新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/05/05

 
 
The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
Paul James with you this Monday, May 5, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening...
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been holding meeting in Ethiopia as part of the first leg of his 4-nation African trip.
Ukraine's interim Prime Minister has arrived in the embattled city of Odessa where dozens of people have been killed in pro-Russia unrest.
Chinese, Malaysian and Australian officials have met in Canberra to discuss the next steps forward in the search for missing flight MH370.
In business, the Chinese commerce ministry expecting a rebound in trade after this month.
In sports, the Toronto Raptors dream season has come to an end.
In entertainment, US President Barack Obama has been cracking jokes at this year's White House correspondents dinner in Washington.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 8 degrees Celsius. Thundershowers tomorrow with a high of 21 degrees.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 13, cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 23.
Chongqing will be cloudy, 18 degrees the low, sunny tomorrow tomorrow with a high of 27.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 36.
Kabul, sunny, 24.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, high of 20.
Canberra, overcast, 16.
Brisbane, sunny, 24.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 26
 
 
Top News
 
 
Chinese premier proposes to upgrade China-Africa cooperation in six areas
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has delivered a speech about China's Africa policy at the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia.
Li Keqiang says he hopes to see China and Africa further collaborate in areas such as industry, finance, poverty reduction, ecological protection, people-to-people exchanges and peace and security.
Li Keqing is also describing Africa as a pole for world politics, global economic growth and human civilization.
He's also suggested all of Africa's capitals should be connected with high-speed rail to help better-establish pan-African communication and development.
Li Keqiang says China is ready to work with Africa to try to make this a reality.
Ethiopia is the first leg of Li Keqiang's four-nation tour.
He will also visit Nigeria, Angola and Kenya.
 
 
China, Ethiopia ink agreements on economic, infrastructure cooperation
 
Anchor:
Li Keqiang has also overseen the signing of a number of collaborative agreements as part of his time in Ethiopia.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter:
The cooperation agreements cover such areas as technology, infrastructure construction, and finance.
They were signed by Premier Li Keqiang and his Ethiopian counterpart, Hailemariam Desalegn, after the two met in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
They have also agreed to further develop the partnership between the two countries.
Li Keqiang says he hopes his visit can further consolidate the friendship between the two countries, and steer China-Ethiopia and China-Africa relations toward new heights.
"We have identified the right direction and we have laid down the right track. There is a process of mutual adjustment and adaptation but I believe our two sides - be it China and Ethiopia or China and Africa - should work jointly to turn this train into a bullet train."
The Chinese Premier also says that Beijing supports Ethiopia's efforts in establishing special economic zones and industrial parks, and is willing to share experience with Ethiopia in this regard.
For his part, Hailemariam hails the development of bilateral relations over the decades.
"Our relationship is a strategic relationship and it is not only for one year or two years or some years only. It is a strategic relationship. It is growing from time to time, strengthening from day to day and we want to nurture and expand this relationship between our two countries."
He also welcomes more Chinese investment into the country.
Ethiopia is Li Keqiang's first leg during his four-nation tour in Africa.
During his stay in Addis Ababa, Li Keqiang is also scheduled to visit the African Union headquarters.
There he will deliver a speech to expound on China's Africa policy.
Prior to that, Erastus Mwencha , deputy chairman of the African Union Commission, highlighted the importance of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Africa.
"This high level exchange of visits inspire confidence to our people, the people of Africa and people of China, and it is one that brings us closer, and one symbolizing the confidence of our two people to work together to tackle issues of poverty and bring about prosperity."
After his three-day stay in Ethiopia, Li Keqiang is due to continue his visit to Nigeria, Angola and Kenya.
For CRI, this is Jordan Lee.
 
 
Call in on the Chinese Premier's visit to African countries
 
For more on the Premier's current tour of Africa, CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier with Professor He Wenping, director of African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
…
Professor He Wenping, director of African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.
 
