Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on our program this morning...

This year's "Lianghui," or "two sessions" is set to open this week in Beijing, with environmental protection likely to be one of the key talking points.

A pilot property registration system has been launched in over a dozen cities here in China.

A new system is being launched by Australian authorities which should better help track airplanes.

In business... international investors are now allowed to short-sell on the mainland market through StockConnect.

In Sports... Guangdong stays alive in the CBA playoffs with a must-win over Beijing.

In Entertainment... A Disney animated film opens with a big weekend here in China.

First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be cloudy today with a high of 11 and a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 12 and a low of 3 degrees Celsius.

Chongqing, overcast, with a high of 13.

Elsewhere in Asia.

Islamabad will see shower, with a high of 18.

Kabul will have sleet , with a high of 3.

Over to North America.

New York, cloudy, with a high of 3 degrees Celsius.

Washington, also cloudy, with a high of 3 degree Celsius.

Honolulu, rainy, with a high of 26.

Toronto, cloudy, with a high of minus 4.

Finally, in South America,

Buenos Aires, rainy, 29.

And Rio de Janeiro, rainy, with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

 

There are several ways to keep in touch with us on the BJH

Weibo/Wechat account: the Beijing Hour

Email: [email protected]

 

 

Top News

 

 

CPPCC proposal on environment protection

 

Anchor

Members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from around the country have arrived in Beijing to attend their annual sessions, which get underway this week.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

Reporter

Environmental protection is going to be one of the focus-areas for both the political advisory body and the lawmakers on the National People's Congress.

Wan Jie, a member of the national committee of CPPCC, has been collecting data from pollution sources, including a sewage treatment plant in Beijing's Shunyi District.

He said he's going to offer lawmakers suggestions about real-time environmental monitoring.

"The heavy polluters do not discharge polluted water or air all time. They do it intermittently. So if there is no real-time monitoring system, the government will have less supervision over these companies."

While the Chinese government has a phone application to map pollution, many regions still don't have real-time data about the flow of polluted air or water.

Meanwhile, Liu Weichang, another member of the CPPCC from the city of Handan in Hebei, says he plans to submit a proposal promoting the use of clean coal technology in China's rural areas.

"We should also focus on the daily coal burning which people use to keep warm during the winter in the countryside. According to the results of a survey I conducted, air pollution in these areas could be cut by around 70-percent if people start to use clean coal."

The province of Hebei has nearly 16 million families living in the rural areas.

They burn around 40 million tons of coal every year, which pumps out millions of tonnes of dust, as well as sulpher and carbon dioxide.

Right now over 400 proposals have already been submitted to this year's CPPCC agenda, covering a wide range of areas from environmental protection, to economic development to the rule of law, and beyond.

This year's "Lianghui," or "two-sessions," officially begins this Tuesday.

For CRI, this is Guo Yan

 

 

China to strengthen enforcement of new environmental laws

 

China's new minister of environmental protection is vowing to strengthen enforcement of the country's environmental laws.

Chen Jining has made the suggestion during his first news conference since taking over in his new position.

"In the past, environmental laws have been enforced leniently by some departments. Failing to abide by the law has become normal. But laws can't be broken. Both companies and governments need to observe the law, which shouldn't be viewed as a difficult requirement. If they can't abide by the laws, then how can we count on them protecting the environment? Right now, our new environmental laws provide many opportunities. But a lot of things still need to be done."

Chen Jining also says the Environmental Protection Ministry will welcome criticism and plans to be open to the public via the media.

Over the weekend, a documentary entitled "Under the Doom" was released here in China, creating a stir for its candid look at some of China's major environmental problems.

Chen Jining says he has already sent a message to producer Chai Jing to thank her for raising people's awareness of environmental issues.

 

 

China Officially Launches Real Property Registration

 

Anchor:

A new pilot property registration system has officially been launched here in China.

The details from CRI's Qi Zhi.

Reporter

The Chinese government officially launched its long-awaited property registration system in over a dozen of cities on Sunday.

