新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/04/30

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, April 30th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Pro-Russian activists have taken yet another building in eastern Ukraine, as political tension rises between Russia and the West...
Iran's President says his country is ready to sign a long-term nuclear agreement...
A fresh wave of violence has hit Syria, following president Assad's announcement he will run in forthcoming elections...
In Business...A new Free Trade Agreement between China and Switzerland takes effect July 1st...
In sports...Real Madrid reaches the Champions League finals...
In entertainment...a look at the 68th Tony Award nominations...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 29 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 16.
Shanghai will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 24.
Overnight, it will be cloudy with a low of 16.
In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 28.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 17.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 29.
Kabul will have slight rain with a high of 21.
Over to North America.
New York will have moderate rain today with a high of 11 degrees.
Washington will have moderate rain with a high of 22 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 26.
Toronto, Canada, will see slight rain with a high of 11 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 19.
And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Pro-Russian activists storm administration buildings in Luhansk
 
Anchor
Hundreds of pro-Russian activists have stormed the administration buildings in Luhansk, one of the largest cities in eastern Ukraine.
The rising tension comes as the Ukraine government says it is committed to its part of the Geneva agreement.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter
The demonstrators who stormed the regional government headquarters in Luhansk are seeking a referendum on granting greater authority to Ukraine's regions.
"Last week, we put forward an ultimatum to the Kiev authorities to build peace and prevent bloodshed, to hold a peaceful referendum, without troops. Kiev hasn't replied and thus confirmed that they don't want peace. So today we decided to seize the building of the main administration that governs our region, in order to conduct a referendum on 11th May."
The move further raises tensions in the eastern part of the country, where activists have seized control of government buildings in at least 10 cities and towns.
Ukraine authorities say the government has already begun the process of decentralizing state power, but pro-Russia activists have no intention of fulfilling the Geneva agreement.
Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Danylo Lubkivsky:
"Ukraine is strongly committed to accomplishing its part of the Geneva arrangements. The cabinet has already launched the process of local government reform and decentralisation of state power. The government promises amnesty to those who surrender weapons, free illegally seized administrative buildings, and who did not commit capital crimes."
Earlier this month, Ukraine and Russia agreed on tentative steps to halt violence and calm tensions in eastern Ukraine.
However, Ukrainian military are trying to encircle the city of Slovyansk as seven military observers have been held hostage by pro-Russia activists.
Ukraine and Russia have been blaming each other for the rising tensions.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. and its allies will stand united in their defense of Ukraine.
"Together we have to continue our strong support for Ukraine and we can do that through economic assistance and we could do it through support for free and fair elections, for constitutional reform, for anti-corruption and for demobilisation efforts. Most important, together, we have to make it absolutely clear to the Kremlin that NATO territory is inviolable. We will defend every single piece of it."
The US and EU has imposed another round of sanctions against Russia.
The West has claimed that Russia has not live up to its commitment it agreed in Geneva, which aims at bringing down tensions in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov says the sanctions defy all common sense.
"We reject sanctions in any of our relationships, in particular those sanctions that were sponsored by the United States and the European Union, which are against all common sense, regarding the events in Ukraine. Attempts to put the blame on other people - that is the fate of weak politicians or those politicians who understand that their geopolitical ambitions failed and so try to pin the blame on others."
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned down government proposals to impose retaliatory sanctions against the US and EU.
Russia is expected to sign a treaty establishing the Eurasian Economic Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan next month.
The Union will discuss with the EU the possibility of a common economic space.
For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.
 
 
Callin on the situation in Ukraine
 
For more on the situation, CRI's Xie Zhao spoke earlier with Gao Fei, professor at China Foreign Affairs University.
BACK ANCHOR: Gao Fei, professor at China Foreign Affairs University, speaking with CRI's Xie Zhao.
 
 
Iran ready for nuclear deal: Iran President
 
Iran's President, Hassan Rouhani, says Iran is ready for a nuclear agreement if other parties are also ready.
The comment comes ahead of expert-level nuclear talks between Iran and major powers to be held in New York next month.
"I'm not pessimistic. Can we reach an agreement in the six month period or a bit sooner or a bit later? That depends on whether the other party is ready for the right interaction. We are ready. Our country, our nation is ready to sit at the negotiation table and talk to the outside world with logic, reason and constructive interaction."
Rouhani also says repairing ties with the U.S will require more time.
Iran and six major powers, including the U.S. and China, struck an interim deal last year, in which Tehran agreed not to expand its nuclear program for six months.
The parties have set a July deadline to clinch a long-term deal.
The United States and other countries fear Iran might be developing a nuclear bomb.
Iran denies the allegation, saying its nuclear program is peaceful, geared toward electricity and medicine production.
 
