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

Coming up on our program this morning...

At least 14 are dead and hundreds of others hurt after a pair of massive explosions in Tianjin late last night.

Over 60 people are listed as missing following a massive landslide early Wednesday morning at a mining camp in rural Shaanxi.

The US Army says it has its doubts about a new claim of hacking by a group said to support the Islamic State.

In Business... all eyes will be on the renminbi once again today following two straight days of continued declines.

In Sports... Guangzhou Evergrande now atop the Chinese Super League Standings.

In entertainment.... the line up of this year's New York Film Festival has been unveiled.

Top NewsStrong Blasts Rock TianjinAt least 14 people are dead and 'hundreds' of others wounded following a pair of massive explosions in Tianjin last night.

Massive fires continue to rage at the Port of Tianjin where the blasts took place.

Two firefighters are now also unaccounted for.

The first blast went off shortly before midnight at the container terminal at the Tianjin Port, shattering windows throughout the area.

Then a 2nd, much larger blast, then went off in the same area.

It's being reported the 2nd blast ripped through a warehouse on-site at the Tianjin Port, which was reportedly storing "dangerous goods."The China Earthquakes Center says the 2nd explosion was the equivilant of over 20-tons of TNT going off at once.

Video circulating on the internet shows a massive fire-ball rolling into the sky as part of the 2nd explosion, reaching heights well above the multi-story buildings in the area.

Reporter Liu Xiaopei with China Central Television says the damage in the area is severe.

"The blasts caused damage to dozens of buidlings in five neighboring comminites. One of them has collapsed."A number of others may still be trapped in the warehouse area.

More than 400 people may have been injured in the massive blasts.

Reporter Liu Chenqiang with CCTV says emergency response measures are being instituted at local hospitals across Tianjin.

"The injured are being given initial triage care when arriving at the hospital. Most appear to be suffering from burns."Medical officials in Tianjin are calling on people to donate blood, as the injured continue rolling into hospitals in the area.

At this point its not clear what may have led to the explosions.

Over 60 missing from NW China landslideAnchorRescue work is still underway to try to find more survivors from a massive landslide which has buried a mining operation in the Qin Mountain range in a rural part of Shaanxi in northwestern China.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

ReporterLocal authorities say they believe at least 60 people are still missing.

Earlier reports had put the number of missing at around 40.

Rescuers have managed to dig 4 survivors out of the rubble.

All of them are said to be in stable condition.

10 others managed to escape the massive slide themselves.

"Some of my co-workers began grabbing lamps and running run out. I heard rocks falling. It was too dark to see anything. I heard people shouting about the danger, and then run out. The whole mountain just collapsed in one or two minutes. It was too late for some of them who were left back."The landslide hit shortly after midnight on Wednesday at a mining site in Shanyang County in Shaanxi, which is in the heart of the Qin Mountains near the border with Henan and Hebei.

It has levelled 15 dormitories and three houses on the site.

Around 700 rescuers, including police, firefighters, mining rescuers and paramedics remain at the scene.

However, unstable geological conditions on the surrounding mountain slopes are said to be holding up the search for survivors.

Hua Shuguang, a senior engineer on-site, says they're trying to ensure barrier lakes don't begin forming.

"If there is a collapse on the edge of the landslide debris, it could be a hazard. There is a ditch here, which could turn into a barrier lake if rain flows are suddenly blocked. So we need to clear these two sites to prevent more casualties and additional problems."The Ministry of Land and Resources has initiated its top-level mining disaster protocols.

China's top leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, are said to be monitoring the situation.

At this point it hasn't been made clear what may have caused the massive landslide.

Shaanxi has been hit by massive rains in recent weeks.

For CRI, I'm Min RuiUK foreign secretary reaffirms commitment to post-war international system in BeijingBritish foreign secretary Philip Hammond is in Beijing for a series of meetings connected to security.

Speaking at Peking University, Hammond has signaled the UK would be cautious about any potential changes to the current structure of the United Nations Security Council.

"The global stability we seek as the fundamental underpinning to our continued prosperity is best realized through the framework of laws, norms and institutions that together constitute the Rules-Based International System developed after the Second World War. Like China, the UK takes very seriously its responsibility as a P5 member of the Security Council for stewardship of that system and is deeply committed to maintaining and strengthening it through careful evolution, while protecting its essential effectiveness."Both Britain and China are among the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Russia, France and the United States.

