新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2013/08/09

 Friday, August 9th, 2013.

Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening,
The Chinese government is setting aside hundreds of millions of yuan to help with drought relief and flooding.
Chinese researchers are suggesting new potential plans to change this country's family planning policies shouldn't lead to any spike in population figures.
Authorities on Taiwan have lifted all their sanctions against the Philippines.
In Business, inflation here in China has come in lower than expectations.
In sports, China and Chinese Taipei in action in the quarter finals of the Asian Basketball Championships.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius.　Tomorrow sunny with a high temperature of 35.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will be clear tonight, with a low of 30,　cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 40.
Lhasa will be clear tonight, 13 degrees the low, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 24.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, thundershowers, with a high of 32.
Kabul, sunny, 33.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 23.
Canberra, sunny, 17.
Brisbane, sunny, 25.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 19.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China allocates cash for regions suffering extreme weather
 
The central government here in China is allocating 460-million yuan to help ease drought and prevent flooding.
200 million yuan of it has been given to the provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Hubei, where a record heat wave has led to water shortages, power supply problems and issues with agriculture.
Temperatures in some parts of the country have hit nearly 42 degrees Celcius.
The high temperatures are expected to continue in most of the southern provinces until Sunday.
The rest of the central government allocation has been given to flood-stricken Sichuan, Jilin and Shaanxi.
The central government has earmarked a total of 3.24-billion yuan this year for drought and flood relief.
 
 
Heat Economy and Ways to Dodge the Heat
 
Anchor:
With the current heat wave gripping many parts of China, people in some of the worst-affected cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou are scrambling to try to find ways to 'beat the heat.'
CRI's Liu Min has more.
Reporter:
August 7th was the date marking the beginning of autumn on this year's Chinese calendar, but the temperatures on that day hit an all-time high of 40.8 degrees Celsius; setting the record for the highest temperature in 140 years since the government began keeping records.
However, Hangzhou beat Shanghai with 41.2 degrees Celsius the following day. Among the top ten hottest cities across south China, seven of those cities are in Zhejiang province.
In such extreme weather, people are trying everything to escape the heat. Du Xiaobo is a local Hangzhou resident.
"There are some old air-raid shelters in Hangzhou, and they are open to local residents to dodge the heat. People also flock to the newly opened subway to get cool. The city forbids people to swim in the Xihu Lake, so some people would swim in the smaller ponds or rivers, and that's quite dangerous."
Du Xiaobo runs a silk factory in Hangzhou, but he says there is nothing for him to do at the moment at work.
"We have to ensure the local residents have enough electricity to use so we have to shut down the power at the factory every week. Given that I don't have anything to do with the short supply of power in my factory; I want to travel to northern China and enjoy a cooler climate."
In Shanghai, people can be found squeezed together in indoor swimming pools, while even more people can be found reading in libraries and shopping malls. The easiest way for them to stay cool is to stay at home with the air-conditioner running. But for those who have to go to work, the burning streets can't be avoided. Taxis are doing extremely well these days, and people have to use the mobile phone application designed for booking cabs in order to ensure that one will be available to pick them up. Inevitably, the high temperatures are taking a toll on some businesses. Here is one Shanghai taxi driver talking about the effect that the weather has had on his own business.
"Lots of people want to pay more to have a cab picking them up during the morning and evening during rush hours. Even though it is forbidden by the rules, we can still make such money thanks to the high demand."
Supermarkets are also trying to make more profit from the 'heat economy'. In Hangzhou, supermarkets are offering cooking services to customers. But of course, customers need to choose the ingredients from the supermarkets and they also need to pay for the service fee. But compared to getting sweaty cooking at home, many are quite happy to see their meals prepared by a chef.
"It's more convenient! I can get full later and now I can just enjoy the coolness watching them cook."
Some street vendors only show up after 5 PM to protect the freshness of their fruit; marking a big time difference compared to their usual 10 AM start. Many of them roll up their shirts to cool their bellies. While city residents continue to rack their brains on how to fight against the heat, forecasters say the mega city of Hangzhou will have to continue to suffer through the high temperatures until at least this weekend.
For CRI, I'm Liu Min.
 
