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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Observers calling on Japan to recognize its violation of the spirit of the Potsdam Declaration in its controversial new security law...

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulating the Maldeves on the eve of its Independence Anniversary...

And US President Barack Obama promising closer cooperation with Kenya as that country continues it battle with Al-Shebab militants...

In our weekly sci-tech feature... NASA discovering an earth-like planet in our galaxy...

In Sports... a recap of Chinese Super League action...

In Entertainment...a jacket belonging to Ringo Starr fetches a pretty penny at auction....

Top NewsJapan's defense policies questioned ahead of Potsdam anniversaryAnchor:

Ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Potsdam Proclamation this weekend, observers have begun a debate on whether the planned changes to Japan's current defense policies might violate the spirit of the document.

CRI's Xie Cheng reports.

Reporter:

This July marks the 70th anniversary of the Potsdam Proclamation, a document issued by China, the United States and Britain on July 26, 1945 in demand of Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII.

In issuing the statement, the three nations put out an ultimatum, stating that if Japan did not surrender, it would "face prompt and utter destruction."Dennis Roy, senior fellow at the East-West Center in the United States, notes the Japanese government chose to ignore the statement at its own peril.

"The Japanese government could have taken the opportunity in late July to end the war and prevented the atomic bombings in August which soon followed. But instead, the Japanese government passed up on the opportunity. United States government is often blamed for dropping the bombs, but the Japanese government deserves equal if not greater blame for not heeding the Potsdam Declaration when they had the opportunity."But beyond calling for an immediate end to the war, the Potsdam Declaration also outlined a series of steps Japan would have to take to bring itself out of the war safely.

These included provisions which would allow Japan to maintain industries and international trade, as long as the proceeds of which weren't used to re-arm later.

This provision of the Potsdam Proclamation eventually became part of the blueprint for Japan's pacifist constitution.

Ly Yaodong, Japanese studies researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempt to change the country's defense policies flies in the face of the spirit of the Potsdam Declaration.

"Japan accepting the Potsdam Proclamation and surrendering at the allies' discretion marked the end of the anti-fascism war. It also meant that Japan had to abide by the items in both the Potsdam and Cairo Declarations to help build post-war international order."Victor Pavlyatenko, a Japanese researcher with the Russian Academy of Sciences, suggests countries occupied or hurt by Japanese forces during the war need to speak out against what's happening right now in Japan.

"The series of moves made by Abe's cabinet have violated major postwar international laws, including main principles of the Potsdam Proclamation. And all those countries which had been hurt by Japanese militarism in the 1940s should now stand together to defend the post-WWII order."Despite originally ignoring the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan did eventually announce its surrender on August 15th, and formally signed the articles of peace based on the Potsdam Proclamation on September 2nd, 1945.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Potsdam Declaration's Essence Never to Be Forgotten: Japanese ExpertThe Chairman of the executive council of the Japan-China Society Shinyichirou Shiranishi is slamming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, saying Abe refuses to acknowledge the Potsdam Declaration.

Shiranishi adds that the Potsdam Declaration is in line with Japan's pacifist Constitution.

"It won't do for him to deny the Potsdam Declaration as the Declaration and Japan's Constitution based on these having a common ground. It does not hold water to deny the Declaration while acknowledging the Constitution."Shiranishi also slams Abe's attempt to revise the constitution by pushing a set of unpopular and widely condemned security bills through parliament.

Under the new bills being moved forward by the Abe administration, the Japanese military will be able to engage in armed conflicts overseas, and can also be sent in to help defend the country's allies, even if Japan isn't under direct threat.

Japan's Constitution, drafted by the United States after World War II, specifically restricts the Japanese military to self-defense only.

The proposed legislation still needs to move through the upper house of the Japanese parliament.

If a vote isn't held in the upper chamber within the next two months, it will be sent back to the lower house, where Abe's coalition government should be able to make the bills law with a two-thirds majority.

Japanese researcher criticizes Abe government's defiance of Potsdam ProclamationA retired professor on international relations Mitsuaki Tamura says the Potsdam Proclamation helps make Japan a reliably pacifist country.

"The most important aim of the Potsdam Proclamation was demilitarizing Japan and making it a reliable country in the world. Japan admitted that too. I think it was the most important thing in the Potsdam Proclamation for Japan."Tamura made the remarks in response to Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe's attempt to deny Japan's aggression against other countries.

Tamura says Japan should be held responsible for the war.

