新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/03/20

 
The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
Shane Bigham with you on this Thursday, March 20th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening.
Chinese government is hopeful for quick news from Australia, regarding debris in the Indian Ocean that may be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.
Russia is to finalize procedures this week to absorb Crimea into the Russian federation.
And the US first lady is in Beijing for a visit.
In business, slow growth in electricity use is being taken as another sign of a slowing Chinese economy.
In sports, Man U earns its spot in the Champions League quarterfinals.
In entertainment, Black Coal, Thin Ice premiers in Beijing.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of 4 degree Celsius. Sunny tomorrow with a high of 20 degrees.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 5, sunny tomorrow, with a high of 14.
Chongqing will be rainy, 10 degrees the low, overcast tomorrow with a high of 15.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, overcast with a high of 25.
Kabul, overcast, 13.
Over in Australia
Sydney, overcast, highs of 26.
Canberra, overcast, 27.
Brisbane, overcast, 27.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 31.
 
 
Top News 
 
 
Live call-in with Wang Xiao
 
After days of fruitless searching for the missing Malaysian jet, Australia has some new information.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said earlier today that they spotted objects suspected of belonging to the MH 370.
Searching vessels are now patrolling the Indian Ocean where the objects are caught by satellite.
For more information on that, we are joined live by our Australian correspondent Wang Xiao
…
That is our Australian correspondent Wang Xiao reporting from Sydney.
 
 
China hopes Australia can confirm whether suspicious objects related to missing plane
 
Chinese authorities have issued hopes that Australia can confirm whether two objects spotted by satellites are related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei:
"We have received this information and attach great importance to it. We hope that Australia can send planes and ships to search and investigate as soon as possible. China has already been in touch with Australia through the Australian embassy, and is willing to provide assistance to Australia's search effort."
Meanwhile, Chinese rescue vessels will continue searching in the waters south-east of the Bay of Bengal and west of Indonesia.
A high-level working team sent by the Malaysian government is expected to arrive in Beijing later today to deal with the families of those aboard the missing aircraft.
 
 
Malaysia Airlines missing plane press conference
 
For more on the information from the Malaysian side, we earlier spoke with Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur.
…
Back Anchor:
That was Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur.
 
 
Russia to finalize Crimea accession procedure this week
 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the legal process required to make Crimea part of Russia will be completed this week.
Lavrov made the comment two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty to bring Crimea into Russia.
"Practical steps are being taken now to implement the agreement signed by the leaders of the Russian Federation, Crimea and the city of Sevastopol about the entry of two new subjects of federation into Russia. The legal process will be completed this week."
Russia's lower house of parliament plans to ratify the treaty later today.
The upper house plans to do the same on Friday.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high in Crimea after pro-Russia forces seized two bases, including Ukraine's navy headquarters in Sevastopol.
Ukraine's navy commander who was detained earlier has now been released.
Ukraine has said it will never recognize Crimea's declaration of independence.
The United States and Europe have already imposed sanctions on a number of Russian officials and lawmakers, while partially suspending military and trade ties.
Earlier, US President Barack Obama said despite the tensions, the US will not take military action against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
"We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine. What we are going to do is mobilize all of our diplomatic resources to make sure that we've got a strong international coalition that sends a clear message, which is that Ukraine should decide its own destiny. Russia right now is violating international law and the sovereignty of another country."
Obama says the US government will add additional measures to the sanctions already announced.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has already arrived in Russia for discussions on a diplomatic solution to the situation.
He is expected to head to Ukraine's capital Kiev when he leaves Russia.
 