 
China to improve population policy based on actual conditions
 
Anchor:
Experts here in China are suggesting a looser population policy is unlikely to create a surge of new births.
The suggestion is being made amid potential plans by the government to loosen up this country's family-planning rules this year.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter:
China's family planning authority is on record saying it will gradually improve its population policies in accordance with actual conditions.
Deng Haihua is a spokesperson for the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
"Ample research and survey has been made on the adjustment of the existing policy. The commission will gradually improve the policy to adapt to economic and social development as well as the population development in the long run."
The comments come on word authorities might be looking to relax this country's family planning policies, commonly known as the "one-child" policy.
As it stands now, if a couple are the only child of the family, they're allowed to have two children.
New regulations under discussion might allow for two-children to be born to a family where only one of the parents is the only child.
Zhang Yi is a demographer with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
He says he believes a relaxed policy won't mean an explosion in the population.
"Under current policy many parents who are allowed to have a second child given that they are both the only child in their separate families have given up the idea. So even the policy is further loosened, not a lot of couples would choose to have a second child, due to their living pressure brought by the surging house price and the mounting cost to nurse a child."
Official stats show the birth rate here in China is still below international levels, with an average of 1.8-children being born to a family, compared with 2.1-children globally.
China is also facing an aging society.
Yuan Xin is a professor from the Institute for Population Studies at Nankai University.
"Small-sized families are venerable facing natural or man-made disasters. If the policy can be relaxed to some certain degree, it won't bring too much effect to the overall control of the population, but can effectively improve the structure of a single family. It benefits to the education and personality of children if they can have siblings."
Most analysis is suggesting population figures here in China will peak at 1.5-billion people by 2025.
It's believed that around 400-million less people have been born in China since the "one-child" policy was first introduced in the late 1970's.
For CRI, this is Lucy Du.
 
 
China maintains H7N9 assessment despite suggested human-to-human transmission
 
Health authorities here in China are moving to calm concerns about the first case of a human-to-human transmission of the H7N9 avian flu.
The authorities here in China contend the likelyhood of the virus continuing to spread from human-to-huma is limited and unsustainable.
The proclamation comes in the wake of a new research paper indicating the first documented case of human-to-human transmission of the new strain of the bird flu.
The report has determined a father who became exposed to the H7N9 bird flu virus in Jiangsu in April passed it on to his daughter.
Both later died of the disease.
Feng Zijian is with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
"There was no further spreading in this case, no other family members were infected, which further proves that the virus still can not effectively transmit among people. The transmission of this case is limited and non-sustainable."
Health authorities here in China have also been quick to point out the information in the British Medical Journal report is not new.
The father became exposed to H7N9 at a poultry market.
His daughter became infected 6 days later while caring for him.
There have been over 130 human infections of the H7N9 strain of bird flu so far this year, including a newly detected case of the disease today in Guangdong.
The 51-year old woman is said to have been exposed to live poultry.
So far the H7N9 strain of the bird flu has left 43 people dead.
 
 
Taiwan lifts all sanctions against the Philippines
 
The authorities on Taiwan have officially lifted all 11-sanctions they had in-place against the Philippines.
The sanctions were originally imposed following the fatal shooting of a fisherman from Taiwan by Philippine Coast Guard officers in May.
David Lin is a senior official with the government on Taiwan.
"Philippines's Department of Justice has promised to file charges against the coast guard members, according to the investigation results given by their National Bureau of Investigation."
The announcement follows a visit from an envoy for Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, who has apologized to the family of dead fisherman.
The fishing vessel from Taiwan was fired in early May in the Balintang Channel between Taiwan and the northern Philippines.
Philippine investigators have since determined that while the vessel was fishing illegally, the Philippine Coast Guard was not justified in opening fire.
Following the incident, authorities on Taiwan slapped a slew of sanctions on the Philippines, including a hiring freeze for new Filipino workers and travel restrictions.
 
