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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Over 500 people have been hurt following a massive fire at a water park in suburban Taipei.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is heading to Brussels today for the first stop on a planned 5-day tour in Europe.

Greece's Parliament has approved a referendum on whether the country should accept the terms of its latest bailout offer.

In the 2nd half of the hour, we'll bring you some of the stories which caught headlines in the world of Science and Technology.

In Sports.... an 18-year old from Beijing has become the first-ever Chinese national drafted into the National Hockey League.

In Entertainment.... reports are suggesting Ben Affleck may be preparing a film about the current FIFA scandal.

Top NewsCivilian injury rises to 524 in Taiwan park fireA massive explosion and subsequent fire during a concert at a water park in Taiwan has left 524 people injured.

"Everybody was screaming and bleeding. There was blood everywhere in the nearby river because many people were playing in it at the time, and they couldn't get out of there immediately. Everyone was screaming, and many people caught on fire."Local authorities in New Taipei City say the inferno is the result of flammable powder being blown into the crowd during a concert last night at a recreational Water Park in New Taipei City, which is a suburb of Taipei.

New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu says the number of people injured, originally thought to be around 200, has been on the rise as more victims arrive in hospitals on their own.

"No matter where they are, New Taipei, Taipei or Taoyuan, hospitals in every city will spare no effort to treat the victims."All events involving the use of flammable powder have been banned.

Eric Chu is also promising a full investigation.

"For those who are found responsible for this incident, we promise no lenience. We are going to carry out a stringent investigation, and level harsh punishment on those found responsible."Most of the injured are suffering from smoke inhalation.

However, there are said to be a number of people suffering severe burns, as the fire is said to have raced very quickly through the crowd of around a thousand people.

So far, no deaths are being reported, though 8 are said to be in critical condition.

It's being reported 4 of the injured are from the mainland.

Industrial cooperation put high on the agenda during Li Keqiang's European visitAnchor:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is arriving today in Brussels to kick off a 5-day European tour, which will include co-chairing the annual meeting between China and the European Union.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

Reporter:

The European Union has been China's largest trading partner for the last 11-years, making economic ties between the two sides critical.

The European Commission launched a 3-year investment plan last year, with a focus on infrastructure construction and tighter links among EU member-countries.

Feng Zhongping, European Studies expert with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, says the 300-billion-euro "Juncker Plan," named after current European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker, fits well with the Chinese government's "Belt and Road" initiative.

"European countries are the western end of the 'Belt and Road 'initiatives. So it has a natural convergence. The Juncker strategic plan also covers infrastructure building especially in these central and eastern European countries. So you can see there is a very good connection. And we have already held a lot of talks with EU leaders including Juncker himself."Feng Zhongping notes one of the areas of focus during Li Keqiang's trip will be on expanding industrial capacity.

This is a term used to describe upgrading existing sectors with better technology to make them more efficient.

Premier Li Keqiang has been using the phrase "international industrial capacity cooperation" since his visit to Kazakhstan back in December.

"I think in Premier Li's view, China has industrial capacity and European countries have advanced technologies. Now the most important thing is that we have to think about other developing countries, as they have developing demands. So it is a three-party job, China's money and capacities, Europe's technologies and the third country's developing market."One area expected to be focused on will be nuclear power cooperation.

A number of deals are expected to be signed in France by Premier Li Keqiang as part of the government's current "going global" nuclear power strategy.

Over 80-percent of France's electricity is generated through nuclear power.

Chinese and French firms are already working together in a joint nuclear power project in Britain.

Alice Rezkova, an expert on China-EU ties with the Association for International Affairs in Europe, says the European side is also going to be looking for commitments from Li Keqiang when it come to opportunities in China.

"So for example transportation, there is a huge need in reducing traffic congestion in China and encourage the use of public transportation by making travel more efficient, secure and also safe. Also the area of government services and the area of resources, you know the smart grid and renewable energy system to manage outages, control costs."As part of Li Keqiang's time in Belgium, he's scheduled to meet with top EU leaders, address the opening ceremony of this year's China-EU business summit, as well as take part in a forum on China-EU urbanization partnerships.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

More than 100 Young Belgian Students to Visit China in Mid JulyAnchorAhead of this year's China-EU Leaders' Meeting in Brussels, a group of Belgian middle-school students are preparing for a trip this coming month to China to learn more about the country.

CRI's Zhao Jianfu has more.

ReporterAround 100 young students from Belgium are preparing to head to China as part of a summer camp program.

Half of them will head to Chongqing, while the other half will spend their time in the province of Shandong.

Eline Alifiens is one of the students preparing to make her way to China.

She says she's been studying Mandarin for the last 3-years.

