The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Shane Bigham with you on this Tuesday, March 25th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening...
The Chinese Government has dispatched a special envoy to Malaysia to get more answers about missing flight MH370
Chinese President Xi Jinping has outlined the country's stance on nuclear security at a summit underway now at The Hague...
And the Russian and Ukranian foreign ministers have met face to face for the first time since the start of the crisis over Crimea...
In business, Disney is buying a Youtube video network for half a billion dollars..
In sports, Beijing Guoan is on top of the Superleague..
In entertainment, the Hong Kong International Film Festival is underway..
First... lets check the weather.
weather
Beijing will be hazy tonight with a low of 9 degree Celsius. Also hazy tomorrow with a high of 24 degrees.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be rainy tonight, with a low of 15, cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 22.
Chongqing will be cloudy, 11 degrees the low, also cloudy tomorrow with a high of 23.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, overcast with a high of 25.
Kabul, sunny, 13.
Over in Australia
Sydney, rainy, highs of 26.
Canberra, rainy, 22.
Brisbane, shower, 26.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 27.
Top News
China sending special envoy to Malaysia over MH370
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a special envoy be sent to Kuala Lumpur to consult with Malaysian authorities and deal with the matter of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui will head for Kuala Lumpur as soon as possible.
This, after the Malaysian Prime Minister made a sudden annoucement last night, saying MH370 has "ended" in the South Indian Ocean.
Najib Razak said that conclusion was based on analysis to satellite data conducted by UK telecommunications company Inmarsat.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China has demanded that Malaysian authorities provide all the evidence that led them to that conclusion.
Hong Lei also called for the search effort to continue.
"China has already demanded that Malaysia provide all the information and evidence that supports the conclusion of a crash. We hope Malaysia will continue to coordinate the international efforts in searching targeted areas for the missing flight. We believe the top priority now is still the search and we will devote every effort to it."
Chinese vessles have entered the search area, looking for objects spotted earlier by Chinese and French teams.
The search for Flight 370 was suspended on Tuesday for 24 hours due to treacherous seas and gale-force winds where rescue efforts are focused.
Australian Defence Minister David Johnston says the operation will resume as weather permits.
He also suggested that nothing in connection to the missing plane is confirmed.
"This is a mystery and until we recover and positively identify a piece of debris, everything is virtually speculation."
China has also urged international organizations and related countries to provide information that may help in the search for missing flight.
According to the Foreign Ministry spokesman, China has sent personnel to provide psychological support and legal aid to relatives of passengers who are staying in Beijing's Metro Park Lido Hotel.
Deep sorrow and anger gripped about 200 of those relatives as they watched a live broadcast of the Malaysian prime minister's press briefing late last night.
The Malaysian Airline said earlier today that they would give each family of the missing passengers 5 thousand US dollars.
CEO of the airline Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the money was only for comforting, rather than compensation.
"The announcement made last night and shared with the families is the reality that we must face and we now must accept. When Malaysia Airlines receives approval from the investigating authorities, arrangement will be made to bring families to the recovery areas if they so wish. Until that time, we will continue to support the ongoing investigation."
Some of the family members have staged a protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, demanding the airline and the Malaysian government explain what happened.
Some struggled as they pushed through lines of police officers trying to prevent them from getting to the embassy.
callin with Nadiah/Q&A on the Malaysian flight mh370
Meanwhile the Malaysian Prime Minister has addressed to the parliament today that they haven't hid any information in relation to the missing plane.
Najib Razak said the Malaysian site will keep their searching effort.
Meanwhile the Malaysian transportation authorities said the search along the north corridor has been called off.
For more information on that,, we spoke earlier with Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur .
Back Anchor:
That is Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur.
Xi elaborates on China's approach to nuclear security
ANchor:
Chinese President Xi Jinping has elaborated on his country's approach to nuclear security at the Nuclear Security Summit at the Hague.
He has called for global cooperation to ensure the lasting security and development of nuclear energy.
CRI's Qizhi has more.
-----
In his speech at the start of the two-day summit, Xi Jinping stressed two equations regarding nuclear security, which are development & security, and rights & obligations.
He said the world should develop nuclear energy on the premise of security, and warned that developing nuclear energy at the expense of security can neither be sustainable nor bring real development.
The Chinese leader stated he also believes that rights and obligations should be given the same attention.
He said the right of nations to adopt nuclear security policies and measures that are best suited to their specific conditions should be respected.
