Evening Edition

It's Shane Bigham with you on this Friday, April 24th, 2015.

Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital...

Coming up on our program this evening...

Leaders from Asia and Africa, including the Chinese president, call for the creation of a more rational world order...

leaders from the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan-based Kuomintang will hold meetings next month in Beijing...

and China's top legislature introduces tough new laws to curb tobacco ads that target children...

In Business: employment growth in China slowed down in the first quarter...

In Sports: an update from the first round of the NBA playoffs...

In Entertainment: a Chinese documentary seeking to protect a rare species of monkey makes its debut in U.S.

Top

Asian, African nations reaffirm commitment to enhanced cooperation

This year's Asia-Africa summit has concluded in Jakarta, Indonesia, with leaders from the two continents calling for the creation of a more rational international order.

The summit has adopted a number of documents, including a declaration on reinvigorating the Asia-Africa strategic partnership.

World leaders attending the summit have also focused on maritime cooperation, suggesting it is going to become one of the pillars of the new partnership between Asia and Africa.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo suggests the world needs to pay attention to the results of this meeting.

"The voices in the summit represent the rising voices of Asia and Africa, that's why the voices and decisions taken at this summit should not be ignored by anyone."

April 24th has also been declared 'Asia-Africa Day.'

Asian, African leaders Re-enact Historical Walk in Bandung

Leaders from Asia and Africa, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, have re-enacted an historic walk made by state leaders 60 years ago when participating in the original Asian African Conference in Bandung.

A moment of silence was held in memory of all the leaders who participated in the original conference.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave a speech urging his counterparts from the two continents to reinvigorate the struggle of their predecessors from the 1950s.

"In the commemoration of the Asian African conference, I urge…let us reinvigorate, let us ignite the struggle of our great leaders 60 years ago. We have to improve our understanding, to realize world peace, and all forms of violence must be stopped. We have to work together to improve the welfare of our people through economic and trade partnership."

At the Asian African Conference which was held on April 24, 1955, delegates from more than two dozen countries gathered in Bandung to discuss security and economic development.

60 Years On: The Bandung Conference

Anchor:

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Asian and African leaders have participated in a series of events to commemorate the 60th-anniversary of the historic 1955 Bandung Conference.

The leaders from the two continents believe that the Bandung Spirit- ethos to govern international relations, has value in the modern day.

CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier to Dr. He Wenping, a researcher on African affairs with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

…

Back anchor:

That was Dr. He Wenping, a researcher on African affairs with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences speaking to CRI's Zheng Chenguang.

CPC, KMT leaders to meet in Beijing

Anchor:

A mainland official says that leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Taiwan-based Kuomintang (KMT) party will meet in Beijing in May.

A wide range of issues will be discusses by then among the top leaders.

Our reporter Guo Yan has the details.

Reporter:

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, says leaders of the two parties will exchange views on relations across the Taiwan Straits.

Ma says KMT Chairman Eric Chu will lead a delegation to Beijing after taking part in the Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum, which is scheduled to be held on May 3 in Shanghai.

The spokesperson describes the occasion as "an important event in the two parties' high-profile exchanges."

Yang Weizhong, the spokesperson for the Kuomintang, says the talks will focus on the prospects for cross-straits relations.

Shao Zonghai is director of the mainland affairs research center of the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan.

He points out AIIB will be a major topic at the meeting.

"I think one problem is the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. Taiwan really hopes to play an important role in AIIB. However considering the special relationship between Taiwan and the mainland, Taiwan cannot be a member country but could be a member economy of the bank. And the title still has not been decided yet. We can see whether there will be some breakthrough to solve the problem."

Shao points out another issue might be the preferential policy towards Taiwan businessmen.

"In terms of protecting the interest of Taiwan businessmen, Premier Li Keqiang has made it very clear that the recent document issued by the State Council sticks to the previous preferential policy. This is a promise from the central government for Taiwan businessmen. "

He also believes other motions concerning the wellbeing of people from both sides of the straits will be raised in the meeting.

Ni Yongjie is the deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs research institute based in Shanghai.

He believes the meeting will be another milestone in cross-straits relations after the first meeting between the two parties' then top leaders taking place in 2005.