"I started to get interested in Chinese because of the economy and also I found the Chinese language very interesting and it sounds very fine to speak Chinese. I think its a good opportunity to go with this summer camp. So we could know more about the culture and language and other people there."The tour is part of the "Chinese Bridge Project" organized by the Confucius Institute.

The program is meant to try to give overseas students a better understanding of both the Chinese language and culture.

Claeys Lieselot, who is an English teacher in Belgium, took part in the program in 2013.

She says her time in Sichuan's capital, Chengdu, opened her eyes to what China has to offer.

"In the province of Sichuan, and there we see some school where we have some of the language lessons in Chinese but also some cultural lessons, paper cutting for instance and tea ceremony. We did Tai Chi and a little bit of Kungfu as well. Some use traditional music that they play some other performances. So it is really nice to do all of these things."Tao Hongjian, in charge of the education program at the Chinese embassy in Belgium, says the program has done a lot to create a better understanding of China in Belgium.

"The 'Chinese Bridge' summer camp program has been developing well in recent years. Many young people have fallen in love with China through their short stays in China. Many of those who have gone on the trip have ended up choosing to study in Chinese universities or take part in university exchange programs. Many of them eventually end up finding a job in China or work back here in Belgium in areas connected to China-Belgium communications."Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Brussels to attend this year's China-EU Leaders' Meetings.

He's also due to meet with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as part of his time there, with cross-cultural exchanges expected to be one of the highlights of his agenda.

For CRI, I'm Zhao Jianfu.

Chinese government fiscal revenue growth below targetsChina's Finance Minister is warning the government has so far been unable to meet its fiscal revenue growth targets for the year.

New stats delivered by Lou Jiwei in a report from the State Council, China's cabinet, shows government income through the first 5-months has come in at 2.95-trillion yuan, or around 475-billion US dollars.

While still at a growth rate of 2-percent compared to the same period last year, it's still below the revenue growth target of 5-percent set by the government at the beginning of this year.

Luo Jiwei is attributing the slowdown in government income to the slower rate of economic growth.

As part of his submission to the State Council's bi-monthly session, new stats also show a marked reduction in spending on the so-called "three pubic consumptions" this past year.

Central government spending on overseas trips, vehicles and receptions in 2014 came in at 5.88-billion yuan, or just under 950-million US dollars.

This is close to 1.3-billion yuan, or nearly 200-million US dollars, below the budget originally laid out last year.

Lou Jiwei has said in the State Council report this has come as a result of the ongoing frugality campaign initiated by President Xi Jinping after he took office.

The reduced spending on the "three public consumptions" has seen the downsizing of delegations traveling overseas, as well as stricter management of government vehicles and official receptions.

Over 2,200 investigated for fiscal violations in ChinaNew stats from Chinese auditors are suggesting officials misappropriated over 780-billion yuan over a 6-year period from 2008 to 2013 originally earmarked for land transfers.

The head of the National Audit Office says they've found that officials often moved the money to either fill gaps in their budget, lend the money to other government agencies or used it to help build new offices.

More than 22-hundred government officials have been investigated for their alleged involvement in major fiscal fraud.

The audit office says the violations have involved government departments which deal with departments which administer state assets and state-owned resource firms, such as land and mining.

China cuts reserve ratio, interest rates to support growthAnchor:

New cuts to both interest rates and the reserve requirement ratios for a number of Chinese banks are taking hold as of today here in China.

The People's Bank of China is attempting to add more money into the system amid the rapid influx of companies listing on China's A-share market.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

Reporter:

This is the third RRR reduction in nearly five months, and the fourth round of interest rate cuts in nearly seven months.

According to the People's Bank of China or PBOC, the latest move aims to further lower borrowing costs and boost the economy through restructuring.

Yao Yudong, director for the PBOC's Finance Research Institute, explains the reasons behind the adjustments.

"First, this is to further support restructuring. The purpose of the RRR reduction is to boost financial institutes' abilities to support farmers, rural and agricultural development as well as small and micro businesses. It also aims to improve the key areas and weak links in the national economy and is conducive for financial institutes to support mass entrepreneurship and innovation."The central bank has cut the RRR for the second time this year for commercial banks financing the agricultural sector , along with small and micro businesses.

The targeted RRR cut, carried out instead of a general reduction, will help to improve the economic structure and support weak sectors, while also preventing flush liquidity.

Yao continues to explain that it is unnecessary to lower the RRR in a wider range because of the current adequate liquidity.

"Adequate liquidity is one of the reasons for the targeted RRR cut. The targeted cut will increase liquidity to some extent and this is necessary considering that there will be certain scale of RMB consumption during July and August, for example, the profit sharing by major financial institutions, so the adjustment is proactive and preventive."Some experts point out that it is not usual to see the "double cuts" at the same time. However, against the backdrop of "new normal" of slower but more sustainable growth, the central bank's move has been expected, with its main target to further stabilize economic growth.