Talking about the current use of nuclear energy worldwide, Xi Jinping said it has gained new impetus to the progress of humanity, yet various challenges remain.
He urged all nations to fulfill their duties under international legal instruments regarding nuclear security, and implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
He also stressed that a peaceful and stable international environment is needed to eliminate risks.
The presdient also briefed world leaders about the development of nuclear energy here in China.
He said China gives top priority to nuclear security and the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and has maintained a good record of nuclear security over the past 5 decades.
He also made commitments on nuclear security in the future, stressing that China will continue to strengthen its own nuclear security capabilities and uphold regional and global peace and stability.
FOr CRI, I am Qizhi.
Xi Jinping visit France to mark 50 years anni. of deplomatic ties
Anchor:
On his first European tour as Chinese President, Xi Jinping will visit France late today.
CRI's Ding Lulu has more.
Reporter:
Along with acknowledging 50 years of China-France diplomatic ties, the two countries are also marking the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Chinese ambassador to France Zhai Jun says anniversary celebrations will be a major part of President Xi's itinerary.
"President Xi Jinping will visit the Sino-French Institute in Lyon and Charles de Gaulle Foundation. The presidents of the two countries will both attend celebrations of the 50th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties and a concert celebrating the anniversary. President Hollande will host a banquet for Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan in the Palace of Versailles."
During the visit, Xi will also meet Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and parliamentary leaders.
France holds a unique place in China's diplomatic history as the first major Western power to establish official diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, after it was founded in 1949.
Zhai Jun says five decades on, bilateral ties have evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership.
"Compared to 50 years ago, great changes have happened to the world and to both China and France. But what didn't change is that the two countries still uphold multipolarity and independent foreign policies, and the huge potential for economic cooperation. The Sino-French relation is therefore special and strategic."
During Xi Jinping's visit, agreements on education, science and technology, energy, aviation, urbanization and agriculture are due to be signed.
Trade between the two hit 50 billion U.S. dollars in 2013, compared with 100 million U.S. dollars in 1964.
For CRI, this is Ding Lulu.
Sergey Lavrov meets Ukrainian foreign minister
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met for the first time with his Ukrainian counterpart since the ouster of Ukraine's pro-Russian president and Russia's move to take control of Crimea.
Lavrov has met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague.
"We conveyed to him the steps that we see need to be taken by the Verkhovna Rada to finally establish a normal, pan-national dialogue based on mutual respect that takes into account the specifics of different parts of Ukraine and accounts for the interests of all of its inhabitants."
Lavrov, who has also met with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the summit, says he has also reaffirmed Moscow's demand for a constitutional change in Ukraine that will give more autonomy to all regions of the country.
At the same time, G7 nations have held an emergency meeting at the Hague, seeking to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
The group has decided that a planned summit of the world's leading economic powers, which had been scheduled to be hosted by Russia, will not go forward.
In Crimea, the last remaining Ukrainian naval forces and troops are now abandoning their posts following an order from Kiev asking them to withdraw.
Back in Moscow, the Russian government has already started drawing a blueprint for the future of Crimea.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is reportedly considering granting Crimea the status of a special economic zone.
Arab League summit kicks off in Kuwait
The 2014 Arab League summit has kicked off in Bayan Palace in Kuwait.
Thirteen heads of Arab states are there.
Kuwait Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah inaugurated the opening ceremony, urging closer ties between Arab states.
The theme of summit has been set as "Unity for a better Future."
The Syrian crisis and Palestinian cause are expected to top the agenda.
Syria's seat was vacant because its membership was suspended in 2011, while the leader of the opposition Syria National Council, Ahmad Al-Jarba, was invited to address the summit.
The summit is scheduled to conclude Wendesday with the releasing of the Kuwait Declaration, which will relate to political, economic, social, and development issues in Arab states.
Egypt puts top Brotherhood leader and 682 others on trial
An Egyptian court has put the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood's top leader, Mohamed Badie, on trial on charges including murder.
Some 680 others are also on trial, another blow to supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi.
The trial comes a day after the same court condemned 529 members of the group to death for murder and other offences.
Rights groups say it's the biggest mass death sentence handed out in Egypt's modern history.
5 killed as gunmen attack local bank in Afghanistan
At least four militants and one police officer have been killed in eastern Afghanistan following a gun battle at a local bank.
A government source says the militants stormed the bank compound, seizing control of the building.
