新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/08/07

 Rebecca Hume with you on this Wednesday, August 7th, 2013.

Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
New Zealand Probes Fonterra's Handling of Food-Safety Scare
Japanese Ministers given freedom to visit controversial war shrine
Iranian President ready to resume nuclear talks
Business
The US government files lawsuits against Bank of America.
Sports
China's mixed doubles getting ahead at BWF World Championships
Entertainments
Louis Walsh to quit 'X Factor' after the 2013 series
Plus
Special reports takes a look at the working mums asking for breast feeding facilities here in China
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will see thundershowers today, with a high of 29 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be overcast tonight with a low of 23.
In Shanghai, it will be sunny today, 40 the high, and it will be clear tonight, the low of 31 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will have showers in the daytime the temperature's at 24, and tonight will have thundershowers with a low of 14 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 33.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 36.
And in North America
New York, sunny, with a high of 26 degrees.
Washington, thundershowers, highs of 25
Houston, overcast, 37.
Honolulu, sunny, 31.
Toronto, thundershowers, 24
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 18.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 29 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
New Zealand Probes Fonterra's Handling of Food-Safety Scare
 
Anchor
The government of New Zealand has launched an official probe into dairy exporter Fonterra in connection with its tainted dairy scandal here in China.
New Zealand government officials have been sent to Fonterra's offices in Auckland and Melbourne to investigate and track the tainted products.
The probes are said to surround why Fonterra waited more than 48 hours to release information about the possible contamination.
Fonterra has also confirmed the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries is studying data connected to the contamination scare.
The company says the contamination is due to a pipe that had not been sufficiently cleaned.
Fonterra discovered that some of its products were tainted with bacteria which can cause botchulism.
The company has since recalled the products in question.
Chinese authorities have since suspended all dairy imports from New Zealand and Australia while the probe is underway.
Dairy accounts for around a quarter of all of New Zealand's exports.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
Questions:
1. Whats your impression of Fonterra's response to the situation. Is the company handling the situation properly?
2. How is this going to affect possible aquisitions by Chinese dairy companies of New Zealand dairy brands?
How carefully will the governments on both sides now need to handle the situation?
3. How is the Fonterra scandal impacting on domestic dairy manufacturers, could we see a return of consumer confidence?
Are domestic brands any closer to cleaning up their image?
Back Anchor:
Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
 
 
Evidence of Japanese germ warfare found in SW China
 
Anchor
Chinese researchers say they have uncovered more evidence of the use of germ warfare by Japanese forces in southwestern China's Yunnan during the Second World War.
Su Yi has more.
Reporter
The findings by researchers are suggesting the wide-spread use of protective measures to ensure Japanese troops did not become infected with plague, anthrax and cholera.
Researchers also say Japanese troops poisoned wells along the route leading from Yunnan into neighboring Myanmar during the invasion in 1942.
Research carried out by the Harbin Academy of Social Sciences is now trying to determine how closely the suspected germ warfare activities in Yunnan are linked to the notorious Unit 731.
This was the secret Japanese biological and chemical weapons research unit, which operated out of northeast China during the Japanese occupation of the region.
Researchers say some 200-thousand local residents were killed in germ attacks in the western part of Yunnan alone.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
 
Ministers have freedom to visit Yasukuni Shrine: Japanese PM
 
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe now says he will not stop his cabinet ministers from visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on the August 15th anniversary.
Abe told media last week he would not visit Yasukuni, considering relations with neighboring countries.
But Abe has also said he wants to pay his respects to those who sacrificed their lives for the country.
The shrine which is situated in Tokyo is dedicated to honoring Japan's war dead.
It also enshrines 14 convicted Class-A war criminals.
Visits by Japanese politicians are widely seen as an insult to countries in the region who were invaded by Japan during its years of military expansion.
 
