Welcome to the Beijing Hour; we are coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the programme this evening:

Malaysian authorities have officially declared all aboard missing flight MH370 dead.

A new voice recording of the Islamic State's Japanese hostage is being analyzed.

The Chinese goverment is moving to expand some of the beneifts being offered in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone to the rest of the country.

In business.... most of the provincial-level regions in China have downgraded their GDP forecast for this year.

In sports... Serena and Sharapova set to battle it out for the Aussie Open crown on Saturday.

In entertainment.... Taiwan singer/actor Jay Chou set to become a Voice of China coach.

But first, a check on what's happening weather wise...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be clear tonight, with a low of minus 6. It will be sunny tomorrow, with a high of 3 degrees.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will have showers tonight, with a low of 2, it will be partly cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 7.

Chongqing will see slight rain tonight, 6 degrees the lowest, tomorrow will also have slight rain with a high of 7.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad will be sunny tomorrow with a high of 25.

Kabul, partly cloudy, 9.

Over in Australia

Sydney, partly cloudy, highs of 27.

Canberra, cloudy, 21.

Brisbane, partly cloudy, 30.

Finally, Perth will have clouds with a high of 37.

 

 

Top News

 

 

Malaysia Airlines announces MH370 officially an accident, all dead

 

Malaysia authorities have officially declared flight MH370 an accident, with all 239 people onboard considered dead.

In making the announcement, Malaysia authorities have announced it's beginning the process of compensating the families.

The flight disappeared on March 8th of last year en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Investigators have concluded the flight banked west, then south into the southern Indian Ocean.

However, months of searching has failed to turn up any evidence of the missing airliner.

Close to two-thirds of those onboard the flight are Chinese nationals.

 

 

Hostage crisis: Japan analyses new voice recording

 

Japan's Prime Minister says extremist acts by the Islamic State are "unforgivable".

Shinzo Abe's comments come on the heels of a new recording from Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.

In it, the voice, in English, is heard saying a Jordanian pilot currently being held by the militants is going to be killed unless an Iraqi prisoner held in Jordan is freed by sunset on Thursday.

The voice recording is being reviewed by experts to confirm its authenticity.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says there is a "high probability" the recording is Goto.

"We are currently trying to confirm authenticity of latest audio message. But we think there is a high probability that this is the voice of Mr. Goto, based on various information."

Unconfirmed reports are suggesting the Iraqi woman the Islamic State is demanding has already been released and is now in Syrian territory.

Jordanian authorities have not said whether the reports are true or not.

The new deadline issued by the extremists is thought to be just hours away.

--

For more on the current situation, CRI's Xu QinDuo spoke earlir with Ahmed Hashim, Associate Professor of Military Studies at Nanyang Technological University.

 

 

Australia Siege Inquest reveals hostage killed by police bullet

 

The inquest into the Sydney cafe siege has revealed one of the hostages was killed by friendly fire.

Coronor Jeremy Gormly has testified the 38-year-old Katrina Dawson was killed trying to protect a pregnant friend.

"Ms. Dawson was struck by six fragments of a police bullet or bullets which ricocheted from hard surfaces into her body. I will not detail the damage done to Ms. Dawson other than to say that one fragment struck a major blood vessel. She lost consciousness quickly and died shortly afterwards."

Police stormed the Cafe in Sydney in the early hours of December 16th after the gunman Man Haron Monis shot and killed cafe manager Tori Johnson.

The police action quickly ended the 17-hour standoff, where 18 people were being held hostage.

The inquest has been called to determine exactly how the three people who were killed in the incident died, and whether any of their deaths could have been avoided.

Investigators are also trying to determine how Monis was granted bail while facing charges as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife, on top of some 40-different charges of sexual assault.

 

 

South Korea says DPRK unlikely to restart Nuclear reactor

 

South Korea's Defense Ministry says it's been able to determine a nuclear test by North Korea is not imminent.

The suggestion comes despite comments from a top U.S. think tank suggesting Pyongyang may be trying to restart its nuclear reactor.

South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson Kim Min-Seok.

"As we said last year, North Korea has reached a stage where it can conduct a nuclear test any time, but there has been no circumstantial report that North Korea is making final preparations for a test."