Then, they started firing upon neighbouring government buildings.
Three people, including a bank employee, were wounded.
Security forces have cordoned off the area as a precaution.
Biz Reports
Asian markets were on the defensive on Tuesday after Wall Street dropped overnight, though the still-vague hopes of a new stimulus plan in China could improve investor sentiment.
Chinese shares closed mixed on Tuesday.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.1 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index shed 0.3 percent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.5 percent.
Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, gained 0.2 percent.
China Mobile, China's dominant mobile carrier, advanced 0.6 percent, while China Unicom shed 0.4 percent.
As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec tumbled 0.2 percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei was down 0.4 percent.
Hitachi, following an announcement Monday that it would focus on a fusion of both IT and medical-related operations, attracted buying on Tuesday, with the stock rising 1.5 percent.
South Korea's Kospi shed 0.2 percent
Singapore's Strait Times Index slipped 0.3 percent.
Finally, Australia's ASX200 dropped 0.2 percent.
Disney to buy YouTube network Maker Studios for $500 million
The Walt Disney Co has agreed to buy Maker Studios, one of YouTube's largest networks, for 500 million U.S. dollars.
The deal makes Disney a major online video distributor and should help draw more teens into the Disney entertainment empire.
Maker, founded in 2009, is one of the largest video production networks on Google Inc's YouTube.
Its producers target the younger millennial generation, known for its high appetite for online video.
Maker helps produce and distribute videos to more than 380 million subscribers worldwide across more than 55,000 channels.
Its videos now collectively garner some 5.5 billion views every month, according to the source.
The deal is expected to close in Disney's third fiscal quarter.
Callin with Gao Shang
Chinese coal mining firm Yanzhou Coal has abandoned plans to buy Yancoal Australia.
Yanzhou hasn't given any explicit reasons for backing away from the deal, which would have seen Yanzhou take Yancoal private.
The original deal was announced in July.
The deal would have seen Yanzhou buy out the remaining minority investors in Yancoal, then delist from the Australian Stock Exchange.
Yanzhou already holds a 78-percent stake in Yancoal.
Hong Kong-listed Yanzhou, one of China's largest coal mining companies, said at the time of the planned buyout that it could better manage the impact of weak coal prices if it had full control of the Australian unit.
For more on this issue, CRI's Paul James spoke earlier with Gao Shang, Analyst with Guangtong Futures.
That was Gao Shang, Analyst with Guangtong Futures speaking with CRI's Paul James.
Cisco joins cloud computing race with $1 billion plan
Cisco Systems Inc plans to offer cloud computing services, pledging to spend 1 billion U.S dollars over the next two years to enter the market.
The cloud market is currently led by the world's biggest online retailer Amazon.com.
Cisco says it will spend the money to build data centers to help run the new service called Cisco Cloud Services.
Cisco, which mainly deals in networking hardware, wants to take advantage of companies' desire to rent computing services rather than buying and maintaining their own machines.
Enterprise hardware spending is dwindling across the globe.
Companies cope with shrinking budgets, slowing or uncertain economies and a fundamental migration to cloud computing, which reduces demand for equipment by outsourcing data management and computing needs.
Microsoft last year said it was cutting prices for hosting and processing customers' online data in an aggressive challenge to Amazon's lead in the growing business of cloud computing.
Former Madoff associates found guilty of fraud
Five former aides to investment manager Bernard Madoff have been found guilty of helping their former boss conceal his multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme for years.
The five-month trial was one of the longest white-collar criminal trials in Manhattan federal court history, featuring dozens of witnesses and thousands of documents.
It is the first criminal trial stemming from Madoff's fraud.
The five defendants will be sentenced in late July.
There is little dispute that various defendants engaged in activities such as backdating fake trades and creating false documents. The case focused on whether the five knew at the time that they were aiding Madoff's fraud.
The defendants claimed Madoff duped them into becoming unwitting accomplices, using a potent combination of charm and deception.
Madoff, 75, is serving a 150-year-prison sentence after pleading guilty in March 2009 to running the Ponzi scheme, estimated to have cost investors more than 17 billion U.S. dollars.
He was arrested in December 2008.
Candy Crush game maker's IPO to face investor scrutiny
King Digital Entertainment Plc's colorful "Candy Crush Saga" has gone viral on smartphones worldwide.
But the company may struggle to replicate that enthusiasm with its upcoming 7.6 billion U.S. dollar initial public offering.