 
Performance groups in Beijing disturb tourists and nearby residents
 
Anchor:
There have been a growing number of complaints by people leaving near Beijing's public parks about performance groups making too much noise.
This has prompted new calls for the government to regulate the activity.
CRI's Xie Zhao explains.
Reporter:
It's not uncommon to walk through a park here in Beijing and hear a group of seniors performing classic Chinese songs.
And while the group music sessions are a way for elderly people in Beijing to socialize and get some exercise, not everyone is thrilled.
Male:"The seniors can not bear the noise, which will affect their hearts severely. "
Female:If there is a large number of people singing in the morning in the park, I think it's kind of environmental pollution."
However, the seniors who perform in the groups have a different take on the situation.
"The park should be full of people. The more people there are, the more thriving the park is."
"The park is an entertainment place. The sound volume can be big or small."
Many of those in the groups point out that if they're banned from parks, they won't have anywhere else to perform.
Authorities running Jingshan Park to the north of the Forbidden City recieved 108 complaints about noise within the course in just one month.
In the wake of this, Park managers have come to an agreement with more than 50 of the performance groups, imposing a 90-decibel cap on the noise they make.
Groups caught breaching the agreement three times will be publicly reprimanded.
Those found disturbing the peace five times will have their performance certifications taken away.
Groups that are caught breaking the rule 10 times will be banned from the park altogether.
Chen Zhiqiang with the Beijing Parks Administration says parks have to be for everyone, but certain regulations are required.
"If there are relevant laws or regulations or punishment standards, the park can enforce their management. Thus, when the people come to the park to perform, they will be restrained and guided."
Several cities in China have already put together rules regarding noise in parks.
For example, the parks in Hubei's capital Wuhan forbid visitors from playing musical instruments.
Given the growing complaints about noise in public parks, a number of experts are also suggesting new recreational centers could be established to give Chinese seniors a new place to gather.
For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.
 
 
Nagasaki marks 68th anniversary of atomic bombing
 
The mayor of the Japanese city of Nagasaki has taken time to criticize the Japanese government's refusal to sign a non-proliferation treaty earlier this year year.
Tomihisa Taue made has blasted the government during the ceremony to mark the atomic bombing of the city 68 years ago.
"If we cannot accept the wording that usage of nuclear weapon will never be permitted under any circumstance, it means the Japanese government is showing that nuclear weapons can be used depending on the circumstance. This is against the spirit that we, as the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack, will never allow any one else in this world to experience what we had to go through."
As part of this Friday's ceremony, a bell tolled at 11:02a.m. local time to mark the exact time the bomb exploded over the city, killing around 150-thousand people.
 
 
Japan, Russia to hold talks on territorial disputes on Aug. 19
 
Japan and Russia have set new plans to hold a working-level talks in Moscow on August 19th in connection with their territorial disputes.
The meeting will be attended by Vice Foreign Ministers from the two countries.
The two sides are also expected to discuss bilateral ties and international affairs, including a possible peace treaty between the two countries.
Japan and Russia have been at odds with one-another for decades over four islands north off Japan which were annexed by the then-Soviet Union during the final days of World War II.
The issue has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty.
 
 
Cambodian deputy PM confirms deployment of troops in capital suburb, citing security reason
 
Cambodian officials have confirmed that security forces and armored vehicles have been deployed on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh.
The government says the deployment is for security purposes only.
The deployment of troops comes amid an investigation in to alleged voting irregularities during the national election.
Incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen's party took a majority in the election, with 68 seats.
However, the main opposition managed to secure 55 seats.
The opposition has called for the United Nations to bring in an observer to oversee the investigation into the voting irregularities.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Asian Stock
 
Chinese markets climbed today after data showing consumer prices in the country rose at a slower-than-expected rate in July.
The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.4 percent
The Shenzhen Component advance 0.4 percent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.7 percent.
Japan's Nikkei edged up 0.1 percent after a choppy session.
South Korea's KOSPI slid 0.2 percent.
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index was up 0.2 percent.
and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 pared early losses, but still came in down 0.2 percent.
 