Johns Hopkins University in Washington says its reviewed satellite images suggesting North Korea may be trying to restart the country's main nuclear facility.

It's suggesting this could be a prelude to Pyongyang moving to re-start its enrichment programs for atomic weapons.

However, the same analysis says there's not enough information to reach a "definitive conclusion."

The Yongbyon reactor was officially shut down in 2007.

But there have been suggestions North Korea quietly re-started it for a time in 2013.

North Korea's last nuclear test took place in February of 2013.

The country became a nuclear state in 2009.

The new report comes as Special US Representative for North Korean affairs, Sung Kim, sits down this Thursday for talks with senior Chinese government officials.

 

 

Russian government outlines $35 billion anti-crisis plan

 

The Russian government is implementing a 35-billion US dollar stimulus plan.

Details remain murky at this point.

But it's widely expected a lot of the money is going to go to the Russian banking sector.

Some of the funds are also going to be used to top up pensions, which have been eroded over the past year by the rapid decline in the value of the Russian ruble.

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I ask the Chamber of Accounts to monitor the process of fulfillment of this plan. It is necessary to try to achieve a distinct and tangible result, improve specific industries, stimulate demand on domestic production. And by no means, I would like to draw your attention to this, should we allow just squandering of the state resources and reserves. It is necessary to act very carefully."

The Russian government is planning on slashing spending by around 10-percent this year to off-set the increase in spending.

 

 

China expands shanghai FTZ policies nationwide

 

Anchor:

China's cabinet has announced that certain preferential policies currently available in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone are going to be expanded nationwide.

The state council has issued a circular, saying most of the country will be allowed to adopt 22 measures on investment, foreign trade, finance, service and government supervision by the end of June.

Six of the existing customs measures in the Shanghai FTA are going to be expanded to more than 100 "customs special supervision areas" across China at the same time.

For more on the move, earlier I talked to Liu Baocheng, professor of Marketing with the University of International Business and Economics.

 

 

China launches a three-year medical service reform program

 

Anchor:

The Chinese government has launched a 3-year plan to deal with hospital waiting lines.

As CRI's Wang Mengzhen reports, the new program is meant to try to cope with the long waits for both emergency care and surgeries.

Reporter:

"In the past, we needed to queue up for both the registration and payment process. When it comes to follow-ups, we still have to stand in-line to make our payments."

Li Zhixuan from the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang is one of thousands who have to deal with long line-ups for medical care.

It's situations like hers which has prompted the government to take action to try to streamline the process.

Jiao Yahui is a leading member of China's National Health and Family Planning Division.

"We are trying to simplify our procedures for outpatient services through better information technology. At the same time, we're also going to hire more volunteers and social workers to provide individual care. We need to bridge the communication gap between doctors and patients."

Changes are already starting to take place.

Patients can now make appointments via individual hospital's WeChat accounts.

Online diagnosis of certain ailments is also being made available in advance of a trip to the doctor.

At the same time, Chinese health authorities are creating a unified appointment system throughout the country.

By the end of 2017, all in-patient procedures will have to be made via an appointment.

It's expected around half of all out-patient procedures will be pre-booked by then as well.

The new reforms are also requiring medical staff to treat emergency-room patients with or without being paid first.

Li Dachuan with the National Health and Family Planning Commission says this should help eliminate conflicts among patients and medical staff.

"When there is a medical emergency, patients shouldn't hesitate to go to the hospital, regardless of the cost. Medical institutions can no longer reject patients because of payment issues. This should lead to a more cooperative patient-doctor relationship."

New regulations are also being worked on to try to ensure more privacy when it comes to the patient's medical information.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Anchor:

First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets this Thursday evening.

Joining me on the desk is Poornima Weerasekara.

Reporter:

Chinese markets saw a moderate sell-off today following an announcement by securities regulators of an investigation into margin trading by 46 different companies.

However, the regulator was quick to add the inspections are going to be a regular occurrence, suggesting the market not over-interpret the move.

A surprise move by regulators nearly 2-weeks ago triggered a massive single day sell-off, sending the Shanghai Stock Exchange down nearly 8-percent.

