The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Paul James with you this Friday, April 18, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening.
An avalanche this morning on the world's highest mountain has left at least a dozen people dead and many more missing.
Hope is fading quickly in the search for any possible survivors from Wednesday's deadly ferry capsizing off South Korea.
The Chinese government is applauding a new agreement meant to ease the political tensions in Ukraine.
In business, new stats show housing prices in this country's major cities are still rising significantly.
In sports, the preparations are underway for this year's Shanghai Grand Prix.
In entertainment, Jackie Chan has confirmed he's going to be co-starring in a Hollywood-produced historical epic connected to ancient China.
Weather
Beijing will be overcast tonight with a low of 12 degrees Celsius. Overcast also tomorrow with a high of 16 degrees.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be rainy tonight, with a low of 13, also rainy tomorrow, with a high of 15.
Chongqing will be rainy, 20 degrees the low, overcast tomorrow with a high of 28.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, rainy with a high of 24.
Kabul, sunny, 19.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, high of 21.
Canberra, sunny, 18.
Brisbane, sunny, 29.
And finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 27.
Top News
Heavy snowfall in Mt. Qomolangma hampers search for 9 Sherpa climbers
Disaster has struck on the world's highest mountain ahead of this year's climbing season.
At least 13 people are dead and a number of others missing after an avalanche hit this morning on Mount Qomalangma, otherwise known as Mount Everest.
The avalanche on the Nepalese side of the mountain hit while a group of around 50-people, mostly Nepalese sherpas, were doing the technical preparations for this year's climbing season, which is set to begin next week.
Madhu Sudhan Burlakoti is with Nepal's Tourism Ministry.
"An avalanche swept the area near Camp 1 at 5,800 meters this morning where Nepalese guides and their team leaders were. As soon as we heard about the avalanche, the tourism ministry and the officials at the base camp responded immediately. Three helicopters with rescuers and medical workers were rushed to the scene."
On top of the reported 13 dead, at least 10 others may be missing.
However, there have been conflicting reports about how many people were caught up in the slide.
Bad weather conditions are said to be hampering the search.
This morning's avalanche is already being touted as the worst disaster in the history of climbing on the mountain, which borders both Nepal and China.
Qomalangma, as the world's highest mountain, is one of the most popular destinations in the world for climbers.
It's also one of the world's most dangerous, as rescues are hampered by the altitude of the climbing area, which runs from around 6 to 88-hundred meters above sea-level.
Around 4-thousand climbers have reached the summit.
Over 200 have died while trying to make the attempt.
Some of their bodies have never been retrieved.
4 Chinese nationals still missing following S. Korea shipwreck
South Korean authorities now say it was the third officer, and not the captain, who was at the helm of the South Korean ferry which capsized on Wednesday, leaving close to 300 dead or missing.
Reports this evening are suggesting an arrest warrant has been issued for the captain.
Prosecutor Park Jae-eok.
"The captain should have been in the wheelhouse, however, he was not in a position where he could have led the steering when incident happened. We believe he was at the back of the wheelhouse. The wheelhouse was divided into two, and he was at the back. When the incident happened, a third mate was the helmsman."
It's also being reported the captain delayed evacuation of the stricken ship for half-an-hour after a South Korean transportation official ordered preparations to abandon ship.
This revelation has raised questions about whether quicker action could have saved the scores of passengers still missing and feared dead.
Meanwhile, the bodies of those who have been recovered have been brought ashore to a local hospital for the families to identify.
Ryu Jae-kwang is the Director of the hospital.
He says many of the 170 who survived are struggling with their recovery.
"The patients' post-traumatic psychological stress that came from surviving the ferry crash was enormous and serious, so when I did my rounds this morning, I felt the patients needed to be visited by the psychological department doctor."
Search and recovery attempts are continuing today, but the work has been slow.
Divers are being prevented from getting inside the ship by strong currents and bad weather.
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy has confirmed a fourth Chinese national was aboard the ferry.
A total of 28 people have been officially listed as dead so far.
However, 260 others are still missing.
But now that more than 48-hours have passed since the ship first capsized, hope is fading quickly in finding anyone alive.
Many of those still missing are high school students who were on a class trip.
Planes depart to continue search for missing plane
A fifth attempt is underway with an underwater submersible to try to find any evidence connected to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
So far the 4 previous attempts to find any wreckage of the missing jetliner have turned up nothing.
