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

Coming up on the program this evening...

The death toll from the Tianjin blasts rising to 114......

12 bodies recovered after a landslide in northwest China's Shaanxi province.....

And Officials searching for Indonesian plane near Oksibil....

In Business...China's securities watchdog vowing ongoing stock market stabilization...

In Sports...China dominating the Badminton World Championships.....

And in Entertainment...Chinese film 'Go Away Mr. Tumor' topping the Chinese box office....

All of that coming up in the next hour, but first, just a reminder there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

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TopDeath toll for Massive Tianjin blasts Rises to 114Anchor:

The death toll from the Tianjin explosions has risen to 114, 39 of them were firefighters and five were policemen. At present 70 people are still missing, most of them firemen.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more on the latest developments from the accident.

Reporter:

Tianjin deputy mayor He Shushan gave an update on the latest developments on the chemical blast in the city during a news conference on Monday morning.

Currently, a total of 698 people remain in hospital, of which 57 are still in a critical condition.

He Shushan says they have found hydrogen cyanide in a perimeter of one kilometer and therefore they have widened the safety limit area to around 2 and 3 kilometers.

"In this way, the periphery of that is safe. The core area will be problematic if it rains, because of disintegration (of chemicals), but if it does not affect the core area, it should be dispersed quite quickly after coming in touch with water. In this area there is no water now, only one crater left by the explosion. In the crater there is a bit of water. We are currently taking samples, and will process them accordingly."He also says about 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide were stored at the blast site and they remain intact.

"We can make an approximate calculation of the cyanide currently in this area, and it is about 700 tons. Most of it, after our search, is still in the core area, within the 0.1 square kilometres."Bao Jingling, chief engineer of the city's bureau of environmental protection, gave an update of the air quality at 17 air monitoring locations around the blast site from August 13 to 14.

"Among the 17 air monitoring locations, four are detected to have excessive volatile organic compounds, 1.2 to 1.62 times higher than the local standard for air condition around factories."Gao Huaiyou, deputy director of Tianjin's work safety watchdog, says the authorities have mobilized many public and private sources to help prevent the spread of toxic chemicals.

"First we have organized sodium cyanide producers to handle the storage at the disaster site as they are more familiar with the chemical's nature. Secondly, we organized technicians from local chemical engineering companies to help relieve the toxicity. Thirdly, chemical defense corps has arrived to detect the location of sodium cyanide. And we also asked the related departments to build cofferdam at rain and discharge outlets to prevent the outflow of contaminated water."Hebei Chengxin Co., Ltd., producer of the large amount of sodium cyanide stored at the blast site, has sent over 140 engineers to the site to help dispose of the chemical together with several peer companies.

Zhi Qunshen is the general manager of the firm.

"Most of the storage has been located and checked and will be transported back to our firm after proper treatment. Since it is alkaline, we are using hydrogen peroxide, a strong oxidizer, to oxidize and eliminate the poisonous elements."Tianjin deputy mayor He Shushan promises the sodium cyanide at the periphery of the Tianjin blast area will mostly be collected and cleared by Monday evening.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

Premier Li Keqiang Visits Blast SiteChinese Premier Li Keqiang has taken time to honor the fire fighters who lost their lives in the Tianjin explosion.

Li Keqiang made a stop at a fire brigade station in Tianjin, speaking highly of fire fighters' performance in battling deadly fires at the Port.

"Both the official firefighters and their contract counterparts tried their best to evacuate workers at the port to safety, regardless of the dangers to themselves. In this accident, fire fighters also suffered the heaviest casualties, but made the greatest contribution. They are all heroes and deserve the respect of society."Li Keqiang says the firefighters are being considered equal, regardless of their designation.

"All the dead -- whether official firefighters or contract counterparts -- will enjoy the same posthumous honor and their families will be given the same compensation."The premier arrived in Tianjin on Sunday afternoon.

Li Keqiang is demanding tight environmental monitoring, noting it has become one of the main concerns.

"The monitoring of the environment should be conducted around the clock with the timely release of accurate, authoritative information to the public. An evacuation order should be sent out without delay if the content of a toxic chemical is found beyond safe limits in the air."The premier is also demanding the swift release of information connected to the explosions, and says anyone found to be in dereliction of duty will be severely punished.

