It's Paul James with you on this Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

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

Coming up on our program this morning...

The deadline to become a founding member of the AIIB has passed, with a number of would-be founders signing on at the last minute.

Nigeria is set to have a new president following that country's elections this weekend.

Last ditch talks to create an interim Iranian nuclear agreement are being extended past the deadline into today.

In business... Chinese authorities are set to make deposit insurance a reality starting in May.

In Sports... China salvages a draw in an international football friendly last night.

In Entertainment... Colin Firth's new action-comedy dominating the Chinese box office.

First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...

Weather

Beijing will be rainy today with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop to 2.

Shanghai will be overcast with a high of 24 and a low of 17.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 32.

Overnight it will have showers with a low of 19.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 39.

Kabul will be rainy with a high of 17.

Over to North America,

New York will be clear with a high of 11 degrees.

Washington, also clear with a high of 16 degrees.

Honolulu, partly cloudy, 28.

Toronto, Canada, also partly cloudy with a high of 7 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 29.

And Rio de Janeiro will be partly cloudy with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Top News

Dozens Sign up to Join AIIB

Anchor

The deadline has now passed for countries around the world to apply to be founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

CRI's Qi Zhi with more on which countries are now promising to be involved in the Chinese-initiated plan.

Reporter

Just ahead of the last minute deadline, Norway and Iceland decided to throw their name into the hat to become founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Their decision comes on the heels of Sweden and Kyrgyzstan agreeing to join the bank as a founding member as well.

Also on Tuesday, authorities in Taiwan delivered a letter of intent to the AIIB's Multilateral Interim Secretariat, also hoping to join the mainland-proposed bank.

So far, 30 countries have been approved as prospective founding members of the bank.

The final tally of countries which will be considered founding members is due to be released on April 15th.

In closing the application window for founding-member status, the Chinese government is lauding those who have decided to become founding members, while at the same time, noting the window to be part of the AIIB isn't closed.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokespesron Hua Chunying.

"We have stressed many times that the AIIB is an open and inclusive multilateral development institution. We welcome all interested countries to join it. China is willing to work with all the parties and build the AIIB into a mutually beneficial, win-win, professional and efficient platform of investment and financing for Asian infrastructure."

The countries who have decided to get in on the ground-floor of the AIIB will have a say as to how the governance-structure of the investment bank will be laid out.

Those who decided to join now won't be able to have a say in governance, but are still expected to have voting rights within the new structure.

The AIIB is expected to be operational before the end of the year.

Ding Yifan with the State Council's Development Research Center says there is urgent demand for the money the AIIB will make available.

"Asia is now the fastest developing region around the world. People are saying the 21st century is a century of Asia. Asia has great demand for its economic development, but the bottleneck is that infrastructure construction funding just isn't enough. Old or unavailable infrastructure is affecting the economic interconnection and growth in many regions of Asia."

The Chinese government first proposed the creation of the AIIB in 2013, promising the largest portion of the initial capital that is around 50 billion U.S. dollars.

An additional 20 founding members, including India, Singapore and Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing in October which then launched the global push for more members.

The AIIB's headquarters are expected to be located in Beijing.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

More countries Decide to Join AIIB before Deadline

Anchor

While there are now some 30 founding members of the AIIB, a number of the world's biggest economies have decided not to become founding members.

This includes the United States and Japan, though both countries have said they are willing to work with the AIIB.

To that end, CRI's Spencer Musick spoke earlier 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, speaking with CRI's Spencer Musick.

First Chinese Evacuees Return to China from Yemen

The first group of Chinese evacuees from Yemen has returned home.

Just over 100 Chinese nationals have arrived in Beijing on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

"Yemen is in chaos now. There are constant gunshots in the daytime in the city of Aden. Residents can neither go out nor work. All stores are closed, and our work was seriously affected. I will summarize our work in Yemen after returning home and see if we can go back to our project after the situation improves"

Chinese authorities worked with officials from Ethiopia to accommodate the large influx of Chinese passengers.

