The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Shane Bigham with you on this Thursday, April 17th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Hundreds of passengers, mostly teenagers, remain unaccounted for after the ship they were on sank off the coast of South Korea...
A US Navy robotic submersible has continued its search for missing flight MH370. no wreckage has been spotted so far...
And the UN Secretary General has called for the immediate release of over 100 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria...
In Business...China's State Council has announced plans to inject more cash into farming...
In sports...this is the final day for the NBA regular season...
In entertainment...IMAX continues its expansion in the Chinese market...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
Weather
Beijing will see rainy today, with a high of 20 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should hover around 11.
Shanghai will see thundershowers during the daytime with a high of 23.
Overnight, it will be cloudy with a low of 15.
In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 29
Overnight lows are expected to be around 20.
Elsewhere in Asia:
Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 22.
Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 10.
In North America.
New York will be cloudy today with a high of 15 degrees.
Washington will be rainy with a high of 13 degrees.
Honolulu, drizzle, 28.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 10 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 19.
And Rio de Janeiro will see light rains with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Search for missing SK ferry passengers countinues
Anchor
At least four people have been confirmed dead and nearly 300 people remain missing after a passenger ship capsized off South Korea's southwest coast early on Wednesday.
CRI's Yu Yang has more.
Reporter
So far, 174 of the 462 people on board the passenger ship , "Sewol", have been rescued.
South Korean Prime Minsiter Chung Hong-won has urged rescue crews to put all of their energy into saving as many lives as they could, as the search for the missing continues.
"As of now, we don't have any minute or second to waste. We have to use all our energy to rescue more lives. Therefore I ask every leader of each department to stay on the scene and conduct their team, and do their best to fulfil their responsibility."
Meanwhile, the ship's operator, Chonghaejin Marine, has apologized for the accident and vowed to focus on rescue efforts.
About 180 divers were sent to the scene during the night, as most of those missing are believed to be trapped inside the sunken vessel.
72 rescue ships and 14 helicopters are also searching the surrounding waters.
A U.S. navy ship with helicopters on board is on its way to the scene to join the search operation.
325 people on board the passenger ship were high school students, who were on a school excursion.
"There was an announcement telling us to sit still, but the ferry was already sinking. Some of the students were not able to escape. The ferry started to list, so we asked if we should escape now, but the announcement kept telling us to stay still. I'm so worried about the students in rooms."
The Chinese embassy in South Korea says there were no Chinese passengers on board the vessel.
The ferry, which sailed from the western port city of Incheon for the resort island of Jeju, sent a distress call on Wednesday morning after it began listing to one side.
The cause of the sinking is still under investigation.
But the vessel is believed to have run aground, as some passengers said the ship began leaning after a thumping sound on the bow.
The high number of people unaccounted for, likely trapped in the ship or floating in the ocean, has raised fears that the death toll could rise drastically.
Local official says the water temperature in the area is about 12 degree Celsius, cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after more than one hour of exposure.
For CRI, I am Yu Yang.
No significant detections found by robotic sub in search for MH370
A U.S. navy robotic submarine has continued its search for signs of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet.
Officials say so far the sub has not detected any significant evidence.
Earlier this week, Bluefin-21's first dive was cut short after it exceeded its 4.5 kilometers operating limit.
Meanwhile, surface searching continued on Wednesday as up to 14 planes scoured the area in the southern Indian Ocean.
The massive search comes after Australian authorities said earlier they are considering scaling down the air and surface search as the focus is now underwater.
But Malaysian authorities say they will not scale down the search.
Malaysia's Acting Transport Minister and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein:
"We will not scale down. This is the promise that I made to the families of the passengers and we will continue. But as we move forward, there might be occasions where some of the countries might want to scale down. There are other countries that have come forward, and we just have to find creative ways to do that."
Hishammuddin also says the Malaysian cabinet will discuss forming an international expert panel to oversee the ongoing investigation in a bid to show transparency.
Malaysian authorities have still not ruled out mechanical problems as causing the plane's disappearance.