Investors appeared to listen today, even though Shanghai still finished down nearly one and a third of a percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index fared better, only giving up just under 1-percent.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng gave up 1 percent.

Other Asian markets finished down after the US Federal Reserve indicated it is still on track to raise interest rates this year.

In Japan, the Nikkei ended down 1 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI dipped half a percent.

Singapore's Straits Times index ended down just marginally.

Australia's ASX 200 bucked the downward trend in the region, picking up a third of a percent.

 

 

26 Chinese Provinces Downgrade GDP Growth Forecast

 

All but two of China's provincial-level regions have announced a lowering of their GDP growth targets for the year.

Among them, the northeast province of Liaoning, along with the coal-generating province of Shanxi and the northwestern province of Gansu have cut their forecasts by as much as 3-percent.

Liaoning's GDP this past year came in at just 5.8-percent.

This is much lower than the original target of 9-percent.

Shanxi's GDP only expanded 4.9 percent, also widely missing the forecast of 9-percent.

Of all Chinese provincial regions, only Tibet has maintained its 2014 target, which is 12-percent.

The municipal government of Shanghai has not issued a GDP growth target, saying instead that it wants to focus on quality growth.

This follows on the IMF's latest assessment of the Chinese economy for 2015, which is predicting overall growth of 6.8-percent.

Growth last year for the whole of China came in at 7.4-percent.

 

 

Alibaba's Market Valuation Evaporates 11 billion Dollars Over Spat with Regulator

 

Shares of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba have shed nearly 4.4-percent in value in overnight trading, with investors dumping the stock amid the company's spat with China's top business regulator.

The company's shares closed trading on Wednesday at 98-dollars-45-cents per share.

This has cut Alibaba's estimated market value by 11-billion US dollars.

The company's market value had been holding around 230-billion US dollars, making it the second most valuable internet firm on the market, behind only Facebook.

Alibaba's main platform, Taobao has publically called-out a Chinese e-commerce inspector working with the country's industry regulator, claiming he unfairly judged the quality of the products being sold on the site.

SAIC has since responded, saying its evaluation of Taobao was in-line with government regulations.

 

 

China Myanmar Crude Pipeline Enters Trial Operation

 

The Myanmar section of the China-Myanmar crude oil pipeline has been put into trail operation, 5-years after its completion.

The pipeline is jointly owned by China National Petroleum Corporation and Myanmar's state-owned Oil and Gas Enterprise.

It runs from southeast Myanmar, and passes through the heart of the country, and finishes in Yunnan.

Running over 770 kilometers, it's designed to deliver around 22-million tons of crude per year.

The Myanmar pipeline is part of the Chinese government's broader strategy of diversifying its dependency on the line which runs through the Strait of Malacca.

 

 

China's port project in Greece not affected by privatization reversal

 

Chinese shipping conglomerate COSCO says it's under the impression its container terminals in Greece are not being affected by the change of government in the country.

The company's local based subsidiary says it's going to continue to run two container terminals, Pier II and Pier III, under the same provisions of its 35-year agreement signed in 2008.

The new Greek government has announced its stopping the privatization and planned sale of two-thirds of the Piraeus Port Authority.

Initial reports suggest this only affects the Pier I at Piraeus.

COSCO is unwilling to make comment on the move to end the privatization of the other two Piers.

COSCO has run Pier II and Pier III at Piraeus for close to 7-years.

 

 

PARTYWORLD KTV closes another branch in Beijing

 

Anchor:

Taiwan-based KTV brand PARTYWORLD is reportedly going to close its Chaowai location in Beijing on Sunday.

This comes amid reports the popular singing location only drew in 750-thousand yuan worth of revenue through the Christmas holiday season.

If the reports are true, PARTYWORLD would only have one outlet left in Beijing.

The company has already shut down two other locations in the capital.

For more on PARTYWORLD's move, as well as the broader KTV industry, the Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with CRI Financial Commentator Cao Can.

 

 

China's Railway Freight Falls 8 percent in Q4

 

New stats show railway freight deliveries in China posted a sharp decline through the 4th quarter.

Freight deliveries through the rail system dipped by 8-percent through the end of last year.

This is down from the 2.5-percent drop seen in Q3.

Rail freight deliveries through the whole of 2014 are down 4-percent.

