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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Three Chinese nationals are dead and several others injured following a bombing in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

The death toll from last week's deadly explosions in Tianjin has risen to 114.

New measures have been announced to try to ensure clean air for the forthcoming military parade here in Beijing.

In Business... Jack Ma announces plans to spend his own money as part of Alibaba's share buyback plan.

In Sports... the Chinese Football Association cutting ties with the General Administration of Sport.

In entertainment.... an actress from Taiwan has been tapped to head the jury for a forthcoming film festival in South Korea.

Top NewsDeadly bomb blast hits Bangkok, killing 19AnchorThe Chinese embassy in Bangkok is now working to help assist the families of those killed an injured in a bombing last night in the Thai capital.

Three Chinese nationals are dead, and 15 others hurt, in a bombing which has left close to 20 dead and around 120 others hurt.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has the latestReporterThe Erawan Shrine, in downtown Bangkok, where the blast took place last night around 7pm is a major tourist attraction.

"I heard an explosion. My heart was beating fast but I wasn't afraid, so I came in to see. I saw wounded people with arms ripped off from the shoulder, another's leg was ripped off. I helped carry them into the hospital."Many of the victims are believed to be foreign tourists.

So far there's been no claim of responsibility.

Thailand's National police chief Somyot Poompummuang has confirmed the bombing has killed 10 Thai nationals, 3 Chinese, 1 Filipino and five others whose identities are yet to be confirmed.

"The blast radius of the bomb is about 100 metres. The bomb experts say that the bomb weighed about 3 kg."The Police chief says the bombers says the bombers appear to have been targeting foreigners.

"The perpetrators are cruel and heartless because they intend to take lives. Everyone knows that at 7 pm at the shrine there are a lot of people gathered around there – both Thais and foreign tourists - so if they plant a bomb there they know or can assume they will cause casualties."Around 3kg of TNT was stuffed into a pipe inside the shrine.

It was set off electronically.

Police discovered the detonator 30 metres from the scene of the blast.

The shrine is located at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok, which has been the centre of political demonstrations in recent years.

Thai authorities are promising swift action to find those responsible.

Sansern Kaewkamserd with the Thai government says they're setting up a "war room" to co-ordinate the response.

"The government insists that we will do everything in our power to investigate, with our utmost effort, to bring those involved and who are behind all of this to be sentenced."All schools in the Bangkok Municipal Area are closed this Tuesday due to security concerns.

No city-wide curfew has been issued.

Bangkok had been relatively peaceful since a military coup ousted the civilian government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra last May.

Bangkok is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

"When we left Germany, we did not think about anything like this could happen here in Bangkok, like in the city centre. We were thinking about not going to Egypt, not going to Morocco, Tunisia, or Syria or whatever, but we were not thinking about not going to Bangkok and our honeymoon and our vacation will go on, but with a very unsafe feeling."Thai investigators are looking into the possibility the attack could involve an international terror group.

Bombings in Thailand are often connected to political unrest or the Muslim insurgency in the southern regions of the country, and have rarely involved foreigners.

For CRI, I'm Poornima WeerasekaraRescue work continues after Tianjin blastsAnchorMemorial services are set to be held today for some of the victims of last week's deadly explosions at the Port of Tianjin.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

ReporterThe Mayor of Tianjin and other municipal authorities are set to attend a memorial later this Tuesday to pay respect to the young men who lost their lives in the massive warehouse explosions.

The memorial services come as crews continue to clear out the reminance of the estimated 700-tons of sodium cyanide which was in the warehouse when the explosion took place.

A new team of specialists have been brought in to ensure the clean-up goes smoothly.

"First, we don't open the containers. We only do our searches in exposed areas. Secondly, don't use water or foam to put out a fire to prevent a chemical reaction. Thirdly, we have orders to pull out immediately if it rains. If that happens, we'll change our plans before entering the core zone again."Sodium cyanide, when combined with water, can create toxic gases.

Air and water quality in the area is being closely monitored.

Four new monitors have been set up in the blast zone to test for chemical content in air 24/7.

Li Wang is a member of the military team which set up the new chemical detection units.