Around 570 Chinese nationals were moved out of Yemen this week to Djobouti by three Chinese naval vessels.

Only around 20 Chinese citizens have decided to stay behind in Yemen amid the massive fighting there.

Pakistani and Iranian Officials on Yemen Crisis

A group of senior Pakistani officials have arrived in Saudi Arabia to assess whether they will join the Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says his side has been in-contact with the Saudis over the past few days.

"We took a clear stand that any violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia would evoke a strong reaction from Pakistan and we will support our Saudi brothers. No one should doubt it."

Saudi Arabia, supported by its Sunni Muslim allies in the region, began launching air strikes against the Shiite Houthis last week.

The Houthi's now control much of Yemen.

Yemeni government authorities and their Sunni allies have accused Iran of being behind the Houthi offensive.

Iranian authorities have denied any involvement, and is calling for an end to the Saudi-led offensive in Yemen.

Hossein Amir Abdollahian is Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs.

"Continuing the aggression on Yemen will only lead to support and out-sourcing for terrorism in this country and in the entire region. We think that the aggression, which was launched on Yemen, is useless and it will expose the entire region to danger. We see that security in Iran and the region is integral and therefore we will make all the efforts to stop this aggression on Yemen and to go back to the National Yemeni Dialogue Conference."

Meanwhile, the United Nations is warning that Yemen is on the edge of a humanitarian crisis.

The UN has also issued a statement condemning an attack on a camp for refugees in northern Yemen which left at least 40 people dead.

Both the Houthi's and the Saudi's are blaming one-another for that incident.

Opposition wins Nigerian election

Celebrations are taking place in Nigeria, with the country poised to have a new President.

"I'm very excited today and I don't even know what to say because I have witnessed about nine elections but it's only this time that I'm very happy, because it is a free and fair election."

It's been confirmed incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan has conceeded defeat to former military leader Muhammadu Buhari.

Nigeria's National Electoral Commission is still working announcing the final tally in the polls.

However, early numbers indicate Buhari, now President-elect, has an overwhelming majority of the votes.

Buhari ruled Nigeria from late 1983 until August 1985 after ousting his predecessor in a coup.

Jonathan's party has governed since the decades of military dictatorship in Nigeria ended in 1999.

Buhari campaigned on a platform of being better-positioned to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency which has left thousands dead in Nigeria.

Iran nuclear talks to continue beyond deadline

The Iranian nuclear talks still underway in Switzerland are being extended to try to get a deal done.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says enough progress has been made to extend discussions into Wednesday.

"The update that I've received is that our negotiators have determined over the context of a mostly sleepless night last night, and long negotiations during the course of the day in Europe today, that they're going to continue these conversations tomorrow as long as - well, if necessary - and as long as the conversations continue to be productive."

The original talks had a midnight deadline on March 31st, which has just come-to-pass in Switzerland.

However, both sides have been suggesting they may be close enough to a deal to keep the lines of communication open.

Hamid Baeedinejad is a senior Iranian negotiator.

"There are unresolved issues at this moment, which have not been resolved. We are concentrating on finding the best solutions, which are mutually agreed by everybody, and these efforts would be continued until we have those solutions."

Reports are suggesting a general statement focusing on points of agreement will be issued at the end of the talks, which would be enough to allow for a new phase of talks toward a comprehensive deal.

The statement is expected to be accompanied by documents outlining areas where further talks will be needed.

But there is no sign that the most contentious issues have been resolved.

At issue are which sanctions will be lifted, and how much work Iran will be able to do when it comes to further nuclear development.

Government, Armed Rebels Sign Draft Ceasefire Deal

A new ceasefire has been signed among Myanmar's armed ethnic groups and the government.

Aung Min is one of the lead negotiators for the Myanmar government.

"The National Ceasefire Agreement we sign today has values which have more than an agreement. NCA is also a starting point to build long lasting peace in Myanmar peace process. Like the President said today, this is opening of peace door"

The new draft is being taken by the negotiation teams for the various ethnic groups to the leaders of their rebel factions to sign-off on.

The new agreement is the culmination of a series of talks which have been taking place since 2013.