The flotation this week will be closely watched in the fast-growing 17 billion U.S. dollars mobile gaming industry.
King Digital is keen to emerge from the shadow of Zynga Inc, which has lost half its value since its 2011 IPO valued it at $8.9 billion.
That may be a struggle for London-based King.
While the company has drawn plaudits for catching the mobile gaming wave with the most downloaded free app, and becoming the top revenue producer of 2013 on Apple Inc's app store, it relies on its marquee game for three-quarters of its revenue.
Mexico taken control of Oceanografia
Authorities in Mexico have announced the chief executive of a major Mexican oilfield services company is being held in temporary detention, as investigations are getting underway in a fraud case that forced Citigroup to cut its 2013 profit.
Jesus Murillo Karam, Mexico Attorney General, says Amado Yanez, CEO and majority owner of Oceanografia, has presented himself voluntarily for questioning.
The attorney general has also denied the investigation against Yanez is politically motivated.
"The evidence is derived from documents which point out that on this day credit was requested from an institution with documents that were not legal. This happened in the last quarter of last year and the first month of this year. This implies a deterioration of a company to a bank and I simply repeat what I have said before, there is no political implication, or political order, we are just chasing after a crime."
Citigroup Inc said last month it uncovered at least 400 million U.S. dollars in bogus loans to Oceanografia at its Mexican subsidiary, Banamex.
The bank said it discovered the fraud after reviewing invoices Oceanografia said it was owed by Pemex, but Citigroup has found that the invoices are invalid.
Oceanografia has been a top service provider to state-run oil giant Pemex over the past decade, winning billions of dollars in contracts as a supplier of engineering and maintenance services on offshore oil platforms and pipelines.
Standard & Poor's downgrades Brazil rating
Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's has announced it has downgraded Brazil's long-term credit rating from BBB to BBB-, the agency's lowest investment-grade rating.
S&P has attributed the downgrade to "a combination of fiscal slippage, the prospect that fiscal execution will remain weak amid subdued growth in the coming years, a constrained ability to adjust policy ahead of the October presidential elections, and some weakening in Brazil's external accounts."
Headline News
China sending special envoy to Malaysia over MH370
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a special envoy be sent to Kuala Lumpur to consult with Malaysian authorities and deal with the matter of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
This, after the Malaysian Prime Minister made a sudden annoucement last night, saying MH370 has "ended" in the South Indian Ocean.
China has demanded that Malaysian authorities provide all the evidence that led them to that conclusion, and called for the internatinal hunt to be continued.
The Australian site has annouced to resume the search on Wednesday, after the operation was suspended on Tuesday due to bad weather.
Meanwhile the Malaysian authorities said this afternoon that the search in the north corridor has been called off.
Landslide kills 14 in Washinton, 176 still missing
The death toll from a landslide in Washinton State, on the US west coast, has risen to 14, with scores of people still unaccounted for.
The number of those possibly missing grew to 176, a dramatic increase from an estimated 108 reported on Monday.
The list included construction workers on a job in the area and people just driving by when the slide came down on Saturday morning.
About two dozen homes have been flattened, and the debris blocked a 1.6-kilometre-long stretch of state highway.
Authorities believe the slide was caused by recent heavy rains that made the terrain unstable.
2 killed in U.S. naval station shooting
Two people have been killed in a shooting at Naval Station Norfolk in the US state of Virginia.
Officials say one navy sailor and one civilian were killed in the incident, which happened late Monday night. No other injuries have been reported.
The navy base was briefly put on lockdown, but the restriction lifted at 2 o'clock Tuesday morning local time.
U.S. Navy security forces responded to the shooting and an investigation is underway.
Bad weather forces postponement of Pakistan's peace talks
Peace talks that were expected to get underway Tuesday between Pakistan's government and the Taliban have been postponed.
Bad weather is being blamed. Representatives from each side were not able to fly into the Waziristan tribal region because of poor conditions.
An attempt will be made to travel on Wednesday.
Meantime, negotiators are trying to convince the Pakistani Talban to extend a month-long ceasefire that took effect on March 1st.
The government acknowledged the ceasefire by stopping airstrikes in Waziristan.
The government started indirect talks with a team of Taliban intermediaries last month, and the government has now constituted a new committee of senior officials to hold talks with the militants.
Newspaper Picks
China Daily
"Shanghai to install safety seats in taxis"
Taxis in Shanghai will soon be equipped with children's safety seats in compliance with a new regulation on protecting minors riding in vehicles.