"This is a PPP-3000. It tests for Volatile Organic Compounds in the air and sends back data to the base continuously so we can tell whether the air in core area contains toxic elements and whether it is safe to breath. Right now it shows the air quality here is within normal standards."China's State Oceanic Administration says minute traces of cyanide have been detected in water samples collected near the Port of Tianjin.

However, authorities say the levels don't represent a threat to the marine environment for the time being.

Meanwhile, around a thousand people displaced by massive blasts last Wednesday have been given a chance to go back home and collect their essentials.

More people will be allowed back into the exclusion zone later on today to do the same.

Responding to calls for compensation, municipal authorities in Tianjin have announced a 6-thousand yuan package for those who have been forced from their homes.

For CRI, I'm Min RuiSupercomputer Tianhe-1A resumes service in TianjinThe Tianhe-1A supercomputer is once-again operational.

The world's fastest computer was shut down following last week's explosions in Tianjin.

It's only around 1.5-kilometers away from the blast zone.

Tianhe-1A was shut down after the windows in the facility were blown out.

The computer itself wasn't damaged.

However, the cooling system and electricity for the Tianhe-1A were damaged in the blast.

The supercomputer is currently being used by Tianjin's finance, commerce and meteorological departments.

12 Bodies Found as Search for Landslide Victims Continuing in ShaanxiTwelve bodies have now been recovered from last week's deadly landslide at a mining site in Shaanxi.

52 others remain missing.

Qian Zuqiao, deputy chief of army command headquarters, says they're employing the latest technology in the recovery effort.

"One of our soldiers is using a drone to fly over the debris. The drone takes pictures of the landslide area in depth, and sends back an image we can review."The landslide rolled through the dormatory of a local mining operation last Wednesday in the middle of the night, burying 64 people.

Ten managed to escape unhurt.

Four others were pulled alive from the rubble.

The search for the 52 still missing has been held up by concerns the debris from the slide may shift.

Temporary Measures to Ensure Clean Air for ParadeShut-downs have been announced ahead of the forthcoming parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Over 10-thousand factories and around 9-thousand active construction sites in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shandong and Henan are being told to shut down for 6-days from August 28th to September 4th.

Mu Liang with Beijing's environmental inspection unit says enforcement will be tight.

"We have worked out an emergency plan for the period. Any company who decides to break the rules will be fined the maximum amount under the law."Companies which break the rules can be fined up to 100-thousand yuan for the first offense.

As of this Thursday, the odd-even license plate restrictions are also being imposed in Beijing.

Beijing among most polluted Chinese cities againBeijing has once-again made the list of the top 10 Chinese cities with the worst air quality for this past month.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is reporting nearly two-thirds of the days in July had air-quality problems.

Six cities in Hebei are also on the list.

The report has determined the 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 releases a monthly report which covers the air quality readings in 74 cities across China.

10 billion Yuan Embezzled from Affordable Housing FundsChina's top auditing authority has found nearly 10 billion yuan worth of social housing funds have been embezzled.

The National Audit Office says around 200 different organizations illegally used the cash to either make new loans, repay debts, make investments or use the money to pay their bills.

Yu Lin with the National Audit Office says around 4-billion yuan has since been recovered.

"Our work over the past few years to try to strengthen our auditing has helped government agencies improve the management of affordable housing. This has helped eliminate some of the chronic problems we've seen in this sector."The Chinese government spent 560-billion yuan on affordable housing last year.

2015 China-Arab States Expo to enhance energy and infrastructure investment cooperationPreparations are underway for this year's China-Arab States Expo in the northwestern Chinese region of Ningxia.

Qian Keming with the Ministry of Commerce says this year's event is going to focus on energy an infrastructure.

"We're hoping to encourage more companies to import more oil products from Arab states to diversify and optimize the structure of our trade. We are also going to try to convince companies from both China and the Arab world to invest and cooperate in infrastructure construction in areas such as transportation, electricity and telecommunications."Bilateral trade between China and Arab states through the first 5-months came in at some 84-billion US dollars.

This year's China-Arab States Expo is set to begin on September 10th in Ningxia's capital, Yinchuan.

Help Migrant Children in QingdaoAnchorA couple in the city of Qingdao in Shandong have been working to try to help the children of migrant workers, offering schooling and other activities to help them adjust to life in a new city.