 
China's July inflation rises 2.7 percent
 
Inflation here in China has come in lower than market expectation, rising 2.7 percent in July on an annualized basis.
This is the same increase seen in June.
The inflation rate is well below the government's full-year target of 3.5-percent.
Meanwhile, the producer price index, the gauge measuring inflation at the wholesale level, fell 2.3 percent year on year.
This is down further from the 2.7 percent drop in the PPI in June.
Xu Gao is the chief economist with Everbright Securities.
"The prices of producing materials are rising nonetheless. It means the economy has shown some signs of heating up even though the overall demand is till weak."
The drop in the PPI marks the 17th straight month of decline in the Producer Price Index.
Wang Jun, researcher at the China International Economic and Exchange Center, is cautioning the new figures shouldn't be seen as an indicator of the broader recovery of the economy.
" PMI data released at the beginning of the month, the latest trade data as well as the fresh industrial output number all post to the direction that Chinese economy will stop declining in the third quarter of the year. But supportive policies from the government are still necessary to consolidate and stabilize the upward momentum."
GDP growth has come in at 7.5 percent in the second quarter here in China, down from 7.7-percent in the first quarter.
 
 
China's Securities Regulator Mulls Measures to Support Company M&As
 
New reports are suggesting regulators here in China are working on plans to further support mergers and acquisitions.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission is reportedly planning to cut administrative approvals, enhance the review transparency and speed up approval process and waive reviews for promising M&A projects.
Recent surveys conducted by the CSRC have found a lot of companies are facing multiple hurdles in M&A activities.
Difficulties they're encountering include the high cost for obtaining regulatory approvals, excessive administrative intervention and cross-region and trans-ownership issues.
In addition, the thresholds are said to be high for private firms trying to get into certain industries and receiving financial support for their mergers and acquisitions.
 
 
Doug Young on corporate news of the week
 
Anchor:
For more on what's happening in the corporate world here in China, CRI's Rebecca Hume spoke earlier with Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
…
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters, speaking with CRI's Rebecca Hume.
 
 
China's Taobao delays selling fund products to September
 
It's being reported Taobao is delaying the launch of its fund products to late September.
The Chinese online shopping platform has initially planned to roll out the new products later this month.
Reports are suggesting the debut date will depend on regulatory clearances and how soon the systems testing on the virtual stores fund management operations will be finished.
Analysts say the launch of the fund products will provide an alternative to people who would normally just keep their money in the bank.
Companies said to be interested in becoming involved with Taobao's new fund products include Tianhong, Fullgoal and Guotai.
Also at issue is how to finalize a pricing system for the new products.
Taobao is hoping to compete with Yu'E Bao, which is China's first online investment fund for individual investors.
 
 
Obama cautions Greece to balance austerity with growth
 
Greece's Prime Minister has met with US President Barack Obama in Washington to solicit help to balance the country's deficit without stifling growth.
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
"The sacrifices made by the Greek people are huge. But they're not going to be in vain. Because what we now need is development of jobs and growth."
For his part, Obama has lauded the efforts Samaras and his government.
"In dealing with the challenges that Greece faces, we cannot simply look to austerity as a strategy. It's important that we have a plan for fiscal consolidation to manage the debt but it's also important that growth and jobs are a focus."
The two leaders have agreed to find ways to try to create jobs to combat the country's high jobless rate.
Greece has seen its unemployment rate reach nearly 28 percent.
The debt-laden country has been bogged down in a 6-year recession.
 
 
News Corp Australia chief exits
 
The head of Australian operations for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has resigned.
Kim Williams is stepping down after just 20-months on the job.
Julian Clarke will replace Williams as the head of the Australian division.
This follows a major shake-up by Rupert Murdoch, who assumed the role of chairman for his company's Australian arm after he split his media empire.
Julian Clarke has been serving as the chair of Murdoch's Melbourne-based Herald and Weekly Times group.
 
 
China Resources Enterprise mulls Tesco venture in China
 
China Resources Enterprise says it is considering a joint venture with UK retailer Tesco to operate hypermarkets and supermarkets in China.
CRE would control about 80% of the venture while Tesco would have 20%.
Tesco has about 130 stores in China.
CRE has almost 3,000 stores under the Vanguard brand in China and Hong Kong.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China allocates cash for regions suffering extreme weather
 
The central government here in China is allocating 460-million yuan to help ease drought and prevent flooding.
200 million yuan of it has been given to the provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Hubei, where a record heat wave has led to water shortages, power supply problems and issues with agriculture.
Temperatures in some parts of the country have hit nearly 42 degrees Celcius.
The high temperatures are expected to continue in most of the southern provinces until Sunday.
The rest of the central government allocation has been given to flood-stricken Sichuan, Jilin and Shaanxi.
The central government has earmarked a total of 3.24-billion yuan this year for drought and flood relief.
 