It comes amid weeks of fighting in northeastern Myanmar, along the border with China which has seen thousands displaced.

That fighting has also led to cross-border tensions following a bombing which left a number of Chinese nationals dead.

Meanwhile, the United Nations is describing the draft agreement as a "significant achievement" and the first step towards larger political negotiations.

Iraqi PM announces "liberation" of Tikrit

The Iraqi government is claiming victory in the city of Tikrit, saying its security forces have liberated the city from the Islamic State.

It's said to be the biggest victory yet in the Iraqi government's fight against the militants.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

"I'd like to present to you the good news that our troops have entered the city center of Tikrit. They raised the Iraqi flag over the provincial building. And they are now purging other parts of the city from Daesh. The extremists planted bombs inside houses, government offices and destroyed all installations."

While claiming victory, Iraqi government forces admit they only have around three-quarters of Tikrit recaptured.

The operation to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown began a month ago.

Fighting had been bogged down before Iraqi forces made rapid advances over the past two days with the help of US airstrikes.

Tikrit, some 130 kilometers north Baghdad, fell to the Islamic State in June.

Retaking the city is considered both psychologically and strategically important.

Tikrit is viewed as a stepping-stone to recapturing Mosul, Iraq's 2nd largest city and the gateway to the country's oil-rich north.

It's expected the push toward Mosul may begin in a few weeks.

However, Islamic State forces still control towns along the main road leading to Mosul.

Peruvian Congressman Bashes Decision to Force PM to Resign

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala is being forced to appoint a new Prime Minister for the country's Parliament.

This follows on the heels of the country's congress voting to remove the Prime Minister amid a major spying scandal.

Ana Jara has been ousted in a congressional vote after revelations her administration has been spying on opposition politicians.

Jara was also Peru's intelligence chief.

Lawmakers with the ruling party in Peru say the ouster of Jara is simply for political points.

"Definitely the proposal of dialogue, of consensus, of tolerance, has not worked because there are no political forces looking for dialogue, consensus or tolerance. We are facing political forces that are only looking for political points ahead of the elections in 2016."

Peru's National Intelligence Directorate is being reorganized after revelations it had been monitoring members of Peru's political opposition.

The government has denied the allegations.

However, the scandal is widely expected to create a major shake-up for President Ollanta Humala's inner-circle.

Massive typhoon forms east of the Philippines

A new Typhoon has formed in the waters east of the Philippines.

Typhoon Maysak is packing winds of some 230-kilometers per hour at the center, putting it into the Super Typhoon category.

Storms of this size are capable of leaving thousands dead when they hit landfall.

However, current storm modeling from the Hong Kong observatory is suggesting Maysak may begin to lose power over the next couple of days as it makes its way toward the Philippines.

Maysak isn't likely to hit the Philippines until the weekend at the earliest.

The tracking model currently suggests a westward pattern toward the northern Philippines.

However, that may change as the days progress.

Biz Reports

Stocks

First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

U.S. stocks ended sharply lower after a choppy trading session on Tuesday, with the latest economic data coming out mixed.

This has left the Dow industrials in the red for the year's first quarter.

A reading on business conditions in the Chicago region came in weaker than expected.

But at the same time, a consumer-confidence report has come out better-than-anticipated.

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, a leading measure of US home prices, shows the 10-City Composite gained over 4 percent year-over-year.

But at close,

The Dow Jones tumbled 1.1 percent.

The S&P 500 fell about 0.9 percent.

The Nasdaq Composite Index ended the day down 0.9 percent.

Meanwhile, European markets mostly ended down on Tuesday, despite quarterly data in the first three months poised to stay reasonable.

Heavyweight oil producers drove U.K. stocks lower on Tuesday.

However, London's exchange still had its best quarter since the end of 2013.

Germany's DAX gained over 20-percent value in the first quarter, despite its daily downturn yesterday.

On the day on Tuesday...

The UK's FTSE 100 decreased by 1.7 percent.

While Germany's DAX was down 1 percent.