 
Fresh wave of violence erupts in Syria ahead of election
 
A fresh wave of violence has hit Syria ahead of a presidential election set for June 3rd.
At least 37 people were killed in an explosion in the city of Homs on Tuesday.
Most of the victims in the car bomb attack were women are children.
dozens of others were injured.
Earlier in the day, at least 14 students were killed when mortar shells hit a religious school in central Damascus.
A second shelling has also been reported but the number of casualties has not been disclosed.
The violence comes after President Bashar al-Assad registered his candidacy in the upcoming election, defying calls to step down.
Meanwhile the United Nation has warned that the flaring violence in the country has made it even worse for aid delivery.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
"The primary responsibility for the dire humanitarian situation in Syria lies with the parties in the conflict, they are the ones who have the responsibility. The Security Council will act in the way it best sees fit. We are really right now focusing on trying to get that aid in, working with the government, regional governments and the parties on the ground."
The UN estimates that some 9 million people inside the country need help as a result of Syria's three-year-old civil war.
Among them, nearly 3.5 million have no access to essential goods and services.
 
 
OPCW to send investigation mission into Syria for the use of Chlorine
 
The international weapons watchdog says the Syrian government has given its permission to investigate allegations of the use of chlorine gas.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will now send a fact-finding team into the country.
The OPCW says President Bashar al-Assad has promised to provide security in areas under the control of government forces.
The mission comes on the heels of allegations from rebels and activities that government forces have used chlorine gas in at least three separate attacks.
The Assad government has denied this.
Chlorine is not on the list of chemical weapons materials that the Syrian government has agreed to move out of the country.
 
 
UN brings aid to displaced civilians ahead of rains, calls for month-long truce in South Sudan
 
The UN refugee agency has called for a month-long truce in South Sudan, to enable people to move about freely and cultivate their fields ahead of the rainy season.
The agency is also preparing to airlift relief supplies that should bring relief to about 100-thousand displaced people.
The blankets, sleeping mats, water buckets and other relief items are to be flown from Dubai to the South Sudanese capital, Juba.
The operation is part of a wider effort to assist up to a million people who have been displaced from their homes following four months of fighting.
The latest UN number shows that a "staggering" 7 million people across the country at risk of food insecurity.
 
 
Over 30 killed in US tornados
 
More than 30 Americans have been killed across six southern states, following three days of tornadoes.
The hardest-hit states include Arkansas and Mississippi. Between the two, 27 people have died and 200 others have been hurt.
Homes have been reduced to splinters in some areas.
Don Lalonde is a firefighter.
"I was standing right here and I heard a big wind come, almost like the train. So I went back inside and by the time I got back inside it started coming at us and then we all got down on the ground over there and it just wiped everything out."
The local weather bureau says some tornados brought winds of about 240 kilometers per hour.
Over 2,000 houses and 100 commercial properties have been damaged.
Forecasts show the storms continuing to move east, with Georgia and Alabama residents waking to sirens, howling winds and pounding rains.
 
 
More than 30 structures gutted in fire in Indian-controlled Kashmir
 
A fire in Indian-controlled Kashmir has destroyed at least 27 residential sheds and five businesses, in a slum area of Srinagar City.
However, no loss of life or injury has been reported, despite the fact the slum has been reduced to ashes.
Local officials say the cause of the fire appears to have been an electrical short circuit.
 
 
Jilin Releases Archives on "Comfort Women"
 