But the authorities say evidence suggests it was deliberately diverted from its scheduled route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
5 Dead, 3 Missing in E China Chemical Plant Blast
A chemical plant blast and fire in east China's Jiangsu Province has killed five people and left three others missing.
Local authorities say rescuers found two bodies on scene and three people died in hospital after the blast at Shuangma Chemical Plant in Rugao City.
Nine other injured people are receiving treatment at hospital.
Firefighters have extinguished the flames, and the search for the missing is under way.
Established in 1997, Shuangma Chemical Plant mainly produces edible palm oil, or stearic acid.
The blast has not caused severe air or water pollution, according to local environmental protection authorities.
An investigation into the cause of the blast is ongoing.
Latest figures show China's growth slows to 7.4 percent in 1st quarter
Anchor
China's economy has reported the slowest rate of annual growth since late 2012.
The latest figures show the country's economic growth slowed to 7.4 percent through the first quarter, down from the 7.7 percent in the previous quarter.
The latest growth figures also fall below the official annual target rate of 7.5 percent.
Sheng Laiyun with the National Bureau of Statistics suggests the latest figures show China's economy has entered another phase of development.
"I think we should change our concept and look at the changes in China's economy with a new perspective. We have to understand that the Chinese economy has entered a new phrase of structural change and upgrading, so we must look at these reforms and changes with a new perspective of thinking."
The central authorities have announced some modest supportive measures recently, such as tax cuts for small firms and speeding up certian investment in rail projects.
For more on this, my colleague Paul James talked to Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of International Business and Economics.
Questions
1 We know the slowdown is to some extent from the decision by the central government, even though, how do you think the stock markets' reaction, reflects the outlook on China's economy's well-being? What's the sentiment out there towards China's slowdown?
2 As some experts say the slowdown opens a great opportunity for our economy to re-structuring and de-inventory, if the moderate growth pace will continue for some time, what sector do you think will be those bearing the brunt? Any potential risks facing those industries, say manufacturing or commodities?
3 What's your suggestion for investments to go or what do you think those money should be put at?
Back Anchor
Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of International Business and Economics.
Pro-Russian activists seize armored transport vehicles
Ukraine authorities have confirmed that a group of pro-Russian activists has seized six armored transport vehicles of the Ukrainian army.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry says the vehicles were captured in the eastern town of Kramatorsk as security forces were on their way to counter pro-Russian activities in nearby Slovyansk.
Earlier, Russian media reported the crew of the convoy switched sides. Ukraine denied the report.
The local populace blocked the convoy's passage saying they did not want violence in the area.
"I want stability, it is not important for me whether there is a Russian, Ukrainian or Donbass republic flag as long as I have something to eat, something to dress my child in, basic stability, so I don't have to walk around thinking what am I going to do tomorrow? How am I going to feed my family?"
It is reported the Ukrainian soliders aboard the vehicles have been disarmed and sent back.
The seizure comes a day after the military began an operation to remove pro-Russian protesters from government buildings across eastern Ukraine.
Kiev authorities have accused Russia of orchestrating the unrest in the country.
Russia has denied the allegations, while calling for the federalization of Ukraine.
Ukraine, Russia, the EU and the U.S are due to hold crisis talks over the current tensions in Geneva later today.
S.Korea, Japan begin talks on comfort women ahead of Obama's visit
South Korea and Japan have begun talks on the issue of comfort women.
This is the first time the two sides have formally met to discuss comfort women, a euphemism for women forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War Two.
In the 1990s, Japan set up the so-called Asian Women's Fund, a private-public fund to compensate former sex slaves in Asia.
But most South Korean victims have refused to take money as it does not directly come from the Japanese government.
Japan has claimed all issues related to the wartime atrocities with South Korea, including comfort women, have been resolved under the 1965 treaty that normalized the diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The United States has been pressing its two close Asian allies to mend ties ahead of President Obama's visit to Japan and South Korea next week.
UN chief calls for immediate release of abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has released a statement condemning the abduction of schoolgirls in Nigeria, calling for their immediate release.