Finally France's CAC 40 also fell some 1 percent.

China to implement bank deposit insurance in May

The central government has announced it plans to implement the long-awaited bank deposit insurance scheme here in China in May.

The maximum compensation will be 500-thousand yuan.

Authorities say the figure is roughly comparable to the compensation limits set by other countries' deposit insurance schemes.

As part of the program, financial institutions will have to set-aside premiums into a fund that will be managed by an agency appointed by the State Council.

It's designed to return bank clients' deposits if their bank goes under.

It's also one of the last hurdles needed to free up deposit rates.

Li Keqiang calls for IMF reforms

Anchor

Questions are being raised about the likelyhood of US lawmakers passing legislation to reform the International Monetary Fund.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has issued the latest call for US lawmakers to approve IMF reforms which would give China and other developing countries more sway in the organization.

Li Keqiang has made the call while meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew in Beijing.

Lew, who is now back in the US, has gone on-record saying United States stands ready support the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, provided it complements existing international financial institutions.

However, the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is an initiative spear-headed by China, has left many observers skeptical about whether a sometimes anti-China Congress will be willing to give China and other developing countries more say in the IMF, which is backed mostly by the United States' European allies.

For more on this topic Beijing Hour's Zhao Yang spoke earlier with Huo Deming, Professor from the national school of development at Peking University.

Back anchor

Huo Deming, Professor from the national school of development at Peking University, speaking with CRI's Zhao Yang.

Samsung Unveils S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Smartphones Sale Date in China

It's been announced Samsung's new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones are set to go on sale in China on April 17th.

The final price-tag for the phones hasn't been released.

However, it's believed the S6 is going to be priced at around 51-hundred yuan.

The S6 Edge will cost a thousand yuan extra.

Tesla CEO upbeat on China sales prospect

The CEO of Tesla has opened-up about his company's current situation in China, suggesting things aren't nearly as bad as has been reported.

Elon Musk says they're anticipating a rebound in sales through this past month of up to 150-percent.

This comes amid a limp performance for the company through 2014.

Musk says changes they've made to their technical and business designs should start baring fruit.

"Having addressed the lack of good navigation, and I think in substantial part addressed the misperception that charging is difficult, and the fact that many more of our super chargers are now active, I think it has had a huge impact on our sales in China."

The comments from Musk come despite reports of a potential major shake-up within his company's China operations.

Reports circulated earlier this year that Musk sent out an internal Tesla email, warning his staff in China their jobs are on-the-line if the company's sales don't improve significantly this year.

Headline News

Dozens Sign up to Join AIIB

Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founding member.

The four filed applications just before the deadline expired at midnight last night.

Meanwhile, authorities in Taiwan have also delivered a letter of intent to join the mainland-proposed bank.

So far, 30 countries have been approved as prospective founding members of the bank.

The final tally of countries which will be considered founding members is due to be released on April 15th.

Nigeria to have new President

Celebrations are taking place in Nigeria, with the country poised to have a new President.

It's been confirmed incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan has conceded defeat to former military leader Muhammadu Buhari.

Nigeria's National Electoral Commission is still working announcing the final tally in the polls.

However, early numbers indicate Buhari, now President-elect, has an overwhelming majority of the votes.

Buhari ruled Nigeria from late 1983 until August 1985 after ousting his predecessor in a coup.

China, Uganda presidents pledge further cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sat down for a meeting with the President of Uganda here in Beijing.

Xi Jinping has told Yoweri Museveni the Chinese side is willing to help share its experiences in developing special economic zones and industrial parks.

The Chinese President is also calling for collaboration in areas, including defense, counterterrorism and youth exchanges.

For his part, Yoweri Museveni says Uganda is looking toward China for help with infrastructure construction, including hydropower plants and railways.

Massive typhoon forms east of the Philippines

A new Typhoon has formed in the waters east of the Philippines.

Typhoon Maysak is packing winds of some 230-kilometers per hour at the center, putting it into the Super Typhoon category.

Storms of this size are capable of leaving thousands dead when they hit landfall.