CRI's Yu Yang has more.

ReporterWhen the first light of morning shines onto the coastal city of Qingdao, vendors on Tuan Island Farmers' Market have already been busily preparing in their stalls.

But next to the entry of the market, things are much more peaceful. In a room of twenty square meters, the children of vendors are doing their homework. Sui Dongming and his wife help them to go over their lessons.

"When I asked my son: 'what's your dream?' He answered: 'I want to be a scientist, or an astronaut, or become a policeman.' But when I threw the same question to those migrant children, one of them said he wants to become a lamp. I was really shocked. Then I got to know the reason behind it. His parents go to restock at midnight every day. In the winter, the night is dark. He couldn't sleep until his parents come back home safe and sound. That's why he wants to become a lamp to light their way back home."Sui and Liang have been volunteering in a local youth center for many years. In 2013, the Qingdao government launched venture philanthropy projects for young people. Thus, the couple designed a program for the children of local migrant workers.

But they didn't expect there were nearly one hundred migrant children and most of them grew up in villages and followed their parents to the city.

As their research proceeded, the couple found out that those migrant children are introverted, shy and less confident, compared with their city peers.

So every weekend, Sui and Liang have taken those children for outdoor activities. Some responses are quite heart-wrenching.

"During a break, others reported to me that one boy is missing. The last place he had been seen was the washroom. So I ran to the washroom to check. He was still there and enjoyed looking around. I got curious and asked: 'why do you stay in a toilet?' He relied: 'I didn't realize this is a toilet!' That just proved to us how little the kid knows about the place in which he lives. "From group rock climbing to charity bazaar, the couple has assisted these children to be adapted to city life. They even built a classroom near the market and name it as "Society of Learning".

Han Qinglei, who once left a great impression on the couple, is now fourteen. After years of staying within the Society of Learning, he appears to be brighter, happier and more open-minded.

"My attachment towards Qingdao is deeper than my feeling for my hometown. I like this city."Liang emphasizes that parents and the society should do more to help those kids.

"Though many have just arrived in Qingdao and encountered some petty things that they haven't gotten used to, I believe that if parents could spare one hour or half a day to accompany their kids, they will blend in faster."By the end of 2014, the number of migrant workers in China rose to 274 million and the sum of migrant children is climbing every year.

For CRI, this is Yu Yang.

China's Breakthrough at WorldSkills CompetitionAnchorThe just-concluded Worldskills Competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil has produced China's first gold medals at the so-called "Olympics of Skills."CRI's Luo Bin reports.

ReporterChinese competitors have managed to clinch gold medals in car painting, fashion technology, welding and manufacturing technology.

They are the first gold medals for China at the world's largest skills competition.

Yang Jinlong, gold medalist in car painting, says he hopes to share his experience with the younger generation here in China.

"Truthfully, I don't think I'm the best in this field. There are many more people in China who are better than I am. I still have a lot to learn from people with more experience than I have. But in the same respect, I do want to use the skills I've learned here to help others."This is the third time a team from China has attended the Worldskills Competition.

32 young people from China have taken part in 29 different skills competitions.

On top of the 4 gold medals, the Chinese team also won six silver medals, three bronze and 12 other awards.

Simon Bartley, president of WorldSkills International, says their showing is a testament to China's vocational education.

"I think if that continues, then the Chinese economy will grow at an even greater pace than it is at the moment. And, actually the young people of China will be able to satisfy their dreams."This year's event in Sao Paulo has attracted around 12-hundred competitors from 59 different countries and regions.

South Korea has remained the reigning champion of the competition.

Tang Tao, vice-Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, says China's participation in the WorldSkills competition should help continue the development of vocational training in China.

"Participating in such an event can not only help improve the skills of technicians but also increase their competitive awareness. We are considering creating our own domestic skills competitions to meet the growing demands from our fast developing economy and society."The WorldSkills Competition is billed as the "Olympics of Skills."The competitors, aged between 23 and 25, are selected from WorldSkills member countries and regions.

China formally joined the organization 5-years ago.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

Head of Japan's Unit 731 lies to motivate government to form Unit 731: expertAn American historian studying Japan's invasion of China is suggesting the Japanese officer who convinced the Japanese government to set up Unit 731 in China during the occupation may have lied to get it done.