Under the new system, new Real Estate Certificates will be issued if a home is sold, and the legal owner of the home will be registered on a computer system.

There will be a transition period as the new system is put in-place.

Wei Hong is the Director of Guangdong's Provincial Property Registration Bureau.

"From now on people will get new certificates when they buy a house. But The old certificates will remain valid as long as home owners don't trade them or change information on them."

The creation of the pilot property registration system is the first step toward the creation of a nation-wide database.

Liu Yanping is the deputy chief registrar with the Ministry of Land and Resources.

"We need to set up a unified platform so we can share registration information. That work is currently underway. After the establishment of the platform, the information of every registered property can be shared in real-time among different regions, departments and industries at various levels."

Authorities say the creation of this national data base should ensure the safety of real estate transactions and help protect the rights of the individuals.

Right now there are 15 pilot cities involved in the pilot program.

Wang Guanghua, director of registration with the Ministry of Land and Resources says they expect the nation-wide database to be operational in a couple of years.

"The property registration database will be put into operation in 2017. Once operational, the database will give both property owners and state agencies access to the information about the property."

The Ministry of Land and Resources says the new system will help regulate the real estate market across the country.

It's also expected to help in the implementation of a nation-wide property tax, as well as in the government's crack-down on corrupt officials who might hold properties in different parts of the country.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

 

 

14 injured in 5.5-magnitue quake in Yunnan province

 

Over a dozen people have been injured in a 5.5-magnitude earthquake which rattled Yunnan yesterday afternoon.

None of the 14 injuries are said to be life-threatening.

The 5.5-magnitude quake hit in Cangyuan County, which is a remote area along the border with Myanmar home to the ethnic Wa people.

The quake hit at a relatively shallow depth of 11-kilometers, intensifying the shaking.

Yunnan is prone to significant earthquake activity, as it lies on the edge of the Tibetan plateau.

So far there have been no significant aftershocks.

 

 

Death toll rises to 9 in Shenzhen airport car accident

 

The death toll from the car accident at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has risen to nine.

Local police say a sedan ran over several pedestrians near Terminal 3 of the airport around 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, killing five immediately and injuring 27 others.

Four others have since died in hospital.

Six others remain in critical condition.

The driver has been identified as a 24-year-old woman.

Authorities say the young woman lost control after a honking car made her nervous.

She's being held for questioning.

The victims were all standing on a platform watching take-offs and landings.

The area they were standing isn't meant for pedestrians.

 

 

Seasonal flu causes more deaths than 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong

 

Health authorities in Hong Kong say the number of people who have died from the current flu outbreak has now surpassed the death toll from the SARS outbreak in 2003.

The total number of flu deaths in Hong Kong this season has hit 306 adults and one child.

415 adults and 17 children have also required intensive care.

A virulant strain of the seasonal flu virus has been making the rounds in Hong Kong the past few months, sparking serious concern among locals.

The SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003 left 299 people dead.

 

 

Prince William arrives in Beijing for visit

 

The second-in-line to the British throne, Prince William, has arrived in Beijing to begin a four-day visit to China.

It's the first trip to the mainland by a member of the British royal family in almost three decades.

The Prince is due to officially open the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai.

This is an event for some 500 British businesses to reach out to potential Chinese partners.

His visit to China follows a series of engagements in Japan where he met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and survivors of the 2011 tsunami.

Prince William is travelling alone.

His wife, Kate, is due to give birth to the couple's second child in April.

 

 

Mass Moscow Rally honors slain opposition politician

 

Tens of thousands of people have marched through central Moscow to mourn opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday.

The mourners have marched to the bridge near the Kremlin where Nemtsov was gunned down.

Prominent Russian opposition figures have taken part in the march, including former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.

"Boris dedicated his whole life to making Russia a democratic state. He was exposing criminals and wasn't afraid to speak about it. That's why they hated him and dared to kill him."

