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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Emergency measures being adopted in Tianjin to prevent secondary disasters...

Rescuers continuing to search for 64 missing people after a landslide in Shaanxi Province...

And Central bank economist optimistic on 2015 growth target...

In the second half of the show, we'll bring you a recap of the biggest news in the Science and Technology world this week....

In Sports...Chen Long Breezing through to Badminton World Championship Finals...

In Entertainment...China's 1st English-speaking sci-fi film "Lost in the Pacific" Unveiling Ambitious Release Plan...

Top NewsEmergency measures to prevent secondary disasters in Tianjin blastsEmergency measures have been adopted in Tianjin to prevent secondary disasters three days after the deadly explosions hit the port city.

So far it's been reported that 104 people have died in the massive warehouse explosions that occurred on Wednesday night.

The rescue headquarters says that there have been no deaths among the 722 people who are currently hospitalized including 58 who are in a critical or serious condition.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more:

ReporterChemical specialists investigating the blasts believe sodium cyanide, a highly toxic inorganic compound might have been stored at the site.

Gao Huaiyou, deputy director of Tianjin's work safety watchdog, says containers at the blast site are closed and some haven't been registered, so the exact amount of the dangerous chemical is not yet clear.

"First, the authorities in Tianjin have dispatched local personnel from chemical enterprises that produce sodium cyanide to come to the blast site to deal with the highly-toxic materials. Secondly, the work safety administration has sent a team of professional personnel to spray hydrogen peroxide to neutralize sodium cyanide, in order to reduce the poison to a minimum."The official notes that some other dangerous chemicals likely to be stored include potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate.

The military's Anti-chemical corps has been sent into the center of the blast zone to verify what's in the storage containers.

At the same time, the rescue operation continues within the area.

A man in his fifties was found alive on Saturday and sent to hospital for treatment.

Doctors say he has serious injuries including ruptures to his right lung and kidney.

This comes after a 19-year-old firefighter was pulled out alive on Friday.

Minor explosions and fire were reported at the warehouse Saturday.

This has forced rescuers to vacate the site temporarily.

Residents in a relocation site at a primary school were also evacuated after concerns of chemical pollutants in the air due to a change of wind direction.

A total of 70 firefighters and eight fire trucks are monitoring the blast site.

Zhou Tian, head of Tianjin Fire Department.

"So far there is no open flame at the explosion site. But as various dangerous chemical items are mingled there, they still give out heat and there are also smoke rising from places where containers piled up."Another 1,100 troops have been deployed to comb nearby residential quarters to search for potential survivors.

Many of the burn victims from the explosions remain in critical conditions.

Doctors say they face increasing difficulties treating the blast victims as most of them suffer from multiple injuries.

"These victims have complicated injuries, not simply caused by scalding or burns. They also suffer blast injuries and chemical poisoning."The warehouse is owned by Rui Hai International Logistics Company, was founded in 2011 . It is a storage and distribution center of containers of dangerous goods at the Tianjin Port.

For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.

Profound lessons must be learned from Tianjin blasts: Chinese leadersChinese leaders have issued new calls for "substantial improvement" in work safety following the Tianjin blasts and other recent accidents.

In a written instruction, President Xi Jinping demands a better emergency response mechanism and careful checks of all possible safety risks.

He urged authorities to learn from the "extremely profound" lessons paid for with human lives.

Premier Li Keqiang has also urged authorities to take effective measures to rectify the weak links in work safety.

The State Council on Saturday called a national tele-conference to lay out work on a national safety inspection.

The inspection will target industries related with dangerous chemicals, explosives, fireworks, elevators, non-coal mines, public transport and ports.

Firefighters' families looking for answers after deadly Tianjin blastFamily members of firefighters gathered outside a government press conference on Saturday, demanding answers about their loved ones, who remain missing after being sent to the scene of the warehouse blast in north China's Tianjin.

Waiting outside a room at the Meihua Hotel where the press conference was taking place, the relatives of the missing firefighters said they still had no news about their loved ones, and demanded officials give them information.

Wang Liying is the mother of a 19-year-old firefighter reported missing"If our children are still trapped in there, they should rescue them immediately. They should help find our children. We don't want to lose them. They are still young."Yang Chunmin, whose 19-year-old brother remains missing"We haven't heard anything about the first batches of firefighters. There has been no information. We are here looking for answers."Firefighters working for the Tianjin Port Group were among the first to arrive at the site to handle the raging fire prior to the two huge explosions.