Medical center one kilometer from blast epicenter saves livesChina has set up temporary medical centers near the site of the Tianjin blast, the closest of which is just one kilometer from the epicenter.

As rescue and search efforts continue across the area, temporary medical centers have played an important role in offering timely treatment before victims are sent to larger hospitals.

Xie Ming is one of the 40 medical workers at the center.

"We give emergency or preliminary treatment to injured victims as soon as possible in order to save time for them to be sent to hospitals for subsequent treatment."At the center, large quantities of medicines and equipment have been available since Thursday, and over 100 injured people have received treatment.

China has sent some of its best doctors to hospitals in Tianjin to help treat the blast victims.

12 Bodies Found as Search for Landslide Victims Continuing in ShaanxiA total of 12 bodies have been recovered after a landslide in Shanyang county, northwest China's Shaanxi province.

52 others remain missing.

A rescue team of over ten soldiers are continuing to search for the missing in the debris.

Qian Zuqiao, deputy chief of army command headquarters, says a drone has been used in the rescue effort.

"A scout soldier has been dispatched to manipulate a drone flying over the debris. The drone will detect the whole landslide area in depth, and send back a picture. "The landslide hit the living quarters of a local mining company and three rural homes in Shanyang County in the early hours of Aug. 12, burying 64 people.

Ten people escaped unaided and four others were dug out by rescuers and taken to hospital.

Second stage of Long March-5 carrier rocket undergoes Ignition testThe engine ignition test for the second stage of China's Long March-5 carrier rocket has been carried out in Beijing on Monday afternoon.

The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense said preparations for the test were done in the morning.

The test on Monday marks the completion of the ground testing for the rocket and conclusion of the research work on the rocket.

Lou Luliang is deputy chief designer of Long March-5, with China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

"The next step is going to the launch site. The production will be carried out in due schedule to prepare for the maiden flight next year."The rocket uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as fuel.

Lou says the rocket is significant for China's future space exploration projects.

"The Long March-5 is the country's new generation of carrier rocket. The aim of its design is heavy thrust, zero toxin and pollution. It will serve to the country's follow-up space projects, such as the Lunar Exploration program, the manned space station, as well as the survey of deep space in the future."The Long March-5 carrier rocket has the largest carrying capacity under development in China.

Third Generator Unit in NE Chinese Nuclear Power Plant to Put into Commercial OperationThe third generator unit at the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Station in Liaoning province will start commercial operation soon following its 168-hour model operation.

Yu Jianfeng, deputy general manager of the State Power Investment Cooperation, says the operation of the unit is of great significance for the country's clean energy.

"The operation of the unit proves that the technology of the million-kilowatt nuclear power unit along with its capacity and construction are gradually mature. The operation index is pretty good as well."The third generator unit, using self-designed pressurized water reactor technology, can satisfy a quarter of the annual electricity consumption in the port city of Dalian.

The other two generators at the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Station were put into operation in 2013.

Three more power generator units are currently under construction at the plant.

Guo Xingang is the deputy director of the second operation division of Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.

"Upon completion, the six units will generate 45 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which is about 1.5 times the total electricity consumption of Dalian in 2014."China now has 26 power generator units currently in operation that greatly cut the emission of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.

Cold-resistant Bullet Trains Start Operating in NE ChinaA high-speed train service has started operating on Monday linking some of the northernmost cities in China.

The new line links Harbin, the capital of northeast Heilongjiang province, with Qiqihaer, Heilongjiang's second largest city.

The service will have 28 trains designed to endure severe cold - up to minus 40 degrees Celsius.

Huang Lei is a senior official with the Harbin Railway Administration High Speed Train Department and says the new trains are prepared for the low temperatures.

"We used such materials as low temperature valves and grease to resist the low temperature, so that we can resolve and fix the breakdown caused by the cold weather, and ensure the security of the trains."Average temperatures for Qiqihaer and Harbin in January are minus 19.2 degrees Celsius and minus 18.3 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The trains run at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour.

It will cut the travelling time between the two cities from 3 hours to some 85 minutes.

The high-speed train service is expected to transport 8 million passengers per year.