Moreover, Yao suggests that the cutting of RRR and key interest rates does not mean a change of the country's prudent monetary policy.

"It can be regarded as a fine-tuning without affecting the monetary policy's consistency and steadiness. Its prudent monetary policy remains unchanged, and still focuses on supporting real economy and structural adjustment. This fine-tuning is an active move to adapt to the new normal of economic development, and sustains a neutral monetary and financial environment."Experts say the rare easing step of cutting the RRR and the benchmark interest rates will make the monetary policy adjustment more targeted and effective to support the real economy.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.

China's New Media Rapidly Developing, Wechat becomes Major PlatformAnchor:

A new report is suggesting Tencent's social messaging service WeChat is rapidly becoming one of the main sources for people in China to share information.

CRI's Liu Xiangwei has more on the annual report on "new media" from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Reporter:

According to the report, the internet is now a must for many Chinese people seeking information, communicating, shopping, and paying for various products and services.

Li Peilin, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the service industry has used mobile networks widely since last year.

"China's new media development is embracing unprecedented opportunities. New media is increasingly becoming an integrated service platform for Chinese people especially young citizens in urban area. Different kinds of online services are springing up such as online shopping, e-payment, online taxi booking, online education and even online medical treatment.

Li Peilin adds that China's new media is faced with problems, including Internet information security, supervision over internet finance, as well as the spread of rumors online.

According to the report, China's micro blogging platform Sina Weibo is still the largest platform for spreading information, though more and more people are starting to communicate with the instant messaging service Wechat.

Tang Xujin, chief editor of the report, says information spreading via Wechat is increasing sharply.

Even though Weibo users' dropped 11.4 percent compared with the year before, active users ended up adding 48 million mobile client. Meanwhile, by the end of last year, Wechat had more than 600million users and the average reading of each user is 5.9 articles every day.

According to the report, nearly 60 percent of fake news items in 2014 originated on Sina Weibo, while rumors on WeChat, although only accounting for 7 percent, were more difficult to dispel because it is a closed system.

Compared with Weibo, where different stories often contradict each other, WeChat users are reluctant to point out rumors posted by their friends and families.

Tang Xujin says there are some common topics among the fake stories..

There is a subject report concentrating on wechat rumors. According to the report, the top seven topics for wechat rumors are food security, human security, disease, health regimes, fraud, finance and parenting techniques. Wechat rumors typically involve exaggeration of details, like figures. The writing seems to be reasonable and easy to believe while the information is highly uncertain. All the above makes people easily fooled."This year marks the sixth year for the CASS to release the "Annual Report on Development of New Media in China."For CRI, I'm Liu Xiangwei.

Heatwave in Karachi Eases, Hearse Operators BusyThe heatwave which had been gripping the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi has finally eased.

The city had been gripped in temperatures averaging 45 degrees for most of last week, leaving more than 11-hundred people dead.

Local hearse operators are still trying to cope with the number of dead.

"Though the death toll has come down, the dead bodies are lying there in the morgue. The bodies coming out of morgue will be buried. The pressure will end when all the bodies are carried out of morgue (and buried). After that we will return to the normal routine."The extreme heat has coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which calls for people to fast during daylight hours, putting an additional strain on people's bodies.

Wide spread power failures are also being blamed for the massive numbers of deaths from the heat.

This has sparked wide-spread criticism of the Pakistani government, with locals in Karachi blaming Islamabad for failing to react to the situation.

Greek parliament approves referendum on bailout terms: assemblyThe Greek parliament has given the green-light to holding a referendum on the latest offer put forward by the country's creditors.

Greek Parliamentary speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou.

"Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, I have the honour to announce to you the result of the vote. 298 lawmakers voted on the proposal of the cabinet meeting towards the parliament. 178 lawmakers voted 'Yes', 120 lawmakers voted 'No', and no lawmaker stated 'present' (abstained). Thus, the proposal of the cabinet meeting towards the parliament, for the making of a referendum for a critical national matter, has passed with a majority much higher than the needed absolute majority."However, the national vote, now set for next Sunday, will come days after Greece is due to make a 1.6-billion euro payment to its IMF creditors.

The Greek government has appealed for an extension beyond June 30th to make the payment.

However, the EU and the IMF don't appear to be budging.

Eurogroup Finance Ministers shut Greece's Finance Minister out of a meeting in Brussels on Friday, then issued a statement without him, accusing Athens of breaking off negotiations unilaterally.

The EU has been maintaining its June 30th deadline for Greece to make its payment or go into default.

The offer from Greece's creditors includes cuts in pensions and a rise in taxes.

However, current Greek government rose to power on a pledge to eliminate the austerity measures currently being evoked under Greece's existing bailout.