Rescuers continue to search landslide for missing peopleRescuers continue to search for 64 people missing in a landslide that occurred in Shanyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The rescuers said the rescue effort faces several challenges; the landslide debris is too steep for large machinery to access, and it is possible that the debris could collapse at any time.

Liu Kai is chief of staff of the Fifth Traffic Detachment from Shangluo Armed Police Force.

"Today we are searching for survivors in two areas. The first area is on top of the landslide; we are searching northward from the starting point. The second area is located south of the landslide; we are excavating the debris at different heights to rescue the missing."The landslide debris has blocked a nearby river and formed two massive barrier lakes within the search area.

Local authorities have organized 30 pieces of large machinery to drain the barrier lakes.

Some rescuers were sent to five different spots to monitor the landslide area while their colleagues were excavating debris.

Central bank economist optimistic on 2015 growth targetAn economist from China Central Bank says they are optimistic that China will realize its goal of annual economic growth of around 7 percent.

The remarks come after the International Monetary Fund predicted China's economic growth rate could slow to 6.8 percent this year due to slower investment.

Economist Ma Jun calls the IMF forecast a bit cautious, saying that the Chinese economy will pick up in the second half of the year thanks to active fiscal and other supportive policies.

Among all measures, Ma Jun stresses the effect of China's recovering property market and local governments' debt-swap programs.

Despite a possible slower growth, the IMF added in its Friday's report that the Chinese economy could transit to a more sustainable one, and pivots towards more labor-intensive service sector.

China voices strong opposition of Japanese MPs visitng to controvercial shrineChina has voiced strong opposition and dissatisfaction of Saturday's visit to Yasukuni shrine by some Japanese cabinet members.

This comes after Koichi Hagiuda, an aide for Japan's Prime Minister, sent spiritual offerings on behalf of Shinzo Abe to the controversial shrine.

Senior Japanese officials visiting the shrine also included the minister in charge of women's empowerment and the internal affairs minister, as well as 100 lawmakers, including the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement on Saturday, saying the visit, coming on the day marking Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of World War II, reflects Japan's wrong attitude on historical facts and its attempt to whitewash Japan's wrongdoings during the war.

The shrine honors 14 Class-A convicted criminals of WWII.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also urges Japan to make an effort to stay away from its former militarism and to honour agreements that have been made with countries, including China, that were wronged by Japan during the war.

China publishes videos on sufferings of wartime sex slavesChina's State Archives Administration will release videos documenting the suffering of sex slaves at the hand of the Japanese military over 70 years ago.

The eight-part video series will be released from Saturday on the administration's website, one per day.

The first in the video series quotes a Japanese war criminal's approach to comfort woman.

The criminal says they killed the woman and ate her flesh when food became scarce.

An estimated 200,000 women, euphemistically known as "comfort women", were forced into sexual servitude by Japanese troops during world war II.

Very few are still alive, and few have publicly admitted to having been comfort women.

New exhibits reveal the atrocities of Unit 731AnchorNew exhibits revealing the atrocities of Japan's notorious Unit 731, infamous for its deadly and cruel human experiments, are now on display in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

CRI's Wang Wei brings more details.

ReporterMore than 10,000 artifacts used in the commission of biological atrocities against Chinese citizens during World War II are on display at a museum in Haerbin.

Among them are some confidential "special transfer" archives, documents used by Japanese troops whenever captives were sent to the base to be used in experiments.

One of the historic files is of a war-time intelligence agent named Li Pengge, who was captured in 1941 and transferred to Unit 731.

Li's file was then deleted from the prison he had previously been held and his family lost contact with him.

His daughter Li Fengqin, found her father's name in the 'special transfer' archive.

"We went to the relics of the Unit 731 as soon as we found that archive. My brother and I, we mourned for our father. I'd never had the chance to call my father, never. And neither my brother, as he was still a baby then. We knelt down there and for the first time, we called 'father'."The 1,000 known archives show that those being transferred also included South Koreans and Russians.

Jin Chengmin is the curator of the Museum of War Crime Evidence by Japanese Army Unit 731.

He says these archives are evidence to prove the existence and nature of Unit 731"The archives made clear about the human sources, their identities, the number of the victims and their nationalities. So these archives should be the most powerful evidence to prove that Unit 731 used live human beings to do experiments,"Japanese Unit 731 carried out lethal human experiments in the name of biological and chemical warfare research in World War II.