A downturn in demand for raw materials such as coal and iron ore is being pointed to as the reason for the decline in deliveries.

Railway freight, along with power usage and bank loans, is the key pillars of Likenomics, which is the measurement of economic performance expounded by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

 

 

China's Overseas Property Investment Goes on Spree

 

New analysis is suggesting Chinese offshore property investment this past year spiked by some 46-percent.

A record 17-billion US dollars was spent by Chinese investors overseas.

Real Estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle says outbound spending on commercial property, including office buildings, surpassed domestic investment for the first time last year.

Europe was the most popular destination for overseas Chinese property investment.

London topped the list of favorite cities, followed by Sydney, Australia and New York.

At the same time, Jones Lang LaSalle is predicting Chinese property developers are likely to spend at least 20-billion US dollars on offshore properties this year.

 

 

Wanda Set to Buy Sports Media Giant Infront

 

Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin's buying spree is rolling-on.

His Wanda Group is reportedly within days of buying global sports marketing firm Infront from its parent company Bridgepoint.

Infront contracts the public relations for numerous international sports events.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

Malaysia Airlines announces MH370 officially an accident, all dead

 

The Chinese government is extending its condolences to the families to those aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

At the same time, the Chinese government is extending its gratitude to everyone involved in the search for the flight.

This comes on the heels of Malaysia authorities officially declareing flight MH370 an accident, with all 239 people onboard considered dead.

At the same time, Malaysia authorities is beginning the process of compensating the families.

The flight disappeared on March 8th of last year en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Investigators have concluded the flight banked west, then south into the southern Indian Ocean.

However, months of searching has failed to turn up any evidence of the missing airliner.

Close to two-thirds of those onboard the flight are Chinese nationals.

 

 

Co-pilot flying AirAsia flight before crash

 

New revelations are suggesting the co-pilot, and not the pilot, was flying the AirAsia jet which crashed off Indonesia in late-December.

Indonesian investigators have determined the French co-pilot was being 'monitored' by the more-veteran Indonesian Captain.

Co-pilots often take control of airliners during mid-flight to earn flying hours, which are much-needed for promotions.

Investigators have not said whether they think this may be a contributing factor in the crash which left 162-people dead.

So far only 70 of the bodies have been recovered.

Searchers have temporarily called off the search for more remains, leading to speculation the over-90 still missing may never be recovered.

 

 

Japanese PM: never give in to terrorism

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says extremist acts by the Islamic State "unforgivable".

Abe's comments come on the heels of a new recording from Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.

In it, the voice is heard saying a Jordanian pilot currently being held by the militants is going to be killed unless an Iraqi prisoner held in Jordan is freed by sunset on Thursday.

That would make the deadline just hours away.

Unconfirmed reports are suggesting the woman has been released and is now in Syrian territory.

Jordanian authorities have not said whether the reports are true or not.

 

 

DPRK delegation to visit Southeast Asia

 

North Korea's international diplomatic foray is expanding.

Coming on the heels of the announcement that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has decided to make a trip to Russia in May--his first foreign visit since taking office, the DPRK has revealed its sending a delegation to Southeast Asia.

North Korean vice-Foreign Minister Ri Kil-song is set to make stops in seven different countries, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Details of the trip have not been revealed.

This follows a pair of diplomatic missions by North Korean envoys to several European countries and a meeting involving Asian and African countries in Iran this past September.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHINA DAILY

"China plans media rating system"

China's media watchdog SARFT says it is looking into providing rating systems for television series. Controversial programs may be aired on designated channels and at later time periods.

It has begun reviewing the rating systems of more than 10 countries and regions.

According to SARFT, the rating system will divide television series into three categories: those unsuitable for minors, those with parental advisory and those appropriate for all audiences.

In late December, the controversial historical television series "The Empress of China" was removed and re-edited due to "technical reasons."

After it returned to the screen, scenes showing the actresses' cleavage were removed and replaced with close-up shots of their faces.

An expert with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says the Chinese law restricts television series with "revealing" scenes to protect the health and well-being of minors as well as to preserve public moral value.

__

GUANGMING ONLINE

"Three more incinerators to burn mounting waste"

Beijing will build three more incinerators to triple the daily capacity of dealing with the increasing amount of garbage this year.

