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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, May 28th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese authorities say Vietnam is only damaging its own interest by harassing Chinese oil-drilling operations near the Xisha Islands...
New anti-terrorism working groups are being set up across China as part of the recently announced crackdown...
And America has announced plans for leaving troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014...
In Business...slower growth in the Chinese economy is affecting the logistics sector...
In sports...an upset at the French Open...
In entertainment...a possible TV gig for Yao Ming
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
Weather
Beijing will be sunny today with a high of 36 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 23.
Shanghai will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 34.
Overnight, it will be clear with a low of 24.
In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 27.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 20.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 38.
Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 25.
Over to North America.
New York will be overcast today with a high of 19 degrees.
Washington will see moderate rain with a high of 28 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 28.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 19 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 15.
And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.
Top News
FM: Vietnam damages its interests after harassing and obstructing China's drilling
The Chinese government is again condemning Vietnam's interference of a Chinese oil rig near the Xisha Islands.
Reports are suggesting the Vienamese boat tried to enter the waters around the oil rig on Tuesday, but was cut off by Chinese boats patroling the region.
The Vienamese boat then capsized.
All aboard were pulled from the water alive.
Qin Gang with the Chinese foreign ministry says actions like this only hurt Vietnam's interests.
"It is necessary to point out that the reason behind this incident is that Vietnam is trying to interrupt normal drilling activities by a Chinese company in a dangerous way. The Vietnamese side has also been ignoring Chinese attempts at talks, warnings, and advice over and over again. China is once again urging Vietnam to respect China's sovereignty and stop obstructing Chinese activities in the South China Sea."
The Chinese government is also taking issue with comments from the Japanese government connected to Tuesday's incident.
"Japan should remember that China's Xisha Islands were invaded by Japan's military forces in World War Two. After the victory in World War Two, China regained sovereignty over the Xisha Islands. Does Japan disagree with that? We're calling on Japan to respect this fact and stop mischief-making and making irresponsible comments".
Tensions between China and Vietnam have been on the rise after Vietnamese boats began harrassing the Chinese oil rig near the Xisha Islands earlier this month.
The dispute over the Islands has led to fierce anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam.
At least two Chinese citizens have died, while thousands of others were forced to flee the country and return to China.
Vietnamese officials say two people have been sentenced in connection to the violence earlier this month.
With more, CRI's Xu Qinduo spoke with Su Xiaohui from China Institute of International Studies, who notes that Vietnam used to respect China's sovereignty over the Xisha islands. That changed in 1975 when the government in Hanoi attempted to claim the territory.
(today callin)
BACK ANCHOR
That is Su Xiaohui from China Institute of International Studies speaking with CRI's Xu Qinduo.
Anti-terrorism leading groups being established nationwide in China
Anchor
New anti-terrorism working groups are being set up in different places across China as part of the government's new year-long crackdown on terrorism.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter
The localized anti-terrorism working groups are now being established on the provincial levels in places such as Guangdong, Yunnan and Jiangxi, among others.
This follows directives from the central government's anti-terrorism group, which was established last August.
Fu Xiaoqiang is with The China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
"At the bequest of the central government, local governments are being told to pay more attention to anti-terrorism work. At the district level, these groups will be helpful in implementing the central government's anti-terrorism policies. They will also help suppress potential terrorist activities."
There have been a number of deadly terrorist attacks which have hit different areas of China in recent months, including Urumqi, Kunming and Beijing.
Li Wei is also a professor from the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
"Given the current security situation, it's urgent we strengthen anti-terrorism campaigns across the country. Anti-terrorism programs should be highly visible, which people can see and count on. And if there's a terrorist incident, our counter-terrorism teams should be mobilized quickly to minimize injuries and deaths."
Large-scale anti-terrorism drills are already being carried out.
One held in Sichuan's capital Chengdu has seen a team of nearly 400 armed police officers, patrol officers and firefighters take part in drills.
The training has covered events including bombings, highjackings, arsons or other violent terrorist attacks.