At the same time, close to 2-dozen planes and ships are scowering three different search grids today in the air and surface search for signs of MH370.
Officials announced yesterday that an oil slick discovered this week in the search area is NOT connected to the missing flight.
Its been close to 6-weeks since the Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared with 239-passangers and crew on-board while on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Malaysian officials this week have been here in Beijing to brief the families of the 154 missing Chinese about the latest progress in the search.
China welcomes agreement at Geneva talks on Ukraine
The Chinese government is welcoming an agreement worked out Thursday at a multilateral summit in Geneva connected to the situation in Ukraine.
Hua Chunying is with the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
"China insists constantly on using political ways to solve the Ukrainian crisis through the consideration of the interests of the parties involved. China welcomes the talks held by Russia, United States, the European Union and Ukraine to reach a consensus to ease the situation. China hopes the parties concerned will take concrete measures to implement the consensus and solve the situation through political means to help Ukraine stabilize and develop as soon as possible. "
The four parties have concluded the talks in Geneva after signing a statement on the de-escalation of the tensions in Ukraine.
The declaration says all sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions while steps are taken to try to restore order in the country.
The U.S. President Barack Obama, who is also welcoming the agreement, also says military options are not on the table in Ukraine.
But he is warning of further sanctions against Russia if situation fails to improve.
"What we have to do is to create an environment in which irregular forces disarm, that the seizing of buildings cease, that a national dialogue by Ukrainians, not by Russians, not by Americans or anybody else, but by Ukrainians takes place."
The new deal also gives amnesty to protesters who disarm, except those found guilty of capital crimes.
In return, the deal also temporarily freezes economic sanctions the U.S. and EU have been preparing to impose on Russia.
Thursday's meeting in Geneva came at the same time Russian President Vladimir Putin was holding his annual televised question-and-answer session, where he said Russia reserves the right to send troops into to Ukraine.
Despite the comments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia does not want to use that option.
"We have no wish to put our armed troops in Ukraine, on the territory of a friendly state, on the territory where our brothers live. This goes against the core interests of the Russian Federation."
Monitors with the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe are being tasked with helping Ukraine authorities implement the requirements outlined in the agreement.
Despite the new agreement, Pro-Russian protesters in Donetsk are still occupying government buildings in the eastern region of Donestk.
Meanwhile, the European Union is expressing its readiness to mediate between Russia and Ukraine when it comes to gas supplies and transit.
UN denounces attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is strongly condemning an attack on civilans and UN peace keepers in South Sudan.
A group attacked a United Nations site in the city of Bor in the restive state of Jonglei on Thursday, reportedly leaving at least 12 civilians dead.
The site itself is home to thousands of refugees who have been living under the UN flag for protection against the ethnic violence which has been gripping South Sudan for months.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
"The UN Mission in South Sudan gave us more details on this attack on its base in Bor. It says the assailants -- a mob of armed civilians -- came to the base under the guise of peaceful demonstrators intending to present a petition to UNMISS. The armed mob forced entry in to the site and opened fire on the internally displaced persons sheltering inside the base."
South Sudan has been embroiled in ethnic violence since forces loyal to ousted former vice-President Riek Machar took up arms against those loyal to President Salva Kiir.
While the initial conflict in December started out political, it quickly turned into an ethnic clash, as Machar and Kiir are from different tribal backgrounds.
About 75-thousand people in South Sudan are now living under UN protection.
Turnout of Algerian presidential polls hits 51.7 pct
Algerian authorities are reporting the turnout for Thursday's Presidential vote in the country has reached close to 52-percent.
It's also being reported a higher turnout is being recorded in the country's western regions, where one province saw voter turnout coming in at over 80-percent.
But in the areas populated by the country's Berber minority, turnout has come in at under 25-percent.
Early results are suggesting incumbent Abdelaziz Bouteflika has the lead in a number of provinces throughout Algeria.
His former Prime Minister, Ali Benflis, is said to be running second, which is what most analysts had predicted.
The 77-year old Bouteflika is trying for a 4th term in office, despite his ailing health over the past few years.
China Alerted by serious soil pollution, vows better protection
Anchor:
Authorities here in China have released the details of an exhaustive survey of this country's land, which has found that just under 20-percent of the farmland in this country is suffering from some level of pollution.
CRI's Luo Wen has more.