The murder of 55-year-old Nemtsov came just a few hours after he conducted a radio interview in which he denounced President Vladimir Putin's policies as mad and aggressive.

He had been due to lead an opposition march on Sunday against Russia's actions in Ukraine, as well as the economic crisis at home.

Nemtsov's allies are pointing to the Kremlin for his murder.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the murder as "vile," and is vowing to find the killers.

Authorities are looking into a number of possible motives for Nemtsov's murder.

They include the possibility of attempting to destabilize the political situation in Russia, the internal situation in Ukraine and possible connections with Nemtsov's business activities.

A reward of just under 50-thousand US dollars is being offered for information leading to the killers.

 

 

IS releases 19 abducted Christian Assyrians

 

The Islamic State has reportedly released 19 Christian Assyrians who are among the more than 220 people the militant group took captive in northeastern Syria last week.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the militants released the captives after reportedly putting them before a Sharia court.

However, the rationale behind why the group was released hasn't been made clear.

All those released are said to be around 50 years of age or older.

More than 200 Assyrians remain in the hands of the Islamic State, and are reportedly awaiting trial before the Sharia courts.

Meanwhile, Syrian and Iraqi Assyrian Christians, living in Damascus, have held a mass to pray for the release of the remaining Assyrians.

"We ask the kidnappers of the Assyrian families to release them as soon as possible. We are in the age of humanity, not barbarity. The barbarity age ended."

The Assyrians were taken captive during an Islamic State assault in Syria's northeast.

It's being reported Assyrian leaders and Sunni tribal sheikhs have begun reaching out to the Islamic State group to try to negotiate their release.

Last year, Islamic State fighters abducted several Assyrians in retaliation for fighting alongside the Kurdish peshmerga.

Most were released after a long series of negotiations.

The Assyrians are a group of people living in eastern Syria and northwestern Iraq who can trace their roots back to ancient Mesopotamia.

Large numbers of Assyrians became converted to Christianity during the Crusades during the middle-ages.

 

 

Netanyahu Visits US amid Tensions over Iran

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way to Washington to deliver a controversial speech to the US Congress.

Netanyahu is due to speak to US lawmakers on Tuesday, where he's expected to take a hard-line stand on Iran's nuclear program.

"I am departing to Washington on a crucial and even historic mission. I feel a deep and sincere concern for the safety of all citizens of Israel and the fate of the state and the fate of our people. I will do everything in my power to secure our future."

He's been invited to address Congress by the new Republican leadership.

The Republicans have invited him without consulting the White House, which is not only a breach of protocol, but has also angered the Obama administration with its timing, given the current negotiations with Iran over its nuclear issue.

US Secretary of State John Kerry.

"We don't want to see this turned into some great political football. Obviously it was odd, if not unique, that we learned of it (Netanyahu plan to speak to Congress) from the Speaker of the House and that the administration was not included in this process. But the administration is not seeking to politicise this. We want to recognise the main goal here, is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and on that Israel and the United States agree."

Netanyahu's address before the US Congress comes just two weeks before a parliamentary election in Israel.

 

 

Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia to Enhance Tracking of Planes

 

Authorities from Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia are launching a new trial program to better track aircraft.

This is in response to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 nearly a year ago.

The new system uses satellite-based positioning technology already on board 90 percent of all long-haul aircraft that transmit the plane's current position and its next two planned positions.

Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss says the new tracking method will keep tabs on an airplane's location every 15 minutes, rather than the previous rate of 30 to 40 minutes.

The system will also pinpoint an airplane's position every 5-minutes or less if the jetliner deviates from its scheduled flight-path.

Truss says the new tracking system would have made a big difference in the search for MH370.

"Now I appreciate that it would have been very difficult, one would image, without knowing what precisely occurred in the case of MH370, to have intervened from outside. But at least it would have tracked the aircraft to within 15 minutes, and done so simultaneously. The big difference was, it wouldn't have taken us weeks to interpret the data and to find then where the engines finally stopped."

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on March 8th of last year while on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people onboard.