Professor Fu Xiaoqiang says setting up more localized anti-terrorism working groups is the right way to go.
"Local anti-terrorism leading groups can help strenghten the coordination of anti-terrorism work on a national level. It will help with both intelligence gathering and emergency responses. Localized anti-terror groups will help push forward the national fight against terrorism."
The latest terrorist attack here in China saw attackers roll through an open-air market in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi in vehicles, plowing through crowds while throwing out explosives.
The attackers then blew up their vehicles.
In the end, 31 people were killed and over 90 others injured.
The attack comes on the heels of deadly assaults by terrorists on train stations in Urumqi and Kunming, as well as a deadly vehicle attack on crowds in front of Tian'anmen Square in Beijing in October.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
Obama announces plan to leave 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014
Anchor:
The US President Barack Obama has made a detailed announcement regarding the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan.
CRI's Ding Lulu has more.
Reporter:
The US President has hinted that the longest war in American history will finally end by the time he leaves office in 2017.
"At the beginning of 2015, we will have approximately 9,800 U.S. servicemembers in different parts of the country, together with our NATO allies and other partners. By the end of 2015, we will have reduced that presence by roughly half, and we will have consolidated our troops in Kabul and on Bagram Airfield. One year later, by the end of 2016, our military will draw down to a normal embassy presence in Kabul, with a security assistance component, just as we've done in Iraq."
The announcement follows a surprise visit made by the president over the weekend to US army bases in Afghanistan.
It also comes weeks ahead of the presidential runoff election in the country.
President Obama is expressing confidence of signing a joint security agreement with the new Afghan government, as the current leader Hamid Karzai has refused to endorse the deal.
"We will only sustain this military presence after 2014 if the Afghan government signs the Bilateral Security Agreement that our two governments have already negotiated. This Agreement is essential to give our troops the authorities they need to fulfill their mission, while respecting Afghan sovereignty. The two final Afghan candidates in the run-off election for President have each indicated that they would sign this agreement promptly after taking office. So I'm hopeful that we can get this done."
Acknowledging that "Afghanistan will not be a perfect place," the president says the US will continue its support of the Afghan government, but more through economic and diplomatic efforts.
The United States first launched its military presence in Afghanistan following the al-Qaeda attacks on September 11th, 2001.
The number of US troops in the country peaked in 2011 at about 101 thousand personnel, and now stands at 32 thousand.
According to President Obama, the remaining troops will focus on two missions: training Afghan security forces, and aiding anti-terrorism operation.
For CRI, this is Ding Lulu.
Ukrainian military retakes Donetsk airport
Anchor
The Ukrainian military has retaken Donetsk airport after a day of heavy fighting.
This activity follows a promise by the country's new president to bring an end to the tension in eastern Ukraine.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter
Ukraine's interior minister, Arsen Avakov, says Ukrainian military forces, including fighter jets, launched attacks on the opposition and managed to retake the country's second-largest airport early on Tuesday.
"We just reacted to the situation, the seizure of the airport and shooting at the civilian plane. The result is that the airport is absolutely under our control. The other side has serious losses. There was no one killed on our side. The operation is still ongoing in Donetsk."
The mayor of Donetsk says that 40 people, including two civilians, were killed in the fighting.
Similar skirmishes have been reported in the eastern city of Slovyansk, which remains under opposition control.
Ukraine's new president, Petro Poroshenko, has vowed to tackle the unrest in eastern regions, saying he will not negotiate with armed oppositions.
Also on Tuesday, the European security watchdog, the OSCE, confirmed the missing of its staffers near Donetsk.
OSCE spokesperson Michael Bociurkiw:
"It is a little over 24 hours ago that we lost contact with a group of monitors. There are four individuals, all men: one from Denmark, one from Switzerland, one from Estonia and one from Turkey. They were out on a routine monitoring mission just east of Donetsk, between Donetsk city and the border with Luhansk Oblast."
