新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/03/31

The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
It's Mark Griffiths with you this Monday March 31st 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is now in Belgium, the last leg of his current four-nation European tour.
It's the first visit to Belgium by a Chinese head-of-state for 27 years.
North and South Korea have exchanged fires along their disputed western sea border which coincides with joint US-South Korea military exercises.
Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein pledges that it will never give up until it finds out what happened to the missing Flight MH370.
In business news, New data shows that China's outstanding foreign debt amounted to over 860 billion U.S. dollars by the end of last year, up 17 percent from the same period of the previous year.
In sport, India's cricket team books a spot in the T20 semis after a big win over Australia.
And in entertainment, Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrate success in the Empire Magazine Movie
Awards in London.
 
 
Weather 
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 10 degree Celsius. Cloudy tomorrow with a high of 21 degrees.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will be overcast tonight, with a low of 12, overcast tomorrow, with a high of 18.
Chongqing will be rainy, 14 degrees the low, also rainy tomorrow with a high of 17.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, cloudy with a high of 28.
Kabul, rainy, 18.
Over in Australia
Sydney, cloudy, highs of 26.
Canberra, cloudy, 25.
Brisbane, cloudy, 26.
And finally, Perth will be cloudy with a high of 23.
 
 
Top News 
 
 
Chinese, Belgian heads of state launch panda house in local zoo
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is now in Belgium, the last leg of his current four-nation European tour.
Xi Jinping's visit to Belgium is the first by a Chinese head-of-state in 27 years.
The Chinese president's Belgium visit has included a stop at a zoo in the country, where Xi Jinping and King Philippe were present at the opening of a new panda house.
The move is seen as a display of friendship between the two countries.
The pandas were sent to Belgium from Sichuan province last month, as part of a joint research project involving scientists from both countries.
Hao Hao, the female, and Xing Hui, the male, are both four years old. They will stay in the country for the next 15 years.
Pandas are considered envoys of friendship, and President Xi Jinping says their arrival in Belgium has demonstrated the Chinese people's deep feelings for the Belgian people.
 
 
Panda: Animal Ambassadors Strengthening Sino-European Relations
 
Anchor:
For more on China's panda diplomacy, Liu Yan explains.
Reporter:
You can tell they are big shots, because wherever they go, they receive the kind of welcome usually reserved for celebrities.
This is the giant panda, a unique animal that can only be found in China.
However, due to their rarity, only a dozen overseas zoos own these widely popular animals.
Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium is the latest one to receive these wonderful creatures.
According to Michel Malherbe, Belgian Ambassador to China, the largest Chinese garden built inside the zoo and the friendship of the two nations helped the zoo win the application to loan pandas.
"When they asked whether they could receive giant panda from China, the Chinese side reacted very positively, and also in a very quick manner. So on the one hand, there was perfect infrastructure; and then on another hand, there was the quality of the bilateral relationship between Belgium and China."
In 2012, Belgium's Prime Minister Di Rupo presented the request to Chinese premier Li Keqiang.
One year later, a 15-year loan agreement was signed.
In February of 2014, when Xing Hui and Hao Hao, a pair of 4-year-old pandas flew all the way to Belgium, they received a royal welcome from the Prime Minister and the public.
Since Belgium is China's sixth-largest trading partner among 28 European Union member countries, while China remains Belgium's second-largest trading partner outside the EU; Ambassador Malherbe says the pandas serve as the symbol of this flourishing relation.
"China-Belgium relation and the relation between China and Europe as a whole depend on people. We are talking about business, investment, universities, people-to-people contact. That is the reality. But everybody enjoys, when the symbols can represent the human relation."
For CRI, this is Liu Yan.
 