 
Japan unveils largest military ship
 
Japan has unveiled its largest warship since the second world war named "Izumo".
The helicopter-equipped destroyer has a capacity of landing five choppers.
Izumo is expected to be deployed in 2015.
Local media reports say another warship of a similar size is under construction.
 
 
Hiroshima marks 68th atomic bomb anniversary
 
Japan has marked the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Around 50-thousand people attended the annual ceremony, including victims of the bombing and foreign diplomats at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
All attendees offered a silent prayer at 8:15 am local time Monday, the time the bomb hit in 1945, killing around 140-thousand people.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the ceremony, pledging to work towards the abolishment of nuclear weapons.
The anniversary comes as Japan remains torn over the possibility of restarting the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
 
 
Hasan Rouhani says Iran is ready to resume nuclear talks
 
Iran's new president now says his country is ready for serious talks with world powers over the nation's controversial nuclear program.
Two days into his job, Hasan Rouhani said his government hoped that talks with the West could begin without wasting time.
"We are ready, seriously and without wasting time, to engage in serious and substantial talks with other parties. If the other party has the same level of readiness, then I am confident that the concerns of both sides will be removed through dialogue within a period that will not be very long."
However Rouhani has also insisted that uranium enrichment activities in Iran are a right granted by international law.
For it's part, the US has said Mr Rouhani's presidency presents an opportunity for Iran to resolve the world's "deep concerns".
Washington earlier said Iran would find a 'willing partner' in the United states should it meet international obligations.
Rouhani has also said that despite his willingness to engage with the US and find a solution, he fears the leaders in Washington still do not have a thorough understanding of what is happening in Iran.
He says it is yet to resond in an "appropriate and practical" manner followings June's presidential election.
A number of European leaders have also expressed interested in scheduling talks with Iran.
 
 
U.S. evacuates non-essential embassy staff from Yemen
 
American and British governments have withdrawn non-essential diplomatic staff from Yemen, urging their citizens to leave amid concerns over security threats.
It follows the sudden closure of 20 US embassies and consulates on Sunday.
The United States Air Force has now flown some non-essential embassy staff out of the capital Sanaa.
US State Department said the security threat level in Yemen had become extremely high.
It comes as the Yemeni government said they had intercepted a number of al-Qaida threats in recent days.
Rajeh Badi is a Yemeni government spokesman.
"This would be coordinated with attacks by al-Qaida members on the gas facilities in Shebwa city and the blowing up of the gas pipe in Belhaf city. This would create panic among the Yemeni army and the Yemeni security services but, through the cooperation between our security systems and our friends in the international community we were able to foil this big threat. "
It is not clear if these reports are the same intelligence that led to the US State Department ordering the partial evacuation in the country.
The State Department has said the evacuation and the closure of diplomatic missions in the region over the weekend was both prompted by intercepted communications between al-Qaida leaders.
The closure of 19 missions has been extended until this Saturday.
 
 
U.S., Russian ministers to meet over lingering differences
 
Foreign and Defense ministers from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Washington this Friday, in a bid to try and bridge their differences over a number of issues.
Thorny issues expected to feature high on the agenda include the Syrian situation, the missile defense system as well as the fate of former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
Psaki says the US government wants to see Snowden return to the United States.
However, Russian deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said Russia will not discuss Snowden in the meeting.
The White House said on Monday that it was reviewing whether President Barack Obama would proceed with the summit with Russia President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in the wake of the Snowden issue.
 
 
U.S. senators meet with Egypt's interim government
 
Two senior U.S. senators have urged the interim government installed by the Egyptian military to release political prisoners and start a national dialogue.
John McCain and Lindsey Graham were sent by U.S. President Barack Obama to help resolve the crisis brought on by the army's overthrow of elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
Their comments come after meeting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei and interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi.
The interim government has responded by saying the authorities had spelled out a plan for a political transition.
But they have rejected a call to release jailed Brotherhood members, saying they would be dealt with by the courts.
 