Ukrainian authorities say they believe the team has been detained by opposition forces, and call on Russia to use its influence to obtain their immediate release.
Poroshenko has said he wants to hold talks with Russia to put an end to the crisis.
As a response, Russia promises to assist efforts by Poroshenko if he moves to negotiate a peaceful end to the unrest, but warns him against trying to score a quick military victory against the opposition.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov:
"If there is a plan that the Ukrainian army using heavy armament, the National Guard, the Right Sector and others would crush down the resistance in the southeast before the expected inauguration of Poroshenko and that it would be possible to enter Donbass like a winner, I think that it would hardly create favourable conditions for a hospitable welcome in the Donetsk region."
Poroshenko, who won Ukraine's presidential vote Sunday, has said his first step as president will be to visit the eastern regions.
Donetsk and Luhansk have declared independence and battled government troops in weeks of fighting.
For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.
Nigeria military and president disagree on plan to rescue schoolgirls
Apparent disagreement has emerged between Nigeria's military and the president over how to rescue nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted by Islamic extremist group Boko Haram.
Earlier, the military said it discovered the location of the schoolgirls, but could not rescue them by force over fears the girls would be killed.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that president Goodluck Jonathan has ruled out demands for a prisoner exchange.
Community leader Pogu Bitrus of Chibok, the town from which the girls were abducted, is urging the government and military to start negotiations.
"It has to be negotiation, so let's come out prompt and clear and say we are going to negotiate but the terms of negotiation are left for the negotiators to decide, I think that is a better way of putting it."
Meanwhile, Nigerians in the capital, Abuja, continue with their daily protests, asking for the release of the schoolgirls abducted last month.
Boko Haram has said it will only release the girls on condition that the government releases its jailed members.
At least 470 civilians have been killed by the group since the girls were captured.
On Tuesday, at least 24 security operatives were killed in clashes with suspected Boko Haram fighters in northeastern state of Yobe.
The group has launched deadly attacks across the country since 2009.
It says it is fighting to establish an Islamic state in religiously mixed Nigeria.
EU leaders to decide on next European Commission president
EU leaders have gathered in Brussels to discuss who should replace Jose Manuel Barroso as the next president of the European Commission.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy says the leader will need to take into account the elections of the European Parliament.
Earlier, anti-European Union parties in France, Britain and Denmark won resounding victories.
Leaders from Britain and France have called for EU reforms given the election result.
The EU leaders are also expected to assess the surging support for euroskeptic parties during the meeting.
Egypt extends presidential vote for extra day
Voting in Egypt's presidential election has been extended by a day.
The country's election commission made the decision to add a third day of voting to increase voter turnout, and to give non-residents a better chance to return to their home provinces so they can cast ballots.
Ex-military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who led the overthrow of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, is poised to score an easy win over his sole rival in the race, leftist leader Hamdeen Sabahy, who came third in the 2012 presidential election.
About 54 million people are eligible to cast their votes at around 14,000 polling stations across the country's 27 provinces.
Pakistani PM says meeting with Modi "constructive"
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has described his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a historic opportunity" for the two countries.
He notes that Pakistan wants to bring the peace process with India forward.
"We also agreed that the two foreign secretaries would be meeting soon to review and carry forward our bilateral agenda in the spirit of our meeting today."
The two sides have also talked about increasing trade between their nations.
The Pakistani Prime Minister was in Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Modi, an unprecedented invitation in Indian history.
His trip comes as Pakistan and India continue to struggle with long-standing issues, including the decades-long dispute over control of the Kashmir region.
Biz Reports
Anchor
First off, let's take a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.
Joinning me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter
U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday, pushing the S&P 500 to its second-straight record high, buoyed by the latest round of merger activity.
The S&P 500 advanced 0.6 percent, the 12th record closing high in 2014.
The Dow climbed 0.4 percent, and the Nasdaq advanced 1.2 percent.
Economic data helped provide a positive backdrop for investors.
Durable goods orders rose in April, versus expectations of a decline, while home prices increased more than forecast in March. And consumer confidence in May was in line with estimates.