 
US first lady visiting China to strengthen educational exchanges
 
Anchor:
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her family are here in Beijing, visiting China as the guest of Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Some observers anticipate the visit will help smooth bilateral relations.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter:
That was Michelle Obama learning Chinese from some primary school students in the US before her visit to China. Talking to the students who had been to China, the first lady says she was fully prepared for the visit.
"It's important to be open-minded about what the world is like. Because as you said, you went to China with a whole bunch of misconceptions about what that country would be alike, what the cities are gonna be alike, but you found that you were totally wrong. So I'm not make a few mistakes when I go over there, and trust me, the whole world is watching."
The White House announced on Monday that the trip will be focusing on the power and importance of education. Michelle will also visit some important historical and cultural sites in China, as well as making two separate speeches at Peking University and a Middle school in Chengdu.
A senior official with the White House says agenda-setting of the visit is emphasizing the importance of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
"That's critically important given that our role in what gonna play in the 21st century is that again we maintain the very regular context that we had at the leader to leader level, but that we are also reaching out in building relationship with people, particularly young people."
Tao Wenzhao, Deputy Director of the Institute of American Studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says it is the first time a foreign country's first lady is paying an official visit to China alone. He says, though a first lady does not have any formal position in the government, but everybody understands the role she can play.
"And now people are just watching what Michelle Obama will say before she leaves and what kind of exchanges or interactions will take place between Michelle Obama and Madam Peng Liyuan."
During the past few months, relations between the two countries have seen friction when it comes to territorial disputes between China and some of America's allies in the Asian Pacific region, including Japan and the Philippines.
Professor Shi Yinghong with Ren University of China, believes, though Michelle's visit will not touch upon hot-button political issues, it can help improve and strengthen Sino-US relations.
Tao echoes this point, but he also suggests that people should bare in mind the common interests of the two sides.
"Yes, differences do exist in this or that aspect, over human rights, and over the South China Sea, East China Sea etc. But those disputes do not mean that our relationship is bad. Actually, this is a quite normal collation of Sino-US relations. In general, our common interests are much larger than our differences."
Instead of having political intentions, Tao adds Michelle Obama's visit is more likely making up for the two first ladies failing to meet in June in California due to a scheduling conflict.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
 
 
China to continue its effort on the Iranian issue
 
The Foreign Ministry of China has released a new statement hailing the "substantive" steps being achieved during the latest round of Iranian nuclear talks in Vienna.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says certain consensuses have been reached during talks between Iran and the P5 countries plus Germany, though disputes remain.
Hong Lei's remark echoed previous comments from both Iran and the US.
A senior US official taking part in the talks says the two sides now understand one-another's positions better than before.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
"Based on the framework for the negotiations established at our meeting last month, we had substantive and useful discussions covering at set of issues including: enrichment, the Arak reactor, civil nuclear co-operation, and sanctions. We will meet again from the 7th to the 9th of April, in Vienna, and we will continue our work on the substantial areas which we intend to cover in a comprehensive agreement. In the meantime technical experts will meet to further elaborate on the details of the relevant issues."
Hong Lei says negotiators still have disagreements on enrichment of nuclear materials and the Arak heavy-water reactor.
He calls on all parts to continue the diplomatic effort to reach a final deal.
"China has been actively promoting the talks with an objective and responsible attitude, and playing a constructive role during the negotiations. The Chinese side has proposed its thoughts on how to expand the consensus and reduce disagreements. All parts in the talks have shown positive reactions. China will keep contacts with all sides to contribute our effort toward a final deal."
The current 6-month interim agreement, which has seen Iran temporarily shut down its enrichment programs in exchange for limited sanctions relief, is set to expire in July.
 
 
Japan, DPRK to resume high-level talks "as soon as possible
 
Diplomats from Japan and North Korea have agreed to resume high-level talks as soon as possible after a hiatus of more than a year.
The two sides reached the agreement on the sidelines of a meeting of the two countries' Red Cross societies in the Chinese city of Shenyang.
The talks are expected to focus on Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs and the issue of Japanese citizens abducted decades ago.
The two countries haven't had formal government talks since November 2012.
 
 
Verdict announced to four involved in Mumbai rape cases
 
A Mumbai court has convicted four men of the gang rape of a photojournalist last August.
Sentencing is set for Friday.
The 22-year-old woman was attacked by five men while on assignment in a deserted mill.
 
 
Biz Reports 
 
 
Stocks
 
Asian markets fell  after the Federal Reserve hinted that it could raise interest rates as soon as 2015, on the possibility of a further US economic recovery.
Chinese shares closed lower.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index shed 1.4 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index lost 2.1 percent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng slid 1.8 percent.
As for mainland-based financial stocks, China Construction Bank, the country's second largest bank, lost 1.8 percent.
ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, retreated 1.6 percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei was down 1.7 percent.
South Korea's Kospi shed 1 percent.
Singapore's Strait Times Index dropped 0.8 percent.
Finally, Australia's ASX200 lost 1.2 percent.
 