 
Unrest in Odessa continues as Russia urges intra-Ukraine dialogue
 
Ukraine's prime minister has visited the embattled city of Odessa.
This is the city where a fire this past week left dozens of pro-Russia demonstrators dead.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk says police are being investigated for their alleged failure to maintain order in Friday's violence.
Yatsenyuk is also suggesting Moscow can also be to blame for the unrest.
"And this is the part of (the) Russian road map - how to grab and to eliminate Ukraine - well-trained agents that usually trigger the conflict and quickly disappear. On the issue of police and security forces, it's true that a number of police and security forces are distracted after former President Yanukovych. But we try to re-establish control over them and to urge them to execute their constitutional duties."
More than 40 people, mostly pro-Russia activists, were killed while occupying a local trade union building which was set on fire.
The situation in Odessa is the worst violence in the Ukrainian crisis since the new government came to power more than two months ago.
Kiev has repeatedly blamed Moscow for inciting unrest and trying to split Ukraine apart.
Russia has denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, reiterating his call for talks between Kiev and pro-Russian demonstrators in Ukraine's southeastern regions.
 
 
Australia host a meeting to determine the way forward in the search for the plane
 
Anchor:
Authorities from China, Malaysia and Australia have met today to discuss how to proceed in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
CRI's Australia Correspondent Wang Xiao has more.
Reporter:
The meeting in the Australian capital Canberra has seen the transport ministers of Malaysia and China come together to try to determine the best way forward.
Chinese Transport Minister Yang Chuantang says China will maintain its resolve in the search for the missing jet.
He outlines four priorities.
"first, when it comes to the search in the transitional period, the Chinese government is deploying three vessels to continue the search. Secondly, we will support the selection of a commercial company to lead the search in the new phase. Thirdly, China will participate in the follow up search through various means. Fourthly, we will continue to deploy our experts to assist in the investigation of the accident."
Ministers agreed that an intensified undersea search with sonar is the best way to proceed.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says sub-surface equipment should be operational within two months.
"The key element of next stage will involve deep ocean search with specialist equipment It's possible that some of it may be owned by navies or governments around the world, but it's likely that the majority will have to be provided from the private sector. We're looking at calling tenders for a single operator to maintain and lead in the new elements of this search."
Truss says another meeting is scheduled for Wednesday in Canberra with international experts to analyse all the data and information collected so far.
Malaysian Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says they remain determined to find the missing flight.
"The fact that Australia, Malaysia and China have got together......"
The US Navy has chartered the underwater submersible Bluefin-21 for a further month.
Its mothership, the 'Ocean Shield' is refitting in port and is due to return an expanded search area in the near future.
For CRI, I'm Wang Xiao from Australia.
 
 
Death toll rises to 259 in S.Korean ferry sinking disaster, 43 still missing
 
11 more bodies have been retrieved from the sunken South Korean ferry this Monday.
This brings the official death toll from last month's disaster up to 259.
There are still believed to be 43 other bodies still trapped in the sunken ferry.
South Korean authorities have given divers until May 15th to complete the retrieval of the rest of the bodies from areas of the ship which haven't been searched.
At that point, divers will then begin re-checking compartments in the search for those missing.
Additional trawlers are also being deployed in the area to ensure bodies on the ship don't float away in the strong currents which run through the waters where the ship went down.
Articles of clothing and other personal materials thought to be from the sunken ferry have already been discovered some 15-kilometers away from where the ship went down.
 
 
US and Filipino officials discuss joint military drills
 
More than 5-thousand U.S. and Filipino troops have begun two weeks of military exercises.
Philippine foreign affairs minister Alberto Del Rosario.
"In recent years tensions in the Asia Pacific region have increased due to excessive and expansive maritime and territorial claims, undermining the rule of law, aggressive patterns of behaviour aimed at changing the status-quo threaten peace and stability in the region."
Officials say the so-called "Shoulder to Shoulder" exercises will focus on maritime security and disaster response.
Philip Goldberg is the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines.
"Shoulder to shoulder we stand together, ready to defend when necessary and assist when needed."
A small group of protesters have rallied outside the opening of the US - Filipino exercise.
Protesters contend the US is using the Philippines to try to advance its own agenda in the region.
 
