The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Paul James with you on this Monday, March 17, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
It appears people in Crimea have voted overwhelmingly in favor of seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia.
11 new countries are now officially involved in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight as the authorities change where the search takes place.
The Chinese government has unveiled its new urbanization strategy.
In Business... the central bank has doubled the trading band the Renminbi can rise and fall in during a trading day.
In sports.... a classic Federer/Djokovic matchup is underway in the finals of BNP Paribas open in California.
In entertainment.... an iTunes music show has wrapped up at the South by Southwest festival in Austin.
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
Weather
Beijing will be sunny today, a high of 19 degree Celsius in the daytime and a low of 6 in the night.
In Shanghai, it will see showers today, the highest of 22 degree Celsius, and 12 degrees in the night.
Chongqing will be sunny, with a high of 23 degree Celsius in the daytime, and 14 in the night.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, moderate rain, 19.
Kabul, rainy with a high of 14.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 1 degree.
Washington, sleet, highs of 1.
Houston, sunny, 17.
Honolulu, cloudy, 24.
Toronto, sunny, minus 5.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 21.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny, with highs of 27 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Most Crimeans voted in favor of secession from Ukraine
Exit polling in the Crimean referendum are suggesting well over 95-percent have voted in favor of becoming part of Russia and seceding from Ukraine.
Many pro-Russia voters are already celebrating in the streets.
The region's pro-Russia leader has already announced he will apply to join Russia later on this Monday.
Russian president Vladmir Putin is on-record saying he'll support the outcome of the referendum, saying it doesn't breach any international law.
However, the European Union and the United States have condemned the ballot, saying it has been conducted under military intimidation from Moscow and is therefore illegal.
White House Senior Adviser Dan Pfeiffer.
"This referendum is in violation of international law, the United States is not going to recognise the results of that referendum and we are working with our partners around the world, the Europeans in particular to marshal forces against the Russians to put pressure on them in the form of sanctions."
A US-sponsored draft resolution in the UN Security Council to nullify the outcome of the Crimean vote has been vetoed by Russia.
EU ministers are set to meet later on this Monday to consider imposing sanctions on Russia.
In Crimea, despite the overwhelming support from the ethnic Russian community for the secession, the ethnic Tatar population, which makes up 12-percent of the population in Crimea, have largely boycotted the referendum.
Tensions have been flaring up as Ukrainian troops have blocked roads after Russian troops moved in to try to seize a local gas distribution centre.
Interview with Sergio Cantone, euronews correspondent in Kiev
For more on the situation in Ukraine, we earlier spoke with Sergio Cantone, euronews correspondent in Kiev.
That was Sergio Cantone, euronews correspondent in Kiev.
Malaysian government asks more countries to help assist searching efforts
Malaysian authorities now say 25 nations are now involved in the official search for flight MH370.
The involvement of the additional countries over the weekend comes following word from Malaysian authorities the missing plane had its radar and transponder intentionally turned off shortly after taking off 9-days ago.
Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
"Malaysian officials are requesting support from these countries as well as others. This support includes general satellite data, radar playback both primary and secondary, provisions for ground, sea and aerial search and assets as appropriate."
The addition of the new counties comes after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed over the weekend the plane turned around after the radar and transponder were shut down, then turned west back over Malaysia before disappearing.
As such, authorities have now changed the search grid to either a southwest or northwest track, meaning the search for the missing jetliner is being extended into the southern Indian Ocean and along a track heading into Central Asia.
Malaysian authorities are also requesting further satellite data from China, the United States and France in an attempt to try to track the missing plane.
Investigators have not said which way they're focusing their investigation, other than to say they're looking into the backgrounds of all those on the flight.
The Malaysia Airlines flight, with 239 passengers and crew onboard, disappeared around an hour after take-off on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
154 of those on the flight are Chinese.
Here in Beijing, most of the family members of those missing are choosing to continue to wait in at a hotel near the airport.
Malaysian Airlines has promised to continue providing accommodations for the roughly 200 family members.
Authorities are also providing daily briefings for the families every evening.
China unveils landmark urbanization plan
The central authorities here in China have unveiled this country's first-ever national-level urbanization roadmap.
The new document has placed a focus on "human-centered and environmentally friendly" development.
The National New-type Urbanization Plan contends urbanization serves as a strong engine for sustainable and healthy economic growth.