However, current storm modeling from the Hong Kong observatory is suggesting Maysak may begin to lose power over the next couple of days as it makes its way toward the Philippines.

Maysak isn't likely to hit the Philippines until the weekend at the earliest.

The tracking model currently suggests a westward pattern toward the northern Philippines.

However, that may change as the days progress.

Hostage crisis leaves Turkish prosecutor dead

A Turkish prosecutor and two gunmen who took him hostage have been killed after a shootout at a courthouse in Istanbul.

The prosecutor had been taken hostage after he headed an inquiry into the death of a boy during anti-government protests in 2013.

He and his two hostage-takers have been killed after special forces stormed the building.

Authorities say they stormed the courthouse after hearing gunshots inside the prosecutor's office.

A banned revolutionary group is said to be behind the incident.

Newspaper Picks

BEIJING MORNING POST

Headline

More public bicycles

Summary

Beijing municipal transport authorities are planning to increase the number of bicycles for public use by 10-thousand this year.

It's estimated around 20 million people have used the public bicycles since they were made available in 2011.

BEIJING NEWS

Headline

Cartier robbery arrest

Summary

A man has been arrested in Beijing on suspicion of robbing a Cartier jewelry store in Wangfujing earlier this month.

A 38-year-old Malaysian man has been apprehended.

He is accused of stealing 11 watches from the Cartier store in Wangfujing on the night of March 16th worth some 3-million yuan.

GLOBAL TIMES

Headline

Drug tests for actors

Summary

A Beijing film production firm is now said to be requiring its actors working on a TV show to undergo drug testing.

Around 30 actors on a sitcom are being told to take the test.

Those who fail are being threatened with being sacked.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

More police on roads

Summary

Shanghai police are promising to put more officers on duty near cemeteries and tourist spots this weekend.

The move is to deal with traffic during the Tomb-sweeping Day holiday.

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Imperial garden remake

Summary

The newly-built replica of the Original Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, is set to open in May in the city of Hengdian in Zhejiang.

Hengdian is a feature-film shooting base in China.

The rebuilt original summer palace is said to have around 95 percent of the original ancient architecture.

The new garden will feature modern technology including lasers and LED lighting to entertain visitors.

The original Summer Palace was destroyed and looted by a coalition of foreign troops in the mid-1800's.

Special Reports

Chinese Designers Search for Identity at Beijing Fashion Show

Anchor

Beijing Fashion Week has come to an end.

This year's event has seen a number of Chinese designers putting themselves out there to compete with the likes of Prada and Gucci.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

Reporter

One of the week's most eagerly anticipated shows came from Amsterdam-based Chinese designer Hu Sheguang, who shot to fame after several of his models ended up toppling over in heels during the 2014 spring fashion show.

The Inner Mongolian artist also looked to his roots for his latest offering, choosing the traditional Chinese padded winter jacket, and colorful prints once popular in China's northeast as his inspiration.

"When everyone thinks of cotton padded jackets, they will think of memories from their childhood. I hope that before it disappears I can use my perspective to display it for everyone, and let the next generation feel close to it."

Hu says many Chinese designers are looking for a way to incorporate their culture into their work.

"Everyone's searching and exploring for the most sophisticated way to elevate Chinese fashion to the highest level, how to do things with distinctly Chinese flavors. I think in the last two years, people have been constantly searching and China has more of the new generation of fashion weeks."

On the consumer end though, Chinese designers still have to compete with the international titans of fashion like Louis Vuitton and Prada, beloved by the country's new rich for the instant recognisability of their labels.

Those with their fingers on the pulse of Chinese haute couture see the label obsession as gradually improving though.

Su Mang is the editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar Magazine in China.

"If you look at the sales in the Chinese market you can see that in the past it was always the products with logos that were selling the best. Now this kind of expenditure is gradually decreasing, everyone is advocating real fashion design and a more vibrant fashion wave, and this is currently diluting the logo."

But out on the streets of Beijing, for many people the power of the "logo" still hold's sway.