Officials search for Indonesian plane near OksibilIndonesian search and rescue officials said on Monday that they have detected the crashed Indonesian aircraft with 54 people on board in a mountainous forest area in the remote Papua province.

The "ATR 42-300" which belonged to Trigana Airlines crashed on Sunday. It took off from Sentani Airport in Jayapura, capital of Papua province and was bound for the southern town of Oksibil.

Heronimus Guru, the deputy operational officer of the National Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters the approximate location of the wreckage is 7 nautical miles southwest from oksibil.

Earlier media reports claimed debris had been spotted but Guru denied the discovery.

"No discovery yet, we have only received a signal from that location. Thus, we will be focusing our search in that location,"All those on the plane were Indonesian nationals.

The airline responsible, Trigana Air Service, has been on the European Union's list of banned carriers since 2007 due to safety and regulatory concerns.

Trigana has had 14 serious incidents since it began operations in 1991, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

Indonesia's safety record has been patchy with two major plane crashes in the past year, including an AirAsia flight that went down in the Java Sea, killing all 162 on board.

Japan's plutonium stockpile worries environmental expertAn Oxford environmental expert has warned that the handling of Japan's huge plutonium stockpile remains a challenge for the whole world.

Dr. Peter Wynn Kirby from the University of Oxford wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times, saying that Japan's cache of weapons-usable plutonium was more than 47 metric tons.

The stockpile is enough to make nearly 6,000 warheads.

Japan, an industrial powerhouse but poor in resources, has long depended on nuclear energy.

Before the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011, nearly one-third of Japan's electricity was from nuclear power.

S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint annual war gameThe forces of South Korea and the United States have kicked off their joint annual war game.

The 12-day computer-assisted simulation exercise is called Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG).

It was launched on Monday amid backlashes from North Korea that threatened "strong military counteraction" against what it called a rehearsal for the northward invasion.

Some 50,000 South Korean forces and 30,000 U.S. troops would be mobilized to the military drill, which South Korea claimed is defensive in nature with the aim of defending its territory.

Anti-Taliban minister killed in Pakistan blastA suicide bombing has killed a government minister in Pakistan.

Shuja Khanzada was a vocal critic of the Taliban.

He headed a provincial government department linked to Pakistan's National Action Plan against terrorism.

Witnesses say the bombing targeted Kanzada's home, which is in a city about 80-kilometers northwest of Islamabad.

"After praying, when I was going out from the corridor, I only walked four to five steps on the corridor when a huge explosion took place. I don't know what happened afterwards. I did not see anything. I fell down on the ground."The explosion also left 9 others dead, with a dozen others wounded.

Four of them are in critical condition.

Khanzada helped establish the anti-terrorism department in province of Punjab, which is home to a variety of local militant groups, most of them allied to the Taliban or al-Qaida.

Fires Rage in CaliforniaUS firefighters have been battling wildfires in Central California over the weekend in parts of the Sierra National Forest, the Sequoia National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park.

Much of the fire was burning in steep, inaccessible terrain requiring the use of firefighting helicopters to help contain it.

James Caruso, Director of Stevens County Emergency Management affirmed to the press that efforts will continue and that people are his first priority.

"Everything that can be done now is being done out there and our first priority is protecting people and homes and structures and livestock."Fires in Central Washington state have destroyed more than 50 structures, according to local fire officials.

Wildfires were also causing havoc in Eastern Washington, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate the area.

Boko Haram leader denies deathThe leader of Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau has said he is alive and remains the chief of the Nigeria-based jihadist group.

The self-claimed Shekau made the remarks in an eight-minute audio recording which was released on Sunday.

He denied previous claims by the Nigerian military that Shekau had been killed and refuted related media reports as a lie.

Shekau has not appeared in recent videos from Boko Haram since March, which aroused worldwide speculation that he might have been killed or replaced by others.

Migrants Gather in Tourist SpotAnchor:

Scenes of migrants on a Turkish beach squeezing into an overloaded inflatable dinghy has become a regular scene for the town of Bodrum. These scenes have become a symbol of these migrants' desperation to reach the Greek island of Kos and the safety of Europe.

CRI's Xiao Yi has moreReporter:

The city of Bodrum, a magnet for wealthy tourists from Turkey and around the world, is these days drawing a different type of visitors - migrants fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa seeking a better life in Europe.