The latest government figures show the urbanization ratio in China current sits at 53.7-percent, far lower than the 80-percent average of developed countries.
The new plan has set a target of creating an urbanization ratio of 60 percent by 2020, with 45 percent of the population holding an urban hukou.
Syrian government forces appear to have seized and taken full control of Yabroud
Syria's state media is reporting government forces have taken full control of the town of Yabroud.
Yabroud is a key land route linking the capital Damascus to Aleppo and the Mediterranean coast.
Syrian media is citing an unidentified military officer.
"After a series of military operations Syrian army and national defence forces re-established security and stability to Yabroud city and in the northern suburbs of Damascus after killing huge numbers of terrorists who were in the city and used it as a crossing point for weapons and terrorists to Syria."
The fall of Yabroud, the last rebel bastion near the Lebanese border, could choke off a vital insurgent supply line from Lebanon.
It also consolidates government control over a swathe of territory from Damascus to the central city of Homs.
Syria launches missiles into Lebanon's border town
The Syrian air force has launched an air assault into Lebanese territory.
It's being reported Syrian jets have launched several air-to-ground missiles at a mountain pass which is known to be a transit point for smugglers and an escape route for Syrian rebel forces.
The results of the Syrian airforce raid remains unclear.
The area where the assault took place is also home to around 50-thousand Syrian refugees.
Meanwhile, Turkey has scrambled a pair of jets to intercept a pair of Syrian fighter jets near its borders.
No shots were fired, as the Syrian jets turned away just over two miles away from the Turkish border.
Syrian Children Hit Hard by Prolonged Conflict
Anchor:
With the Syrian conflict entering its fourth year, the years of violence and bloodshed have had a devastating impact on the country's school-age children.
The United Nations says the number of children directly impacted by the war has doubled in the last year alone, rising to 5.5 million.
CRI's Yin Xiuqi has more.
Reporter:
Nearly 3 million children in Syria and its neighboring countries are unable to attend school regularly - representing half of Syria's school-age population.
Two million require psychological support or treatment.
But a small, make-shift school at a refugee settlement near Majdal Anjar, a border town in the east of Lebanon's Bekaa valley, is providing some hope.
Along with 20 other Syrian children, 13-year-old Anas braved the cold spring weather to attend a class held in a tent.
The tent is home to a refugee family and turns into a makeshift classroom for four hours each day in an informal refugee encampment erected on sprawling fields along Lebanon's border with Syria.
Anas holds hope for the future despite the harsh conditions resulting from the conflict in Syria.
"In Syria, they were shelling us and that is why we left and came here. I would like to go back to Syria. I will help my parents and I will finish my studies, so I will be able to support them."
Anas was in fourth grade when his home city of Homs in central Syria came under siege nearly three years ago.
His school came under fire and his teachers fled, as did his parents and his five siblings.
None of them have been to school since.
Meanwhile, those teaching the children in the makeshift classroom say they're starting to overcome some of the traumas they faced.
"When we started with the children, we realised they had a tendency towards violence. Some children did not like meeting each other and others kept crying because of their fears, but they are now overcoming them and getting better."
With no end to the fighting in sight, Syrian refugees are becoming more desperate than ever to have their children receive the most basic education.
They are pleading with school principals to take their children into Lebanon's overcrowded public schools and sending them to makeshift classes in tents and private houses, and even mosques.
For CRI, I'm YXQ.
North Korea launches 25 more short-range missiles
North Korean forces have launched 25 more short-range missiles off the country's east coast.
The launch of the missiles comes 12-days after Pyongyang fired off a number of other projectiles into the open waters off the country's east coast.
South Korean authorities say they believe the missiles launched early last night are so-called FROG missiles with a range of around 70-kilometers.
The short-range missiles were introduced to North Korea from the Soviet Union in the 1960's.
The launch of the missiles is thought to be protest against the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.
The annual war-games are scheduled to last for another month.
Palestinians call on Abbas not to surrender to Obama's pressure
A number of Palestinian factions are calling on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to maintain his resolve in his meeting later on this Monday with US President Barack Obama at the White House.
A number of leading Palestinian groups, including Hamas which controls the West Bank, are pleading with Abbas not to surrender to any pressure Obama may put on him when it comes to any extension of the current peace talks.
The current window for negotiations, established by the US-side in brokering the current round of peace talks, is set to expire at the end of April.