Professor Kenneth Port with with the William Mitchell School of Law in the US says he's found no evidence Shiro Ishii ever went on tour of Europe before the establishment of the notorious facility near Harbin.

"Everyone reports that story. However, if you look and I did, for the original source of the story that Shiro Ishii himself told occupation official that he did this trip. There's no evidence that he did this trip. "Unit 731 was set up in the 1930's during the Japanese occupation of northeastern China.

It was used as a research facility for biological and chemical warfare testing.

Estimates are that some 10-thousand people were killed as part of the experiments undertaken by Japanese researchers during the war.

Most of the victims were prisoners of war from China, Russia and the United States.

Modi addresses Indian expats in UAEIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has managed to secure a major investment deal in the United Arab Emirates.

Modi has made the revelation while addressing a crowd of some 50-thousand Indian expats currently living in Dubai.

"The joint statement released today, you will be surprised and delighted to know, that the Crown Prince will invest four and half lakh crore rupees (75 billion US dollars) in India."At the same time, Modi says the UAE is also in support of India's push for more power in the United Nations.

"The UAE said that they will support India in our bid for the permanent seat for the UN Permanent Security council. India should get the permanent seat in the Security. We are very thankful for the UAE for this statement."Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the United Arab Emirates in more than 3 decades.

'World Science Conference - Israel' Encourages Passion for ScienceAnchorA 'passion for science' is being touted as the main goal of this year's World Science Conference in Israel.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

Reporter400 young students from around the world are exchanging ideas in science with 15 different Nobel laureates at the inaugural World Science Conference-Israel in Jerusalem.

American biochemist and Nobel laureate Roger Kornberg is the Chair of the WSCI Academic Committee.

He says the conference provides a unique platform.

"The purposes are first and foremost to bring young people who are interested in science in contact with more senior scientists who have achieved a great deal and especially could communicate their love of science and encourage young people to pursue careers in science. Young people will realize that there is both a reason and an opportunity to pursue a passion for science, both for their own personal satisfaction, and of course for the betterment of humanity."Students can choose to take part in different panel discussions based on their interests.

"It's a very great opportunity to listen from the great minds like the Nobel laureates. I plan to major in computer science and continue my study in the United States. Actually I want to be a founder of a start-up company, a technology company."The participants include 13 high school students from China.

"It's my honor to come to the WSCI. I want to communicate with friends from all over the world who are interested in science, meet more people, and try to solve some academic problems together."Chinese American Nobel laureate, Steven Chu, the former Secretary of Energy, is also at the event.

He says he'd like to see young Chinese students explore theories which aren't already on-paper.

"In the United States, I try to teach my students, if I say something that does not make sense to them, they are allowed to say, no,I think you are wrong, and there is a discussion. This is what I believe to be the critical part of how you begin to think originally. You don't automatically accept something you read in a journal, something you read in a text book, or something you hear by respected scientists as automatically true."Shan Chongyong, head of the Chinese delegation, says the forum in Jerusalem is a great opportunity for students to learn.

"They have access to prestigious scientists, can participate in panel discussions and take part in seminars in science at a young age, which will help them a lot in choosing the subjects they want to study and devote themselves to in in the future. It will also broaden their horizons, which is very helpful for their studies."The conference in Israel runs until Thursday.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Second stage of Long March-5 carrier rocket undergoes Ignition testEngine testing for the second stage of China's Long March-5 rocket has been carried out.

It marks the end of the ground testing for the carrier rocket, which is going to be the main vehicle to help create China's own space station.

Lou Luliang, deputy chief designer of the Long March-5, says they feel the rocket is ready for its maiden voyage.

"The next step is going to the launch site. The production will be carried out on-schedule to prepare for the maiden flight next year."Lou Luliang says the design of the rocket, which is powered by a mix of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, makes it more environmentally-friendly than previous designs.

"The Long March-5 is the country's new generation of carrier rocket. The aim of its design is heavy thrust, zero toxins and pollution. It will serve 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 rocket itself is 5-meters in diameter and weighs more than 800 tons.

It will be able to carry up to 20-tons into space.

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 is set to become operational.