"The Potsdam Proclamation denied the militarism and war path that Japan had followed. It stated that Japan's brutal war policy had made a lot of people suffer and that Japan should take responsibility for the war. Japan had admitted to this in its surrender."Tamura also insists that Japan should abide by the Potsdam Proclamation in order to prevent the repeat of its painful wartime past.

German historian, politician urge Japan to admit its history of aggressionGerman professor with the Institute of Political Science Stefan Bollinger says Japan should admit its history of aggression during World War II ahead of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Potsdam Proclamation.

"I believe Japan, especially its leadership, has not acknowledged that what they have done in Asia such as in China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Philippines and Cambodia in dozens of years before 1945 were aggression and destructive war. The war actually started as early as in 1931. Upon reviewing the history, the correct way to say it is that WWII started in 1931. It was a crazy and destructive war, a brutal war full of crimes."The declaration, along with the Cairo Declaration constitutes the cornerstone of the post-war international order.

German historian Manfred Goertamaker says that Japan should admit its history of aggression and reflect on its responsibility of war to improve its relations with its Asian neighbors.

Chinese President Congratulates Maldives on Independence AnniversaryChinese president Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to his Maldivian counterpart, Abdulla Yameen, as the tropical nation marks the 50th anniversary of its independence today.

In his message, president Xi said the Maldives has achieved a great deal in its development over the last 50 years.

He also congratulated Yameen for helping reform the Maldvies' economy and improving the livelihoods of its citizens since he took office.

Xi Jinping also noted that the two countries agreed to develop a future-oriented comprehensive partnership during his visit to the Maldives in September last year.

The Chinese leader added that he highly values the relationship that China has with the Maldives and hopes to work with Yameen to help it grow.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi also sent a congratulatory message to his Maldivian counterpart, Dunya Maumoon.

Don't excessively interpret South China Sea drill: China navyA Chinese navy spokesperson has reaffirmed that the ongoing South China Sea navy drill is entirely within normal practice.

Liang Yang said the annual drill by the Chinese navy aims to test troops' real combat abilities and is completely in line with international laws and practices.

Liang also noted that quote- "some powerful countries outside the region" are deploying vessels and aircraft on recon missions, and in doing so, threatening China's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

He added that the Chinese navy will remain fully prepared to safeguard national sovereignty, security and to ensure regional peace and stability.

Authority: Flight Delays Worsen in ChinaAnchor:

Latest stats from China's civil aviation authority show on-time performance among the country's airlines continuing to decline this year.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

Reporter:

According to the figures from the CAAC, the average on-time rate for domestic airlines was just over 65 percent between January and June, compared to over 68 percent last year.

In other words, a passenger flying on a Chinese airline experiences a flight delay in one of every three trips.

The data shows that the on-schedule rate exceeded 72 percent in January, the highest in the first six months and almost at the same level as a year ago.

But the rate declined in the following months with June suffering the worst slide as it dropped to below 60 percent.

Gao Yuanyang with the aeronautics-focused Beihang University says many factors can affect the rate.

"Weather conditions, the management quality of an airline company, the scheduling of airport runway operations and airspace arrangements all play important roles. Sometimes, an unexpected small change is enough to spoil a well-designed flight plan."Meanwhile, a notable increase in passenger flow and unchanged air route capacity are believed to contribute to massive delays.

Stats show that the monthly increase of air passenger flow in China exceeded 10 percent in the first half of the year.

The airports in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have to deal with at least 90 take-offs and landings per hour, while the average amount of traffic on the country's busiest air routes exceeds 11-hundred planes a day, nearly double that seen in Europe and America.

Gao Yuanyang says delays are inevitable in the face of such busy air traffic.

"There must be a certain distance between two landing planes. If the distance is not long enough, the latter one will be ordered to wait by circling around in the air. And if the arrival airport is too busy to receive any more flights, the departure airport will postpone the take-off of the plane."Gao suggests that domestic air control authorities could expand air route capacity by allowing more aircrafts to fly in the same airspace but at different altitudes.

The CAAC also blames increasing extreme weather events this year for worsening flight delays.

The authority also revealed that it has received about 700 complaints about delays this year. Most complaints centered on getting stranded on board while waiting for take-off, slow information updates and unsatisfactory compensation for passengers.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Skiing schools promote winter sportsAnchor:

Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is soon to learn its fate.

In the proposed joint host cities for the Games of Zhangjiakou, skiing schools are experiencing a boom in development.

CRI's Doris Wang reports.

Reporter:

Hao Shihua, is a 40-year-old Chinese alpine skier, who has won gold medals at the national games 9 times. She is also the headmaster of a skiing school named after her.