 
China's inflation rises 2.7 pct in July
 
Inflation here in China has come in lower than market expectation, rising 2.7 percent in July on an annualized basis.
This is the same increase seen in June.
The inflation rate is well below the government's full-year target of 3.5-percent.
Meanwhile, the producer price index, the gauge measuring inflation at the wholesale level, fell 2.3 percent year on year.
This is down further from the 2.7 percent drop in the PPI in June.
 
 
Kunming to offer 72-hour visa-free stays
 
The city of Kunming in Yunnan is set to become the latest city in China to offer international transit passengers 72-hour visa-free stays.
The program is going to be launched later on this year.
Provincial authorities in Yunnan are also expected to create new tourism products to try to attract more international tourists.
Kunming is set to become the fourth Chinese city to implement the policy after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
 
 
Indian capital put on high alert over possible terror attack
 
The Indian capital New Delhi has been put on high alert amid a warning from the country's Intelligence Bureau about a possible terrorist strike.
The alert comes ahead of India's Independence Day on August 15th.
Security has been beefed up in markets, crowded places, high rise buildings and government offices.
Last week, a terrorist attack took place near the Indian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.
And on Monday, five Indian soldiers were killed along the line-of-actual control in Kashmir by alleged Pakistani militants.
 
 
Japan holds memorial for victims of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki
 
A memorial has been held in Japan for the victims of the atomic bombing of the city of Nagasaki 68 years ago.
At a solemn ceremony, a bell tolled at 11:02 a.m. local time, the exact time the bomb exploded over the city.
More than 150-thousand were killed in the bombing.
The Mayor of Nagasaki has used the ceremony to criticize the Japanese government for refusing to sign a non-proliferation treaty earlier this year.
The United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945 and Nagasaki on August 9.
Japan surrendered six days later, ending World War Two.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
China Daily
"Unique solar plant set for power grid"
The first tower-type solar thermal experimental power plant, under independent intellectual property rights in China, is ready to be connected to the power grid.
With a total capacity of 205 mW, the plant has an annual output of about 1.95 million kilowatt hours.
Launched in 2007 and finished in 2012, the plant, Badaling solar thermal experimental power plant, is in Yanqing county in Beijingand covers 19,200 square meters.
Compared with a traditional thermal power plant, the solar plant can save 663 tons of coal equivalent annually and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 2,300 tons, sulfur dioxide by 17.5 tons, nitric oxide by 7.8 tons and dust particle by 136.3 tons.
The plant is also the biggest tower-type solar thermal power plant in Asia.
Shanghai Daily
"Half of Shanghai's rivers and lakes heavily polluted"
The city's first water census show more than half of Shanghai's rivers and lakes are heavily polluted and much of their soil beds seriously contaminated.
Half of local surface water was below Grade V, the worst of five water quality levels.
Only three percent of the water in the city's rivers and lakes was better than Grade III, a level that indicates the water can be used as water resources for residents as well as fish and shrimp farms.
The condition of the soil at the bottom of the rivers and lakes was also of concern. Five percent was seriously polluted with heavy metal elements, 28 percent was either slightly or heavily polluted while just 27 percent had no traces of heavy metals.
Experts say the main reason for the pollution is the waste water from the city's large number of factories.
AP
"Dogs help sniff out ovarian cancer in Pa. study"
Researchers trying to develop a diagnostic tool for ovarian cancer are hoping dogs' keen sense of smell will lead them down the right path.
An early detection device that combines old-fashioned olfactory skills, chemical analysis and modern technology could lead to better survival rates for the disease, which is particularly deadly because it's often not caught until an advanced stage.
Using blood and tissue samples donated by patients, the University of Pennsylvania's Working Dog Center has started training three canines to sniff out the signature compound that indicates the presence of ovarian cancer.
If the animals can isolate the chemical marker, scientists at the nearby Monell Chemical Senses Center will work to create an electronic sensor to identify the same odorant.
The Philadelphia researchers will build on previous work showing that early stage ovarian cancer alters odorous compounds in the body. Another study in Britain in 2004 demonstrated that dogs could identify bladder cancer patients by smelling their urine.
AFP
"Green sea turtles eating more plastic than ever"
A new Australian study has shown endangered green turtles are ingesting more man-made debris, including potentially lethal plastic products, than ever before.
The majestic turtles are significantly more likely to swallow plastic than they were in the 1980s.
The research reviewed scientific literature on the ingestion of man-made rubbish in the ocean by sea turtles published since 1985.
It showed that six of the world's seven species of sea turtles have been found to ingest debris, and all six are listed as globally vulnerable or endangered.
The study found that the likelihood of a green turtle, which can grow to 1.5 metres (five feet) and live for 80 years, ingesting debris jumped from about 30 percent in 1985 to nearly 50 percent in 2012.
Plastic products eaten by turtles and other marine life can be lethal, killing the animals by either blocking their stomachs and starving them or through puncturing their intestinal system.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Solar panel industry
 