The Greek island of Kos is only 4 kilometres from Turkey at its closest point.

The Turkey-Greece route has resurfaced these summer months as a thriving business for smugglers profiting from the stream of people fleeing war and poverty.

People such as Omar, a Syrian refugee, are hoping they will make it"I am trying to cross the (Aegean) sea for the fourth or fifth time. Not because I like Europe or because I am dreaming of Europe. We have heard about Europe, we have never seen Europe. We have heard that human beings have value there and are not (treated like) insects. "A children's playground a couple of blocks away from Bodrum's busy tourist shopping streets has become a makeshift staging post for migrants waiting to be smuggled.

Tourists like Salvatore Aiello have become witnesses to this happening while visiting Bodrum on vacation.

"The sensation is equal to deep sadness. We understand who is in Bodrum on vacation and who is here because they're in a difficult situation. It doesn't ruin the holiday, but it brings a sense of sadness while we are having a good time."Turkish authorities have reported that 2,791 migrants have been caught in the Aegean Sea in the past five days alone, most of them Syrians.

Overall, more than 33,000 migrants have been caught or rescued in the Aegean this year, according to the governor's office in Izmir.

For CRI, I'm Xyee.

Mosquarium Opens in RussiaAnchor:

People in Moscow have been flocking to one of the Russian capital's newest attractions: A massive aquarium.

CRI's Xie Cheng has moreReport:

"Mosquarium" opened August 5th and is giving the residents of Moscow as well as tourists the chance to explore life under the sea.

The centre boasts as being unique, given its size and the variety of exhibits.

Marina Zhuravleva is the head of the oceanography and sea biology centre.

"The concept of "Mosquarium" has no parallels in Russia or Europe, it's a really big complex of oceanarium and a sea exploration centre that was built far from the seaside."The complex is divided into three areas: aquariums, a whale pool and a centre for swimming with dolphins.

It hosts more than 250 different kinds of fish, representing fauna from various parts of the world, all the way from Greenland to the Far Eastern parts of Russia.

Lyudmila Likhbatova, a visitor, shares her impression of the place:

"There's so much to see here that it's even difficult to remember what one likes most. The variety of fish, sharks swimming above one's head, plenty of little pretty fish, some look as if they were covered with velvet. Impressive!"The centre covers an area of 53 thousand square metres with 25 million litres of water being used in its 80 aquariums and pools. But thats not all it has according to Zhuravleva.

"The character of each exhibition is enhanced by our ceiling decor as well. There're icicles hanging form the floor in zones representing cold water inhabitants, water lilies in warm water zones and real size models of fish that unfortunately wouldn't fit in any aquarium."Narnia, Nord and Juliette, the three whales of the aquarium, take part in spectacular shows with special sound and light effects several times a week.

Visitors will also be able to try swimming with dolphins as soon as the creatures get used to their new home.

With more than 82 thousand people having visited the aquarium during the first five days, it appears there is nothing "fishy" about this new aquarium.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

London Vinyl Finds Success in AsiaAnchor:

A company in London has been using technology from the 1950's to help meet the growing demand of record collectors here in China and other parts of east Asia.

Our reporter Catherine Drew has more from London.

Reporter:

This was in a very poor state, the two machines together took around 3 years to restore.

In London Pete Hutchison describes how he spent 3 years sourcing and repairing recording equipment from the 1950s. For many years he ran the PeaceFrog record label before approaching EMI about their large catalogue of original master tapes of classical recordings.

"So I had an idea that I wanted to license the tapes and remake the records using the original equipment. The problem was that nobody had the original equipment so I'd ring up the major studios, the big names and say look I want to remake this record from the 50s using the original valve equipment, cut it in mono, and no body had that equipment working so I then had to go on this sort of pilgrimage if you like to find the original equipment, get it restored and up to scratch and and in working order."So far the Electric Recording Company or ERC, has issued 15 classical titles….with a usual run of 300 discs. 50 per cent of the company’s output is bought by collectors in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.

The ERC's business has grown 60 per cent year on year since it was established in 2012…. so why is this cut vinyl so popular. Dave Parsons is a rare classical records dealer, and runs the web site classic vinyl. com. He says music recording in the 1950s was very different.