---
Reporter:
The report is issued jointly by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Land and Resources.
It is based on a 9-year survey starting since 2005, on about two thirds of the land across the Chinese mainland.
Gao Shengda is secretary of the Industry Alliance for Environmental Rehabilitation.
He says the main pollution source is human industrial and agricultural activities.
"The rapid economic growth of China over the past few decades has taken its toll on our environment. Industrial waste contaminates farmland around factories and mines. Chemical plants in the suburbs also produce organic and inorganic pollutants that are hazardous to the land. Therefore, we call for stronger supervision and liability-pursuing mechanisms that focus on the disposal of waste produced by industries known for producing heavy metal waste as well as the abuse of chemical products used during agricultural production."
According to the report, irrigation by polluted water, the improper use of fertilizers and pesticides and the development of livestock breeding also cause pollution to farming land.
Gao says soil rehabilitation is a time-consuming and costly process.
"Pollution is hard to eliminate because the self-purification capacity of soil and underground water is weak. China has focused on microbe and plant-restoring methods, while overseas countries use physical and chemical methods to restore the soil. It's easy for us to pollute soil, but it will cost us ten times or even one hundred times as much investment to purify it."
Faced with the alarming figures, the government is taking countermeasures to better protect the soil environment and curb pollution.
The environment ministry is rushing to map out an anti-land pollution action plan in cooperation with other related departments.
Wu Xiaoqing is the deputy minister of the ministry.
"We are drafting an action plan on soil protection and pollution control. The plan will be based on notions of ensuring agricultural products' safety and providing a healthy living environment. That means we'll have to achieve the goal by enhancing the land quality of arable and construction sites. Meanwhile, we'll strengthen laws which curb the soil pollution and better protect environmental safety. Moreover, regulation on pollution monitoring, control and remediation will also be enhanced."
Revising the environmental protection law, which took effect in 1989, has been deemed vital to curbing pollution.
The law is set to be reviewed by the country's top legislature at the end of this month.
For CRI, this is Luo Wen.
Free Wi-Fi in the Sky
Anchor:
As part of the new trial to establish internet on Air China flights, the airline says passangers will also be able to access television broadcasts.
CRI's He Fei has more.
Reporter:
The new service enabled passengers on board the flights linking Beijing and Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, to surf the Internet freely on their tablet computers or laptops, but not smartphones.
Last year, the company had the first Wi-Fi trial in sky, but with limited bandwidth, passengers could only get on a few websites, such as browsing microblogs and checking emails. However, this time Air China adopted 4G mobile technology which can help users enjoy connection speeds of about 30 megabits per second. That means you can surf the internet as freely as at home.
Zhang Yun, manager of Air China's Internet project explains.
"We have two platforms to realize in-flight internet surfing. One is based on Air China's official website. And for the new trail, we opened access to other websites, which means that you can log onto any website that you like."
Regret missing out on one of your favorite team's games because of your flight schedule?
Well, there is good news for you too. For the first time, live TV streams are available in the sky.
"The biggest difference for our second trial is that we allocate some bandwidth for TV live broadcast. Now we have three China Central Television channels. Passengers can see live TV programs on board."
The new technology not only helps passengers kill time on board but also enables them to keep in contact with people on the ground. When the world is puzzled by what had happened on the MH370, the in-flight Wi-Fi may help a bit in cases like that in the future.
On the trial flight, people were able to have video chats with family members or friends on the ground.
Air China said in a statement that the in-flight Wi-Fi service is able to provide users up to 30 megabytes of bandwidth through a wireless connection with ground telecommunication stations. The system is called the Air-to-Ground network.
The company said it is testing out three of its aircrafts equipped with the network. Passengers will not be charged for using the service when it is made widely available.
According to Zhang Yun, who is in charge of the company's Internet project, Air China began to develop its own Internet system in 2010.
He said the system has passed safety and airborne compatibility tests from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. He also emphasized that the safety of the aircraft will not be compromised if the Internet system is hacked.
For CRI, I am He Fei.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Reporter:
Mainland shares closed mixed today, while many other Asian markets are closed for the Good Friday holiday.
Shanghai closed down 0.1%.
The Shenzhen Component Index closed up 0.1 percent.
The markets in both Japan and South Korea saw thin trading today.
Japanese shares are still recovering from last week, when the Nikkei fell more than 7-percent, its biggest single-week drop in more than three years.