Failure to make the payment may force Greece out of the eurozone.

This will force the country to resume using its original currency, the drakhma, which will command much higher bond yields from investors, likely putting the Greek economy on the road toward eventual bankruptcy.

Colombia's President Santos blasts rebels for oil spillColombian President Juan Manuel Santos is lashing out at the country's FARC rebels on the heels of an attack on an oil pipeline in the country this past week.

Santos has made a stop in the southern Columbian port city of Tumaco to survey the damage done following an attack on a major oil pipeline in the city, which has created a massive oil spill.

"And to tell the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) that they can't be talking about reparations for the victims in Havana (where peace talks are taking place), if at the same time they are creating thousands and thousands of victims, on top of that innocent people who are also the poorest in the country. What coherence does that have? No, what they are doing is totally irrational."Around 10-thousand barrels of oil has spilled into the Mira River, leaving around 150-thousand people without drinking water.

The attack is said to be the latest in a string of FARC offensives it ended its unilateral cease fire in May.

The Santos administration and Columbia's FARC rebels have been negotiating for the past year in an attempt to bring the half-century long insurgency to an end.

FARC took up arms in the mid-60's to back an insurgency against the right-wing administration of Columbia at the time.

However, the group has continued its fight in the Columbian countryside since then.

Cruise Ship Company Eyes Growing Chinese MarketAnchorCosta Cruises, one of the world's largest cruise ship operators, is making a push to try to attract more customers from China.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

Reporter"It's really relaxing, this style of holiday. On the boat your (phone) signal might not be very good, so it's a different way of living, not looking at your phone every day. It's like a utopia. Very relaxing.""This is the first time we've been on a cruise because we're giving it a go, seeing what it's like."Thousands of eager tourists, young and old, are queuing to board the 'Costa Serena' which offers 3,780 capacities.

'Costa Serena' is the third ship based at Shanghai added to the fleet of Costa Cruises, which is owned by Carnival, the world's biggest cruise company.

James Roy, an Associate Principal at China Market Research Group, says the Chinese market is promising.

"Tourism overall originating from China and going overseas is still continuing to grow well ahead of the overall economy and ahead of retail sales. Outbound trips increased about 16 percent, outbound spending increased about 18 percent (in 2014). The cruise industry itself is growing much faster than that."According to a recent report from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), between 2012 and 2014 Chinese passengers increased 79 percent per year.

In light of this, the US-based Carnival has announced to add a fourth ship next year to accommodate the rapidly growing market in China.

James Roy with the China Market Research Group said infrastructure is also underway to better facilitate the business.

"Billions of dollars are being spent on infrastructure all up and down the Chinese coast. Every major city, as well as many minor cities, have very large, new expensive cruise terminals."Aside from Costa's fleet of ships, Royal Caribbean - the world's second biggest cruise operator - is set to move a brand new 'Quantum of the Seas' cruise ship to Shanghai.

But, while companies position themselves to fully exploit the growth of China's middle-class, it's not all smooth sailing.

Some Chinese travellers say it takes a while to adapt to this specific style of travel.

Unlike many passengers in the US or Europe, Chinese cruise travellers tend to be younger and therefore have less holiday time away from their jobs.

Buhdy Bok, President of Costa Asia, says they're adapting to the needs of Chinese customers.

"Based on the fact that the holidays that an average Chinese is able - or middle-class Chinese - is able to take is relatively short. Shorter cruises tend to be more popular, those four-day, five-day cruises tend to be more popular."Teething problems aside, with rising tides of Chinese cruise passengers, international and domestic cruise operators appear to be here to stay.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

Cultural attitudes against organ donation cause critical cornea shortage in ChinaA new campaign is underway by eye banks in China to promote cornea donations.

This comes amid word banks in Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu are almost empty.

Authorities say this is severely reducing the number of cornea transplants which can be done.

Less than 2-thousand eyes were donated in China last year.

Professor Huang Ting with Sun Yat-sen University says this has forced Chinese eye surgery hospitals to shop around the world for donated eyes to meet demand for the roughly 5-thousand eye surgeries conducted in China every year.

"In many cases, we perform cornea transplant surgeries on a first-come, first-serve basis. But we do take patients' condition into consideration and also give priority to children."It's estimated around 100-thousand cases of corneal blindness occur every year in China.

China's Oil Futures May Start Trading in SeptChina's futures exchange authorities have announced plans to launch an International Oil Futures Platform by the end of September.

Song Anping, Chair of the Shanghai Futures Exchange, says the exchange will be open to institutional overseas investors.

"Crude oil futures may be able to trade in three months. It will be a fully open platform and all overseas investors and brokerage agencies can trade crude oil futures through our platform."In making the announcement at an event in Shanghai this weekend, Song Anping says the launch of the oil futures platform will help improve China's bargaining power when it comes to crude oil prices.