 
SKorea and US hold annual joint military exercise
 
The US and South Korea have continued to hold joint military exercises in Pohang as North and South Korea exchanged fires along their disputed western sea border.
The Ssang Yong exercise is part of annual exercises between the US and South Korea, which are reported to be the biggest by the US and South Korea since 1993.
Paul Kennedy, the Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, says the exercise is not aimed at any third party.
"This exercise was not designed to react to any political situation. It is not designed to send a message. This is something that we have to do, to be able to inter-operate with our allies."
Meanwhile, South Korea's Defense Ministry says that its military fired back on the north after North Korea's artillery shells fell south of their western sea border.
Reacting to the latest development on the Korean Peninsular, Chinese Foreign Ministry is urging "all relevant parties to maintain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from acts going against peace and stability".
Tensions have escalated on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang fired a volley of short- and medium-range missiles in recent weeks.
The North's recent missile launches came in protest against the joint annual war games between South Korea and the United States.
The UN Security Council has condemned the North's recent ballistic missile launches.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry says it will "not rule out a new form of nuclear test" to bolster up its nuclear deterrence in response to the UN's condemnation.
 
 
Search for the missing Malaysia flight continues
 
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight continues.
Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein pledges that it will never give up until it finds out what happened to the missing Flight MH370.
As for the ongoing search, he says 10 aircraft and 11 ships are involved in Monday's mission, which covers an area of 254,000 square km in the southern Indian Ocean some 2,060 km west of Perth.
Meanwhile, Australian authorities say several objects were spotted by its search aircraft. Some have already been ruled out but there remain at least four objects of interest.
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott called the weeks-long search "an extraordinarily difficult exercise" but said it will go on as long as possible.
"I'm certainly not putting a time limit on it. I think, as I said, we owe it to the families, we owe it to everyone who travels by air, we owe it to the governments of the countries who had citizens on that aircraft, we owe it to the wider world which has been transfixed by this mystery for three weeks now."
MH370 went missing in March less than an hour after take-off en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board.
No conclusive evidence of what happened to it has yet been found.
 
 
Kerry says diplomatic solution needed, Russian troop build up causing fear
 
Moscow and Washington have agreed to work with the Ukrainian government and the country's people to overcome the current crisis.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was speaking after meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov in Paris.
"The US and Russia have differences in opinion about the events that led to this crisis, but both of us recognize the importance of finding a diplomatic solution and of simultaneously meeting the needs of the Ukrainian people."
Kerry also made clear that any decision about the future of Ukraine could not happen without them at the table.
For his part, Lavrov also said Russia will work with the Ukrainian government on contentious issues.
"We agreed to work with the Ukrainian government and with the Ukrainian people in a wider way to reach fulfillment of peace on priorities areas such as minority rights, language rights, achieving disarmament of the irregular forces and provocateurs, and achieving inclusive constitutional reform and conducting elections under international observation."
The meeting between the two diplomats came after a phone call between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week.
Relations between Russia and the West have been getting tense after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Black Sea peninsular Crimea earlier this month and Moscow's military moves along its border with Ukraine.
 
 
UN report on climate change warns global warming will increase risks to humanity
 
A United Nations panel of scientists has issued a warning about the effects of global warming as they concluded a week-long meeting in Yokohama, Japan.
The Nobel-Prize winning group of scientists says climate change is driving humanity towards a whole new level of risk and that the wild climate ride has only just begun.
Dr. Chris Field is the Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at the Carnegie Institution of Science.
"We live in a world where impacts of climate changes that have already occurred are widespread and consequential. We see impacts from the equators to the poles and from the coast to the mountains. There is no question that we live in the world that already altered by climate change."
The report's authors warned that the dangers are going to worsen as the climate changes even more, adding that no one is immune.
After a week-long discussion, more than 100 governments unanimously approved the scientist-written summary which emphasizes risk.
The report echoes an earlier UN climate science panel claim that if greenhouse gases continue to rise, the world is looking at another 2 or 3 degrees Celsius of warming by 2100.
 