Anchor:
With China's solar panel industry still facing challenges in the European Union, despite an agreement to overcome anti-dumping penalties, the industry itself here in China is looking for ways to cope.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter:
Polycrysilicon is an indispensable raw material in the solar panel manufacturing process. According to statistics, among the 50 major polycrysilicon enterprises nationwide, more than 86 percent have suspended or half suspended their production.
Chinese solar panel production quadrupled between 2009 and 2011; accounting for more than the entire global demand. The European Commission accused China of dumping its solar panels in Europe at prices lower than the cost of production.
A price undertaking deal was just reached between China and the EU on August 7 regarding the solar panel dispute. Starting August 6, Chinese solar panel enterprises won't be subject to high punitive duties, but the EU has set a limit on the export volume and minimum price of China's solar panel products.
Gao Hucheng, minister of China's Ministry of Commerce says the resolution of this dispute provides the domestic solar panel industry with a chance to improve.
"All the enterprises know that this is a reshuffle and an adjustment for the entire industry. Personally, I think this is a chance for China's enterprises to upgrade and enhance the quality of their products."
Based on the deal reached by the EU and China, nearly 400 megawatts of production capacity has been rejected by the EU market, meaning the capacity needs to be consumed by China's own domestic market.
Liang Tian, general manager assistant of Ying Li Green Energy Corporation, says that they have prepared for the fallout from the deal.
"We mainly rely on building distributed solar power plants. This can consume 130 megawatts of capacity a year. The other solution is to explore new markets like Southeast Asia and Japan, Africa and South America."
Meanwhile, China's State Council has issued a series of preferential policies to subsidize the domestic solar panel enterprises.
The policy maintains that by 2015, the total installed capacity of solar panels will reach more than 35 million kilowatts per hour. The policy also provides specific goals with regards to grid connection and the upgrading of China's solar panel industry.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Quarterfinals are set in Manila, China Facing Taibei today.
 
China lost in the quarter finals of the Asian Men's Basketball Championships in the Philippines.
Earlier in the day, it was the top-ranked Iranians continuing their unbeaten streak at the tournament with a 94-50 drubbing of Jordan.
Later tonight it's the host Philippines taking on Kazakhstan.
South Korea is taking on Qatar.
The top three teams at this tournament automatically qualify for next year's FIBA World Championships in Spain.
 