"Through the Chinese crude oil market, Chinese investors will bring China's supply and demand information to the global market, and the global information to the Chinese market. In this way, the oil pricing can be called a global system."China is the world's largest importer and consumer of crude oil.

Most of the world's oil contracts are based on prices set in New York and London.

WeatherBeijing will be overcast tonight with a low of 24 degrees, tomorrow will have thundershowers with a high of 27.

Shanghai will have showers overnight with a low of 21, tomorrow will also be rainy with a high of 28.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 29, also cloudy tomorrow with a high of 36.

Lhasa will have showers tonight with a low of 12, tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of 24Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 40.

Kabul, also cloudy , 32.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will see slight rain with a high of 17.

Brisbane will also have slight rain with a high of 20.

Perth, cloudy, 20.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will also be cloudy with a high of 16 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsCivilian injury rises to 524 in Taiwan park fireA massive explosion and subsequent fire during a concert at a water park in Taiwan has left 524 people injured.

Local authorities in New Taipei City say the inferno is the result of flammable powder being blown into the crowd during a concert last night at a recreational Water Park in the city, which is a suburb of Taipei.

New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu says all events involving the use of flammable powder have been banned.

Most of the injured are suffering from smoke inhalation.

However, there are said to be a number of people suffering severe burns.

So far, no deaths are being reported, though 8 are said to be in critical condition.

Chinese premier leaves Beijing for China-EU leaders' meeting, France visitChinese Premier Li Keqiang is on his way to a China-EU leaders' meeting in Brussels.

The meetings are going to include European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker.

Li Keqiang is also set to hold separate meetings with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.

He's also scheduled to make a stop in France after his time in Brussels.

The Chinese Premier's time in France is expected to see him oversee the signing of a new agreement for large number of new Airbus airplanes.

Li Keqiang is also due to make a speech to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development while in Paris.

BOC authorized as RMB clearing bank in HungaryThe Bank of China has been tapped to be the clearing bank for RMB transactions in Hungary.

Any deals done with the renminbi will be processed through the BOC's Budapest Branch.

The establishment of the RMB clearing bank in Hungary is part of the Chinese government's 'Belt and Road Initiative.'

Hungarian authorities have been attempting to convince Chinese authorities to use Hungary as its European transfer location for goods moved too and from Europe as part of the broad-based Chinese initiative.

Kuwait says mosque bomber was SaudiKuwait authorities say the suicide bomber who attacked a Shiite Mosque on Friday is a Saudi citizen.

Fahd Suliman Abdul-Muhsen al-Qabaa is said to have arrived in Kuwait by plane on Friday.

He blew himself up later that day near a Shiite mosque in the Kuwaiti capital, leaving 27 people dead.

It is the worst militant attack in the predominantly Sunni Arab country in years.

Kuwaiti authorities have arrested the owner of the car that carried the suicide bomber.

The Islamic State is claiming responsibility.

Hefei-Fuzhou high-speed railway starts operationA high-speed rail link between the provincial capitals of Anhui and Fujian has become operational as of this Sunday.

It will travel at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour.

The link between Hefei and Fuzhou is the first high-speed railway in China to cut across mountainous areas.

It is cutting travel times between the two cities from 8 hours to 4 hours.

The railway is part of the longer high-speed railway linking Fuzhou with Beijing.

Sci&TechIt's time for our weekly Science & Technology feature.

This week we'll be bringing you stories of how Chinese authorities are using laser radar to help fight air pollution and how a company from Hong Kong is using fish embryos to detect food toxins.

Here's CRI's Wen Jie.

>>>>> Chinese, US researchers develop accurate hydrographic printing for 3D objectsChinese and U.S. researchers have jointly developed a new technique that can color the surface of manufactured 3D objects with a thin film.

Researchers from China's Zhejiang University and Columbia University in the U.S. call the new method "computational hydrographic printing."Using the hydrographic process, a PVA film with printed color patterns will be placed on top of a container of water, and sprayed with an activator chemical.

Then the object will be dipped onto the film which wraps the surface of it.

Zhou Kun is the lead researcher and director of the State Key Lab of CAD& CG at Zhejiang University.

"First, we print a surface color pattern with an inkjet printer and then use it to create a film for hydrographic printing. During the process, the film wraps the surface of a 3D object. That's how it shows our 3D design concept."A 3D vision system will measure the location and orientation of the object with respect to the film during the computational process.

The computational model can be used to predict color film distortion during hydrographic immersion and guide the object onto the film.

Researchers have also introduced a multi-immersion design to avoid severe film distortion and film tearing.

