新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/04/29

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

 
Shane Bigham with you on this Tuesday, April 29th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The US and the European Union have imposed another round of sanctions on Russia over the crisis with Ukraine...
The death penalty has been recommended for several hundred more Mulsim Brotherhood members in Egypt...
And officials involved with the search for missing flight MH370 say the effort has begun a new phase...
In Business...the International Monetary Fund has raised China's growth forecast...
In sports...Arsenal is close to securing its Champions League spot for next season...
In entertainment...rumours of George Clooney's engagement have been confirmed...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 28 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 13.
Shanghai will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 23.
Overnight, it will be clear with a low of 14.
In Chongqing, it will see showers with a high of 22.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 16.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 25.
Kabul will have moderate rain with a high of 21.
Over to North America.
New York will have slight rain today with a high of 9 degrees.
Washington will have moderate rain with a high of 14 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 27.
Toronto, Canada, will see moderate rain with a high of 8 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 19.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
EU and the US slap new sanctions against Russia amid escalating situation in eastern Ukraine
 
Anchor
The EU has joined the US in imposing a new round of sanctions against Russia.
This comes amid the escalating situation in eastern Ukraine, where 7 European military observers are still being held hostage in the city of Slovyansk.
CRI's Ding Lulu has more.
Reporter
The names of another 15 prominent Russians have been added to the list of individuals and companies facing direct sanctions regarding the crisis in Ukraine.
This time, the European Union says it is responding to what it sees as Moscow's failure to live up to commitments it agreed last month in Geneva.
The international accord is aimed at ending the dispute in Ukraine.
EU spokesperson Maja Kocijancic.
"These are people who are responsible for actions against territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Ukraine. The Council has just formally adopted this addition. So now on this list of people targeted with assets freeze and travel ban we have in total 48 names."
The decision comes after the United States slapped sanctions on seven Russian government officials and 17 companies linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At the State Department, spokeswoman Jen Psaki says the U.S. still has a "tool box of steps" it can take against Russia.
"We've consistently felt that there are a range of officials with close ties to President Putin who have supported these illegal acts in Ukraine that we can target here."
In addition, the US is also adding new restrictions on high-tech materials used by Russia's defence industry that could help bolster Moscow's military.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin says the measures are aimed at stopping Russia from replacing its defence-related imports from Ukraine.
Such attempts, he says, will fail.
"The ideas raised by our Western partners to impose sanctions on some Russia industries - above all on the military industry - is aimed, first of all, to preclude this import replacement, and thus to continue our dependence, among others, on Ukrainian factories. It is an attempt with unfit means. We will have it done anyway. We will find an adequate replacement. We will survive and move forward, and our partners will fail."
China's Foreign Minister also issued statement on Monday, calling for dialogue among all parties concerned.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.
"China always opposes the use or threat of sanctions in international relations. We believe that sanctions will do no good to solve the problem, but may further escalate the tension. It is in no party's interests. We call on all sides to carry on talks and negotiations to find a proper solution to the dispute and push for a political resolution of the Ukrainian crisis."
Meantime, pro-Russian activists have clashed with protesters holding a pro-Ukraine rally in the eastern city of Donetsk.
About 1,000 people took part in the pro-Ukraine march.
Several protesters were taken to local hospitals.
In the city of Slovyansk, negotiators sent by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe have so far failed to win the freedom of seven military observers, detained by pro-Russian militias.
The self-proclaimed mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, says an exchange list will be made public later.
"I think we will be listened to. Among the people who have to be exchanged, the first name is Grubevik Pavel, and as for the other activists, we have prepared a list of five of our people, and most likely I will announce it tomorrow."
Meanwhile on Monday, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, was shot in the back. At hospital, he has been listed in serious condition.
Kharkiv is the only major eastern city where Ukrainian forces have taken back control from the armed pro-Russian protesters since authorities in Kiev launched their anti-terrorist operation in the region.
For CRI, I am Ding Lulu.
 