Japan first established a bacteria experiment 70 kilometers outside of Harbin City in 1933 and later a bigger base was built.

Unit 731 withdrew from its base in northeast China in August of 1945, when the Soviet Red Army attacked Japanese troops in the region.

Before leaving, Unit 731 bombed the facilities, destroyed documents and killed witnesses.

Xu Zhanjiang, a researcher from the museum, says this decision also suggest that the Japanese troops intended to cover their cruel and inhumane atrocities in the bases.

This was because they knew that they were conducting the bacteria warfare, developing the bacteria weapons. The bacteria warfare was against the international convention. It was the most important evidence to declare the emperor as a war criminal in the future. So the Unit 731 came to their mind at once and decided to destroy the evidence."The museum is located to the east of the former Unit 731 headquarters in Harbin.

Thousands of men, women, and children died during the human experimentation conducted by Unit 731.

For CRI, this is Wang Wei.

Exhibition on Japan's Bacteriological Chemical Warfare Kicks off in TokyoAnchorA photo exhibition on Japan's bacteriological chemical warfare has kicked off in Tokyo, Japan. Scores of people have turned out to visit.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

ReporterA four-day photo exhibition with the theme "Concerned about the future of victims" has been jointly held by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and some Japanese non-government institutes.

More than 400 vivid pictures reveal the atrocities of the Japanese army and its cruel human experiments during its aggression against China.

Ci Aimin, Vice Chairman of the Chinese foundation, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Saturday. The day also marked the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender.

"On such a special day, the exhibition in Tokyo has profound significance. It makes us think about war, peace and human rights. Looking back through history, we cannot forget the painful experience."Ci Aimin adds that the exhibition aims to promote communication between the two peoples and to maintain historical facts.

Meanwhile, a large number of historical materials showing the crimes of violating human rights committed by the Japanese are on display.

The exhibition has also selected newly captured photos to reflect the abandoned chemical weapons that have been affecting people in China after the war.

Japanese lawyer Norio Minami as a representative of the Japanese organizers has expressed that the exhibition is helpful to the younger Japanese generation to recognize history.

"The photo exhibition aims to pass on information that bacteriological chemical warfare is terrible. At the same time, we want to tell people that the warfare has been hurting numerous Chinese citizens over the past 70 years."These photos have shocked the Japanese people attending the exhibition. They say it's necessary to let more people understand the historical facts.

"I have seen a lot of pictures that I had never known before. They make me feel like the war is not over yet. The government has been covering up the truth, and has not told us. I think it still needs more time to let others know the facts."Some have also said that recognizing the history is the basis of friendship between China and Japan.

Representatives from local non-government organizations and overseas Chinese in Japan have attended the event.

The exhibition is set to continue until Tuesday.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Human Rights Should Not Dominate Xi-Obama SummitAnchorA senior Chinese official has said that human rights issues should not dominate the relationship between China and the US.

The statement came as the two countries concluded their annual Human Rights Dialogue this week.

CRI Washington chief correspondent Xiaohong has the story.

ReporterLi Junhua, head of the Chinese delegation to the annual dialogue, says China is open to talking about human rights at the upcoming summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama next month.

"In terms of human rights, the two countries have consensus as well as differences. However this issue should not dominate our discussion about our relationship. We should see a bigger picture. We should consider how to seek more cooperation between each other while shelving these differences."He believes the issues to be discussed between the two leaders at the upcoming summit should be decided by both sides.

Li Junhua, a senior official of the Chinese foreign ministry, says the 19th annual China-US dialogue on Human Rights held in Washington DC on Thursday and Friday, has provided a good platform for both sides to exchange views and share progresses in this field.

He notes that China has achieved great success in improving and promoting human rights conditions.

"For most people in China, human rights means that we get education, a decent job, good healthcare and old age care. This is our most honest perception and view on human rights. And such honest view and perception as well as aims are now turning into reality."Li also stressed that there is no universal model that can fit all nations. China is willing to hold candid exchanges with other nations in an inclusive and open manner based on mutual respect.

He hopes the China-US dialogue on human rights will inject positive energy in the building of a new type of relationship between major countries.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.

Japanese emperor expresses "deep remorse" at WWII memorial serviceEmperor of Japan Akihito on Saturday expressed his "deep remorse" over the past war, doing so for the first time at an annual memorial service marking the anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII.