"Mutual trust between the two parties will be enhanced. The meeting will make progress on carrying on the 1992 consensus to promote the peaceful development of cross-straits relations. The meeting will also set a clear direction of the future of the relationship. It will make arrangements to encourage more common people from Taiwan to participate in the cross-straits communications. "

Experts expect the meeting could make clear the direction of the crosss-straits relationship in the future. And this will greatly help to secure the stable development between the mainland and Taiwan.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

China Adopts Law with Tougher Curbs on Tobacco Ads

Anchor:

China's top legislature has adopted an amendment to the 21-year-old Advertisement Law, which will place tougher restrictions on tobacco advertising to minors.

Yin Xiuqi has more.

Repoter:

The amendment was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at its bimonthly session, which closed today.

The revised law will forbid Tobacco advertisements on mass media and in public places and ban any kinds of advertisement targeting minors.

Peng Sen is the Vice-Chairperson of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of China's top legislature. He is strongly against tobacco advertising in the country.

"When people were discussing the issue at the State Council, or soliciting opinions from different fields, they mentioned that the tax revenue generated by the tobacco industry will exceed a trillion yuan per year. It will also create tens of thousands of jobs and promote development of poverty-stricken areas. I don't think those are reasons(for tobacco ads). People's health should always be the top priority. "

The current Advertisement Law was enacted in 1994 but officials felt the rules regarding tobacco ads were out of date. For example, tobacco companies are allowed to conduct sales campaign in the name of disaster relief or donation for students. They are also permitted to use social media such as Wechat or other Internet platforms to promote their brands.

Statistics show that tobacco promotion via Wechat or other websites has increased 33 percent this year over last year.

Yu Xiuyan is a researcher with the Health Law Research Center, affiliated with China University of Political Science and Law.

She says the number of channels and places were tobacco ads have been banned has been expanded.

"People rarely notice that the current Advertising Law only forbids tobacco ads on a few mass media outlets, not all the places. So we could find tobacco ads in many public places, such as in new media, which have not been banned by current laws."

Surveys have found that nearly 50 percent of China's middle school students between 13- and-15-years-old are exposed to tobacco ads or sales campaigns.

Xiao Lin is a smoking control expert with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. She hopes the newly amended ad law will ban any kinds of tobacco advertisement targeting minors.

"Frankly speaking, we all know those ads and campaigns- adults will hardly start smoking just because of the influence of ads- they are mainly targeting minors. For the sake of our future generation, I hope to see a full banning in the newly amended law."

The amendment to the Advertising Law will take effect on September 1.

According to the new law, advertisements for non-tobacco products or services should not include the brand, trademark, packaging, design or similar content of tobacco products.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi

Official: No Data Leak in Social Security System

A Chinese official has denied reports that there has been a data breach of the social security network.

Li Zhong, spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, says 40 percent of the reported loopholes have been fixed, while an overhaul is continuing to check for the rest.

"We have contacted the state information safety department following the reports and communicated with the website that reported the loopholes. Meanwhile, we have also asked for information from local social security units in the areas that were reportedly affected, requiring them to conduct an overhaul and eliminate any risks found during the overhaul."

An earlier report from online security solutions website - Loudong.cn – said the personal information of tens of millions of people was "at risk" after the social security systems of 19 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the mainland were found to have authorization issues.

The report said ID numbers, income, house ownership, and social security information were most vulnerable.

The ministry has called for an overhaul of the system to locate any weaknesses that could be exploited by hackers, but found no indication of a data leak.

China's social security network is monitored and administered by a three-tier security system.

Yemen Factions Divided over Peace Talk Terms

Fierce battles and air strikes by Saudi-led coalition forces continue in Yemen.

Though all sides have welcomed talks to end the crisis in the country, there is little agreement on how negotiations might take place.

Reyad Yassin Abdulla, Yemeni Foreign minister, says there will be no talks unless the Houthi opposition lay down their arms.

"There will be no talks at the present time as long as the Houthis and the militias of Ali Abdullah Saleh continue the crime against the Yemeni people and until they put their weapons aside and surrender".

Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government are currently in exile in Saudi Arabia.

They are demanding the Houthis militia quit cities they have occupied, particularly the port on Aden in South Yemen.