A number of other countries, including Japan, have been lobbying through the years to have the P5 structure amended or expanded.

Hammond is due to meet with Chinese state councilor Yang Jiechi later on this Thursday, with both security and climate change said to be on the agenda.

China, Britain to hold strategic dialogue in BeijingA set of strategic talks between China and the UK are getting underway today in Beijing.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond will co-chair the event.

The talks will include a number of areas, including diplomatic relations, as well as significant regional and global issues.

They're expected to set the groundwork for Chinese President Xi Jinping's forthcoming visit to the UK.

For more on this, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Jin Ling, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies.

Back anchorThat is Jin Ling, researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, speaking with CRI's Shane BighamRMB continues to depreciateThe Chinese currency took another sharp downturn against other major currencies on Wednesday.

The central parity rate of the renminbi has dropped 1.6 percent, putting it above 6.3 against the U.S. dollar.

Professor Huang Yiping with the National School of Development at Peking University says despite the downturn this week, the value of the Chinese currency can still go up.

"I think whether the renminbi will further depreciate depends on the market. To put it simply, in the short-term devaluation is possible, but in the long run a big devaluation is impossible as PBOC's basic policy would continue endorsing two-way fluctuations and a general stability of the currency."The People's Bank of China is describing the devaluation of the renminbi this week as 'normal,' saying its indicitive of a more market-based system.

At the same time, Zhang Yuzhong, deputy Director of the Commerce Ministry's China Investment Promotion Agency, says the devaluation will help shore up weakening exports.

"My personal feeling is that, as in the past, the adjustment of the Renminbi, especially downward adjustments will have a stimulating effect on exports."Under new rules brought in this week, the PBoC will no longer set its own 2-percent band on which it would like to see the renminbi rise or fall on a daily basis.

Instead, it's opening rate will depend, in-part, on what value the renminbi finished at on the interbank exchange rates at the end of a trading day.

RMB exchange rate to be more market-based: Charls LiAnchorThe head of the company which runs the Hang Seng, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, says it is closely watching the RMB exchange rate.

Charles Li has made the comments while announcing HKEx's half-year results.

CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has the story.

ReporterHong Kong exchange's profits have surged by 73 percent in the first half of this year, but it is still short of market expectations.

Even though the Chinese RMB has devalued, hitting a record low in years, Hong Kong Exchange Chief Executive Charles Li says he believes the RMB exchange rate is on a path to a market-based regime.

"Opening continue, internationalization continue, everything we see the last couple of days is rather consistent with the program of trying to make RMB exchange rate to be set on a more and more market-basis, so it's closer and closer reflective of the underlying economy and underlying national conditions of China relative to its trading partners and the rest of the global economy. "With Chinese mainland markets experiencing high volatility in recent months, the Hong Kong stock market was also affected, in part through the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect system launched last November. Charles Li says Hong Kong continues to be an essential partner in the risk management front.

"I think in the short term, there will be possible delays in some of the projects, but in the medium-longer term, I think what happens there reinforce the need for institutional investors based in China for greater access, for greater governance diversity, and a much better, more effective risk management. "A similar program is expected to be implemented this year connecting Hong Kong's stock exchange with the one in Shenzhen. The bourse in Guangdong province is where most interesting, high-growth companies are listed in China. Charles Li says the Hong Kong side is getting prepared while waiting for further announcements from the authorities.

"We have completed all technical issues by the end of last month, we will continue to make preparations throughout this month as planned, but there is no new progress in terms of when the project will be launched. I hope there will be no speculation on that. "An expansion of the current Shanghai- Hong Kong Stock Connect is also in preparation, which will allow domestic and international investors to buy higher quotas and more stocks available in each other's markets.

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

Chinese ship heads to S Korea for ferry Sewol's salvage operationA Chinese tugboat carrying a floating crane its on its way from Shanghai to South Korea to help salvage the sunken passenger ferry Sewol.

One of the issues in the salvage operation is the 9 vicitms who still remain unaccounted for.

Jiang Yan with the Shanghai Salvage Bureau says this will be their main concern.

"First, we have lifting beams that will cross through the bottom of the ship. Second, we will use barbed wires to cover all open parts on the ship to avoid losing any bodies or other materials during the hoisting process. Third, we will use a beam to lift the ship out of the water."Wang Weiping, head of the salvage team, says the working conditions where the Sewol capsized are very difficult.