"We hereby reflect on the past and we hold (offer) our deepest remorse for the last war. I strongly hope that there is no repeat of the misery of the war. Together with all the people of Japan, I would like to express our deepest condolences to those who perished in the war. I hereby pray for world peace and further prosperity for our nation."The soft-spoken emperor has urged Japan not to forget the suffering of the war and tried to promote reconciliation with Asian countries.

He has expressed remorse previously but not at the annual service at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo.

South korean President leads Liberation Day ceremonySouth Korea's President is urging Japan to back words with actions regarding historical issues, referring to the statement delivered by the Japanese Prime Minister about World War II.

"From now on, the Japanese government should back up their declarations of succeeding historical consciousness of former cabinets with consistent and sincere acts so that it can gain trust from neighboring countries and international society."Park Geun-hye spoke Saturday at a ceremony in Seoul marking seven decades of South Korea's independence from Japanese colonial rule.

The president urged the Abe cabinet to rapidly resolve the comfort women issue, as Abe refused to "clearly" acknowledge and apologize for the sex enslavement.

Comfort women refers to about 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, forced into sexual slavery in Imperial Japan's military brothels during World War II.

Palestinian Shot After Stabbing Israeli PolicemanA Palestinian teenager was shot dead on Saturday after stabbing an Israeli paramilitary policeman patrolling a road in the occupied West Bank, police said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the shooting near the city of Nablus as a "grave escalation" of violence in the area.

The incident came hours after the Israeli army said that another Palestinian was shot and wounded after stabbing a soldier at a checkpoint on a highway in the West Bank.

In both cases, the Israeli personnel were lightly hurt.

With U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations stalled since April 2014, violence has simmered in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among territories where Palestinians seek statehood.

Ten Years after Israeli Disengagement from GazaAnchorSaturday marks a decade since Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Today, people in Gaza are still living under the Israeli siege, and the peace which the Israelis expected 10 years ago hasn't been achieved yet.

CRI's Huang Shan has more.

Reporter"I would like to repeat what I have said in the past: in the framework of a future agreement, Israel will not remain in all the places where it is today. The Israel Defense Forces and the settlements will be deployed along the security line, a portion of the settlements will be relocated. The Disengagement Plan will be implemented, period."'The Disengagement Plan', initiated by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, refers to the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, and the dismantling of all the 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza as well as four small settlements in the northern West Bank.

The disengagement began on August 15, 2005, and ended within a month. Nearly 10,000 people were evacuated despite their reluctance. And the days afterwards were difficult. Most of the former settlers lived in prefabricated homes for years, and around 2,000 people are still without permanent homes.

On the other hand, for Palestinians in Gaza, it is good to live without the Jewish settlers.

"Of course, it's freedom. The settlements separated Gaza Strip for three regions. The transportation was so difficult. It was terrible. The communication between the (Palestinian) cities was so difficult. There were many restrictions."However, only two years after the end of Israeli occupation, Gaza was under siege since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Professor Mukhaimar Abu Saada with Al-Azhar University in Gaza says the blockade has severely affected the life of people in Gaza.

"When Israel decided to disengage from the Gaza Strip in 2005, the Palestinians looked at it as an end of the Israeli occupation to Gaza. But unfortunately daily life conditions have deteriorated after Israel disengaged from Gaza, because Israel imposed a tight siege against Gaza. As the result, levels of poverty and unemployment in Gaza Strip have gotten up very high."Three major conflicts have broken out between Israel and Gaza afterwards, killing thousands of Palestinians.

On the Israeli side, the rocket attacks from Gaza have made more and more Israelis think the disengagement plan is a mistake.

"We paid such a high price, 10,000 people lost their homes and many of our people are still homeless. We did everything to achieve peace, but we got the opposite. We got wars, and Israel is still blamed around the world."Ten years after the disengagement and one year after the last military conflict, the relationship between Israel and Gaza hasn't proved much. Professor Mukhaimar Abu Saada with Al-Azhar University in Gaza says the current situation is still unstable.

For CRI, I'm Huang Shan.

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

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 24.

Shanghai will have showers with a high of 30 and a low of 25.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 34 and lows of 27.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 28.

Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 35.

Kabul will have slight rain with a high of 30.

Over to North America,New York will see slight rain with a high of 32 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 33 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 29 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 17.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsEmergency measures to prevent secondary disasters in Tianjin blastsEmergency measures have been adopted in Tianjin to prevent secondary disasters three days after the deadly explosions hit the port city.