 
China's softening growth slows power use
 
The rising rate of power consumption in China slowed through the first two months of 2014.
Electricity consumption is an indicator of economic activity and as such, the weaker growth number is seen as a further sign of the slowing of the world's second-largest economy.
Usage increased 4.5 percent through January and February, but the National Energy Administration says that's a full percentage point less than the increase recorded at this time last year.
China's GDP growth registered at 7.7 percent last year, well above expert predictions, but many institutions have cut growth forecasts for the first quarter of this year based on a softening of the country's economic data.
 
 
China, Airbus to strike $20bn deal: report
 
China is reportedly negotiating a 20 billion US dollar deal with Airbus for 150 passenger jets.
Citing sources close to the arrangement, Reuters says the deal will be closed when President Xi Jinping visits Europe later this month.
The report says the deal will include 150 A330 Airbus planes.
Airbus has declined to comment on the matter.
 
 
Call-in on China's property market
 
Chinese shares have been dragged down by weakness in the property sector amid new concerns about potential defaults.
This comes on word this week that Zhejiang Xingrun Real Estate, a small developer, is reportedly unable to pay off its 3.5 billion yuan worth of debt, including 2.4 billion yuan in loans from 19 different commercial banks.
The People's Bank of China this week has denied reports its holding bailout talks with the company.
At the same time, official data shows home prices in major Chinese cities grew at a slower pace in February, with fewer cities seeing month-on-month price increases.
For more on China's property market, CRI's Paul James spoke earlier with Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
…
That was Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
 
 
66 pct of Chinese planning Internet finance investment
 
A new survey says about 66 percent of Chinese are planning to divert some proportion of their bank deposits to Internet finance products.
The survey conducted by the China Youth Daily newspaper, with more than 10-thousand respondents, has also indicated that about 84.7 percent of Chinese people have invested in some kind of Internet wealth management product.
Eighty-two percent of the people surveyed said they are content with their investment income and most of them listed higher return rates and greater convenience as major reasons to choose Internet finance.
However, the survey also notes potential dangers lurking amid the popularity of these products.
Some 55.4 percent of respondents have admitted they do not know much about the way Internet finance funds operate and 37.5 percent said they have no idea about the risks of their investments.
According to the poll, improvements in keeping funds secure is the most pressing demand of 43.7 percent of investors, while 12 percent have expressed hope that Internet finance may prompt reforms in traditional banking.
Sixty-three percent of investors in Internet finance say they put their money into Yu'ebao, an online fund established by Alipay, China's largest third-party payment platform.
By the end of last month, Yu'ebao had amassed over 500 billion yuan, or around 81.4 billion U.S. dollars with more than 81 million users signing up, outnumbering investor in China's A share market.
 
 
IMF says Greek's fiscal performance on track to meet target
 
The International Monetary Fund says the Greek economy is beginning to stabilize and its fiscal performance is on track to meet targets.
The comments follow a just-concluded review involving Greece's EU partners, a precondition for Greece to get new rescue loans.
Staff teams from the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank have agreed that the economy is poised for a gradual resumption of growth, prices are adjusting, and inflation remains well below the euro area average.
The team of IMF and EU auditors began this round of inspections on the progress of Greece's three-year austerity and reform program last September to decide whether Greece is eligible to get the next 1 billion euro of rescue loans.
According to an IMF statement, Greece is committed to implementing the majority of market reforms, taking concrete measures to liberalize the transport and rental markets and open up closed professions.
Progress is also being made in reforms of the public administration, which should reduce the burden of red tape and improve the quality of public services to the Greek people.
The auditors have warned the Bank of Greece to remain vigilant in its oversight of the banking system and proceed forcefully in requiring banks to quickly sort out their problem assets.
 