 
Survivors of landslide which killed hundreds, aid arriving
 
Hundreds of families are struggling to find food and shelter in a remote part of northern Afghanistan following a deadly landslide on Friday.
This, despite aid supplies slowly starting to trickle into the remote region of Badakhshan, a province in Afghanistan's northeast which borders China.
"Six members of my family are under the mud, we are living under a tent we provided ourselves, we haven't received a tent, or any blankets or food yet."
Heavy rains are being blamed for causing a massive landslide which completely engulfed the village of Abi Barik on Friday.
It still remains unclear as to how many people were killed in the slide.
Official estimates of the death toll range from 250 to 27-hundred.
 
 
Weak China property sales to continue into Q2
 
Anchor:
Property developers here in China appear to be feeling the pinch, with sales down dramatically through this past May Day holiday.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter:
In Beijing, 169 newly built properties were sold during the three day holiday, down 80 percent compared to the same period last year.
Zhang Dawei, chief market analyst with Zhongyuan Real Estate, says the price of certain second hand properties are dropping sharply.
"The price declines in the second hand property market in Beijing's downtown areas is noticeable, about 5 percent. Basically, the current price is more than 10 percent lower than the prices listed as of the end of last year."
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows the average price of newly built homes in China's 70 major cities rose 8.7-percent year-on-year in February, slightly lower than the 9 percent growth seen in January.
57 cities saw home prices increase through February.
This is down from the 62 cities that saw a price increase in January.
Weak demand has forced both government and developers into action.
Authorities in Guangxi's capital Nanning have relaxed their home purchasing policies recently.
Analysts expect more second and third tier cities to loosen their grip on property curbs if demand remains subdued.
However, Cui Zheng, a scholar from Beijing Technology and Business University, says this is not expected to be the case in China's first tier cities.
"The property policy in Nanning can be seen as a turning point for the property market of the second and third tier cities. But in first tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, people are still flocking there. So the rigid demand in the property market is still high. Plus, nearly all the wealthy consumers head to these cities to buy properties. The potential for the market is still huge."
Cui Zheng also notes the property market is a major reflection of the country's economy.
He says to maintain stable development, governments at different levels need to make long term strategies.
"Currently, the finances of many local governments rely heavily on property transactions. To realize healthy economic development, governments are being advised to better design their economic structures and social welfare systems so authorities won't need to put too much expectations on property transactions."
Rating agency Moody's is warning the weak home sales will continue into the second quarter as a result of tight bank liquidity and weakened market sentiment.
Moody's is also predicting year-on-year growth in property prices across China's 70 major cities will slow further over the next 12 months.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stocks 
 
Hong Kong led Asian markets lower on Monday after data showed continued weakness in China's manufacturing sector.
The Hang Seng Index lost more than 1% after HSBC's final reading for the mainland's PMI came in at 48.1 for April, lower than a preliminary reading of 48.3.
Stocks were also under pressure here on the mainland, with the Shanghai Composite down four fifhts of a percent.
The Shenzhen Component ended slightly lower.
In the Australian market, iron ore and coal miner Aquila Resources has surged 37-percent on news that China's Baosteel Group and Australian freight operator Aurizon Holdings are readying a bid on the company that values it at around 1.3 billion US dollars.
Australia's ASX 200 fell a fraction of a percent.
Elsewhere here in Asia, Singapore's Straits Times ended flat.
Japan and South Korea were closed for a public holiday.
 
