新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/05/21

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, May 21st, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The Chinese president has made a call for unity, development, and coordination at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
we look at the impact of the US move to indict five Chinese military officials, accused of cyber-theft...
and two explosions at a market in Nigeria have claimed more than 100 lives...
In Business...the benefits and risks of letting local governments in China issue bonds to pay for projects..
In sports...The Chinese Superleague is busy before the summer break..
In entertainment...the latest from the Cannes film festival...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today with a high of 34 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 17.
Shanghai will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 28.
Overnight, temperatures should dip down to 18.
In Chongqing, it will be rainy with a high of 23.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 18.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 32.
Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 24.
Over to North America.
New York will see a few showers with a high of 20 degrees.
Washington will be rainy with a high of 27 degrees.
Honolulu, cloudy, 29.
Toronto, Canada, will see moderate rain with a high of 20 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be rainy with a high of 14.
And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.
 
 
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Weibo/Wechat account: the Beijing Hour
Email: [email protected].
 
 
Top News
 
 
Chinese president urges Asian unity
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling on Asian countries to promote unity, cooperation, and the development of the continent.
Xi Jinping made the call at the ongoing fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
Hailing Asia as an important driving force of the world economy, the President calls on countries in the region to jointly consolidate and safeguard the momentum of Asian development.
President Xi says China's decision to take over the CICA rotating presidency is the country's practical action to safeguard peace.
"Participating countries have attached great importance to the summit, which shows the urgency and importance of the security issues here in Asia, and also reflects that as a security forum which gathers the largest number of Asian countries, the CICA has a promising future in reaching Asian consensus, promoting dialogue among civilizations and strengthening mutual trust and interaction. I believe this year's summit will provide conducive proposals to Asian countries in facing with security threat and challenges, and make contributions to the peace, stability in Asia and the world."
Over 20 international leaders, including 11 heads of state, are attending the summit in Shanghai, which run through today.
CICA member states are expected to issue a Shanghai Declaration on commitments to strengthening strategic coordination.
The Chinese President will address today's session and is expected to expound on China's views on the Asian security situation.
CRI will be bringing you live coverage of the president's speech both online and in our regular broadcasts staring at 9:45am Beijing Time.
 
 
China, Russia pledge wide-ranging cooperation
 
Anchor:
China and Russia have issued a joint statement, vowing to beef up bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields.
The statement comes after a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russia counterpart.
Vladimir Putin is in Shanghai to participate in the summit, during his state visit to China.
The two leaders have also overseen the start of a joint military exercise in the East China Sea.
CRI's Ding Lulu has more.
Reporter:
In meeting with his Russian counterpart, Chinese President Xi Jinping says it is a "historical responsibility for both sides to safeguard, develop and consolidate China-Russia relations."
"Further facilitating the all-round strategic partnership based on common interests is a requirement for promoting international fairness and justice, maintaining world peace, and realizing prosperity in both countries. It is also an 'inevitable choice' for the development of a multi-polar world."
For his part, the Russian President says the two leaders are also agreeing to optimize trade structures and expand mutual investment in fields like transportation infrastructure, mining development, and housing projects in Russia.
"We have discussed the expansion of bilateral trade and how to minimize outside impact to the economies of both countries. We are also pushing cooperation in hi-tech industries, including the civil aviation and the auto industry. We are also keen to deepen cooperation in the fields of finance."
According to the statement issued after the meeting, China and Russia have pledged to increase bilateral trade from 90 billion US dollars in 2013 to 100 billion by 2015 and 200 billion by 2020.
Although a much anticipated gas deal has not been finalized, the two countries have vowed to deepen cooperation in the petroleum industry, kick-start Russia's supply of natural gas to China as soon as possible and jointly develop coal mines in Russia.
The two leaders have also attended the launch of a joint naval exercise in East China Sea.
President Xi Jinping says the drills will display the new level of strategic mutual trust and coordination between the two countries.
"The exercise is important to bilateral military cooperation, showcasing the two sides' resolve in responding to threats and challenges as well as safeguarding regional security and stability. It also displays the new level of strategic mutual trust and coordination between the two countries."
As 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of World War II and China's victory against Japan, Putin urges the two militaries to step up cooperation and maintain the post-war order.
"What you should do is to take the training seriously with the aims of safeguarding the interests of both countries. The Chinese and Russian militaries have enjoyed a deep friendship since our joint anti-fascist effort in World War II, and that will always be an example for both countries."
The China-Russia joint naval exercise is the third of its kind.
A total of 14 ships, two submarines, nine fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and special forces are taking part in the week-long "Joint Sea-2014" exercise.
For CRI, this is Ding Lulu.
 