It's believed someone onboard the flight intentionally disabled the tracking systems on the plane, making it almost invisible to radar.

Authorities ultimately believe the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Market Preview

 

Anchor

First let's get a preview of what we can expect on the markets this week.

Join me on the desk, Luo Wen.

Reporter

The latest US jobs data will take centre stage this week as investors refocus on the state of the US economy.

Numbers include the ADP employment report on Wednesday, weekly jobless claims on Thursday, and the government's nonfarm payrolls data on Friday.

Investors will also eye fresh clues on the outlook rates in Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's speech on "Bank Regulation and Supervision" on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. auto industry is scheduled to report February sales.

Analysts expect the industry to maintain its strong pace despite the snow and cold weather in large parts of the country.

U.S. Federal Reserve will release results of its annual bank 'stress test' health check on Thursday.

The Eurozone will report its real GDP for the fourth quarter on Friday.

On the corporate front,

Chinese solar panel maker JinkoSolar is expected to report a smaller fourth-quarter profit today as the company struggles to cope with high costs.

The company has been heavily investing in its solar plant building business to offset the impact of weak panel prices.

On Wednesday, Trina Solar is expected to report a higher fourth-quarter profit as demand improved in the world's biggest market, China.

Also on Wednesday, office supplies retailer Staples' fourth-quarter sales are expected to benefit from a rise in demand for copy and print products in North America.

And finally, warehouse club operator Costco is likely to report second-quarter profit below analysts' average estimate on Thursday.

 

 

Short Selling of stocks Opens to overseas Investors through Shanghai-HK Stock Connect

 

Starting today, overseas investors are being allowed to short sell over 400 different stocks listed in Shanghai through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect.

The idea is to attract more sophisticated international investors into the mainland financial markets by offering them more hedging options.

However, the move has also created concern among some that a large volume of overseas capital flowing through Hong Kong could bring significant instability to the A-share market here on the mainland.

However, most market observers expect the initial impact of the short-selling scheme to be limited due to restrictions that have been put in place.

Zhou Huan is an analyst with China Asset Management.

"A series of restrictions are in-place to guarantee that there won't be too much speculation during the process, and most investors will mainly use the mechanism to secure their assets and avert risk."

Under the restrictions, the volume of short positions on any given stock will be capped at 1-percent per day, and at 5-percent per ten consecutive days.

Short selling of any stock will also be temporarily suspended if the volume of short positions exceeds 25-percent of the stock's total shares.

Such trading will only be resumed when that figure drops below 20-percent the following trading day.

The process of short-selling has the potential to add more volatility to the market, as both buyers and sellers tend to move stocks quickly in and out of their portfolios to capitalize on the rise and fall in a share's value.

 

 

China's Central Bank Cuts Rates again to Boost Economy

 

Anchor

China's central bank has cut interest rates for the second time in three months.

The benchmark deposit and lending rates are being cut by 25 basis points.

This is bringing down the one-year deposit rate to 2.5-percent.

The one-year lending rate is being cut to 5.35-percent.

This is the second time the PBOC has cut rates since November.

Since then, the PBOC has also cut the reserve requirements for banks, freeing up more money for banks to lend.

For more on the interest rate cut, we are now joined live by Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

Talking points

Q1: What are the differences between this round of interest rates cut and the last one? Why is the Chinese government moving so quickly?

Q2: Does the rate cut represent a change in the direction of China's monetary policy?

Q3: Has the last round of rate cut had any transparent effects on the market? What benefits can the latest round of rate cut bring?

Back Anchor

Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

 

 

China's Manufacturing PMI Rebounds in February

 

Official data shows China's factory activity rebounded slightly through February.

However, manufacturing is still on the decline after hitting a 28-month low in January.

The manufacturing purchasing managers' index, a key measure of factory activity in China, has come in 49.9 in February, just below the boom-or-bust line of 50.

Analysts have attributed the marginal month-on-month improvement to rising market demand and the stabilizing of global commodity prices.