Anchor
The Jilin Provincial Archives has announced for the first time that it has unearthed records confirming that the Japanese government procured "comfort women" using funds designated for public spending during Japan's occupation of China.
CRI's Ding Lulu has the details.
Reporter
Wang Fang is a researcher at the Jilin Provincial Archives in Changchun, the provincial capital. She says that since 2012, the Archives has organized research teams to decipher and translate the documents, which were buried following Japan's surrender in August 1945.
"We have released the new files because of recent denials by right-wing Japanese politicians of the use of 'comfort women' during the war. We have so far unearthed 25 archives on 'comfort women recorded by the Japanese themselves".
Wang introduces one report, written in 1938, which describes how in the space of just 10 days, about 9,000 Japanese soldiers "visited comfort stations" in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province. But what shocked her even more was a recording of a telephone conversation.
"The most shocking file for me is the telephone recording which shows that the Japanese army spent large amounts of money purchasing 'comfort women'. All the statistics show that the procurement of 'comfort women' was systematically carried out by the Japanese military."
As Wang mentions, archive records from November 1944 to March 1945 show that 532,000 Japanese yen was transferred by the "central bank" of Manchukuo for the arrangement of "comfort women" for a military branch, under an account described as "public spending for military use".
Su Zhiliang is a professor at Shanghai Normal University, who specializes in studies relating to "comfort women". He says the Japanese government procured "comfort women" in a state action, noting that Japan is the only country whose military has enforced comprehensive sexual slavery.
"These files prove that "comfort stations" were established by the army though military expenditure. Besides, my study proves that the sex slavery system was officially enforced by the Japanese military. All these files are of great importance as evidence for the crimes committed by Japan during its invasion of Asia."
Su adds that the archives show in detail how the Japanese military operated "comfort stations" in northeastern China, central China and Indonesia's Java Island.
"Wherever there were Japanese troops, there were 'comfort stations'. The documents also suggest that numerous Asian women were exploited, including women from China, Korea, and Java Island."
Mu Zhanyi, deputy director of Jilin Provincial Archives, says that these archives made by the Japanese military expose the claims of Japan's right-wing politicians as lies, asserting that these documents proving the truth cannot be buried.
"The Archives are unveiling the files relating to Japan's invasion of China as a warning to peace-loving countries and their peoples in order to prevent a repeat of that painful period in history. Peace is the aim of human society."
The released files represent only a small portion of the nearly 100,000 wartime Japanese files stored in Jilin Provincial Archives. Further work is underway.
For CRI, I am Ding Lulu.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the closing numbers in North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter
U.S. stocks rose, as an improving outlook for corporate earnings lifted the Dow industrials to within striking distance of a new record close.
Both the Dow and the S&P 500 advanced half a percent and the Nasdaq climbed 0.7 percent.
The recently hard-hit biotechnology and Internet sectors, which have weighed heavily on the Nasdaq this month, rallied Tuesday.
Continued upbeat earnings news helped provide a positive backdrop for stocks.
With 55% of the S&P 500 having reported first-quarter results, overall earnings per share are now seen rising 0.6 percent from year-ago levels.
On the corporate front, Merck advanced 3.6 percent to lead the pack after the drug maker reported first-quarter earnings that exceeded analyst estimates and affirmed its 2014 outlook.
Sprint surged 11 percent after topping earnings and revenue forecasts.
Twitter slumped 9 percent in the after-hours session after reporting first quarter adjusted earnings that were nearly flat. The stock had run up 4.6 percent on Tuesday ahead of the results.
On Tuesday, economic data was mixed. Consumer confidence for April missed expectations, but the reading for March was revised sharply higher. Home prices rose in February over year-ago levels, but slightly less than expected.
Over in Europe, European stocks rose to a three-week high as companies from Deutsche Bank to Statoil reported earnings that beat estimates.
Markets were also buoyed by the release of economic data in the UK, where GDP estimates showed its economy expanded 3.1 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter.
When the session ended, Britain's FTSE 100 gained one percent, Germany's DAX added one and a half percent and France CAC 40 advanced 0.8 percent.
 
 
Chinese-Swiss FTA effective July 1
 
The China-Switzerland free trade agreement will come into effect on July 1.
The Ministry of Commerce says the FTA will further boost the two sides' economic cooperation, as well as that between China and Europe.
China and Switzerland signed the FTA in Beijing in July 2013, capping more than two years of negotiations and legal processes.
It is the first free-trade pact between China and a country in continental Europe.
 
 
China's central bank warns against T+0 stock trading
 
China's central bank has warned against T+0 trading in the stock market.
T+0 means buying and selling financial products on the same day.
Currently, T+1 is used by the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses. T+1 means shares bought on one day can only be sold from the next trading day.
The People's Bank of China says that T+0 trading can trigger settlement risks, aggravate market fluctuations and facilitate market manipulations.
PBOC says it demands comprehensive research and prudent study on whether the A-share market should introduce T+0 trading.
The Shanghai bourse in 1992 and the Shenzhen stock exchange in 1993 introduced T+0 trading, but they shifted to T+1 in 1995 to guard against market risks.
 