Palestinian authorities have already said they have no plans to extend the talks beyond April, saying the US proposals being put forward are too favorable to Israel.
The current round of talks, launched after a 3-year hiatus, have yet to create any new headway toward a peace deal.
Parliamentary polls in Serbia close
Voting has wrapped up in parliamentary elections in Serbia.
Turnout has been pegged at just over 45-percent, which would represent around 3-million votes of the 6.7-percent of registered voters.
Voters are making selections for 250-parliamentary seats up for grabs in the Serbian parliament.
Results of the vote are expected to be announced later on this Monday.
Over 100,000 celebrate Irish St Patrick's Day in London
Over 100-thousand people have turned out in London on Sunday for the annual St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
Organized by the Mayor's office and local Irish businesses, the parade from Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square has seen some 90-different groups taking part.
Various other celebrations have also taken place in London to mark the Irish holiday.
March 17th has been officially recognized as the day marking the death of the patron Saint of Ireland, Patrick.
The event is celebrated by the Irish populations around the world.
The Irish embassy here in Beijing holds an annual ball which draws hundreds of revelers every year.
Biz Reports
Markets worldwide are expected to react the Crimea referendum later on this Monday.
U.S. stocks close out last week with their largest weekly drop in the last seven weeks.
Meanwhile, last week's record decline in foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries has led some to speculate that Russia has been cutting its dollar reserves.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is also on investors' radar this week as a two-day meeting of its policy-setting committee kicks off on Tuesday.
The Fed could use the meeting, the first with Janet Yellen as chair, to map out its plan for potential rate increases.
The Fed has said the first rate rise is likely to come around the middle of next year, as long as the U.S. economy keeps healing.
Market-sensitive data from the US for this week includes housing starts and consumer inflation data due out on Tuesday.
The Philly Fed survey, weekly jobless claims and home resales figures are due on Thursday.
The latest economic reports will arrive in the form of euro-zone CPI today, euro-zone ZEW sentiment on Tuesday, German PPI on Thursday, and euro-zone consumer confidence on Friday.
In Britain, The highlight of the economic week is George Osborne delivering his fifth Budget.
However, eyes will also be on Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, as he unveils plans to modernise the Bank of England on Tuesday.
And here in China, the National Bureau of Statistics will release home prices in China's 70 major cities for February on Tuesday.
China doubles yuan trading band, seen as sign of confidence
China's central bank is loosening its grip on the yuan by doubling the daily trading range for the Renminbi today.
The daily movement limit is being allowed to rise or fall by 2-percent from a daily midpoint rate set by the PBOC every morning.
Analysts say the move is a sign of confidence the PBOC has been successful in fighting off currency speculators.
The widening of the band has been broadly expected after the yuan fell in value from mid-February through early March.
Many traders suspect the central bank, working through state banks, artificially pushed down the value of the Renminbi during that period to force those speculating on appreciation to unwind their positions.
The yuan rose 2.9 percent against the US dollar last year, far outperforming other emerging economy currencies and surprising markets.
Live call-in with Mike Bastin on Alibaba to kick off IPO in U.S.
Anchor:
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has begun its initial public offering process in the United States.
Alibaba's IPO is expected to be one of the largest ever in New York.
The announcement came on Sunday after Alibaba decided on New York after ruling out Hong Kong and London for the IPO.
Alibaba is expected to raise about 15-billion US dollars in what is being touted as the highest profile listing since Facebook's 16-billion dollar listing in 2012.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting Alibaba could launch its IPO as soon as April, which could allow trading to begin by the third quarter.
For more on the Alibaba listing, we're joined live now by Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of Economics and Business.
1. Why did Alibaba chose New York over Hong Kong and London?
2. Sina Weibo has also filed for IPO in the United States. Why are so many of China's top companies choosing to list abroad?
3. Speaking of Alibaba, the central bank has also prohibited payments made by scanning a bar code with mobile devices, which is affecting the rollout of virtual credit card by Alibaba and Tencent. This comes less than a week after the companies announced the initiative. What's behind the decision and how will it impact growth opportunities of China's internet companies?
Back Anchor:
Mike Bastin, Visiting Professor of China's University of Economics and Business.
Dubai reaches agreement on $20bn debt deal
Dubai has refinanced 20-billion dollars’ worth of emergency aid that its provided to its construction industry during its near-collapse during the height of the financial crisis.