 
Toyota CEO says recalls are good for the industry in the long term
 
Toyota has been trying to reassure its customers about its cars after agreeing to pay 1.2 billion US dollars to settle criminal charges.
The company was accused of defrauding consumers in the United States
Toyota Motor Corporation President and CEO Akio Toyoda.
"I want people to immediately stop the thinking that recalls equal something bad. For us and others in the industry these recalls mean that once a problem is found, we need to make sure that it's immediately fixed and that customers are kept safe, and it also means we get to increase our product quality."
The settlement concludes a 4-year criminal investigation into Toyota's disclosure of safety problems.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China hopes Australia can confirm whether suspicious objects related to missing plane
 
Chinese authorities hopes Australia can confirm whether two objects spotted by satellites are related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.
The so-far unidentified objects were spotted floating in the Indian Ocean.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has already released satellite images of two large objects.
Planes searching in the areas have not found the objects yet.
Meanwhile, Chinese rescue vessels will continue searching in the waters south-east of the Bay of Bengal and west of Indonesia.
A high-level working team sent by the Malaysian government is expected to arrive in Beijing later today to deal with the families of those aboard the missing aircraft.
 
 
Russia to finalize Crimea accession procedure this week
 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the legal process required to make Crimea part of Russia will be completed this week.
Lavrov made the comment two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty to bring Crimea into Russia.
Ukraine has said it will never recognize Crimea's declaration of independence.
The United States and Europe have already imposed sanctions on a number of Russian officials and lawmakers, while partially suspending military and trade ties.
Earlier, US President Barack Obama said despite the tensions, the US will not take military action against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
Obama says the US government will add additional measures to the sanctions already announced.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has already arrived in Russia for discussions on a diplomatic solution to the situation.
He is expected to head to Ukraine's capital Kiev when he leaves Russia.
 
 
Bin Laden's son-in-law testifies in court
 
Osama bin Laden's son-in-law has decided to take the witness stand and recount the night of the September 11 attacks.
The surprising testimony comes at Sulaiman Abu Ghaith's trial on charges he conspired to kill Americans and aid al-Qaida as a spokesman for the group.
Abu Ghaith told the court that al-Qaida leader bin Laden told him on the night of the September 11 attacks that they are the ones who did it.
He testified that videos he made warning there would be more attacks on Americans are religious in nature and meant to encourage Muslims to fight oppression.
He also denied allegations that he had prior knowledge of the failed shoe-bomb airline attack in 2001.
Abu Ghaith is married to bin Laden's eldest daughter, Fatima.
 
 
Nearly half of Syrian chemicals removed: chemical mission
 
Nearly half of Syria's declared chemical weapons have been shipped out of the country.
The international team overseeing the disarmament process says two more shipments have been loaded onto vessels in the Mediterranean over the past week.
That means nearly 46 percent of the chemicals have been removed from Syria's Latakia port, earmarked for destruction outside the country.
Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons program last year in a deal with Russia and the United States.
But the removal plan is several months behind schedule and risks missing a June 30 deadline for the chemicals to be destroyed.
 