 
China will not participate in the tribunal on the disputed waters
 
Anchor:
China says it will not accept the international arbitration filed by the Philippines over the South China Sea dispute.
Experts say the tribunal has no jurisdiction on the matter and China are not obliged to participate in it.
CRI's Li Jing has the story.
Report:
The Philippines filed a formal plea over the weekend to an international tribunal regarding a territorial dispute with China over the Nansha Islands. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says China will not accept and participate in the arbitration.
Jia Yu, deputy director of China Institute for Marine Affairs with the state Oceanic Administration, first clarifies what arbitration is.
"Arbitration is not a lawsuit in a court. The Philippines is not pleading at the International Court of Justice, or the Hague Tribunal. The tribunal is only a temporary one consisting of five members, who are arbitrators and not judges. The biggest feature of international law is the respect of sovereignty. China has a clear stance on the issue which is that China will not participate in the tribunal. If the tribunal insists on proceeding with the procedure and making any arbitration ruling, China will not enforce it regardless."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says China holds the clear and consistent stance that it has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters.
China is urging the Philippines to stick to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and return to the path of bilateral talks in resolving disputes.
Jia Yu adds the Philippines's move is just a one-man show.
"I don't think the arbitration should be established because the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the dispute. As early as in 2006, China excluded any compulsive resolution in terms of territorial sovereignty or marine disputes. The arbitration is considered as a kind of compulsive solution, so China will not "play in the game" from the very beginning."
Over the weekend, the Philippines also sent a supply ship with journalists on board to the Ren'ai Reef off China's Nansha Islands. The Philippines grounded a warship near the Reef in 1999 and refused to retrieve the ship.
In a recent statement, the Philippine side claimed that the stranded warship has served as a permanent installation. The Philippines has also repeatedly attempted to deliver construction materials to build on the reef, in order to intensify and expand its military presence.
China says the Philippines' action can not change the fact that China has sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and China's stance is in full compliance with international law.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
 
 
Technology helps to ensure more accurate economic census data
 
Anchor:
China's third national economic census is now in its final day of registration after the completion of a three-month long fieldwork data collection project.
CRI's XYee finds out how technology has been used to carry out the most accurate check-up to date on the world's second largest economy.
Reporter:
Nearly 3 million statisticians have been knocking on the doors of some 10 million companies and 60 million private businesses across the country for the past three months.
These data collectors had been sent on a government mission to record the ownership details, staff sizes, balance books, production volumes and research and development activities of every one of those businesses.
Dubbed as the most comprehensive check-up of the country's economy to-date, ensuring accuracy was key to producing credible and usable data results.
"Right now I am taking a photo of this building whilst using my GPS to mark the exact location of this shop. This is to ensure that not only is the data we collect available in number form, but also that these details are also recorded photographically on a map."
Liu Ji is conducting his final on-site survey of his designated neighborhood in the Pudong district of Shanghai.
He is using a piece of equipment called a portable data assistant, or PDA that has been dished out to every one of the three million statisticians to assist their work.
The PDA, which can take in every piece of information needed, is connected to a centralized database through the internet.
At the same time, it features both GPS and mapping software, as well as a three-D camera, much like the Google Earth service.
Cheng Wensheng, director at the provincial Bureau of Statistics in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous region, explains why the third census is much more credible.
"First of all, by employing the PDA device we make sure that the business being surveyed exists. Secondly, we make sure that the surveyor was on-site and actually conducted the survey himself. These two aspects guarantee that the data we collected is verifiable and accurate."
Ensuring the surveyor has done his job is one thing, making sure the business being surveyed provides accurate data is another.
The two previous censuses often encountered problems with data being fabricated or in some cases, survey conductors being shunned by business owners.
Many of the businesses in these cases were found to have been trying to hide activities relating to tax fraud or concealed business earnings.
Xu Yifan, director general of the national economic census under the State Council, stresses that all business information gathered in the survey will be safely held within the database.
"Firstly, the information we obtain through the census will not be distributed to any third party or used for any purpose other than research and analysis. It is illegal to use this information as evidence to prosecute a business. In addition, the surveyors will be held legally accountable if they leak the data, particularly confidential business information, to a third party."
Additionally, the third national economic census also includes energy consumption and employee salary information for some cities and regions.
This data will be crucial for assisting the government in its drive to carry out economic reforms aimed at improving the country's economic development pattern, as well as people's livelihoods.
The census data will be processed in the next three months.
The first analysis of the data will come out in late June, after which it may be used for other purposes.
For CRI, I am XYee.
 