Hadi's ally, Saudi Arabia, announced the end of bombing on Tuesday. However the coalition forces then resumed air strikes in the country.

The Houthis says they will talk only if the air strikes stop completely. The group has not publicly changed its view that President Hadi no longer has legitimacy.

Additionally, the position of the General People's Congress (GPC) is vital to the political process. GPC is the biggest party in Yemen controlled by former president Ali Abdullash Saleh.

Saleh was forced to step down by mass protests in 2011. Forces loyal to him have also been targeted by air strikes since his party is allegedly sided with the Houthis.

The Saudis believe that if those GPC forces can be persuaded to stop fighting, the less well equipped Houthis will be forced to retreat.

Obama didn't Personally Sign off on Drone Strike

US President Barack Obama has issued an apology for the deaths of an American and an Italian hostage in a US drone strike conducted earlier this year.

" As president and as commander-in-chief, I take full responsibility for all our counterterrorism operations, including the one that inadvertently took the lives of Warren and Giovanni. I profoundly regret what happened. On behalf of the United States government, I offer our deepest apologies to the families."

Americna Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto were both aid workers in Pakistan when they were taken hostage by al-Qaida.

They were killed in a US counter-terrorism operation in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan in January.

Josh Earnest, White House spokesman says the strike was conducted without the President's "specific sign off".

"The President did not specifically sign off on these two operations, there are policies and protocols in place for our counter-terrorism professionals to make decisions about carrying out these kinds of operations based on a wide variety of things including an assessment of near certainty that the target is an al-Qaida target and that civilians would not be harmed if the operation were carried out."

US officials said intelligence showed the compound was frequented by al-Qaida leaders, so they targeted it. But the same intelligence offered no indication the hostages were there.

According to Marie Harf, acting State Department spokesperson, they are currently undergoing a comprehensive review of how the US government addresses all of these issues related to hostage policies.

Ministers' summit overshadowed by Greece

Eurozone finance ministers have met in Riga, Latvia for intense talks on Greece's financial future.

The meeting is held as Greece is facing bankruptcy.

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem says that there's a "great sense of urgency" from all sides to get a deal done.

"We are going to take stock of the situation and you know hear from the institutions, from the Greek colleagues on the progress being made, I hope there is some progress to be reported and then we will see what the next weeks will bring us, I think there is a great sense of urgency for all of us to get a deal, but work has to be done before the Eurogroup can take a decision."

Discussions on Greece's financial crisis have lasted for weeks, but have yielded little besides distrust.

Greece has an end-of-April date to agree to more reforms in exchange for rescue money its creditors had set aside.

But Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis was not expected to present any reform plans at the meeting.

Without the money, Greece faces potential bankruptcy and a possible exit from the euro.

Greeks Stage Protest in Athens

Some 2,000 Greeks have rallied in Athens, Greece, urging EU leaders to ensure a safer gateway into Europe for migrants fleeing persecution and conflict.

Petros Constantinou, an activist with the 'Movement Against Racism,' demands EU leaders open borders to those who flee their homelands.

"No more deaths of refugees in the Aegean sea and the Mediterranean. They should open the borders and give hospitality to the refugees and asylum."

Greece is a gateway into the European Union from Turkey or Africa. The country is under increasing pressure due to a surge in people fleeing violence and poverty in African countries and the Middle East.

In the latest sea disaster, a wooden boat ran aground off the coast of the Greek island of Rhodes resulting in three people drowning.

As EU leaders were holding an emergency summit in Brussels, focusing on migrant issues, protesters demanded them to enhance search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas so as to help migrants who attempt risky boat crossings.

Young directors at the Beijing Film Market

Anchor:

The 5th Beijing International Film Festival has just concluded, with special attention on young directors starting their careers in the world's second biggest movie market.

Luo Laiming has more.

Reporter:

The Beijing Film Market, a branch of the Film Festival, is devoted to helping the country's young movie talents. Chen Caiyun is the marketing minister of the Festival.

"For many young directors starting on their first feature film, there's still a long way to go after they finish their script. Many of these directors are not attached to a company and need counseling to proceed with negotiations with investors and distributors and deal with the ensuing legal documents. All of this can be overwhelming for beginners."