So far it's been reported that 104 people have died in the massive warehouse explosions that occurred on Wednesday night.

The rescue headquarters says that there have been no deaths among the 722 people who are currently hospitalized including 58 who are in a critical or serious condition.

Chemical specialists investigating the blasts believe sodium cyanide, a highly toxic inorganic compound might have been stored at the site.

Gao Huaiyou, deputy director of Tianjin's work safety watchdog, says containers at the blast site are closed and some haven't been registered, so the exact amount of the dangerous chemical is not yet clear.

The official notes that some other dangerous chemicals likely to be stored include potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate.

Chinese warships leave for Sea of Japan for joint drills with RussiaSeven Chinese warships have left for the Sea of Japan to join their Russian counterparts for a nine-day naval exercise.

Joint Sea-2015 II will take place from Aug. 20 to 28 in Russia, as well as in the Sea of Japan.

Naval forces from the two countries will simulate anti-submarine combat, air defense and other missions.

A joint beach landing for troops is also planned.

The previous China-Russia naval drills were held in the Mediterranean Sea in May.

Japanese emperor expresses "deep remorse" at WWII memorial serviceEmperor of Japan Akihito has again expressed his "deep remorse" over the past war, but it's the first time he's ever made such comments at an annual national memorial service.

The event was held today marking the 70th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII.

The soft-spoken emperor also urged Japan not to forget the suffering of the war and tried to promote reconciliation with Asian countries.

Italian Navy Rescues MigrantsThe Italian Navy rescued over 300 migrants on Saturday, after 40 died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Europe.

The victims were thought to have got trapped and suffocated in the water-logged hold of a boat after it took on .

Commander Massimo Tozzi, speaking from the ship, said that when his men boarded the migrant boat they found the dead in the hold "immersed in water, fuel and human excrement".

Tozzi said his ship, the Cigala Fulgosi, had taken on more than 300 survivors, including women and children.

Last Tuesday, up to 50 migrants went missing when a large rubber dinghy sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Nearly 2,000 have been picked up this week.

The Mediterranean has become the world's most deadly crossing point for migrants.

Sci&TechAnchorIt's time now to check on the news of the week from the science and technology sector.

A national big data network is being developed here in China using cloud technology.

China's 19th Beidou navigation satellite is working autonomously and has set up a link with another satellite.

Astronauts on board the International Space Station have for the first time eaten food that was grown entirely in space.

Here's CRI's Wen Jie.

ReporterA national big data network is being developed here in China using cloud technology.

This comes after two big data centers were put into service by China Telecom, a leading Chinese telecommunications company.

The two big data centers, one in southwest China's Guizhou Province and the other in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, are the largest big data centers in Asia.

The big data centers are connected to eight regional nodes in China and will allow storage of big data across China.

Han Zhencong is the general manager of China Telecom's Government and Enterprise Customers Division.

"In the past, only a few major cities in the country had access to powerful big data operations and storage facilities. But the second- and third-tier cities and remote areas also have big data operation and storage needs. Our big data network satisfies these demands. Our use of China-made equipment also adds safeguards to our internet security system."The network is also expected to add impetus to the Chinese government's Internet-plus initiative, which aims to stimulate economic growth.

/////////After more than 10 days in space, China's 19th Beidou navigation satellite is working autonomously and has set up a link with another satellite.

The two satellites were launched by the same rocket on July 25. The "twin sats" surpass their predecessors in speed, accuracy and weight.

One chief engineer on the project says the inter-satellite link realizes communication and distance measurement among satellites, bringing autonomous control of the navigation system a step closer.

Autonomous navigation is the project's key to global operation. It enables satellites to work independently, providing users with more accurate data.

The first satellite for Beidou was launched in 2000. China plans to set up a complete constellation of 35 satellites, achieving global coverage by 2020.

By 2012, a regional network had taken shape and was providing positioning, navigation, timing and short message services in China and other Asian countries.

/////////Astronauts on board the International Space Station have for the first time eaten food that was grown entirely in space.

The lettuce comes from NASA's Veg-01 experiment, aimed at studying how plants grow in orbit in order to give astronauts longer missions in the future.

NASA's Scott Kelly is one of the three astronauts to take the first bites, together with Kjell Lindgren and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui.