"Back then it wasn't about money, it was about quality and that's something that ERC are doing now. They are going to extreme lengths to recreate the vinyl LP in the same way that they did in the 50s. I've played the originals and compared to the electric record and compared and in most cases they're better, so they're doing a fantastic job.

The Electric Recording company is now embarking on giving the ERC treatment to jazz records of the 50s and 60s after signing a deal with Concord Music of Los Angeles. Pete Hutchison again.

"Concord are the rights holders jazz from the late fifties to early sixties, artists like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans so we are looking to remake some of the very rare 50s jazz records using the the equipment with limited runs, handmade sleeves, so that people can have a really beautiful copy of the master tape as it would have been new back in the day. "These jazz albums will be available to buy from next year.

For CRI, I'm Catherine Drew in London.

WeatherBeijing will have scattered thundershowers tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius; overcast tomorrow with the highest temperature hitting 29.

Shanghai will be cloudy tonight with a low of 25; same skies tomorrow with a high of 31.

Chongqing will have heavy rain tonight with a low of 22, moderate rain tomorrow with a high of 24.

Lhasa will see some showers tonight with a low of 12, more showers tomorrow with a high of 23.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy tomorrow, 38.

Kabul, cloudy, 31.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, sunny with a high of 15.

Brisbane will enjoy a sunny day with a high of 21.

Perth, cloudy, 19.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will see slight rain with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsTianjin blasts death toll rises to 114The death toll from the Tianjin blasts has increased to 114 after rescuers found two more bodies in the debris.

Another 70 people are still missing. Most of these missing are firemen.

The identities of 54 bodies have been confirmed.

Among the bodies, 39 were firefighters and five were policemen. The number of missing was previously 95, before 25 people were identified among the bodies found.

Rescuers have made comprehensive search efforts through what they call "a maze of containers", and the search is still underway.

Currently, a total of 698 people remain in hospital, of whom 57 are still in a critical condition.

A minor explosion occurred on Monday morning at the blast site, located in Binhai New Area. Dark smoke has abated, but flames can still be seen.

Supercomputer Tianhe-1A resumes service in TianjinThe Tianhe-1A supercomputer has resumed service after its shutdown due to the Tianjin blasts.

The supercomputer, located about one mile away from the blast zone, was shut down about half an hour after the blasts occurred on Aug. 12.

The ceilings and windows of its cooling and electricity supply facilities were damaged.

Protected by a reinforced computer room, the supercomputer and its database remain intact.

The shutdown has disrupted data service to its users, which include Tianjin Municipality's finance, commerce and meteorological departments.

Beijing among most polluted Chinese cities againBeijing has been listed as one of the top 10 Chinese cities with the worst air quality.

In the capital, 65 percent of days in July were polluted.

Six cities in Beijing's neighboring Hebei Province were among the ten most polluted.

A latest report says air quality in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in July was worse than the month before, although it had improved year on year.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection released the monthly report on Monday, which reviews air quality in 74 cities.

S. Korea to delay declaration of official end of MERS crisisSouth Korea will delay the declaration of the official end of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome crisis after one patient was tested positive.

According to the health authorities, as of Monday, the total MERS contagion number has been unchanged at 186 for 43 days since July 6.

The death toll has made no change at 36 for 37 days since July 12.

The World Health Organization advised the country to announce the official end of the MERS crisis 28 days after the last patient is tested negative.

Biz ReportsAnchor:

Turning now to business news.

First a look at the numbers from across the Asian markets to close out this Monday evening.

Joining me on the desk is CRI's Wang Mengzhen.

Reporter:

Thanks Sophie.

Chinese stocks closed higher on Monday.

Shares related to agriculture and farming, steel and transportation industries are leading the gains today.

In the wake of the deadly blasts last Wednesday, share prices of both Tianjin Port Development and Tian Port Holdings continue their plunge in both mainland and Hong Kong exchanges.

Bucking the trend, share prices of other port firms including Dalian Port and Xiamen Port mostly gained.

At the closing bell,The Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.7 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index advanced 1 percent.

However, the ChiNext Index, tracking China's growth enterprises, dipped 0.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index lost 0.7 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japan's benchmark Nikkei surged half of a percent despite weak economic data.