Yu Jianfeng, deputy general manager of the State Power Investment Cooperation, says the new unit will provide the city of Dalian with a new source of 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 new power unit should be able to supply a quarter of the annual electricity needs in 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, deputy director of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Company, says the plant is going to be a big benefit to Dalian when finished.

"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."There are currently 26 nuclear power generators operating in China.

WeatherBeijing will see thundershowers with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 20.

Tianjin will be cloudy with a high of 33 and lows of 24Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 32 and a low of 26.

In Chongqing, it will have moderate rain during the daytime with a high of 25 and lows of 22.

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

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 34.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 31.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 32 degrees.

Washington, slight rain with a high of 32 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 28 degrees.

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

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

Headline news19 people, including 3 Chinese, killed in Bangkok explosion19 people, including 3 Chinese nationals, are dead following a bombing in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

The blast hit in central Bangkok last night in a area popular with tourists.

It's not clear what the motive for the bombing might be.

However, Thai authorities say they believe the device was set off to create the largest amount of casualties possible.

117 others were hurt in the explosion.

Tianjin Blast Death Toll Hits 114The death toll from the Tianjin blasts has increased to 114.

70 others are still listed as missing.

The vast majority are firefighters.

Around 700 others remain in hospital.

57 are still in critical condition.

Memorial services are set to be held today for the victims.

China orders safety checks on commercial explosivesChinese industrial authorities are calling for new inspections of commercial explosives firms following the fatal explosions in Tianjin.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has ordered local regulators to conduct safety checks on firms that deal with commercial explosives, with a focus on storage and safety regulations.

Any company found to have not corrected any irregularities will be ordered to halt production.

In addition, the ministry has also announced that "in principle" its going to stop issuing new construction permits for industrial explosives factories.

Beijing among most polluted Chinese cities againBeijing has once-again made the list of the top 10 Chinese cities with the worst air quality for this past month.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is reporting nearly two-thirds of the days in July had air-quality problems.

Six cities in Hebei are also on the list.

The report has determined the 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 releases a monthly report which covers the air quality readings in 74 cities across China.

Nuclear deal not to open Iran to U.S. influence: KhameneiIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has gone on-record saying the new nuclear deal with world powers will not pave the way for the U.S. to influence the country.

Khamenei says Tehran will neither allow U.S. economic or political influence in the country.

He also says Iran will remain committed to supporting its allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Bahrain.

Sri Lanka awaits results of decisive parliamentary pollsPreliminary results from Sri Lanka's Parliamentary elections show the party backing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa holding a slight edge over the ruling coalition.

Final results are due out later this Tuesday.

The vote is widely seen as a referendum on the controversial former leader who was defeated at a Presidential election in January this year.

Rajapaksa oversaw the end of the 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009.

However, he lost power amid accusations of human rights violations and corruption.

Voter turnout for Monday's vote is estimated at around 80-percent.

International observers say the vote went off without any major problems.

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 close higher on Monday after strong economic data boosted the housing sector.

Housing stocks rose after data showed U.S. homebuilder sentiment rose in August to its highest since a matching reading almost a decade ago.

An index of housing sector stocks gained 1.2 percent to hit its highest in eight-and-a-half years.

Investors will also keep a close eye on the Fed minutes scheduled for release Wednesday, which was expected to give more clues on the timing of an interest rate hike.

In corporate news,Tesla Motors' shares surged 4.9 percent after Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the stock to 465 dollars from 280 dollars and said Tesla was its top pick among U.S. automakers.

Shares of Zulily soared 49.1 percent after Liberty Interactive said it would buy the online retailer for 2.4 billion U.S. dollars.

Liberty shares was down 1.5 percent.

Estee Lauder shares fell 6.8 percent after the cosmetics maker reported lower-than-expected quarterly sales.

At the close,The Dow Jones climbed 0.4 percent.

The S&P 500 ticked up half a percent.

The Nasdaq went up 0.9 percent.

Meanwhile, European stocks finished mixed Monday as official data show the first estimate of the eurozone's exports were up 12 percent year on year in June.

At the closing bell,The UK's FTSE 100 closed flat.

Germany's DAX dipped 0.4 percent.

France's CAC 40 gained 0.6 percent.

Finally here in China,Shares closed higher on Monday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.7 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index rose one percent.

