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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Preparations in full swing for the parade here in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory in the war against Japanese aggression...

China cutting the reserve requirement ratio and interest rates as Chinese stocks take yet another major hit today...

South Korea and North Korea lifting their military alerts as tensions ratchet down between the rival sides...

In Business...China's central bank injecting 150 billion yuan into markets through reverse repos...

In Sports...the latest from the World Athletics Championships here in Beijing....

And in Entertainment... Rapper Drake spotted out on a date with tennis legend Serena Williams...

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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TopPreparation for 70th anniversary of China's WWII victory in Full SwingAnchor:

The commemorations for the 70th anniversary of China's victory in its War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Allied victory in the world anti-fascist war are in full swing.

So far, a total of 49 countries have confirmed their presence at China's V-Day celebrations, including a military parade, on Sept. 3 in Beijing.

CRI's Xiao Yi reports.

Reporter:

Foreign leaders of 30 countries and 19 high-level government representatives will attend the parade.

Another 10 heads of international and regional organizations will also be present at the event.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Vice foreign minister Zhang Ming introduces the significance of the events.

"Through the Sept. 3 commemorative event, we will, together with the guests from the world, commemorate the martyrs that sacrificed their lives for world peace, dignity and freedom, pay tribute to the innocent civilians that lost their lives during World War II. By reviewing the history of World War II, we will together promote world peace and development to create a better future for the humans."UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, South African President Jacob Zuma, and Egyptian President Abdel el-Sisi are included in the guest list.

North Korean will be represented by a high-ranking official Choe Ryong-hae.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will not attend the commemoration.

Six former world leaders including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, will also attend.

Dozens of foreigners acclaimed in China for their contribution during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression will also attend the V-Day celebrations on Sept. 3.

Qu Rui with the General Staff Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army says nearly 1,000 foreign troops from 17 countries will participate in the parade.

"So far, eleven countries, including Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Mongolia, Pakistan, Serbia, Tajikistan and Russia, have dispatched formations to participate in the parade, and another six countries including Venezuela have sent representative teams."The troops will be grouped alphabetically according to their country names, and will follow PLA foot formations in the parade.

Guo Weimin with the State Council Information Office introduces the arrangements for the commemorative events besides the parade.

"A grand reception will be held in the Great Hall of the People at noon. Party and state leaders will gather together with guests from both home and abroad to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the war against the aggression. A magnificent show with a distinctive theme will be held in the Great Hall of the People in the evening to represent the heroic and historical course of China's war against aggression."Veterans and military leaders who participated in the war against Japanese aggression, or their families on their behalf, will be awarded medals by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

Japan signed its formal surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, and China celebrated its victory the following day.

Japan invaded northeast China in September 1931 and started a full-scale war on July 7, 1937, when they launched an attack on the Lugou bridge on the outskirts of Beijing.

It is the first military parade to mark an anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in China and the first with foreign military participation.

For CRI, I'm Xyee.

Missile launchers tested in drills to march in V-day paradeIts been confirmed that all of the missile launchers on display in China's Sept. 3 military parade have fired live ammunition during military training and drills before.

The missile launchers are in the No.1 Formation of strategic ballistic missiles from the Second Artillery Force of the People's Liberation Army.

Hu Zhugen, political commissar of the formation, says all of the launchers in his formation have participated in many drills.

Some of the vehicles have just returned from exercises in the Gobi desert and plateau regions. Some will immediately set out for new launching sites after the V-day parade.

More than 500 pieces of China's latest equipment will be on display in the Victory Day parade, most of which have not been seen by the public before.

China proposes medals for outstanding foreignersChinese lawmakers are considering creating a new set of honors for foreigners who have made important contributions to China.

Li Shishi with the National People's Congress Standing Committee says the new proposal will allow the President to hand out medals to foreigners.

"The Medal of the Republic will honor people who have played an outstanding role in the country's social development and defense construction. The national honorary title will be rewards for prominent figures in economics, foreign affairs, defence, education, culture, healthcare, sports, science and technology."Li Shishi says the awards would be considered the highest honor of the nation.

"Under the plan, we will set up a national book of merit, and add that person's name and their contribution to society. The person granted the award will also be invited to take part in national celebrations as a top dignitary. Thirdly, we will promote the award winners' contributions in various ways."The medals would be handed out by the President on National Day or during other significant festivals.

China's cuts interest rates, reserve ratioChina's central bank has announced cuts to both benchmark one-year interest rates and the requirement reserve ratio, the amount of reserves that banks required to hold.

Interest rates for one-year lending and deposits have been cut by 25 bps to 4.6 percent and 1.75 percent respectively.