With the population exceeding 20 million, the capital faces a record high of 18,400 metric tons of daily household garbage.

Existing facilities can process around 21-thousand tons every day.

However, only 28 percent of the facilities in Beijing use incineration, which is much lower than the 70 percent in Japan and other developed countries.

Many landfill sites are becoming full, making the need for additional incinerators more urgent. The waste from the incinerators uses 90 percent less land, and waste incineration can generate power from heat in the burning process.

Though incinerators are cleaner, many residents oppose the construction of such plants in their "backyard" for the fear of potential pollution and harm to their health.

--

THE GLOBE ANDMAIL (Canada)

Vancouver-area dog walker gets six-month jail sentence

A Vancouver-area dog walker who admitted to leaving six dogs inside her hot truck has been sentenced to six months in jail for their deaths.

Emma Paulsen, who pleaded guilty last November to animal cruelty and mischief, was also handed a lifetime ban on caring for animals.

She initially said she was away from her vehicle for only a few minutes to use a washroom at a park nearby.

One of the dogs' owners said she feared Paulsen would get a light sentence for the pain she'd caused all the families

Another dog owner said she is surprised and thrilled by the jail sentence.

The Crown called for six to 12 months in jail and a $10,000 fine, while the defense asked for a conditional sentence to be served in the community.

--

KENYA NEWS AGENCY

Ignorance attributed to spread of trachoma

Cultural beliefs and illiteracy among pastoralists' communities has greatly contributed to cases of re-current infection of trachoma in Kajiado, Kenya according to a health official.

Addressing stakeholders at a Trachoma Monitoring and Control meeting in Kajiado town, the official noted the need for extensive campaigns to educate residents on trachoma and ways of keeping the eye –blinding ailment at bay.

Trachoma is the world's leading cause of preventable blindness and is spread from one person to another in crowded households with numerous flies and limited access to water.

The disease is prevalent in Kajiado, Samburu and Laikipia Counties due to the dry and dusty weather conditions experienced in the area.

Residents are urged to practice proper hand washing, regular facial cleaning and hygienic disposal of animal and human wastes.

Statistics show an estimated 19 percent of all cases of blindness in Kenya are caused by trachoma.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Israeli Funds Visit China-SHORT) - Top Israeli Funds Visit China for Opportunities

 

Anchor:

Some twenty of the world's leading venture capital and private equity funds from Israel are now in Beijing to explore investment and business opportunities in both countries.

CRI's Luo Yu has more from the Forum.

Reporter:

The delegation of 22 global spenders is a mix of funds that are mainly invested in areas such as life sciences, green energy, information, media and telecommunications.

At the first China-Israeli Innovation and Investment Forum, Saul Singer, co-author of the New York Times Top 10 Bestseller "Start-up Nation," suggests China and Israel should be innovation partners, not just trading partners.

'I keep telling my Israeli friends don't look at China as a big market, of course it is an enormous market, but companies have come here and tried to just look at it as a market and failed. Because you can't just make something in Israel and try to sell it in China as if China is the same as Israel. The better way is to innovate with great Chinese entrepreneurs and companies around a Chinese problem not an Israeli problem. So I think we need to start thinking of each other not as trading partners as markets, but as innovation partners.'

The Israeli Ministry of Economy is helping lead the sessions.

Ziva Eger, chief executive of International Investments and Industrial Cooperation with the Ministry, says Chinese venture capital investors "need not worry" about losing money.

'If you invest in VC, and lose money between 10 to 15 percent of then investment, the government is going to cover that. It's going to cover that up to 15 million dollars per VC. And that's how much focus and effort we put on that relationship because we want you to start in there with us. And when I mean government support and when I mean ecosystem, I'm not sure that a lot of governments do that but we believe in it.'

Fiona Darmon with JVP, a leading venture capital firm in Israel, says she's not in Beijing looking for money.

Instead, she says her company's focus is future collaboration.

'We have a fantastic partnership with China. Our most recent fund has over 30% of the investors are out of China. And we look forward to building many companies in Israel that'll come into China to enjoy the growth here in the partnership. Because in order for Israeli innovation to really come into China which requires strong local partnership, so we are speaking to technology groups, business groups, financial groups, to find ways to bring together really the specific innovation in Israel that matches the right needs to adapt to the right needs for China.'