The agreement is among Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates.
The terms of the new agreement will see the emergency aid extended for 5-years at a 1-perccent annual interest rate.
This is much lower than the 4 percent which Dubai had been paying.
The roll-over covers a 10-billion dollar, 5-year loan which was offered to Dubai by the Abu Dhabi government through two state-owned banks.
It also covers 10-billion dollars’ worth of five-year bonds which Dubai issued to the UAE's central bank.
The agreement will enable Dubai to continue spending heavily on infrastructure as it prepares to host the World Expo in 2020.
Berkshire opposes dividend proposal; Buffett, Gates get pay rises
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is urging shareholders to vote against a proposal that would consider spending some of its 48-billion dollars of available cash on a "meaningful" dividend.
A Birkshire shareholder is planning to propose the payout at the company's May 3rd annual meeting.
Berkshire has not paid a cash dividend since 1967.
According to Forbes, Buffett's 58-billion dollar net worth makes him the world's fourth-richest person.
In opposing the dividend proposal, Berkshire's board says it already considers every year whether the company should retain all its earnings.
Britain to extend housing market stimulus scheme
British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has announced a plan to extend the government's 'Help to Buy' scheme for another four years to 2020 at a cost of around 6-billion pounds.
Osborne says the policy will help facilitate the construction of 120-thousand houses by the end of 2020.
'Help to Buy' was first introduced in the UK spring budget last year.
Under the program, the British government can lend home buyers up to 20 percent of the cost of building a new home.
The deal also gives new home buyers mortgage guarantees.
Controversies and criticism have been mounting since its implementation last spring, with detractors complaining the program is pushing up already high prices in London and in south-east England.
Headline News
Crimea referendum exit polls: 95 pct favor reuniting with Russia
Voting in the controversial referendum in Crimea has come to a conclusion.
Exit polling is suggesting that over 95-percent have voted to leave Ukraine and rejoin Russia.
The final results of the vote are expected to come out within the next few hours.
Authorities in Crimea launched the referendum after forces loyal to Russia took control of a number of major institutions in the fallout from the ouster of Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych.
The European Union and the United States have announced they will not accept the outcome of the referendum.
Russia has said it will respect the results of the vote.
More countries involved in Malaysia Airlines search
Malaysian authorities now say 25 nations are now involved in the official search for flight MH370.
The involvement in the additional countries over the weekend comes following word from Malaysian authorities the missing plane had its radar and transponder intentionally turned off shortly after taking off 9-days ago.
Over the weekend, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed the plane turned around after the radar and transponder were shut down, then turned west back over Malaysia before disappearing.
As such, authorities have now changed the search grid to either a southwest or northwest track, meaning the search for the missing jetliner is being extended into the southern Indian Ocean and along a track heading into Central Asia.
7.0-magnitude quake hits 68km west of Iquique, Chile -- USGS
A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of Chile.
The 7.0-magnitude quake hit in the ocean about 70-kilometers to the northwest of the port city of Iquique.
The quake was strong enough to be felt across the city of 180-thousand.
No word yet on damage or injuries.
The city of Iquique was hammered by a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in 2005 which injured over a hundred people and left 11-dead.
China doubles yuan trading band, seen as sign of confidence
China's central bank is loosening its grip on the yuan by doubling the daily trading range for the Renminbi today.
The daily movement limit is being allowed to rise or fall by 2-percent from a daily midpoint rate set by the PBOC every morning.
Analysts say the move is a sign of confidence the PBOC has been successful in fighting off currency speculators.
The widening of the band has been broadly expected after the yuan fell in value from mid-February through early March.
China unveils landmark urbanization plan
The central authorities here in China have unveiled this country's first-ever national-level urbanization roadmap.
The new document has placed a focus on "human-centered and environmentally friendly" development.
The National New-type Urbanization Plan contends urbanization serves as a strong engine for sustainable and healthy economic growth.
The latest government figures show the urbanization ratio in China current sits at 53.7-percent, far lower than the 80-percent average of developed countries.
The new plan has set a target of creating an urbanization ratio of 60 percent by 2020, with 45 percent of the population holding an urban hukou.
Newspaper Picks
CHINA DIALY
Headline
Paper-recycling program helps children
Summary
A charity program involving paper recycling has helped nearly 3-thousand children receive medical treatment or education over the past six years.