 
Lin Dan & Du Pengyu into semi-finals at BWF Championships
 
http://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/matches.aspx?id=0E4CD385-F662-4AF4-98EB-6F5383FB346A&d=20130809
A pair of Chinese men are now into the semi-finals of the World Badminton Championships in Guangzhou.
Chinese ace Lin Dan has progressed into the semi's after downing compatriot and number-2 seed Chen Long 21-13, 22-20.
Lin Dan is now set to take on Vietnam's Tien Minh Nyguen, who got past Denmark's Jan Jorgense.
3rd ranked Du Pengyu is also into the semi-finals after a hard-fought battle against India's Kashyap Parupalli this afternoon.
Dropping the first set, Du Pengyu ralled to down Parupalli 16-21, 22-20, 21-15.
Du is likely to face world number-1 Lee Chong Wei.
The Malaysian powerhouse is currently on the court against 8th seeded Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia.
In women's singles action, top seeded Chinese shuttler Li Xuerui is into the semi-finals after dumping Tai Tzu-ying from Taiwan 27-25, 21-13.
She'll be battling South Korean Bae Yeon-ju.
China's other hopeful in the Women's singles, 7th seeded Wang Shixian is currently on the court against Indian 10th seed P.V. Sindhu.
In women's doubles, it was a pair of Chinese teams up against one-another this afternoon in the quarter finals.
And it was 5th ranked Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei upsetting 2nd-ranked Chinese pair Ma Jin and Tang Jinhua in straight sets, 21-17, 21-17.
Top seeded Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang are also into the semi-finals after downing a South Korean pair earlier in the day.
The Chinese men's doubles team of Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng are into the semi-finals after downing a Japanese duo in straight-sets.
The 8-seeds will now take on a 6th seeded pair from Indonesia.
And in mixed doubles, top seeded Xu Chen and Ma Jin will be in action later tonight in the quarter-finals against a duo from Indonesia, while 2nd ranked Zhao Yunlei and Zhang Nan will be taking on a pair of compeditors from South Korea.
 
 
Li Na comes from behind to beat Ana Ivanovic
 
Chinese ace Li Na is set to take on Slovakian Dominica Cibulcova later on this evening in the quarter finals of the Rogers Cup tennis tournament in Canada.
Li Na has earned her way into the quarter finals of the tournament following a hard-fought, 3-set battle with Ana Ivanovic.
After dropping the first set 6-3, Li Na fought back in the 2nd, hammering the Serbian 6-games-1.
However, the 3rd set was a lot tighter.
Li Na broke Ivanovic's serve in the the tie-break to take the match 3-6, 6-1, 7-6.
4th Ranked Li Na is set to take on Cibulkova on at 1am Beijing time.
The winner of that match will take on the winner of the match between Petra Kvitova and Sorana Cirstea.
In the other bracket, it's top seeded Serena Williams taking on unseeded Magdelena Rybarikova from Slovakia, while 3rd seed Agnestia Radwanska takes on 5th seeded Italian Sara Errani.
On the men's side, World number-2 Andy Murray has been bounced.
The Brit went down to Latvian Ernest Gulbis in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Gulbis now has a quarter-final matchup with home-crowd favorite, Canadian Milos Raonic, who dumped Juan Martin Del Potro 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday.
The winner of that match will take on either Russian Nicolai Davedenko or upstart Canadian hopeful Vasek Pospisil.
Pospisil, ranked 71st in the world, has made it to the quarter finals after squeezing past 5th seeded Thomas Berdych via a 3rd set tie-breaker.
On the other side of the bracket, top seeded Novak Djokovic will take on 7th seeded Richard Gasquet of France, while 4th seeded Rafael Nadal will take on Austrian qualifier Marinko Matosevic.
 
 
Leader Scott says run of five birdies was 'best ever' after first day of the PGA
 
Australian Adam Scott and American Jim Fuyrk are set to hit Oak Hill in Rochester, New York sharing the lead at minus-5 in the 2nd round of the PGA Championships later on tonight.
Scott was the talk of round 1, carding 5-straight birdies on the front-9 to share the clubhouse lead.
"Yeah it's a great run when you're at a major championship to even birdie one hole, but five is probably the best run (five birdies in a row on the front nine) I've ever had and I just hit really nice shots and didn't leave myself too much work. You have to take advantage of that if you are feeling that and I was through the turn there. It was a dream start after kind of a nervous first couple of holes."
Canadaian David Hearn and England's Lee Westwood come into round-2 tied for 2nd at 4-under.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy is tied with 13 others at 1-under par.
"I played well. I got off to a fast start, obviously. I was 3-under threw nine holes. I felt like I played really, really well on the front nine. Made a couple of bogeys on the back nine, on 10 and 11, sort of halted the momentum. And then the horn blew for the weather, so having to come in for a little bit. It was nice to be able to make my birdie putt on 12 as soon as we got back out there. Had a chance on 13, didn't quite make it. But overall it was good. I mean, to shoot under par today was a solid way to get off to any major."
Both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson remain in the hunt, though both fired one-over 71's.
Round-2 of the PGA Championships is now underway, with the first groups teeing off about half-an-hour ago.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Sonic Shanghai this weekend
 