 
Call-in CVC Picks Up Major Stake In Chinese Restaurant Chain
 
Anchor
British private equity firm CVC Capital Partners has confirmed it's picked up a majority stake in Chinese high-end restaurant chain South Beauty.
Terms of the investment have not been disclosed.
Last October, media reports suggested that CVC was planning to acquire 69% of South Beauty for 300 million US dollars.
The investment will provide an exit for Beijing-based alternative investment firm CDH Investments, which bought an unspecified stake of the restaurant chain in 2008 for 29.3 million US dollars.
Zhang Lan, the founder of South Beauty, remains as chairwoman and is still one of the shareholders.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research in Shanghai.
Questions
--What makes South Beauty such an attractive asset for these investment firms?
--How has the South Beauty brand been affected by the government of China's austerity measures?
--With the purchase, are we going to see a change in management, or even the business plan?
--How much influence on decision making does company founder Zhang Lan still have, and will that change with the new majority ownership?
--What do you think of South Beauty's IPO prospects after this injection of money from CVC Capital?
Back Anchor
Benjamin Cavender, Principal of China Market Research in Shanghai.
 
 
China Vanke posts first profit decline in 12 years
 
China's largest property developer China Vanke has posted a decline in its first quarter profits compared with a year earlier.
This is the company's first decline in quarterly profit since 2002.
Net profit went down 5 percent to 1.5 billion yuan, or about 245 million U.S. dollars.
Vanke's revenue plummeted over 30 percent on an annual basis to 9.5 billion yuan in the same period.
The Shenzhen-based company said it completed less than one million square meters of buildings, only 7 percent of the real estate projects planned for 2014 in the first quarter.
The company attributed the weak revenues and profits mainly to seasonable factors.
In March, of a statistical pool of 70 major Chinese cities, 14 saw home prices either decline or stagnate on a monthly basis, the highest figure since early 2013.
 
 
European banking authority reveal details of European bank stress tests
 
The European Banking Authority has unveiled new tougher stress tests for European banks.
According to the new rules, EU banks will be expected to prove they can survive a seven percent drop in GDP.
The regulator says banks should also be able to withstand a 14-percent fall in house prices and up to a 19-percent drop in share prices under a worst-case scenario.
The tests are designed to prevent the need for further taxpayer bailouts.
European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio says regulators' next round of tests will the the toughest so far.
"The　degree of severity is higher, because for instance, and that's a good measure, if you take the deviations of the evolution of the GDP between the baseline scenario and the adverse scenario, these deviations are in these stress tests 30 per cent higher than the deviations in the previous EBA exercises."
The stress test will be conducted on a sample of 124 EU banks, covering at least 50 pct of each national banking sector.
 
 
Britain records fifth consecutive quarter of GDP growth
 
New data shows that the UK economy grew by 0.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014.
It marks the fifth consecutive quarter of GDP growth - the longest positive run since the financial crisis.
The pace of growth was higher than the 0.7 percent growth in the fourth quarter last year, but slightly lower than market consensus of 0.9 percent.
When compared with the same quarter a year ago, British GDP was 3.1 percent higher in the first quarter of 2014, the highest rate since the fourth quarter of 2007.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Pro-Russian activists storm administration buildings in Luhansk
 
Hundreds of pro-Russian activists have stormed administration buildings in Luhansk, one of the largest cities in eastern Ukraine.
They are seeking a referendum on granting greater authority to Ukraine's regions.
The move further raises tensions in the eastern part of the country, where activists have seized control of government buildings in at least 10 cities and towns.
Ukraine authorities say the government has already begun the process of decentralizing state power, but pro-Russia activists have no intention of fulfilling the Geneva agreement.
Earlier this month, Ukraine and Russia agreed on tentative steps to halt violence and calm tensions in eastern Ukraine.
However, Ukrainian military are trying to encircle the city of Slovyansk as seven military observers have been held hostage by pro-Russia activists.
Ukraine and Russia have been blaming each other for the rising tensions.
The US and EU have imposed another round of sanctions against Russia.
 
 
Iran ready for nuclear deal: Iran President
 
Iran's President, Hassan Rouhani, says Iran is ready for a nuclear agreement if other parties are also ready.
The comment comes ahead of expert-level nuclear talks between Iran and major powers to be held in New York next month.
Rouhani also says repairing ties with the U.S will require more time.
Iran and six major powers, including the U.S. and China, struck an interim deal last year, in which Tehran agreed not to expand its nuclear program for six months.
The parties have set a July deadline to clinch a long-term deal.
 