 
Ukraine interim PM comments on gas deal with Slovakia
 
Ukraine and Slovakia have signed a gas delivery deal.
Under the agreement, at least one-fifth of Ukraine's annual natural gas needs will be delivered from Slovakia.
The signing is another step in Ukraine's efforts to reduce its dependence on Russia.
Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
"The Ukrainian government and Naftogaz made a decision to start the process of suing the Russian company, Gazprom. Today pre-arbitrage paperwork was sent to the Gazprom. According to contract conditions, over a period of 30 days, Gazprom has to give a clear response to a few questions. The first is over the question of price. We insist the price that was set at the beginning of this year is the market price. And we insist to continuing to make payments at this price."
Russia recently raised the price of gas for Ukraine and planned to ask for payment in advance.
The payment jumped from around 268 US dollars per thousand cubic metres to 485.
 
 
Egyptian court recommends death penalty for 683
 
Relatives have collapsed in grief after an Egyptian court recommended the death penalty for 683 alleged supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.
The defendants, including Muslim Brotherhood top leader Mohamed Badie, are accused of inciting violence and murdering policemen.
Ahmed Fathy is a Cairo resident.
"This is a politicised verdict. The justice system is now siding with one group against the other and this is unfair."
U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is alarmed by the news.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department calls the decision unconscionable and urges the Egyptian government to end the use of mass trials.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, who is currently visiting Washington DC, says the judge did not sentence those people to death.
"He actually did not sentence those people to death. He asked for an opinion from the Mufti about their portfolios. And secondly, let the legal process follow through. The Attorney General, if I'm not mistaken, has actually announced that he is going to appeal a number of the previous verdicts, which were issued. This one still has a very long process."
Mufti is the highest religious authority who will give Islamic legal opinion on the death sentences.
The same judge commuted 492 death sentences out of 529 on a separate case in March.
The trial comes amid an American announcement to resume some 650 million U.S. dollars in military aid to Egypt.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmy has said the country will continue its strategic relationship with the U.S.
 
 
Turkish protesters break into Egyptian consulate in Istanbul
 
A small group of protesters in Turkey have attempted to break into the Egyptian consulate in Istanbul.
The move was in protest of the mass death sentences handed to Muslim Brotherhood members by Egyptian courts.
Eyewitnesses say more than a thousand protesters had gathered outside the consulate to have their say. Five of them scaled the wall around the building and two of them jumped into the consulate yard.
The two were detained by security in the compound.
 
 
China continues search for MH370
 
Chinese ships and planes will continue to be a part of the search effort, as the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight enters a new phase.
The Foreign Ministry says China has dispatched 18 military vessels and mobilized 21 satellites over the past 50 days of searching for flight MH370.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang:
"Countries including Malaysia and Australia have put in great effort in the search for the missing flight; especially Australia, which is coordinating the international search in the south Indian Ocean. China highly appreciates their efforts. China welcomes Australia's plan to enhance underwater searching. We will continue to dispatch search teams and join the next phase, searching together with Malaysia and Australia. We are also calling on the international community to offer support."
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott explained the search has entered a new phase, focusing on the ocean floor but over a much wider area.
He says finding debris on the surface, at this point, is highly unlikely.
Robotic submersible Bluefin-21 will continue its mission in adjacent areas.
53 days have passed since the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. That was March 08th.
Nothing related to the plane has been found.
Angus Houston is the head of the international search team.
"I would also like to observe that through the 52 days of search operation to try and find MH370, that we have worked together very well. Australia together with People's Republic of China, Malaysia and other nations have worked tirelessly to try and find MH370. And I believe the relationship between Australia and People's Republic of China has been strengthened. "
Houston says the search will be a monumental task and one that will take time.
The new phase of the search is going to be privatized, with civilian contractors hired to lead the effort.
Australia, China and Malaysia have agreed to share the cost, which is estimated to be around 60-million US dollars.
 