The "Project Pitches" sector of the Beijing Film Market is a good training field. Here young upstart directors present their movie stories to judges and potential investors, in a way similar to how college students present their theses. The only difference is, if all goes well, the students will receive a degree and bid farewell to their schools, while the directors are in for some prize money to kick-start a challenging career in the movie industry.

Ten projects emerged from an unprecedented 455 applications this year, while four went on to win prizes totaling 250,000 yuan.

The bonus may be modest, but there were also valuable lessons to be learnt.

Chen Jie, partner of Chinese booking agency Easy Entertainment, is one of the tutors offering one-on-one training for the candidates, whose future in the industry relies very much on their pitching skills.

"We train them to pitch their stories with efficiency. First of all they need to be clear about the genre, then the uniqueness of their stories. They also need to present a feasible shooting plan and the estimated return on investment. Lastly, they need to impress potential investors."

The four winners may have charmed the judges on the spot, but those who missed the opportunity are given a second chance. At the negotiation stage following the pitching competition, all of the Top 20 projects out of this year's applicants are open to potential investors. Those who take an interest can book an appointment with the young directors for a face-to-face negotiation. Sometimes, that's everything a fledgling filmmaker could wish for.

Young director Jiang Jun met his investor and mentor when he joined the competition in 2013.

"My story has become a movie, that's quite impressive. At the Beijing Film Market, you get to meet different people. I think it is important for young directors to come to such occasions. If they meet someone who can understand them, they stand to benefit for the rest of their lives. Some people, they may not be able to offer you a lot of money or get you the actors you want, but they give you their trust. That boosts the confidence of young directors, and confidence is what young directors need the most."

The platform is expanding still. The Beijing Film Market has now partnered up with the Cannes Film Festival and the Motion Picture Academy in the US. Winners of the pitching competition could now gain insight into both the European and the Hollywood methods of filmmaking.

Back Anchor:

That was Luo Laiming reporting

March against xenophobic violence in South Africa

Thousands of South Africans in Johannesburg have staged a protest against the increasing violence targeting immigrants in the country.

Recent attacks have left at least seven people dead.

Roney Karils, former South African Intelligence Minister, expresses firm support for expats.

"They are our fellow sisters and brothers and we rise here in solidarity and in unity and in action to stand by them and with them. For an injury to one is an injury to all."

On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the violence and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

Despite having one of the biggest economies on the continent, South Africa has seen growing social tensions due to high unemployment and the widening gap between rich and poor.

North Korea denounces US-South Korea defence talks

North Korea has issued a statement, denouncing US-South Korea military defence talks, which depict the North as a threat.

The statement aired by North Korea's state broadcaster characterises the talks as "a plot" to deploy a missile system in South Korea.

"The story about the 'threat from the North's nukes and missiles' floated by the US and South Korea is no more than a plot to justify the deployment of a missile defense system in South Korea and tighten the US-Japan-South Korea military nexus. The whole world knows that the nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula nowadays comes not from North Korea but from the US which is constantly practicing at nuclear war with the world's biggest nuclear weapons and nuclear strike weapons."

North Korea has called the system part of a "military criminal scenario" by the United States.

During a visit to Seoul earlier this month, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the US is not ready to begin discussions with South Korea about deploying the system.

The possible deployment has also triggered concerns from China and Russia.

Weather

Beijing is clear tonight with a low of 11, tomorrow cloudy sky with a high of 31.

Shanghai is cloudy tonight with a low of 14, tomorrow, sunny, high of 25.

Chongqing is cloudy with a low of 17 tonight and a high of 25 tomorrow.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 46.

Kabul, partly cloudy, 29.

In Australia

Sydney, scattered thundershowers, high of 23,

Brisbane, sunny, 31,

Finally Perth will be sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

Headline news

Indonesian president urges equality-based cooperation

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is calling for Asian and African countries to continue working towards prosperity by echoing the Bandung Spirit and forging partnerships based on equality.

Widodo made the call during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the first Asia- Africa Conference, called the Bandung Conference.

Some 100 countries have participated at this year's Asia-Africa Summit and the events to commemorate the anniversary in Indonesia.

The Bandung Spirit is a term coined to sum up the consensus reached by a group of Asian and African leaders, including late Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, 60 years ago when they convened at Bandung.