The PMI dropped below 50 in January for the first time since October 2012.

Meanwhile, non-manufacturing activity picked up in February on the back of consumption during the Spring Festival holiday.

The purchasing managers' index for the non-manufacturing sector for February has come in at 53.9.

This is up from the 53.7 figure recorded in January.

 

 

79.8 bln USD Infrastructure Program Begins in Gansu

 

A huge infrastructure project worth nearly 80 billion U.S. dollars is underway in the province of Gansu.

The six-year development project will see the creation of more than 60-thousand kilometers of roads linking the northwestern Chinese province and parts of Central Asia.

A dozen new civilian airports are also going to be built in the next 6-years.

Authorities in Gansu have not said where the majority of the financing is going to come from.

However, it's been reported that a local government-backed financing vehicle is investing in the project.

Road construction will be financed by the central government.

Though Gansu doesn't share borders with any of the central Asian countries, it is being tapped as a hub for the Chinese government’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative.

 

 

China to introduce market-based jet fuel pricing

 

China's top economic regulator has decided to allow market forces to dictate the producer price for aviation fuel.

Major state-owned oil companies, including Sinopec, PetroChina, CNOOC, and China Aviation Oil will determine one part of the producer price of jet fuel, known as the Cost, Insurance and Freightage import price, or CIF.

The CIF import price had been determined by the NDRC on a monthly basis.

 

 

Huawei Gets behind EE's US$2.3b 4G Upgrade

 

Chinese telecom giant Huawei has become the core equipment supplier for British mobile operator EE's 4G network upgrade.

The deal itself is worth some 2.3-billion US dollars.

The upgraded 4G network is going to allow for download speeds of 400 megabits per second.

The new speed would triple the current 4G speeds in the UK.

Comparatively, the average speed of China Mobile and China Unicom's 4G networks is around 100 to 150 megabits per second.

EE operates the biggest 4G network in Europe.

It has more than 7 million 4G users.

The network currently covers around 80-percent of the UK's population.

 

 

Chrysler Recalls Vehicles over Fire Risk

 

Chrysler is recalling more than 14-thousand of its Wrangler vehicles in China amid concerns about fires.

The recall covers vehicles manufactured between June of 2010 and July of last year.

Chrysler says the wiring in the vehicles' vanity mirror lights may corrode and cause short circuits, potentially leading to fires.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

14 injured in 5.5-magnitue quake in Yunnan province

 

Over a dozen people have been injured in a 5.5-magnitude earthquake which rattled Yunnan yesterday afternoon.

None of the 14 injuries are said to be life-threatening.

The 5.5-magnitude quake hit in Cangyuan County, which is a remote area along the border with Myanmar home to the ethnic Wa people.

The quake hit at a relatively shallow depth of 11-kilometers, intensifying the shaking.

Yunnan is prone to significant earthquake activity, as it lies on the edge of the Tibetan plateau.

So far there have been no significant aftershocks.

 

 

Death toll rises to 9 in Shenzhen airport car accident

 

The death toll from the car accident at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has risen to nine.

Local police say a sedan ran over several pedestrians near Terminal 3 of the airport around 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, killing five immediately and injuring 27 others.

Four others have since died in hospital.

Six others remain in critical condition.

The driver has been identified as a 24-year-old woman.

Authorities say the young woman lost control after a honking car made her nervous.

She's being held for questioning.

The victims were all standing on a platform watching take-offs and landings.

The area they were standing isn't meant for pedestrians.

 

 

Prince William arrives in Beijing for visit

 

The second-in-line to the British throne, Prince William, has arrived in Beijing to begin a four-day visit to China.

It's the first trip to the mainland by a member of the British royal family in almost three decades.

The Prince is due to officially open the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai.

This is an event for some 500 British businesses to reach out to potential Chinese partners.

His visit to China follows a series of engagements in Japan where he met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and survivors of the 2011 tsunami.

Prince William is travelling alone.