The Nikkei today gained 0.5%, while South Korea's KOSPI was up 0.6%.
The markets in Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and Hong Kong are all closed.
U.S. and European exchanges will also be closed Friday.
China's House Prices Rise In March
New data shows house prices have increased in almost all major Chinese cities through March.
Prices have increased in 69 of the 70 cities surveyed by the National Bureau of Statistics.
Wenzhou is the only city to report annualized prices declines, which are down by 3.9-percent compared to March of last year.
House prices in Beijing have gained 10.3-percent through March.
Prices in Shanghai are up 13.1-percent.
Shenzhen has seen home prices rise 12.8-percent last month.
Compared to February, house prices have increased in 56 cities and declined in 4 through March.
Other 10 cities showed no change in house prices on a month-by-month basis.
Beijing Streamlines Banks' Cooperation with Third-Party Payment Agencies
Chinese banking regulators are moving to try to streamline cooperation between commercial banks and third-party payment firms to better protect customers' information.
The China Banking Regulatory Commission and the People's Bank of China are moving to ensure people's identities are verified by both banks and third-party payment firms, especially when there are transfers of large sums of money.
In addition, banks and third-party payment firms are being told to toughen up their internal risk controls, with extra emphasis on large or unusual fund transfers.
Banks are also being told to set up safeguards to prevent 3rd party payment agencies from allowing trans-border access.
Weibo shares surge on US debut, despite low opening price
The share price of Sina Weibo has risen by almost 20-percent on its first trading day on the NASDAQ, despite a poor showing in its IPO.
The company's initial float raised a less-than-expected 286-million US dollars.
However, investors have since flocked to the shares, which ended Thursday's trading at 20-dollars-24-cents after opening at 17 US dollars.
Weibo's IPO is being viewed as a test of demand for Chinese internet stocks ahead Alibaba's impending listing in New York.
China's internet market is the world's largest, with more than 500 million users.
Corp news with Doug Young
Anchor:
It's been another busy week for corporate news here in China, with a mainland video and internet company planning a move into Hong Kong.
And at the same time, CITIC is shifting some stock and cash within its own organization.
The Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
…
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters, speaking with The Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham.
China Unicom Q1 profits up 73.7 pct
China Unicom is reporting its net profits have jumped nearly 74-percent during the first quarter.
Net profits for this country's 2nd largest telecom operator have hit 1.1 billion yuan through the first 3-months.
Unicom's revenues are up over 8-percent to almost 79 billion yuan.
Mobile services profits are up 15.6-percent through Q1.
Revenues from fixed-line services are up nearly 6-percent to 24 billion yuan in the first quarter.
The company is also reporting its new mobile phone users hit 8.7-million in the first quarter.
China Unicom has around 290 million mobile subscribers.
ZTE net profits triple in Q1
Chinese telecom manufacturer ZTE has seen its net profits triple through the first three months of this year.
ZTE has brought in 622-million yuan worth of net profits in the first 3-months.
This marks an increase of more than 200-percent on an annualized basis.
The company is pointing to a significant increase in the value of its international contracts for the major jump in profits.
Chinese liquor giant Wuliangye reports 19.8-pct profit drop
Another Chinese liquor maker is reporting a downturn in profits.
This time, Wuliangye is reporting a nearly 20-percent decline in net profits last year.
The firm, based in Yibin in Sichuan, still pulled in nearly 8-billion yuan in profits through the whole of 2013.
The company is blaming the downturn in last year's profits on a couple of key factors, including the party-driven austerity campaign.
The company also notes the whole of the Chinese liquor industry is going through a restructuring after close to a decade of unprecedented growth.
Wuliangye's revenues for last year came in at just under 25-billion yuan, which is down over 9-percent from 2012.
Morgan Stanley's profits jump but Goldman Sachs's fall
US banking giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are reporting contrasting results for their respective first quarters.
Goldman Sachs' net earnings have fallen to 2-billion US dollars from 2.3-billion after a drop in revenues from its bonds, currency and trading business.
But at the same time, Morgan Stanley's profits have risen to 1.45-billion.
This compares to 981-million earned during the same period a year ago.
In the first quarter, Goldman Sachs' revenues from fixed income, currency and commodities trading declined 11-percent to 2.85 billion compared with a year earlier.
However, the bank's net revenues from investment banking have come in 13-percent higher.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's trading, mergers and acquisition and stock sales division grew the most during its first quarter.