Hao said that she enjoyed skiing in Chongli of Zhangjiakou city very much.

"I prefer to ski in Chongli since 2003. Though I've already been an athlete, I'm also a fancier of skiing. I love to ski in the woods in Chongli. So I gradually started my business here."Hao set up the Flower Ski School in 2012, the school independent from a ski resort. Her biggest concern for now is how to attract more people into skiing. She said that in Chongli, there is asset to promote winter sports.

"Chongli has a long snow fall period. It can last for over 150 days. This facilitates the skiing teaching. Besides, there are 5 world-class ski resorts here. We can have more communications about how to better training, so as to attract more skiing fanciers."Moreover, Chongli is close to both Beijing and Tianjin. They are the most powerful economic regions in China. This geographical situation provides a huge market for this skiing school. Hao is surprised at how fast her school is expanding.

"When we first started in 2012, we only had 10 coaches and around 200 students. In the second year, there were 20 coaches and over 1000 students. And last year, we had over 30 coaches and 3000 students. And now, we still need more coaches and our goal is to have 30,000 trainees in the near future."In China, there are a lot of fast-developing skiing schools. And in Hao Shihua's opinion, the number of Chinese skiing lovers will be growing rapidly.

"As far as I know, there are over 500 skiing schools in China. In each school, the number of coaches ranges from 100-500 and this increases every year. It's obvious that we will have much more skiing fanciers in the future and achieving the object of 300 million is just around the corner."Thanks to the Winter Olympics and the passion from all the skiing fans, the development of winter sports in China seems to have a bright future.

Back anchor:

CRI's Doris Wang reporting.

Obama says US will work closely with Kenya to crush Al-ShabaabAnchor:

US President Barack Obama says the United States is ready to work more closely with Kenya in the battle against the Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab and to take the threat that is poses to the stability of East Africa.

Obama is in Nairobi in the first-leg of his historic trip to the region.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara reports.

Reporter:

As President Obama wraps up his two day visit to Kenya, he pledged to work closely with the Kenyan government on counter-terrorism issues, particularly on crushing the al- Qaeda backed movement Al-shabaab that killed almost 150 students at a university in Garissa, just three months ago.

Obama said that security in Africa was a priority for both countries.

"Today we discussed deepening our security cooperation as part of our security governance initiative. Our governments signed an action plan yesterday, which will support Kenya's efforts to strengthen its judiciary, police, and border security."Obama also urged the Kenyan government to take tangible steps to curb corruption that was hindering development. He said that the United States was willing to offer technical assistance to strengthen anti-corruption institutions in Kenya.

His discussions with his Kenyan counterpart also focused on regional security issues affecting the stability of Kenya's neighbors.

"We also had an opportunity to discuss regional security issues and we focused in particular on the terrible conflict in South Sudan, which has taken so many lives that caused unbearable suffering for the South Sudanese people. We also discussed Burundi where the recent elections were not credible.

Another priority on the US president's agenda was to challenge the position of the Kenyan government -- and many other like-minded governments in Africa - on the issue of gay rights.

While Obama spoke strongly against discrimination, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Kenya had different cultural values.

"The fact of the matter is that Kenya and the United States we share so many values: our common love for democracy, entrepreneurship, value for families, these are things that we share. But there are some things that we must admit that we don't share; our culture, our societies doesn't accept. It's very difficult for us to be able to impose on people that, which they themselves do not accept. This is why I repeatedly say for Kenyans today the issue of gay rights is really a non-issue. We want to focus on other areas that are day-to-day living for our people."Obama also brought in $1 billion in new investments -- about half from government backed loans or grants -- to boost young entrepreneurs in Africa.

His visit to the largest economy in East Africa coincides with the hosting of the Global Entrepreneurship Forum in Nairobi.

The annual event, held in Africa for the first time attracted hundreds of young change-makers from around the world.

At the summit Obama said Africa's future will depend on young dreamers who could "offer positive alternatives to the ideologies of violence and division."Nairobi is the first stop on President Obama's historic trip to East Africa.

The trip is also Obama's first visit as president to the country where his father was born.

Obama will next head to EthiopiaFor CRI, I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

Turkey to continue security operation as long as threat existsTurkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says its air raids against the targets of the so-called Islamic State in Syria will continue, as long as IS continues to pose a threat to Turkey.

Turkey has launched first-ever air strikes against IS in Syria and Kurdish militants in northern Iraq on Friday.