His wife, Kate, is due to give birth to the couple's second child in April.

 

 

Chinese National Missing in Nepalese River

 

Local authorities in Nepal say they think there's little hope of finding a Chinese man alive, after he disappeared while on a river-rafting expedition in western Nepal.

The victim, from Beijing, was part of a group of 5 Chinese nationals who went on a tour with a group of Nepalese guides.

Local authorities are still searching the area, which is about 250-kilometers west of Kathmandu.

 

 

New avalanches hit Afghan region

 

A new series of avalanches have hit Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, closing off areas that have already been difficult to reach.

The provincial governor says avalanches some 40 meters deep have inundated new areas in the province.

Its unclear if there have been any more casualties in the latest slides.

More than 200 people have already been killed in recent days by avalanches in the Panjshir Valley.

Heavy equipment has been brought in to try to clear roads to allow relief teams access to the region, which is a somewhat remote area in Afghanistan’s northeast.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Dust fees

Summary

Beijing's municipal environmental watchdog is now starting to levy new charges for dust at construction sites in the city.

Sites that meet the national emission standards will be charged 3 yuan per kilogram of dust.

For those that perform better, the fees will be cut to 1.5 yuan per kilogram.

Those that exceed the standards will have to pay 6 yuan per kilogram.

SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY

Headline

Migrant education

Summary

China's vice-minister of Education says more than 80 percent of children from migrant worker families are now attending public schools in the cities their parents are employed in.

Liu Limin says over 1.2 million children of migrant workers are also attending private schools paid for by the government.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

Grad loans for entrepreneurs

Summary

A government-backed foundation which provides loans for student entrepreneurs has extended the payback period from two to three years.

The idea is to ease financial pressure on fledgling companies.

GLOBAL TIMES

Headline

Tibet appliance delivery

Summary

People living in major cities in Tibet are going to have free delivery of their home appliances they purchase online.

Tibet has been excluded from free delivery by most of China's online shopping platforms due to high transportation costs.

BEIJING TIMES

Headline

Beijing tombs

Summary

A massive tomb complex has been unearthed in a southwest suburb of Beijing.

The 70 hectare archeological site consists of 129 tombs built over the course of some 11-hundred years, running from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Liao Dynasty.

Archeologists say the complex is a rare discovery due to its size, time span and location.

BEIJING MORNING POST

Headline

"No" to swanky toilets

Summary

The National Tourism Administration has announced a new evaluation system for this country's public toilets.

The administration is calling for simple, clean, and environmentally friendly public toilets, instead of luxurious, highly decorated restrooms.

The administration is planning to invest in 33-thousand new public restrooms and the reconstruction of 24-thousand older ones over the next 3-years.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Tiny Shaolin Kung Fu troupe finds itself in brotherhood

 

Anchor

A group of young Kung Fu enthusiasts, hand-picked by Chinese film star Jackie Chan, are preparing to take their performances to the United States as part of their current international tour.

CRI's Xu Fei has more.

Reporter

It is a story about growing-up.

The eleven young men performing Shaolin Kung Fu in this original Kung Fu show, The Eleven Monks, have been through a lot and have had a tough time.

They belong to a small Shaolin Kung Fu troupe called Dragon Rhythm. Their show borrows elements from dance dramas, theater plays and high-tech variety shows, making it work both on stage and on the TV screen.

In 2006, the eleven teenage boys were handpicked by Kung Fu star Jackie Chan. They were sent to a deserted factory in suburban Beijing and that has been both their school and home.

The oldest member Hu Mingwu is also the art director of the troupe. He turned down several opportunities and decided to stay for the sake of his fellow members.

"After all these years, we are here not for ourselves, but for the others."

Troupe leader Hu Wei is like a mom to those young men. She has witnessed all the ups and downs of the troupe and also the changes of her young troupe members and the bonding between them.

Hu Wei is now in her 60s. As the mom of this big family, she says she never ignores teaching the young men what is really important in life.