A total of 168 taxis from four local companies will install the safety seats for children ages 9 months to 12 years.
Taxi drivers will receive training on how to install and uninstall the child seats. Telephone reservations for the safety seat-equipped taxis will be available to the public after all the testing and training is completed.
The Shanghai Minors Protection Regulation, which requires all car-owning parents to install safety seats in their cars for children below the age of 4, was issued by the city's legislative body at the end of 2013 and took effect in March.
Local parents and grandparents have said they are looking forward to the taxis with child seats for their convenience and because the child seats will allow them to worry less about their children's safety.
China Daily
"University offers free breakfast for early birds"
Zhengzhou University in the capital of Henan province is providing free breakfast to students who rise early to exercise.
The university launched its free breakfast project on Monday, which provides free breakfasts to the first 150 students who get up early and run 800 meters.
At about 6:30 am on Monday, several hundred students appeared on the running tracks of the school's two sports grounds and 150 received free breakfast vouchers after completing 800 meters within 15 minutes.
A student who won a voucher said he used to get up at noon if he had no class in the morning. He said he felt full of energy the whole day after his morning exercise.
Reuters
"Electronic cigarettes may not help people stop smoking: study"
A small U.S. study raises new questions about whether using electronic cigarettes will lead people to quit smoking, adding to the debate over how strictly the products should be regulated.
A previous report from the UK found that people who use e-cigarettes primarily want to replace traditional cigarettes. The new study, which looked at the habits of 88 smokers who also used e-cigarettes, found that smokers who also used e-cigarettes were no more likely to quit smoking after a year, compared to smokers who didn't use the devices.
However, the researchers note that the small number of participants who reported using e-cigarettes may have limited their ability to detect a link between quitting smoking and using the device.
An outside expert hopes people will reserve judgment on e-cigarettes until randomized controlled studies are published.
Medical news today
"Global burden of disability highest for lower back pain"
New research suggests that lower back pain causes more disability worldwide than any other ailment.
Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study was used in the new research project, which looked at poor health and disability arising from all ailments in 187 countries.
Overall, out of 291 conditions studied, lower back pain was first on the list of years lost to disability and sixth in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs). Additionally, in 12 of the 21 world regions, it was the greatest contributor to disability.
Researchers found that nearly 1 in 10 people around the world experience low back pain. The number of DALYs rose from 58.2 million in 1990 to 83 million in 2010. As life expectancy increases, the proportion of elderly people rises and will cause this problem to worsen in the coming decades.
As such, the team warns governments and health services to take the issue more seriously than they have in the past.
Special Reports
Beekeeping in the city
Anchor:
While most of us will simply go to the store, some people here in Beijing are promoting the idea of bee keeping as a way to quench your need for honey.
CRI's Doris Wang has talked with one of them to find out more.
Reporter:
They can be used in sweetening our coffee and tea or as a spread on our daily bread.
For some people, honey is an indispensable condiment and cooking ingredient in their daily lives. But, where do you buy your honey from?
While most of us urbanites buy ours from grocery stores, Safi Malik and his family gets it from the bees themselves. A co-founder of the Beijing social enterprise, Shangrila Farms, Malik is trying to promote urban beekeeping in China's capital city.
"Urban beekeeping is a movement that's been going on in North America and Europe, which is now starting to crop up all over the world. We're very excited in Beijing to try and get it started here. It's very straightforward. It's about people keeping bees in a place near their homes and trying to make the city a slightly more interesting place."
Malik has had success in urban beekeeping in Beijing's Sanlitun neighbourhood. According to him, beekeeping is a very simple activity that requires minimal materials to get started. But first, you need the knowledge of how to keep these insects alive.
"Although it's not hugely labor intensive on a small scale, it's something that you need to know well so that you know when to diagnose your hives with a potential mite infestation. You need to know when to feed them. You need to know what time of the year to help them shut down and go into hibernation. There's a lot of information involved with beekeeping. In terms of the actual beekeeping, you just need a place to do it and bee boxes."
Unperturbed by changes in temperature, Bees can be kept in all sorts of climates – from hot and humid places like Sichuan to cold and dry areas like Heilongjiang. But, they need to be kept in an open area outdoors.
"The bees should have access to flying away from the hives. I would recommend a rooftop. Balconies also work. With balconies, you need to be sensitive to your neighbours above and below you. Given that people are sensitive to bees and to insects in general,it's always best to make sure that you are treading lightly and make sure your neighbours are bee-friendly."
