| The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
It's Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday April 8th, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital...
Coming up on our program this evening...
Chinese and Russian leaders have agreed to promote mutual development and to help foster regional and world peace...
A fourth storage tank at a chemical plant in Fujian province has caught fire, days after the first explosion at the facility...
And a white police officer in the states has been charged with murder after shooting an unarmed black man in the back...
In Business: China's external debt edged upwards in 2014...
In Sports: a franchise record for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks...
In Entertainment: Wolf Warriors opens strong at the Chinese box office...
Weather
Beijing is overcast tonight with a low of 5, tomorrow also overcast with a high of 18.
Shanghai is cloudy tonight with a low of 7, tomorrow, overcast, high of 14.
Chongqing has showers tonight, 12 degrees the lowest, tomorrow, overcast, high of 18.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,
Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 38.
Kabul, sunny, 23.
Over in Australia
Sydney, partly cloudy, high of 21,
Canberra, sunny, 20,
Brisbane, cloudy, 29,
Finally Perth will be rainy with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.
Top News
China, Russia to deepen comprehensive partnership to promote world peace
Russian President Vladimir Putin says China and Russia will work together to promote the development of each country, and to contribute to a lasting world peace.
Putin made the remarks as he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow.
Putin adds that Russia steadfastly supports China's efforts regarding the Silk Road Economic Belt.
Wang Yi says China and Russia should explore the links between China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and Russia's idea of creating a cross-Eurasia passage and integrating Eurasian economies.
Just prior to the meeting, Wang Yi held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
The two foreign ministers hailed the current bilateral relationship.
"Both countries share the belief that relations between Russia and China, our overwhelming partnership and strategic cooperation, have already become one of the important pillars for the development of both countries and one of the important safeguards for peace and stability in the region and the world."
The topics between the ministers also include President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow in May for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory in Europe in World War II.
The Chinese Foreign Minister is now heading to Belarus for an official visit.
China calls on US be responsible on talks over regional territorial disputes
China has called on the United States to be more responsible when discussing regional territorial disputes.
The comment comes after U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said the US opposes any attempt to "undermine Japan's administrative control" of the Diaoyu Islands.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying:
"Now as you all can see, China and the relevant countries have reached a consensus to continue to push forward for the resolution of the issue through dialogue. We hope the U.S. side can respect the wishes of China and relevant countries to resolve the problem via dialogue, say more responsible things and make more responsible moves, so it can genuinely play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability."
Last year, China and Japan reached a four-point consensus, vowing to use dialogue and consultation to resolve the issue.
Carter is currently on his first trip to Japan as a U.S. defense chief.
During the visit, the two countries agreed to speed up work on revising their defense cooperation guidelines.
The revision, if completed, will be the first of its kind regarding U.S-Japan defense cooperation since 1997.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed to ease the constraints of Japan's pacifist Constitution on the nation's military.
Ukeru Magosaki, former head of Japan's Intelligence and Analysis Bureau, says Abe is seeking to strengthen defense ties for personal political motives.
"Abe will be praised by the United States and he consider the getting the support from the United States, he can stay longer as the prime minister. So, this is not for the sake of Japanese security, but for the sake of personal reasons of Abe as the prime minister."
The two countries are expected to unveil the new defense guidelines later this month.
Chinese Envoy visits Iran to convey concerns over regional situation
China's special envoy on Middle East affairs has said China is committed to working closely with other parties on Middle East issues for the sake of peace and stability.
The envoy, Gong Xiaosheng, made the remarks during a visit to Iran.
He says China hopes to reach a consensus with the international community to jointly push the Middle East to solve its problems through peace talks.
In regards to the crisis in Yemen, Gong says China hopes to work with countries in the region to facilitate a ceasefire and politically resolve conflicts through talks.
"The crucial thing in Yemen is to enact a ceasefire and provide humanitarian aid, and then develop the process of a political solution through talks. We hope all countries and parties in the region can take concerted action on the issue and spare no efforts in stabilizing the Yemeni situation through a ceasefire and talks."