 
Assad announces candidacy for presidential elections
 
Syrian President Bashar Assad has announced his candidacy for presidential elections in June.
Parliament Speaker Jihad Laham read out the statement on state-run television.
"The Assembly received a notification from the Supreme Constitutional Court stating that Mr. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, born in Damascus in 1965 whose mother's name is Anisa Makhlouf, submitted an application on April 28th, 2014 for presidential candidacy and he also submitted the required documents according to article 21 of the Supreme Constitutional Court's law."
Thousands of supporters of Assad have staged demonstrations in support of the president.
Assad is the seventh person to put himself forward for Syria's first multi-candidate presidential vote in decades.
Earlier, Syria issued a new electoral law stipulating that all applicants must have lived in Syria for ten consecutive years prior to nomination, which limits exiled opposition members.
The Syrian opposition and its international backers have labeled the poll as a parody of democracy.
There is fear that many voters will not be able to access polling stations as the elections come amid an ongoing civil war.
Over 150,000 people have been killed and one third of the population has been displaced.
 
 
Special votes in Iraqi parliamentary election close
 
Polls for special votes have closed in Iraq's first elections since the U.S withdrawal in 2011.
The early balloting for police and soldiers is meant to free up the one million-strong military and security forces so they can protect polling stations and voters.
Hospital patients, medical staff and detainees were also voting on Monday.
The nationwide election will take place on Wednesday.
Approximately 22 million registered voters will be eligible to take part.
More than 9,000 candidates are vying for 328 seats in parliament.
The Alliance led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is widely expected to win a majority in the parliament.
He is also seeking a third four-year term in office.
 
 
PIK on Indian Elections
 
ANCHOR
With the fourth phase of India's multi-state election getting underway, police in Indian-controlled Kashmir have arrested hundreds of Muslim youth in the region.
The authorities call it a precautionary measure to ensure peace as voting begins on Wednesday.
A police spokesman described the young arrestees as "stone throwers and trouble mongers."
During third-round voting in another part of Kashmir, turnout was only 28 percent, marred by an election boycott, protests, and violence.
Six members to the 543-member lower house of the Indian parliament will be elected in Indian-controlled Kashmir..
Even though the five-week voting period has not concluded, Narendra Modi of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, has become a major frontrunner in the elections.
For more on this, CRI's Zheng Chenguang talked to Mr. Malaan, Director of Planning and Development, Generation Now Media Private LTD in India.
(PIK callin)
 BACK ANCHOR: That was Mr. Malaan, Director of Planning and Development, Generation Now Media Private LTD in India.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the closing numbers in North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter
US stocks rose, after a volatile session, as gains in Apple and Pfizer helped offset another round of selling in some high-growth tech shares.
The Nasdaq ended slightly lower but rebounded late in the session from a fall of over 1 percent.
Leading the Nasdaq down was Amazon.com, which extended Friday's sharp decline a day after its earnings report.
A flurry of merger and acquisition activity in the pharmaceutical sector lifted shares.
When the market closed, the Dow rose half a percent. The S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent. The Nasdaq Composite ended slightly lower.
Apple stock jumped 4 percent. Amazon.com ended down 2.4 percent. Facebook fell 2.7 percent.
High-growth stocks such as those have been battered in recent weeks as investors have pulled out of the tech and biotech sectors.
Bank of America shares tumbled 6.3 percent after the company said it will suspend a planned increase in its quarterly dividend as well as its latest stock-buyback program because it miscalculated a measure of the capital on its books.
Chinese Internet stocks fell after China's government ordered the removal of four U.S. television shows from video websites during the weekend. The U.S.-listed shares of Baidu slid 7.4 percent.
Over in Europe, European markets advanced on Monday.
Britain's FTSE 100 is up 0.2 percent, Germany's DAX added half a percent and France's CAC 40 rose 0.4 percent.
 
 
IMF raises China's 2014 growth forecast by 0.3 points to 7.5 per cent
 
The International Monetary Fund has raised its economic growth forecast for China but warned that its financial system faces risks due to the rapid expansion of debt.
The IMF raised China's 2014 growth outlook by 0.3 percentage points, to 7.5 per cent.
The forecast is in line with the government's official growth target for the year.
The IMF also warned that China faces the twin risks of an unexpectedly sharp slowdown and "rising vulnerabilities" in its financial system. It said both could cause repercussions for the region.
It pointed to the rapid growth of credit from sources other than traditional banks.
It said the assets of such lenders have grown to the equivalent of 25 per cent of the country's annual GDP.
The IMF says it represents an important source of systemic risk.
 