The Turkish Prime Minister adds that his country will reassess the operations when the threat decreases.

"Whenever we see a decrease in, or the vanishing of the threat, then of course we will make a reassessment."Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says the air raids will help parts of Syria become a "safe zone".

"When areas in northern Syria are cleared of the threat, the safe zones will be formed naturally. We have always defended safe zones and no-fly zones in Syria. People who have been displaced can take refuge in those safe zones."Turkey suffers a wave of deadly terror acts by Kurdish and Islamic State militants recently.

The air attacks are believed to be in retaliation for measures taken against these groups by Turkish authorities.

'Titanic of the Med' wreck lures thousands of divers to CyprusAnchor:

A massive iron and steel ship which sank off the coast of Cyprus some 35-years ago is quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean for amature divers.

CRI's Qian Shanming dives into the details.

Reporter:

"This is one of the biggest wrecks in the world here, also it's very nice. The weather is good. You don't have any current so you just take pleasure in traveling all around the ship."16-year-old Andrei Pligin is a diving enthusiast from Russia.

He's one a growing number of underwater adventurers who have travelled to Cyprus to explore the MS Zenobia.

The massive cargo ferry, running nearly 180-meters in length, went down about 2-kilometers off the port of Larnaca in Cyprus in 1980 with around 300-million US dollars worth of cargo on it at the time.

Local legend has it that the boat's owner never collected on the insurance, deciding instead not to bother salvaging it.

True or not, the sinking of the Zenobia in rougly 40-meters of water has turned it into one of the most popular destinations for divers in the Mediterranean.

Cypriot authorities have since declared the Zenobia a marine-protected artificial reef, which is now attracting around 45-thousand divers a year.

Jonathan Wilson with the Cyprus Dive Centre Association says the Zenobia brings in revenues of around 15-million euros a year for them.

He says the massive revenues have sparked debate about creating another "Zenobia" in the area.

"Another wreck of around 100 meters long should bring in somewhere between 6 million. Even if you call it 3 million each year, it's a very small amount of money to buy a wreck and sink it for 300-thouand (euros) to bring in 3 million euros each year for the next 20, 30, 50 years."Beyond the tourism revenues, the wreck is also benefitting the local biodiversity, and is said to be helping restock dwindling fish life around Larnaca.

This has led to calls for a fishing ban around the Zenobia to try to preserve, what has turned into, the biggest coral reef off Cyprus.

Nicos Kouyialis, Cypriot Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, says the government of Cyprus is fully aware of the site's potential.

"We are in the process of creating a network of marine-protected areas and artificial reefs. We will definitely spend money in the area close to the wreck there."The Zenobia site is somewhat unique, as its depth level allows for both beginners and more experienced divers to enjoy it.

Beginner divers can easily access the outside of the ship, while veteran divers can explore the inside of the Zenobia, which sank with numerous pieces of cargo in it.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

'Red Tourism' in Russia Attracts Chinese TouristsIt is being reported that "red tourism" in Russia has become a new magnet for Chinese tourists.

Tourism authorities from the two sides are now working together to develop ten red tourism routes in each country, based on an agreement signed in May.

Moscow, St.Petersburg, Tatarstan and Ulyanovsk are the first destinations in Russia to be included in the program.

Svetlana Pyatikhatka, executive director of the Russian Travel Association, says more cities will be involved in the future.

"In the future, we hope that other regions of Russia will be included in this project as well. The regions which have destinations for red tourism that are connected to Lenin and our Soviet past."Russia has seen a growing influx of Chinese tourists in recent years.

Last year, about 400,000 Chinese visited Russia.

Online Medicine Sales Soar in ChinaOnline medicine sales are emerging as a new promising business in China thanks to easy accessibility and fast delivery.

Figures from the China Food and Drug Administration show that online medical sales hit 6.8 billion yuan, or more than 1 billion US dollars, last year, compared to 700 million dollars in 2013.

And the number of online pharmacies in the country has exceeded 300.

Meanwhile, industry insiders are urging adoption of strict rules for the sound development of the sector.

Wu Yonghao, secretary general of the Drugs and Health Committee of the Internet Society of China.

"When that happens, people will have a much easier time buying medicine. But that must go hand in hand with strict rules on Internet security and doctors' credibility."The China Food and Drug Administration has issued a draft regulation for regulating online drug sales.

If passed, it will permit online sales of prescription drugs.

WeatherBeijing is cloudy with a high of 33 degrees Celsius. Overcast tonight with a low of 23.