 
HSBC April Final PMI 48.1
 
HSBC says its Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for China in April has come in at 48.1.
This is down fractionally from its earlier flash reading of 48.3.
HSBC's Chief China Economist says the latest data implies domestic demand is contracting at a slower pace, but remains sluggish.
Qu Hongbin says action will be required to ensure the Chinese economy regains its momentum amid this current slowdown.
 
 
China's trade situation to improve after May - commerce ministry
 
The Chinese commerce ministry is suggesting this country's overall trade is likely to gain momentum following this month.
The ministry's quarterly report suggests external trade is shaping up to exceed last year's figures, although uncertainties continue to weigh on exports.
Zhou Liujun is with the Ministry of Commerce.
"Service trade for the first quarter has grown 15.6% this year, accounting for nearly 13 percent of total foreign trade. That's an almost 2 percent increase year on year. Meanwhile, the shares that China's service took over the global imports and exports have risen to 6 percent for the past year."
The ministry adds imports and exports in the first quarter are within a stable growth range.
The ministry also notes that exporters face increasing challenges, including rising labor and land costs, as well as the appreciation of the renminbi.
Chinese exports unexpectedly fell for the second straight month in March.
Import growth has also dropped sharply.
Chinese trade data for last month is due out on Thursday.
 
 
China to overtake the US and become the world's largest economy
 
Anchor:
China is set to overtake the US as the world's largest economy by at least one measure later this year.
According to the World Bank's International Comparison Program, the Chinese economy will become the world's largest in terms of purchasing power parity.
The economic theory is along the lines of the so-called "Big Mac index" which measures how much purchasing power a given currency has.
The United States has held the top position in that category since 1872.
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:
Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor at China's University of Economics and Business, speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.
 
 
Beijing to Unveil Plan for Establishing Social Credit System Shortly
 
Internal sources are suggesting the draft plan for establishing a new nationwide credit system has been submitted to the State Council for review.
As part of the plan, an information platform will be set up to provide personal and industrial credit information.
The platform will also deal with commercial registrations.
Tax and pension information will also be detailed on the new platform.
A finalized version is expected to be unveiled in the not-too-distant future.
 
 
Google buys UK retail forecasting firm Rangespan
 
Google has announced it's purchased Rangespan.
Rangespan is a UK start-up that uses data analysis to help retailers determine which products they should sell and when.
Founded by former Amazon employees, Rangespan is the third UK start-up to be acquired by Google this year.
The terms of the purchase haven't been made public.
Rangespan calculates real-time sales data to better predict which products will be popular with customers.
It also helps companies better manage their supply chains.
As part of the takeover, Rangespan will no longer sell its services to clients.
The move comes as Google tries to expand its Google Shopping web portal and e-commerce division.
 
 
News Corp buys 'bodice ripper' publisher Harlequin
 
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has bought Canadian publishing house Harlequin for 415-million US dollars.
Harlequin is best known for publishing romance fiction.
More than 40-percent of Harlequin's revenues come from non-English publications.
Harlequin will become a division of News Corp's HarperCollins subsidiary.
Founded in 1949, Harlequin publishes books in 34 different languages and sells them in 100 international markets.
 
 
China temporarily bans British cheese imports
 
Chinese authorities are temporarily banning the import of British cheese, with food inspectors becoming concerned about hygiene standards at an unnamed UK dairy.
The Chinese officials are reportedly dissatisfied with issues such as maintenance and storage, raw milk transport temperatures and air sanitization.
However, the dairy they have visited does not export its products to China.
The UK's agriculture minister is calling for the restrictions to be lifted "as soon as possible".
The current ban applies to all cheese made after May 1st, which is also the date a new food safety law came into effect here on the mainland.
Britain exports more than 11 tons of cheese to China annually.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Chinese premier proposes to upgrade China-Africa cooperation in six areas
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has delivered a speech about China's Africa policy at the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia.
Li Keqiang says he hopes to see China and Africa further collaborate in areas such as industry, finance, poverty reduction, ecological protection, people-to-people exchanges and peace and security.
Li Keqing is also describing Africa as a pole for world politics, global economic growth and human civilization.
Ethiopia is the first leg of Li Keqiang's four-nation tour.
He will also visit Nigeria, Angola and Kenya.
 