The envoy also says he hopes China's "Belt and Road" initiatives can contribute to peace in the Middle East region.
Iran is the last leg of the envoy's trip to the Middle East that also includes Kuwait, Israel and Palestine.
Another storage tank on fire at Chinese chemical plant
Another oil storage tank has caught fire at a chemical plant in east China's Fujian province, about two days after explosions were first reported at the site.
Local firefighters say the fourth tank, which stored nearly 1,500 tonnes of oil, caught fire and exploded on Wednesday morning.
Some 200 fire engines have arrived to battle the blaze.
Two days ago, oil that leaked from a xylene facility caught fire and led to blasts at three nearby oil tanks in the city of Zhangzhou.
Pollution monitoring work is underway.
Local officials say no excessive pollutants have been detected in nearby villages or water so far.
China keeps tabs on misbehaving tourists
Anchor:
China's National Tourism Administration has released new measures to keep tabs on Chinese tourists who misbehave.
Tourists who break the rules may be recorded in a provincially-administered black list for up to 2 years.
CRI's Yin Qiuqi has more.
Reporter:
Based on new rules, authorities will record tourists who get caught violating local customs, destroying public facilities or historical relics, becoming unruly on public transportation, or taking part in illegal gambling.
The tourism authority will notify the tourists about the record, and in some cases report them to the police, customs, and banks.
Li Jinzao is the Director of the National Tourism Administration.
"We will share these records with other sectors, such as airlines and hotels. We feel if we don't do this, the black-list won't have any impact."
The move follows a series of recent incidents involving Chinese tourists.
In the latest incident, 3 Chinese tourists in Japan during the Tomb Sweeping holiday were arrested for sexual harassment.
Liu Simin with the Beijing Tourism Society says the creation of the black-list is more about creating a deterrent than it is about punishment.
"These measures will definitely have an effect on tourists' behaviors. But it is more about making the tourists aware of their actions, as there are not many specific punishment measures. So in this sense, the record is more like a shame list, which could force tourist to behave accordingly. "
Meanwhile, Chen Caiyin, a manager with a tourism site, says more information about local customs should be provided to tourists to avoid cultural misunderstanding.
"A number of Chinese tourists who violate local rules or misbehave while visiting other countries did not do these things on purpose. Sometimes, they just didn't know, they were not aware of local customs."
Liu says that to reduce misbehavior, the key is to build awareness.
"On one hand, we can enforce the existing laws to regulate tourists' behaviors; on the other hand, we need the public and media to keep a constant focus on this issue. As long as the awareness is built, we may see less misbehavior among tourists."
The new rules were enacted earlier this week.
For CRI, I'm Yin Qiuqi.
Kenya publishes list of terrorist suspects
The Kenyan government has published a list of groups it considers terrorist organizations and a list of entities it suspects of being associated with Al Shabab.
The list of 86 entities includes bus companies that operate between Nairobi and the country's northeast.
The businesses have had their bank accounts frozen.
Officials are also cracking down on informal money transfer services which are thought to be used to funnel funds to Somalia.
The move comes after six men linked to the Garissa University massacre where 148 people were killed appeared in a Nairobi court.
Prosecutors say the chief magistrate granted them 30 days to complete investigations while holding the men in police custody.
The suspects include the owner of a hotel where those who attacked the university had stayed and those who allegedly delivered weapons to the attackers.
Kenya's foreign minister Amina Mohamed says the authorities plan to compile
"The idea is, obviously, as a government for us is to try and account for those who are not here, find out where they are, see whether we can encourage them to come back and help them get deradicalised, maybe setup even centres where we can take them so that they can actually be taught the true worth of Muslim faith."
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has also asked the Muslim community in the country to help root out radicalization at home.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil in Nairobi's Freedom Park as three days of mourning officially came to an end.
Al Shabaab militants have killed over 400 people in Kenya since April 2013 with the government trying to stop fighters and weapons coming across the 700 km border with Somalia.
Aftermath of shooting of Walter Lamer Scott
A white police officer in South Carolina has been charged with murder, hours after law enforcement officials viewed a dramatic video that appears to show him shooting a fleeing black man several times in the back.