 
Beijing launches role-swapping program to boost doctor-patient relationship
 
Anchor
The Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals has launched a role-swapping program to try to smooth the relationship between doctors and patients.
CRI's Xie Zhao explains.
Reporter
The role-swapping program has recruited volunteers with aim of helping people better understand what doctors go through in treating patients.
Wang Xiang is an editor of a journal with Capital Medical University.
He's now volunteering as an assistant for doctor Wang Xianbo, who specializes in cancer treatement at Di Tan Hospital in Beijing.
"I go to hospital at 8 am where patients have long queued. From 8 am to 1 pm, 5 hours, doctor Wang Xianbo does not drink water or go to bathroom. As a young man, I felt a lot of pressure. I think medical workers like doctor Wang are too tired. "
Long queues are common-place at hospital registration desks in big cities across China.
So as part of the program, officials from the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals and hospital administrators also go through the process that ordinary patients do.
Xin Youqing is the executive head of Beijing Friendship Hospital.
Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals.
"We can now truly experience patients' inconvenience when seeing doctors and try the best to improve our management as well as enhance work performance."
The doctor-patient relationship is usually heavily-stressed in China.
Last September, a man stabbed four medical staffers and a security guard at a hospital in Shenzhen, leaving two of them seriously wounded.
Gu Jin, a doctor at Beijing Cancer Hospital, says the doctor-patient relationship here in China is complex.
"China has a large number of patients due to its population. Therefore, doctors' workload is too heavy, especially in mega cities. For example, a doctor at a hospital in New York I visited only sees five patients in one morning with the help of two or three assistants. While in China, a doctor has to see 50 patients in one morning. Under this circumstance, the communication time is shortened between doctors and patients. "
Feng Guosheng, director of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals, says the new role-swapping program should help create better understanding.
"We may find some problems in the medical service through this program, at an attempt to better serve the patients."
The program has attracted more than 200 voulunteers from different age groups and walks of life.
For CRI, I am Xie Zhao.
 
 
China launches live panda broadcasts online
 
An online broadcast of giant pandas has been launched here in China.
China Network Television, ipanda.com provides a 24 hour live feed of the endangered animals.
The online broadcaster has set up 28 cameras to capture their activities at a reserve in Sichuan's capital, Chengdu.
Zhu Qiliang is the director of international operations at the channel.
"There are many TV shows in China, so we thought why not make one about pandas? The panda's unique to China, popular around the world. Online broadcasting is beyond the limit of the border and it's easy for us to do all-day broadcast."
The channel is also set to provide panda-themed programs in both Chinese and English.
At present there are around 16-hundred pandas living in the wild, mostly in the mountains of southwestern China.
 
 
Buddhists, tourists celebrate major Tibetan festival
 
Hundreds of thousands of Buddhists and tourists have flocked to a Tibetan monastery to celebrate the beginning of this year's Shoton festival.
Also known as the Yogurt Banquet festival, the week-long event kicked off with a grand ceremony of the "sunning of the Buddha" in the 600-year-old Drepung Monastery.
Local officials say over 400-thousand people are expected to join this year's ceremony.
It is now considered one of the most important festivals on the Tibetan calendar.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.
Join me on the desk, CRI's Su Yi.
Reporter
The U.S. stocks pulled back on Tuesday.
The S&P 500 dropping below the key level of 1,700 points.
The drop came following hawkish comments from two senior U.S. Federal Reserve officials.
Atlanta Fed President said the U.S. central bank's initial tapering could be launched at any of its three remaining monetary policy meetings this year.
Chicago Fed President said later on the same day that he would not rule out the Fed's scaling back of its monetary stimulus in September.
The Dow dropped 0.6 percent.
The S&P 500 lost 0.6 percent.
The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.7 percent.
Meanwhile, Canada's S&P/TSX lost 1 percent.
In Europe, European shares fell on Tuesday.
Germany's DAX lost 1.2 percent.
France's CAC 40 was down 0.4 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 down 0.2 percent.
 