 
Newspaper Picks 
 
 
China Daily
"China sets up organ procurement organization alliance"
China has set up an organ procurement organization (OPO) alliance to help smooth the process of organ donations, distribution and transplants.
The alliance, which operates under the Chinese Hospital Association, is responsible for devising and introducing entry standards and specified technology criteria, conducting qualification authentication and information technology support, and providing humanitarian assistance for the surviving family members of organ donors.
Huang Jiefu, director of the China Organ Donation Committee said apart from OPOs, the alliance is open to stakeholders including academic institutions related to organ transplantation, medical journals, patients' rights organizations and health insurance companies.
Official statistics show China has 169 recognized organ transplant centers, and each now contains an organ procurement organization mainly to detect potential donors by approaching their families, obtaining the donated organs and helping console donor families.
Xinhua
"China's first 'fresh air index' released"
China's Fujian province on Wednesday released the first ever "fresh air index" to promote eco-tourism, in sharp contrast to air quality indexes which often cause pollution scares.
Compared to existing air quality indexes released by environmental departments which focus on urban air quality, fresh air indexes focus on changes at a single tourist attraction.
Zhu Hua, director of the provincial tourism bureau, said that the indexes apply to 50 local eco-tourism attractions.
Based on the province's data, air quality figures in some of the scenic spots in Fujian far exceeded the World Health Organization standard for fresh air.
Tourists can track updates on the provincial tourism bureau's website, or through microblogs and WeChat.
Medical News Today
"Kids of authoritarian parents 'more likely to be obese'"
A new study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014 meeting, suggests that kids whose parents with authoritarian parenting styles are more likely to become obese.
The research team followed a nationally representative group of Canadian children up to the age of 11 years old. In total, there were 37,600 children who were part of the study.
The team identified four styles of parenting, based on previous parenting theories: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and negligent. The authoritarian pattern includes parents who are strict but who do not provide much dialogue or show affection.
Results showed that kids whose parents were authoritarian had a 30% higher likelihood of being obese in children between 2 and 5 years of age, while kids between 6 and 11 years old had a 37% higher chance, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Every parent has their own sense of what is best for raising their child, but a consciousness of their parenting style and choosing the most appropriate options is recommended by the researchers.
The telegraph
"Dogs' sense of smell signals love for owners, say scientists"
US scientists claim the familiar scent of its owner lingers like perfume in a dog's brain.
They have pinpointed an area of the canine brain that responds stronger to the scent of familiar humans than it does to the odor of other humans or even familiar dogs.
The experiment - the first of its type - involved 12 dogs of various breeds who underwent brain scans while five different scents were placed before them.
The scent samples came from the subject itself, a dog the subject had never met, a dog that lived in the subject's household, a human the dog had never met, and a human that lived in the subject's household.
The results showed that all five scents illicit a similar chemical response in parts of the dogs' brains involved in detecting smells. However, responses were significantly stronger for the scents belonging to familiar humans, followed by that of familiar dogs.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Pre-installed Malware on New Handsets Big Problem in China
 
Anchor:
Preinstalled malware on handsets has been siphoning billions of dollars from Chinese consumers' pockets, becoming a new prime source of consumer complaint.
Our reporter Zhou Heyang has more on the story.
Reporter:
Liu Chunxia has just purchased a smart phone.
This new handset comes with convenience, but also trouble.
"The 70 megabytes that come with the package usually lasts until the end of the month, but with my new smart phone, all the data gets used up within five days! Sohu Videos and Today's Headlines are two apps that use data even when they are not turned on!"
It turns out that Liu Chunxia has fallen prey to pre-installed malware, which runs data without notifying the user.
A mobile phone retailer, who wishes to be known as Zhang, says it has become a prevalent phenomenon in the Chinese market.
"My customers complained to me that their phone bill suddenly increased a lot, with seventy to eighty Yuan being deducted from their accounts. It's not like they voluntarily asked for more services."
The latest research has found that almost 90 percent of the mobile phones sold on the Chinese market come with more than 15 preinstalled software systems that are rarely used by consumers.
Some cannot even be deleted unless the device is rooted.
He Nengqiang, internet security engineer at the National Computer Emergency Response Team, talks about the damages caused by the malware.
"HCT Counter is one of those pre-installed malware programs that steals your personal information. Dingkai Beijing Informational Technology Company developed this Trojan software. These malware programs have caused information leaks and financial losses for consumers."
According to a report released by the Chinese mobile security firm 360, the preinstalled software can cost 500 million Chinese smart phone users more than 95 billion yuan, or some 15 billion US dollars, annually.
Smart phone owners have brought their complaints to authorities for a review.
Huang Jianhua is deputy director of the State Quality Supervision Bureau.
"Government regulation stipulates that smart device manufacturers must obtain a 'network access' license for the smart devices they manufacture. Further, manufacturers will be required to include in their license application materials, details of the version of the operating system and basic information on the configuration of any pre-installed apps. Any type of pre-installed app that is effectively an intrusion in personal privacy is definitely illegal. "
Companies involved such as Baidu have started revising their practice by changing contracts with mobile phone software tech firms after being exposed on a state television program.
For CRI, I'm Zhou Heyang.
 