More than 100 girls were abducted on Monday in Nigeria's northeast. Local authorities are blaming Boko Haram.
The UN chief also says he is deeply alarmed about the increasing frequency and brutality of attacks against educational institutions in the north of the country.
Ban says the targeting of schools and school children is a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
About two months ago, more than 40 government college students were slain during an attack at their school.
Three northeastern states have witnessed several attacks by Boko Haram, a major security threat in Nigeria. The region is currently declared under 12-month emergency rule.
At least 7 killed in Nigeria overnight violence
At least seven people have been killed and many houses razed in a violent attack overnight in Nigeria's northeastern state of Taraba.
State police say a group of youths went on a rampage, apparently targeting local herdsmen.
Recently, hundreds of people had been allegedly killed by herdsmen, who were accused of fomenting troubles in various communities across the northern part of the West African country.
A senior officer says this crisis is neither religious nor political
A detachment of security operatives has been deployed to restore peace in the restive community.
Nigeria, with a population of approximately 170 million, is facing major security challenges which are crippling economic activities in some states. The northern part of the country is plagued by violence, including attacks by the Boko Haram sect.
The southern part is said to be a hub of criminal activities including oil theft or bunkering, kidnapping and armed robbery attacks.
Mozambique main opposition agrees to hand over weapons
The main opposition party in Mozambique has agreed to disarm.
Officials with Renamo agreed on Wednesday that party members would turn in their weapons and its armed faction will reintegrate with the army and government security forces.
The government side hopes that the consensus will allow for the deployment of military observers from select foreign countries to monitor and supervise the cease-fire, and the reintegration of opposition forces.
A similar agreement reached in 1992 failed.
Memories Never Forgotten
Anchor
Since last year's Boston Marathon bombings, messages and gifts have poured into the city showing the world's support for the American city and its people.
Some of these items are now on display at the Boston Public Library, just a few dozen yards from the race's finish line. Our Washington correspondent Xiaohong takes us there with this report.
Reporter
More than 600 pairs of shoes, along with countless cards, banners, toys and even medals, are placed at Copley Square in the center of Boston, Massachusetts, not far from the Boston Marathon finish line—the site of last year's bomb attack. These items are on display at the memorial exhibit, titled "Dear Boston."
Rainey Tisdale, curator of the Boston Archives, told a local radio station that the exhibit reflects the tens of thousands of messages that have flooded into Boston after the tragedy. Tisdale and her colleagues believe these items should be preserved and made part of the city's memory forever.
"Each piece that was left there at Copley Square was a form of communication, human being to human being."
The exhibition has touched many visitors. Margaret Kinsella and Teresa McCarthy, were wiping tears as they exited the exhibition floor. Kinsella said it brought back those horrible memories because her nephew was among the runners last year.
"As soon as he got through, about 10 minutes later, the bombs went off--it was awful."
But Boston stands strong in the face of tragedy. Kinsella said her nephew will once again run the marathon this year, and she and her family would of course cheer for him and the other runners.
Teresa McCarthy,Kinsella's friend,says the Boston Marathon is viewed by locals with a sense of pride.
"It's Patriots ' Day. They've been running for 118 years now and are just keeping on doing. That is a local event that's become so large."
The marathon's organizers say that there are over 36-thousand runners taking part in this year's event. Many local residents have pledged to cheer for them along the 26-mile-route. They believe the celebration will be a great way to honor the victims of the tragedy.
For CRI, this is Xiaohong in Boston.
Biz Reports
Anchor
First off, a check on the closing numbers in North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Tu Yun.
Reporter
U.S. stocks rallied Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen reaffirmed the central bank's commitment to keeping interest rates low.
Both the blue-chip Dow Jones and the S&P 500 rose around 1 percent.
The Nasdaq Composite Index increased one and a third of a percent.
On the corporate front, Yahoo was the S&P 500's biggest gainer, soared more than 6 percent, boosted by huge revenue growth for China's Alibaba, in which Yahoo holds a 24 percent stake.
Over in Europe, the major indices all advanced after China's first quarter GDP beat market expectations.