 
U.S. accuses Bank of America of mortgage-backed securities fraud
 
The US government has reportedly filed two lawsuits against Bank of America.
The lawsuits relate to a fraud on investors involving $850 million of mortgage-backed securities.
The Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have filed the suits.
The regulators alleged that Bank of America "knowingly and wilfully misled investors about the quality and safety of their investments".
Bank of America has responded, saying they were prime mortgages sold to sophisticated investors.
The bank has recently announced a series of settlements with investors and the U.S. government.
These settlements include an $8.5 billion settlement with investors in mortgage-backed securities and a $1.6 billion deal with bond insurer MBIA Inc.
 
 
U.S. job openings rise in June
 
New stats show U.S. employers posted slightly more job openings in June than the previous month.
The U.S. Labor Department reports the number of job openings rose by 29 thousand from June.
It's also being reported the ratio of unemployed Americans to every job opening fell in June.
Based on the June data, there is an average of about 2.9 people competing for every job opening opportunity.
 
 
U.S. trade deficit narrows to 34.2 billion USD in June
 
New stats show the U.S. trade gap in June narrowed sharply to it's lowest level since October 2009.
Declining imports and rising exports are being cited as the reason.
Data from the U.S. Commerce Department say the total trade deficit dropped to 34.2 billion U.S. dollars in June.
It marks a 22.4 percent decrease from a revised 44.1 billion dollars deficit in May.
Exports rose 2.2 percent from the previous month, boosted by more overseas sales of consumer goods and industrial supplies.
Imports fell 2.5 percent as purchases of foreign automotive vehicles and consumer goods decreased.
 
 
Small Enterprises Need Easier Access to Credit
 
Anchor
A number of struggling small companies here in China have been making calls for more support from the banks to help their companies survive.
CRI's Zhou Jingnan with some of their stories.
Reporter
Manufacturing and service sectors in China had a lot of difficulties in the first half of this year, due to rising costs, overcapacity and intensive market competition.
Together with the effects of the global economic crisis, some small enterprises in these industries have found it hard to gain access to loans and credit. Some were even very close to bankruptcy because of a shortage of money.
Richi Machinery is located in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province. It mainly produces auto parts.
Company President Zhang Liming says currently their biggest difficulty is that they have orders worth 40 million yuan, but they don't have the money to buy the raw materials needed to complete the production process. To meet their orders the company still needs 5 million yuan, but no loans are ready for them.
"The conditions required to obtain loans are becoming higher and higher. In the past, it was easy. If you have a good reputation, the banks would lend you money; millions of yuan. But now, banks need to check many documents, like your tax payments, cash flow records, credit records and so on. Banks are responsible for their own safety, so they raise the barrier for small enterprises to obtain loans."
To solve the problem and ease the pressure of financing, local governments in China have tried to offer stronger support. Take Yongjia County in Wenzhou for example. The county has started a loan service which allows applications without the need for mortgages or guarantees.
Chen Xiaozong, Director of Enterprise Development Center in the county, says that enterprises could obtain an individual loan between 200,000 to 500,000 yuan in about three days after submitting their application.
"The application is very simple. Business owners just have to bring their license, ID, bank and tax records and electricity fees records which prove that the enterprises or factories have been working and producing."
In addition to the efforts of local governments, at the national level China plans to provide more support to the manufacturing and service sectors in order to diversify the real economy, so as to help small enterprises.
Shang Fulin, Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, emphasizes that in order to achieve this, the banking system needs a national strategy which encourages private capital into the financial sector.
"We encourage private capital to invest in stock shares or participate in the restructuring of financial institutions, so as to avoid financial and ethical risks through regulation."
If private capital is allowed in the financial sector, it is expected that access to credit would be much easier. Such a move would bring convenience and opportunities to small enterprises.
Back anchor: That was Zhou Jinnan reporting.
 