 
China vows continued efforts in search for MH370 in new phase
 
China has pledged uninterrupted and intensified efforts in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Chinese Transport Minister Yang Chuantang made the pledge following a trilateral meeting with officials from Malaysia and Australia in Canberra to discuss the way forward in the search.
The three countries have agreed that the search for the missing plane will be expanded, intensifying a scouring of the ocean floor to cover a much larger area.
The new phase of the search is expected to last about a year.
 
 
Thai king attends coronation anniversary ceremony
 
Thailand's long-running King has attended a ceremony commemorating the 64th anniversary of his coronation.
Unlike in previous years, King Bhumibol has not delivered his traditional speech.
The 86-year old Bhumibol did take his motorcade past the thousands who turned out to see the King in the resort city of Hua Hin.
Bhumibol has remained largely out of public view over the past few years, and has been unwilling to intervene in the political unrest which has been gripping the country in recent months.
Though he holds no powers within the Thai government, the Thai people's reverence for the Monarchy gives the king a lot of political sway if and when he decides to intervene in the country's politics.
 
 
Varela from Panama's opposition wins presidential vote
 
Panama's vice-President has taken the country's Presidential election.
Juan Carlos Varela has outlasted his main challenger, garnering nearly 40-percent of the vote.
Panamanians turned out to the polls on Sunday to elect a new President, as well as Mayors, district representatives and members of the parliament.
Varela takes over from Ricardo Martinelli.
Martinelli actively campaigned against his vice-President, as the two had a falling out during his tenure.
 
 
Guangdong joins missing crew rescue mission
 
Over 10 ships from the mainland have been dispatched to help in the search for missing crew members following a boat collision off Hong Kong.
11 men are missing after two ships ran into one-another off Po Toi Island early this morning.
So far only one member of the 12-member mainland-registered vessel has been found.
The 47-year old was plucked alive from the water by a passing fishing boat.
The Chinese ship, which was transporting cement, ran into a container ship which was travelling from Hong Kong to Guangdong.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
China Daily
"Outdoor barbecue ban leaves some disappointed"
Restaurants in the capital are no longer allowed to offer barbecues and serve cold dishes in the open.
The move is part of authorities' latest efforts to improve environmental and food hygiene standards.
Under the new regulation on the outdoor management of restaurants, barbecues, together with making and serving cold dishes in the open, will be banned throughout the city.
All outdoor food outlets should also be equipped with water, drainage and power facilities and be at least 25 meters from places like outdoor dumpsites, cesspools and toilets.
Businesses that illegally barbecue food outside can be fined up to 20,000 yuan ($3,200) and have their barbecue equipment confiscated.
Members of the public can also alert authorities to any violations.
Beijing Youth Daily
"Beijing to invest $1.72 mln in baby formula research"
The Beijing government will invest 10.8 million yuan in a baby formula research program conducted by the Beijing Sanyuan Foods Company.
This will be the first time a Chinese government department has funded a commercial baby formula program.
The three-year program will include an analysis of breast milk composition, a study on nutrition and the metabolic process, and tracking of the effects of feeding babies formula. Beijing Sanyuan will invest more than 10 million yuan in addition to the government funds.
According to the Beijing government's 2014 budget plan, the formula research program funding will be much greater than funding for unmanned aerial vehicles and all-electric vehicles research.
The Telegraph
"Vampire therapy' could reverse ageing, scientists find"
A transfusion of youthful blood may halt or even reverse the ageing process, as two studies find that the chemical make-up of younger blood has surprising health benefits.
Scientists have found that young blood actually 'recharges' the brain, forms new blood vessels and improves memory and learning.
In parallel research, scientists at Harvard University also discovered that a 'youth protein' which circulates in the blood is responsible for keeping the brain and muscles young and strong.
The protein, known as 'GDF11', is present in the bloodstream in large quantities when we are young but peters out as we age.
Both the discoveries were made in mice. Researchers are hoping to begin human trials in the next two to three years, in studies which could bring rapid improvements for human longevity and health.
Japan Daily Press
"Japan looks to develop a new solar energy farm… in outer space"
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is proposing an energy source that might solve Japan's lack of fossil fuel resources for years and years to come.
JAXA wants to launch a series of platforms into orbit around the planet to collect solar energy, a space-based solar energy farm.
These platforms are to be armed with huge batches of solar panels.
JAXA's proposal looks to commercialize space-based energy by collecting them in space and beaming the collected energy to the ground as microwaves. Ground stations would then convert the microwaves into electricity for commercial use.
JAXA says that it can actually set this up to be fully functional by 2030.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Hong Kong Eco Cube
 