 
Sports 
 
 
Man U defeat Olympiakos to make Champions League quarter final
 
First up in football… they've done it!
Manchester United defeated Olympiakos 3-0 last night, the margin they required to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the first round.
A Robin van Persie hat-trick kept the red-devil's last hope of lifting a trophy this season alive, even if they are very much the outsiders.
The Dutch international began the Old Trafford comeback with a 25th-minute penalty, awarded after he had been shoved in the back by Jose Holebas.
He then leveled the tie on aggregate in first-half stoppage time, steering in Wayne Rooney's cross and Van Persie completed his hat-trick with a free kick six minutes after the break.
Unfortunately after all his exertions Van Persie had to be stretchered off towards the end of the match with what looked like a knee injury.
The victory gives the United Manager David Moyes some much needed breathing room following a 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the Premiere League at the weekend and he says it's entirely possible they could go all the way:
"We will go into it as underdogs in a lot of the games so from that point of view hopefully we can do it, I don't see any reason why not, I genuinely believe this football club is capable of it and I believe if we play to our capabilities which we have not shown that often then I think we can be a match for any team."
Manchester United will find out who they'll face in the next round of the Champion's League match ups are drawn tomorrow.
 
 
Borussia Dortmund through in Champions League despite loss to Zenit
 
Unable to overturn THEIR deficit from the first leg were Zenit St Petersburg.
Despite defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 last night it wasn't quite enough and it's now the German side who go through 5-4 on aggregate.
Zenit St Petersburg caretaker coach Sergei Semak was gracious in defeat:
"I want to congratulate Juergen Klopp for making it to the next round. The team also played super football. I saw today that my complete team stood together and showed their best and we must learn for the future. It was a good game and I think that we will have fewer problems in the future. I think we'll be in the Champions League more often in the future."
Zenit sacked coach Luciano Spalletti after a run of one win in 12 competitive matches and will be managed by Villas-Boas from Thursday.
 
 
Sport Beijing Ducks defeat Xinjiang away in CBA playoff
 
In Basketball and CBA playoff action here in China,
The Beijing Ducks beat Xinjiang 95-75 in Game 1 of their final series.
It was a huge victory for the Ducks who are playing the first two games of the best of seven series in Xinjiang, a difficult place to play for visitors, as the fans are well known for their energy and colorful language.
Last night Xinjiang got off to a good start, jumping to a 7-1 lead early on. But Beijing soon dug deep and overtook their opponents by the end of the first quarter 29-28.
Five Beijing players scored in the double digits. Randolph Morris was the top scorer with 23 points and 13 boards. Stephon Marbury was right behind his American teammate with 21 points.
Former NBA player Sun Yue and Zhang Songtao also contributed 15 points a piece.
In contrast, only Xinjiang's two American players Lestor Hudson and James Singleton posted double digit points, with 21 and 18 respectively.
Xinjiang will have a chance to level the series tomorrow night when the two teams meet for game 2, but if they don't then they'll face the tough task of playing the Ducks on their home soil here in Beijing.
 
 
Sport New York Knicks beat Indiana Pacers in NBA
 
The New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 92 to 86 for a season-high seventh straight victory.
This was a great beginning for the Knicks' new President Phil Jackson who was introduced to the crowd at Madison Square Garden last night.
Jackson played at MSG and won two championships with the Knicks before becoming an 11-time champion as a head coach in Chicago and L.A.
games behind Atlanta for the final East playoff spot.
 
 
Sport England lose to India in final Twenty20 warm up match
 
In Cricket,
England has lost to India by 20 runs in their final warm-up match before they start their world Twent20 bid in Bangladesh.
Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina both batted fifties to help India recover from 39-3 ro 178-4.
England started strongly but eventually finished on 158-6.
They will face New Zealand in their first group match in Chittagong on Saturday.
 