The UK's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX, and France's CAC 40 all rose around one and half percent.
China to cut reserve requirements of rural banks to boost agriculture sector
The State Council, China's cabinet, has announced it will reduce the amount of cash some rural banks are required to keep on hold with the country's central bank.
The goal of this move is to inject more cash into the farming sector.
The rules right now demand that all banks in China deposit about one-fifth of their liquidity with the central bank, which keeps lending practices in check.
By relaxing the reserve requirement in rural banks, those banks should have more cash on hand for approving loans in the farming sector.
Sina Weibo to be listed in Nasdaq
Anchor
Chinese micro-blogging site Sina Weibo is set to be listed on the Nasdaq today.
The listing is going ahead, even though Sina Weibo has reported significant losses through the first quarter of this year.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter
Sina Weibo, China's number-one micro-blogging platform, reported a first-quarter net-loss that was more than twice of the first-quarter losses they reported last year.
The Chinese version of Twitter said its net-loss was 47-million U.S. dollars during the first three months. The amount was 19 million around the same period last year. Last week, Hong Kong-based newspaper, South China Morning Post, reported that Sina Weibo might have 300-million "skeleton," or inactive accounts among 500-million registered in total.
Li Ruyan has a Weibo account, but she says she doesn't use Weibo as much as before.
"I used to use Weibo a lot, but not anymore. Now, I use WeChat, but I think Weibo and WeChat are different media. If I want to acquire information based on my interests and my needs, I'll use Weibo. If I need to share my personal life or read my friends' posts, pictures and threads, I just use WeChat."
With the IPO listing of Sina Weibo approaching, the discussion on whether Weibo is losing its value is becoming more intense. Some even say the listing is just a swansong.
However, Zheng Baowei, director of Renmin University of China's Research Center of Journalism and Social Development, says Weibo will still be an important part of Chinese people's lives.
"There is a noticeable decline in the amount of active Weibo users, but in general, Weibo will remain a very influential medium, especially in China. It's a significant way for ordinary people to express their opinions, and get information. And the governments at different levels have also realized its importance, for example, using Weibo as an anti-corruption tool. Of course, the listing will bring Sina Weibo more opportunities in expanding its brand value and competitiveness. But there will also be more challenges from the market—it depends."
Cheng Manli, Vice-Dean of Peking University's School of Journalism and Communication, adds Weibo differs from WeChat because the microblogging platform not only functions as an information sharing and commercial activity platform, it is also playing an important role in diplomatic relationship.
"There is a trend in which many overseas countries value Weibo's function in the diplomatic field. It's necessary for public diplomacy in the new media era. Many influential people in the U.S., Europe and Australia opened Weibo accounts before they visited China. They hope to present a closer and more vivid image of themselves to the Chinese people."
According to Sina, some 200 world leaders have opened Weibo accounts. Sina says more than 70 percent of active users have logged on at least once a month on mobile devices, indicating a strong shift to the mobile Internet market. Sina Weibo says it expects to garner up to 500-million dollars in the IPO.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
China simplifies telecom VAS approval in Shanghai FTZ
Anchor
The Shanghai Free Trade Zone's approval process has been simplified for some foreign-funded enterprises in the telecom sector.
The list includes "value added" telecom service providers like call centres and smartphone app stores.
A statement from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says the approval process has been shortened to no more than 60 days, down from five months.
Since its establishment in September, the Shanghai FTZ has undergone a string of reforms.
Those include easing cross-border use of the RMB, liberalizing interest rates on foreign currency loans, and facilitating offshore financing and outbound investment.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.
Questions
1 earlier this year, the FTZ agreed to increase the number of shares a foreign company can hold in a Chinese telecom to up to 50 percent. What has this done for the industry so far?
2 Is the policy proactive enough? what more can be done?
3 with the participation of foreign companies in a more active way, what kind of changes will we expect from the services we're getting now?
Back Anchor
Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator
Headline News
4 Dead, 284 Missing as Passenger Ship Sinks off S. Korean Coast
There are at least four confirmed deaths and hundreds are missing after a passenger ship capsized off the southwest coast of South Korea on Wednesday.