It highlights solidarity, friendship and cooperation.

CPC, KMT leaders to meet in Beijing

Leaders of the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan-based Kuomintang party are set to meet in Beijing in May.

The CPC Central Committee's Taiwan Work Office has made the revelation.

Leaders of the two parties are expected to talk about inter-party exchanges and relations across the Taiwan Straits as part of the meeting.

KMT Chair Eric Chu will lead a delegation to Beijing after taking part in a Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum in Shanghai on May 3rd.

China's adopts law with tougher curbs on tobacco ads

China's top legislature has adopted an amendment to the Advertisement Law that places tougher restrictions on tobacco advertising to minors.

Tobacco advertisements are forbidden on mass media and in public places.

The revised law also bans any kinds of advertisement targeting minors.

The amendment to the 21-year-old Advertisement Law will take effect on September 1.

China approves pilot reform in jury system

A newly-approved pilot program will change the way jurors are selected in some regions of China.

The decision from the country's top legislature includes raising the minimum age for jurors from 23 to 28 and lowering the educational requirement from junior college to senior high school.

Education requirements are to be lowered further in rural and poor areas, where highly respected individuals may become jurors regardless of their educational backgrounds.

Also, selection of jurors will switch from personal applications and organizational recommendations to random selection among qualified local people.

The reforms are to be tested in 10 provincial-level regions including Beijing, Hebei, Guangxi, and Chongqing.

The pilot program took effect as the plan was announced.

Strong quake shakes central New Zealand

Emergency services are assessing damage after much of New Zealand was shaken by a strong earthquake that struck on the northeast of the South Island.

At least three aftershocks have been reported after the 6.2-magnitude tremor.

Train services across the South Island and urban rail services around the capital of Wellington have been suspended pending safety checks.

No injuries or major damage have been reported so far.

Biz reports

Stocks

Anchor:

Turning now to business news with a look at the numbers from the Asian markets on this Friday evening.

Joining me on the desk is CRI's Luo Wen.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks mostly fell, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ending its bullish run in the previous three sessions.

The market opened lower in the morning, and then went up during the day as the China's securities regulator denied claims that authorities are about to raise stamp duties and resume the tax on capital profits to control leverage risk on the stock market.

The oil, medical and military industries led the gains with Shanghai Lonyer Fuels shares increased by the daily limit of 10 percent.

Banks, securities, nonferrous metal and steel heavyweights were among the biggest losers.

Market sentiment was also affected by securities regulator's announcement that two batches of IPO applications instead of one will be approved every month with immediate effect.

Analysts say that the authorities are acting in accordance with the market, which has seen a rapid rise and strong need for business financing.

At close,

The Shanghai Composite Index dipped about half of a percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index sank nearly one percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index edged up 0.9 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,

The Japanese Nikkei lost 0.8 percent.

South Korea's Kospi decreased 0.6 percent.

Singapore's Straits Times Index ticked up a fraction of a percent.

Finally, the Australia ASX 200 claimed one and a half of a percent.

China Raises Retail Oil Prices

China's top economic regulator has raised the retail prices of gasoline and diesel today.

The retail price of gasoline will increase by 300 yuan or 49 U.S. dollars per tonne and diesel by 285 yuan.

This means the benchmark retail price of gasoline will increase 0.22 yuan per liter and diesel will increase by 0.24 yuan.

The adjustment, which will come into effect this Saturday, follows a previous raise on April 11.

It comes as international oil prices have risen on concerns of a possible acceleration in global oil demand, a lower-than-expected inventory increase in the United States and tensions in the Middle East.

The National Development and Reform Commission reduced oil prices twice in January, raised prices twice in February and then cut prices once in March.

China Employment Growth Slows in New Precedent

New figures show growth in the number of people employed in China's urban areas slowed in the first quarter of this year, the first time that has happened since the global financial crisis.

Stats from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) shows China's employed urban population in the first quarter grew by more than 3.2 million, which is 200-thousand less than the same period last year.

By the end of March, China's registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.05 percent, lower than the 4.08 percent registered in the first quarter of last year.

The data also shows that the gross revenue of social insurance funds increased about 15 percent year on year to over one trillion yuan in the first quarter.

Gross expenditure totaled about 855 billion yuan, up some 17 percent from a year ago.