The program, launched by the China Charity Federation in early 2008, has collected over 40-thousand tons of waste paper across China, selling the paper to recyclers for some 30 million yuan.
The money has been used to pay for the treatments of over 300 children with serious illnesses.
It has also subsidized the education of over 26-hundred poor children.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
China regulates online ad security
Summary
Industrial standards for Internet advertising have gone into effect as concerns rise over users' information security.
The standards, created by the China Internet Association, require that the collection, use, transfer and sharing of user information has to abide by mutual agreements and be in accordance with the law.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Car plate prices remain stable
Summary
The number of bidders for Shanghai car plates has leapt more than 35-percent from last month.
However, a price ceiling has helped ensure prices are little changed.
The most recent auction has attracted over 61-thousand private buyers.
However, the number of plates on offer remains at last month's level of 8-thousand.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Guangzhou baby hatch suspended
Summary
A baby hatch pilot program has been suspended in Guangzhou, with the local welfare center overwhelmed by an increasing number of abandoned babies.
The local civil affairs bureau says the number of abandoned babies has exceeded the limit the center can handle.
A baby hatch is a place where people can safely and anonymously abandon a baby.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Beijing levies fines on air polluters
Summary
Beijing authorities have issued their first administrative penalties to a local heating company for violating the city's new environmental protection laws.
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Corps has sent a notice to the Beijing Hongxianghong Heating Company, demanding it rectify its behavior within three days and pay a 100-thousand yuan fine.
Beijing environmental protection inspectors launched a campaign on March 1st when the new regulations took effect to test the emissions of companies.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Japanese military brothel to be protected
Summary
A brothel set up by the Japanese military in Nanjing is to be protected as a historical relic by the local government.
The brothel, which was used to force "comfort women" to provide sex for Japanese soldiers, is the largest to still exist in Asia.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Nikon ordered to withdraw faulty cameras
Summary
Japanese camera giant Nikon has been ordered to remove its D600 cameras from sale at stores across China.
The ruling has been issued after a report on CCTV's "3.15" news program which revealed the pictures the camera takes are often ruined by mysterious black specks.
Nikon has sold about 48-thousand D600 cameras on the mainland.
Special Reports
Urban Gardening
Anchor:
A group here in Beijing has begun actively trying to promote the idea of urban gardening.
CRI's Doris Wang explains.
Reporter:
In the neighbourhood of Liulichang in downtown Beijing, a small crowd gathered around several planter boxes.
With a handful of dirt in one hand, Jonas Nakonz demonstrated how to make seed bombs while he shared his experience in urban farming.
"I am employed as a specialist for agriculture and urban farming. I'm responsible for agricultural auditing meaning, for instance, transforming land into more sustainable organic farm outside of the city. Within the city, we do rooftop gardens. We start to build up a commercial rooftop farming activity."
Planting flowers and vegetables in the crowded Hutongs and on the rooftops of apartments, Nakonz and his colleagues have started making Beijing a more environmentally-friendly place to live.
Annie Dillon studied urban farming in the United States and arrived in Beijing just three weeks ago.
"I have been interested in urban farming for a couple of years now. I took a course when I was in university that was about trying to figure out ways to revitalize and re-vegetate urban spaces. We actually did seed bombing in that course."
Both Nakonz and Dillon work at We Impact, a social enterprise whose goal is the development and promotion of Sustainable Lifestyles through knowledge, culture, and business.
According to Nakonz, urban gardening is a simple activity that everyone can do.
However, he says Beijing does present a few challenges for his hobby.
"I think the main challenge in Beijing doesn't come from the size or the population. Beijing has pretty rough climate with very cold winters and very hot summers. Technically, it's a bit more challenging than more temperate regions."
Nakonz says he still has hope that urban gardening will become more popular. He says he has already seen evidence of this around the city.
"The people living in the Hutongs – they used to do urban gardening for generations. You can still see it when you walk around. It's pretty impressive. But urban agriculture as a modern lifestyle is still in its very beginning."
Despite the difficulties they will face in popularizing urban gardening in China's capital city, Annie Dillon sees a lot of potential.
"Beijing is definitely challenging. It's dry. It's hard to find good soil in the city. It's obviously such a densely populated area. But I think the number of people and the size of the city also creates a lot of potential. There are such beautiful parks throughout the city. There's a lot of room to beautify the city."