"What does the starting point mean? I think it indicates how to be a good person. Knowing the techniques well is far from enough. Being a good person is the first and foremost thing."

The "big brother" Hu Mingwu says this approach has shaped what he is like and what the troupe is like today.

"I didn't quite get what seniors told us that being a good person is the precondition to achieving career success. But now I get it. How well a person lives his life is connected with his career. It is a delicate thing. I think if we can hold on to this bonding, this brotherhood, we will never lose the affection from the audience."

The troupe is currently in Israel and it is about to embark on its global tour to the U.S. and Europe with up to 100 shows later this year.

Back Anchor

That is CRI's Xu Fei reporting

 

 

Sports

 

 

CBA Action

 

We're still in the middle of the semi-finals in the CBA. Here's the action from last night.

The Guandong Southern Tigers smashed the Beijing Ducks 110 - 99. Guandong dominated the first two quarters with Beijing making a return to form in the final two quarters but it was too late. However Beijing still lead 2 games to one.

Tonight Liaoning will take on Qingdao again. Qingdao will be looking for a break after losing their last two games to the Liaoning team. They currently lead the series 2-0. If they win tonight they will go into the finals. Tip off starts at 7.35 this evening.

 

 

NBA preview

 

And in the NBA today. There's a quite a few games today so let's take a look at the big ones.

The Los Angeles Clippers have beaten the Chicago Bulls 96 – 86. The Clippers went in strong in the first quarter leading 26 to 18 but the Bulls made a comeback in the following two quarters. But by the final quarter the Clippers were determined smashing the final quarter 27-17 resulting in a win.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently playing the Houston Rockets. The current score is…..

The Golden State Warriors play the Boston Celtics.

Oklahoma City Thunder are looking for a win against Los Angeles Lakers.

And the Portland Trail Blazers play the Sacramento Kings.

 

 

Jose Mourinho claims first trophy since return to Chelsea

 

Jose Mourinho claimed his first trophy since returning for his second spell as Chelsea manager with a Capital One cup victory over Tottenham at Wembley stadium.

Chelsea dominated the game with John Terry and Diego Costa as the real forces. Terry scored in the 45th minute with the aid of a deflection. And Tottenham player Walker scored an unfortunate own goal after deflecting a shot from Costa.

The win gave Mourinho his first trophy since his La Liga success with Real Madrid in 2012 and with Chelsea their first since the Europa League final victory against Benfica in Amsterdam a year later.

After the game Mourinho said this was the most important final of his time in the game.

 

 

English premier league results

 

In the English premier league last night there were two matches.

Liverpool beat Manchester United 2 – 1 for a much needed win. This brings them up to fifth place on the league table.

And Arsenal bounced back from their Champions League defeat, beating Everton 2 – 0.

 

 

Tseng Yani finishes second in LPGA stop in Thailand

 

In Golf,

South Korean Amy Yang has taken this year's LPGA event in Thailand.

Yang finished at minus-15, two strokes ahead of three others, including Taiwan's Tseng Yani.

The former world number-1, along with South Korean Mirim Lee and American Stacy Lewis, all finished two-strokes back at minus-13.

Guangzhou native Feng Shanshan finished alone in 10th place in the tournament, finishing at minus-10.

--

At the PGA's Honda Classic in Palm Springs, Florida.

Final round action is still underway.

England's Ian Poulter has taken the lead into the last day of the event, starting with a 3-stroke lead at minus-9.

That tournament should wrap up later on this morning.

 

 

Spain's David Ferrer wins fourth Mexico Open title

 

Spain's David Ferrer won his fourth Mexico Open title with a straight sets win over Kei Nishikori in Acapulco.

Ferrer triumphed 6-3 7-5 avenging his loss in the Australian Open and extending his 2015 record 18-1.

After Ferrer wrapped up the first set with two breaks to Nishikori's one, the second saw more fluctuating fortunes.