Most of the passengers were highschool students.
The ship had 462 people aboard when it began taking on water. 284 are unaccounted for.
Local media say 174 people have been rescued.
The death toll is expected to rise.
The ship departed South Korea's western port city of Incheon Tuesday night, heading for the southern resort island of Jeju.
The Chinese embassy in South Korea has confirmed there were no Chinese passengers aboard the ship.
No significant detections found by robotic sub in search for MH370
The underwater search for missing flight MH370 has continued.
The US Navy's Bluefin-21 robotic sub is back in the water where it has been searching for the last couple of days.
Officials say so far, no evidence of the flight has been detected.
Yesterday, searching on the surface continued with 14 planes in the air, though Australian authorities say it is near the time when surface operations need to be scaled back.
International crews have narrowed the search area to a patch of seabed in the southern Indian Ocean after several signals believed to be from the flight's black-box recorders were detected.
No new signals have been detected in several days, likely meaning the locator-beacon batteries have died.
Ukrainian envoy to OSCE defends action in east region/xinhua
Ukriane's ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says his government's actions in eastern Ukraine are meant to safeguard lives in the region while neutralizing extremists.
His comments refer to the tensions in eastern Ukraine and are in response to Russia's envoy to the OSCE, who said the use of force against pro-Russian protesters is "dangerous."
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry of Ukraine has confirmed a group of pro-Russia activists seized six armored transport vehicles of the Ukrainian army.
The personnel carriers belonged to the actions Kiev deployed under the framework of "anti-terror" operation.
The operation was launched Tuesday to recapture eastern towns controlled by the pro- Russian activists.
The fate of Ukrainian troops who were at those vehicles remains unknown.
Armed conflicts between Ukrainian security forces and demonstrators flared up over the weekend, resulting in at least 1 death and several injuries.
Hungarian officials mark Holocaust anniversary despite boycott, protests
A ceremony in Hungary has marked the 70th anniversary of that country's role in the holocaust during World War II, but the event seems to have highlighted some deep divisions.
April 16th marked the day that members of Hungrary's jewish community were first forced into ghettos, in 1944.
The killers were Hungarian forces, and government officials say the holocaust is not an issue "connected to a distant European country."
But local jewish groups did not attend the event, after the government insisted in erecting a statue marking the German occupation of the country, portraying Hungarians as victims.
Two dead in truck-train collision in Estonia
An accident at a railway crossing in Estonia has killed two people.
It happened in the country's north, when a train heading out of the capital hit a truck.
One of the victims was a passenger on the train and the other was in the truck.
10 injuries have been reported. There were about 100 people on the train, operated by the Estonian National Railway Corporation.
A criminal investigation has been opened.
Newspaper Picks
CHINA DAILY
Headline
China on red alert for forest fires
Summary
Chinese authorities have issued a red alert in two southwestern provinces over the danger of potential forest fires.
Authorities say Sichuan and Yunnan provinces will face high risk of forest fires in the next three days as drought persists.
The red alert represents the highest level in the country's forest fire warning system.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Chinese court head detained following mistress's death
Summary
Police say the head of a county court in north China's Hebei Province has been detained after he confessed to hiring a man to murder his mistress.
Li Wenhui, head of the People's Court of Anping County, is suspected of hiring an ex-prisoner to kill a female worker at a hospital in the city of Hengshui.
XIAOXIANG MORNING POST
Headline
Trial run of in-flight Internet service successful
Summary
Air China has announced after a successful trial run that passengers will soon be able to access the Internet during flights.
Air China passengers on flight CA4116 from Beijing to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, have become the first in China to use their computers and personal electronic devices to surf the Internet during their flight.
Mobile phones still need to be shut down.
GLOBALTIMES
Headline
HK recommended to set up statutory maritime body
Summary
The Maritime Industry Council of Hong Kong says a study recommends a new statutory maritime body be set up in the city to consolidate the efforts of the government and the industry to bring maritime services development to a new phase.