 
U.S. Ambassador to China summoned over indictment against Chinese military personnel
 
The Chinese government has formally summoned US Ambassador Max Baucus to explain the US move to file indictments against five Chinese military officers for alleged cyber theft.
The Chinese Defense Ministry has also issued a new statement, strongly opposing the U.S. Justice Department's indictments.
The statement also says the Chinese government, the Chinese military and its personnel have never engaged or participated in cyber theft of trade secrets.
It also contends U.S. institutions have long been involved in large-scale and organized cyber theft, as well as wiretapping and surveillance activities against foreign political leaders, companies and individuals.
On the heels of the indictment, the Chinese government has already suspended its involvement in the China-U.S. Cyber Working group, which was established last year.
 
 
Sino-US cyber theft row
 
Anchor:
For more on the cyber theft indictments, CRI's Ben Leung spoke earlier with Victor Gao, Director of the China National Association of International Studies.
 
 
China, Israel to Deepen Innovative Cooperation
 
Anchor:
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong says China will deepen cooperation and innovation with Israel and other countries.
Liu Yandong made the call at the first Israel Innovation Conference, during her current visit to the country.
CRI's Alexander Aucott has more.
Reporter:
The first Israel Innovation Conference has a particular focus on China.
Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist of the State of Israel at the Ministry of Economy, says the Israeli government has declared China to be No. 1 target partner.
"The collaboration we'd be seeing between the two countries has exceeded our expectations, with seeing the potential starting to become a reality. Today we are building on our rich histories to explore innovation, and how we can take that innovation and impact societies and economies to our mutual benefit, creating a win-win relationship."
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong, during her keynote speech at the conference, says China is deepening its ties with many countries.
"We are living in a knowledge-intensive era, and an era of close innovative cooperation. No country can address all global challenges on its own. Therefore, innovativion and cooperation are needed."
Liu highly praises Israel's innovation and its cooperation with China.
"China sees Israel as an important partner for innovation. Our two countries are complementary to each other in science and technology. We should explore the potential of sci-tech cooperation and facilitate joint Research and development in a wide range of areas, so as to upgrade China-Israel cooperation to a new level."
Israeli President Shimon Peres, who is meeting with Liu Yandong during the innovation conference, says her visit carries hope.
"You carry with you a great proposal for cooperation between our two countries, and our mutual hopes to cooperate fully and completely in the domain of science, technology and wisdom, and also in bringing peace hope to all the people. Until now we work together, we can now fly together to a new height for the benefit of our people, and for the benefit of the entire world."
The Israel Innovation Conference includes more than 350 participants from China.
As part of her staying in Israel, the Vice Premier has also witnessed the inauguration of a center for innovative research and education.
The center is jointly launched by the Israeli Tel Aviv University and Chinese Tsinghua University.
For CRI, I'm Alexander Aucott.
 