Andy Mok is with one of the many Beijing-based startups looking for possible investors.

'So I came to this event today to learn more about the startup environment in Israel as well as what investors in Israel are looking for in terms of opportunities in China.'

Beijing is the last stop for the Israeli delegation.

The group has already made stops in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

For CRI, I'm Luo Yu.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Sharapova through to final of Aussie open, to meet Serena Williams

 

In tennis action:

Maria Sharapova eased into the final of the Australian Open following a straight-sets victory over Ekaterina Makarova .

In an all-Russian affair, the second seed beat her lefty fellow compatriot 6-3, 6-2.

Makarova's record against Sharapova made for poor reading having only taken one set off her opponent in their five previous matches.

Sharapova offered these thoughts on her victory:

"Yeah, I'm definitely happy. Like today, I thought I played solid. I did everything I had to do. I wasn't afraid for it to become a physical match. You know, I think it was important to really stand my ground in the first few games, which I did well, even though I was behind, especially the first and second one."

Next, Sharapova takes on Serena Williams, who earlier today weathered a barrage of big serves and heavy groundstrokes in her first set before beating 19-year-old compatriot Madison Keys 7-6, 6-2.

Sharapova says she is ready to face Serena despite her poor 16-2 record against her American opponent:

"I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who I'm facing against and whether I've had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone. It doesn't matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot. I will do everything I can to get the title."

And in doubles action:

Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli of Italy, have defeated Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands, and Horia Tecau of Romania, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

And tomorrow's mixed doubles action will see Zheng Jie of the Chinese mainland and partner Chan Yung-Jun of Chinese Taipei take on American Bethanie Sands and Czech Lucie Safarova.

And one match going on right now. 6th seeded Andy Murray of Britain is taking on 8th seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Berdych took the first set 7-6 in a tie breaker, Murray took the second and third sets, 6-0, 6-3, and Berdych is ahead in the fourth set at last check, 3-2.

 

MLB: Ichiro Suzuki Sings one year deal with Miami Marlins

 

In off-diamond Major League Baseball news:

Japan's Ichiro Suzuki has signed a one-year deal with the Miami Marlins.

Ichiro Suzuki says a renewed sense of enthusiasm was behind his decision to sign a 2 million US dollars, one-year contract with the Miami Marlins.

Suzuki's deal includes 2.8 million (dollars) in performance bonuses based on plate appearances: 400,000 (dollars) for 300 and the same amount for each additional 50 through 600.

Suzuki offered these thoughts on the deal:

"First off, when I met these team executives yesterday I felt the incredible enthusiasm they had, and in turn I felt that somehow I really wanted to respond to their enthusiasm. I believe that is something I've been looking for during the last two years."

The 41-year-old Suzuki, a 10-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, is expected to be the team's fourth outfielder behind Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna.

Suzuki is the first Japanese player to sign with the Marlins. He hit .284 and stole 15 bases for the New York Yankees last season.

 

 

CBA: Beijing routs Jiangsu Tongxi

 

In CBA action last night:

Jilin Northeast took out Tianjin 129-112;

Dongguan beat Zhejiang Chouzhou 114-109;

Xinjiang defeated Qingdao 131-110;

Guangdong Southern destroyed the Bayi Rockets 127-91;

Zhejiang Guangsha downed the Jiangsu Dragons 112-107;

Shanxi defeated Fujian 134-118;

Beijing routed Jiangsu Tong Xi 136-90;

The Sichuan Blue Whales outswam the Shanghai Sharks, 111-100.

Guangdong Foshan beat Chongqing 139-128;

And Liaoning edged Shandong 93-89.

 

 

NBA: Atlanta extends franchise-record winning streak to 17 games with 113-102 victory over Brooklyn

 

In NBA action:

At Phillips Arena down in Georgia:

Millsap had 28 points and 15 rebounds, five other Atlanta players scored in double figures, and the Hawks stretched their franchise-record winning streak to 17 games in a row with a 113-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

And down in Houston:

With Dwight Howard out Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks with an ankle injury, the Houston Rockets needed someone to step up.