"Having lived on the space station here for a while I understand the logistical complexity of having people live and work in space for long periods and the supply chain that is required to keep us going. And if we're ever going to go to Mars someday, and we will, but whenever that is, we're going to have to have a spacecraft that is much more sustainable with regards to its food supply, as well as other things."This isn't the first time astronauts have harvested greens in space, but it is the first time astronauts were allowed to dine on the fresh space-grown produce.

The first set of harvested greens was sent back to Earth in October of last year for safety analysis.

////////Scientists from the European Space Agency believe that comets could serve as cosmic laboratories after analyzing the data collected in the Rosetta mission.

The agency successfully dropped a lander - named Philae - on the icy surface of comet 67P nine months ago.

Scientists have learned a great deal about the comet's composition, not least that 67P is rather porous.

Fred Goesmann, the mission's Principal Investigator, says that essential elements for life have been found on the comet.

"It's the typical combination of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen - so it's all kinds of typical bonds you would expect between these atoms. So it's the OH, the alcohols, the aldehydes - that's the reduced...., and the nitrogen bonds, the nitrile, the amide, the amine and the isocyanate, even. So the typical bonds you'd expect between C H O and N were there."The mission is conducive towards answering big questions whether the origin of water and life on earth comes from comets.

/////////////////A team of engineers from the UK has developed a robotic system that can independently build and improve its "offspring."In the experiments, the "mother robot" can design, build, and test ten generations of "children" - plastic cubes with a small motor inside - largely on its own.

Engineers observed that the "mother robot" was capable of assessing how far its children were able to move, and used the knowledge to enhance the design of the next generation.

The project looks at how robotics can be improved by taking inspiration from nature, whether that's learning about intelligence, or finding ways to improve robotic locomotion.

///////////Engineers in Italy have invented a plug-in device to monitor the activity of honeybees in their hives.

It's hoped the data gathered will eventually help scientists find a solution to stopping the decline in honeybees around the world.

Italian experts believe that clues of their decline are scattered in the environment, but also hidden inside hives.

Their new plug-in device called Melixa connects to beehives and is able to monitor traffic, and it doesn't miss a flight.

Melixa lead engineer, Mauro Martinelli explains:

"The Melixa system has the unique feature of counting the number of bees that come and go from the beehive during the day.　This is very useful information because it lets you know the health of the hive, if the colony is growing, if it is producing, or if there are issues that need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis."Major countries in Europe have seen an obvious decline of honeybees. Worst case scenario in 2012-2013 was England where over 30% of honeybees were lost in that period of time.

Besides making honey, honeybees pollinate more than 90 flowering crops. About one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination.

//////////A new study has found that music benefits surgery patients, even when played on the operating table.

Scientists from Brunel University in the UK confirmed this after looking at the impact of music on almost 7,000 surgical patients.

The best outcomes occurred when music was played before the procedure began. But, surprisingly, even listening to music while under general anesthetic appeared to reduce pain levels.

Brunel's lead researcher Dr. Catherine Meads explains:

"If you can think of an example where if you have a grade of pain between nought and ten, where nought is no pain at all and ten is the worst pain imaginable, if you have that for music, we found that the results of music reduced your pain by about two centimetres on a ten centimetre scale like that."In light of this discovery, the research team suggested that they will try to make the practice routine in the UK.

It's estimated that 4.6 million operations are performed in England during a year and most people undergo a surgical procedure at some point.

//////////Huawei announced on Thursday that it would expand its technical training program in Africa.

The program, named "Seeds for the Future", will benefit over 1,000 students across Africa.

Those students will have the opportunity to access high-level technical training in China in the next 5 years.

Meanwhile, Huawei also announced a job creation plan for its local operations in South Africa.

Currently, Huawei has around 1,000 employees in South Africa. In the next 5 years, the company will increase its staff in the country by 50 percent to support fast growing operations there.

Huawei is a Chinese information and communication technology firm.

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

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsBadminton: Chen Long Breezes to World Championship FinalsIn badminton:

Chen Long moved within one game of retaining his world championship title after the Chinese top seed swept past Kento Momota of Japan 21-9, 21-15 to reach the men's singles final in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday.

Chen will play either Jan O. Jorgensen of Denmark or Malaysian star Lee Chong Wei.

Women's top seed Carolina Marin also earned the chance to defend her world title.

The Spaniard staged an impressive comeback against South Korea's Sung Ji-Hyun to book a second-straight final appearance. The defending champion won a 90-minute battle by 21-17, 15-21, 21-16.

Marin will face second seed Saina Nehwal, who knocked out local favorite Lindaweni Fanetri 21-17, 21-17.