The video of the shooting on Saturday, which began as a traffic stop over a faulty brake light, has been released to media outlets and shows City Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager firing eight shots at 50-year-old Walter Scott, as Scott is running away.
Scott falls on the eighth shot, fired after a brief pause.
Authorities say Scott was shot after the officer had already hit him with a stun gun.
Anthony Scott, the brother of the man shot by the police officer.
"And from the beginning when it happened the first day, all we wanted was the truth, and I think through the process we've received the truth. And, we can't get my brother back and my family is in deep mourning for that, but through the process of justice being served, I don't think that all police officers are bad cops, but there are some bad ones out there and I don't want to see anyone get shot down the way my brother got shot down."
This story surfaces as Americans grapple with issues of trust between law enforcement and minority communities after a series of deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police.
Russian Prime Minister Medvedev meets Thai Prime Minister
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has sat down for a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in Bangkok.
Medvedev attaches much importance to his country's relationship with Thailand.
"Thailand is Russia's oldest partner in the Asia Pacific region. In the next two years we will celebrate 120 years of diplomatic relations between us. Our countries have come to this point by having understanding in culture, friendship and mutual respect."
For his part, Prayuth Chan-ocha urges the two countries to continue support to each other during difficult times.
He also invites Russian companies to bid for contracts on infrastructure projects in his country and extends an invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a state visit.
Medvedev's two-day trip marks the first official visit by a Russian leader to Thailand in 25 years.
During Medvedev's visit, the two sides signed five memorandums of understanding on increasing cooperation on energy, investment, tourism, culture and drug crimes.
Legendary hurdler Liu Xiang's retirement wins regret and support
Anchor:
People in China are buzzing following the official retirement of Chinese Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang.
CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.
Reporter:
"We were really sad when we saw his performance in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London, as we had great expectations for him. Now, looking back, we know that he has his own difficulties that he was not able to really talk about. Now, I feel the criticism he received then was really unfair to him. "
Jia Baoqiang is like many in Beijing and around the country who are pausing to reflect on the achievements and disappointments in Liu Xiang's career.
Liu Xiang first broke on to the scene in 2001 by winning the 110-meter hurdles event at the East Asian Games in Japan as an 18-year old.
From there, his career began taking off, winning a number of international meets leading up to the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
While not considered the favorite at the event in Greece, he emerged triumphant, earning China its first-ever men's Olympic gold in track and field.
His time of 12.91 seconds in the final also tied the then-World Record.
This led to a series of endorsements and a continued string of victories in subsequent international events.
However, his career took a hit in-front of his home country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, when he was forced to withdraw from the 110-meter hurdles with an Achilles strain following a false start, devastating many of his Chinese fans.
And four years later at the 2012 Olympics in London, his injury finally caught up with him for good.
"The doctor had been using physical methods to press my Achilles' tendon, to make it numb. At that time I really did not know how to deal with my injury."
"I did not know what happened to my right foot. It felt like someone had whipped me from behind. Then I lost balance and fell down. I remember I looked at my foot and it felt like part of my ankle was empty. It was then that I knew my Achilles' tendon had broken."
Despite the injury, Liu Xiang still attempted to return to the track.
But after undergoing a number of surgeries and rigorous training, the injury proved too much.
Liu Xiang's coach, Sun Haiping.
"Liu Xiang delayed announcing his retirement until today, because Liu Xiang wanted to hang in there. We did our best to try to help him recover. However, our results just weren't good enough."
In bidding farewell to competitive track, Liu Xiang says he's looking forward to embarking on a new journey.
"Everyone has things that he wants to do. I just want to do things that are simple and practical. It doesn't have to be big. After retirement I really want help people if it's within my capability. I want to be able to help young people with their athletic career."
Among the Shanghai-native's achievements, aside from an Olympic gold, was holding the 110-meter world record for a time at 12.88 seconds, which he set at a meet in Switzerland in 2006.
For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Anchor:
First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets on this Wednesday evening.
Joining me on the desk is CRI's Luo Wen.