Anchor:
An inventor in Hong Kong has created a new way to try to tackle issues surrounding food waste in the city.
CRI's Li Ningjing has more.
Reporter:
In densely populated Hong Kong, waste levels are increasing by the minute.
According to the city's Environmental Protection Department, in 2012, over 5,000 million tones of solid waste were disposed of in landfill sites.
As a result, Hong Kong is expected to run out of landfill space by 2020.
Many locals are now becoming more aware of the importance of recycling.
One social enterprise company, Aubree co., has gone a step further and created a device that simulates real-life ecosystems and food recycling systems.
The device is called the Eco Cube.
Its 25-year-old creator, Jack Cheng, was a student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, majoring in international business management.
According to Cheng, the cube turns waste into something valuable.
"In Hong Kong, we don't have much agricultural land, but in fact we have a lot of fish farms in Hong Kong. So what about we turn this food waste into high protein feed, we can supply it to the local fish farms,"
The Eco Cube is a three-tiered cubic transparent plastic structure with the height of an adult male.
The top tier opens to the sun and grows vegetables.
The middle tier is a closed space containing several bugs and layers of food waste.
The bottom tier is a water tank with several goldfishes swimming inside.
"So here we have a new food waste device and we use the concept of an eco system. Here you can see the insect, this one (is a) black soldier fly, it will lay eggs and then hatch into the larvae. These larvae will eat the food waste and then crawl out to become the fish food. And then we also collect this fish poo to grow the vegetables,"
Some of larvae escape their fate as fish food and grow into flies, thus repeating the cycle.
The water in the fish tank will then work as a fertilizer and be used to irrigate the vegetables.
Zhu Jingxiang, Associate Professor at the School of Architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, was responsible for the design and structure of the Eco Cube.
"So when compared with other similar systems, our system has a live character, it's like something broadcast on air. So everybody can see the process and also can stay in front of the eco device and enjoy it."
So far there are only two Eco Cubes set up in the city. The company hasn't sold any Eco Cubes yet, but they are expected to retail at around US $26,000 each.
BACK ANCHOR:
That is CRI's Li Ningjing reporting.
 
 
Sports
 
 
San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets advance to next round of NBA playoffs
 
In the NBA Playoffs,
The San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets have advanced to the next round of the NBA playoffs after claiming wins in the fourth and fifth Game-7's of an exciting opening round.
The Spurs' Tony Parker knocked down 32 points to lead his club to a 119-96 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to advance to the Western Conference semi-finals.
The Spurs will face the fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who upset the Houston Rockets in a six-game series.
The Toronto Raptors' cinderella season has come to an end following a 104-103 loss to Brooklyn Nets in their Game-7.
Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 28 points with seven rebounds.
Joe Johnson led the Nets with 26 points.
Marcus Thornton finished with 17.
Booklyn Nets' Head Coach Jason Kidd.
"I thought that (Marcus) Thornton was great for us early on and throughout the whole game. You know he was knocking down shots, he was rebounding, but everyone again, played a part in this soirees help us win so, no matter if I play eleven or twelve guys or nine guys, everybody's a part of the win."
The Nets will meet the two-time defending champion Miami Heat in the next round.
 