 
 Biz Reports 
 
 
Stocks
 
Asian stocks edged higher in a cautious start to the week on Monday, with investors holding out hope that China would take measures to stimulate its economy.
But Chinese shares closed mixed.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.4 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index advanced 0.3 percent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.4 percent.
Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, ended flat.
China Mobile, China's dominant mobile carrier, climbed 1.6 percent, while another Chinese telecom giant China Unicom shed 0.2 percent.
As for mainland-based financial stocks, Bank of China gained 1.2 percent.
Bank of Communications gained 0.4 percent.
China Construction Bank advanced 1.3 percent.
ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, rose 1.1 percent.
As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec climbed 0.4 percent, while PetroChina shed 0.5 percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei surged 0.9 percent.
South Korea's KOSPI surged 0.2 percent.
Singapore's Strait Times Index advanced 0.5 percent.
Finally, Australia's ASX200 was up 0.5 percent.
 
 
China's external debt on the rise
 
New data shows that China's outstanding foreign debt amounted to over 860 billion U.S. dollars by the end of last year, up 17 percent from the same period of the previous year.
But the country's forex regulator says the data does not include the outstanding external debt of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions or that of Taiwan.
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, says that of the total outstanding external debt, registered external debt reached 527 billion U.S. dollars.
Meanwhile the balance of trade credit between businesses amounted to 337 billion U.S. dollars.
In terms of currency structure, debt denominated in U.S. dollars accounted for around 80 percent of the outstanding registered external debt, and that in euros and Japanese yen accounted for 5.5 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
The SAFE says preliminary calculation has showed China's foreign liability, debt-to-GDP, and debt-service ratios are all within the internationally recognized safety range.
 
 
Alibaba buys into high-street business
 
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has announced it will pay over 5 billion Hong Kong dollars, around 690 million U.S. dollars, to acquire shares in Hong Kong-listed department store operator Intime Retail Group.
Under the two companies' agreement, Alibaba will acquire 9.9 percent of Intime's shares, while buying 3.7 billion Hong Kong dollars worth of convertible bonds of the high-street company.
Alibaba will exchange the bonds for Intime shares in three years time, so that it will eventually hold a 26-percent stake in the company.
According to the agreement, the pair will form a joint venture to develop shopping malls, department stores and supermarkets related to online-to-offline or O2O business in China.
As of the end of last year, Intime ran 28 department stores and eight shopping malls in China.
 
 
China, Britain sign RMB trading deal
 
The U.K. has made a deal with China to appoint an RMB clearing bank in London, aiming to attract more Chinese investments and create more jobs.
The People's Bank of China and the Bank of England are set to sign an agreement on RMB clearing and settlement in London today (Monday).
Earlier, Germany's Deutsche Bundesbank and the People's Bank of China signed a memorandum of understanding on Saturday.
That will establish an RMB settling and clearing service in Frankfurt.
For more on this, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of Economics and Business.
…
Back anchor:
That was Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of Economics and Business.
 
 
Japan's industrial output drops for 1st time in 3 months
 
Japan's industrial production dropped for the first time in three months in February by a seasonally adjusted 2.3 percent from the previous month.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has attributed the decline to the impacts of record snowfall which forced some car makers to halt factory operations in February.
 
 
Eurozone inflation to hit new low in March, signaling deflation risk
 
The eurozone's inflation is expected to drop to 0.5 percent in March from 0.7 percent in February, the lowest since November 2009 and further below the European Central Bank's target of just under 2 percent.
According to an estimate issued by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, it is also the sixth month in a row in which the reading is below 1 percent, considered a dangerous signal for deflation.
 