"The international limit for diving work is 55 meters, and the depth we need to go down is at around 44 meters. If the divers go below 44 meters, they can only work for one hour in such deep water, so the time we have is very short."The passanger ferry Sewol capsized and sank off South Korea's Jindo Island in April of last year, leaving 295 dead and 9 others still unaccounted for.

Most of the victims were high school students on a school trip to Jeju Island.

Crackdown on Gambling through Wechat HongbaoAnchorPolice in eastern China say they've managed to crack an online gambling case involving Wechat's popular Hongbao option.

CRI's Yu Yang explains.

ReporterThe investigation began after police in the city of Taizhou of Zhejiang started getting complaints from people who say they were losing hundreds of yuan a day through a Wechat group.

Li Kangcheng, vice director of a local police station in the area, says their investigators decided to join the suspected group to follow up on the lead.

"The group had several hundred members. Sometimes, the gambling lasted round the clock."A 'Hongbao' or red envelope, is a monetary gift traditionally given during holidays or special occasions in China, such as weddings or the birth of a baby.

They are part of Chinese tradition.

A 'Hongbao' option opened on Wechat just before the Spring Festival last year, and became instantly popular among millions of Wechat users.

The program itself allows direct money transfers to individuals or puts cash up for grabs in a designated chat group.

In the randomized option, the sender decides how much to give in total, and to how many people, but then leaves it up to the app to allocate the money randomly.

Officer Li Kangcheng says the organizers of the gambling ring set up through Wechat established a special set of rules.

"The game started after the organizer sent out the first hongbao. The person who received the smallest amount in the first round would then have to send out the next envelope with at least 200 yuan."Police say organizers made profits by deducting at least 5 percent from every envelope.

Anyone who joined the group had to pay an initial guarantee of 100 yuan.

The players themselves took part by scanning 2-dimensional bar codes generated by by money senders.

Cheng Lingjie, divisional director with the Taizhou Public Security Bureau, admits gambling through Wechat poses a new challenge for police.

"The gambling on Wechat can be conducted everywhere and at any time. It's easy to become rampant, given that it's easy to join. A Wechat account and a cheap cellphone are enough."So far, eight suspects have been arrested for organizing gambling, with more than 10 million yuan involved.

Gambling on the mainland is illegal.

Organizers, both online and off-line, can face jail sentences of up to 3-years.

Non-organizers found taking part are often given non-criminal punishments.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Former Japanese PM visits colonial-era prison in SeoulA former Japanese Prime Minister has made a visit to a colonial-era prison in South Korea.

The visit by Yukio Hatoyama, Shinzo Abe's predecessor, to the prison in Seoul, which is now a museum, comes ahead of Abe's much-anticipated statement this week to mark the end of WWII.

Hatoyama says he believes Abe's speech needs to include an apology.

"I think Shinzo Abe's speech must include Japan's colonial rule of South Korea, as well as the invasion to many countries including China. He should also have an introspection and apologize to these countries. I sincerely hope Shinzo Abe could do this from the bottom of his heart."The former Japanese prison in Seoul is where hundreds of Korean soldiers and dissidents ended up being killed by Japanese authorities.

Japan formally annexed the Korean peninsula in 1910, and maintained control of it until the end of the War in 1945.

Pentagon casts doubts on Islamic State hacking claims.

The US Army is questioning the credibility of new hacking claims made by supporters of the Islamic State.

US Army Chief of Staff, General Ray Odierno, says the latest claims need to be taken with a 'grain of salt.'

"I would tell you, I don't want to downplay the incident but this is the second or third time they've claimed that. And the first two times I tell ya, whatever lists they got were not taken by any cyber-attack, they were kind of lists that were really off the side. And, right now, so far, I have not seen the lists myself but what I believe is this is no different that those other two times."A hacker group claiming to be affiliated with the Islamic State has posted, what it claims, is the personal information of hundreds of US military personnel and government employees on social media.

The information also includes the purported credit card information of several US State Department officials, as well as screenshots of private Facebook messages between U.S. servicemen.

The twitter account of the so-called "Islamic State Hacking Division" has since been taken down.

IS Egyptian affiliate publishes photo of possible beheaded body of Croatian hostageIslamic State supporters in Egypt have published photos online believed to be the beheaded body of a Croatian hostage.

Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic says they're now working to try to determine if this is the case.

"We cannot, nor do we know how to confirm with 100 percent certainty, but we are fearing, and I am fearing that for the first time beheading at the hands of Islamic State group has happened to a Croatian citizen, what unfortunately also happens to citizens of other countries."Egyptian authorities are also looking into the photos to determine their authenticity.

The 30-year-old Croatian Tomislav Salopek, who was employed in Egypt, was kidnapped last month while traveling to Cairo.

In a video released online last week by an Islamic State affiliate, the group warned they would kill the man in 48-hours if Muslim women held in Egyptian jails were not freed.

Libyan PM announces resignationLibya's internationally-recognized prime minister Abdullah al-Thinni has announced his intentions to resign.

He's made the revelation while on a Libyan Television talk-show.

"I announce this now with all comfort, I announce my resignation to the House of Representatives. All that I say to the Libyan people is that I apologize to the Libyan people, throughout this time, about a year and a half, has been my responsibility and if I committed any wrongs I am ready to be held accountable and take full, historical responsibility."Al-Thinni will still need to submit his resignation to the Parliament before it can be accepted.

There is speculation his resignation may be a demand by his rivals to try to push UN-brokered peace talks forward, which have made little headway over the past year.

Al-Thinni's administration, which while internationally-recognized, has little control in Libya itself.

Libya is divided under two rival governments.

A group of local militias drove al-Thinni's government out of the capital Tripoli over a year ago, establishing their own Islamist-dominated administration.

Sweden to drop sex assault inquiry against Wikileaks founder Julian AssangeSwedish prosecutors have decided to drop their investigation into sexual assault allegations against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

This comes after the time limit for concluding the investigation has expired.

Under Swedish law, charges cannot be laid without interviewing the suspect during a certian amount of time.

Prosecutors had until August 13th to question Assange about one accusation of sexual molestation and one of unlawful coercion.

The time limit on a further allegation of sexual molestation run out on August 18th.

Assange has been holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden.

The Wikileaks founder still faces the more serious allegation of rape.

The time limit to question him on that allegation doesn't expire until 2020.

Assange still insists the allegation are part of a smear campaign.

He says he still has no plans to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

He's been holed up in the embassy for over the last 3-years amid fears he will be extradited from Sweden to the US and put on trial for releasing secret American documents.

WeatherBeijing will be overcast with a high of 35 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 24.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 32 and a low of 25.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 34 and lows of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 27.

Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 35.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 31.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 26 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 29 degrees.

Honolulu, overcast, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 24 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will see moderate rain with a high of 14.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsWarehouse blast rocks Tianjin, at least 7 killedAt least 14 people are dead and dozens of others wounded following a pair of massive explosions in Tianjin last night.

It's also reported that two rescuers are out of contact.

The first blast went off shortly before midnight at the container terminal at the Tianjin Port, shattering windows throughout the area.

Reports suggest a 2nd, much larger blast, then went off in the same area.

A number of others may still be trapped in the warehouse area.

Medical officials in Tianjin are calling on people to donate blood, as 'hundreds' of injured people have been rolling into hospitals in the area.

Some reports are suggesting as many as 400 people may be injured.

At this point its not clear what may have led to the explosion.

Over 60 missing from NW China landslideRescue work is still underway to try to find more survivors from a massive landslide which has buried a mining operation in a rural part of Shaanxi in northwestern China.

Local authorities say they believe at least 60 people are still missing.

Rescuers have managed to dig 4 survivors out of the rubble.

The landslide hit shortly after midnight on Wednesday at a mining site in Shanyang County in Shaanxi, which is in the heart of the Qin Mountains near the border with Henan and Hebei.

China's top leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, are said to be monitoring the situation.

At this point it hasn't been made clear what may have caused the massive landslide.

Shaanxi has been hit by massive rains in recent weeks.

S. Korea and US to hold summit in Washington on Oct. 16It's been announced South Korean President Park Geun-hye is going to travel to Washington in a couple of months to hold a planned summit with US President Barack Obama.

Issues to be discussed are said to include the current alliance between the two sides, as well as cooperation connected to North Korea and Northeast Asia.

Park Geun-hye was originally set to make a 5-day trip to the United States in June.