South Korea's KOSPI was down 0.8 percent.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index lost one and half a percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX 200 gained 0.2 percent.

Back to you Sophie.

Securities watchdog vows ongoing stock market stabilizationAnchor:

China's securities regulator has gone on-record saying the China Securities Finance Corporation - the national margin lender that was tasked with buying shares during the market slump - will continue to play a stabilizing role for the next few years.

The CSRC says the CSF will only enter the market during times of volatility.

The CSF has played a significant role in the stock market rescue which was launched after Shanghai's benchmark shed some 30 percent in three weeks in mid-June.

The regulator has also revealed that CSF has recently transferred some shares it bought during the sell-off to Central Huijin, which is the investment unit of China's sovereign wealth fund.

No further details have been given regarding the share transfer.

For more on CSRC's statement, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke with Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Foreign Automakers Suffer in the wake of Tianjin blastsA dozen of foreign automakers have been affected by last Wednesday's explosions in Tianjin.

Both Toyota and John Deere have suspended their factory operations near Tianjin port after many of their staff were injured in the blasts.

Toyota says it won't be restarting its operations in Tianjin until at least Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Renault has announced that around 1,500 of its cars were damaged in the blasts.

Other foreign brands including Volkswagen and Mitsubishi have reported severe damage.

It is estimated that the total loss for the automakers concerned hits over 2 billion yuan, or over 310 million US dollars.

Tianjin, China's fourth-largest port, handles around 40 percent of China's auto imports.

Insurance Compensation for Tianjin blasts could hit 6 bln yuan: industry observersIndustry observers estimate that the total amount of insurance compensation for the Tianjin blasts could reach some 6 billion yuan, or over 900 million US dollars.

This could be a huge loss for the local insurance sector.

This comes after China's insurance watchdog has called for a quick response to insurance claims from the deadly blasts.

The China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) says insurance firms should have adequate funding on hand in an attempt to support families of victims.

Right now, emergency response plans have already been put in place for major insurance companies, including Pingan, China life and Sunshine insurance.

China Pacific Insurance has prepaid 2 million yuan to a Tianjin local logistics firm to help restart its production line.

Japanese economy shrinks in Q2Official data suggests that the Japanese economy has shrunk an annualized 1.6 percent in the second quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, Japan's real GDP from April to June contracted 0.4 percent from the previous quarter.

The slower growth is said to be caused by poor performance in exports and consumer spending.

Japanese Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Akira Amari hopes the country's economy can bounce back in the third quarter.

"(We hope) to further expand and progress on the positive growth cycle by spurring a stronger increase in wages, as well as spurring investments as businesses have logged record highs in revenue levels. We are anticipating the economy to stay on a moderate recovery."The economic minister adds that slowing Chinese economic growth could be a cause for concern, saying the country will closely watch for supportive measures from the Chinese government.

Earlier, the International Monetary Fund had warned Japan, not to rely too much on the weak yen for its economic recovery.

China Eastern to buy 15 Airbus jetsIt is being reported that China Eastern Airlines is planning to buy 15 Airbus planes for some 3.6 billion US dollars.

The country's second largest airline by market value is scheduled to put seven A330s into service by 2017 and another eight by 2018.

This was announced by China Eastern Airlines in a statement to the Shanghai stock exchange.

In another move, the airline's board has approved a resolution to cut off financial support to Jetstar Hong Kong.

This is a low budget airline originally proposed by China Eastern, Shun Tak Holdings and Qantas Airways.

Earlier, China Eastern reported a nearly 300 times net profit gains in the first half of this year.

SportsChina Dominates at Badminton World ChampionsStarting things off with badminton:

From the badminton world championshisps in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Team China has once-again dominated the finals, taking home the world championships in men's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.

Chen Long has defended his world title, dumping Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei in straight sets, 21-14, 21-17 in the final.

In women's singles,Carolina Marin of Spain has raised the trophy for the second consecutive year after beating India's Saina Nehwal in the final.

In mixed doubles,Top-ranked Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei have retained their mixed doubles title, edging out Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin in an all-China final.

In women's doubles,Defending champions Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei got past Denmark's Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl to retain their title.

The golds in men's doubles have gone to Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia, who got past China's Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan in straight sets.