Jack Ma joins Alibaba's 4 bln USD share buybackAlibaba founder Jack Ma and vice-chair Joe Tsai have announced have announced they're going to use their own money to buy Alibaba shares as part of the plan to repurchase some 4-billion U.S. dollars in the company.

Neither has said how much they plan to spend.

Jack Ma currently holds a 7.6-percent stake of Alibaba.

Joe Tsai owns 3.1 percent.

Alibaba announced its share repurchase plan last week after posting slower-than-expected revenue growth of 28-percent in the second quarter.

The company is currently trading at around 74-US dollars a share.

It began trading in New York at 68 US dollars a share.

China likely to cut oil pricesFuel prices are down slightly today in China.

Prices for regular gasoline are down by 0.1 yuan per liter as of today.

This is the 5th cut in fuel prices in China since June, and the 8th of the year.

The National Development and Reform Commission has to adjust the price of gas every 10 working days based on changes in the global market if the price of crude oil shifts more than 50 yuan per ton.

Crude oil prices fell on Monday, deepening a long slide as traders expect US production will remain strong.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for September delivery moved down 63 cents to settle 41-dollars-80 cents a barrel.

In London, Brent crude for October delivery decreased 45 cents to close at 48-dollars-70 cents a barrel.

Insurance Compensation for Tianjin blasts could hit 6 bln yuan: industry observersAnchorIndustry observers are suggesting the insurance claims connected to the Tianjin explosions could reach close to a billion US dollars.

China's insurance watchdog has already been calling for insurance companies to step up and settle claims as quickly as possible.

Emergency response plans have been activated among China's major insurers, including Ping'an, China life and Sunshine insurance.

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

International insurance companies such as Zurich Insurance Group and Allianz have also received insurance claims.

For more on the insurance compensation in the aftermath of the Tianjin blasts, we are now joined on the line by Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

1) Can you briefly explain to us how the property damage like vehicles and houses could be compensated through both domestic and international insurance firms following the disaster? Any difference from life insurance compensation?

2) It is said that the insurance compensation could be the single largest in history. So, how could the huge compensation affect profits of different kinds of insurance firms, and will it be a huge shock for the whole local insurance industry?

3) For people who haven't purchased insurance in advance but suffered severe property damage or injuries from the blast, will the Ruihai International or the local government be responsible to cover their losses?

Back Anchor:

Gao Shang, Analyst with Guantong Futures.

Singapore parliament approves its AIIB membershipSingapore's parliament has approved its attempt to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Singapore is set to contribute 250-million U.S. dollars to the Bank, giving Singapore just under 0.5-percent of the total voting share.

50-million of the 250 million U.S. dollars will be paid in over 5 years.

The remaining 80 percent will not be paid in, except when decided by the Bank's members in extraordinary circumstances.

The AIIB has 57 prospective founding members, with 50 countries signing on in July.

The remaining seven members need to sign before the end of the year.

Dongfeng, Saab-parent company to develop new-energy carsChinese automaker Dongfeng Motors has reached a deal with the owner of Swedish auto brand Saab to develop new-energy vehicles.

Dongfeng and National Electric Vehicle Sweden are planning to do research on producing fully-electric and extended-range electric vehicles.

As part of the deal, Dongfeng will establish a new production facility in Tianjin.

Hubei-based Dongfeng is a state-owned commercial and passenger vehicle comapny.

News of the deal sent Dongfeng shares up the 10 percent in Shanghai yesterday.

IndiGo finalises $26.5 billion purchase of 250 new Airbus jetsIndiGo, India's biggest airline by market share, has finalised the purchase of 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft in a deal worth about 26.5-billion U.S. dollars.

The deal makes IndiGo the largest airline customer for the Airbus A320-family of aircraft, with 530 such planes on-order.

The IndiGo deal will see deliveries of the planes begin in 3-years.

The A320neo is the re-engined and upgraded variant of the A320 family.

It's main competition is Boeing's upgraded 737 Max in the narrow-body market segment.

SportsAnnouncement of separation of Chinese FA from Sports MinistryA reform plan for the Chinese Football Association has been unveiled.

Cai Zhenhua, vice-minister of Sports, and head of the CFA, says the new plan will unlink football with the General Administration of Sport.