 
Fresh wave of violence erupts in Syria ahead of election
 
A fresh wave of violence has hit Syria ahead of a presidential election set for June 3rd.
At least 37 people were killed in an explosion in the city of Homs on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, at least 14 students were killed when mortar shells hit a religious school in central Damascus.
A second shelling has also been reported but the number of casualties has not been disclosed.
The violence comes after President Bashar al-Assad registered his candidacy in the upcoming election, defying calls to step down.
 
 
Audio of conversation between air traffic control and missing plane's crew
 
Malaysian officials have for the first time revealed the audio communication between the missing flight MH370's cockpit and air traffic controllers to relatives of passengers in Beijing.
The conversation in English established communication between Mh370's cockpit and the radar unit in a control tower.
The hunt for MH370 has entered a new phase with eliminated surface searches, and will focus instead on an underwater sonar search for clues to the missing plane.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Tibet grassland conservation effort pays out 6 billion yuan
Summary
From 2009 to 2013, Tibet has been granted more than 6 billion yuan, or 958 million US dollars, in grassland conservation subsidies and awards.
Nomads within the grazing prohibition range get an annual subsidy of 6 yuan for each 0.066 of a hectare of grassland. Nomads who don't surpass the overgrazing limit will be awarded.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Extra 800 million US dollars adds to Disneyland allure
Summary
The Walt Disney Cooperation and the Shanghai Shendi Group have announced a deal for an 800 million US dollar investment in the forthcoming Shanghai Disneyland.
The cash will be spent on rides, entertainment facilities, dining and retail venues.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Information collection for school enrollments
Summary
The Beijing education authority is going to launch the compulsory education entrance service platform tomorrow.
All children who are to be admitted to primary schools and middle schools should submit their personal information to the platform.
The department's spokesperson says the measure is very crucial, because those who don't register on the platform will no be accepted by any schools.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Parole and early-release cases to be publicized
Summary
China's Supreme People's Court has released a new regulation, requiring publication within five days of all parole and early-release cases.
The parole and early-release of prisoners from six categories, including duty crime and financial fraud crime, should be decided in a court house.
Verdicts of the parole and early-release should be released to the public via the internet.
YANZHAO METROPOLTAN DAILY
Headline
Maximum of 9600 yuan tax break for entrepreneurs
Summary
China's financial, taxation and human resources authorities have jointly issued a new policy to support startups by laid-off workers.
The new entrepreneurs could enjoy a maximum of 9600 yuan of tax break.
And enterprises could enjoy a maximum tax break of 5200 yuan for each laid-off worker they employed.
XIAOXIANG MORNING POST
Headline
Changsha opens first subway
Summary
Changsha, capital city of Hunan province, has opened the city's first subway line ahead of the forthcoming Labour Day holiday.
The subway line has 19 stops. Eight of them are transfer stations that will eventually link with the other six lines that have been planned.
The subway line runs east-west, and is expected to spur development on the west side of Changsha.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
More college graduates pick work instead of taking advanced degrees
 
Anchor
A new survey shows there is a growing number of college graduates in China who are opting to join the work force, rather than pursue advanced degrees.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter
Yuan Guisen expects to graduate this July.
She says more than half of her classmates are currently looking for jobs, including herself.
"I want to be economically independent. Starting work now will help me accumulate work experience at an early stage, but I also won't give up on pursuing higher education in the future."
A poll conducted by recruitment firm Zhaopin.com shows more than 76 percent of China's university students say they want to work after earning their degrees this summer.
This is up from 73.6 percent last year and from 68.5 percent in 2012.
Yuan Guisen is one of those who have already signed a contract here in Beijing.
"The job meets three of my conditions: it is closely related to my major, it's a role that I am interested in and the salary will sustain my lifestyle in this big city."
But unlike herself, Yuan Guisen says some of her classmates have decided to go back to their hometowns to find work because of the high cost of living in the capital city.
"The expenses are huge whether you are renting an apartment or buying a property. Some of my classmates are going back to second or third-tier cities to work. They don't need to worry about finding a place to live. The cost of living is also lower, although the salaries aren't as high as in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou."
Figures from Zhaopin.com show university graduates are looking toward second-tier cities for better job opportunities and lower property prices. And Suzhou tops the "competitive index" for cities, with an average of 90 graduates competing for each job.
Other second-tier cities, such as Xi'an, Nanjing and Wuhan have also made it into the top 10 on the index.
Zhang Zhixin with Capital University of Economics and Business says this country's university education system is facing structural adjustments.
"It's like it has reached a turning point. Our higher education system needs structural adjustments. More and more companies, as well as students, are realizing people with practical skills, rather than students who have focused on academia alone, may have the upper hand in the job market. University education tends to focus more on core work skills."
Zhang Zhixin says he believes that in an era where information is highly accessible, graduating students shouldn't have any problem finding information about potenatial careers.
"I am not advocating students make specific career development plans right from their freshman year. I prefer guiding students to make decisions after they have acquired some basic knowledge of their major, the challenges they'll face in society and their potential. I would also advise students to research the companies and industry they want to get into."
Figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security show that more than 7 million university students are expected to graduate this year, an increase of 4% from last year.
The annual Zhaopin.com survey also shows around one-fifth of respondents will choose to extend their education after graduation, while about 3-percent hope to start their own businesses.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Real Madrid reached Champions League final with a 5-0 demolition of title holders Bayern Munich
 