Dillon says she will start her mission to beautify Beijing by growing plants on the rooftop of her own apartment.
Back Anchor:
That is CRI's Doris Wang reporting.
Sports
Djokovic claims BNP Paribas Open title
In tennis,
Novak Djokovic and Flavia Pennetta are the victors at this year's BNP Paribas Open.
On the men’s side,
The final actually just wrapped up minutes ago, it came down to Roger Federer versus long-time rival Novak Djokovic..
Roger Federer took the first set 6-3. Djokovic mirrored him by taking the second 6-3. The third was a fight, but Djokovic edged out his Swiss opponent, winning 7-6 for the title.
The on-court rivalry between Federer and Djokovic has a long history. Federer leads having won 17 times, but that win almost ties it up, putting Djokovic at 16.
In the semifinals,
Djokovic had a tough time getting past big-serving American Jon Isner, but eventually triumphed 7-5, 6-7, 6-1
Federer had a smoother path into the final, after putting an end to Ukrainian player Alexandr Dolgopolov's string of upsets, 6-3, 6-1.
Earlier the womens final saw Italy's Flavia Pennetta absolutely steamroll over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-1.
The 20th seeded Italian had dispatched top ranked Li Na in the semifinals, and didn't seem to lose any of that momentum when she went up against Radwanska. But to be fair, Radwanska was struggling with a knee injury that combined with the loss, left her in tears after the match.
In men's doubles,
Top seeded Bob and Mike Bryan defended their title at the Paribas Open after defeating Australian-Brazilian duo Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares. The 35-year old American twins dispatched the number two seeds 6-4, 6-3 in the final.
And in women’s doubles,
It was another top seed victory, when the mainland's Peng Shuai and Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei defeated Cara Black and Sania Mirza for the title.
China's Zheng Jie just missed getting into the finals to face her compatriot, when she and her partner Lucie Hradeck lost to the Zimbabwe-India duo in the semifinals.
Nico Rosberg claims victory at highly chaotic Australian Grand Prix
In formula one news,
Nico Rosberg claimed the first victory of the 2014 season for Mercedes with a win at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.
It wasn't just a win for the German driver, it was a domination. He came in nearly 26 seconds ahead of Australian driver Daniel Riccardo of Red Bull, who was buoyed by his home crowd.
"Two, three weeks ago I would have bet pretty much everything I had that we would not be standing up here. Full credit obviously to the team for an unbelievable turnaround. I don't understand how they did it but they did - thank you guys. And of course the Aussie fans - wow - completely overwhelming. No words."
The season opener is always an exciting race, but few expected it to reach quite the level of chaos and drama that it did.
Lewis Hamiton, who had started in pole position, retired with mechanical problems after lap 3. Sebastian Vettel was the next casualty after power-unit trouble hit his Red Bull.
Felipe Massa quit after being punched from behind by Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi of Caterham. Massa was in a rage after the botched race, and called the sport's governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, to complain.
And to top it off, poor Daniel Ricciardo had his second place stripped after the governing body decided he had broken fuel regulations.
Ireland claims Six Nations Title with victory over France
In rugby
Ireland defeated France 22-20 to secure the 2014 Six Nations title over the weekend.
It was an idyllic ending for Irish center Brian O'Driscoll, who will retire after a 14-year international career that included four tours with the British & Irish Lions and 141 international caps.
Ending with a victory over France was fitting since O'Driscoll made his debut against France in 2000 scoring a hat trick of tries to help Ireland break a 26 year victory drought on French soil.
"I think I tried to channel the emotions into the performance. I think you have to try and make sure that you're able to be the cog in the wheel for the team, and that's what I tried to do. Emotions come afterwards and they did. There's some great emotions in the dressing room and I'm sure they'll be a few tears, whether it be later on with multiple beers on board, probably."
England completed their Six Nations campaign with a big 52-11 win over Italy, and were poised to win the title had France beaten Ireland.
England's coach Stuart Lancaster said he was proud of his squad's tremendous progress, regardless of whether they walked away with the title or not.
We played this game last year and we won 18-11 at home at Twickenham and scored six penalties, and it's a young team with an average age of 24. So when you put everything into perspective, I think we've made great progress. We haven't got everything right in every game but our intent to attack, the quality of our defence and our set piece have been excellent ".