The bank's strong results come after a fourth-quarter downturn in bond trading revenues that more than halved its earnings through the end of last year.
Headline News
Heavy snowfall in Mt. Qomolangma hampers search for 9 Sherpa climbers
Disaster has struck on the world's higest mountain ahead of this year's climbing season.
At least 13 people are dead and a number of others missing after an avalanche hit this morning on Mount Qomalangma, otherwise known as Mount Everest.
The avalanche on the Nepalese side of the mountain hit while a group of around 50-people, mostly Nepalese sherpas, were doing the technical preparations for this year's climbing season, which is set to begin next week.
On top of the reported 13 dead, at least 10 others may be missing.
4 Chinese nationals still missing following S. Korea shipwreck
South Korean authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the captian of the capsized ferry.
This, after it was revealed it was the third officer, and not the captain, who was at the helm of the ferry which capsized on Wednesday, leaving close to 300 dead or missing.
Search and recovery attempts are continuing today, but the work has been hampered by bad weather and tides.
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy has confirmed a fourth Chinese national was aboard the ferry.
A total of 28 people have been officially listed as dead so far.
However, 260 others are still missing.
Forest fire raging in S. China's Kunming
A forest fire on the northern outskirts of Kunming is continuing to roll south toward the city's more densely populated areas.
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon in the city's Xishan District, which is a densely-populated area north of Kunming-proper.
So far 130-people have been forced from their homes because of the blaze.
Around 47-hundred people have been mobilized to help prevent the fire from spreading.
They're being aided by four water-dropping helicopters.
Crews are planning to dig a ditch to try to stop the fire from spreading southward.
So far there have been no reports of casualties or damage to properties.
Officials have not said whether they expect more evacuations, or when they expect to get the fire under control.
China welcomes agreement at Geneva talks on Ukraine
The Chinese government is welcoming an agreement worked out Thursday at a multilateral summit in Geneva connected to the situation in Ukraine.
The four parties have concluded the talks after signing a statement on the de-escalation of the tensions in Ukraine.
The declaration says all sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions while steps are taken to try to restore order in the country.
The U.S. President Barack Obama, who is also welcoming the agreement, also says military options are not on the table in Ukraine.
But he is warning of further sanctions against Russia if situation fails to improve.
UN denounces attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is strongly condemning an attack on civilians and UN peace keepers in South Sudan.
A group attacked a United Nations site in the city of Bor in the restive state of Jonglei on Thursday, reportedly leaving at least 12 civilians dead.
The site itself is home to thousands of refugees who have been living under the UN flag for protection against the ethnic violence which has been gripping South Sudan for months.
About 75-thousand people in South Sudan are now living under UN protection.
Newspaper Picks
Shanghai Daily
"Hospitals preparing for baby boom"
ABOUT 15,000 couples will welcome a second child this year as a result of changes to the city's family planning regulations, authorities said yesterday.
The law change was effected back in March, allowing couples to have a second baby if either parent is an only child. The effect will be an extra 20,000 to 30,000 newborns per year, the Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission said.
In the 2014-16 period, about 200,000 babies are expected to be born each year in Shanghai, officials said. But the city seems to be prepared, and is equipped to handle about 250,000 births per year.
While there is sufficient capacity to cope with the expected number of deliveries, the commission is keen to ensure that beds at the city's premier maternity units are reserved for mothers in the most need.
21st Century Business Herald
"Protect teachers' rights and interests"
More than 1,000 teachers in Luohe, Henan province complained recently that the local government has been consistently withholding wages for years.
Similar problems appeared in other places too, especially in villages and counties.
Local governments have seen a marked decline in their revenue this year, and delaying payments to teachers could be a possible tactic to make up budget deficits.
The article says teachers are less powerful than government officials. Some local authorities do not think withholding teachers' wages constitutes a violation of the Teacher's Law.
In this sense, the article says it is natural that some local governments regard expenses on education as giving room to maneuver when the government is in financial difficulty.
The Telegraph
"The effects of bullying last a lifetime"
A study by King's College London revealed that bullying not only robs young people of their childhood, but also directly affects their health, social relationships and earning potential for the rest of their lives.
It's a common but dangerous misconception that bullying is something that children can easily 'get over' or worse still, that it somehow makes them stronger.