Shanghai has showers with a high of 34, cloudy tonight with a low of 27.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 37,clear tonight with a low of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, light rain, 29.

Islamabad, ligh rain with a high of 30.

Kabul will have light rain with a high of 31.

Over to North America,New York, overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 34 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 30 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 18.

And Rio de Janeiro will have light rain with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsDon't excessively interpret South China Sea drill: China navyA Chinese navy spokesperson has reaffirmed that the ongoing South China Sea navy drill is entirely within normal practice.

Liang Yang said the annual drill by the Chinese navy aims to test troops' real combat abilities and is completely in line with international laws and practices.

Liang also noted that quote- "some powerful countries outside the region" are deploying vessels and aircraft on recon missions, and in doing so, threatening China's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

He added that the Chinese navy will remain fully prepared to safeguard national sovereignty, security and to ensure regional peace and stability.

Rescue continues in flooded China mine, death toll climbs to 4The death toll in a colliery flood in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has climbed to four as rescuers retrieved two more dead bodies in the shaft Saturday.

Authorities say that rescuers have detected signs of life and are searching for the other 11 workers trapped for five days.

The flood occurred last Monday as an aftermath of downpour, trapping 15 miners.

2 people escaped the flood scene without injuries.

China launches 2 satellites for independent navigation systemChina has successfully launched two satellites for its homegrown global navigation system on Saturday.

The two satellites are the 18th and 19th for the Beidou Navigation Satellite systems, which were launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

They have been sent into orbit by a Long March-3B/Expedition-1 carrier rocket some 3 and a half hours after launch.

The launch is the 206th flight of China's Long March carriers.

Hillary Clinton may testify on Benghazi attacks in OctoberHillary Clinton's presidential campaign said Saturday that she will testify in October before the U.S. House select committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks.

However, the announcement was refuted hours later by a spokesman for the Republican-controlled panel who insisted no date had been set.

It is being reported that that the House panel spokesperson accused the Clinton camp of attempting to exclude from her testimony Clinton's controversial use of a personal email server and account during her time as Secretary of State.

Clinton was secretary of state at the time of the attacks by Islamic militants on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012.

The attacks resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

At least one injured in Las Vegas hotel fireA fire at the Cosmopolitan Hotel on Las Vegas Strip Saturday has injured at least one person and forced guests to evacuate.

The Clark County Fire Department in the western U.S. state of Nevada said the damage was limited.

It is not immediately known if the entire hotel was evacuated.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Sci&TechAnchor:

It's time now to check in with what's been happening in the world of science and technology this week in our weekly sci-tech feature.

NASA　has discovered an earth-like planet in our galaxy.

Details of a washing machine which can both 'understand and speak' Mandarin have been revealed.

And a Robotics fair has been held in central China.

Let's catch up on all the latest with CRI's Wen Jie.

Reporter:

Scientists using NASA's powerful Kepler telescope have found a planet beyond the solar system that is a close match to Earth.

John Grunsfeld is associate administrator of NASA's science mission directorate.

"Today we are announcing the discovery of an Exoplanet that as far as we can tell is a pretty good, close cousin to the earth and our sun. This is about the closest so far, and I really emphasize the so far because the Kepler data set is very rich and the science community has full access to be able to extract future discoveries out of the data set, but today we are announcing the closest twin, so to speak, to earth or earth 2.0 that we found so far in the data set."The planet, which is about 60 percent bigger than Earth, is located about 1,400 light years away in the constellation Cygnus.

While similarly sized planets have been found before, the latest one, known as Kepler-452b, is circling a star that is very similar but older than the sun at a distance about the same as Earth's orbit.

Jon Jenkins, Kepler data analysis lead tells what it may be like on the planet.

"It would likely have a mass about five times that of earth and the surface gravity of twice that of earth, so you and I would weigh twice as much as we do now, but only until we walked around a few weeks and lost some serious pounds. We also expect the atmosphere to be thicker and have more cloud cover and this planet would likely still have very active volcanos."Based on its size, scientists believe Kepler-452b is rocky and Earth-like and positioned at the right distance for liquid surface water, which is believed to be necessary for life.

The research will be published in an upcoming issue of The Astronomical Journal.

////Galanz, a Chinese electrical appliance manufacturer, recently released the world's first smart washing machine which can "understand and speak" Chinese.

The product, dubbed as "G+Didi", will be launched in China's e-commerce platform JD.com in mid-August.

It's like a Siri, a part of Apple Inc.'s iOS which works as an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator, installed in the washing machine.