 
Singapore retains top yuan offshore clearing centre outside Hong Kong
 
New SWIFT data shows that Singapore has retained its position as the top Renminbi offshore clearing centre outside of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in March.
According to the global transaction services organization, the value of Singapore's RMB payments rose by 375 percent on year in March, overtaking London for two straight months.
The city-state's weight represented 6.8 percent of the overall RMB payments value.
Hong Kong continues to be the top yuan offshore clearing centre. The amount of offshore RMB cleared through Hong Kong was 72 percent of the global volume in March.
SWIFT added that globally, RMB payments grew by 29 percent month-on-month in March, and was the seventh most popular global payments currency.
 
 
U.S. pending home sales jump, end losing streak
 
New data shows that U.S. pending home sales rose in March for the first time in nine months.
The US National Association of Realtors says contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rose 3.4 percent compared to last month.
These contracts usually become sales after a month or two, and March's rise suggests home resales could rebound in the months ahead.
Sales stumbled last summer after that the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled it would soon reduce its economic stimulus efforts, pushing interest rates higher.
The U.S. economy hit a slow patch over the winter, but growth is expected to rebound during the rest of 2014.
 
 
Alibaba Has Acquired 16.5% Stake in Chinese Video Service Youku-Tudou
 
Anchor
Alibaba and Yunfeng Capital have bought 1.22 billion US dollars' worth of shares in Chinese online video service Youku-Tudou.
The deal gives Alibaba a 16.5% stake in one of the largest online video platforms. Yunfeng holds 2%.
Jonathan Lu, CEO of Alibaba Group, will join Youku-Tudou's board.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Gao Shang, analyst with GuanTong Futures.
Questions:
--Online video is one of the few Internet service categories Alibaba hasn't tapped into. If this is a first step, is it a good one?
--Do you see Alibaba upping its stake in Youku-Tudou later? What about aquiring other online video providers?
--Is this deal primarily an opportunity for cross marketing, with Alibaba ads attached to Youku's videos, or is there more to it?
--What does Youku-Tudou need do to with the money that's been invested, in terms of improving product and maybe getting an edge on the competition?
Back Anchor:
Gao Shang, analyst with GuanTong Futures.
 
 
Sinopect Q1 net profits down 15 pct
 
China's top oil refiner Sinopec has reported a 15 percent year-on-year drop in net profits in the first quarter of 2014.
Net profits in Q1 stood at 14 billion yuan, or 2.3 billion U.S. dollars.
The state-run oil giant has vowed to put more emphasis on investment quality and efficiency instead of expansion this year.
It unveiled a plan earlier this year to sell up to 30 percent of its massive fuel retailing business.
Sinopec said last month it would cut capital expenditure to 162 billion yuan this year from 169 billion yuan in 2013 - which was already seven percent lower than budget.
 
 
GE and Siemens rivals to buy part of Alstom
 
French President Francois Hollande has met with the CEO of General Electric, Jeff Immelt, to discuss his firm's interest in buying part of engineering firm Alstom.
It follows reports the US company is preparing a deal to buy Alstom's power turbines business.
Alstom, which also makes TGV high-speed trains, is one of France's biggest private sector employers.
France's economy minister Arnaud Montebourg has said the government will block any deal it sees as unfit.
The meeting between the President and GE chief executive comes a day after Germany's Siemens made its own approach to the French firm.
Hollande and Montebourg will also meet Siemens' chief executive, Joe Kaeser, to discuss its offer for Alstom.
The French firm has suffered from heavy debts and a fall in orders over the past decade, and was bailed out by the French government in 2004.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
EU and the US slap new sanctions against Russia amid escalating situation in eastern Ukraine
 
The EU has joined the US in imposing a new round of sanctions against Russia.
15 new names have been added to the list, which already includes many prominent Russian leaders and companies.
The EU says it is responding to what it sees as Moscow's failure to live up to commitments agreed to last month in Geneva, designed to ease regional tensions.
This comes amid the escalating situation in eastern Ukraine, where 7 European military observers are still being held hostage in the city of Slovyansk.
The EU decision follows a similar move by the US government.
The Chinese government has issued a new statement calling on all sides to use dialogue to solve their differences.
 