 
118 killed in twin blasts in Nigeria
 
At least 118 people have been killed in two car-bomb explosions at a market in Nigeria's central city of Jos.
Police say the first bomber parked a bus in the market's central business area.
The second blast was just 100 meters away from the first, killing some of the rescue workers who had rushed to the scene.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bombings just yet, but Islamic extremist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the country.
This latest attack follows a move by Nigeria's Senate to approve the extension of the state of emergency in three northeastern states where soldiers are battling Boko Haram.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
"Our troops and our military personnel and all our other security agencies would not be able to operate to curb this menace if we don't have emergency powers within that zone."
Boko Haram abducted over 200 schoolgirls in the northeast and has threatened to sell them into slavery.
The group has been seeking to enshrine Islamic Sharia law in Nigeria's constitution.
The Nigerian government has said it is fully committed to winning the war against terror.
Countries including China, the U.S and Britain have offered assistance to help rescue the schoolgirls.
 
 
First group of OSCE observers arrive in Kiev
 
The first group of election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
They will monitor this Sunday's presidential elections.
The OSCE mission plans to send observers to all of Ukraine's regions, including the east where two regions have declared independence.
Ukrainian authorities have deployed tens of thousands of police and volunteers across the country to maintain public order ahead of the elections.
Earlier, as a gesture to show support for the presidential vote, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a withdrawal of troops from areas near the border between the two countries.
Sergiy Astakhov, assistant head of Ukraine's State Border Service, says so far there are no violations of the law across the border.
"820 kilometres were checked yesterday. We didn't see any violations of the law or any movements across the border. Concerning the Russian armed forces near the Ukrainian borders, they were not located a distance of 10 kilometres from the border."
Russia's defense ministry says the army units in the regions bordering Ukraine are getting ready to leave.
 
 
Newly elected Indian PM invited to form government
 
India's president has invited Hindu nationalist party leader Narendra Modi to form a new government.
Modi met with the President after formally being chosen by his party to be the next prime minister.
"The president has officially given me the letter. We have decided that the swearing-in ceremony will be at 6 pm on the 26th. The swearing-in will happen then."
The 63-year-old was named the Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate last year.
BJP won 282 seats in last week's national elections.
The incumbent Congress party won just 44 seats.
The new prime minister faces a huge task in meeting the expectations of India's 1.2 billion people, who hope he can lift the country from its economic torpor.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stocks
 
U.S. stocks fell in a broad selloff on Tuesday, with major indexes hitting session lows in afternoon trading.
The retail sector was hit particularly hard following disappointing quarterly reports from a number of retailers.
The Dow fell 0.8 percent. The S&P 500 dropped 0.7 percent. The Nasdaq also slid 0.7 percent.
TJX Cos lost 7.6 percent, after the owner of off-price chain stores TJ Maxx and Marshalls reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue.
Staples tumbled 12.6 percent after the office supply retailer posted first-quarter earnings and forecast a decline in sales in the current quarter.
Caterpillar shares dropped 3.6 percent, ranking as the heaviest weight on the Dow after the heavy machinery company said retail statistics for the three-month rolling period ending in April were down 13 percent.
In contrast, Aeroflex shares jumped 25 percent. British aerospace and defense supplier Cobham is buying the U.S. communications equipment maker for 1.5 billion dollars, including the assumption of Aeroflex's debt.
European markets declined. Germany's DAX trimmed 0.2 percent, France's CAC 40 lost 0.4 percent and the FTSE 100 in London gave up 0.6 percent.
 
 
Bonds to finance China's local gov'ts
 
China vows to confine local government financing mainly to the issuing of bonds.
Under a sweeping plan from the National Development and Reform Commission, approved by the State Council, local governments will be weaned off borrowing through other financing vehicles this year.
Local governments will be given credit ratings and the amount they borrow will be capped with quotas.
Authorities will monitor risk and handle emergencies.
Poor management and supervision of debt have greatly increased the risk of default for many local governments following an era of rapid development and expansion.
 