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou No Longer Top Spots for Chinese Job Seekers: Report

Anchor:

Chinese job seekers have welcomed another job-hunting season this spring. A recent job report has found most seekers in China no longer favor Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou as the top three spots to find work.

CRI's Chloe Lyme has the details.

Reporter:

The employment report released by China's largest recruitment site, zhaopin.com, is based on an index which looks at job supply and demand in the country's labor market.

On a national level, first-quarter job vacancies received an average of 26.1 resumes, down from 45.2 in the same period last year.

Job seekers no longer prefer to work in the most developed cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, which are off the top five attractive-cities list.

Second-tier cities such as Chengdu, Xi'an and Shenyang have become more popular for their vast development potential.

Analysts say the growing stress of life and work, deteriorating environments, and restrictions on buying properties and cars have made first-tier cities less appealing for job hunters.

As to the types of companies job seekers consider as priorities, the report reveals that most of them are willing to work for state-owned enterprises, public institutions and foreign-funded companies.

In terms of industries, jobs in insurance companies, intermediary services and health services are unpopular among job seekers due to stereotypes within those sectors.

Experts from Zhaopin.com advise job seekers to consider micro-enterprises where requirements are less demanding and more opportunities are provided for career advancement.

For CRI, I'm Chloe Lyme.

Chinese Banks See Record Forex Outflow in Q1

New figures are suggesting there has been a run on foreign exchange in China through the first quarter of this year.

Data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange show China's central bank and commercial banks have posted a 91-billion US dollar deficit in foreign exchange settlement from January to March.

That's nearly double the deficit seen through the previous quarter.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange says nearly 66-billion US dollars left Chinese banks in March alone.

Guan Tao with the Administration says the outflow of foreign currency has been expected.

"The current capital outflow is an adjustment that falls into our expectations. We shouldn't simply see it as capital flight that involves the violation of laws or rules, or secret capital flight. This kind of adjustment is predictable. It reflects normal financial operations in the market."

Regulators say the appreciation of the US dollar and the overall slowdown of the Chinese economy are the main reasons for the outflow of foreign capital.

ICBC topples Wells Fargo as world's most valuable bank

According to a report from Bloomberg, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is now the world's most valuable bank, winning its duel with Wells Fargo & Company.

Wells Fargo is an American multinational banking and financial services holding company which is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

ICBC's market capitalization was $315 billion on Thursday, 11 percent more than Wells Fargo.

The report says Chinese banks' gains may be getting support from policies of monetary easing, lowering their funding costs and limiting bad loans.

China has cut interest rates and lenders' reserve requirements twice since November.

ICBC reported a net profit increase of 5.1 percent year on year to 276.3 billion yuan or $45.3 billion in 2014.

The bank's total assets also hit 20.6 trillion yuan, up 8.9 percent year on year.

ICBC now has become the largest bank in the world by both total assets and market capitalization.

Apple Watch on Sale in China

The Apple Watch officially goes on sale today in the US, Chinese mainland and seven other countries and regions. .

There are three versions of the watch: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition.

The Sport collection is priced under three thousand yuan, about 400 US dollars, while the Watch starts from $549 and the Edition starts at 10-thousand U.S. dollars and features rose or yellow 18-karat gold alloys.

It is expected to do well in China, where sales of knock-off versions began soon after Apple's unveiling of the gadget in March.

Apple says that there will be no in-store stock on the launch day, and that in-store purchasing at Apple locations won't be available until around June.

Customers can now only purchase the smartwatch online or by reservation in Apple retail stores and from resellers in their regions.

Sports

Chicago Bulls Beat Milwaukee Bucks 113-106, Bulls Lead Series 3-0

In NBA playoff action,

The Chicago Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-106 in double overtime on Thursday to take a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

Derrick Rose scored 34 points for the Bulls.

The Bulls guard says it took a lot to win the game.

"We're playing against a hungry team, a hungry young team. They're pushing us - an example was it was a great example tonight the way, how hard they played, defensively they're great and they're forcing us to play and which we need that. We're finding ways to win the games and that's why you've got to love the playoffs because every game is going to be different."

This is his highest-scoring total in three years and his highest playoff scoring total in four years.