Reporter:
Chinese stocks advanced to fresh seven-year highs boosted by ample liquidity and confidence in the economy.
The Shanghai Composite Index climbed above 4-thousand points on the day, a key benchmark, for the first time since early 2008.
The market rally comes as the central bank has cut benchmark interest rates twice and banks' reserve requirement ratios (RRR) once since November.
The bullish market also stems from confidence in the Chinese economy as reforms to state-owned enterprises and the financial sector speed up.
On the corporate front,
High speed rail manufacturers China North Railway and China South Railway rose by the daily limit of 10 percent, as their merger progresses.
Alibaba Pictures Group, the movie division of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, jumped nearly 27 percent on an announcement regarding injection of entertainment assets from its parent company.
At close,
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.8 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index added half of a percent.
Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index surged 3.8 percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
The Japanese Nikkei edged up nearly 0.8 percent.
South Korea's KOSPI gained 0.6 percent.
Singapore's Straits Times trimmed a fraction of a percent.
And finally, Australia's ASX 200 ended up about half of a percent.
China's External Debt Edges up in 2014
Anchor:
New data shows China's outstanding external debt came in at nearly 900-billion US dollars at the end of last year.
This is up 2.5-percent from a year earlier.
Of the total outstanding debt, short-term external debt, due within a year, makes up just over two-thirds of China's overall debt-load.
Medium- and long-term debt makes up the rest.
Despite the increase, China's forex regulator says the country's external debt risk remains within control.
For more on China's debt, the Beijing Hour's Paul James earlier spoke with John Ross, Senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.
…
Back anchor:
That was John Ross, Senior fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University in Beijing, speaking with the Beijing Hour's Paul James.
Alibaba Enters Auto Industry
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has expanded its business scope with a newly established auto business division.
The new division will integrate all of Alibaba's online-to-offline motor services, including sales, second-hand car transactions and financing.
Alibaba and SAIC Motor announced last month the founding of a 1-billion-yuan fund to develop Internet connected vehicles.
Tencent launched a partnership in the same month with Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry and luxury car dealer China Harmony Auto, to explore a business model to manufacture and sell smart electric cars.
Australian Treasurer Approves Acquisition of Top Aussie Construction Firm by Chinese Company
Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey has approved the acquisition of John Holland by a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company.
The deal is reported to be worth about 880 million U. S. dollars.
John Holland is one of Australia's largest engineering and construction companies.
China Communications Construction Company is the fourth-largest construction company in the world by revenue, with a presence in over 80 countries and regions.
The company is listed as CCCC on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges.
The deal was originally set to be finalized by the end of last month.
Venezuela Inks Deal with Chinese Firm to Boost Electricity Sector
Venezuela's Ministry of Electric Energy has signed a deal with China's CAMC Engineering Company to boost the manufacturing of conductor cables and optimize national electricity distribution.
The deal is worth nearly 6 million U.S. dollars.
It is part of a government plan designed to guarantee electricity service to Venezuela's extensive plains.
Under the deal, a total of 470 tons of ACAR (aluminum conductor alloy reinforced) cable will be manufactured using Venezuelan aluminum and labor.
Meanwhile, Venezuela and China's CAMC are also exploring financing for other projects to bolster the national electricity sector.
Hungary's Central Bank Says to Build Small Chinese Bond Portfolio
Hungary's central bank has announced that it is going to build a small bond portfolio denominated in Chinese currency.
The "small" portfolio is relative to the size of the Bank's reserve assets. It will not materially influence foreign exchange reserve adequacy.
The Bank says the decision is "for economic policy and foreign currency asset diversification purposes."
The Hungarian central bank launched its five-pillar RMB Program in February in view of the RMB becoming an international reserve currency.
One pillar is to develop a foreign exchange reserve portfolio.
Australia Tax Inquiries on Global Tech Giants
Australia's tax office has promised a crack-down on global tech giants Google, Apple and Microsoft over corporate tax avoidance and minimization.
The Commissioner of Taxation, Chris Jordan, was among officials and corporations facing an inquiry in Sydney as senators sought to tighten tax loopholes.