The study recognizes that Hong Kong has the potential to bring together a diversity of high value-added maritime services, and further become the preferred base in Asia for international maritime business.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Subway train intervals reduced for F1 race
Summary
Metro Line 11 in Shanghai will shorten train intervals on Sunday to handle large crowds at the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Jiading District.
The interval will be reduced from 5.5 minutes to 2 minutes and 35 seconds from 4pm to 8pm on Sunday between Jiading New Town and Sanlin stations.
Shuttle bus services to the racetrack are canceled this year, making Line 11 the only public transport option for fans heading to the event.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Online wedding photos show man taking two brides at once
Summary
A man in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has been exposed online for having married two brides at the same time.
Photos posted online recently of a traditional wedding ceremony show the man hugging two women who wore identical red bridal dresses.
The local civil affairs administration says the man does not have a marriage registration and that they are investigating.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Prominent blogger out on bail after arrest for group sex
Summary
Charles Xue Biqun, a famous Weibo celebrity known as Xue Manzi, has posted bail pending trial after being arrested for soliciting prostitutes in August 2013.
Beijing police say Xue is seriously ill.
Chinese-American Xue has advocated for critical illness insurance in China, initiated a campaign to track down trafficked children and called for transparent details on pollution.
Special Reports
Inside into Selections for 'Tiantian Award': Jury Member's Choice
Anchor
The 2014 Beijing International Film Festival has kicked off in the capital city.
In addition to the opening ceremony and the various films to be seen during the festival, the announcement of the winners of the "Tiantan Award" or "Temple of Heaven Award" is a great source of anticipation for many.
CRI's Luo Laiming has more.
Report
Fifteen films have been nominated for the "Tiantan Award" at the ongoing 2014 Beijing International Film Festival, including the Chinese film "Grand Master" (YI DAI ZONG SHI), "IloIlo" from Singapore, and "the Enemy Within" from Greece.
Maria Grazia Cucinotta, a well-known Italian actress, is one of the international jury members of the festival.
She directed the first Sino-Italian co-production film "There Is Always a Reason" which stars Huang Haibo alongside Cucinotta herself.
As the only female jury member, she said that she judged films from the perspectives a feminine perspective and emphasized that emotions came first.
"Emtions. When I see a film that gives me emotions, then that is the film. I'm the only woman in the jury. So I think I would be the more sensitive one. Of course a woman is more sensitive, and you can get more than a man when you see a film. I can give real opinions about films I like, everything. When you see a film, you see everything. The way they direct, the actors, everything. You know, the story. How can you get surprised because you know you can tell stories that you have seen many, many times but every time you know, if the director is very good, you can see the same story from another point of view. And it looks completely different. "
Meanwhile, fellow jury member Andrés Vicente Gómez from Spain said he tried forget about the guidelines when judging films.
"When you see the films, you cannot see the guidelines. It's very difficult to see to understand a film with guidelines. You have to confront yourself with the film. "
Gómez said frankly that it was curiosity that drew him to Beijing and being a jury member.
As the president of Lolafilms, one of the top film production companies in Spain, this event marked his first visit to China.
Gómez is the most successful and prolific film producer in Spain and one of the most respected producers in the entire European continent.
He shared more of his suggestions for further development of the film festival.
"I've been all my life in festivals. I have 12 years of a member of board of Cannes Film Festival, being the only non-French person. There are 2800 festivals around the world. So every day you know five or six festivals open somewhere around the world. It's a lot of competition. Funny enough there are very few that can succeed. Every few that attract world's attention. There are no more than 10 festivals (that attract world attention). Those ten festivals (are successful) is because first of all they are very strict in selection of films that compete. And they try to present films that are innovative, films that present new ways of telling stories."
The forth Beijing International Film Festival follows the principles of "Share the Screen, Shape the Future".
The official results of the "Tiantan Award" will be announced at the closing ceremony on the evening of April 23.
For CRI, this is Luo Laiming.
Sports
NBA season wraps up with final set of games today
Today is the last day of regular season games in the NBA, and it's a full lineup.