 
Mead Johnson settles with China over baby formula probe
 
Mead Johnson Nutrition Co has reportedly agreed to pay a penalty of about $33 million to settle an anti-monopoly probe with China's regulator.
The maker of Enfamil formula said the payment will reduce its full-year earnings by about 12 cents per share.
China's National Development and Reform Commission, has launched investigations on foreign baby formula companies over alleged anti-trust violations.
The probe also involves other formula maker including Danone, Nestle, Abbott Laboratories and Hong Kong-listed Biostime International Holdings.
As a result, Mead Johnson and others cut prices on their baby formulas.
Foreign brands now account for about half of total sales after the tainted infant formula scandal in 2008.
 
 
UK manufacturing sector surges in June
 
New data from the UK shows the country's manufacturing output surged in June at the strongest pace since the end of 2010.
The Office for National Statistics in the UK is reporting manufacturing output rose 1.9 percent month-on-month in June.
The increase follows declines in both April and May.
This growth comes at more than twice the rate expected by analysts.
Overall, industrial production rose by 1.1 percent between May 2013 and June 2013.
The report also says manufacturing output was up 0.7 percent between the first and second quarters of 2013.
It was also up 2 percent from June 2012.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
New Zealand Probes Fonterra's Handling of Food-Safety Scare
 
The government of New Zealand has launched an official probe into dairy exporter Fonterra in connection with its tainted dairy scandal here in China.
The probes are said to surround why Fonterra waited more than 48 hours to release information about the possible contamination.
Fonterra has also confirmed the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries is studying data connected to the contamination scare.
The company says the contamination is due to a pipe that had not been sufficiently cleaned.
Fonterra discovered that some of its products were tainted with bacteria which can cause botchulism.
The company has since recalled the products in question.
Chinese authorities have since suspended all dairy imports from New Zealand and Australia while the probe is underway.
 
 
Evidence of Japanese germ warfare found in SW China
 
Chinese researchers say they have uncovered more evidence of the use of germ warfare by Japanese forces in southwestern China's Yunnan during the Second World War.
The findings by researchers are suggesting the wide-spread use of protective measures to ensure Japanese troops did not become infected with plague, anthrax and cholera.
Researchers also say Japanese troops poisoned wells along the route leading from Yunnan into neighboring Myanmar during the invasion in 1942.
Research carried out by the Harbin Academy of Social Sciences is now trying to determine how closely the suspected germ warfare activities in Yunnan are linked to the notorious Unit 731.
This was the secret Japanese biological and chemical weapons research unit, which operated out of northeast China during the Japanese occupation of the region.
 
 
Pakistan rejects Indian allegation of killing soldiers
 
Pakistan is rejecting Indian claims Pakistani soldiers killed 5 Indian soldiers in a fire-fight along the Line of Control in Kashmir.
The Pakistani government is describing the Indian allegations as "baseless and unfounded."
Indian authorities are accusing a group of Paksitani soldiers of crossing over the Line of Control in Kashmir and ambushing a group of Indian soldiers.
The deadly attack comes as the two countries prepare to move forward in trying to resume stalled peace talks.
Peace talks between the two sides were called off in January following an attack on the border which left one Indian soldier dead.
 