Athletics: China Prepares for Drug Testing for IAAF World ChampionshipsIn athletics:

China's Anti-Doping Agency, dubbed CHINADA, says its well prepared for the anti-doping program at the upcoming IAAF World Championships, which hit Beijing on Saturday.

All the urine and blood samples collected at the world championships will be analyzed in the Beijing lab. CHINADA will send a team of around 200 to carry out the anti-doping tests.

Athletics' world governing body has yet to release its anti-doping plan at the world championships, while it is busy handling the crisis that allegations of widespread doping has seriously damaged the sport.

According to IAAF, Beijing's meet could potentially be the biggest world championships in the 15 editions of the event with more than 1,900 athletes from 207 countries and regions entering.

Man City Thrashes Chelsea 3-0In football action from the English Premiere League:

The season is only a week old, but the problems are already piling up for defending champions Chelsea after a 3-0 thrashing by Manchester City on Sunday.

Goals by Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho were the least City deserved for a dominant display against a side who took 70 minutes to register a shot on target.

But Chelsea manager, Mourinho, was full of excuses for his team's poor performance:

"They were the best team in the first half. They controlled the game. They created chances. We were very comfortable with the ball, but defensively we were quite fragile. In the second half I think everything changed. We brought our defensive line to the midfield line. We pressed them up. We had control of the game. We created chances. We had lots of space in midfield to play. They couldn't cope with that."While a buoyant City top the table with six points, six goals scored and none conceded, Chelsea have one point after failing to win either of their opening two fixtures for the first time since 1998.

In other Premiere League Action:

A stunning scissor kick by Olivier Giroud set Arsenal on its way to a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

Chinese Football Association reform plan unveiledA reform plan for the Chinese Football association (CAF) was unveiled on Monday.

The reform plan aims to remove institutional hurdles in Chinese football development by unhooking connections between the CAF and China's General Administration of Sport.

The CAF will operate independently with its own financial system, human resource management and rights in international affairs.

After the reform, China's General Administration of Sport will not take part in services related to football, and it will only provide operational guidance or supervision of the CAF.

In contrast to its good performance in sports such as table tennis, badminton, diving, shooting, weightlifting and gymnastics, China has been plagued by poor performances by its football team at world events.

An overall reform plan was passed by China's central reform group earlier this year, chaired by President Xi Jinping.

Tennis: Andy Murray, Belinda Bencic Win Upsets to Hoist Rogers CupIn tennis:

It's been a day for big upsets at the Rogers Cup in Canada--In men's action:

Andy Murray beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday in the Rogers Cup for his fourth tournament victory of the year and third title in the Canadian event.

A ferocious baseline battle went to deuce 10 times and Murray fought off six break points to take the game.

Murray says it's a confidence booster to finally best Djokovic:

"This year I've had a lot of close matches with him, not managed to get it, so it's obviously nice to be able to get a win today and (it's) a good confidence booster going into the next few weeks."And in women's action:

Belinda Bencic won the Rogers Cup, following her upset of Serena Williams with a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 3-0 victory over an ailing Simona Halep.

Halep was hampered by a left leg injury and heat exhaustion and stopped in the third set.

Bencic's victory capped a week of upsets. She beat four of the top five seeds, including no. 1 Serena Williams in the semi-finals Saturday night.

Golf: Jason Day Shoots 20-Under for PGA Championship WinIn golf:

Australia's Jason Day created history by ending a run of near-misses with a brilliant first major victory in the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits on Sunday.

Day scored a final round of 67 to become the first player to finish a major on 20 under par, beating the previous record of 19 under set by Tiger Woods in the 2000 Open at St Andrews.

The 27-year-old was in tears even before tapping in for par on the 18th.

Jason Day on the victory:

"To be able it walk up the 18th hole and finish the way I did, it was just a lot of emotion that came out of me. I haven't had really much time to think about what I just accomplished and I guess you can take me off the best players without a Major now. So, I mean it's good to be a Major champion."American Jordan Spieth was looking to become only the third player after Woods and Ben Hogan to win three majors in a season, but a closing 68 meant he finished three shots behind and had to settle for overtaking Rory McIlroy to become the second youngest world number one behind Woods.

Entertainment'Go Away Mr. Tumor' Opened in the Top PositionChinese film 'Go Away Mr. Tumor' has come up top at the Chinese Box Office grossing nearly 20 million yuan or over three million US dollars.