Some attempts to close tax loopholes in the aftermath of global financial crisis in 2008 have left many countries with gaping budget holes and record debt.
Reports of profit shifting by companies away from high tax countries to more relaxed regimes have already sparked public inquiries in the United States and Britain.
The G20 has agreed to develop stricter rules on cross-border taxation to close loopholes that have allowed multinationals such as Starbucks, Google and Apple to avoid paying taxes.
Headline News
China calls on US be responsible on talks over regional territorial disputes
China has called on the United States to be more responsible when discussing regional territorial disputes.
The comment comes after U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said the US opposes any attempt to "undermine Japan's administrative control" of the Diaoyu Islands.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying urges the US to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.
Carter is currently on his first trip to Japan as the U.S. defense chief.
During the visit, the two countries agreed to expand their defense cooperation.
China ME envoy calls for ceasefire in Yemen
China's special envoy on Middle East affairs Gong Xiaosheng says China hopes to work with countries in the region to facilitate a ceasefire in Yemen and resolve the conflict through talks.
The envoy made the remarks during a visit to Iran, the last leg of his Middle East trip that also includes Kuwait, Israel and Palestine.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarf is on his way to Oman and Pakistan to talk about the Yemeni crisis with officials from the two nations.
A Saudi-led military coalition has been conducting airstrikes on the Houthi militant group in Yemen in recent days.
The coalition has accused Iran of interfering in Yemen, which Tehran has strongly denied.
Another storage tank on fire at Chinese chemical plant
Another oil storage tank has caught fire at a chemical plant in east China's Fujian province, about two days after explosions were first reported at the site.
Local firefighters say the fourth tank, which stored nearly 1,500 tonnes of oil, caught fire and exploded on Wednesday morning.
Some 200 fire engines have arrived at the scene to battle the blaze.
Two days ago, oil that leaked from a xylene facility caught fire and led to blasts at three nearby oil tanks in the city of Zhangzhou.
Pollution monitoring work is underway.
Local officials say no excessive pollutants have been detected in nearby villages or water so far.
ROK, DPRK reconfirm differences in wage hike for economic zone
South Korea and North Korea have reconfirmed their different positions on a wage hike for the North's workers in a jointly-run industrial zone during talks held on Tuesday in Kaesong.
Seoul's unification ministry says both sides failed to reach any compromise over the hike demanded by Pyongyang.
South Korea has set a 5 percent ceiling for an annual wage hike for North Korean workers in the Kaesong industrial park, and the North wants an increase above five percent.
The Kaesong industrial zone is the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation.
About 120 South Korean companies are operating factories in the park, employing around 53-thousand workers.
Newspaper Picks
China Daily
Civil service jobs losing glamour in China
Over 10,000 civil servants in China have signed up for jobs in the private sector during the first three weeks of this year's hiring season.
According to Zhaopin.com, more civil servants are considering ditching their jobs in the traditional job-hunting season that started in February with their number increasing by 34 percent year-on-year.
Positions at property developers, financial institutions and Internet-related firms are among the jobs favored by jobseekers.
Insiders said that the recent exodus of civil servants may be related to the ongoing anti-corruption campaign, as many perks for government employees including luxuries banquets and cars have been cut.
According to a report by China Newsweek, between January and June last year more than 20 officials resigned from ministry-level government agencies, many from deputy department head-level positions.
In the past, a career in the civil service was usually considered the glorious and stable "iron rice bowl", an ideal choice for many Chinese people.
........................
Xinhua
Beijing to ban vehicles that fail to meet emission standards
Beijing will ban gasoline-powered vehicles that fail to meet the National Emission Standard II from the road starting January 1 of next year to cut pollution.
According to the municipal environmental protection bureau, the vehicles will be banned from entering the city's Sixth Ring Road.
Beijing currently imposes the National Emission Standard V for vehicles, similar to the Euro V standard in Europe. The city imposed the National Emission Standard I in 1999 and the National Emission Standard II in 2004. With each new standard, actual pollutant amounts dropped by 30 to 50 percent per vehicle.
