet-to-be-named 'Superman vs. Batman' movie, which also hits theaters on the same day.
Ahead of Captain America's next solo outing, the superhero will also be teaming up with Iron Man, Thor, and the rest of 'the Avengers' when "Age of Ultron" hits theaters on May 1st of next year.
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" premiered two weekends ago to massive office numbers, earning over 300-million US dollars globally so far.
 
 
Actor Peter Mayhew may return as Chewbacca in "Star Wars: Episode VII"
 
A new report in 'The Hollywood Reporter' is suggesting actor Peter Mayhew will reprise his role of Chewbacca in "Star Wars: Episode VII".
The 7-foot-tall Mayhew played Chewbacca in the original trilogy from 1977 to 1983 and in "Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" in 2005.
It is also expected that original stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher will appear in "Episode VII" along with newcomer Adam Driver.
Despite no official casting announcement, Disney Studios chair Alan Horn revealed last week that "Star Wars: Episode VII" is already filming.
A release date for the highly-anticipated 7th film in the Star Wars franchise has been tentatively set for December 18th, 2015.
 
 
Kevin Costner's "Draft Day" premieres in the US
 
Kevin Costner's new football drama "Draft Day" has premiered in Los Angeles.
The movie takes place over a single day of the NFL draft -- the longest day in the life of Costner's character: a pro football team's general manager.
It's a situation Costner says he can relate to.
"I've had a lot of days like this where they didn't start well, they didn't go well, and sometimes they didn't end well. But you know tomorrow is going to be another day. And if you can live through a bad day then you can also figure out how to try and enjoy a good one."
Co-star Jennifer Garner has also attended the premiere, and has talked about working along-side Costner.
"There was a moment from 'Tin Cup,' 'Bull Durham,' 'Field of Dreams,' even 'JFK' -- there was a moment where I was like, 'Oh that was so 'JFK!'"
"Draft Day" is set for release in U.S. theatres on Friday.
 
 
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
This year's Bo'ao Forum for Asia has opened in Hainan.
Israel's President has begun a state-visit here to China.
Despite optimism yesterday about potential signals, search crews in the southern Indian Ocean today have been unable to find more evidence connected to the disappearance of flight MH370.
In business... a new report from HSBC is suggesting the bank is becoming bullish about the Chinese stock market.