 
Pittsburgh Penguins beat New York Rangers 3-0 to tie Eastern Conference semi-final series
 
In NHL playoff action,
Bryan Bickell had a goal and 2 assists as the Chicago Blackhawks took a 2-0 series lead this morning following a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild.
Brandon Saad also scoring a pair for the Blackhawks, who had just 22-shots on net to hand Ilya Bryzgalov the loss.
Cory Crawford only had to face 19 shots in the victory.
The series now shifts to Minnesota for a game on Wednesday morning.
Out east,
The Pittburgh Penguins have evened their series with the New York Rangers at 1 with a 3-0 win this morning.
Kris Legang leading the Pens with a goal and two assists.
Marc Andre-Fluery only had to turn aside 22 shots for the shutout.
This series now shifts to New York very quickly, with Game-3 set to be played at Madison Square Garden tomorrow morning.
 
 
ITTF World Team Championships semi-finals in Tokyo
 
In table tennis,
China's men's and women's teams have both reached their respective finals at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo.
The men's team has advanced after downing Chinese Taipei.
China's women squad emulated their male counterparts by beating Singapore 3-0 in their semi-final.
They'll meet Japan in the final, who are coming off a 3-1 win over Hong Kong in the semis.
Germany beat hosts Japan 3-1 to set up a mens team final against the defending Chinese champions.
 
 
Madrid Open underway
 
Serena Williams has opened up defense of her Madrid Open title, brushing aside Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-2, 6-1.
She's set to face China's Peng Shuai in the 2nd round.
Maria Sharapova was also victorious in her first match, dumping Klara Koukalova 6-1, 6-2.
In the men's tournament, Novak Djokovic has withdrawn because of a right wrist injury that already affected his play at Monte Carlo last month.
 
 
JB Holmes wins the Wells Fargo Championship
 
In golf,
J.B. Holmes fired a final-round 1-under par 71 to secure a one stroke victory over Jim Furyk to win this year's Wells Fargo Championships in North Carolina.
Holmes finished at 14-under.
Furyk fired a final-round 65 to vault into second place at 13-under.　
Phil Mickelson had a rough final round, missing four putts from inside the 4-foot range close with a 76 to finish out of the top 10.
Rory McIlroy, the 2010 winner of this tournament, finished tied for 8th.
In the LPGA,
Stacy Lewis has taken this year's North Texas LPGA Shootout, firing a 7-under-64 for a commanding six-stroke victory over Meena Lee.
This is Lewis' 9th career LPGA Tour victory, but her first since last August when she won the Women's British Open.
The victory moves her into 2nd place in the world rankings.
China's Lin Xiyu failed to make the cut at this year's event.
 
 
Top 3 all fluff lines in race fro Spanish league title
 
In soccer,
In action from the Spanish La Liga,
Real Madrid has failed to capitalise on a previous loss by title rivals Atletico Madrid, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Valencia last night.,
Atletico Madrid's march to the Spanish league title hit a bump after it lost 2-0 at Levante.
This means Atletico must win its remaining two games to clinch the title for the first time since 1996.
Atletico's first loss since February has left them three points ahead of Barcelona.
However, the two teams are due too clash in the final game of the season.
In Italian Serie A action.
Roma has fallen to Catania 4-1, handing the Serie A title to Juventus.
With only two rounds left in the Serie A this season, the loss means second-placed Roma can't overcome its eight-point gap with Juventus, who are to play Atalanta later on tonight..
At the same time, AC Milan has joined the race for the final Europa League berth after they beat cross-city rivals Inter 1-0 last night.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Maggie Cheung flops at music fests
 