 
China to Allow Local Governments to Issue Bonds
 
Anchor:
China will allow 10 provinces and cities to make direct bond issues starting this year.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and provinces including Zhejiang and Jiangsu will be allowed to sell bonds.
An official announcement is expected later this month with bonds likely being issued in July.
But there are still fears among policymakers and academics that some authorities don't have the ability to manage their own funds.
For more on this issue, we are now joined lived by Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
Questions:
1. What are the central government's main concerns when it comes to allowing local authorities to issue bonds? (risk management).
2. Some local governments have relied on land sales for revenues in recent years, but are still riddled with debt. Can bonds solve the problem, or do they simply add another layer of debt for those governments that have demonstrated problems in managing public funds?
3. So how will investors respond to the bond issuance?
Back anchor:
That's Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
 
 
Russia-China fund announces deals
 
A joint investment vehicle involving Chinese and Russian sovereign wealth funds has announced three new service-sector deals in the two countries.
Under those deals, the Russia-China Investment Fund and partners will commit 400 million U.S. dollars in both equity and debt for the construction of a cross-border railway bridge.
The bridge will be the first one to span China's border with Russia over Heilongjiang River.
The fund also joins two other funds to invest in Logistics and tourism infrastructure and senior living communities in both Russia and China.
RCIF was founded in 2012, with China Investment Corporation and Russian Direct Investment Fund each contributing 1 billion U.S. dollars.
China is Russia's largest trade partner. Bilateral trade between China and Russia was worth 89 billion U.S. dollars last year and is expected to hit 100 billion this year.
 
 
Walmart to open more outlets in China
 
Walmart, the world's largest retailer, is to build about 30 new stores and distribution centers in China this year.
The U.S. retailer says more Supercenters will be built in third- and fourth-tier cities to serve emerging consumers amid China's urbanization drive.
Walmart also plans to open two new branches of its Sam's Club chain of membership-only retail warehouses this year.
The two new Sam's Club will be in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, and Changzhou City in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Last October, Walmart announced it would speed up development in China in the next three years by opening 110 stores and distribution centers and creating 19,000 new jobs.
By the end of April, it had over 400 outlets in the country.
 
 
JPMorgan, HSBC and Credit Agricole accused of euro rate-fixes
 
The European Commission has accused JPMorgan, HSBC and Credit Agricole of colluding to fix a key euro benchmark borrowing rate - Euribor.
JP Morgan and HSBC will fight the charges. Credit Agricole will study the European Commission's findings.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Chinese president urges Asian unity
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling on Asian countries to promote unity, cooperation, and the development of the continent.
He made the call at the ongoing fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
Over 20 international leaders, including 11 heads of state, are attending the summit in Shanghai, which run through today.
CICA member states are expected to issue a Shanghai Declaration on commitments to strengthening strategic coordination.
 
 
China, Russia pledge wide-ranging cooperation
 
China and Russia have issued a joint statement, vowing to beef up bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields.
The statement follows a meeting between the presidents of the two nations at that summit in Shanghai.
The two leaders have also overseen the start of a joint military exercise in the East China Sea.
Although a much anticipated gas deal has not been finalized, the two countries have vowed to deepen cooperation in the petroleum industry, kick-start Russia's supply of natural gas to China as soon as possible and jointly develop coal mines in Russia.
 
 
Chinese workers return from Vietnam
 
More than 3500 Chinese workers evacuated from Vietnam arrived in China late on Tuesday.
Most of them are staffers from the Metallurgical Corporation of China and China Energy Group which run construction sites in Vietnam's Ha Tinh province.
So far over 4 thousand Chinese nationals have been evacuated from Vietnam since anti-foreign protests broke out last week.
The MCC says in a statement that four of its employees were killed and 130 others were injured during the violent protest.
 
 
Pakistani PM orders early release of Chinese tourist
 
The Pakistani Prime Minister has urged early release of a Chinese tourist who was kidnaped in the country's northwest.
Nawaz Sharif issued directives to authorities for quick coordination between the security departments.
The Pakistani Taliban has reportedly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
A local Taliban leader is reportedly saying that they kidnapped the Chinese national for future negotiations with the Pakistani government for the release of arrested Taliban members.
The Chinese man was on a bike tour in Pakistan.
China's embassy is contacting Pakistan's relevant departments to verify the incident.
 