Zhou says the hydrographic printing is relatively inexpensive and can be applied to various materials including metal, plastic, wood, porcelain and rubber.

However, one of the biggest benefits of the new technique is that it can color the surface of 3D objects with the most precise alignment.

The research will be presented at the 42nd International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in August in Los Angeles.

>>>>> Laser radar to help cities combat smogChinese engineers are developing laser radar equipment to monitor air pollution.

The advanced equipment can be used to monitor airflow and particulate matter and other air pollutants such as PM2.5.

Leaders at Beijing Huahang Radio Measurement Institute have decided to utilize their radar expertise to help cities fight smog, one of their biggest concerns.

Song Yubin is a radar expert at the Institute.

He says the laser radar can conduct three-dimensional, omnidirectional scans from the surface to the planetary boundary layer, so it can monitor almost everything in the air that affects our health.

China's environmental authorities now mainly use gravimetric analysis or beta ray attenuation instruments to monitor PM2.5 concentration in the air.

The institute is developing a range of radar equipment called SkyLidar that is much smaller and uses less energy.

The devices can be easily mounted on cars, ships, aircraft and even satellites.

It's set to go on sale next year.

>>>>> China eyes foreign cooperation for deep-sea studiesChina will work with foreign universities to research life in the deepest depths of the sea.

The Rainbowfish Hadal Life Science Research Center in Shanghai is developing a manned submersible that can dive up to 11-thousand meters under water.

The center's director Cui Weicheng, who also served as Jiaolong's deputy chief designer, explains why he's developed the new vehicle.

"The main reason why I developed the Rainbow Fish submersible is in order to fill the gap in the hadal science of our country. The Rainbow Fish will go much faster than the Jiaolong submersible in regards to the speed of rising and diving. The appearance of the new vehicle will also be very different."The center has signed agreements to establish a lab with the UK's University of Aberdeen and Hawaii Pacific University in the U.S.

Cui also stresses that international cooperation is important, because the oceans are so large and the deep-sea environment so complicated that no country can finish a large-scale research project on its own.

The Rainbow Fish vessel will be put into service next year, and be used to collect data and specimens under the world's 26 hadal trenches.

>>>>> Food and cosmetics safety tested with fish embryosA Hong Kong-based company has developed an innovative way to test food and cosmetics.

Vitagent (International) Biotechnology Limited uses fish embryos to detect toxins in everything from cosmetics and skin care products to cooking oil and milk.

Dr Chen Xue-ping, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of the company, explains that the fish used have a DNA structure very similar to humans, meaning that they are susceptible to the same toxins and chemicals.

"Fish respond to toxicants in a similar way as all humans do, that has (been) well proven by scientific fields. So using the fish embryos, (it) is a small, tiny and transparent organism and also in a non-animal stage to do the testing will help us save time and predict or screen what kind of toxicants (are) in the food."In order to test if there are toxicants in the products, researchers place the extracted sample together with fish embryos and leave them for 24 hours.

The technique uses young transgenic zebrafish and medaka fish whose development is altered in specific ways by known toxins such as chemicals, heavy metals and estrogens.

Some of the fish embryos turn fluorescent in the presence of certain toxins, while others develop abnormalities and tumours.

Eric Chen, the founder of the company, claims that its tests can screen for more than 1,000 toxins at one time.

"Compared to the existing testing methods, the chemical analysis can only test five to ten toxics (meaning toxins) at one time, but we can test thousands within 24 hours so it is much faster and much more economical and comprehensive. And compared to the animal testing, this is classified as non-animal testing as well."Chen believes the testing process could speed up product safety checks and help companies identify disease-causing contaminants.

The new technology has won the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva this month, the world's largest invention exhibition.

>>>>> Jaguar Land Rover advertise remote controlled carJaguar Land Rover has recently been showing off their latest app that allows the driver to control their car via a smartphone.

The online demonstration has already gone viral and has been met with high expectations across the globe.

When using the app, the car will only be able to travel at speeds of 6 miles per hour and the user must be constantly within 10 meters of the car to maintain connectivity.

The app is designed to be mainly used by the user out-of-car, when moving across rough terrain, parking in a tight spot or maneuvering their car through a narrow area.

The concept of remotely controlling a car seems interesting, but in order for the product to be popular and practical there are certain expectations it is going to have to meet.

Safety measures, strong connectivity, and easy to use controls are among expectations consumers will have for this device.

Jaguar Land Rover stated that they hope the app can hit the market as early as next year.

>>>>> Samsung invests in virtual reality headsetSamsung has invested in the world's first ever eye-tracking virtual reality headset, by tech firm Fove.

The Fove headset allows users to play computer games, such as first person shooters, by only using their eyes. The firm reached its funding target back in May after a public demonstration but has said it will use the extra funding from Samsung to add extra functionality. It is now believed that Foves' total funding has exceeded 700,000 USD.