 
U.S. urges Egypt to end mass trials
 
The United States government is urging leaders in Egypt to put an end to the mass trials and sentencings that have taken place in recent months.
The call from the US side follows word that a court in Egypt has handed out another mass death sentence for 683 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
These trials began after the military toppled the government of Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi and then outlawed the group, calling it a terrorist organization.
More than 500 Brotherhood members received death sentences last month, following a mass trial, though the majority of those sentences have been commuted.
 
 
German diplomat injured escaping kidnapping attempt in Yemen
 
A German diplomat has been injured while escaping an apparent kidnapping attempt in the Yemeni capital.
Several gunmen in a car tried to intercept the diplomat's vehicle on a road near the German embassy. The diplomat and his driver refused to stop and sped away.
Local officials say the gunmen opened fire and the diplomat was "slightly" injured.
The kidnappers then fled the scene.
Kidnappings are frequent in Yemen, especially after political turmoil in 2011 severely weakened government control.
 
 
IMF raises China's 2014 growth forecast by 0.3 points to 7.5 per cent
 
The International Monetary Fund has raised its economic growth forecast for China but warned that its financial system faces risks due to the rapid expansion of debt.
The IMF raised China's 2014 growth outlook by 0.3 percentage points, to 7.5 per cent.
The forecast is in line with the government's official growth target for the year.
The IMF also warned that China faces the twin risks of an unexpectedly sharp slowdown and "rising vulnerabilities" in its financial system. It said both could cause repercussions for the region.
It pointed to the rapid growth of credit from sources other than traditional banks.
It said the assets of such lenders have grown to the equivalent of 25 per cent of the country's annual GDP.
The IMF says it represents an important source of systemic risk.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Shanghai college creates fashion journalism major
Summary
It's actually a fashion journalism and mass communications major, and it will be offered at Donghua University in Shanghai.
The first batch of undergraduate students will begin the program this fall.
The university has established a fashion communication research center, which has integrated various disciplines, such as management, the arts, design, journalism and communications.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Family home hit by stray bullet
Summary
Shanghai Police are investigating a shooting accident in which a bullet was fired through the bedroom window of an apartment in Baoshan District yesterday morning.
No one was injured.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Malicious man kills six after divorce
Summary
A man drove his car and plowed into roadside pedestrians in east China's Fuzhou city, killing six, injuring 13.
Three of the dead are children.
The suspect told the police that he was upset after a morning court hearing on his divorce from his wife.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Kindergarten teacher regularly beats students
Summary
A kindergarten teacher in Beijing's Chaoyang District was detained by police for beating her students for a year.
The suspect was found beating and threatening the students.
CCTV monitors show evidence of the teacher's involvement.
Beijing Morning Post
Headline
No Red-envelop Agreement before hospitalisation
Summary
Starting on May 1, doctors have to sign a No Red-envelop Agreement before patients are admitted into hospitals.
Red-envelop is a token sent to doctors to ask for better treatment.
In a survey, 40 percent of the doctors say the act is unnecessary, while 60 percent of the patients say otherwise.
Beijing Morning Post
Headline
CPC disciplinary watchdog unveils 719 cases
Summary
That's the total number of cases so far. The disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China has unveiled 174 new cases of breaches of anti-bureaucracy and formalism guidelines from April 21 to 25.
On April 8, the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) launched a new section on its website inviting the public to report cases of corruption and misconduct.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
China to crack down on online piracy
 