A 27 year old photographer Ban Wei says there are still quite a lot of people in her age group, who will try and buy one or two bags like Louis Vuitton or Coach.

"Perhaps they think, it's not necessarily that they approve of the style, more that this is the same product as such and such a celebrity owns or because it's some kind of proof of your status."

Others worried that this power might lead Chinese designers to impersonate foreign products.

Chinese designers search for their identity at the Beijing fashion show, but for consumers, the pull of foreign labels remains a force to be reckoned with.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Sports

Football action from last night

Substitute Yu Daobao's goal during injury time salvaged a 1-1 draw for China against Tunisia at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.

Tunisia broke the deadlock at the 39 minute mark with a header following a pinpoint left wing cross. Saber Khalifa missed a penalty after the interval, when Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei parried his shot.

Yu Dabao, who levelled the score in the hosts' 2-2 draw with Haiti on Friday, again played the role of hero as a second-half substitute. After striker Gao Lin's freekick from the edge of the area slipped from the hands of Ben Mustapha, Yu dashed into the right place timely and drove home.

----

Meanwhile in Japan, the Japanese team thrashed Uzbekistan 5-1.

-----

In Italy, England managed a draw against the Italian side 1-1, stretching their unbeaten run to eight matches.

------

China's men's under 23 team remains in the hunt for a Rio 2016 Olympics berth after dispatching hosts Laos 3-0 to finish its three game AFC championships qualification campaign at the top of their group.

The result guarantees them a spot at the AFC under 23 Championships in Qatar 2016. A top three finish there would result in Olympic qualification.

Top players through to second round of China Open

Top players including Marco Fu, Judd Trump, Mark Williams and John Higgins have all advanced to the second round of the World Snooker China Open.

Marco Fu made the maximum break of the tournament ever with 133 points in the morning game, upsetting Ashley Carty 5-0.

Chinese rookie Zhao Xintong went off to a 2-0 start against Mark Williams, but the two-time world champion then won five games in a row to seal a thrilling comeback win.

John Higgins defeated home player Yu Delu 5-3 with a top run of 114 points in the seventh frame.

Selby established a 3-0 advantage before Mark Joyce hit back with a 99-point and a 52-point break in the following two frames. The World No.1 again edged 57-52 in the sixth and won the eighth after hitting a key long-shot red.

In Trump's match against Andrew Higginson, he progressed through to the second round winning 5-3.

NBA preview

In the NBA this morning.

It's the San Antonio Spurs against Miami Heat. The spurs have pretty much wrapped up a place in the Western conference playoffs however things are much more up in the air for the injury plagued Heat. 　　

Golden State Warriors take on LA Clippers. In a potential second round playoff preview, the warriors will try to extend the league's longest current run to 10.

Atlanta Hawks play the Detroit Pistons. The Atlanta Hawks' strong defense has been a major factor in their rise to the top of the Eastern conference as well as previous successes against the Detroit Pistons.

The Indiana Pacers take on the Brooklyn Nets. Both teams are battling for the last two playoff spots and this game is crucial with the season series on the line.

Andy Murray defeats Kevin Anderson to reach landmark 500 wins

In tennis,

Britain's Andy Murray has defeated Kevin Anderson to become the first Brit to reach the landmark of 500 career wins and secure his place in the Miami Open last eight.

The third seed required all three sets to dispatch South Africa's Anderson, seeded 15, winning 6-4 3-6 6-3.

Murray becomes the 46th man to reach 500 wins since the open era began. Of those, only nine are still playing.

Czech Tomas Berdych made it six quarter finals out of six tournaments this year after he advanced when Frenchman Gael Monfils retired in the second set. Eighth-seed Berdych was leading 6-3 3-2 when Monfils retired after falling badly in the fifth game.

Berdych will face Argentine Juan Monaco who beat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-3.

In women's play, Andrea Petkovic became the first semifinalist when she beat Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-2.

Rio 2016 ticket details announced

The organizing committee of the Rio 2016 Olympiad have launched their ticket sales programme. The first Olympic Games in South America will have 7.5 million tickets available, 70 per cent of them for Brazilians.

Donovan Ferreti, Rio 2016 ticketing director.

"We have around a million tickets for the international market - and it's good to have big numbers. So, we have around 7.5 million tickets available. Around 70 per cent of those tickets will be exclusive for Brazilians. So, of those 30 per cent a million will be available for the international public."

Prices will vary between around 13 U.S. dollars - the cheapest ticket - to around 1400 U.S. dollars - the most expensive for the opening and closing ceremonies at the Maracana Stadium.

The ticketing director added that measures will be taken to avoid empty seats at venues, an issue that concerned London 2012 organisers with several events not at full capacity, despite the success in sales.

Four boats round Cape Horn in World Ocean Race

Four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race celebrated rounding the venerated landmark of Cape Horn, a pleasure cruelly denied Dongfeng Race Team after their mast was broken early in a dramatic day on leg five.

Team Alvimedica led the battered fleet past the point 15 minutes clear of overall race leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean racing. MAPFRE and Team Brunel were hot on their heels as the fleet prepared to head north back into the Atlantic for the first time since November.

They still have quite a challenge in store, navigating up the Brazilian coast towards the final Leg 5 destination of Itajai which they will reach after 6,770 nautical miles.

Entertainment

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' tops China box office

"Kingsman: The Secret Service" has topped the China box office on its opening weekend, grossing over 24-million US dollars in just three days in theatres.

The British spy comedy stars Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, and Taron Egerton.

It's believed the recent visit to China by Colin Firth has helped push ticket sales for "Kingsman" higher.

Meanwhile, Peng Sanyuan's "Lost And Love," starring Andy Lau and Jing Boran sits second in the Chinese box office, grossing just under 13.5-million US dollars this past week.

"Taken 3," starring Liam Neeson, sits third with just under 13-million US dollars earned.

Last week's box office topper, Disney's live-action "Cinderella," sits 4th.

Disney production "Big Hero 6" is in 5th.

Openers this coming weekend will include the long-delayed China co-production "Outcast" starring Nicolas Cage, as well as Wu Jing's controversial film "Wolf Warriors."

Nominations For the 5th Beijing International Film Festival's "Tiantan Awards" Unveiled

The nominations for prizes at this year's Beijing International Film Festival have been announced.

A total of 15 films are set to compete for this year's 'Tiantan Awards.'

The awards themselves cover 10 different categories, including 'Best Feature Film,' 'Best Director,' 'Best Actor,' 'Best Actress' and 'Best Screenplay.'

Films nominated for the awards include "A White, White Night" from Russia, US film "Experimenter" and "Fig Fruit and The Wasps" from India.

Two Chinese films, "The Taking of Tiger Mountain" and "Wolf Totem," are also among the nominations.

The winners will be announced at the closing ceremony of the Beijing International Film Awards on April 23rd.

The festival itself kicks off on April 16th.

Rolling Stones announces summer tour in North America

The Rolling Stones have officially announced their much-anticipated North American summer concert tour, the 'Sticky Fingers' re-issue.

The tour is a play off of The 'Stones 1971 album Sticky Fingers.

That album itself is going to be re-released in a deluxe format on May 26th.

The Rolling Stones' new concert tour kicks off May 24th at San Diego's Petco Park.

It will criss-crossing North America before finishing in the Canadian province of Quebec on July 15th.

Helen Mirren and Katie Holmes at the premiere of their new film, 'Woman in Gold'

Helen Mirren has made an appeareance at the New York premiere of her new film, 'Woman in Gold' along with co-star Katie Holmes.

The film is a true account of Maria Altmann's fight to reclaim a famed Gustav Klimt painting of her aunt.

Holmes says the film has social significance.

The film opens in US theaters later on this Wednesday.

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

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

The deadline to become a founding member of the AIIB has passed, with a number of would-be founders signing on at the last minute.

Nigeria is set to have a new president following that country's elections this weekend.

Last ditch talks to create an interim Iranian nuclear agreement are being extended past the deadline into today.

In business... Chinese authorities are set to make deposit insurance a reaility starting in May.

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.