 
Fort Hood shooting suspect admits he is the gunman
 
A former US Army psychiatrist who gunned down 13 soldiers at an Army base in Texas in 2009 has admitted to carrying out the attack.
42-year-old Major Nidal Hasan says he carried out the attack to protect Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Hasan could face execution if found guilty.
The killings are the deadliest non-combat attack on a US military base so far.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
Global Times
Headline
China in top three tourist destinations
Summary
China was the world's third largest tourist destination for the past two years and the number one source market in 2012, according to a report released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
China is expected to top the list of most popular tourist destinations by the year 2015.
Shanghai Daily
Headline
Sales of pre-owned homes drop in Shanghai
Summary
Sales of pre-owned homes fell 11.2 percent in Shanghai last month due to sluggish sentiment and decreased supply, according to latest market data.
Researchers said July and August are traditional slack season for property purchases because of the scorching weather. The market also encounters a decrease in new supply after robust sales of existing homes in the first half year.
China Daily
Headline
Beijing's 1,000 electric taxis could help smog
Summary
Beijing is expected to have more than 1,000 electric taxis by the end of this year.
The 'green' taxis will help reduce pollution in the city where the dangerous levels of smog have dominated the headlines for months.
People Daily
Headline
Base station-equipped telecom-fraud gangs busted
Summary
The Ministry of Public Security said Chinese police have busted 72 gangs involved in a new type of telecom fraud facilitated by illicit base stations,
In these cases, gangsters used forged base stations to intercept SIM card information and send duping or commercial text messages to these intercepted phone numbers.
Beijing Morning Post
Headline
Beijing brings sunshine to 1,000 poor students
Summary
Beijing is launching a project to give 4,000 yuan to more than 1,000 freshmen students from disadvantaged families.
The "Sunshine Aid" project aims to ensure these students "focus on their studies and live happily".
Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
Headline
China's C919 to break Boeing, Airbus dominance
Summary
China's first domestically produced large passenger aircraft C919 is expected to take to the skies by 2015, according to the program advisor.
The expert says the narrow-body airliner has better performance in safety, fuel consumption and passenger experience than the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320, and is likely to break their duopoly of the airliner market.
Beijing News
Headline
Droughts causing water shortages
Summary
The current heat wave has swept 13 provincial-level areas across China, leaving about 5.95 million people and 1.72 heads of livestock short of drinking water, according to a report from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Working moms in China Calling For Lactation Rooms
 
Anchor
Working and breastfeeding moms are using this, World Breastfeeding Week, to put out a call for employers to provide private locations at worksites to allow them to pump their breast milk.
CRI's Liu Min explains.
Reporter
(Sounbite 'Five, Four, Three, Two, One! The Flash Mob begins!' )
With a countdown shout from the crowd, groups of young mothers started to breastfeed their babies in front of a theater in Guiyang of Southwest China. But two minutes later, the spicy moms just dispersed. They orgazined this Flash Mob to celebrate the World Breastfeeding Week spanning from August 1st to 7th.
More than 9 thosuand mothers participated in such breastfeeding flash mobs across the world last year.
This year, Chinese moms in major Chinese cities are joining the campaigns to enhance the awareness of breastfeeding.
Besides that, Chinese women are also calling for more care from the public to provide private places for them to pump or breastfeed. A young mom says she wants to have some privacy when breastfeeding her baby.
"I hope that more shopping malls can give us a private space to breastfeed our babies. That'd be great if we could have a lactation room in public places such as movie theaters and railway stations. I always feel embarrassed without such a place."
After maternity leave, every Chinese mom is facing such a dilemma whether to continue breastfeeding or not. If they choose to continue, then they need to bring a pumper, find a private place to pump at workplace and bring the milk back home. In China, these women are called the 'moms carrying milk' who are giving their love of 37 Celsius every day for their babies. Yu Yang is a teacher and a nursing mom.
"I have to find an empty classroom, but the door can not be locked. Then I have to change to a smaller private place to pump myself. But some students or teachers could come into the room at any time. I am always embarrassed."
Such embarrassment and inconvenience have forced some moms to give up breastfeeding after they go back to work. In fact, only one small room with a chair will help them, but no one seems to care enough.
According to the statistics from the World Health Organization, only 38 percent of the babies younger than six months on average are successfully breastfed on a worldwide basis. The figure in China is only 28 percent.
American moms are suggesting their government to make it into law for employers to provide lactation rooms. When Chinese working moms can be ensured to have such rights still remain to be seen, and before that, they may call for awareness and care from the public in various ways.
For CRI, I'm Liu Min.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Ma Jin and Xu Chen win their first round at the BWF World Championships
 