Indiana v. Orlando
Chicago v. Charlotte
Ten games tip off at 8 am. Toronto is looking to lock down the third seed in the eastern conference with a win over the Knicks in New York. They could also win the third seed if Chicago looses to Charlotte.
The Miami Heat are looking to bounce back after a loss to the top ranked Pacers when they play Dallas.
Three games are also coming up at 10:30.
Phoenix missed out on the playoffs with a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and will wrap up their season with a game against Sacramento.
The playoff-bound LA Clippers take on Portland. And the Golden State Warriors, who are also heading to the playoffs, will face Denver.
Stanley Cup playoffs kick off with round one games today
In the NHL,
The Stanley Cup playoffs are officially getting underway today with three round one games.
The Montreal Canadians and Tampa Bay Lightning are on the ice as we speak.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are in Pittsburgh for their first test against the Penguins, that game just got started at 7:30.
And then later at 10, Dallas faces Anaheim.
Beijing Guoan draws with Sanfrecce 2-2
In football,
Beijing Guoan and Sanfrecce Hiroshima drew 2-2 in their AFC Champions League clash here in Beijing yesterday.
Both teams were on five points with two matches remaining, and both were looking for the win to get them a step closer to qualifying for the knockout stages.
Beijing took the lead when Shao Jiyai chested the ball into the net. Shao then assisted on the next score six minutes later with a pass to Ecuadorian import Guerron, who knocked it in to double the lead.
The Japanese side recovered and ended up pulling even after two late goals from Naoki Ishihara.
Also in the AFC, Buriram United defeated Shandong Luneng 1-0. And group F leaders the Central Coast Mariners fell to FC Seoul 1-0.
In the Premier League,
Title-chasers Manchester City and Sunderland drew 2-2. Gus Poyet's side is six points from safety at the bottom of the table, and the Black Cats manager is understandably gloomy.
"For some reasons that I don't know in the last three or four years, we have been playing for relegation and there is plenty of things that have been said and changed - but the situation is still the same. So, I am trying to find out myself what is wrong, as there is something wrong."
And Crystal Palace had a big 3-2 win over fifth placed Everton. Crystal Palace is in the middle of the table on 40 points.
Earlier this morning Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 in the Copa del Rey final to collect one massive trophy.
Madrid's first goal came from Angle di Maria, with Barca's centre-half Marc Bartra netting the equalizer in the 69th minute. But then Gareth Bale became the hero of the match, when he scored the winning goal for Madrid fifteen minutes later.
Wins for nadal and federer at Monte Carlo Masters
In tennis,
Second round action continues at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco.
Top ranked Rafael Nadal hit the court yesterday with an opening second round against Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili. The Spaniard easily dispatched his opponent 6-4, 6-1.
It was also a comfortable win for fourth seed Roger Federer yesterday, who beat world number 41 Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the third round.
Federer next faces another Czech opponent, Lukas Rosol.
Nadal and Federer are on course to meet in the final, a matchup that happened three times in a row at Monte Carlo between 2006 and 2008, with Federer tasting defeat each time.
Eighth seed Milos Raonic had a tough battle against Chinese Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu. The Canadian dropped the first set tiebreaker, 6-7, but won the next two 6-2, 6-1.
Dan Carter looks ahead to 2015 World Cup
In rugby,
New Zealand's fly half Dan Carter was in London representing Mastercard, who have been announced as one of the sponsoring partners for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Carter is in the middle of a six-month long sabbatical from the game, which he decided to take in order to be physically and mentally ready for the All Blacks defending title campaign at next year's tournament.
"I've had a few injuries over the last couple of years, so it was a chance just to step back and work hard on my body, so the last few months I've been training really hard just to get on top of my little niggles, just to mentally freshen up and when I return to play in July it's only between 12 and 14 months until the World Cup. For the motivation, the longer I have off the more motivated I am to return to play, so at times I have to hold myself back, but I know that in the long term it's going to pay dividends."