Users can voice-control the product without touching the function buttons. At the same time, the machine can respond to user's orders. Users can control the washing machine through an app on smartphones.

The seniors who cannot use the roller washing machine just need to talk to their machine. When users are out, their smartphone will remind when the laundry is over.

Experts pointed out that the smart home appliances can make people's life more comfortable and convenient, and it will bring tremendous vitality to the industry.

////IT industry insiders said that there is enough innovation in the industry for service robots to become a reality for many people very soon.

Yang Xu, president of Intel China made the remarks during the ongoing 19th competition event of football robots also known as RoboCup 2015, in Hefei city of east China's Anhui Province.

"Everyone is looking for that sweet spot -- what the service robot is capable of doing for our household today. So I think that's going to happen very soon. And I think there's enough innovation and there's enough products already out there."RoboCup uses soccer to promote the advancement of robotic science and technology, with the ultimate goal of building a soccer team that can compete against human World Cup teams by 2050.

Entrants to Robocup 2015 said that the robots at this year's competition were more human-like because of stricter entrance rules.

This year's tournament, which attreacted participants and spectators from 47 countries and regions, started on Sunday and finished on Thursday.

////Researchers from Nankai University in Tianjin have carried out an experiment, trying to control a car by the driver's brain alone.

The driver puts on equipment similar to headphones which collect brain signals from 16 points. It then is converted to orders and sent to the car.

Under the system, the car moved straight forward, backward, stopped, got locked and unlocked in the trial carried out on campus.

Researchers say the brain-controlled car requires faster and more accurate collection of brain signals.

Researchers believe that the technology has great potential in the future, because it not only enables people with disabilities to drive, but also enhances the safety of driving by ordinary people.

However, it will take long to see such an automobile on the market.

////3D scanning technology has been employed to restore the Buddha statues unearthed last December in southwest China's Chengdu City digitally.

Yang Sheng is a researcher from Chengdu-based archeological institute.

"Because they have some missing parts, under such circumstances, we did not carry out ordinary, conventional restoration based on guesswork, subjective restoration. Then, by means of this kind of restoration method, in this 3D virtual space, we restored them to make a display."The approximately 100 stone statues, 10 to 30 centimeters in height, are believed to date back to China's Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the Tang Dynasty, more than a thousand years ago.

The restoration is still ongoging and the statues will be put on display at the end of this year.

////Scientists from UK say they've discovered a binge eating gene in teenagers.

The research found that young people with the particular variation are 20 percent more likely to be over eaters.

The discovery could help cut the cost of obesity to the UK's National Health Service, estimated to be around 9.3 billion US dollars a year.

Professor Paul Gately, who helped develop weight loss camps for obese children, thinks genetics could play a part in tackling Britain's obesity epidemic.

"What our children and families tell us is there are lots of different factors which drive their behaviours and so, in essence, being able to pinpoint through research what those different contributing factors are to different children is the way forward. And we've got to move away from this one size fits all approach, this blame culture that we have. The way we make children and parents feel as though they're greedy and they're lazy. That's been the narrative for so long."The team behind the analysis thinks it could show which children might benefit from extra help.

It is estimated that a third of the UK population are projected to be obese by 2030.

////Engineers in Germany have built a biologically inspired artificial hand with muscles made from bundles of 'smart' wires.

An electric charge is all that's needed to make these wires tense or relax, meaning the hand can operate without the bulky and cumbersome electronics that often make artificial prosthetic hands impractical.

The muscle-like fibers are made from strands of nickel-titanium wire, each about the width of a human hair.

The metal wire, known as shape-memory alloy, has the highest energy density of all known actuation mechanisms, which allows it to perform powerful movements in restricted spaces.

The term 'shape memory' refers to the wire's ability to return to its original shape after being deformed.

The team hopes the technology could eventually be used to create prosthetic limbs that function and feel more like natural ones.

////And that actually brings us to the end of this edition of our weekly science and technology report.

Thank you for listening and hope you enjoy the show.

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsBeijing 2022 bid delegation arrive in Kuala LumpurThe delegation of the Beijing 2022 bidding committee has arrived in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the 128th International Olympics Committee Session.

The host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is expected to be unveiled on July 31 in the capital city of Malaysia.

The delegation began to prepare for the final vote after arriving here.

The 128th IOC session will be held from July 31 to August 3, with the vote result to be announced on the first day.

2008 Summer Olympics host Beijing competes against Almaty, Kazakhstan in the race.

On the election day, Almaty and Beijing will give their respective final presentation to the IOC members.