However, that had to be postponed because of the MERS outbreak which gripped South Korea earlier this year.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Says He Has CancerFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter has announced he has cancer.

The 90-year-old has issued a statement saying he was diagnosed with cancer after a recent operation involving his liver.

Carter says he plans to release further details once more is known while he undergoes treatment in a hospital in Atlanta.

Cancer of the liver has a very low recovery rate.

Carter was the nation's 39th president, serving one term as a Democratic President before losing to Conservative Ronald Regean in 1980.

He's since become one of the United States' leading champions for social causes, and has maintained a role in foreign diplomacy.

Jimmy Carter is credited with helping re-open lines of communication between the US and North Korea after current President Barack Obama took office.

On January 29, 1979, Jimmy Carter and then deputy premier of China, Deng Xiaoping, together signed historic accords that reverse decades of U.S. opposition to China.

Biz ReportsAnchorTurning onto business news. First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe as well as a recap on the Chinese market.

Joining me on the desk, Luo Wen.

ReporterU.S. stocks reversed early big losses to close mixed Wednesday, as investors continued to assess impacts of the Chinese central bank's decision change the way it calculates the daily value of the renminbi.

Stocks had been down sharply early in the session after the yuan hit a four-year low, falling for a second day after Chinese authorities made the changes to the currency calculations.

Energy shares rebounded as oil prices bounced back.

The S&P energy index rose 1.9 percent.

Financial shares declined the most, with the S&P financial index down 0.8 percent.

In corporate news,Apple reversed course after falling more than 3 percent earlier to its lowest since January.

Its shares closed up 1.5 percent on the day.

Macy's shares fell 5.1 percent after the retailer reported weak quarterly sales.

At the close,The Dow Jones dipped 0.3 percent.

The S&P 500 edged up a fraction of a percent.

The Nasdaq went up 0.2 percent.

Over in Europe,Stocks there extended the week's sell-off after the further weakening of the Chinese currency, hitting export-focused stocks for a second straight day.

At the closing bell,The UK's FTSE 100 slipped 1.4 percent.

Germany's DAX tumbled 3.3 percent.

France's CAC 40 lost 3.7 percent.

Finally back in China,Shares fell below the 39-hundred point level on Wednesday as the yuan continued its decline.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed down 1.1 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index decreased 1.6 percent.

Analyst on Weakening Yuan's Impact on ExportAnchorA number of observers in China have been suggesting the correction in the exchange rate of the renminbi may be part of the Chinese government's response to the IMF's call for the currency to better reflect market forces.

The two-day downturn in the value of the renminbi does comes on the heels of weak July export data.

Official stats show July exports slid 8.3 percent from a year ago.

For more on the RMB's depreciation and China's export situation, The Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

Back anchorThat was Cao Can, CRI financial commentator, speaking with The Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham.

China to tighten supervision over financing guarantee companiesChinese authorities are moving to crackdown on questionable 3rd party companies that 'insure' bond issues.

The State Council has issued a draft regulation, saying licensed "financing guarantee" firms and their branches will have their licenses confiscated if they are not in the business for over a year without a good reason.

Organizations or individuals without licenses will no longer be allowed to underwrite bond issues.

As of the end of last year, there were around 29-hundred "financing guarantee" companies across the country.

They have underwritten close to 430-billion US dollars worth of bond issues.

Companies involved in "financing guarantees" essentially provide insurance to companies who issue bonds, promising to pay their investors the principle, and often the interest earned, if the bond issuer isn't able to pay.

This makes the bond issues more attractive for investors.

However, if the "financing guarantors" can't make the payments, it can potentially create a systemic shock similar to the one which hit the United States during the height of the global financial crisis in 2009.

Alibaba reports slower revenue growthChinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is reporting a second-quarter revenue increase of 28-percent.

This is its lowest rate of revenue growth in more than 3-years.

The company has posted quarterly revenues of 3.2-billion U.S. dollars.

Alibaba's net income is up nearly 150-percent through the same period, boosted largely by the sharp rise in the share price of its subsidiary, Alibaba Pictures.

Wednesday's data disappointed investors though, with Alibaba shares falling 6.7 percent on the day.

At the same time, Alibaba has also announced that it will buy back shares worth up to 4 billion U.S. dollars over the next 2-years.

Tencent Q2 profits surge 27 pct on online game, advertising growthChinese Internet giant Tencent has reported a 27 percent year on year jump in second-quarter profits on the back of strong income growth in the online gaming and advertising sectors.