In football, defending champions Bayern Munich were knocked out by Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the European Champions League.
Bayern lost their away game 1-0 to Real last week and were under huge pressure to overturn that deficit on home pitch.
But a fully-charged Real demolished Bayern 4-0 in Germany with two goals from Sergio Ramos and two from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bayern had nearly 70 percent of ball possession in the match while Real had only 30 percent.
But as the game drew closer to the end, Real simply stunned a Bayern team that almost never concedes multiple goals in front of home supporters.
Real Madrid now looks unstoppable in its quest for a tenth champions league trophy.
Real's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, spoke to the media prior to the match, stating that he is very happy and has no plans to leave the Spanish club.
It's very strange to talk about this in this moment but I have respect of everyone I didn't have contact with anyone at Chelsea, I don't need to have contact with anyone, I am really happy here i would like to stay here a long time, it's easy for me to say this before a semi-final of a Champions League but really its my thought, and I am really happy here."
Real Madrid will face the winner of the match between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid in the final.
That last semi-final match will be played later tonight at Stamford Bridge.
Game one was a goal-less draw.
 
 
Chinese Super League fixtures of the day
 
Over here in the Chinese Super League,
This afternoon is packed with seven matches.
First, tipping-off at 3:30 pm, Dalian Aerbin will host FA Cup holders Guizhou Renhe.
At 4 pm, second placed Shandong Luneng will take on Changchun Yatai.
At 7:30, Beijing Guo'an plays host to Jiangsu Sainty.
Around the same time, Tianjin Teda meets Hangzhou GreenCity.
A key fixture of the day will see newly-promoted Harbin Yiteng going up against Henan Jianye.
The two teams see each other as close rivals in the relegation zone, therefore it should be an interesting game to watch.
Later into the night, title holders Guangzhou Evergrande will host Shanghai ShangGang, while another Shanghai side, Shenxin faces Liaoning Hongyuan.
 
 
NBA bans Sterling from game for life and calls on him to give up ownership of the Clippers
 
In basketball,
The NBA has banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from game for life for his outrageous racist comments.
Sterling will not be allowed any role in the operations of his team or be able to serve as one of the league's governors.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the decision after completing an investigation into an audio recording, in which Sterling criticized his girlfriend for associating with black people.
Sterling, the longest-tenured owner among the 30 NBA teams, was also fined two and a half million dollars.
Commissioner Silver said he would call on other co-owners of the Clippers to force Sterling to give up his ownership.
"As for Mr. Sterling's ownership interest in the Clippers, I will urge the Board of Governors to exercise its authority to force a sale of the team and will do everything in my power to ensure that that happens."
Past and present players voiced their support for Silver's move.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA guard.
"Today the players believe the commissioner has done his duty. On this day Adam Silver is not only the owners' commissioner he is also the players' commissioner and we're proud to call him our commissioner."
Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers guard Steve Nash, and the Clippers themselves all voiced approval of the decision.
 
 
Washington looks to expand series lead to 4-1 against Chicago
 
NBA playoff action today,
The Washington Wizards can eliminate the Chicago Bulls today. A win would give Washington a 4-1 series victory and put them into round 2. The Bulls will try to cut their series deficit to 3-2.
Oklahoma City and Memphis seek to break their deadlock. The first-round series right now is tied at two games apiece.
It's the same goal for the L.A Clippers, who are now back at the Staples Center hosting Golden State.
 