Following the presentations and a report given by the Evaluation Commission Chair, the IOC members vote to select the host city, before IOC President Thomas Bach announces the host city.

CSL recapSome football action from the Chinese Super League,In last night's games:

Yatai's Bolivian striker Marcelo Moreno pulled a goal back for his club in the 14th minute to tie the game 1-1 with their opponent Shanghai Shenxin.

Jiangsu Sainty took the victory of an away match against Liaoning Whowin 3-2, halting a run of three successive no-wins.

After a draw with Shanghai Shenxin in last round of play, Shijiazhuang Ever Bright seemed found their form and beat Guangzhou R&F 1-0 at the home pitch.

And on Friday, Shandong Luneng defeated Tianjin Teda 3-1 and gained a temporary lead on the scoreboard with 43 points in total.

In the coming battles tonight,Chongqing Lifan is going to face Shanghai SIPG,Guizhou Renhe will take on Beijing Guo'an.

And Hangzhou Greentown is set to play Guangzhou Evergrande in a home match.

Finally, Monday's action will see Shanghai Shenhua going against Henan Jianye.

China beat Russia 3-0 in volleyball's World Grand PrixChina has beaten Russia 3-0 at volleyball's World Grand Prix finals in Omaha, USA.

Russia went into the match on the back of their 3-1 defeat to group leaders United States on Friday, while China were also beaten, having thrown away a 2-1 sets lead in their defeat to Italy.

The first set was a marathon affair - won by China 27-25 on their third set point, thanks to a service ace close to the line from Xiaoya Zhang with Russia having no challenges left.

And China carried that momentum into the second set as they found success with their blocking, helping them take the set 25-20.

Froome on the verge of winning Tour for the second time after Stage 20In cycling,Chris Froome grimly hung on against a flying final attack on Saturday from his Tour de France rival Nairo Quintana on the last Alpine climb of this year's race to all but lock up the British rider's second Tour victory in the space of three years.

Quintana was outstanding on the final ascent from Modane Valfrejus to the Alpe d'Huez ski station, in what was the Colombian's last real opportunity to unseat Froome.

Piling on bursts of speed on the steep road teeming with frenzied spectators, the Movistar rider ate into the race lead that the Team Sky leader had carefully pieced together in the previous 19 stages.　Thibaut Pinot won Stage 20, for the third French victory at this Tour.

Mannarino beats Karlovic to reach the final of the Claro OpenIn tennis action,Adrian Mannarino of France has reached the final of the Claro Open after Saturday's match against Ivo Karlovic in Bogota, Colombia.

The third seed French player beat Croatian top seed Ivo Karlovic in two tie-break sets, 7-6, 7-6.

The 27-year-old moved into his second final of his career in one hour 40 minutes.

He will face either Michael Berrer of Germany or Australia's Bernard Tomic, who meet in the second semi-final later on Saturday.

===Also in tennis,Samantha Stosur has reached her second final of the season after winning the last five games to beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-1, 7-5 at the Gastein Ladies tournament in Austria.

The 23rd-ranked Australian, who won her seventh career title in Strasbourg in May, will play top-seeded Sara Errani or fellow Italian Karin Knapp in Sunday's final.

Stosur has won five games in a row from 1-1 to comfortably take the opening set.

With the defeat, the 44th-ranked Schmiedlova has seen an end for her eight-match winning streak.

MLB: Live updates for Spencer to readFore Anchor:

Turing to some Major League Baseball action,Spencer has the latest scores from the field:

…Colin Montgomerie shares clubhouse lead with American Marco DawsonIn golf,Colin Montgomerie shared the clubhouse lead with American Marco Dawson on 10-under par, with nine holes of their third round still to play in the Senior British Open on Saturday.

Poor light suspended play, five hours after the delayed start to the round.

The second round, suspended on Friday because of rain, wasn't completed until Saturday mid-afternoon.

At that stage, Dawson led on eight under, a shot clear of defending champion Bernhard Langer.

Montgomerie was on six under alongside Fred Couples, Jeff Sluman, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Peter Fowler.

The late start to the third round, and with 83 players making the cut, meant play began on the first and 10th tees at Sunningdale Old Course.

Montgomerie showed he meant business right from the start, birdieing the first three holes.

Couples, the champion at Turnberry in 2012, was at eight under and in a share of third place with Ireland's Philip Walton.

Tom Watson was five off the pace at five under after carding a 66.