On the corporate front, shares of Hillshire Brands, known for sausages and lunch meats, surged 22 percent after poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride offered to buy Hillshire in a 6.4 billion dollar deal.
Shares of Pinnacle Foods, which Hillshire plans to buy, slid 5.4 percent. Pilgrim's Pride gained 1.7 percent.
Pfizer shares added 0.4 percent a day after the U.S. drugmaker walked away from its bid to buy AstraZeneca for 118 billion dollars. U.S.-traded AstraZeneca shares dipped 0.3 percent.
In Europe, stock markets gained as expectations for rate cuts by the European Central Bank stoked investors' appetite for equities.
ECB chief Mario Draghi said earlier that the bank must be "particularly watchful" for any negative price spiral in the euro zone.
His comments increased bets that the bank was ready to cut rates next week to counter low inflation and weak lending in the euro zone, keeping asset purchases as an option.
Germany's DAX added half a percent, France's CAC 40 edged up slightly and Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent.
Slowdown in China's logistics industry continues
New data shows that growth in China's logistics industry has continued to slow through the first four months of 2014 as the economic slowdown affects demand.
The total value of goods transported increased 8.5 percent year-on-year to 64.2 trillion yuan or 10.4 trillion US dollars, but that is one point lower compared with the same period last year.
Cai Jin is the vice chairman of China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing
"Although the growth of the logistics industry slowed, it was still higher than that of GDP in general. So it reflects that the development of the logistics industry still plays a prominent role in promoting the overall process."
The bright spot is that logistics services for online shopping showed a robust increase of 34 percent.
The federation forecast in mid-May that the logistics sector will improve later this year and the growth for the whole year will be around nine percent.
China seeks bigger sway in gold trade
Media reports say that China has approached foreign banks and gold producers to participate in a global gold exchange in Shanghai.
The Shanghai Gold Exchange got the go ahead from the central bank last week to launch a global trading platform in the city's pilot free trade zone.
For more on global gold exchange in Shanghai, we are joined live on the line with Benjamin Cavender, associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
Question:
1. How attractive is this idea, a global gold exchange in Shanghai, to foreign banks?
(HSBC, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, etc. asked to participate)
2. How much of an impact could this global gold exchange have in terms of pricing and trading on the world market?
3. Last week, Barclays became the first bank to be fined over attempted manipulation of the 95-year-old benchmark London gold market daily "fix." What kind of concerns and risks to regulators and investors need to be concerned about if the market here is opened up to foreign players?
Back Anchor:
That was Benjamin Cavender, associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
State Grid solicits social capital
China's State Grid says it will open two business sectors to private investment amid the government's call to develop a diverse market economy.
Power grids and charging facilities for electric automobiles will be the first two sectors to allow private money.
State Grid says the move will give full play to the market in resource allocation and promote new energy development.
The company estimated the market value of the two sectors will reach 200 billion yuan, or 32 billion U.S. dollars by 2020.
The Chinese government has been pushing for non-state capital in traditional state-owned sectors such as banking, oil, and public utilities.
In February, China's top oil refiner, Sinopec, decided to restructure its lucrative distribution business, allowing private capital to claim up to 30 percent of its shares.
Compared to the Sinopec opening, State Grid's step has been greeted with disappointment. The two sectors that it has opened are not part of State Grid's core business.
China mulls unified taxi-calling platform
The Ministry of Transport is considering creating a unified taxi-calling platform integrating taxi calling apps, phone services and websites.
According to the ministry, the platform will be able to transfer all the call requests from various sources to one terminal in a taxi.
Mobile app developers are encouraged to participate in the construction of the platform.
More and more taxi drivers in China are using taxi app services to supplement their business.
Popular apps Didi and KuaiDi are backed by Chinese Internet giants Tencent and Alibaba respectively.
The ministry is soliciting public opinions on this move until June 10.