After Ferrer was pegged back after leading 3 – 0 early on, he made a crucial break for 5-4 only to hand back his advantage. But the world number nine broke again for 6-5 and served out the match winning in just two hours.

David Ferrer talks about the match.

"I think tonight I play my best match this week. I play very aggressive without mistakes very tough with my mind and very happy for me to win here for the fourth time, it is a dream."

This is the Spaniard's 24th title on the ATP World Tour.

 

 

Rafael Nadal reaches first final since French Open last year

 

And in more Tennis news, Rafael Nadal has reached his first final since winning the French Open last June by beating Carlos Berloq at the Argentina Open.

The world number four won 7 -6 9-7 in the tie breaker and 6-2 to book his place in the final against Juan Monaco from Argentina.

Nadal was 6 -1 down in the first set tie-break before winning eight of the next nine points to claim the opener.

He went on to win the game and will be aiming for his 65th career title when he plays the Argentinian today.

 

 

England thrashed by Sri Lanka

 

Moving over to the Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, England were thrashed by Sri Lanka in Wellington.

The English side slipped to a third defeat in four World Cup Games as Sri Lanka chased 310 to win by nine wickets.

Lahiru Thirimanne hit an unbeaten 139 and Kumar Sangakkara 117 not out to win with 16 balls to spare.

Earlier on, Joe Root made 121 as England tried to make a comeback with 309-6. In fact, England put on their best batting display of the tournament.

However it was not enough to beat the Sri Lankan team and England will be eliminated if they lose either of their two final games against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Big Hero 6' Enjoys a Big Opening Weekend in China

 

"Big Hero 6" has had a solid opening weekend here in China.

Walt Disney's 3D-animated superhero comedy has grossed $14.8-million US dollars in its opening weekend, making it the biggest opening weekend of all time for a Disney Animation release in the Chinese market.

"Big Hero 6" has now grossed 351-million US dollars outside North America and 572-million worldwide.

The movie, which won this year's Oscar for 'Best Animated Feature,' was second highest-grossing animated film of 2014, behind "How to Train Your Dragon 2."

 

 

Will Smith's 'Focus' tops box office with $19.1 million

 

Will Smith's new film "Focus" has unseated "Fifty Shades of Grey" as number-1 at the weekend box office in the US, earning 19.1 million dollars.

(Focus clip)

"Focus," written and directed by the "Crazy, Stupid, Love" duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, is Smith's first film since 2013's "After Earth."

That's the sci-fi flop he co-starred in with his son, Jaden.

After two weeks atop the box office, "Fifty Shades of Grey" continues its steep slide, landing in fourth, earning an estimated 10.9 million dollars for Universal Pictures.

"Fifty Shades," which has made 486.2 million dollars globally, fell just behind Paramount's "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water," which earned 11.2 million dollars in its fourth week.

The weekend's only other new wide release, Relativity's horror film "The Lazarus Effect," opened in fifth place with $10.6 million in earnings.

 

 

Film "Beijing New York" Premiered in Beijing

 

The premiere of a Rain Li directed film titled "Beijing-New York" has debuted in Beijing.

(Beijing New York)

Taiwan Actress Lin Chi-ling plays the title character in the film, which involves a love triangle with characters played by Liu Ye and Canadian actor Richard De Klerk.

The film tells a story about love and dreams in both Beijing and New York, two cities with different culture backgrounds.

The film is set to go nationwide on March 6th.

 

 

Smith tops albums streaming chart

 

British singer Sam Smith has topped off another award-winning week by becoming the first act to top the albums chart with sales that include streams.

(stay with me)

Smith has beaten rivals including Ed Sheeran and Royal Blood in the race to top the Official Albums Chart.

Smith's debut album "In The Lonely Hour" finished last week with sales of 41-thousand, just ahead of Ed Sheeran's "X," which sold 38-thousand.

This is the first week in which the chart sales reflect audio streaming of albums from official services such as Spotify and others.

The singles top five is unchanged from last week, with Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do" staying at Number 1, followed by Hozier's "Take Me to Church" and Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk."