| The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
It's Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, April 15th, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital...
Coming up on our program this evening...
the number of founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has been finalized at 57 nations...
Chinese authorities issue a white paper on Tibet ahead of the Autonomous Region's 50th anniversary...
And Saudi Arabia welcomes a new UN resolution regarding Yemen...
In Business: analysing first-quarter growth of the Chinese economy...
In Sports: The Laureus World Sports Awards are being handed out this evening in Shanghai...
In Entertainment: a preview of the Beijing International Film Festival, which starts tomorrow...
Top News
China's Growth Slows to 7 pct in Q1
Official figures show China's economic growth slowed to 7 percent in the first quarter of this year, down slightly from the 7.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.
First quarter GDP totalled about 14 trillion yuan or nearly 2.3 trillion U.S. dollars.
Sheng Laiyun, spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics, says the slowdown was expected as the Chinese government predicted continued downward pressure for the economy this year.
"The downward pressure comes from two sides. On the one hand, the global economic recovery in the post-crisis period is still sluggish. To some extent, insufficient external demand affects our exports. On the other hand, China's economy is changing gear and is going through a period of structural reforms."
The latest figure is better than the forecasts by multiple institutions that predicted the growth rate would fall slightly below 7 percent, due to weak investment and demand.
However, it is the weakest expansion since the first quarter of 2009, when the global financial crisis saw China's growth tumble to 6.6 percent.
Sheng says although downward pressure still exists, China's economy still has great potential to grow at a steady pace.
"In the short term, the pattern of international adjustment and domestic economic adjustment are not going to change easily in the near future, so downward pressure is still on. But China's economy has the potential to hold steady as the momentum of transformation and upgrading remains good."
We will have more expert analyses on China's first quarter GDP in the second half of our show, please stay tuned.
AIIB founders finalized at 57
Anchor:
The prospective founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have been finalized at 57.
China's Ministry of Finance made the announcement after seven more countries received approval, including Sweden, Israel, and South Africa.
The 57 founding members represent five continents.
The authorities say though the deadline for founding membership has past, the bank will continue to accept new members.
Founding members of the bank will have say in how the organizational structure of the AIIB will be laid-out.
Non-founding members will have voting rights when the bank is officially formed later this year.
The bank is set to provide financing for roads, railways, airports and other infrastructure projects in Asia.
For more the structure of the bank, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke with John Ross, Senior Fellow with Chongyang Institute of Financial Studies, Renmin University.
…
Back Anchor:
That was John Ross, Senior Fellow with Chongyang Institute of Financial Studies, Renmin University.
Obama intends to remove Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism
US President Barack Obama intends to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. This will clear away the main obstacle to restoring diplomatic ties between the two countries.
In Havana, the capital of Cuba, local residents hail Obama's decision.
"I think that it's a good intention by President (Obama) and I don't think Cuba should be on that list. Cuba doesn't sponsor terrorism. On the contrary it helps many countries."
However, Obama's intention also aroused criticism. US Senator Marco Rubio is one of those who condemned the decision.
"Well, the decision made by the White House today is a terrible one, but not surprising unfortunately. Cuba is a state sponsor of terrorism. They harbor fugitives of American justice, including someone who killed a police officer in New Jersey over 30 years ago. It's also the country that's helping North Korea evade weapons sanctions by the United Nations. They should have remained on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and I think sends a chilling message to our enemies aboard that this White House is no longer serious about calling terrorism by its proper name."
Cuba has been on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1982. President Obama told Congress on Tuesday of his intent to remove Cuba from the list, two days after he met with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro. Congress has 45 days to consider Obama's decision before it finally takes effect.
China refutes Philippine president's South China Sea accusation
China has refuted Philippine President Benigno Aquino's recent accusation that China's construction activities on some islands in the South China Sea are "unreasonable".
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says China's work on the islands falls entirely within its sovereignty, which neither affects nor targets any nation.
He points out that the Philippines has occupied some of China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea since the 1970s.
"We urge the Philippines to earnestly respect China's territorial sovereignty and return to the bilateral political documents between China and the Philippines, and the commitments the Philippines made in the declaration of the code of conduct in the South China Sea, [that they] return to the correct path of using dialogue and negotiation to deal with the controversy in question, and do more things that benefit China-Philippine relations and regional peace and stability."
Hong Lei adds that China is committed to jointly safeguarding peace and stability of the South China Sea with ASEAN members, which includes the Philipines.
China issues white paper on Tibet
Anchor:
China has issued a white paper on its southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region, applauding its development and denouncing the "middle way" advocated by the Dalai Lama.
The white paper, released by the Information Office of the State Council, says Tibet's current development path is an objective requirement of modern civilization.
The paper says it accords with the progressive trends of society, the current reality in China, and the fundamental interests of all ethnic groups in Tibet.
Meanwhile, the report points out there is a party clustered around the 14th Dalai Lama, attempting to create a "state within a state" on Chinese territory as an interim step towards full independence.
The paper says only when the Dalai Lama abandons his stance on independence and his attempts to divide China, can he improve his relationship with the central government in a real sense.
For more on this, I earlier spoke with CRI's special commentator Lin Shaowen.
…
Back Anchor:
That was Lin Shaowen, CRI's special commentator.
11th Beijing-Tokyo Forum set for October
It has been announced that the 11th Beijing-Tokyo Forum will be held in China's capital this October.
This year's forum will focus on the healthy development of China-Japan relations and the future of Asia.
It will be jointly organized by China International Publishing Group, and Genron NPO, a Japanese think tank.
Wang Gengyi with the Chinese organizer hopes the forum can help improve Sino-Japanese ties.
"In 2014, China-Japan relations fell reached a low point. However, we still insisted on holding the 10th forum in Tokyo, as we needed to collect more positive energy in tough times and give our voice to the world through the forum. The two countries reached a consensus on four principles before the opening of APEC in November last year. During the APEC meeting, the two countries' leaders also held a meeting. We hope the forum can continue in accordance with the route and play a positive role."
Yasushi Kudo, president of the Genron NPO, says the forum is expected to help form a public opinion environment conducive to the development of bilateral relations.
"According to polls in recent years, relations between the two countries' people are not so good. Meanwhile, we are attracted by another figure that nearly 70 percent of two countries' people believe the bilateral relations are in need of improvement, which accounts for most of the population. The forum is aimed to improve people's impression of the other country through dialogues and media promotion."
The Beijing-Tokyo Forum is one of the platforms for non-governmental communication between China and Japan and aims to break the political deadlock between the two countries.
It has been held alternately in Beijing and Tokyo since 2005.
Topics for the forum also include bilateral economic, diplomatic and media exchanges and security.
Elderly Housing Reverse Mortgage Pension Insurance Debuts in China
The insurance product that allows seniors to mortgage their homes in exchange for pensions has received first clients.
Five clients from three cities have signed contracts with an insurance company called Happy Life. They will draw pensions from the company while the company will have the right to sell the mortgaged housing after the clients pass away.
The product was approved by China's insurance regulatory body late in March, 10 months after the country launched the pilot "house-for-pension" program.
Wu Xinggang is the deputy chief of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission's Hubei Administration. He says the new product is a part of the country's efforts to improve the pension insurance system.
"It is a new effort that supplements the current system to solve pension problem for Chinese seniors who are handicapped or have lost their only child, the empty-nest elderly and other old people living alone. It is an active try to improve our current pension insurance system."
Traditionally, family played the most important part in supporting the elderly in China. But things have changed due to one-child policy and a highly-mobilized society - more and more young people leave home to make a living in other cities and their parents are left behind in their hometowns.
According to the new insurance policy, elderly Chinese aged between 60 and 85 will obtain pensions from insurance companies after signing mortgage contracts. They are allowed to continue living in their homes.
Winter Olympics Champions on China's bidding for 2022
Anchor:
Many sports stars have gathered in Shanghai for the annual Laureus awards.
Earlier today, three world-class winter Olympic champions shared their opinions about Beijing and Zhangjiakou's bidding for the 2022 winter Olympics during a small forum on winter sports.
CRI's reporter Niu Honglin is in Shanghai and has more.
Reporter:
For some of winter sports athletes, this might be their first visit ever to China.
However, without knowing the country that well, most of them believe that hosting the winter Olympics could be great for this big country.
Tina Maze, double Olympic gold medalist in Sochi, has been nominated for the world sportswoman of the Year Award.
“That's the best thing that can happen to a country. Because Olympic Games are, in every athlete's eye, I think such a long great tradition. And I think having that racing in your country is the best promotion for a country. Every sport is a great sport, it's a great way of living, and it can bring a lot of things to people's life, mine's and the country's too.”
Tina Maze comes from Slovenia, a country with a population of 20 million. She believes her people all share great love for winter sports.
“In my country, probably everybody skis. I mean like they try for sure.”
Unlike Slovenia, China doesn't seem to be a winter-sports-loving country. Even so, Pierre Vaultier, Winter Olympic champion for snowboarding and a nominee of the Laureus World Comeback of the Year, tells reporters insufficient winter sports culture in China won't be such a problem.
“Most of the Russian population doesn't ski. It was not something in their culture, but it turns out that they can do something great out of the Olympics and at least for game participation. So I think that is just what the IOC should be aware of. If China could make out something good from the Olympics and after the Olympics for skiing and for sports, I think it's a good bid.”
As one of the Laureus Academy members, Franz Klammer shows even more optimism towards China's bid.
“China is applying for the Olympics, and I think they've done a good job before. We've been there, and they hosted the summer Olympics, it was a great success. And I think they can do it for the winter too.”
Li Xiaopeng, one of China's greatest Gymnasts, has newly become a Laureus Academy member.
“I myself participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. For me, maybe for every Chinese person, it has brought great changes. People from all around the world saw China through the Olympics; they noticed Chinese sports and the positive spirit of the Chinese people because of it. Beijing and Zhangjiakou's bid might be another dream for us, for everyone, we all hope for the best and we keep doing our best to make it happen.”
For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin in Shanghai.
Saudi military welcomes new UN resolution on Yemen
A Saudi military spokesman has welcomed the UN Security Council resolution on Yemen, saying that diplomatic and military pressure is needed to achieve peace.
The Security Council has voted to impose an arms embargo on Yemen's Houthi rebels and their allies.
The sanctions also target former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son, who are said to be helping support the rebels.
They will face a global asset freeze and a travel ban.
Saudi military spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri has applauded the decision.
"The Security Council listed him among those to face punishment, including him with his father who was singled out earlier, and the international community recognizes their danger to the Yemeni nation."
Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Gulf and Arab states in fighting the rebels.
China's permanent UN representative, Liu Jieyi, says the resolution is extremely important for restoring stability in Yemen.
Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi fighters have condemned the resolution, calling on Yemeni people to protest the embargo.
Houthi fighters swept into the capital Sanaa in September and have since tried to expand their control across Yemen, which is also battling Al-Qaida's local branch.
Congressional Review Authorized for Nuke Deal with Iran
A US Senate panel has approved a bill demanding a congressional review of any nuclear deal the Obama administration inks with Iran.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 19-0 to pass an amended version of a bill, which will advance to the full Senate for a vote.
According to the panel's chairman, Republican Senator Bob Corker, the bill will shorten Congress' review of any final Iran nuclear deal from 60 days to 52 days. It will give Congress 30 days to review the deal, 12 days for a possible veto of congressional action by President Barack Obama, and then 10 days for an override vote.
"Congress stays involved if an agreement is reached and if one is not disapproved, Congress stays involved, and every 90 days the administration has to certify that in every way Iran is in compliance and if there are violations within a 10 day period, they have to give that to Congress so that we have the ability if we wish to quickly reapply the sanctions that if a deal is approved, would be alleviated."
The measure gives Congress a vote on any final nuclear agreement with Iran. However, President Obama will not be able to lift sanctions imposed by Congress during the 52-day review process.
Iran and International negotiators reached a preliminary deal on Iran's disputed nuclear program this month. And they have set a June 30 deadline for reaching a final agreement.
South Korean President reviews ferry disaster
South Korean President Park Geun-hye has attended a special meeting in the run-up to the anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster.
During the meeting, Park called on officials to properly compensate the families of the victims.
"Even though the economic and financial situation is in a difficult state, please pay careful attention towards compensation and reparation. And please make sure the problems surrounding the enforcement ordinance regarding the special law to reveal the truth are solved smoothly."
The Sewol sank on April 16 last year as it took a turn during a routine voyage to the island of Jeju.
304 people - including 250 students -- died or are still listed as missing.
The South Korean government has promised about 380,000 US dollars in compensation for each student victim.
But the victims' families have rejected the compensation package and are demanding an independent investigation.
Prosecutors are continuing their demand for the captain to face capital punishment in the final hearing during an appeals trial.
The ferry's chief engineer has been convicted of homicide and jailed for 30 years, while 14 other crew members were sentenced to between five and 36 years in jail. All are appealing the verdicts.
Aftermath of Asiana plane veering off runway
An Asiana Airlines flight crash-landed short of the runway while attempting a landing in the rain at Hiroshima airport in western Japan on Tuesday.
27 passengers were injured in the accident, but none of their injuries were life-threatening.
Japan's transport ministry says the tail of the Airbus 320 struck the ground while landing, spewing sparks, and then, the plane skidded off the runway
The plane's landing gear collapsed in the accident, while both of its wings and the left engine were also damaged.
Some passengers recall that they were tossed up and down in their seats before landing.
"There was no problem until we landed.. But then it was panic in the plane. There were few passengers but the oxygen mask came down, women were crying, and everyone was screaming. As far as I remember, there were two shocks to the plane."
Asiana Flight 162 was carrying 74 passengers and eight crew members from Incheon airport in South Korea.
Hiroshima airport was still closed on Wednesday for the investigation.
The accident took place almost two years after a Boeing 777 of Asiana Airlines hit a sea wall before reaching the runway at San Francisco International Airport.
Three passengers were killed in the crash while nearly 200 others were injured.
Two Chinese nationals were among the dead.
News conference on launch of Space X
The US SpaceX company has launched a shipment of groceries to the International Space Station, including the first espresso maker bound for orbit.
But its third attempt to land the leftover booster on an ocean platform failed.
Vice President of Mission Assurance, Hans Koenigsmann, says the analysis of the failure still needs time.
"It came down and it landed apparently a little bit too hard. I saw two frames basically and then that was the end of it, so we're still looking at data, we need to analyse what happened. Looking at the data itself quickly I heard that everything seemed to be fine, so it's not quite clear what happened, but it certainly needs more work in the next couple of missions. By the way, the next attempt would be then on CRS-7."
The space transport service provider wants to reuse the rockets rather than discard them, in order to save launch costs.
The company will try again in June on the next supply run for NASA.
The goal, a vertical touchdown, also eluded SpaceX in January and February.
Headline news
China's growth slows to 7 pct in Q1
Official figures show China's GDP growth slowed to 7-percent in the first quarter.
This is down from 7.3-percent growth registered through the final quarter of last year.
At the same time, industrial output has increased by 6.4-percent from January to March.
This is down from the 8.7-percent growth seen through the same period last year.
Fixed asset investment is up 13.5-percent though the first quarter, but down nearly 4-percent on an annualized basis.
The National Bureau of Statistics is suggesting that despite China's GDP growth hitting its lowest level in 6-years, the government's policies still appear sound.
AIIB founders finalized at 57
China's Ministry of Finance says the prospective founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have been finalized.
There will be 57 founders, including seven countries newly approved as of today. Sweden, South Africa, and Poland are among the latest founding members to be approved.
The ministry says the prospective founding members represent Asia, Oceania, Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
Founding members have the right to help define rules of the China-initiated bank.
Countries that applied to join after March 31 will be considered ordinary members with voting rights but less say in the rule-making process.
China issues white paper on Tibet, denouncing Dalai Lama's "middle way"
The Chinese government has released a new report on the development of Tibet.
In it, the government says its current development model for the southwestern region is on the right track.
At the same time, the White Paper on Tibet's development has described the so-called "middle way" advocated by the Dalai Lama as an attempt to create a 'state within a state.'
The government report says the "middle way" would split the country, and suggests the only sensible alternative for supporters of the Dalai Lama is to accept Tibet as a part of China.
Obama to remove Cuba from state sponsor of terror list
U.S. President Barack Obama has told Congress he will remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
This is one of the steps Cuba has been demanding in order to normalize ties between the two countries.
In his message to Congress, Obama says the Cuban government "has not provided any support for international terrorism" over the past 6-months.
He also says he's been provided assurances that it will not support terrorist acts in the future.
Obama's decision is still subject to congressional review.
IAEA inspectors arrive in Iran
UN nuclear inspectors have arrived in Tehran for a long stalled visit to investigate suspicions that Iran has been working on creating nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.
Iranian officials say inspectors from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency are to discuss "unresolved issues" surrounding a military site in Marivan, in western Iran.
A 2011 IAEA report indicated that large-scale high-explosive experiments were conducted at the site, near the Iraqi border.
Talks with the IAEA are parallel to Iran's nuclear negotiations with six world powers seeking a permanent nuclear agreement by June 30.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Anchor:
Turning to business news with a look at the numbers from the Asian markets on this Wednesday evening.
Joining me on the desk is CRI's Luo Wen.
Reporter:
Chinese stocks ended lower on Wednesday as the latest reading on the country's economy showed first-quarter growth at its slowest pace since the global financial crisis.
We will more on the GDP data in just a minute.
The online education and medical equipment sectors suffered great losses on the day.
Nanjing-based Focus Technology, Beijing Lanxum Technology and Andon Health Co fell by the daily limit of 10 percent.
The railway construction sector made strong gains.
China's top train makers CSR and CNR both rose by the daily limit of 10 percent.
At close,
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.2 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index lost 2.8 percent.
Meanwhile in Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index ticked up 0.2 percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
The Japanese Nikkei closed flat.
South Korea's Kospi added 0.4 percent.
Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index edged up nearly half of a percent.
Finally Australia's ASX 200 sank 0.6 percent.
Einar Tangen on China's GDP Growth in Q1
Anchor:
As mentioned earlier in our program, China's first quarter GDP growth rate of 7 percent was expected as downward pressure on the economy persists.
So how do foreign analysts view the economic growth data?
CRI's Zhao Yang earlier spoke with Einar Tangen, Former Chairman of the State of Wisconsin's International Trade Council.
…
Back anchor:
That was Einar Tangen, Former Chairman of the State of Wisconsin's International Trade Council, speaking with CRI's Zhao Yang.
Qatar Launches First Chinese yuan Clearing Hub in Middle East
Qatar has opened the Middle East's first center for clearing transactions in the Chinese yuan.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's (ICBC) Doha branch has been appointed as the clearing bank for the center.
Qatar's central bank governor Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani says the center will help boost trade and investment between China and Gulf Arab economies.
"The launch of the region's first renminbi clearing center in Doha will facilitate greater cross-border renminbi investment and financing business, create more jobs and promote greater trade and economic links between China and the Middle East."
The amount of business which Qatar's clearing centre will eventually conduct is still not clear at the moment.
Last November, the Chinese and Qatari central banks signed a 35 billion yuan, or 5.6 billion U.S. dollar, currency swap deal.
The deal is equal in size to a three-year currency swap agreement inked between China and the UAE in 2012.
It allows the central banks to swap currencies if needed to ease trade and investment, and could eventually be used to diversify the Gulf central banks' foreign reserves.
Yuan-rand exchange mechanisms at advanced stage
South Africa's Foreign Minister says preparations for the direct exchange of the Chinese yuan and the South African rand are at an advanced stage.
She also said that they agreed on the establishment of a clearing centre for the yuan.
Currently, China is South Africa's biggest single trading partner.
Trade between the two countries last year totalled nearly $22 billion last year.
In the past few months, China has designated banks in a number of countries to clear transactions in yuan, as it seeks to make it possible for companies and financial institutions abroad to use its currency in cross-border transactions.
China has also moved gradually to liberalise the yuan's market movement and allow a more market-oriented exchange rate.
Alibaba injects pharmacy business into HK-listed affiliate in $2.5 bln deal
Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba is injecting its online pharmacy operations into a Hong Kong-listed affiliate, Alibaba Health Information Technology Limited, in a 2.5 billion US dollars deal to consolidate its healthcare enterprise.
Shares in the affiliate nearly doubled early today after the announcement.
Under the deal, Alibaba Health will buy 100 percent of the online pharmacy operations from a wholly owned subsidiary of Alibaba Group and another investor for 2.5 billion dollars.
And in turn, Alibaba Group will buy issued shares and bonds from Alibaba Health.
Online pharmacies are currently limited to selling over-the-counter medicines and healthcare products such as cough remedies and vitamin tablets.
However, China is now gearing up to open the over 161 billion US dollars prescription drug market to online pharmacy operators like Alibaba Health, JD.com and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
China's classified advertisers 58.com and Ganji in merger talks: report
It's being reported that Chinese classified advertising website 58.com and its competitor Ganji.com are in talks about a possible merger.
The two companies reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday in Beijing.
The possible merger is said to be a sign of further consolidation in the mainland's hot technology sector.
If the merger goes through, the combined group could be valued at as much as 10 billion U.S. dollars.
However, both sides have not yet made any official announcements about the merger.
Shares of the New York-listed 58.com rose almost 34 percent on Tuesday following the report.
Tencent to work with authorities to improve facial recognition for banking use
Chinese internet giant Tencent has reported progress garnering government support for facial recognition technology to be used for banking services.
Tenpay, a payments subsidiary, has announced a cooperative partnership with the National Citizen Identity Information Center under China's Ministry of Public Security.
The arrangement will allow Tencent to work with police to improve the accuracy of facial recognition technology so customers won't need to visit a bank for verification purposes.
At the CeBIT technology fair held last month in Hanover, Germany, the founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, Jack Ma, also offered a glimpse into how facial recognition could be used to make payments on smartphones.
But analysts say the technology still has hurdles to overcome before it can be commercially viable.
Sports
Tina Maze Not Disappointed despite Missing out on Title
In other news related to the Laureus World Sports Awards:
Skiier Tina Maze, a nominee, says she is not angry at losing the World Cup overall title to Austrian racer Anna Fenninger.
"These loses are making you angry a little bit but if you know you did everything, you gave everything, you don't feel anger about it. You feel pride, you feel happy, you feel... I was battling for the, with great athletes and you know pushing yourself everyday out. It feels good, it doesn't feel bad".
Maze lost her overall World Cup lead to Fenninger last month.
The 2013 overall champion had led Fenninger by 18 points in the standings before the race.
However, she finished third and 0.46 seconds short of her second World Cup title.
The 32-year-old is also nominated for the Laureus Sportswoman of the year award, along with Serena Williams, Valerie Adams, Marit Bjorgen, Genzebe Dibaba and retired Chinese tennis player Li Na.
The winners are expected to be announced at the awards ceremony tonight in Shanghai at 8 p.m., Beijing time.
NBA: Clippers Past Suns 112-101
In NBA action from this morning,
The Clippers earned a 112-101 win over the injury-depleted Phoenix Suns in the Clippers' final regular-season game before the NBA playoffs.
With the victory, Los Angeles clinched the West's No. 3 seed.
But Los Angeles (56-26) can still finish with the No. 2 seed if the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets lose their final games tomorrow morning.
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The Boston Celtics secured the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, upsetting the Toronto Raptors 95-93.
Evan Turner and Avery Bradley each scored 14 points for Boston, which will face No. 2 seed Cleveland in the playoffs.
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In other action,
Indiana Pacers keep their playoff hopes alive with a critical come-from-behind 99-95 victory over Washington Wizards.
C.J. Miles scored 25 points and George Hill added 24 points for the Pacers.
Football: UEFA Quater-Finals Preview
Paris St-Germain and Barcelona prepare to do battle on the pitch tomorrow in Champions League quarter-finals action:
PSG's hopes of making the semi-finals have been hit by suspensions and injury, with Swedish star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Italian midfielder Marco Verratti banned and midfielder Thiago Motta out with a thigh injury.
But Barca coach Luis Enrique says the absence of such players doesn't guarantee on easier time on the field:
"It is obvious that they are missing players, it is not something you can hide but if we remember when they faced us without (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic they beat us. When Ibrahimovic played we managed to beat them. They are important players for them but they have a good squad and I am sure they will try to complicate our lives."
In tomorrow's other UEFA quarter-finals match:
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will take on Portugese powerhouse FC Porto;
The Bavarians are without Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, among others, for the quarter-final first leg match in Portugal.
Porto remains undefeated in the Champions League this season.
Maria Sharapova will Skip Russia's Fed Cup Semifinal with Leg Injury
In off-court tennis news,
World number two Maria Sharapova has pulled out of Russia's Fed Cup semifinal against Germany this weekend because of a leg injury.
The five-time Grand Slam title winner said the injury prevented her from practicing in recent days.
Sharapova picked up the injury during last month's Miami Open, where she slipped to a surprise second-round loss to fellow Russian Daria Gavrilova.
A win for Russia against Germany in the semifinal will set up a final against either the Czech Republic or France.
Entertainment
5th Beijing International Film Festival opens tomorrow
The 5th Beijing International Film Festival will officially kick off with an opening ceremony tomorrow.
Film fans in Beijing will not only have a chance to watch over 300 Chinese and international movies around the city. The event will also host a number of forums with industry insiders, a film carnival and the annual film market.
With their slogan "Welcome to Beijing to Watch the Best Movies in Spring," the festival's organizing committee has prepared a film feast of movies from over 50 countries. They will be available for screening in 30 commercial cinemas, art houses and university cinemas around the capital.
International films include box office hit "Birdman" and the classic film franchise "The Godfather Trilogy."
The film festival will open with Italy's "Wondrous Boccaccio," directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. And the closing film of the event will be Chinese movie "Helios," directed by Lok Man Leung.
A total of 15 films have been selected to compete for this year's 'Tiantan Awards,' covering 10 different categories, including 'Best Feature Film,' 'Best Director,' 'Best Actor,' 'Best Actress' and 'Best Screenplay.'
The jury for the Tiantan Awards is headed by French director Luc Besson.
The 5th Beijing International Film Festival will be held in different venues around the city and at Yanqi Lake, starting tomorrow and ending on the April 23
"Furious 7" breaks records in China
"Fast and Furious 7"is currently number in all possible territories, and scored the highest-ever debut day of all time in China.
"Furious 7" continued to prove itself Hollywood's greatest success story of 2015 so far, after retaining the top spot at the US box office on its way to $800.5m worldwide in under two weeks.
James Wan's street racing sequel, which marks the final on-screen performance of the late Paul Walker, was No 1 in every major market.
In North America it scored $60.6m in its second week of release for a total of $252.2m, already a best for the Fast and Furious series.
In China, where the film opened on Sunday on a record number of screens, it scored the highest ever single day debut of all time, $68.6m.
Fast & Furious 7 now looks likely to challenge Transformers: Age of Extinction for the mantle of highest-grossing film of all time in the world's most populous nation.
Star Wars convention live streaming
"Star Wars" fans from all over the world can now be part of the franchise's biggest annual convention, without leaving the comfort of their homes.
The enormous fan gathering Star Wars Celebration, in Anaheim that runs April 16-19, will be live-streamed on StarWars.com.
More than 30 hours of video content will be streamed live, including the panel discussion featuring "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy.
Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid are just some of the Star Wars actors who are expected to participate in the more than a dozen discussions during the four-day event.
The live-stream begins on April 16 and will include exclusive access until 6:30 p.m. on April 19.
"Kung Fu Panda 3" release date moved
DreamWorks Animation and partner 20th Century Fox are shifting the release date of hit animation "Kung Fu Panda 3."
The threequel was originally slated for release on Dec. 23, 2015, but it was moved to March 2016 after the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was set for six days earlier, on Dec. 18.
Weather
A sandstorm is in the forecast for Beijing and regions spanning across northwest China.
Beijing has updated its blue alert to yellow. This sandstorm is also hitting Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tianjin, Gansu, and several other provinces.
At the same time, a strong cold front is expected to sweep across northern China, including areas along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers, dropping temperatures by as much as 12 degrees Celsius and bringing strong winds.
Beijing has sandstorm and isolated showers tonight with a low of 13. Sunny tomorrow with a high of 20.
Shanghai will be cloudy with a low of 15 overnight. More clouds tomorrow with a high of 24.
Chongqing will be clear with a low of 15. Cloudy with a high of 30 on Thursday.
Elsewhere in Asia,
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 43.
Kabul, sunny, 26.
In Australia
Sydney, sunny, a high of 29,
Brisbane, mostly sunny, 29,
Perth will be sunny with a high of 24 degrees Celsius.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...
A quick look at the headlines before we go...
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