The Bulls can complete the sweep on Saturday in Game 4 in Milwaukee.

In other action,

Cleveland beat Boston 103-95.

Golden State beat New Orleans 123-119.

Spurs Kawhi Leonard Wins Defensive Player of the Year

In NBA off-court news,

San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard was selected the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday.

Leonard was very thankful.

"It just feels amazing to win this award. I'd just like to thank my family and my friends for their support, and most importantly my teammates and the coaching staff. I couldn't do this without them.

Leonard won the award in a tight race that saw the Spurs player up against Golden State forward Draymond Green and LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan.

The 23-year-old joined Micheal Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to win the award and the NBA Finals MVP.

Arsenal Confident Ahead of Match Against Chelsea

In football,

First, from the Chinese Super League,

Only one game is scheduled tonight,

Shijiazhuang is playing Tianjin Teda.

This weekend,

New leaders Shanghai SIPG take on Henan Jianye;

3rd place Beijing Guo'an will face Shandong Luneng;

And no. 2 Guangzhou Evergrande take on Jiangsu Sainty.

Over in La Liga action this weekend:

Barcelona will face off against Espanyol;

Atletico Madrid will hit the pitch against Elche;

And Real Madrid will meet Celta Vigo.

Over in the Premiere League:

Leaders Chelsea battle second-place Arsenal.

The gunners haven't beaten Chelsea in their last 12 meetings, but Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger says his team's hungry for the win:

"The result on Sunday will be just down to the performance on the day. We're on a good run, we have an opportunity at home to beat them and we want to take it."

And third-place Manchester United is looking to move up in a meeting with Everton.

Sharapova Crashes out of Porxche Grand Prix

In tennis,

Maria Sharapova crashed out of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart on Thursday.

The top-seeded Russian lost to German left-hander Angelique Kerber 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the second round match.

The three-time defending champion was rather disappointed.

"My opponent played really well. When I had my opportunities, I thought I played a bit of a sloppy game at 4-5 on her serve. (I) made a few return errors, probably due to lack of playing in a while. I'm a little rusty on those moments."

Sharapova held a 13-0 record in Stuttgart before the match.

The loss will make the 28-year-old lose the number two world ranking to Simona Halep of Romania.

In other action,

Madison Brengle upset Petra Kvitova 6-3, 7-6.

Caroline Wozniacki eliminated Lucie Safarova 7-6, 6-1.

And it's Sara Errani over Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas 6-4, 6-1.

Nashville Beat Chicago Blackhawks 5-2

In NHL action,

The Nashville Predators kept their playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks alive with a 5-2 home win in Game 5 on Thursday.

Rookie Filip Forsberg scored his first career hat trick and the first in the Predators postseason history.

With this victory, Chicago has a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoff series.

Game 6 will be in Chicago on Saturday.

In other action,

The Vancouver Canucks staved off elimination, beating the Calgary Flames 2-1.

Tampa Bay beat Detroit 3-2.

And it's the Washington Capitals over the NY Islanders 5-1.

Higgins Takes A 5-3 Lead at Snooker Worlds Second Round

In snooker,

Four-time winner John Higgins has taken a 5-3 lead over China's Ding Junhui after the first session of their snooker World Championship second-round match.

Higgins took command after six frames by leading the former Chinese World No.1 5-1.

But the 28-year-old Ding fought back with breaks of 67 and 94 to keep in contention at 5-3.

The two will resume competition later on today.

Chinese Wingsuiter to Challenge 8100m Record without Oxygen

Chinese wingsuiter Zhang Shupeng is to challenge the record in that extreme sport for flying without the aid of an oxygen mask.

He is to make an attempt at 81-hundred-meters, in Inner Mongolia on Saturday.

The 29-year-old's previous best is 68-hundred meters, made in Arizona last year.

The current record height for a wingsuit flight without an oxygen tank is 8-thousand meters, set by Remo Lang of Switzerland last year.

Zhang is considered the 'number 1 wingsuiter in Aisa'.

He has won the national parachute gliding championships ten times and won the paragliding world championship points title in 2009.

Boo Weekley and Brendon de Jonge Share the Lead

In golf,

Boo Weekley and Brendon de Jonge each fired an eight-under-par 64 to share the lead after the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Thursday.