In recent years, people have become more aware of the consequences that bullying can have on young people – leaving far too many feeling they have no escape other than by harming themselves, or even taking their own lives.
But what is still drastically underestimated or all too often ignored are the long-term repercussions of having been bullied in childhood.
USA Today
"Earth-size planet discovery: 5 things to know"
NASA's Kepler space telescope discovered another Earth-size planet that is in the "habitable zone," a planet's distance from its star where conditions are ideal for liquid water.
They're calling this planet Kepler -186f and it is the closest in size to our earth out of all previous discoveries in this Goldilocks zone.
The planet is 1.1 times the size of Earth, whereas past discoveries have been 1.4 times the size of Earth or larger.
It has a shorter orbital pattern: 130 days to circle its star, versus 365 days for Earth. And the planet is 500 light-years from Earth.
Researchers say the discovery of the new planet is "a major step towards finding that Holy Grail planet" that is both close in size to Earth and orbiting around a star similar to the Earth's sun.
Instead of calling it an Earth twin, NASA considers Kepler-186f an Earth cousin.
Sports
Drivers gear up for Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai
This weekend the drivers’ championship is in Shanghai for round four action at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Drivers are chasing team Mercedes who has made a bold start to the season with three out of three wins, and including two one-two finishes to boot.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is eleven points behind teammate Nico Rosberg, and after coming in one-two at the recent Bahrain Grand Prix, said he hopes their inner-team rivalry will continue.
The race will be held at the Shanghai International Circuit this Sunday, and we're now joined live by our correspondent Alexander Aucott, who is in Shanghai for the race.
Nadal records 300th win on clay and advances to quarters at Monte Carlo Masters
In tennis,
The third round continued at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco today.
Top ranked Rafael Nadal recorded his 300th win on clay after defeating Italy's Andreas Seppi, 6-1, 6-3. The Spaniard joined an elite group of players with that victory, as well as booked his place in the quarterfinals.
Nadal will meet David Ferrer in the quarters, after the six seed dispatched Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-2.
Canada's Milos Raonic, Roger Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic are also all through to the final eight.
Matt Kuchar oen of three out in front at RBC Heritage
In golf,
Matt Kuchar, Scott Langley, and William McGirt are tied up at the top of the leaderboard after the opening round of the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.
The three each carded an opening 5-under 66.
Young Jordan Spieth, who's coming off a second place finish at last week's Masters, is tied for fifth after carding a 69.
Elsewhere, England's Lee Westwood is the early leader at the Malaysian Open. He shot a seven under par round of 65 today to take a one shot lead over Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, before play was halted for an incoming storm.
Yeah it was a good round of golf in tricky conditions. It was obviously really hot and you had to keep hydrated. And the golf course.... so its playing its longest and the greens are firm, a testament to how good the greens are really, when you consider the rain we have had over the last couple of days. They were still releasing out of the green which was hard to get your head around."
Thai defending champion Kiradech Aphibarnrat shot an opening round of 71.
St. Louis Blues defeat title-holding Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in playoff opener
In the NHL, Stanley Cup Playoff action continued today with more series openers.
The St. Louis Blues beat defending Stanley Cup champions the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in their playoff opener at home.
The game stretched into a third overtime before Alexander Steen scored the winner for St. Louis.
It was also a home win for the New York Rangers who beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 in their playoff opener.
In the western conference quarterfinals,
Colorado's Paul Stastny scored with 13.4 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime between the Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild. He then scored the game winner 7 and a half minutes into overtime to lift Colorado to a 5-4 win.
The San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 6-3 on home ice. San Jose can now boast of 16 wins over the last 17 games the California rivals have played.
The Kings started to rally after replacing goaltender Jonathan Quick with rookie Martin Jones in the third period and netting three successive goals, but a final score by the Sharks sealed the win.
NBA playoffs kick off tomorrow
NBA fans, don't be sad. There's no games today, but just use the time to rest up and get ready for playoff action which kicks off tomorrow with four games.
The Memphis Grizzlies are on the road at Oklahoma City. Atlanta will play the Indiana Pacers. The Golden State Warriors travel to LA to face the Clippers. And the Brooklyn Nets are in Toronto to take on the Raptors.
One team that I'm watching with interest this year is the Toronto Raptors. This will be their first playoff appearance in six seasons, and it's a pretty green team that somehow has come together this season and produced some fine basketball.