For a second year in a row it will be an all Chinese affair in the finals of the mixed doubles.

Top-ranked pair Zhang Nang and Zhao Yunlei will face fourth seeded Chinese pair Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin.

Football: Chinese Super League RecapIn football action from the Chinese Super League last night:

League leaders, Guangzhou Evergrande, were held to a 2-2 draw by Shanghai Shenhua.

Giovanni Moreno opened up scoring for Shenhua in the 43rd minute.

Evergrande levelled on 57 minutes, then jumped ahead in the 77th to lead 2-1.

Shanghai weren't giving up, however, and they made it 2-2 on 88 minutes for the tie.

------------------------------------------------That score would set the tone for the evening:

Beijing Guo'an and Shijiazhuang tied 2-2;It was a 2-2 draw between Tianjin Teda and Changchun Yatai;Jiangsu Guoxin emerged as the night's only victor; they beat Shanghai Shenxin 1-0.

Tonight:

Shandong Luneng is taking on Chongqing Lifan;Liaoning will battle Guangzhou R&F;Guizhou will face Henan;And Shanghai SIPG is going up against Hanghzou.

English Premiere League RecapIn football action from the English Premiere League:

Swansea beat Newcastle 2-0.

Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew both scored for the second game running as Swansea comfortably shut out a 10-man Newcastle squad at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea coach, Garry Monk, says it was tough getting through Newcastle's middle after they pulled back with a man down:

"We looked dangerous at certain points in the game. And I thought today we showed out maturity as well. When they went to ten men they had made it very (much) more difficult. They dropped very deep, just defended very narrow. The spaces were not quite there. But I thought we were mature. We did not force the issue. We kept the ball well and tried to take the openings when we did."In other action:

Everton shut out Southampton 3-0;Norwich beat Sunderland 3-1;Stoke held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw;Watford and West Brom had an uneventful nil-nil tie;and West Ham went down to Leicester 2-1.

Tennis: Rogers Cup RecapIn tennis action from the Rogers Cup in Canada:

On the men's side of things--World no. 1 Novak Djokovic booked a place in the finals this morning after downing France's Jeremy Chardy in straight sets.

The Serbian tennis star is coming off a 5-7, 7-6, 6-1 win over Latvian Ernests Gulbis, while Chardy battled American John Isner through three hard-fought tie-breaks before being ousted in the semis.

Djokovic will take on the winner of the match between Japan's Kei Nishikori and Scotland's Andy Murray.

Nishikori books his battle with Murray after handily defeating Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4.

The tournament winner last week in Washington, Nishikori topped Nadal for the first time in eight attempts.

Murray had similar success against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Scot downed Tsonga in straight sets.

In women's action--Second-seeded Romanian Simona Halep beat 15th-seeded Italian Sara Errani 6-4, 6-4.

She is set to face the winner of the clash between World no. 1 Serena Williams and Switzerland's Belinda Bencic.

Williams smashed Italian Roberta Vinci in straight sets, while Bencic handled no. 5 Serbian Ana Ivanovic in similar fashion--the Swiss won 6-4, 6-2.

B-Ball: National Basketball League PreviewIn hoops action coming up tonight from China's National Basketball League:

Shanxi will take on Anhui;Beuijing will battle Zhengzhou;and Lhasa will hit the court against Henan.

Milos Teodosic 1st European to Sign with Chinese Sportswear Brand PeakIn sports business news from the world of basketball:

Serbian national basketball team captain, Milos Teodosic, signed a five-year contract with Chinese sports equipment manufacturer, Peak, on Saturday.

The partnership deal was concluded in Belgrade between Teodosic and Peak chairman, Xu Jingnan, in the presence of Chinese ambassador to Serbia, Li Manchang.

Teodosic, who currently plays for the Russian CSKA, is the first European player to sign a partnership with Peak, the company which became a partner of the Serbian national basketball association in 2010.

Teodosic won the Greek cup with Olympiacos and the Russian League with CSKA. He was also won the 2010 European Player of the Year award, and selected to the All-Tournament team of the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Tiger Woods Gets 3rd-Straight Majors CutIn more golf news:

Former World no. 1, Tiger Woods, missed a third-consecutive cut at a major championship, which could be the ending to his season.

Woods had five holes remaining before play was suspended yesterday at the PGA Championship due to a storm. When things resumed, he had a tough obstacle ahead of him--trying to finish at 2 under to advance to the third round.