 
Australia never has surplus unless takes immediate remedial action in budget
 
Australia's Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has warned that the country will never have a surplus unless the Coalition government takes immediate remedial action in the budget.
According to Treasury figures, the budget would remain in deficit for the next decade if left unchecked, and that under the previous Labor government, spending growth was larger than the 2 percent promised, and could be as much as 6 percent in 2017 to 2018.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Chinese, Belgian heads of state launch panda house in local zoo
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is now in Belgium, the last leg of his current four-nation European tour.
Xi Jinping's visit to Belgium is the first by a Chinese head-of-state in 27 years.
The Chinese president's Belgium visit has included a stop at a zoo in the country, where Xi Jinping and King Philippe were present at the opening of a new panda house.
The move is seen as a display of friendship between the two countries.
The pandas were sent to Belgium from Sichuan province last month, as part of a joint research project involving scientists from both countries.
Pandas are considered envoys of friendship, and President Xi Jinping says their arrival in Belgium has demonstrated the Chinese people's deep feelings for the Belgian people.
 
 
DPRK, S. Korea exchange fire across maritime border
 
South Korean media reports that North and South Korea have exchanged fire into the sea across the western maritime border.
It's reported that North Korea fired several artillery shells in waters north of the Northern Limit Line, the disputed sea border, as part of its live-fire drill which started on Monday morning.
According to South Korean military officials, some shells landed south of the disputed sea border in South Korea's territorial waters and Seoul responded with its own artillery fire.
The South Korean military says that Seoul's army, navy and air force have declared a state of emergency.
South Korea has also evacuated border island residents amid the live-fire drill.
Reacting to the latest development on the Korean Peninsular, Chinese Foreign Ministry is urging "all relevant parties to maintain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from acts going against peace and stability".
 
 
Search for the missing Malaysia flight continues
 
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight continues.
Australian authorities say several objects were spotted by its search aircraft. Some have already been ruled out but there remain at least four objects of interest.
An international team of 20 search planes and ships are scouring a massive area in the Indian Ocean, some 2,000 kilometers west of Perth, for traces of the Malaysia airlines plane.
MH370 went missing in March less than an hour after take-off en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board.
No conclusive evidence of what happened to it has yet been found.
 
 
Ex-Israeli PM convicted of old-time bribery
 
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been convicted at a Tel Aviv court in a corruption case dating back to the years when he was mayor of Jerusalem.
Prosecutors say Olmert used his power as mayor to expedite the construction processes of residential projects in Jerusalem in exchange for bribes from construction contractors between 1993 and 2003.
Olmert has thus become the first former Israeli prime minister to be convicted of bribery and the conviction would put an end to any of his attempts to return to politics as he has hinted in the past.
 