Beijing plans to introduce policies to improve the cost and reduce the use of vehicles. It will also research congestion charges to cut pollution.
Beijing has eliminated "yellow-label cars," which failed to meet the National Emission Standard I by the end of 2014.
.....................................
Southern Metropolis Daily
"Zhuhai city adopts 'one dog per family' policy"
Zhuhai in South China's Gunagdong province is the latest city to set a limit of one dog per family.
The new pet ownership rule states that dog owners "must have full capacity for civil conduct, have permanent residence, and live by themselves."
The policy will come into effect on June 1.
Liu Zhimin, deputy police chief of Zhuhai, said that if tenants share a house with the original owners then only one dog is allowed to be registered at the address.
The policy may also affect housing sales.
If a house has already used up its "one family one dog" quota then another pet dog would not be allowed to be registered there, even if the house was to change hands. Both the seller and purchaser would have to consider this before reaching a deal.
It is estimated that more than 70,000 dogs are registered in Zhuhai, with the pet population as well as related problems having increased in recent years.
...................................
Special Reports
Report: Anti-Drug Exhibition Targets Kids
Anchor:
An anti-drug exhibition is underway at the Beijing Natural History Museum.
As CRI's Li Ningjing reports, the program is meant to help educate both children and parents about the dangers of illegal drugs.
Repoter:
"This is called 'head-shaking' pills. They look like candies. But they are not. If you eat them, you will be jumping and dancing uncontrollably. If you have too many them, your body will be poisoned."
This iis a father trying to explain to his daughter and her friend what ecstasy is.
Different from usual exhibitions about drugs, the displays employ cartoon figures and methods that are more children-friendly. Photos, electric modules and multi-media methods are used to illustrate the harmful effects drugs can do to a human body. For example, lights are used to illustrate the difference in the heartbeat rate before and after drug use. By using a number of distorted mirrors, the exhibition also try to show kids how the world looks like in a person's eyes after digesting drugs.
The exhibition introduces to visitors the drugs that are commonly found on the market and how to identify them. It also shows kids how to refuse drugs when offered, which range from firmly saying "no" to finding excuses and simply leaving.
Here's a little girl telling us her understanding of the effects of taking drugs at the exhibition.
"Taking drugs is very dangerous. All the drugs will go through the heart, from there to the rest of the body. Then the heart can stop functioning."
A mother also showed appreciation of the exhibition.
"This exhibition is easy for little kids to understand. They'll be able to remember when they grow up that drugs are bad, that they should stay away from them."
At the moment, the real figure for China's drug users is estimated at about 13 million. And that number is increasing by a million annually. Most of them are young people under the age of 35. The age of drug users are getting younger.
Over the past few months, there were a number of Chinese celebrities and actors being caught using drugs, including actor Jaycee Chan, son of Jackie Chan.
Shi Jianchun, Deputy Director of the Beijing Anti-Drug Education Center says, they hope visitors, especially children, will be fully aware of the harmful effects of drugs when they leave the exhibition.
"We just want to take the anti-drug education one step closer to people's life, especially to adolescents' life, so that they will put up a firewall against drugs psychologically. This exhibition at the Beijing Natural History Museum is our first such exhibition. Later, we'll take the exhibition to where children are concentrated."
The exhibition will run until the middle of this month.
Back Anchor:
It's CRI's Li Ningjing reporting
Sports
NBA: Atlanta Hawks beat Phoenix Suns 96-69
In NBA action,
The Atlanta Hawks set a single-season franchise high Tuesday night with their 58th victory, getting 16 points each from DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague in a 96-69 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Mike Muscala, starting for injured All-Star forward Paul Millsap, also added 16 points and Al Horford had 14 for the Eastern Conference champion Hawks.
Phoenix, which missed 31 of 40 shots from the field in the second half, finished the game one point shy of matching the franchise low set on March 8, 1981, at Kansas City.
In other action,
Charlotte Hornets went down to the Miami Heat 105-100.
New Orleans Pelicans took out the Golden State Warriors 103-100.
And it's the San Antonio Spurs over the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-88.