The annual Strawberry Music Festivals have come to an end.
This year's events in both Beijing and Shanghai have seen performances by Hong Kong film star Maggie Cheung.
After giving an out-of-tune performance in Shanghai, the actress jokingly asked her fans to give her another chance.
"I know I was out of tune in Shanghai, so I searched on Baidu 'How not to go out of tune.' Maybe I spelled the words wrong, or for some other reason, I couldn't find an answer. So today I'll continue to go out of tune, after starring in more than 20 films, I was still called a flower vase. So, please give me 20 more chances!"
Cheung is considered one of the best actors to ever come out of Hong Kong.
The 50-year-old used the Strawberry Festivals to introduce her new rock band.
Cheung's performance was cut short after only two songs due to heavy winds.
 
 
Fan Bingbing tops Forbes China Celebrity list
 
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is topping this year's Forbes China Celebrity list.
The just-released list ranks Fan Bingbing Number-1, with an annual income of around 24 million US dollars.
Following her in second place is Hong Kong actor Andy Lau.
Taiwan singer Jay Chou has come in 3rd.
Chinese tennis ace Li Na and veteran actor Jackie Chan rank 8th and 10th respectively.
Two indicators are used to determine the commercial value of a celebrity; namely income & exposure.
 
 
New Shaolin animation to be made in 3D
 
A new Shaolin movie is now in the making.
It's reportedly going to be a 3D animated Kung fu comedy.
The new film tells the story of Bodhidharma and his two young disciples.
One practices Martial arts and the other studies Chan, also known as Zen.
Cartoonist Cai Zhizhong from Taiwan is taking the helm of the entire production process.
He is best known for his graphical works on Chinese philosophy and history, most notably, the philosophers Laozi, Liezi, and Zhuangzi.
 
 
President Obama attends the annual White House correspondents' dinner
 
US President Barack Obama has 'cracked wise' on a number of topics at this year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
""Of course we rolled out healthcare.gov. That could have gone better. In 2008 my slogan was 'yes we can.' In 2013 my slogan was 'control-alt-delete".
"I am happy to be here, even though I am a little jet-lagged from my trip to Malaysia. The lengths we have to go to to get CNN coverage these days."
"Colorado legalised marijuana this year, an interesting social experiment. I do hope it doesn't lead to a whole lot of paranoid people who think that the federal government is out to get them and listening to their phone calls. That would be a problem."
Lupita, Lindsay Vonn, Sofia Vergara and a number of other celebrities were in attendence at this year's dinner.
Also the British Actor Patrick Stewart who said he's been active in politics from a very young age.
"Politics has been a huge part of my life since 1945 the first post war election in the UK when my father made me a placard, I was four years old and I walked up and down outside the polling booths representing my MP."　
The annual dinner has become a tradition in the nation's capital.
The dinner attracts journalists, government officials, politicians and media personalities.
The White House Correspondents' Dinner is also known as Nerd Prom.
The correspondents' association, which represents the White House press corps, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
 
 
Dancer to Sue Britney Spears over Broken Nose
 
Britney Spears now finds herself in a bit of legal trouble.
One of her back-up dancers is filing a lawsuit against Spears, claiming the pop star broke her nose during a rehearsal last year.
Dawn Noel claims Spears hit her in the face while twirling off-balance.
Doctors later determined Noel needed surgery to repair the fracture to her nasal bone.
Noel claims her request for Spears to compensate her for her medical bills were ignored.
 
 
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been holding meeting in Ethiopia as part of the first leg of his 4-nation African trip.
Ukraine's interim Prime Minister has arrived in the embattled city of Odessa where dozens of people have been killed in pro-Russia unrest.
Chinese, Malaysian and Australian officials have met in Canberra to discuss the next steps forward in the search for missing flight MH370.
In business, the Chinese commerce ministry expecting a rebound in trade after this month.