Sony have recently been promoting their virtual headsets and with the extra funding Fove has received, it would seem safe to say that virtual reality is going to be the near future for video game enthusiasts.

And that concludes this week's sci&tech report, I'm Wenjie, see you next week!

SportsHockey: Song Andong 1st Chinese-born Player Drafted into NHLFor the first time, a Chinese player has been selected in the NHL draft.

Song Andong was chosen by the New York Islanders as the 172 pick in the draft Saturday. The defenseman, who goes by the name "Misha," says that, although there was some talk that the Islanders were interested in Song, the pick still caught him by surprise.

Song started playing hockey on a smaller-than-normal rink in Beijing when his mother was trying to find him a sport. Once his talent was spotted, his family moved to Canada and he quickly excelled when he began playing as a 10-year-old.

The 18-year-old says that the sport has grown in China, as well:

"When I was starting out hockey (in China), there were less than maybe 200 people playing at the time. And after a few of us got out to, move to North America, to Canada, to America, really hockey started to grow in China, more rinks are being built around the city. So it's really starting to grow, it's really starting to popularise in China."And Song is already starting to buzz on the mainland; hockey dad, Hu Bin, says that he supports his kids playing hockey for their own enjoyment, but Song's entry into the NHL could be a game-changer in China.

"Song Andong is going to be the first Chinese young man to play in NHL. The kids you see playing hockey in Beijing now are doing exactly what Song did 10 years ago - parents in China pay for everything for their kids to play hockey. We play hockey purely because we love the sport. We simply want our kids to be happy and healthy. We didn't really expect our kids to play in NHL one day. I think Song Andong is going to be a huge inspiration for hockey in China."The 18-year-old Andong, who plays on one of China's national teams, plans to attend Philips Andover Academy in Massachusetts this coming school year as a postgraduate student. After that, he expects to play college hockey.

Football: CSL RecapIn football action from the Chinese Super League:

Shanghai SIPG beat Jiangsu Sainty 4-1 last night.

With the victory, Shanghai SIPG climb to top of the league standings with 32 points.

Elsewhere,Liaoning Whowin ended their three-game losing streak by beating Guizhou Renhe 2-1.

---------------------Six games are on deck tonight, going on right about now:

Just nearing halftime, Changchun Yatai is up against Shandong Luneng.

Third place Beijing Guo'an is on the pitch against Chongqing Lifan.

Shanghai Shenxin is taking on city rivals Shanghai Shenhua.

Tianjin Teda is facing Henan Jianye.

Guangzhou R&F is battling Hangzhou Greentown.

And Guangzhou Evergrande is facing Shijiazhuang.

Football: England Beat Canada, Japan Oust Aussies at Women's World CupIn football action from the Women's World Cup:

England reached the semi-finals of a Women's World Cup for the first time with a 2-1 win over tournament hosts Canada on Saturday.

A Lauren Sesselmann error, when she failed to control the ball, allowed Jodie Taylor to steal in towards goal and she finished neatly to give England an 11th minute lead.

Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze scored within three minutes of each other early in the match to put England up over the hosts.

Canada were given a lifeline just before the break when veteran captain Christine Sinclair netted a goal.

However, Canada couldn't manage the equalizer, and England advanced.

They will next face defending champs Japan, who ousted Australia 1-0. Substitute forward Mana Iwabuchi capitalized on a goalmouth melee to score the game-winner at the 87th minute--just 15 minutes after she entered the game.

Football: Paraguay Beat Brazil 4-3 in Shootout at Copa AmericaIn football action from the Copa America:

A year after their semi-final humiliation in the World Cup, Brazil were dumped out of the Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay on Saturday when they lost a penalty shootout 4-3.

It's also Brazil's second-straight defeat to Paraguay via shootout in the Copa.

Brazil took the lead early, with Robinho opening scoring in the 15th minute.

But Selecao captain Thiago Silva handballed in the area to earn Paraguay a penalty, which was dispatched by Derlis Gonzalez in the 72nd minute to equalize.

Gonzalez would be the hero again, netting the winning penalty to give Paraguay the 4-3 shootout win.

Paraguay will next face Argentina in the semi-finals.

Tennis: WTA Stars Speak Ahead of WimbledonIn tennis:

Wimbledon looms -- ahead of the third grand slam of the year, the WTA's biggest stars give their thoughts on the coming tournament.

Top-seeded Serena Williams has won three straight majors, but the American world no. 1 says past poor showings and Wimbledon means she doesn't feel the pressure of nabbing a fourth.