He carded a 4 over 73.

Unless Woods hits the links at next week's Wyndham Championship, the current season is over for him. Woods will announce whether or not he will play in that tournament in the next few days.

If he can come out on top at Wyndham, he has a shot at qualifying for the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Woods has missed four cuts for the first time in his golfing career.

EntertainmentChina's 1st English-speaking sci-fi film "Lost in the Pacific" Unveils Ambitious Release PlanChina's first English-speaking 3D sci-fi film 'Lost in the Pacific' will hit movie screens worldwide on the same day later on this year.

The film stars Brandon Routh, the actor from 'Superman Returns', and Chinese actress Zhang Yuqi.

Directed by Vincent Zhou, the film's plot is set in 2020 when a group of elite international passengers board a luxury transoceanic flight that doesn't go to plan.

The film was shot at Malaysia's Pinewood studios this spring and the visual effects were finished by UFO Internationals.

Arclight Films, which is in charge of the film's rights outside of China, says they are confident in the "Lost in the Pacific" and its ambitious release plan, due to " its international casting, story telling and the quality of production".

The film's first round of sales will start in May at the Cannes Film Festival. Meanwhile here in Asia, it has already reached seven pre-order theatrical release deals across Asia.

If its successfully picked up in the US, "Lost in the Pacific" will be the first Chinese independent sci-fi film to have a same-day release worldwide.

Korean Director Won the Top Prize at Locarno Film FestivalThe Korean director Hong Sang-soo has won the Golden Leopard at Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival with his film 'Right Now, Wrong Then.'

'Right Now, Wrong Then' is a romantic comedy that narrates the same story twice, in which two characters, a film director and a female painter, who meet up over the course of the same day.

The film stars Ko Ah-sung and Jung Jae-Young, who also took the prize for best actor at the Locarno Film Festival.

'Right Now, Wrong Then' is expected to be released in South Korea on September.

More on the festival, the best director award went to Andrzej Zulawski for 'Cosmos', a noir thriller that spooked audiences with its story of two friends who stumble on a series of frightening signs after heading to a country retreat.

The best actress was divided between the four leads of Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 'Happy Hour'.

While Brazilian director Sergio Machado's 'The Violin Teacher' closed the festival on Saturday night.

Andy Grammer and Eli Young Work on Country Version of 'Honey, I'm Good'

US pop singer Andy Grammer will collaborate with country artist Eli Young Band to release a new duet version of his hot single 'Honey, I'm Good'.

The 31-year-old singer says this idea was inspired by a natural influence of country music.

"You know, if you grow up in America you're going to get some country influence, for sure. And on the second album, I was trying a bunch of different styles. So I guess I do. It's down in there and it just kinda came out. Like I said, we were pushing it to pop radio and their biggest argument for not playing it at the beginning was it's too country. "Being the lead singer of the Eli Young Band, Mike Eli has attached more country effects into the collaboration.

He indicates though he couldn't match Grammer's operatic high notes, he was able to add harmony melodies that made it sound more like one of their songs.

The Fourth Disney D23 Expo Kicks offDisney's D23 Expo has kicked off in Anaheim, California, by unveiling the secrets of its upcoming films.

Chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, John Lasseter,says the D23 expo is for the fans.

"Well the D23 Expo is a chance for all of us at Disney and Pixar to give back to our fans and boy do we have amazing fans. We just did the animation presentation, 7800 people in this gigantic hall and for about two and a half hours or something like that we pitched all the upcoming films from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios."Stars including Dwayne Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ed O'Neil have shown up at the Expo to promote their upcoming animated films.

One of the big news announced during the Expo is that "Finding Dory" the sequel to Finding Nemo will make a come back 13 years after the original hit movie screens.

The director of the film, Andrew Stanton, explains why this has taken such a long time.

"Well basically I thought Nemo was done and had no intentions for a sequel. Probably about six or seven years later I was sitting around thinking you know what I actually think if she got lost off the reef she might not find it again and I still don't know where she came from and I know Marlin found her when she was lost and so it started to really bug me that that had not been resolved and so that made me go I think there's one story left to tell with this movie so that was it."D23, which is in its fourth edition, runs through Sunday.

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

A recap of your headlines:

Emergency measures being adopted in Tianjin to prevent secondary disasters...

Rescuers continuing to search for 64 missing people after a landslide in Shaanxi Province...

And Central bank economist optimistic on 2015 growth target...

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