 
Sport Andy Murray splits with coach on eve of Sony Open
 
In Tennis British Number One Andy Murray has split with his coach Ivan Lendl on the eve of the Sony Open in Miami.
An eight time grand slam champion, Lendl became Murray's coach in December 2011 with the aim of bringing "experience and knowledge that few others have, especially in major tournaments.
And it certainly worked, under Lendl's guidance Murray won his maiden Grand Slam at the 2012 US Open, Olympic Gold and last Year's Wimbledon.
Murray is expected to discuss the split before the start of play at a press conference tomorrow.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
"Black Coal, Thin Ice" premieres in Beijing
 
Chinese film "Black Coal, Thin Ice" by director Diao Yinan starring Liao Fan, Gwei Lun-Mei and Wang Xuebing has premiered in Beijing on Wednesday. The film won the prestigious Golden Bear, the top prize at this year's Berlin International Film Festival.
"Black Coal, Thin Ice" is a film-noir style story that follows an ex-cop who investigates a series of murders which once ended his career and shamed him, when identical murders begin again.
Wang Xuebing told CRI that when Diao asked him to star in "Black Coal, Thin Ice," he agreed with no hesitation.
"I immediately said yes without even reading the script. I know his work would be excellent. After I read the script we discussed the film. I really like the script. It doesn't matter which role I play in the film, working with him is what really matters."
The film will be released in theaters across China tomorrow, March 21st.
 
 
Zhang Yimou's "Coming Home" releases trailer
 
A new trailer for Zhang Yimou's forthcoming film "Coming Home" was released on Wednesday.
In the trailer, we see Chen Daoming's character confronted by many difficulties in being accepted by his family after years of separation.
Zhang Jingwen, the youngest female actress to work with Zhang Yimou, appears in one of the six posters released yesterday.
"Coming Home" is Zhang's first production since he began working with LeTV Media and Technology, which owns an online video portal.
 
 
Sofia Coppola to direct live-action "Little Mermaid"
 
Director Sofia Coppola will make a live-action adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid." The well-known story is most commonly associated with Disney's 1989 animated musical adaptation. Coppola's version, however, will be darker and more-grown up, very possibly closer to the tone in Andersen's original tale in which the mermaid's bargain to live on land risks her dying brokenhearted and dissolving into sea foam if her prince marries another.
"Edward Scissorhands" writer Caroline Thompson is rewriting the script for the new fantasy film; previous drafts were penned by Kelly Marcel from "Fifty Shades of Grey" and Abi Morgan from "Shame."
This new take on "The Little Mermaid" will join the list of new live-action films approaching fairy tales popularized by Disney animated movies from more mature angles. Disney's "Maleficent," an inversion of "Sleeping Beauty," will open in US theaters on May 30th while version of "The Jungle Book" and "Peter Pan" are in the works.
 
 
Disney plans "The Incredibles 2" and "Cars 3"
 
Pixar fans were thrilled to hear Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger confirm that "The Incredibles 2" and "Cars 3" are in the works. "The Incredibles" has no sequel to date, the first film having come out back in 2004.The original "Cars" film was released in 2006, with "Cars 2" following in 2011.
The studio is also working on a "Finding Nemo" sequel to be called "Finding Dory," as well as "The Good Dinosaur" and "Inside Out." However, no release dates for any of the works in progress have been set in 2014, meaning that this year will be the first Pixar has not released a feature film since 2005.
The gap year in new films does not mean that there is any idle time at Disney's many studios. Pixar plans to release a 3D version of 2007's "Ratatouille" while Disney and Lucasfilm have confirmed filming for "Star Wars: Episode VII" will start shooting at Pinewood Studios near London in May.
 
 
M.I.A. retaliates to NFL lawsuit
 
In 2012, The US National Football League demanded $1.5 million from Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A. for allegedly breaching her halftime show contract for Super Bowl 46, by extending her middle finger toward the audience. Recently, however, it's been revealed that the NFL has upped the stakes by demanding an additional $15.1 million in "restitution" for the public exposure M.I.A. received during her performance.
M.I.A., whose real name is Maya Arulpragasam, is fighting back. Her lawyers have issued a complaint that contends the NFL'S claim for restitution is not based on either logic or fact, but is actually "intended solely to bully and make an example of Respondents for daring to challenge the NFL.
M.I.A.'s attorney Howard E. King says the League is aggressively and unduly pursuing his client for unknown reasons.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese government is hopeful for quick news from Australia, regarding debris in the Indian Ocean that may be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.
Russia is to finalize procedures this week to absorb Crimea into the Russian federation
And the US first lady is in Beijing for a visit.
In business, slow growth in electricity use is being taken as another sign of a slowing Chinese economy.