 
10 killed, 30 injured in road mishap in central India
 
Around 10 people have been killed and 30 others injured in a major road accident in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Local police say the accident happened when a tractor trolley in which the victims were traveling was rammed from behind by a speeding truck.
Eight victims were killed on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.
The truck driver has been arrested and an investigation is underway.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
Modern Express
"Housing speculation surges in Baoding, Hebei"
Property prices and speculative buying have surged in Baoding, Hebei province. This followed the announcement last Wednesday that the city would take over some of Beijing's administrative responsibilities.
One couple from southern China who have bought a house in Beijing, are among the buyers looking to profit from the handover in Baoding.
The couple snagged a house on Saturday, but only after its price spiked by 200 yuan per square meter overnight. They had to spend an extra 20,000 yuan on the 90-square-meter house.
Another investor said she knew nothing about Baoding but had still come seeking speculation opportunities.
The investor has earned about 200,000 yuan by reselling a house in Shijiazhuang.
Housing prices rose about 10 percent last week in Baoding. According to official statistics, presale contracts on houses signed in March are equivalent to one-quarter of the total contracts last year.
China News Service
"Smog-choked city gets a short breath of fresh air shipped from mountain"
Twenty bags of vacuum-packed mountain air were shipped to city dwellers in Zhengzhou, Henan Province
Locals lined up for a lungful from one of the 20 masks hooked up to pillow-sized bags filled with certified air from the mountain area on the weekend.
The campaign also aimed to raise public awareness of environmental protection and also to boost tourism at nearby Laojun Mountain
Locals couldn't get enough of the pollution-free air, with some heavy breathers ringing the bags to squeeze out every last air molecule.
Breathing from the disposable masks was limited to a few minutes for each person in order to stretch the precious supply.
A pregnant woman said she felt her baby move just as she breathed in.
Takepart.com
"Art Professors Show Us How to Make Paper from Farm Waste"
In a bid to make the paper industry a little more environmentally friendly, two art professors from the University of Illinois have created a project using plant fibers and agricultural waste to manufacture alternative paper products.
They've already been able to make paper using corn stalks, soybean vines, tomato plants, and even sunflower stems — and this is probably just the beginning.
The two combined their interests to find a solution to what they say is typically an "environmentally unfriendly method of papermaking." The university's Sustainable Student Farm supplies them with agricultural waste.
The Daily Illinois published a 10-step list to how the professors go about producing the paper with prairie grass, which includes soaking it in water overnight and cooking it on a burner powered by propane. The two professors said they are looking to use renewable energy sources in the future.
Live Science
"In-Surgery Entertainment: Video Glasses Calm Patients"
People who must undergo biopsies, or some types of CT or MRI scans, may find this medical treatment nerve-racking. But a new study shows that video glasses, like Google Glass, can help calm these patients down.
People in the study were undergoing tests for serious problems. The study divided 50 patients into two groups; half the patients received a pair of glasses that could show videos, while the other half were not given any glasses. The researchers then asked the patients to complete a 20-question survey that rated how anxious or stressed they felt.
The results show that patients who had received the glasses showed lower anxiety scores after the treatment than before the procedure. The researchers said the glasses didn't interfere with the work the doctor had to do.
While the results are promising, the researchers said the study needs to be repeated in larger groups of patients. And it remains unclear how effective the video glasses may be for patients undergoing different procedures.
 
 
Special Reports 
 
 
Chinese Overseas Toursim
 
Anchor:
China has seen a surge in outbound tourism.
Latest official figure shows a record high of 97 million Chinese citizens went abroad on holidays in 2013, an increase of 14 million compared to the previous year.
The Chinese Tourism Academy estimates that by 2020 there could be as many as 200 million Chinese tourists traveling abroad.
The number of Chinese tourists traveling abroad presents new commercial opportunities for the tourism industries of many nations.
For more on this, CRI's Nathan Wakelin-King earlier spoke to Dr. David Beirman, a tourism expert at the University of Technology, Sydney.
…
Back Anchor:
That was Nathan Wakelin-King speaking with Dr. David Beirman, a tourism expert at the University of Technology, Sydney.
 
 
Sports
 
 
India books spot in T20 semis after big win over Australia
 
In cricket
In cricket, play at the T20 tournament in Bangladesh continues,
India won Group two and booked their place in the semifinals after handing Australia their third consecutive loss.
The Indian bowlers showed their quality, bowling Australia out for 86 in the 17th over to claim the 73-run victory, which in T20 terms is a pretty large margin.
Australia captain George Bailey had no words of optimism after that defeat, which he called the most disappointing game of his three-year career as captain.
"I'll give every credit to the Indian bowlers, they obviously bowled really well, but I certainly don't think that our batters can hold their heads particularly high in terms of our shot selection, our match awareness, our game sense. All the stuff we spoke about from the last game (six wicket defeat by West Indies) that we weren't particularly happy with. We asked for improvement and we certainly didn't have that."
India's captain MS Dhoni was proud of his team's performance, but still sees room for improvement as his squad looks ahead to the semifinals, in which they'll face the runners up from group 1.
"You know, at times you tend to still look at maybe 160-plus is a good score, we need to accelerate, we need to accelerate and you lose too many (wickets) and you end up getting 130 runs, so it looks good as of now and hopefully, we won't have any injuries before the semis."　
Coming up later today, England will play the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka will take on New Zealand.
 