 
118 killed in twin blasts in Nigeria
 
At least 118 people have been killed in two car-bomb blast in central Nigeria.
No one has claimed responsibility.
This latest attack follows a move by Nigeria's Senate to approve the extension of the state of emergency in three northeastern states where soldiers are battling Islamic extremist group Boko Haram .
The group has claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the country.
 
 
Entire declared Syrian stockpile of Isopropanol destroyed: UN spokesman
 
The UN Mission overseeing the dismantling of Syria's chemical weapons program has announced that the country's isopropanol stockpile has been eliminated.
The chemical is a common solvent with many practical uses but it's also an ingredient needed to make the nerve gas sarin.
Meanwhile, a UN spokesperson has stated that "7.2 percent of Syria's chemical weapons material remains in the country."
Much of that remaining cache is trapped in areas of intense fighting between government and rebel forces.
The UN Mission still aims to destroy all of Syria's chemical weapons by the end of June.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Windows 8 banned from government PCs
Summary
CHINA has announced a ban on Microsoft Corp's Windows 8 operating system in government computers.
According to an online statement by the Central Government Procurement Center, all desktops, laptops and tablet PCs purchased by central state organs must be installed with an OS other than Windows 8
The center did not provide detailed reasons for the ban.
 
THE BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Beijing to host World Seed Congress
Summary
This year's World Seed Congress will be held at the Qinglong Lake International Cultural Center in Beijing's Fengtai district from May 24 to 28.
The event, initiated by the International Seed Federation (ISF), is the largest annual gathering of its kind in the world.
The ISF World Seed Congress 2014, with the theme of "little seeds, great dreams", will carry out a number of activities including trade forums, exhibitions and various meetings.
 
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Beijing intensifies security checks
Summary
Over a hundred armed policemen have been deployed at checkpoints across Beijing to assist in the examination of vehicles coming into the capital.
This will be ongoing 24/7 until the middle of June.
The deployment is part of the recent anti-terrorism campaign.
 
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Six arrested for beating Journalist doing secret investigations
Summary
Six suspects have been arrested for beating a journalist from who did secret investigations in a village in Wuhan province.
The village head, suspected of corruption, held a grand birthday party for his ten-year-old son when the journalist was doing a secret investigation on him.
According to his colleagues the journalists was seriously hurt and sent to the hospital.
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Train malfunction kills engineer
Summary
One worker was killed and three others injured after a mechanical malfunction inside a tunnel on the Qinghai-Tibet railway on Tuesday.
The malfunction caused the train to stop and release a heavy black smoke, causing all four of the train's workers to choke and lose consciousness.
A rescue team was sent by the company .
The train driver, Liu Jiankuang, died despite medical efforts, and the other three were in stable conditions.
 
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
FTZ trials aimed at speeding up reforms
Summary
The Shanghai FTZ is experimenting with scores of trials to accelerate policy reforms.
Many trials have been launched in the zone, with industry watchers calling them the most aggressive in more than a decade.
Meanwhile, domestic and foreign banks have launched a yuan cross-border pooling solution for clients in the zone.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Shanghai becomes the most popular destination for people to migrate
 