But it's an inexperienced team, and it seems that the Brooklyn Nets purposefully tanked to set up this series with the Raptors.
The Nets lost four of their last five games heading into the playoffs, and head coach Jason Kidd made it even more obvious when he benched his starters during the season finale, in which Brooklyn got crushed by Cleveland, losing by 29 points.
Entertainment
Jackie Chan to co-star with Hollywood A-listen in historical epic
Chinese star Jackie Chan has announced he will co-star in a Hollywood historical epic titled "Dragon Blade."
The film is about a group of Roman soldiers lost in ancient China.
It's been inspired by documented evidence uncovered in recent years in northwest China suggesting a lost group of Roman soldiers may have eventually settled in the village of Liquan in Gansu during the Han Dynasty.
It hasn't been revealed who Chan's co-star will be in the film.
However, reports are suggesting Mel Gibson may be the one.
The film is to be directed by Daniel Lee, who also directed "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon".
"Dragon Blade" is scheduled for release next Lunar New Year's day here in China.
'Transcendence' Film Director Shares Exciting Moments of IMAX Version of the Film
Wally Pfister, director of sci-fi thriller "Transcendence," has shared his experiences behind the camera as part of a promotional video during the film's IMAX release here in China.
Pfister, who won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the 2010 film "Inception," says his directorial debut was a great project to start with.
"It was a large project for a first time director. I thought it was a very original concept for a film. And I also thought it was very current. There are a couple of scenes particularly taking advantage of immerse quality of the IMAX images as well as the sound. There's one segment where to journey through internet. It's a fantastic visual moment and the sound design is very carefully put together. That's particularly moment I love when I saw the IMAX version."
"Trancendence" stars Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall and Morgan Freeman.
Depp himself was here in Beijing recently to promote the film's release.
Sino-Foreign Film Co-production Forum kicks off in Beijing
A Sino-Foreign Film Co-production Forum, one of the main features of this year's Beijing International Film Festival, is underway.
Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron is among those taking part.
Cuaron, director of the Academy-Award winning film "Gravity", says enjoying film-making is the key to success, regardless of where you're from.
"I think that if a director used to think something for the awards, would never win them because your concern is directed to the wrong place. I don't think there is a formula about how to calculate things of how to get awards, of how to get box office. You know, I think you have to do the film which you really believe in."
Cuaron also suggests he'd be interested in working on a film here in China.
"If I would do a film here, I would like to do it from the point of trying to understand this culture."
American film maker Oliver Stone and French actor Jean Reno are also among those taking part in this year's forum.
Cannes Film Festival announces 2014 lineup
The line-up for this year's Cannes Film Festival has been unveiled.
Tommy Lee Jones' western 'The Homesman' and David Cronenberg's 'Maps to the Stars' are among the 18 films vying for the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
In addition, Naomi Kawase of Japan, Alice Rohrwacher of Italy and 'The Artist' director Michael Hazanavicius also have entries.
Canadian actor Ryan Gosling's directorial debut 'How to Catch a Monster', which stars Christina Hendricks, will be playing in on the sidelines of this year's Cannes festival.
The big-budget biopic 'Grace of Monaco,' by French director Olivier Dahan, and starring Nicole Kidman, will hold its world premiere at Cannes, even though it won't be in competition.
New Zealand film director Jane Campion will the head of the jury for the main competition section.
The 67th annual Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to be held from May 14th to 25th.
Colombia president comments on the death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Nobel prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez has died.
He was 87.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has declared three days of mourning to honor the author.
"As a government, and in tribute to the memory of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I have decreed national mourning for three days and I gave an order that all public institutions fly the national flag at half mast, as we hope Colombians also do in their homes."
Garcia-Marquez's remains are being cremated in a private ceremony in Mexico City, where he spent the latter years of his life.
A public ceremony is scheduled to be held Monday in Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts.
Garcia Marquez is considered one of the greatest Spanish-language authors ever.
His most popular book, "One Hundred Years of Solitude," has sold more than 30-million copies worldwide.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
An avalanche this morning on the world's highest mountain has left at least a dozen people dead and many more missing.
Hope is fading quickly in the search for any possible survivors from Wednesday's deadly ferry capsizing off South Korea.
The Chinese government is applauding a new agreement meant to ease the political tensions in Ukraine.
In business, new stats show housing prices in this country's major cities are still rising significantly. |