GlaxoSmithKline to be investigated by UK fraud body
British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline is to be investigated by the UK's Serious Fraud Office over its "commercial practices".
The company said it would "co-operate fully" with the SFO.
Earlier this month, authorities here in China accused GSK staff of bribing government and hospital officials.
GSK refused to comment on whether the SFO's investigation was connected to this incident.
The pharmaceutical giant is also facing a criminal investigation into similar allegations in Poland and Iraq.
Headline News
FM: Vietnam damages its interests after harassing and obstructing China's drilling
The Chinese government is again condemning Vietnam's interference of a Chinese oil rig near the Xisha Islands.
Reports are suggesting the Vietnamese boat tried to enter the waters around the oil rig on Tuesday, but was cut off by Chinese boats patrolling the region.
The Vietnamese boat then capsized.
All aboard were pulled from the water alive.
Qin Gang with the Chinese foreign ministry says actions like this only hurt Vietnam's interests.
Tensions between China and Vietnam have been on the rise after Vietnamese boats began harassing the Chinese oil rig near the Xisha Islands earlier this month.
The dispute over the Islands has led to fierce anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam.
Obama announces plan to leave 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014
The US President has announced his a plan that involves leaving troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014.
Nearly 10-thousand American soldiers will remain in the country after the current mission officially ends in December.
That number is to be cut in half by the end of 2015, being drawn down to what is considered "a normal embassy presence" by the end of 2016.
The president acknowledges that his plan to leave troops in Afghanistan is tied to the signing of a bilateral security deal with the government in Kabul.
Ukrainian military retakes Donetsk airport
The Ukrainian military has retaken Donetsk airport after a day of heavy fighting.
This activity follows a promise by the country's new president to bring an end to the tension in eastern Ukraine.
40 people, including two civilians, were reportedly killed.
Meanwhile the European security watchdog, the OSCE, confirmed the missing of its staffers near Donetsk.
Ukrainian authorities say they believe the team has been detained by opposition forces, and call on Russia to use its influence to obtain their immediate release.
EU leaders to decide on next European Commission president
EU leaders have gathered in Brussels to discuss who should replace Jose Manuel Barroso as the next president of the European Commission.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy says the leader will need to take into account the elections of the European Parliament.
Earlier, anti-European Union parties in France, Britain and Denmark won resounding victories.
Leaders from Britain and France have called for EU reforms given the election result.
The EU leaders are also expected to assess the surging support for euroskeptic parties during the meeting.
Inmarsat "raw data" released for public consumption
British satellite firm Inmarsat has released its "raw data" used to determine the path of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
The move comes amid mounting calls from the passengers' relatives for more transparency.
Even though the plane's transponder had been turned off, the Inmarsat data was still being transmitted.
The data has led authorities to conclude MH370 crashed in the southern Indian Ocean about 7-hours after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on a flight that was supposed to land in Beijing.
The flight disappeared on March 8th with 239 passengers and crew onboard, most of them Chinese.
So far no trace of the plane has been discovered.
Newspaper Picks
XINHUA
Headline
1.8 tonnes of explosive material seized in Xinjiang
Summery
The regional publicity department says police have seized 1.8 tonnes of material needed for explosive devices and arrested five suspects.
Local police say an alleged terror group has been busted in southern Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture.
----------------
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Banquets curbed
Summery
The CPC disciplinary body in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, has released a new rule forbidding Party or government officials from invite colleagues or subordinates to weddings or funerals in a bid to avoid corruption.
The new rule will allow only one wedding ceremony at a single location within one day, with a maximum of 20 guest tables and only relatives allowed to be invited.
----------------
Beijing Youth Daily
Headline
Regulations issued to assess government performance on environmental protection
A regulation issued by China's State Council will assess local government performance on air pollution control.
The goal is to bring more incentives to the work of local governments.
According to the government document, the assessment results are divided into four levels: excellent, good, standard and substandard.
------------
Beijing Morning Post
headline
Cyber cleanup campaign targets instant messaging services
A month-long network cleanup campaign has been initiated to remove public accounts linked to misconduct on instant messaging services like WeChat.