China's mixed doubles pairs are doing well at the BWF World Championships in Guangzhou.
Yesterday, Chinese duo Ma Jin and Xu Chen were given a scare after dropping their first set to unseeded Danish pair Mads Pieler Kolding and Kamilla Rytter Juhl.
The world no. one pair Ma and Xu lost the first game 18-21. But they fought back with some impressive hits and saves to win the next two sets, sealing their victory in under an hour.
"When we were leading in the first game, I think we were too conservative, so we made a lot of unforced errors and were not playing as smoothly as we wanted to. I don't think our opponents actually played too well today. It's all about our own faults. The more we thought about that, the more errors we made. And we didn't adjust quickly enough until later in the match."
Reigning world and Olympic mixed doubles champions Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei had an easier trip through their first round.
The Chinese pair beat Anthony Dumartheray and Sabrina Jaquet of Switzerland in just 25 minutes.
Zhang and Zhao are fan favorites, since they went public with their romance at the Japan Super Series in 2010.
In the opening round of womens singles, China's Jiang Yanjiao was beaten by Marija Ulitina of Ukraine. But Hong Kong's Tsz Ka Chan defeated Line Kjaersfeldt of Denmark.
 
 
Badminton World Federation disciplines Thai players for fight
 
Also in badminton news,
The Badminton World Federation has disciplined one of the world's top mens doubles teams for an altercation at the Canada Open last month.
Thailand's Bodin Issara was handed a two year ban from the sport after he attacked his former doubles partner, Maneepong Jongjit, during the final.
Sudket Prapakamol, a professional badminton player from Thailand, said the punishment doesn't fit the crime.
"I think two years is too long I think. Wait for the next competition, it can not. Two years is too long, three months or four months is enough."
Bodin and Maneepong had reached the quarterfinals at the 2012 London Olympics but broke up later.
 
 
A-Rod will appeal his 211-game suspension
 
Alex Rodriguez is appealing the 211-game suspension issued by Major League Baseball for his connection with the Biogenesis case.
"I'm sure there's been mistakes made along the way. We're here now. I'm a human being. I'm fighting for my life. If I don't defend myself, no one else will. There's a process. I'm happy for the process. In due time, hopefully whatever happens happens."
Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is not expected to make a decision until November or December, which leaves Rodriguez free to make his season debut on Monday night.
According to an MLB statement, A-Rod's severe penalty is for "his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human-growth hormone over the course of multiple years."
The other twelve players who were penalized this week have accepted their more genial 50-game suspensions, including All-stars Everth Cabrera and Nelson Cruz.
This has been baseball's most sweeping punishment since the Black Sox scandal, which broke out in the 1919 World Series.
 
 
Tiger Woods looks ahead to the PGA Championship
 
Tiger Woods is looking to end his five year Majors drought at this weekend's 95th PGA Championship.
"I think winning one major championship automatically means you had a great year. Even if you miss the cut in every tournament you play in; you win one, you're part of history. This year, for me, I think it's been a great year so far for me, a Players and two World Golf Championships in there, that's pretty good."
A win at the PGA would be Wood's 15th overall Major victory, one step closer to matching Jack Niclaus's record 18 career major victories.
 
 
South Africa wins the Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka
 
In international cricket,
Sri Lanka beat a visiting South African squad by six wickets in the third and final Twenty2- International yesterday.
Sri Lanka had a strong start when Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene added 67 runs before Jayawardene (33) was out in the sixth over.
Dilshan ended up hitting an unbeaten 74 off 51 deliveries.
It was a consolation win for the hosts, since the series concluded 2-1 in South Africa's favour.
 
 
Laura Robson pulls out of Rogers Cup match with injury
 
In Canada, tennis players are competing at the Rogers cup.
Ninth seeded Kei Nishikori came from being one set down to beat home crowd Canadian Peter Polansky.
Great Britain's Laura Robson had to withdraw from her match against Yanina Wickmayer with a wrist injury.
American Sloane Stephens advanced to the second round after beating France's Kristina Mladenovic.
There were also wins for Benoit Paire, and Jesse Levine of Canada.
 