The inaugural Sonic Shanghai Music Festival is set to take the city by storm this weekend.
Headlining is British acid jazz group Jamiroquai.
The pioneers of London's acid jazz revival have dominated the scene for over two decades, selling over 40 million records world wide.
For those with a leaning towards mosh-pits, US nu metal outfit Limp Bizkit might provide the apt opportunity.
The 3 time Grammy nominees' penchant for boyd paint, costumes and light shows guarantees a wild set.
Joining Limp Bizkit and Jamiroquai will be Beijing rock veterans Black Panthers and Mandopop sensation Li Quan.
Sonic Shanghai takes over the Shanghai Stadium from Saturday to Sunday with tickets starting at 280 yuan.
 
 
Oprah says she faced racism in Switzerland
 
Oprah Winfrey says that she was the vicitim of racism whilst in Switzerland.
The talk show host travelled to Zurich last month to attend singer Tina Turner's wedding.
Oprah says that she visited a luxury handbag shop and was refused service.
The assistant allegedly told Oprah, one of the richest women in the world with a net worth of $2.7 billion, that the bags were "too expensive" for her.
Oprah said that her experience was solid proof that racism is still rampant.
The claims comes amid plans by some Swiss towns to ban asylum seekers from public facilities like swimming pools, sports fields and libraries.
 
 
Karen Black passes away
 
"Easy Rider" star Karen Black has passed away from cancer at the age of 74 in hospital in LA.
The Golden Globe winner's prolific career spanned over 4 decades during which time she featured in more than 100 films.
Black broke Hollywood in "Five Easy Pieces" as a waitress who falls for Jack Nicholson's upper-crust drop out, a role that earnt Black an Oscar nomination.
The Illinois-born actress also appeared in classics such as "The Great Gatsby", "Nashville" and Hitchcock's final feature, "Family Plot".
Black was also a talented singer and song-writer, providing music the 1973 film The Pyx, in which she also starred opposited "The Sound of Music" star Christopher Plummer.
Black is survived by husband Stephen Eckelberry and her three children.
 
 
Lost Orson Welles footage found
 
Three short films shot by Hollywood icon Orson Welles has been uncovered.
The footage, dating from 1938, was found in a warehouse in Pordenone, Italy.
The films made to accompany Welle's adaptation of the 19th Century comedy Too Much Johnson by William Gillette.
Orson shot the footage 3 years prior to Welles' Citizen Kane, which is often regarded as the greatest film of all time.
Film historians previously believed the footage to have been destroyed in a fire in 1970.
The person who identified the film described it as |like seeing a painting of Caravaggio that no one knew about.
The film will be screened at a silent film festival in Pordenone this October.
 
 
10 year old internet sensation cast opposite Johnny Depp
 
Sophia Grace Brownlee, the little girl whose adorable rendition of Nicki Minaj propelled her to stardom, has landed her first major Hollywood role.
Brownlee will be starring opposite Johnny Depp as Little Red Riding Hood in upcoming musical film "Into the Woods".
The project is based on Stephen Sondheim's Tony winning musical and will also feature Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep.
The 10 year old won the role despite the producer's original intentions to cast someone older.
Since her now iconic performance on the Ellen De Generes show as an 8 year old, Brownlee has become a regular guest on the top rated talk show.
Brownlee recently released her debut single "Girls Just Gotta Have Fun"
"Into the Woods" is on track to hit US and UK cinemas on Christmas Day 2014.
 
 
George Clooney unveils first trailer to "The Monuments Men"
 
Hollywood star George Clooney has unveiled the first trailer to his self-directed project "The Monuments Men".
The comedy drama follows a group of World War II veterans on their quest to save pieces of art from the Nazis.
The film is based on Robert Edsel's book based on the true story about a platoon assigned the task of retrieving cultural object from the Nazis.
Clooney teams up with long-term friend and Oceans 11 co-star Matt Damon for the upcoming film.
"The Monuments Men" is slated for release on 18 December in the US.