The company has taken in some 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in profits through the period.

Tencent's second-quarter revenues have increased 19 percent to 23.4 billion yuan.

It's revenues from its online advertising has surged 97 percent to 4.1 billion yuan through the 2nd quarter.

The sharp growth is being driven by a glut of new subscribers to the company's online video services, as well as a spike in revenues from mobile-based advertising.

Tencent says it currently has over 600-million people using WeChat.

Switzerland begins public consultations on joining China-led AIIBSwitzerland's Federal Council has launched public consultations about possibly joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

This follows Switzerland's decision to join the AIIB a few weeks ago.

Switzerland is one of 57 prospective founding members of the bank.

It was one of the first European countries to enter the process.

Switzerland's stake would be just over 700 million U.S. dollars.

Swiss authorities are also pressing for a seat on the AIIB's board of directors.

That decision is expected to be made in early September.

SportsGuangzhou Evergrande Beat Jiangsu Sainty 1-0In football action from Chinese Super League,A last-minute goal from Ricardo Goulart has helped defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande to a 1-0 win over Jiangsu Sainty.

The victory puts Guangzhou atop the league standings with 47 points.

-------Here in Beijing,Beijing Guo'an has taken a 3-1 home win over visiting Shandong Luneng.

Piao Cheng notching a goal for Guo'an in the game.

"This game is very important. We are desperate for a victory. We also want the three points as the top four team are so close at the standings. So only by winning every game shall we have a chance to be the Super League Champions."In other action,Shanghai SIPG has drawn with Henan Jianye 2-2.

Tianjin Teda also drew with Shijiazhuang 1-1.

--------------------In off-pitch football news,Guangzhou Evergrande has jumped to 3rd place in Asia and 95th worldwide in the latest world rankings.

Barcelona still leads the world rankings, followed by Real Madrid and Juventus.

In Asia,Saudi Arabia's al-Hilal is ranked 1st, just ahead of South Koreas' Jeonbuk FC.

Beijing Guoan has slipped one spot to 21st place.

Shandong Luneng is ranked 33rd.

Shanghai SIPG is in 46th.

A total of 8 Chinese football clubs are currently in the Top 100 in the world.

China's Shao Yiwen Wins at Swimming World CupAt the FINA Swimming World Cup series event in Moscow,China's Shao Yiwen collected victory in the women's 400-metre Freestyle.

Italy's Diletta Carli placed second and Katinka Hosszu from Hungary came in third.

The 26-year-old Huosszu also earned her third gold medal of this year's World Cup Series by winning the women's 100-meter Freestyle.

American Katie Meili claimed the title in the women's 50-metre Breaststroke.

On the men's side,Tom Shields of the United States took gold in the men's 100-meter Butterfly.

China wins gold of men's 25m rapid fire pistol at ISSF World CupIn shooting,China's Hu Haozhe has won gold in the men's 25-meter rapid fire pistol event at this year's shooting World Championships in Azerbaijan.

It's the 27-year old's first world cup title.

Hu Haozhe's teammate Lao Jiajie finished 2nd.

Both have booked at ticket to Rio 2016 with their results.

Chinese shooters have earned a total of 22 spots in Rio next year in the shooting events.

Nishikori beats Andujar at Rogers CupIn tennis,4th seed Kei Nishikori has reached the third round of the Rogers Cup with a straight sets 6-3, 6-3 win over Pablo Andujar.

Nishikori's win is his ATP-Tour leading 27th hardcourt win of the year.

The 25-year-old, who beat Andujar in the final of the Barcelona Open earlier this year, has improved his head-to-head record to 4-1 over the Spaniard.

Over on the women's side,Simona Halep of Romania is through to the last 16 in Canada after a straight sets win over Jelena Jankovic.

Russian Daria Gavrilova has been one of the surprises in Montreal, downing Czech Lucie Safarova 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Other seeds, including Robert Vinci, Belinda Bencic and Ana Ivanovic have advanced.

Japanese pitcher throws no-hitterin Major League Baseball,Hisashi Iwakuma has become the second Japanese-born pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 3-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles this morning.

Iwakuma struck out seven and walked three.

It's the 4th no-hitter this season and first by an American League pitcher in nearly three years.