 
Kobe Bryant is taking his eighth Nike tour through China
 
Kobe Bryant is sure to draw massive crowds in Shanghai today where he will be making another stop on his Nike tour.
The NBA star is traveling through China to promote the brand's new shoes:　the KOBE 8 Fireworks" and the Dream Season V.
He's also taking the time to visit plenty of basketball courts and encourage young Chinese fans to get involved with sport.
This is Bryant's eighth Nike tour in China.
 
 
Entertainment
  
 
Robert De Niro is expected to join the cast of Jiang Wen's new film
 
Robert De Niro is expected to join the cast of Jiang Wen's new film-Gone With The Bullets, which can be roughly seen as a sequel to the 2010 hit, Let The Bullets Fly.
The film would star Geyou, Wen Zhang, Jiang Wen and his wife, Zhou Yun.
Set in the same period as the previous Let the Bullets Fly– the warring 1920s, the story will be another action drama about contests of wits and power, that has a tense pace.
Shooting will start between September and October this year and the release date is set for late 2013.
 
 
Louis Walsh to quit 'X Factor' after 2013 series
 
Louis Walsh has announced his intention to quit The X Factor after this year's series.
(X Factor clip)
The long-time judge has appeared on the panel since the show's launch in 2004, and is the only star to remain for the entire run.
However, he has now revealed to TV Times that he will not return in 2014.
Walsh has previously won The X Factor with Shayne Ward, while also mentoring JLS, Jedward and Union J among others.
He was briefly replaced by Brian Friedman in 2007, before being reinstated by Simon Cowell several days later.
Sharon Osbourne has also hinted that she will only be returning to the panel for one series.
The X Factor returns for its new series on ITV later this month.
 
 
Beyoncé brings out Jay Z on tour to perform 'Tom Ford'
 
Beyoncé has bought her husband, Jay Z out for a surprise performance during one of her 'Mrs Carter Show' concerts.
(Beyoncé clip)
The show was Beyoncé's second at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York and marked her final summer tour date in the US.
The star will next perform at V Festival in the UK on August 17 and August 18, before playing a string of dates in Brazil, New Zealand and Australia.
Earlier this month Beyoncé made headlines when she jokingly told a fan off for filming her concert in Atlanta.
She also caused a fan to fall to the ground with excitement after she hugged him at another show.
 
 
Hrithik Roshan and Rakesh Roshan unveil trailer for one of the most anticipated superhero movies in Bollywood, 'Krrish 3'
 
One of the most-anticipated superhero movies in Bollywood, "Krrish 3" has released its trailer.
(Krrish 3 Clip)
The previous films were all successful box office hits starring Hrithik Roshan in the lead role.
The movie also stars Priyanka Chopra as the female lead.
Roshan says that with "Krrish 3" he wants to compete with western superhero films like "Ironman" and "Superman."
"There is this competition which of course is incredible, and why not compete with them, why not find out what we are about."
"Krrish 3" is set to release for the Indian festival of Diwali in November.
 
 
Bradley Manning play wins James Tait Black drama award
 
A play about Bradley Manning, the American soldier convicted of releasing US state secrets to Wikileaks, has won one of Britain's oldest literary awards- the James Tait Black prize for drama.
The leak was considered the largest ever of secret US government files.
The play was originally performed in schools across Wales and opened at Tasker Milward School, Haverfordwest, which Manning attended in his teens.
Tim Price's script charts the story of Manning's life, from his teenage years growing up in Wales to his incarceration in the US.
The James Tait Black judging panel said that the contemporary nature of the play, its important subject matter, its unique theatrical voice and inventive use of structure made Price's work a clear winner.
The existing James Tait Black Prizes for fiction and non-fiction will be announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 24 August.