Anchor
It's been 20-years since China gained access to the World Wide Web, with the country coming "online" in April of 1994.
Today, the main goal for regulators is not the development of the web, but cracking down on piracy and IPR theft.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter
Over the past 20 years, online piracy and copyright violations have been keeping pace with the development of the internet here in China.
Regulators have been working to try to stem the tide of IPR theft via the internet.
This has made life a lot less conveinent for some.
"I like watching Korean TV dramas. There are many options to choose from, like Kuaibo. I can watch it online or download it. But now, since they don't provide the resources for free any more, I find it a bit inconvenient."
Vice director of the National Copyright Administration, Yan Xiaohong, says the protection of Intellecutal Property Rights is good for the long-term development of the internet in China.
"It's been 20 years since the internet came to China. We've been trying to stamp out online piracy and products which violate copyrights for the past 12 years. It's widely known that special actions are taken every year targeting online privacy. We collect evidence and report big cases to the public security departments. Copyright protection is becoming more effective in recent years."
Wang Hao is the sales director of an online video website.
He says the crack down on online piracy in recent years has brought positive impacts to the online video market.
"Copyright protection in the new media area has been growing noticeably. In the beginning, there was no copyright protection, and piracy was everywhere on the internet. But companies eventually realized that if you have a certain amount of customers and you are considering being listed, you need to use legal resources. The protection of copyright will bring positive developments for the internet industry. Part of the crackdown has seen only the big online video sites survive, such as Youku, Tudou, iQiyi, Tencent, Sohu and leTV. They are the ones who benefit and care about copyright protection."
IPR protection here in China not only covers video products, but also music and written works.
A new circular issued by the State Council is calling for a new round of crackdowns on intellectual property infringement and counterfeit goods.
The nationwide campaign has a focus on false or deceptive advertising online.
Websites found containing illegal video or audio materials will be shut down.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Arsenal close in on champions league spot next season
 
Football news,
First in the English Premier Leauge, Arsenal is now on the brink of securing a champions league spot next season, following its victory over Newcastle, 3-0, in a match just wrapping up.
Laurent Koscielny put the Gunners ahead in the 26th minute before Mesut Ozil doubled their lead just before half-time.
A third goal from Olivier Giroud secured the win for Arsenal, who moved to fourth place, four points ahead of Everton.
Meanwhile in the Italian Serie A, Juventus has all but clinched its third successive title after it came from behind to win 3-1 at relegation-threatened Sassuolo in heavy rain.
Antonio Conte's side moved eight points ahead of second-placed Roma with three rounds remaining.
The two sides face each other in the penultimate match of the season, but Juventus is expected to seal the title next week when it plays Atalanta at home, where it has won all 17 of its league matches this season.
Juve's focus will now shift to overturning a 2-1 deficit at its second leg match of the Europa League semifinal at home to Benfica on Thursday.
 
 
Del Piero quits Sydney FC
 
Over here in Asian football,
Former Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero has played his last game for Sydney FC and is set to leave the club after this season.
Sydney FC announced that the 39-year-old World Cup winner, the highest-profile player ever in Australia's domestic competition, had ended his "playing role with the club."
Del Piero confirmed it in a statement under the title "Ciao Australia," saying the time had arrived to say goodbye after two seasons with Sydney.
Some Chinese media reports suggest Del Piero is linked to a move to Guangzhou Evergrande when his contract with Sydney ends this summer.
Evergrande is currently under the helm of Marcello Lippi, the coach with whom Piero won the World Cup for Italy in 2006.
 
 
NAACP to strip Sterling of a lifetime achievement award
 
In basketball, but well off the hardcourt, one of the oldest civil rights groups in the U.S. has decided to strip Donald Sterling of a prestigeous award after the Los Angeles Clippers owner was exposed making some terrible racist remarks.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, has decided not to give Sterling a lifetime achievement award it had planned to bestow on him at its May 15 banquet.
Leon Jenkins is President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the NAACP.
"The revelations that Mr Sterling may have made comments in a phone conversation that was reminiscent of the ugly time in American history that contain elements of segregation and racial discrimination demands　that the Los Angeles NAACP's intention to honor Mr Sterling for a lifetime body of work must be withdrawn and the donation that he gave to the NAACP will be returned."
Sterling was severely criticized in and outside the sport after a 10-minute audio recording showed the NBA owner telling his girlfriend not to post photographs of herself with black people online and not to bring African-Americans to Clippers games.
On the court, in NBA playoff action today,
The Miami Heat are looking to sweep their first round series against Charlotte.
Indiana and Atlanta will break their deadlock. That series is tied 2 games apiece, with game five just ahead.
The regular season league leaders, San Antonio, are going into game 4 against Dallas, trying to even the series at 2 wins apiece.
 