The Sacramento Kings upset the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-111.
And it's the Los Angeles Clippers rolling past the L.A. Lakers 105-100.
ISU Coach Killed in Crash after NCAA Title Game
In off-court basketball news,
It's been confirmed that Illinois State University's associate head basketball coach Torrey Ward and a deputy athletics director with the university were among the seven people killed in a plane crash on Tuesday morning.
Ward worked with Illinois State's big men the past few years, helping Jackie Carmichael earn all-conference honors in 2013 and developing Reggie Lynch into an all-conference center this past season.
All the victims died from blunt force trauma resulting from the crash, which happened near the city of Bloomington.
There were no survivors.
The passengers aboard the private plane attended the national title game between Duke and Wisconsin in Indianapolis on Monday night but encountered heavy fog on their flight home.
The plane went down in a soybean field only 4 kilometers from the Bloomington airport.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
AFC Champions League
In football,
The 4th round of AFC Champions League group games continues.
Seven games are on the schedule tonight. Five of them are in progress as we speak.
First up, in Group G, Beijing Guoan is taking on Urawa Red Diamonds.
The two teams are currently top and bottom in Group G, respectively. Guoan needs only one victory to advance into the elimination round.
In Group E, Shandon Luneng is up against Kashiwa Reysol.
Luneng is ranked 3rd in its group.
Another highlight of the matches tonight will be Al Sadd taking on Lokomotiv Tashkent.
Montreal First Canada Team to Reach CONCACAF Champs League Final
In football,
Montreal Impact became the first Canadian team to reach the CONCACAF Champions League final despite a 4-2 defeat at Costa Rica's Alajuelense on Tuesday.
Impact forward Jack McInerney opened the scoring three minutes before halftime with a precious away goal.
Pablo Gabas struck twice in the first 15 minutes of the second half to breathe new life into Alajuelense's quest to reach the Champions League final for the first time.
Montreal won the first leg 2-0, and moves forward in the tournament. It will face the winner of the second semi-final between Mexico's Club America and another Costa Rican side, Herediano.
The second leg will be played on Wednesday in the Azteca stadium in Mexico City.
NHL:Minnesota Wild Win 2-1 at Chicago Blackhawks to Reach Playoffs
In National Hockey League action,
Devan Dubnyk made 32 saves, and the Wild clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker scored in the third period for Minnesota, which was coming off a 2-0 home loss to Winnipeg on Monday night.
It was Zucker's first game since he broke his collarbone in the first period of a 5-3 victory over Vancouver on Feb. 9.
In other action,
Philadelphia Flyers beat New York Islanders 5-4.
The New York Rangers beat New Jersey Devils 4-2.
Winnipeg beat St. Louis 1-0.
And it's the Ottawa Senators over The Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3.
Arizona lost to Calgary 3-2.
Detroit beat Carolina 3-2.
Colorado defeated Nashville 3-2.
And it's the Edmonton Oilers beating the defending champions LA Kings 4-2.
Badminton: Wang Yihan Advances into Next Round at OUE Singapore Open 2015
In badminton,
It's a good day for Chinese shuttlers as most of them advanced into the next round at this year's OUE Singapore Open.
In women's singles play,
World number four Wang Yihan of China put on a powerful performance to defeat her opponent Thi Trang(B) Vu from Vietnam 21-13, 21-11.
In Men's doubles event,
Chai Biao and Hong Wei of China eliminated their compatriots Chen Hung Ling and Chi-Lin Wang from Taiwan 21-17, 21-14.
About 20 games are still on deck tonight,
Chen Long, the reigning world champion, will take on LEE Dong Keun from South Korea.
And it's world number five Wang Shixian up against Kirsty Glimour from Scotland.
Some 1.2 Million Olympic Tickets Sold
Olympic organizers say Brazilians have snapped up 1.2 million tickets for next year's Games in Rio, just a week after tickets went on sale.
People across the country have applied for tickets in all sports, with the most popular offerings being volleyball, football, and basketball.
A total of 7.2 million tickets will be sold with 70 percent reserved for residents of Brazil.