Anchor:
A new survey shows Shanghai has become the most popular destination for people to migrate to when looking for work.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter:
Cai Cai is a young woman who decided to move to Shanghai after working for several years in Beijing.
"When I first came to Shanghai, I needed to move my Hukou into the city. I felt the staff at the public service counters were very professional and they treated me very nice. I felt respected while I was dealing with the whole processes."
Like many other migrants drawn to the large cities, Cai Cai says there are obvious advantages beyond jobs, including more social benefits such as better healthcare, education, public facilities and overall culture.
"You feel that the community committee cares about your life. For instance, if you call them and tell them there's a hole in the road that needs to be fixed, you will see maintenance workers fix it the next day, or even the day you call them. Your problems are properly addressed. You can get a quick and positive response when you need help in Shanghai."
A new research by Value Line, a Shanghai-based financial magazine, suggests Shanghai has become the most popular destination for migration, recording a net inflow over nine and a half million people.
Beijing ranks second with 7.7-million migrants.
And the southern city of Shenzhen ranks third with a net inflow of around seven and a half million people.
The explosive inflow of migrants has been generating concerns among many residents who worry about the impact the large flow of people is having on resources such as land, the environment, water resources and even social stability.
Huang Yan, Director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning, says populations in big cities need to be distributed to the surrounding areas.
"The biggest task for us is municipal reallocation. Big inflows of people creates a lot of pressure on a city's facilities and public services. Municipal governments need to reallocate the city's functions to the surrounding areas, while at the same time, upgrading the quality of public services in the neighboring areas to provide better education and medical resources."
The National Bureau of Statistics estimates over half of this country's population now livies in cities.
That figure is expected to hit 60-percent by 2020.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Guangzhou Evergrande takes on Guizhou Renhe in the last game before summer recess
 
In football, five matches are coming up this afternoon in the Chinese Super League.
These are the final games for each respective team before the summer break.
Starting off at 4:30 this afternoon, Changchun Yatai, which is at risk of relegation, will host Liaoning Hongyun.
At seven sharp, Tianjin Teda kicks off its match against Dalian Arbin.
At seven thirty, second placed Beijing Guo'an will take on Hangzhou Greentown at Workers' Stadium.
Around the same time, league Henan Jianye goes up against Shanghai Shenxin.
And finally, at eight, defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande will meet FA Cup holders Guizhou Renhe at the Tianhe Stadium.
Guizhou stopped Guangzhou from clinching a domestic treble last season, so this rematch of last season's FA Cup final should be an interesting one to watch.
 
 
Ronaldo and Bale fit to start for Real in champions league final
 
Also in football,
Real Madrid has announced that formidable strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will both be fit to play in Saturday's champions league final against Atletico Madrid.
Ronaldo missed Real's last two games, while Bale sat out a training session earlier.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed his satisfaction with the Welshman, who had up till this week been the most expensive footballer the world over.
"I think that Gareth did a really good job this season. He had some problems at the beginning, but after that he found good physical condition, he showed his qualities, he scored a lot of goals, he had a lot of assists, and he had a really good impact on the team. Everyone is happy with him. I think he will do the same in the final."
However, defender Pepe and another key striker Karim Benzema remain doubtful for the final due to injuries.
Madrid is bidding to win a 10th European Cup and to end a 12-year drought for the continent's top club prize.
 
 
Indiana looks to expand their lead to 2-0 in EC final
 
In the NBA playoffs, the Indiana Pacers are looking to extend their eastern conference final lead to 2-nothing when they host Miami later this morning.
Indiana enjoyed its highest point total of the postseason in the opening match, downing the Heat 107-96.
The Pacers have won all five meetings with Miami this season.
The series travels to Miami for game three on Sunday.
Yesterday, the San Antonio Spurs took advantage of Serge Ibaka's absence and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-105 in the opening match of the Western Conference final.
 
 
BWF motions for a new scoring system
 
In badminton,
the sport's governing body is now in discussion to have a new scoring system at the top level to benefit television coverage and make contests more attractive for viewers.
The current scoring system has the winner being the first to reach 21 points, two points clear of his opponent, in a best-of-three game format.
One suggestion is to have two games of 21 each with the decider, if needed, played for 11 points.
Another format is 15 points for each game, while a third suggestion is to play five games of nine points each.
The Badminton World Federation will open debate on the subject this weekend in New Delhi on the sidelines of the ongoing men's Thomas and Uber Cup team championships.
From yesterday's action in New Delhi,
China has advanced into the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The Chinese men defeated Russia 5-0 to advance in the Thomas Cup while the women got past England to make it to the last-eight stage in the Uber Cup.
 