The most exciting thing about beekeeping, of course, is harvesting the honey. According to Malik, naturally harvested honey is more nutritious and delicious than the jars you buy in stores.
"You'll be producing a poly-floral honey, which means it has a variety of different pollen sources. With a mono-floral honey, you'll probably just have one type.This poly-floral honey might be healthier because it's drawing on all these different types of nutrients as oppose to one. With our pomegranate honey, for instance, it is well-known for reducing the risk of heart diseases."
So if you have the time and the space, come and try your hand at urban beekeeping this season. You might find yourself living a sweeter life.
BACK ANCHOR:
That is CRI's Doris Wang reporting.
Sports
Beijing Guoan top Superleague after beating Shanghai Greenland Shenhua
Starting with football and Beijing Guoan have jumped to the top of the Chinese Superleague after their two-nil thrashing of Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Last night.
They now lead the table by two points following three wins from three matches.
Last night's match was goalless until close the break, when the home team were awarded a penalty five minutes before the end of the first half.
That was duly scored by Zhang Xizhe who then extended the lead in the early minutes of the second half.
Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, who now sit tenth in the 16 team league, have not beaten Guoan in beijing since 2009.
Elsewhere in the league Shanghai East Asia FC sit second in the table while Guizhou Renhe are now third both on seven points, while defending champions Guangzhou Evergrand slide down to fourth in the league following their loss Changchun Yatai at the weekend.
League leaders, Beijing will face their greatest test so far this season on Friday when they take on second placed Shanghai East Asia FC away at 7:45pm.
Arsenal overturn player match ban following red card blunder
Over in the English Premiere League Arsenal have succeeded in ensuring that neither Kieran Gibbs nor Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be suspended following Saturday's red card blunder against Chelsea.
During Arsenal's 6-0 thumping by the Blues Oxlade-Chamberlain purposefully deflected a shot on goal with his hand but the referee booked the wrong man.
This farcical display has once again applied pressure on the Football Association to allow referees access to video replays.
………
Arsenal's devastating defeat during Arsen Wenger's 1,000th game at the helm of the club has sent the French manager and the club to new lows. While the fans and bosses seem to be still behind him for now, cracks are beginning to show.
Speaking only to fan-site Arsenal TV Wenger said there's a tough task ahead of them:
"It looked like we missed the start of our game and were caught on counter-attacking and we had the desire to accept to play and to go, and we were caught on the break and after that, of course the game became a very long, because down to 10 men, down to 3-0, it became, of course, an impossible task, and you just wonder, OK let's finish it. We tried to come back and we always tried to continue to have a go, I give credit to the players for that, at least we tried to score a goal, it was too difficult."
When you have to attack with 10 men and you're down three-nil you know you have more chances to concede another goal, and that's
what happened.."
Wenger led Arsenal to the top of the Premiere League early in the season, but he has been criticized for failing to adapt the club's tactics to counter opponents in the biggest games.
The gunners next game is against Swansie City in a few hours, at 3:45 Beijing Time.
Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams breeze into next round of Sony Open
In Tennis,
World Number One Rafael Nadal has stormed past Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin at the Sony Open in Miami.
The Spaniard took just under an hour to crush his opponent for a bagel 6-1 6-0.
The 27-year-old is joined in the fourth round by Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka, who defeated his French opponent Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5 6-4.
The Swiss player will next face Ukraine's Alexander Dolgopolov while Nadal will be up against Italy's Fabio Fognini.
In the women's event Serena Williams made light work of fellow American Coco Vandeweghe as she advanced to the quarter finals with a 6-3 6-1 win, she'll face Angelique Kerber in the next round.
Meanwhile Russian fourth seed Maria Sharapova recovered from a set down to make it to the last eight with a 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory over Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium.
Amir Khan to face Luis Collazo in Mayweather undercard bout
In Boxing,
Amir Khan will meet Luis Collazo in the undercard event of Floyd Mayweather's fight on May-the-third it has been announced.
The British fighter had been angling for a match-up against Mayweather, considered the world's best pound-for-pound boxer, but the American instead opted to fight Marcos Maidana of Argentina in Las Vegas.
The former world-champion Khan defeated Maidana in a unanimous points decision in 2010, and had won a fans' poll for who should be Mayweather's next opponent.