Carter is currently one of rugby's most-time hardened veterans. After a decade of playing at the international level, Carter became the fifth All Black to record 100 international caps in November, and is looking at his fourth World Cup campaign next fall.
The All Blacks will attempt to be the first team to actually defend the world cup title. It's never been done before.
Entertainment
IMAX to expand Chinese market
IMAX is looking to make China its biggest market over the next five years, by increasing its presence to 250 screens across the country.
IMAX now owns more than 170 screens in Chinese movie theaters, and has signed a contract with China Media Capital and Fountainvest Partners to increase that number.
The fourth Beijing International Film Festival has also set up a unit to present IMAX films for the first time.
According to the company's annual report, the Chinese market, which includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, contributed over 55 million US dollars this year, a 25% increase from last year.
But excluding the Chinese market, IMAX is actually seeing a negative growth rate right now.
Confession of drug-involved singer Li Daimo exposed
Singer Li Daimo says he realizes he has made a mistake.
The talent-show singer's confession about his drug use has aired on Chinese TV.
"As a public figure, instead of being a good model, I have brought bad influence to the public. I have realized that I made a mistake that cannot be easily forgiven by my parents and the public. I really regret what I did. Now I'm cooperating with the government to make things straight. I want to earn me an opportunity to start all over again."
Li was arrested in his rental home in Sanlitun on March 17th. He was detained with five other men and all of them tested positive for methamphetamines.
He could face up to three-years in prison if found guilty.
Li Daimo joined the first season of 'The Voice of China' in 2012 and shot to instant fame after performing his rendition of Qu Wanting's "You Exist in My Song".
Overheard 3 releases sound wave trailer
The third and final installment of the film "Overheard" has just released a special trailer.
Overheard 3 has broken new ground for the series by focusing on social issues.
Directors Siu Fai Mak and Felix Chong claim the new film is no longer merely a gangster movie, but delves into issues that people care about such as real estate.
They are challenging themselves by shedding light on the land policy that has troubled Hong Kong's New Territories area for over 40 years.
One of the film's lead actors, Louis Koo, said he was astonished when he first read the script because some of the lines are quite controversial.
The two directors are hoping this new movie could cause certain social influence.
The series' plot and character conflicts have also become more intricate, with things like telephone bugging being used to showcase the natures of the various characters.
The new movie will open on May 30 across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries.
Jay Z joins LA mayor to announce two-day concert Labor Day weekend
Jay Z is bringing his "Made in America" music festival to Los Angeles.
The music superstar was joined by LA's mayor at Los Angeles City Hall to announce the two-day concert, which is planned for Labor Day weekend and will be held simultaneously with one in Philadelphia.
"Two years ago this was a dream, to put a festival together, to have all types of music, different types of genres. Because I believe that genres separate us. Whether it's country music -- country is derivative of the blues, which is derivative of hip-hop. You know, it's all music. We just use different instruments."
The performer lineup have yet to be announced, but organizers are anticipating as many as 50,000 concertgoers coming to downtown LA's Grand Park.
On the other way, the Los Angeles City Council has expressed concern that such a crowd could be disruptive for downtown residents.
"Frozen" Soundtrack Spends 10th Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200
The unstoppable soundtrack to Disney's Frozen has hit the No.1 on Billboard 200 for a 10th nonconsecutive week.
According to Nielsen SoundScan, the set sold 133,000 copies last week.
To date, the album has sold over 2 million copies.
The Frozen soundtrack is one of just 11 albums that has spent at least 10 weeks at No. 1.
Four of those 11 albums are also soundtracks. Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard" enjoyed 20 weeks at No. 1. Titanic lasted 16 weeks, and The Lion King had ten weeks at the top.
Frozen now ties The Lion King for the most weeks as a top album for an animated film soundtrack.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Hundreds of passengers, mostly teenagers, remain unaccounted for after the ship they were on sank off the coast of South Korea...
A US Navy robotic submersible has continued its search for missing flight MH370. no wreckage has been spotted so far...
And the UN Secretary General has called for the immediate release of over 100 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria...
In Business...China's State Council has announced plans to inject more cash into farming...
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. |