"We will take this opportunity to solve issues of self-discipline which have existed in the football industry, as well as improve the secretariat of the Chinese Football Association."Under the new plan, the Chinese Football Association will operate independently from the General Administration of Sport with its own financial system, human resource management and rights in international affairs.

The move is part of a larger plan to make China more internationally compeditive in football.

China currently ranks 79th in the world.

Liverpool beats Bournemouth 1-0 in Premier LeagueIn football action from the English Premier League,Christian Benteke has scored his first Premier League goal, helping Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Bournemouth earlier this morning.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.

"I think we had a good period of pressure leading up to the goal and the most important thing was that it was given. Of course, the offside ruling has changed the game. So it adds complication for people and in our managers' meeting it was said that the advantage was to be with the team attacking. So thankfully the goal counted and we are happy to get the win."This is the second straight 1-0 loss this season for Bournemouth, who just entered the Premiership.

Liverpool also won 1-0 at Stoke in the opening round.

----------Elsewhere in Europe,Athletic Bilbao has claimed their first trophy in 31 years as they drew 1-1 with 10-man Barcelona to win the Spanish Super Cup 5-1 on aggregate.

And it's Bayern Munich downing Dynamo Dresden 3-1 in a friendly.

Sergio Ramos signs five-year deal at Real MadridIn off-pitch football news,Read Madrid has agreed to a new contract with defender Sergio Ramos.

The new deal will see Ramos stay with the Spanish powerhouse for the next 5-years.

"I've never said I want to leave Real Madrid, I always wanted to be here, as long as my president and fans allow. I would like to retire here. I think there's almost nothing as beautiful as that and I'd be absolutely grateful. Now I have a new challenge, which is being captain of this club, of this team, and I'll do it the best I can."The 29-year-old was being actively courted by Manchester United this summer.

Ramos has helped lead Real Madrid to a UEFA Champions League trophy, three Spanish league titles and two Copa del Rey titles since he joined the club in 2005.

Real Madrid is set to begin its La Liga season on Sunday.

Chung Mong-joon launches formal bid for FIFA presidencyIn other football news,Former FIFA vice president Chung Mong-Joon of South Korea has formally launched his candidacy for the FIFA presidency.

The 63-year-old South Korean billionaire will be up against Michel Platini, current head of UEFA.

Chung is promising to be a one-term leader of FIFA, saying FIFA needs a fresh approach after the Sepp Blatter era.

Chung is an honorary vice-president of FIFA but has been out of executive office since being ousted as Asia's FIFA vice-president by Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein in 2011.

Kei Nishikori explains reasons for withdrawal from CincinnatiIn tennis action from the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, USA.

World number four Kei Nishikori has pulled out of the tournament with an injury.

"I kind of got hurt last week in Montreal in the last match against Andy (Murray). I (have) played a lot of matches from Washington and played four matches in Montreal so I was a little bit tired in my body but my hip was a little bit bothering me so I couldn't really finish the match."The 25-year-old says he still plans to take part in the US Open at the end of the month.

---------------On the women's side,American Venus Williams has reached the second round after getting past Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas in straight sets 7-6, 6-4.

Jelena Jankovic from Serbia, Italian Karin Knap and Coco Vandeweghe of the United States also progressed.

---------------In off-court tennis news,Rogers Cup winner Andy Murray has surpassed Roger Federer into 2nd place in the world rankings.

Serbian Novak Djokovic remains as world number.

Murray has also become the second player to earn a place in the ATP Finals in Singapore.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal has returned to top 8 after reaching quarter-finals at Rodgers Cup.

Ranked 217th, Zhang Duo is the highest-ranking Chinese player.

On the women's side,World's top five remains unchanged with Serena Williams being world number one.

Chinese veteran Pengshuai sits at 32th place.

A total of 9 Chinese players are among top 200.

Belinda Bencic from Switzerland has jumped to a carrer-high 12th place after winning the Rogers Cup.

National Basketball League RecapIn the Chinese National Basketball League,It was Zhengzhou downing Beijing 120-111.

Zhao Nan scored a game-high 53 points for Beijing in the loss.

In other action,Henan downed Lhasa 84-66.

Shaanxi got past Anhui 91-79.