Mayweather had agreed to fight the Bolton-born brawler should he win in a match against 24-year-old American Adrien Broner, but Broner rejected the fight.
Both Mayweather and Khan insist their highly anticipated bout will happen one day.
Entertainment
Hong Kong International Film Festival opens
The 38th Hong Kong International Film Festival kicked off yesterday with a sparkling red carpet event.
"Aberdeen" and "The Midnight After", two hotly tipped Hong Kong productions, were chosen as the openers this year.
"Aberdeen," a drama about a Hong Kong family, reunites director Pang Ho-Cheung with his favorite leading lady, Miriam Yeung - who worked with him on his hit films "Love in the Puff" and sequel "Love in the Buff."
Star of "Aberdeen" Louis Koo says securing his date for the event was not a simple matter.
"The thing I worry about the most tonight is that, I invited my 'daughter' to go with me to the after party tonight. She said she needs to think about it. She has school tomorrow. I said, 'Just say yes.' "
With 300 films from 56 countries, this year's lineup promises to be as eclectic as ever, though its focus will be on local cinema.
The festival runs until April 7th and will close with Dante Lam's action thriller "That Demon Within".
"Z Storm" to hit Chinese screens this summer
Director David Lam Tak-Luk's latest crime thriller, "Z Storm," will come to Chinese screens this summer.
Lam was joined by the stars of his upcoming film Louis Koo, Gordon Lam and DaDa Chan at the ongoing Hong Kong International Film Festival on Monday to promote "Z Storm."
The story is based on an anti-corruption investigation by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption of a charity that was involved in a Bernie Madoff-like ponzi scheme. Sixty million HK dollars have been invested in the film.
"Justin and the Knights of Valour" premieres in Beijing
Spanish animated fantasy film, "Justin and the Knights of Valour" premiered in Beijing on Tuesday.
[BJH/Soundbite/0325 Justin]
Freddie Highmore, Antonio Banderas and James Cosmo voice the lead characters in the film.
The fantasy romp centers on the adventures of Justin on his quest to become a knight like his grandfather. However, his true test of knighthood comes when banished former knight Sir Heraclio returns with his army, threatening to destroy the kingdom.
"Justin and the Knights of Valour" makes its way to screens across China on Friday, March 28th.
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" releases new trailer
A new trailer has been released for the upcoming film, "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
The highly anticipated film features Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is sent into the past by Professor 'X,' played by Patrick Stewart, in a last-ditch effort to change history and prevent an apocalyptic doom for humans and mutants alike.
The film's impressive list of stars includes Jennifer Lawrence as the shape-shifting Mystique, Michael Fassbender as a young Magneto, James McAvoy as a young Professor 'X' and Halle Berry as Storm.
The X-Men franchise has been one of the most successful comic book film adaptations in history, with all five films based on the Marvel series bringing in over $2 billion USD worldwide.
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" will be released on May 23rd.
Filmmaker David McKay makes shift from comedy to drama
David McKay plans to make a shift from comedy to drama by writing and directing "The Big Short," an adaptation of Michael Lewis' bestseller about the financial crisis of the 2000s.
McKay is known for collaborating often with Will Ferrell. He made his name as director and co-writer of Hollywood blockbusters "Anchorman," "Talledega Nights," "Step Brothers" and more. The comedy filmmaker also co-founded the website "Funny or Die" and served as head writer on "Saturday Night Live."
McKay's new project will be produced by Plan B, Brad Pitt's production company. The film will follow a few savvy investors who saw the subprime mortgage crisis coming and placed bets on the coming collapse. Two of author Michael Lewis' previous books, "The Blind Side"and "Moneyball," have been adapted into features films as well.
Mila Kunis expecting baby with Ashton Kutcher
US star Mila Kunis is expecting a baby with fiancé Ashton Kutcher. Kunis and Kutcher costarred on "That '70s Show" back in the day and announced their engagement late last month.
30 year-old Kunis was recently spotted at a prenatal yoga class and friends of the couple have confirmed the news is true. The expecting parents are reportedly very happy but plan to keep as quiet about their life together as possible.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The Chinese Government has dispatched a special envoy to Malaysia to get more answers about missing flight MH370
Chinese President Xi Jinping has outlined the country's stance on nuclear security at a summit underway now at The Hague...
And the Russian and Ukranian foreign ministers have met face to face for the first time since the start of the crisis over Crimea...
In business, Disney is buying a Youtube video network for half a billion dollars..
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open the window to the world together.
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