 
All Blacks win in Hong Kong
 
In rugby,
The New Zealand All Blacks defeated England 26-7 in the Cup Final at the Hong Kong Sevens yesterday.
Tom Powell gave England the lead with a try and conversion, but the All Blacks weren't long behind thanks to Ben Lam and Tim Mikkelson.
In the second half, tries from DJ Forbes and Sam Dickson secured the win for the Kiwis.
That victory allowed the All Blacks to overtake South Africa in the series standings with two rounds left to go.
It was a successful tournament for Japan as well, who were promoted to the HSBC World Series as a core nation after a dramatic defeat of Russia in the semi-finals then Italy in the final.
Japan's rugby program has a lot of potential, but they're still green and it shows sometimes. For example, in the final when flyhalf Kosuke Hashino launched himself over the try line for a swallow dive and lost control of the ball.
Next up in the sevens series is England later this month.
 
 
Steven Bowditch claims first PGA tour win at Texas Open
 
In golf,
Steven Bowditch battled through windy conditions to win the Texas Open and a spot in the Masters yesterday. The Australian finished with a 4-over 76 for his first PGA Tour victory.
"It's just, you know, I just drew back on some experience and got some advice from different people. And it just happened to be my week I guess."
In women’s golf,
Anna Nordqvist rallied to win the Kia Classic down in California for her second victory in her last four LPGA tour starts.
"I mean it makes me believe a lot more in my self. I love Palm Springs and I like the Kraft Nabisco. My caddie is from there so I know he loves it too. I couldn't come in to the first major of the year in a better position."
Nordqvist overtook leaders Cristie Kerr and Lizette Salas to close with a 5-under 67, which put her one stroke ahead of second place Salas.
Inbee Park finished in joint-sixth five strokes back.
 
 
CBA, NBA, and March Madness updates
 
In basketball news,
For anyone who hasn't heard yet, the Beijing Ducks have been crowned the CBA Kings for the second time after defeating Xinjiang in game 6 of their final series.
Xinjiang trailed by just a point in the fourth quarter, and it looked like the hosts would have a chance at pushing the series into a final game 7, but the Ducks left it all out on the court and ended up winning 98-88.
Beijing's two import players Stephon Marbury and Randolph Morris shined in that final game, as they've been shining all season.
Morris finished with a game-high 30 points and 11 boards, which earned him most valuable player. Marbury added 28 points, and 18 came from Sun Yue.
After that final whistle, the Ducks bench rushed onto the court where there was a lot of celebrating, and some tears from Stephon Marbury.
Over in the NBA,
DeMar DeRozan had 28 points when the Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 98-93.
Kevin Durant had 31 points and nine assists to help the Oklahoma City Thunder with their double-digit win over the Utah Jazz 116 to 96.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still pushing ahead to the playoffs after a 90-76 win over the Indiana Pacers. Dion Waiters had 19 points and Luol Deng added 15 for the Cavs.
The LA Lakers beat Phoenix 115 to 99.
And it was another win for Phil Jackson's Knicks, who beat the Golden State Warriors 89-84.
And in March Madness news
Eight seeded Kentucky is headed to the Final Four after a big upset win over number two seed Michigan.
Kentucky's Aaron Harrison made the game-securing 24 –foot three pointer with just 2.3 seconds on the clock to lift the wildcats to a 75-72 upset win.
It was a shot worthy of the NBA, and if things play out, that's probably where a lot of those Kentucky boys will be soon enough.
The Wildcats will have to get another win over a two seed when they face Wisconsin in the semifinals.
And over in the east, seventh seed Connecticut will be looking to upset top seed Florida for a place in the final.
 
 
Men’s world championship curling results
 
And finally, the world's top curling teams are here in Beijing for the 2014 World Men's curling championships.
Here are today's results.
Japan defeated the United States 9-5. Norway beat Sweden 6-3. Canada destroyed Russia 9-1. And Denmark beat Germany 9-4.
 