Hideo Nomo threw two no-nos after starting his career in his home country of Japan.

Veteran frontliner Brand retires after 16 seasonsIn off-court basketball news,Elton Brand, the top pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, has announced his retirement from the game after 16 seasons.

The 36-year-old center and power forward was taken first overall by the Chicago Bulls, earning NBA Rookie of the Year honors the same year.

Then he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers after two seasons with the Bulls, and never regained his original form.

Elton Brand averaged just over 16 points and 8.6 rebounds a game in his 1-thousand-41 NBA appearances.

He also averaged 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds over 40 playoff games, 30 of them as a starter.

EntertainmentNew York Film Festival Unveils Full LineupThe 2015 New York Film Festival has locked in its main slate of features, with a total of 26 films on the roster.

These films include the world premiere of Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies" with Tom Hanks, and Michael Moore's "Where to Invade Next,"The new Spielberg thriller "Bridge of Spies" centers on the true story of a Cold War-era spy swap.

Hanks stars as the lawyer negotiating the trade and Tony winner Mark Rylance appears as the Soviet agent who's traded for a U.S. pilot.

Spielberg directs a script by Matt Charman and Joel and Ethan Coen.

The 2015 New York Film Festival organizers have already announced the films to score special screenings during the 2015 edition.

Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk" is the opening filming of the festival, and Danny Boyle's "Steve Jobs" set for centerpiece and Don Cheadle's "Miles Ahead" as the closer.

The 53rd New York Film Festival runs Sept. 25-Oct. 11.

First Trailer for Quentin Tarantino's 'Hateful Eight' DebutsThe first trailer for Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film "The Hateful Eight" has been released online.

Seta decade after the Civil War, "Hateful Eight" follows bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive Daisy Domergue, who's being taken to town to be hanged.

The teaser shows them hurtling through the Wyoming winterscape in a stagecoach as they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren, a union soldier-turned-bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix, a Southern renegade who insists he's the new sheriff in town.

A blizzard soon overtakes their stagecoach on a mountainside stopover, where they meet a handful of dangerous characters who share a deadly connection.

The film written and directed by Tarantino, also stars Channing Tatum and Bruce Dern.

"Hateful Eight" marks Tarantino's eighth feature and the follow-up to "Django Unchained."It hits theaters on Christmas Day. It goes wide on Jan. 8, 2016.

"Go Away Mr. Tumor" to be released in Chinese theatres todayChinese film 'Go Away Mr.Tumor' is to hit Chinese theatres today.

The film is based on the real life experience of a young Chinese cartoonist named Xiang Yao, whose online pseudonym is 'Bearton' or 'Xiong Dun'.

It features the final years of the cartoonist and her fight against a malignant tumor until she loses the battle at the age of 30.

The film has adapted the plot from the original comic series of the same name, which has sold more than one million copies and inspired millions of readers with its optimism and courage.

'Go Away Mr.Tumor' is directed by Han Yan,starring Daniel Wu and Bai Baihe, who is also the leading actress of the record-breaking fantasy film 'Monster Hunt'.

An advanced screening of Chinese film has pulled in 12.5 million yuan or some 2 million US dollars, which has grabbed the record for the top-grossing premiere by surpassing 'Monster Hunt' at the Chinese box office.

New trailer of Doctor Who season 9 releasedBBC has released a new trailer for the upcoming Doctor Who season 9 on its YouTube channel, giving us a taste of the adventures The Doctor and his companion Clara will embark upon this season.

The brand new teaser for the new series is full of terrifying monsters, strange alien planets and even Game of Thrones favourite Maisie Williams.

It will be another exciting series for the Time Lord, as he teams up with UNIT once again and faces an entire city full of those menacing pepper-pots the Daleks.

Maisie Williams' role is still under wraps.

All we know so far is that she will have to play a brand new character when she appears on Doctor Who.

She will, however, share the screen with Jenna Coleman's Clara.

The new season of "Doctor Who" debuts on BBC America on Sept. 19.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

At least 14 are dead and hundreds of others hurt after a pair of massive explosions in Tianjin late last night.

Over 60 people are listed as missing following a massive landslide early Wednesday morning at a mining camp in rural Shaanxi.

The US Army says it has its doubts about a new claim of hacking by a group said to support the Islamic State.

In Business... all eyes will be on the renminbi once again today following two straight days of continued declines.

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