Wales came in third, the French fourth, then Scotland. The Italians lost all of their matches, and walked away with the wooden spoon.
Alejandro Canizares triumphs at Trophee Hassan II in morrocco
In golf,
Alejandro Canizares held onto his early lead to win the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco, his second European Tour title. The Spaniard carded a 2-under 70 final round for a five-stroke victory.
NBA game lineup
In the NBA,
The Boston Celtics trailed New Orleans at the half 57 to 54.
The Phoenix Suns handed Toronto a loss at home, 121 to 113.
The Charlotte Bobcats defeated Milwaukee 101 to 92.
Ray Allen scored 25 to help the Miami Heat topple the Houston Rockets 113 to 104.
And later at 9, the Golden State Warriors will take on Portland. And the LA Clippers face Cleveland at 9:30.
Entertainment
iTunes Festival closes at weekend
The iTunes Festival South by Southwest wrapped up in Texas over the weekend with sets from two country heavyweights.
(Nelson)
Willie Nelson opened the evening at the Texas' Moody theatre
Joined by a eight-piece band, Nelson opened his performance with "Whiskey river" before working his way through some classics.
The four day event closed on a high note with Keith Urban taking to the stage, charming the audience with unusually bountiful charisma.
For those hoping to catch the show, Apple is streaming all performances, in much the same way it has offered its 30-night London version of the festival to non-attendees.
Tyler the Creator arrested for inciting a riot
Staying with South By Southwest, Tyler the creator has been arrested for allegedly inciting a riot.
Police in Texas accuse Tyler of encouraging queuing fans to push through a gate.
When festival staff attempted to close the gate, the crowd became enraged and chaos ensued.
The police say that the 23 year old's behaviour put people in direct danger of injury and cannot be tolerated.
If found guilty of the charges of inciting a riot, Tyler faces up to a year in jail and a $4000 dollar fine.
Whilst the charges seem a bit harsh, Tyler and his Odd Future group aren't particularly angelic.
Last month, the group were denied entry to New Zealand over their track record of stirring up violence at their shows.
This year's South by Southwest was marred by tragedy earlier in the week.
In a completely unrelated event, a drunk driver killed two after crashing through barricades.
Jamie Hewlett to exhibit at British Library
(Gorillaz)
Gorillaz co-creator and superstar of British comics, Jamie Hewlett, is to feature in a new exhibition at the British Library.
"Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK seeks to explore how comic artists have challenged stereotypes.
It is set to feature original material from the Gorillaz and the iconic Tank Girl series, which Hewlett created in collaboration with Alan Martin.
Tank Girl was groundbreaking in its use of surrealist techniques, collage, metafiction and experimental narrative style to portray the adventures of eponymous protagonist and her mutant kangaroo boyfriend.
For the new show, Hewlett has created artwork featuring a caped female who has taken out a superhero with the back alleys of London's Kings Cross as back drop.
Elsewhere at the exhibition, expect to find gems including comics from the 19th century Illustrated London News.
The comprehensive show will also include previously "unseen discoveries" unearthed from the Library's archives.
Comics Unmasked kicks off on May 2nd and wrapes up on 19 August.
UK Wife Carrying Competition
Elsewhere in a little isle nation in the world,
The annual UK Wife Carrying competition took place in Dorking on Sunday.
According to the organisers, the men and women had to run over a 380 metre long course, with obstacles, ascents and descents.
Sunday's race was the seventh such race to be held in the UK and is believed to have firm roots from Viking times, or say the organisers.
Happy Mondays dancer Bez to run for Salford MP
(Happy Mondays)
Perhaps best known for his unconventional moves, former Happy Monday's dancer Bez has his sights set on a seat in Parliament.
Mark Berry, or Bez, says he plans to stand as a candidate for Salford in the General Elections.
This follows last month's notice from incumbent Salford MP Hazel Blears that she was stepping down.
The 49 year old says that he, I quote, "can give free energy," and that this will be available for everyone.
He added that the tagline of his campaign will circle around "free energy, free food and free anything".
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
It appears people in Crimea have voted overwhelmingly in favor of seceeding from Ukraine and joining Russia.
11 new countries are now officially involved in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight as the authorities change where the search takes place.
The Chinese government has unveiled its new urbanization strategy.
In Business... the central bank has doubled the trading band the Renminbi can rise and fall in during a trading day.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together. |