Guizhou went down to Nanjing 107-80.

-------------In off-court basketball news,The Xinjiang Flying Tigers have signed American import Andrew Goudelock to a new contract worth 1.8 million US dollars.

27-year-old Goudelock was drafted by the LA Lakers in the 2nd round in 2011.

China's women's volleyball team unveiled for world CupIn volleyball news,The line-up for the Chinese women's squad for World Cup in Japan has been unveiled.

Chinese star Hui Ruoqi has not been included on the team.

She's reportedly suffering from heart issues, and won't travel to Japan.

25-year-old Zeng Chunlei has been named as the new captain.

This year's World Cup will run from this Saturday to September 6th in Japan.

The champions and runner-ups will be given automatic byes into next year's Olympic Games.

China finished as runner-ups last year.

Chinese ethnic games closes 9-day ethnic get-togetherThis year's Ethnic Minority Games have come to an end in Inner Mongolia.

Over 6-thousand athletes representing all 56 ethnic groups in China have competed or performed in nearly 200 different traditional sports events.

The Minority Games were first put on in 1953.

EntertainmentBusan film festival unveils New Currents Jury; top 10 Asian filmsSouth Korea's 20th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has announced that iconic Taiwan actress and filmmaker Sylvia Chang will lead this year's New Currents jury.

The Golden Bear-nominated film "20 30 40", which Chang directed and acted in, was screened in Busan in 2004.

Joining Chang on the jury is South Korean director Kim Tae-yong, whose films include Memento Mori, Family Ties and Late Autumn.

Indian director Anurag Kashyap, whose critically-acclaimed works include Black Friday, is also part of the judging panel.

German actress Nastassja Kinski, whose films include Roman Polanski's Tess and the chief film critic of the Village Voice Stephanie Zacharek make up the rest of the jury.

The jury will award 30,000 US dollars each to two films in the competition for new Asian directors.

The Busan international Film Festival will run from Oct 1-10 with the Asian Film Market running from Oct 3-6 this year.

Vivian Hsu gives birth to baby boyTaiwan star Vivian Hsu has announced on Facebook that she has given birth to a boy, her first child with Singapore-based, Indonesian-born husband Sean Lee.

The new parents have named him "Dalton Lee".

The baby was born prematurely at 32 weeks, weighing 2 kilograms, after a tough pregnancy for Hsu.

Hsu married Lee in 2014.

This is the first child for Hsu but the third for Lee, who has two daughters from a previous marriage.

Ne-yo, Gwen Stefani, Jessie Ware & More Cover Classic Disney Songs For CompilationIt seems that all the classic Disney films are getting a remake these days, so why not the films' music too?

According to an announcement at Disney's D23 convention over the weekend, the company is releasing an album of cover songs put together by some of the biggest names in pop, rock and country, including Ne-Yo, Gwen Stefani, Fall out Boy and more.

In the compilation album called "We Love Disney", Ne-Yo will sing a jazzy big-band version of "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin.

Jhene Aiko will cover "In a World of My Own" from Alice in Wonderland. Ariana Grande will sing the Hercules hit song "Zero to Hero"The album also includes the stars' renditions of songs from The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Pocahontas and Frozen.

The 16-time Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster is in-charge of the project.

The album will be out on October 30.

Jess Glynne is set to match Cheryl Fernandez-Versini's chart recordJess Glynne is looking to match Cheryl Fernandez-Versini's chart record this Friday.

The singer is currently at the top of the charts with 'Don't Be So Hard On Yourself'.

If she stays there she'll equal Cheryl's record of five number ones - the most for a British solo female.

Last week's number one, Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor's 'Marvin Gaye', slips to two.

Calvin Harris and Disciples are at three with 'How Deep Is Your Love'.

French DJ Martin Solveig is on course for his first UK Top 10 single, with 'Intoxicated' climbing 104 places to four, while The Weeknd's 'Can't Feel My Face' drops two places to five.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Three Chinese nationals are dead and several others injured following a bombing in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

The death toll from last week's deadly explosions in Tianjin has risen to 114.

New measures have been announced to try to ensure clean air for the forthcoming military parade here in Beijing.

In Business... Jack Ma announces plans to spend his own money as part of Alibaba's share buyback plan.

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.