According to a statement from State Internet Information Office , it is found some users are using their accounts to distribute illegal information.
It is estimated that some 800 million Chinese are using the WeChat service provided by Tencent.
The campaign aims to eliminate the problem accounts
--------------
THE BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Traffic official corruption
Summery
The former Beijing Traffic Management Bureau chief Song Jianguo is reportedly under investigation, suspected of seriously violating Party discipline.
The authorities did not elaborate on the charges.
-----------------
THE BEIJING TIMES
Headline
singer jailed 9 months over drug offenses
Summery
Beijing's Chaoyang District People's Court has jailed Li Daimo, a popular singer, nine months and fined him 2,000 yuan ($320)for allowing other people to use drugs at his temporary residence.
Li was fully aware that his guests were taking drugs and violated China's Criminal Law, court documents showed.
Li said he will not appeal the sentence.
Special Reports
Q&A with Stephan Marbury
Anchor
Former NBA star Stephan Marbury has been made an honorary citizen of Beijing after leading his current basketball team, the Beijing Ducks, to its second championship.
He is only the 30th person to be honoured in this way.
The CBA's two-time MVP spoke to Beijing Hour reporter Hai Peng, looking back on a successful season on the court and his years in the Chinese capital.
(interview with Marbury)
BACK ABCHOR
Beijing Ducks's star Stephan Marbury speaking with Beijing Hour's Hai Peng.
Sports
Li Na suffers shock first round exit at Roland Garros
Starting off with tennis action at the French Open,
A shocking upset at Roland Garros! Second seed Li Na is out, losing in the first round to 21-year-old Kristina Mladenovic.
The young Frenchwoman earned a hard-fought victory, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Li, the 2011 French Open champion, committed 37 unforced errors and says she couldn't find her game during the match.
"The easy thing I can say is it was a bad day for me, but the problem is me. I'm not doing well on the court and during the match I wasn't committed to the level of play needed to win. I didn't follow the game plan. Even as I stood on the court, in my mind I didn't have any idea how to play the match."
Mladenovic next plays American Alison Riske, who defeated Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 7-6, 6-3.
Meanwhile, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki is also a first round casualty, defeated by Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.
Sixth seed Jelena Jankovic had a tough battle against Canada's Sharon Fichman but won the match 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 to take her place in the second round.
Italy's Sara Errani was also a three-set winner against American Madison Keys.
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and Romanian Simona Halep also booked their second round tickets after each posted straight-set victories.
Over in the men's draw,
Last year's Wimbledon champion Andy Murray advanced to the second round with a four-set victory against Andrey Golubev of Kazakstan.
Fifth seed David Ferrer also went through, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 against his Dutch opponent Igor Sijsling.
11th seed Grigor Dimitrov is out after losing his first round match against Parisian Ivo Karlovic in three sets.
Oklahoma City looks to even series at 2-2 against San Antonio
In the NBA playoffs,
Oklahoma City will play their second home game against San Antonio later on.
Right now, the Spurs have the advantage against the home team, leading 2 games to 1 in the Western Conference Final.
The Thunder lost the first two games of the series by a combined 52 points in San Antonio.
But it looked like a different team in game 3 after power forward Serge Ibaka returned and helped Oklahoma City earn a 106-97 victory.
Over in the east, defending champions the Miami Heat have taken a 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference final after downing the Indiana Pacers 102-90 yesterday.
The Heat are now just one win away from making their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance.
Tip-off for Game-5 is 8:30 Thursday morning, Beijing Time.
UEFA and Europol team up to crack down on match-fixing
In football,
European football's governing body, UEFA, is now teaming up with the EU's anti-crime agency, promising zero tolerance when it comes to match-fixing.
Europol and UEFA have agreed to exchange information through constant consultations.
The anti-crime agency will also provide expert advice to UEFA and it's 54 member associations on contemporary criminal activities related to match-fixing.
Rob Wainwright is director of Europol.