EntertainmentJacket belonging to Ringo Starr sells for $46,000A black wool suit jacket that Ringo Starr wore in the 1965 Beatles movie Help! has sold at auction for more than $46,000.

The jacket went on sale at RR auction house in Boston on Friday as part of the Marvels of Modern Music collection.

Containing the name Ringo sewn inside, the jacket was apparently picked up by a top rock and roll collector from Rhode Island.

Other items that also sold at the auction include a signed Jimi Hendrix 'Experience' album which sold for $31,000 while a custom made Hamer guitar belonging to Johnny Ramone was picked up for around $50,000.

Monkey King film becomes highest grossing animation in Chinese cinemasChina-made animated feature 'Monkey King: The Hero is back" has reached box office figures of 620 million yuan becoming the highest grossing animated film in Chinese cinemas.

The previous title holder was Kung Fu Panda 2.

'Monkey King', an animated adaption of classic 'A Journey to the West', opened in cinemas on July 10.

The latest box office figure was announced by HG Entertainment, the film's production company on Saturday.

Kung Fu Panda 2 had previously maintained the box office record for animated features for four years after earning 617 million yuan in Chinese cinemas.

Stars attend Mission Impossible London premiereThe cast of 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' attended the film's premiere in London on Saturday.

Tom Cruise showed up to greet his fans and speak about reprising the role of Ethan Hunt, the legendary spy of the Mission Impossible franchise.

The film follows Hunt as he tries to track down and take down a mysterious entity called The Syndicate.

The installment sees Cruise strapped to the wing of an airplace in motion, dive in deep waters with no oxygen tanks for minutes on end and drive a car that flips in the air multiple times.

He says the 40 meter free dive was the most grueling scene to film.

"It was really interesting because we were doing such long takes and I had to train myself for breath holds up to 6 minutes because I had to overtrain because some of the sequences, those shots I was holding it for 3 and about 45 seconds,"The film also stars Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin and Simon Pegg.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is released in China on September 8.

Oliver set for Hollywood remakeOscar winning musical Oliver is set to get the Hollywood remake.

According to the Daily Mail, Cameron Mackintosh, Working Title and Sony Pictures are teaming up to produce a new version of the well-loved musical.

Shooting is scheduled to begin early next year with a released penned for the end of the year.

It's been revealed that the film will be more grittier than its original and will be shot on location around London.

Casting has already begun for the film with Working Title scouting out young talent for the child roles in the film.

The 1968 original film won five Oscars including best picture, best director and best score.

Simpsons' Duff Beer on sale in ChileThe fictional beer of famous cartoon series 'The Simpsons' is now officially on sale in Chile.

Homer's favourite beer is now available in the country after a deal with 20th Century Fox.

The beer is being rolled out countrywide starting first with restaurants and then supermarkets in August.

The recipe is the creation of a British brew master. An executive from the company says the beer is fruity with a caramel aroma.

Visitors to Universal theme park in Orlando in the US have been able to sample the beer since 2013.

Jeffrey Godsick, president of Fox's consumer products division says the company chose to create duff to tackle so many unlicensed versions on the market.

Eminem and Bob Dylan among artists with largest vocabulariesEminem, Kanye West and Bob Dylan are among the top five artists with the largest vocabularies in the music industry.

According to a new study by music lyrics site Musixmatch, Eminem topped the list with 8,818 words used followed by Jay Z with 6,899. Bob Dylan came in fifth place with 4,883.

The study focused on the number of unique words used by an artist in 100 songs across their career. The site looked at 93 artists across 25 music genres from pop to jazz.

Bob Dylan was the only non-rapper in the top six. According to the study, he uses a new word in his songs most frequently with an average of one every nine words.

The average word count found during the study was 2,667 words. Taylor Swift fell below the average count with 2,524 words.

WeatherBeijing is cloudy with a high of 33 degrees Celsius. Overcast tonight with a low of 23.

Shanghai has showers with a high of 34, cloudy tonight with a low of 27.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 37,clear tonight with a low of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, light rain, 29.

Islamabad, ligh rain with a high of 30.

Kabul will have light rain with a high of 31.

Over to North America,New York, overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 34 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 30 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 18.

And Rio de Janeiro will have light rain with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.

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

A recap of your headlines:

Observers calling on Japan to recognize its violation of the spirit of the Potsdam Declaration in its controversial new security law...

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulating the Maldeves on the eve of its Independence Anniversary...

And US President Barack Obama promising closer cooperation with Kenya as that country continues it battle with Al-Shebab militants...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers: I'm Spencer Musick in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together.