 
Entertainment 
 
 
Kevin Costner in new sports movie 'Draft Day'
 
Staying with sports for a moment,
And Kevin Costner knows a thing or two about mixing movie sets with the sports world.
The 59-year-old Hollywood veteran actor has starred in five sport themed films thus far -- two of them released just a year apart were Oscar nominees during his heyday. He portrayed a baseball player in 1988's "Bull Durham" and the son of a baseball player in 1989's "Field of Dreams."
Well now Costner is back with another, this time tackling the world of American football in "Draft Day."
Draft Day sees Costner as the manager of the ailing Cleveland Browns. To turn the team's fortunes he roles the dice by spending a huge amount of money on the number one draft pick player.. But he soon gets a bad feeling about the draft he's just made, while issues away from the playing field also cause him trouble.
As I've mentioned Costner is no stranger to sports films and he gives a curious piece of advice about making them a success.
"I think if you want to make a great sports movie, don't put too much sports in it, you know what I mean? That's not to say that you can't make the sports things authentic. But what happens between men and women is always going to be infinitely more important, against whatever backdrop."
This film will be released at various times around the world over the next two months or so….
USA April 11
Vietnam April 18
Singapore May 15
 
 
Cruise and Schwarzenegger honored at Empire Magazine awards
 
The 19th Jameson Empire Awards have just been handed out at a star-studded event in London.
These awards are a little different to other ceremonies because they are voted for by film fans, or at least the readers of the popular movie publication Empire Magazine.
On the red carpet, Tom Cruise was asked if there was anything he didn't like about the movie business. He said there wasn't as even after all these years there's still something to learn:
"That's the thing.　It's always a learning process, you're always learning something.　Each story is different, every ride is different, it's a hell of a lot of fun."
Cruise was given the Empire Legend of Our Lifetime award at the ceremony, while Arnold Schwarzenegger was given the Action Hero of Our Lifetime prize.
The 66-year-old was already in London promoting his new thriller "Sabotage". He echoed what Tom Cruise had said:
"Well, every time you do a film, you try not to play yourself, you play some other character so it's always challenging but at the same time fun.　I love challenges, I love climbing the hill, the struggle and that's what my life is all about."
Elsewhere British actor Simon Pegg won not only the Empire Hero award but also his movie "World's End" won Best British Film.　　
The Best Actor gong went to James McAvoy for "Filth" while Best Actress went to Emma Thompson for "Saving Mr. Banks."　　
"The Wolverine" actor Hugh Jackman won the Empire Icon award
And the Best Film and Best Director were given to "Gravity" and its director Alfonso Cuaron.
 
 
Kim Soo Hyun in Bangkok as part of Asia tour
 
South Korean super star, Kim Soo Hyun, has met with hundreds of fans in Bangkok as part of his Asia tour.
The 26-year-old is currently hugely popular across the continent following his role in the smash hit Korean drama "You Who Came from the Star'.
Ahead of the meeting hundreds of his fans went to catch a glimpse of him at Bangkok's Saim Paragon Hall:
"We intended to come and watch his shows but it was unfortunate we didn't get the tickets, so we're here just to take pictures and stuff."
"Kim Soo Hyun is very famous. He's very famous both in South Korea and other countries. That's why I think Thailand should quickly grab him here because a lot of his fans are also here. Soo Hyun is also holding a first Asia tour and Thailand is among the countries he chose to come and meet his fans."
Kim first rose to fame after featuring at the lead actor in a Korean drama 'Dream High' in 2011.
He has already passed by Shanghai earlier in the month and will go on to visit Guangzhou on April 4th before visiting us here in Beijing on April 6th.
 
 
How I Met Your Mother finale tonight
 
Last up I couldn't end the day without talking about How I Met Your Mother which is having its finale tonight in the US….
After seven seasons we finally know who the mother is, but is there a hidden motive behind Ted telling his children the whole story? AND will Barney and Robin really make a go of it?
 
 
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is now in Belgium, the last leg of his current four-nation European tour.
It's the first visit to Belgium by a Chinese head-of-state for 27 years.
North and South Korea have exchanged fires along their disputed western sea border which coincides with joint US-South Korea military exercises.
Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein pledges that it will never give up until it finds out what happened to the missing Flight MH370.
In business news, New data shows that China's outstanding foreign debt amounted to over 860 billion U.S. dollars by the end of last year, up 17 percent from the same period of the previous year.
In sport, India's cricket team books a spot in the T20 semis after a big win over Australia.