 
Lucie Safarova eases past Magdalena Rybarikova at Portugal Open
 
In tennis,
Sixth seed Lucie Safarova shook off a first set loss and cruised the rest of the way in the first round of the Portugal Open.
Coming off a dramatic loss to Maria SHarapova in the first round of Stuttgart last week, the Czech ace defeated Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 to advance to the second round.
Safarova has pleasant memories at the clay-court Portugal Open, having captured her first career title as an 18-year-old in 2005 and having been a semifinalist in 2007.
Also in Portugal, it was Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan beating Italy's Karin Knapp in two straight sets 6-2, 6-4.
And Belgian Yanina Wickmayer knocked out Ursula Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 7- 5 in their first round encounter.
In men's first round action,
Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan ousted Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Spaniard Pablo Carrena Busta eliminated eighth-seeded Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, 6-1, 7-6.
 
 
Noh notches first PGA Tour triumph
 
In golf, Noh Seung-yul claimed his first title on the US PGA Tour by firing a one-under-par 71 for a two-shot victory at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.
The 22-year-old South Korean finished at 19-under-par 269 to beat out Americans Andrew Svoboda and Robert Streb..
Noh has two previous international victories, winning the Midea China Classic in 2008 and the Malaysian Open in 2010.
He now becomes the fifth Korean-born player to win an American PGA tour, joining KJ Choi, YE Yang, Kevin Na and Bae Sang-moon.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
George Clooney no longer single after rumors of engagement confirmed
 
Hollywood's most eligible bachelor, George Clooney, is no longer on the market.
Rumors that Clooney has become engaged to his lawyer girlfriend Amal Alamuddin were confirmed by her law firm to be true.
With a couple Academy Awards to his name and regular appearances in People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, the 52 year old Clooney has established himself as one of Hollywood's most coveted bachelors. But his 36-year old fiancé is also quite the catch.
The Beirut-born, Oxford educated Alamuddin is a human rights lawyer with a high-profile client list.
She has advised former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Syria, helped ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko challenge her imprisonment, and represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
 
 
Chinese director Jia Zhangke selected for Cannes jury
 
Chinese director Jia Zhangke has been selected as one of the nine members of the Cannes film festival jury.
Jia's "A Touch of Sin" won Cannes' best screenplay prize last year.
The jury group also includes French actress Carole Bouquet, American actor Willem Dafoe, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, and action director Nicolas Winding Refn from Denmark.
The prestigious jury is made up of four men and four women who are tasked with selecting the honorees for this year's event, which runs from May 14-25.
 
 
Simon and Brickell arrested for disorderly conduct
 
(Simon)
Singer Paul Simon and his wife Edie Brickell were arrested on disorderly conduct charges by police officers investigating a "family dispute".
Officers responded to a call from the couple's Connecticut home and found signs of domestic violence from both parties. They were arrested but then released, with an arraignment scheduled for later today.
72 year old Simon and 47 year old Brickell have been married for over twenty years. Simon is a 12 time Grammy winner and member of both The Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.
Brickell is perhaps best known for her hit song "What I Am", recorded with the band the New Bohemians in 1988. She also collaborated with comedian Steve Martin, who when he's not being funny sings folk songs, to produce a roots album "Love Has Come For You".
 
 
Historical action film Pompeii set to be released later this week
 
(Pompeii)
Fans of historical action films are looking forward to the release of Pompeii this week.
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, creator of the Resident Evil series, Pompeii brings to life the ancient city that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The film follows the story of a slave-turned-gladiator Milo, played by Kit Harington, who is known by many as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones.
Harington said the physical preparations for this movie were intense, and included being shipped off to gladiator bootcamp.
You want to see that he's strong, fast and lean, that's the whole point of getting into that body shape, is that you know that, later on when he's fighting numerous gladiators and killing countless people, that he can do that and to do that he has to be very very fit. I got obsessed with the fitness regime on this movie. I got obsessed with it."
Harington is joined in the cast by Emily Browning, who plays Milo's love interest Cassia, and Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who plays champion gladiator Atticus.
Pompeii will be released across theaters in the UK on May 2.
 
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The US and the European Union have imposed another round of sanctions on Russia over the crisis with Ukraine...
The death penalty has been recommended for several hundred more Mulsim Brotherhood members in Egypt...
And officials involved with the search for missing flight MH370 say the effort has begun a new phase...
In Business...the International Monetary Fund has raised China's growth forecast...
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.