The film starring Daniel Wu and Bai Baihe features the final years of a cartoonist and her fight against a malignant tumor until she loses the battle at the age of 30.

Previously, its advanced screening surpassed live-action fantasy movie 'Monster Hunt' and became the top-grossing premiere at the domestic box office.

Meanwhile, record-breaking film "Monster Hunt" has dropped to second place. Its total ticket sales has accumulated over 2.2 billion yuan thirty-two days since its release.

Starting from this Thursday, new films including 'Cities in Love' and 'Bride Wars' are scheduled to hit big screens across China.

9th Mao Dun Literature Prize Announces Winning NovelsThe 9th Mao Dun Literature Prize announced its winners on Sunday.

Regarded as China's top literature award, there were more than 250 novels competing for this year's prize, including literary creations from the country's most renowned writers.

The best novel awards were given to 'The Jiangnan Trilogy' by Ge Fei; 'Unique Landscape' by Wang Meng; 'A Record of Life' by Li Peifu, 'Blooming Flower' by Jin Yucheng; and 'Siskin' by Su Tong.

Among the outstanding winners, 81-year-old Wang Meng received his first Maodun Prize with his novel 'Unique Landscape', also known as 'Zhe Bian Feng Jing'.

The story was set in a village in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and features the mutual understanding and friendly coexistence between the Uyghur and Han ethnic groups.

Wang Meng started this work during the 1950s and 1970s, finally completing the novel in 2013.

The Mao Dun Literature Prize was established in 1982, and is held every four years.

Disney to Launch 'Star Wars' Themed Parks in USDisney has announced the launch of Star Wars themed lands with rides and attractions at Disneyland California and Disney World in Florida.

The announcement came at the D23 expo over the weekend.

The expansion is designed to feature a new planet from the 'Star Wars' world with sensor features, which can enable visitors to board an 'immersive' journey.

Actor John Boyega, who starred in the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has expressed his excitement towards the "Star Wars "themed lands.

"Growing up as a 'Star Wars' fan, I always wanted to meet my heroes. Before we go into 'Star Wars' land, if we can choose a side of whether we're going to be part of the resistance or part of the Imperial Army of the First Order, if we could choose to go in, that would alter our experience and or involvement, that would be great. But I'm sure Disney have all these ideas. They should let me into the board meeting. I've got all these things running through my head for that."An opening date for the themed lands has not yet been announced.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is scheduled for release in US and UK cinemas on December 18 in both in 2D and 3D versions.

The cast list of the seventh installment of the episodic space film series includes original members such as Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.

The story is set some 30 years after the events of the 'Return of the Jedi'.

One Direction Become Biggest Winners at Teen Choice AwardsBritish boy band One Direction has become the biggest winner at this year's Teen Choice Awards.

The band has proved they are still top pick as a four-piece by gaining eight awards, including choice male music group, choice summer music group, and choice selfie takers.

The boys thanked their fans through a taped video as they are currently on tour and couldn't make an appearance at the awards.

Last month, One Direction surprised theirs fans with a new single titled "Drag Me Down".

The song topped the UK music chart soon after its release and broke the record for number of plays, with 4.75 million plays worldwide on its release date.

In addition, Fast and Furious 7 was awarded Teen Choice action/adventure movie.

It also paid homage to a respected elder: Britney Spears by honoring her for being a style icon.

WeatherBeijing will have scattered thundershowers tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius; overcast tomorrow with the highest temperature hitting 29.

Shanghai will be cloudy tonight with a low of 25; same skies tomorrow with a high of 31.

Chongqing will have heavy rain tonight with a low of 22, moderate rain tomorrow with a high of 24.

Lhasa will see some showers tonight with a low of 12, more showers tomorrow with a high of 23.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy tomorrow, 38.

Kabul, cloudy, 31.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, sunny with a high of 15.

Brisbane will enjoy a sunny day with a high of 21.

Perth, cloudy, 19.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will see slight rain with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.

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

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

The death toll from the Tianjin blasts rising to 114......

12 bodies recovered after a landslide in northwest China's Shaanxi province.....

And Officials searching for Indonesian plane near Oksibil....

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...