 
IOC official calls Rio preparations the worst ever
 
Brazil's sports officials are once again on the hot seat as the International Olympic Committee's vice-president, John Coates, is now calling the country's Olympic preparations the worst he's ever seen.
The next summer games are to be held in Rio in 2016.
Coates made the comments following an inspection in which he noted that construction on some venues has hardly started.
The IOC deputy head also asserted that the city has many urgent social issues that need to be addressed.
The IOC has adopted a more hands-on role in Rio's preparation work.
So far, several batches of experts have been sent and placed in local organsing committees to help ensure the Games go ahead as planned.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
68th Tony nominations announced
 
(Liu)
Jonathan Groff and Lucy Liu announced the nominations for the 68th Tony awards yesterday.
The musical "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," led the way with 10 nominations. The story follows a poor man who maneuvers his way to a title by eliminating the eight heirs ahead of him.
Eight nominations went to "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," a story about a transgender East German performer, starring Neil Patrick Harris
Five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald is nominated for leading actress for "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill."
Mark Rylance is up for two prizes this year. The 54 year old is nominated for best leading actor for his role as Richard in Richard III.
And his cross-dressing portrayal of Olivia in the all-male Twelth Night got him a nomination for best performance by an actor in a featured role.
Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel, also known as the singer of that hit song "Frozen", was nominated for her role in "If/Then," the only completely original new musical on Broadway this season.
But many were surprised by some of the big names that were passed over, including Denzel Washington, Daniel Radcliffe, James Franco, Michelle Williams, Orlando Bloom, and Daniel Craig.
The 68th Tony Awards will be held in New York on June 8, with X-Men star Hugh Jackman presiding as host.
 
 
Star Wars 7 cast announced
 
(StarWars)
The Star Wars franchise is getting ready to start production on Episode VII, after officially announcing the new cast.
Actually, most of the cast members are actually veterans. Original Star Wars actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill will return as Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.
Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker will also be back as C-3PO, Chewbacca, and R2-D2.
The new recruits include 85-year old Max von Sydow, the master of motion capture Andy Serkis, young British actress Daisy Ridley, and another British newcomer John Boyega.
Shooting will get underway in a couple weeks, and is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2015.
 
 
Andy Serkis to make directing debut with new version of "The Jungle Book"
 
Actor Andy Serkis, who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" triology, is making his directing debut with "The Jungle Book".
The film is based on Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" collection, which revolve around the life of man-cub Mowgli.
But Serkis said don't expect this new film to bear any resemblance to the beloved 1967 Disney animated film.
"I mean, I loved 'The Jungle Book' as a child. This is a very, very different telling of the story. This is Warner Bros in their range - their tonality - it harkens back to Rudyard Kipling's original books. So there's a darkness. The jungle is both a mysterious and dangerous and dark place, but also Mowgli's home and a wondrous garden of Eden. But it is very much a dark re-telling of that story."
So no dancing King Louie or singing Baloo,but the film will make heavy use of motion capture technology. The Jungle Book is still in its early stages of production.
 
 
Neon Trees releases third album "Pop Psychology"
 
(NeonTrees)
Neon Trees has released its third album "Pop Psychology". The Utah-based alternative band shot to the top of the charts with platinum-selling hits "Animals" and "Everybody Talks".
The band's lead vocalist Tyler Glenn said the album is an expression of the identity crisis he's going through right now.
"It's cool, like it started as kind of a therapeutic thing to do, which I think albums are for a lot of artists. For me it was a moment where I was like, it started like really dark, and I thought, you know, this might be this dark subject matter because it's a lot about me and figuring out who I am and also finding love in the modern age and all this stuff, but it's really probably the most colorful, celebratory album we've put out, so it's funny the contrast
Glenn said a lot of the songs revolve around finding someone to love, because he's struggling with being the only member of the band who's still single.
Last month, the singer announced that he was gay, which was significant because of the fact that he's one of few Mormons to do so.
 
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Pro-Russian activists have taken yet another building in eastern Ukraine, as political tension rises between Russia and the West...
Iran's President says his country is ready to sign a long-term nuclear agreement...
A fresh wave of violence has hit Syria, following president Assad's announcement he will run in forthcoming elections...
In Business...A new Free Trade Agreement between China and Switzerland takes effect July 1st...
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.