Around 1 million more will be distributed abroad via national Olympic committees.
The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to August 21, 2016.
Entertainment
"Wolf Warriors" tops Chinese Box Office
War action movie "Wolf Warriors" has punched its way to the top of the Chinese box office.
Directed by and starring martial artist Wu Jing, the movie took over $32.58 million in its first four days of release.
In the film, Wu plays a Chinese Special Forces soldier who is kicked out of the army and then joins a mysterious group of insurgents known as the Wolf Warriors.
Behind Warriors was Matthew Vaughn's comic book adaptation "Kingsman: The Secret Service," which added another $30 million in its first full week in China, for a gross of over $55 million.
And romance movie "Let's Get Married," directed by Liu Jiang, took third place, taking almost $30 million in just four days.
Italian movie set for opening night of Beijing International Film Festival
Italian movie 'Wondrous Boccaccio" by the Taviani brothers has been set as the opening night film of the Beijing International Film Festival.
The film, which will have its international premiere in China's capital, is based on a re-imaging of the Italian literary masterpiece "The Decameron."
The selection of the Italian filmmakers work, carries the imprint of Marco Mueller, who was appointed as the Beijing festival's general advisor in February.
This year there is a 15-strong competition selection eligible for Tiantan awards, these include a more contemporary and wider range of titles than the four previous editions.
The Beijing International Film Festival runs from April 16 – 23.
Doctor Who set for another five years
Good news for 'Doctor Who' fans. As the series' show runner Steven Moffat, has promised at least five more years of time and space.
In a recent interview with Radio Times UK, Moffat said he didn't think the show would last ten years, and now it's going to a minimum of 15, even joking it could do 26 years.
"Doctor Who" was rebooted in 2005 with Christopher Eccleson and Russell T Davies at the helm.
Current Doctor Who Peter Capaldi even suggested to fans that the next five years could involve a movie.
But Moffat has said that a movie version of the hit BBC series would not be possible.
With the 13 incarnations of Doctor Who now a staple at comic conventions around the world, it's no surprise the BBC wants to keep the 51-year-old TV show going.
HBO launches new streaming service HBO NOW
HBO has launched its brand new streaming service, HBO NOW, on Apple or Optimum Online, less than one week ahead of the Season 5 premiere of "Game of Thrones."
The premium network's standalone streaming service provides subscribers with instant access to HBO's original programming.
HBO's critically acclaimed series include "True Detective," "Silicon Valley," and "Veep," as well as classics like "The Sopranos," "Sex and the City," and "True Blood."
Until recently, HBO only existed as a premium offering to cable and satellite subscribers.
2015 Bafta Television Awards Announced
The nominations for the 2015 Bafta Television Awards have been announced.
Sherlock Holmes star Benedict Cumberbatch has been nominated for leading actor, but is facing stiff competition from fellow leading actor nominees James Nesbit, Toby Jones and Jason Watkins.
Meanwhile, the leading actress nominees include Sheridan Smith for her role as singer Cilla Black in ITV's Cilla, Sarah Lancashire, Keeley Hawes and Georgina Campbell.
Happy Valley, Line of Duty, The Missing and Peaky Blinders have all been nominated for best dramas.
The 2015 Bafta Television Awards will take place in London on May 10.
Selfies banned at 68th Cannes International Film Festival
Organizers of the 68th Cannes International Film Festival have banned selfies on the red carpet this year out of safety concerns.
Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux said that the committee had to implement the ban for fear that taking selfies were likely to seriously hinder security at the entire event.
While the awards take place inside the venue, much of the publicity and excitement happens outside on the red carpet, where fans and celebrities are usually seen taking selfies.
The 68th Cannes International Film Festival will be held between May 13 and 24 this year.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour. A quick recap of your headlines:
Chinese and Russian leaders have agreed to promote mutual development and to help foster regional and world peace...
A fourth storage tank at a chemical plant in Fujian province has caught fire, days after the first explosion at the facility...
And a white police officer in the states has been charged with murder after shooting an unarmed black man in the back...
In Business: China's external debt edged upwards in 2014... |