Their eight-under-par is one stroke clear of Canada's David Hearn and American Sean O'Hair.

Defending champion Seung-Yul Noh of South Korea had one-over-par 73, leaving him nine shots adrift of the leaders.

Heavy rain halted play for an hour.

The opening round was suspended due to darkness and some players will complete their 18 holes on Friday morning.

Entertainment

Chinese documentary seeking to protect rare monkey makes debut in U.S.

A Chinese documentary called "Mystery Monkeys of Shangri-La" has made its North America debut in New York to mark the 45th Earth Day.

The film tells a true story about a family of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys living in the highest forests in the world.

Producer Xi Zhinong assembled a team consisting of two cameramen, a scientist, three rangers, and six porters to shoot the film. They followed a small troop of eight families, each comprised of a male, several females and their young.

But their focus eventually narrowed down to just one family when they spotted two newly born babies. Their story becomes the heart of the film.

"Mystery Monkeys of Shangri-La" will broadcast on PBS on April 29.

Child star of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' kills himself

Some sad news from the world of entertainment…

Sawyer Sweeten, the child star of hit US show "Everybody Loves Raymond," has killed himself.

His family confirmed in a statement that the 19-year-old "took his own life."

US media reports that he shot himself on the front porch of the family home in Texas.

Sawyer played Geoffry Barone in the comedy, which also featured his twin brother Sullivan as Michael Barone and older sister as Ally Barone.

The show ran from 1996, when he was just 16-months-old, to 2005.

Paul McCartney performs in Tokyo

Japanese fans warmly welcomed British singer Paul McCartney back this week, after he cancelled his entire Tokyo tour last year because of illness.

Around 50,000 fans packed Tokyo Dome last night and applauded as their idol returned to Japan.　　

The former Beatle got a virus last May and canceled concerts in Tokyo, including the one at Nippon Budokan hall, where the Beatles performed during their first Japan tour in 1966.

He arrived in Osaka earlier this week where he held another concert on Tuesday.

McCartney will perform four more concerts in Tokyo before he wraps up his Japan tour next Monday.

"Furious 8" Gets 2017 Release Date

Following the huge success of "Furious 7," Universal is moving ahead with the eighth installment.

The next entry in Universal's blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise has been scheduled for April 14, 2017. The news was revealed during the studio's CinemaCon presentation, following an emotional speech by one of the main stars Vin Diesel.

He went on stage to talk about the most recent hit, and got emotional when speaking about his friend Paul Walker, who died before "Furious 7" was completed.

The seventh entry in the franchise has already broken box office records worldwide, so far taking more than $1.1 billion globally.

During a presentation Universal also revealed that the "Fifty Shades" of Grey sequels will hit theaters in February 2017 and February 2018.

Schwarzenegger takes on first dramatic role in "Maggie"

Action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed his dramatic, tender side in "Maggie," an unconventional zombie film.

Schwarzenegger even sheds a few tears as a farmer struggling to care for his dying daughter.

The drama that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, spins a different take on the zombie genre, concentrating more on the father-daughter relationship than blood-soaked gore and cannibalism.

It also provides 67-year-old Schwarzenegger, a former bodybuilder and governor of California, a new acting challenge.

In the debut feature film by British director Henry Hobson, Schwarzenegger plays Wade, a farmer in a small town hit by a global outbreak of a deadly disease.

While he won't be giving up action films, Schwarzenegger said he "will be looking for more dramatic roles like 'Maggie.'"

Weather

Beijing is clear tonight with a low of 11, tomorrow cloudy sky with a high of 31.

Shanghai is cloudy tonight with a low of 14, tomorrow, sunny, high of 25.

Chongqing is cloudy with a low of 17 tonight and a high of 25 tomorrow.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 46.

Kabul, partly cloudy, 29.

In Australia

Sydney, scattered thundershowers, high of 23,

Brisbane, sunny, 31,

Finally Perth will be sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

Leaders from Asia and Africa, including the Chinese president, call for the creation of a more rational world order...

leaders from the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan-based Koumintong will hold meetings next month in Beijing...

and China's top legislature introduces tough new laws to curb tobacco ads that target children...

In Business: employment growth in China slowed down in the first quarter.