"I am very pleased that UEFA and Europol are combining forces to send a very, very strong message that we will not tolerate any sort of criminal activity in the manipulation of matches. From Europol's point of view, therefore, we are determined to stamp down on organized crime activity in this area and we think that the signing of today's agreement in this area with UEFA is a very, very important step forward."
Wainwright says about 680 suspicious matches have been identified by European police forces and Europol, including qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championship, and the Champions League.
UEFA says it monitors around 32,000 professional games in European club competition and national leagues each year for suspicious betting patterns.
Austria, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Finland, Estonia, England, Czech Republic and Slovakia are among the European countries to have been hit by match-fixing in recent years.
Entertainment
Yao Ming to appear in 'Where are we going, Dad?'
(Where are we going?)
It's rumoured, the Chinese Basketball Star Yao Ming might make an appearance in season 2 of popular reality TV series, "Where are we going, Dad?"
Season 2 adopts a new 4+X format, meaning four celebrity fathers and their children will be joined by a surprise guest on each episode.
It has been leaked that the retired NBA basketball star might be one of the surprise guests.
The first season of "Where are we going Dad?" or "Ba Ba Choo Na" attracted 75 million viewers per episode each week, and the show's movie adaptation earned nearly 600 million yuan after being released during this year's Spring Festival.
Korean Stars Honoured at 50th Baeksang Arts Awards
The 50th Baeksang Arts Awards were held in South Korea last night.
Looking at some of the winners the prestigious Daesang award went to actor Song Kang Ho for "the Attorney" which also won the prize for Best film and earned Yang Too Suk the award for "Best Rookie Director."
Best Director, meanwhile, went to Bong Joon Ho for "Snowpiercer"
While best actor went to Sol Kyung Koo for "Wish" and Best Actress went to Shim Eun Kyung for "Miss Granny".
Kim Soo Hyun took the prize for Best Rookie Actor in "Secretly, Greatly". The 26--year old is the newest among the many South Korean star actors who have risen to pan-Asian fame.
Frozen becomes fifth highest grossing film
(Frozen)
The Disney animated feature "Frozen" has become the fifth highest grossing film in Box Office History.
The film loosely based on Has Christian Anderson's story the Snow Queen, has taken 1.219 billion dollars at the box office since it was released last November.
Two months ago it was confirmed that "Frozen" is the highest earning animation of all time and it now sits just above "Iron Man 3" and just behind "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" overall.
Taylor Swift Cancels Thailand Gig Due To Unrest
( Taylor Swift)
Taylor Swift has canceled a concert in Bangkok, Thailand following last week's military taking-over.
The sold-out show was scheduled for June 9 as part of the Asia leg of her "Red" tour.
On releasing the news Swift posted online "I'm sending my love to the fans in Thailand. I'm so sad about the concert being canceled."
Thailand is currently under a 10 p.m. curfew.
Swift is set to continue her other dates in the tour, she'll be playing to a sold out crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai on Friday (May 30) night.
Rolf Harris sings Jake the Peg during abuse trial
In a bizarre twist in the Rolf Harris indecent assault trial the veteran Australian entertainer sang part of his classic song Jake the Peg in the court house.
This was as the children's entertainer, artist and musician, who's had a career spanning more than half a century, described is rise to fame in the 1960s.
This is the first time the 84-year-old has given evidence at the trial in which he is charged with 12 counts of indecent assault against four girls between 1968 and 1986.
The jury at a London court has previously heard that Harris, known to millions in Britain and Australia as a mainstay of family entertainment, was a Jekyll and Hyde figure who gained the trust of children before repeatedly abusing them.
Harris denies all charges.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese authorities say Vietnam is only damaging its own interest by harassing Chinese oil-drilling operations near the Xisha Islands...
New anti-terrorism working groups are being set up across China as part of the recently announced crackdown...
And America has announced plans for leaving troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014...
In Business...slower growth in the Chinese economy is affecting the logistics sector...
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.
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