"Personally, uhm, it doesn't make it feel any different, which I think is a good thing 'cause I don't feel any pressure to win all four.　I've been saying that, but I really don't feel that pressure.　Maybe if I would happen to win here, then maybe I might start feeling it after that. Ultimately, I'm taking it one day at a time and I'm not thinking that far."Williams will have to get through a stacked draw, just to reach the final, and potentially meeting her in the semis is 2004 champ Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova is reportedly back in fine form after battling a severe flu that contributed to her crash-out at the French Open against Lucie Safarova.

She says Serena Williams will be the one to beat at the tournament:

"She's certainly the player to beat. With all the confidence in the world having won the last three majors, not just the two in this year. I think those results speak for herself, and she's certainly the one to beat."Wimbledon gets underway tomorrow at 7 p.m., Beijing time.

Golf RecapIn golf:

South Korea's Na Ye Choi matched her LPGA Tour career low with an eight-under-par 63 on Saturday to surge to the top of the leaderboard at 13 under in the NW Arkansas Championship.

On the European Tour's BMW International Open in Munich:

Englishman James Morrison held the lead on 16-under par on Saturday at the close of the third day of the tournament.

And n the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship:

Brian Harmon shot a 5-under 65 for a one-stroke lead over Bubba Watson and Canadian Graham DeLaet in the Travelers Championship on Saturday.

EntertainmentBen Affleck, Matt Damon to Produce FIFA Scandal MovieNew reports are suggesting Ben Affleck is in talks to produce a movie based on the FIFA scandal.

Warner Brothers is reportedly optioning a script based on the book "Houses of Deceit."The book is still being written by Kin Bensinger, who is a writer for US news site BuzzFeed.

"Houses of Deceit" details the allegations laid out by former FIFA executive Chuck Blazer, as well as his role in the scandal currently gripping football's governing body.

Affleck is reportedly going to be working with Matt Damon on the film.

The film, if reports are true, would likely be a more critical contrast to "United Passions", a film bankrolled by FIFA.

"United Passions" has been widely panned by critics and audiences alike.

It took in an embarrassing 918 US dollars on its opening weekend.

"Ted 2" Opens Low, "Inside Out", "Jurassic World" Vie for No 1 at US Box OfficesR-rated comedy "Ted 2" is reportedly having a disappointing weekend at the US box office.

New stats suggest the film is going to pull in around 34-million dollars.

This is well below the 54-million grossed by the first film during its opening weekend.

"Ted 2" reunites Seth MacFarlane as the voice of "Ted" with Mark Wahlberg.

It follows the life of a raunchy teddy bear and the man who brought him to life through his wish as a child.

The film generated only a little more than 13-million US dollars during its opening on Friday.

Pixar's new animated film "Inside Out" slightly edged out "Jurassic World" on Friday, taking in around 15-million US dollars.

"Jurassic World" is now in its third weekend, bust still has strong momentum.

The film, starring Chris Pratt, is already the best-selling movie in North America this year, topping "Avengers: Age of Ultron" with 460-million US dollars.

It's expected "Jurassic World" is going to surpass 500-million US dollars in North America this weekend.

Academy Invites Record Number of New MembersThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group behind the Oscars, has sent out a record 322 invitations to artists and executives to join the selection committee.

This is up significantly from the 271 people invited last year to make submissions for Oscar nominations.

The increase is another move by the Academy to try to diversify membership.

The Oscar nomination process has been criticized in recent years for its rigidity and lack of diversity, which observers say isn't in-touch with the younger audience.

This year's invitees include recent Oscar winners Eddie Redmayne and J.K. Simmons, as well as a new generation of stars including Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine and Emma Stone.

All directors nominated at last year's Oscar for best foreign-language films have also been invited, as well as more commercially-minded directors such as James Gunn from "Guardians of the Galaxy" and Justin Lin from the latest "Fast and Furious 6".

A Mei, Eason Chan Win Big at the Golden Melody AwardsTaiwan singer A Mei and Hong Kong's Eason Chan have walked away the big winners from this year's Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan.

A Mei has taken home 'Best Mandarin Female Singer.'

"Actually for a long time, I've always thought that being able to perform on a stage is the best thing I can do. So from every album to every performance, I want to make breakthroughs and challenge myself. I'm doing these things happily and willingly. Thank you for giving me so much encouragement and support over such a long time. Thank you."It's the third time A Mei has taken the award.

'Best Mandarin Male Singer' has gone to Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, who claimed the trophy in-person for the first time.

Eason Chan performed a medley of hits from the 1990s, accompanied by an 18-member orchestra.

The Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan have been dubbed the Grammy's for Chinese singers.

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

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

Over 500 people have been hurt following a massive fire at a water park in suburban Taipei.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is heading to Brussels today for the first stop on a planned 5-day tour in Europe.

Greece's Parliament has approved a referendum on whether the country should accept the terms of its latest bailout offer.

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