What they got was a bevy of players chipping in to pick up the slack.

Josh Smith scored 18 points and James Harden added 17 as the Rockets used a balanced scoring effort to outlast the Mavericks for a 99-94 victory.

In other action:

LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers beat out the Portland Trail Blazers 99-94.

The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a studding 89-69 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Toronto beat out Sacramento, 119-102.

Minnesota beat out Boston 110-98.

Denver downed New Orleans 93-85.

The New York Knicks beat out the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-92.

San Antonio took out Charlotte 95-86.

The Los Angeles Clippers bested the Utah Jazz 94-89.

And it was the Phoenix Suns taking out the Washington Wizards 106-98.

 

 

NHL: Washington Capitals beat out Pittsburgh 4-0

 

In NHL action:

The Washington Capitals got a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The New Jersey Devils beat out Toronto 2-1.

Amd the LA Kings got a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Jay Chou to coach on season 4 of The Voice of China

 

Singer Jay Chou is to be a coach on season 4 of The Voice of China.

The singer and actor from Taiwan will take up a role as one of the coaches on the new season of the popular talent show. He is the only coach confirmed so far for the series.

Invitations to be on the judging panel have also been sent out to Jacky Cheung , Leehom Wang and Jonathan Lee.

Chou is well suited to the role having sold over 30 million albums and receiving numerous awards for his musical work. He has held six world tours, performing in cities around the world to more than 10 million people.

Last season of The Voice of China was won by Zhang Bichen from Tianjin who sang Where Does The Time Go in the final.

The Voice of China will return to television screens in July.

 

 

Dating program If You Are the One set for shake up

 

China's hot dating program "If You Are The One" is set to shake up the show with an additional feature.

An X girl will be introduced, wearing Hollywood special effects make up so that no one can recognize her real appearance.

A staff member from the show says the idea came from a guest who wanted to dress up so that she could find a Mr. Right who would be attracted to her personality rather than her looks.

X girl will become a regular element of the five year old dating program.

This comes just after a recent online survey conducted by China Youth Daily found that nearly 30 percent of respondents admitted to being appearance orientated when finding a partner.

 

 

Taylor Swift copyrights lyrics from album 1989

 

If you want to party like it's 1989, then you'd better ask Taylor Swift's permission first. The pop star has trademarked many of her lyrics from album 1989.

These filings prohibit the use of many of her phrases from latest album 1989 from appearing without a license on everything from guitar straps and accessories to removable tattoos.

The more obscure items covered by her trademarks include walking sticks, typewriters, aprons and knitting implements.

This is actually a smart business move by Swift which could deter bootleg t-shirts and other products from being sold online or even outside her own concerts.

Taylor Swift has had an interesting week with her Twitter and Instagram accounts hacked with multiple posts attempting to convince her 51 million followers to follow the Lizard Squad hacking group. And after a two-week vacation from the Billboard 200 charts, the singer is heading back to the number one slot.

 

 

Christine Taylor confirms she will reprise her role in Zoolander 2

 

Christine Taylor has confirmed that she will reprise her role in the anticipated Zoolander sequel.

There's been much speculation about whether a sequel to the hit film would ever go ahead but finally there's been some confirmation.

The original film followed supermodel Derek Zoolander and his accidental adventures into the seedy, corrupt underworld of male modeling.

Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfield's Red Hour Films will once again produce and the film will be directed by Justin Theroux.

Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson are rumored to reprise their roles as the villainous designer Mugatu and Derek's rival model Hansel respectively.

Penelope Cruz has confirmed that she has joined the cast for the film.

So far no release date has been announced.

 

 

Joan Rivers' daughter to sue clinic over death

 

Joan Rivers' daughter has filed a malpractice claim against the New York medical clinic that treated her mother days before she died.

Rivers suffered a cardiac arrest while undergoing a procedure to examine her throat at the Yorkville Endoscopy Centre last year.

The legal claim alleges that doctors were not adequately trained and performed unauthorized procedures on the star.

Rivers' family is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

In November, state health investigators said the clinic failed to follow standard protocols while treating Rivers who died a week later.

The New York medical examiner's office ruled Rivers died of brain damage due to lack of oxygen during the procedure.