 
Adam Scott replaces Tiger Woods as world No.1
 
In golf, Australian Adam Scott has officially replaced Tiger Woods as the world No. 1 golfer, ending the American's 60 week reign on the top of the rankings.
33-year-Scott is the first Australian since Greg Norman to be the world No. 1. Norman spent 331 weeks in the position in the 1980s and '90s.
The 2013 Masters champion was inactive last week, but was already assured of taking top spot as Woods has been sidelined with a long-standing back problem.
Woods earlier said he still does not know when he will return to competition following an operation on his back.
"Well first of all, I would love to play. But I just don't know. And as I said, that's one of the more frustrating things. There's no date, there's no time table, I'm just taking it day by day, and just focusing on trying to get strong and come back. As I said, I want to play today, but that's just not going to happen, so I'll just take it step by step."
Woods has spent a total of 683 weeks as the world's best during the course of his career.
Having already skipped a number of PGA tour events, the American remains doubtful whether he will be fit for the US Open at Pinehurst, which gets underway on June 12th.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
"Deux Jours, Une Nuit" premieres at Cannes
 
A real heavyweight has just had its world premiere at the Cannes film festival in the form of "Deux Jours, Une Nuit".
The film is from Belgian brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne who have already won the prestigious Palme D'Or twice in 2002 with "Rosetta" and in 2005 with" L'Enfant"
Their latest work also marks the first time they've used a big name with Marion Cotillard in the lead role who won the Best Actress Oscar in 2008 with "La Vie en Rose."
Sounds like a winning combination to me.
In "Deux Jours, Une Nuit" Cotillard plays Sandra who has one weekend to convince her colleagues to forego their bonuses so that she can keep her job.
(2days trailer)
Speaking on the red carpet Marion Cotillard spoke a little of her method:
" I try to work as much as possible in terms of going as deep as I can into my encounter with someone, who is the character. To be able then to totally set aside the work aspect, to actually become that person, and be able to I give up my own identity. Once I'm on the set if I've found the keys before then I don't really have much to do, all I need to do is hand the car keys to that character and the character drives me, rather than the opposite."
The awards for the Cannes film festival competition will be handed out on May 24.
 
 
Paul McCartney cancels concerts due to illness
 
(McCartney Song)
Paul McCartney has had to cancel the rest of his tour of Japan after organisers said he contracted a suspected virus.
A message on his official website said that doctors have ordered him to have "complete rest" although he "hates to let people down."
This means the 71-year-old will not be able to play the remaining two gigs of his Out There Japan Tour 2014.
The former Beatle is still scheduled to play one concert in Seoul, South Korea followed by 19 dates in the United States however.
 
 
Mackelmore in trouble for 'anti-Semitic' stage costume
 
(Macklemore)
Macklemore has issued an apology for a costume he wore at a concert in Seattle that caused a storm online with allegations of anti-Semitism.
The Grammy Award-winning rapper wore an oversized nose, bowl-cut wig and a long beard while performing his song "Thrift Shop."　
Not surprisingly Macklemore jumped on Twitter to defend himself against the accusations, he said: A fake witches nose, wig and beard = random costume. Not my idea of a stereotype of anybody."
But one person getting involved was the Jewish actor Seth Rogen who tweeted back: "Really? Because if I told someone to put together an anti-Semitic Jew costume, they'd have that exact shopping list."
Mackelmore has since released another statement apologising to anyone he may have offended but maintains that the costume was randomly assembled and not intended to be anti-Jewish.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The Chinese president has made a call for unity, development, and coordination at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
we look at the impact of the US move to indict five Chinese military officials, accused of cyber-theft...
and two explosions at a market in Nigeria have claimed more than 100 lives...
In Business...the benefits and risks of letting local governments in China issue bonds to pay for projects..
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.