The cuts, aimed at reducing corporate borrowing costs, will be effective on Wednesday.

The central bank also cut the requirement reserve ratio by 50 basis points, starting from September 6.

The reserve ratio for county-level rural financial institutions has been further cut by additional half a percent and the ratio for financial leasing and auto financing firms by an additional 3 percent.

The move is aimed to ensure adequate liquidity and stable credit growth.

China stocks sink below 3,000 points TuesdayChinese stocks had another nightmarish day Tuesday amid the ongoing global rout.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 7.6 percent to dip just below 3,000 points, following the nearly 8.5-percent loss on Monday in its biggest daily slump since February 2007.

The Shenzhen Component Index lost around 7 percent.

The ChiNext Index, which tracks China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, fell 7.5 percent to close at 1,990 points.

World stock markets plunged on Monday after China's stock market fell by its biggest margin in eight years.

U.S. stock markets closed sharply lower, with the Dow Jones shedding close to 11-hundred points in the morning trading session. It was the largest intra-day loss ever recorded on the Dow.

Over in Europe, equities also declined, sending the German DAX tumbling 4.7 percent.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says all eyes will be on the Chinese markets this Tuesday.

"I'm convinced that China will do everything possible to stabilize its economic situation. China is an important partner of the European Union and we are in close contact with them."Commodities were also under heavy pressure across the board, with crude oil prices taking a big hit.

For more on the market turbulance, CRI's Michael Butterworth earlier spoke with Ann Lee, adjunct professor of economics and finance at New York University.

PBOC researcher blames Fed for stocks routA researcher with China's central bank has blamed wide expectation of a Fed rate rise in September for the global market rout.

Yao Yudong, head of the People's Bank of China's Research Institute of Finance, says the expected Fed rate hike next month has been the "trigger" for the wild market swings.

Analysts worried that the Fed rate hike could accelerate the plunge of U.S. stocks and trigger a sell-off of assets worldwide and even a new global credit crisis.

Yao said the Fed should remain patient before the U.S. inflation reaches 2 percent.

Tianjin blast death toll rises to 135Rescue authorities have updated the death toll from the Tianjin warehouse explosions to 135, with 38 others missing.

All the dead have been identified, including 81 firefighters, seven policemen and 47 other people. The missing people include 23 firefighters, four policemen and 11 others.

Meanwhile, 582 people remain hospitalized, 36 of them in serious condition.

China legislates against domestic violence, law stepping in family affairsAnchor:

Chinese legislators are working on a law specifically covering domestic violence.

CRI's Min Rui reports.

Reporter:

The draft is said to be the first of its kind in China connected to domestic violence.

It has been discussed at the bi-monthly meeting of the National People's Congress Standing CommitteeSong Xiuyan with the State Council says the draft bill highlights prevention and puts the onus on those with a duty to protect the victims.

"In order to better protect those who are afraid to speak out for themselves, the draft law obligates staff at secondary and primary schools, kindergartens as well as medical institutions who suspect domestic violence to report it. Those who fail to report clear signs of domestic violence will be subject to possible punishment."Domestic violence still remains a taboo subject in China, where culture holds that family conflicts are embarrassing private matters which should remain private.

As a result, victims of domestic violence victims are often too embarrassed to speak out.

Professor Li Mingshun, vice-President of the Academy of Marriage and Family Law with the China Law Society, says mandatory reporting should do a lot to ensure victims of domestic violence get the help they need.

"For these groups of people who are usually subject to domestic violence, such as minors, the mentally ill, the elderly and the disabled, by mandating schools and medical institutions to report possible violence, lots of hidden domestic violence cases can be unveiled. This will give police and community organizations time to act."Stats from the All-China Women's Federation suggest around one-in-four Chinese women have suffered some form of domestic violence in their marriages.

However, only around 50-thousand cases of domestic abuse are registered, on average, every year in China.

Though domestic violence is covered under the Marriage Law and the Minor Protection Law, Li Mingshun with the China Law Society says the punishment and enforcement in those laws is weak.

"Although these laws have regulations on domestic violence, the regulations are covered under different statutes in the law, without a unified system. That's why these aren't very effective, and can often hold-up law enforcement. Some of the regulations lack enforcement mechanisms."Under the proposed new legislation, victims of domestic violence will also be able to apply for restraining orders against their abusers.

The courts will be obligated to make a ruling on whether or not to grant a restraining order within 48-hours.

If granted, the courts may order the abuser to move out of the home.

The courts can also order various other measures to protect the safety of the applicant.

Those who violate the orders can be detained for up to 15-days.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

China Considers Repealing Crime of Sex with Underage ProstitutesAnchor:

A proposed amendment to China's penal code is calling for eliminating the long-controversial charge of "prostitution with underage girls."CRI's Yu Yang explains.

Reporter:

If the measure is approved by the country's top lawmakers, sex with girls under 14 will be considered rape and subject to harsher penalties, including death, regardless of whether the girl gave her consent.

The debate over whether to scrap the crime of "prostitution with underage girls" has lingered ever since it was first written into the Criminal Law 18-years ago.

Debate peaked in 2009 when eight people in Guizhou, including four government officials and a teacher, were discovered having sex with primary and middle school students.

Many were calling for them to receive death, but were only given jail terms.

Legal expert Mao Lixin says the controversy mainly stems from conflicting provisions between the crime itself and the crime of rape.

"The crime of rape defines sex with girls under 14 as an aggravating factor for heavier punishment, given these children lack capacity to protect themselves. But the underage sex crime assumes the girls involved have full capacity for civil conduct."Under the current law, people who have sex with prostitutes less than 14 years old face a maximum of 15 years in prison, while those convicted of raping a child may face death sentence.

The different punishments have fueled anger that offenders can escape harsher punishment as long as they are able to convince the courts the underage girls had consented and were paid.

At the same time, Mao Lixin says the name attached to the current legislation is also problematic for the victims.

"The crime imposed stigma on young girls who might have been forced into prostitution, because even as victims of the crime, the term "prostitute" forever became the label attached to the girls."The National People's Congress Standing Committee is set to deliberate the draft amendment later on this Tuesday.

Some legal experts have been calling for a separate legal code called the "rape of minors" which would carry tougher punishments than the crime of rape, in order to stress the protection of young girls.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Murals in Tibet's Potala Palace digitized for better protectionWork is underway in the Potala Palace in Lhasa in a bid to better protect cultural relics.

Around 25-hundred square meters of murals have been digitized into high definition images.

The murals tell the stories of historical figures, religious stories, biographies of eminent monks as well as various aspects of people's life.

Wan Jie, leader of the digitizing project, says the high-definition digital images not only protect the relics, but also create an opportunity to show more people the great art inside the Potala Palace.

"There are various ways to present the digital images. For example, we can print them and display the pictures, we can hold multimedia exhibition, digital exhibition and the all-round display. They will let more people enjoy the exhibitions and the cultural relics through internet."The Potala Palace in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, was built over 13-hundred years ago.

It saw some 830-thousand tourists roll through it last year.

S. Korea, DPRK to lift military alert from noon TuesdaySouth and North Korea will lift the state of high alert for their militaries from noon on Tuesday.

After 40-plus-hours of talks, the two Koreas have pulled back from the brink of war.

As agreed, South Korea will stop its propaganda broadcasts in frontline areas from noon after North Korea expressed regret over a recent land mine blast that maimed two South Korean soldiers.

"The North side expressed regret over the recent mine explosion that occurred in the South side's area of the Demilitarized Zone along the Military Demarcation Line, wounding soldiers of the South side."South Korean presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook says they have hit turning point for the relief of tensions.

"This agreement is considered the fruit of our government constantly following the principle of strongly dealing with North Korea's provocation while opening the door of dialogue to resolve the issue."However, Min Kyung-wook notes that the broadcast loudspeakers will remain stationed in where they were as the removal of the speakers was not discussed.

The US State Department says it welcomes South Korea's agreement to halt its cross-border propaganda broadcasts.

US to Deploy F-22 Fighter Jets in EuropeThe United States Air Force says its F-22 fighter jets will be sent to Europe very soon.

Air Force Secretary Deborah James gives the reasons for the move.

"For the Air Force, an F-22 deployment is certainly on the strong side of the coin, and so today we are announcing that we will very soon deploy F-22's to Europe to support combat and commander requirements and as part of the European Reassurance Initiative."James ties the move to NATO allies' growing concerns about Russian military aggression in Ukraine.

However she doesn't give details about where or when the jets would be deployed.

Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welsh says the F-22 deploying is a natural evolution, and will be trained with European partners.

The Air Force has been using F-22 fighter jets in strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

These are the first real combat air strikes carried out by the aircraft.

UK authorities roll out Airshow Crash responseBritain's aviation regulators issued immediate restrictions on flying displays by vintage aircraft after a jet performing at an air show crashed and killed at least 11 people on Monday.

The Hawker Hunter jet slammed onto a highway after failing to pull out of a loop maneuver during the Shoreham Airshow.

The Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that flying displays by vintage jet aircraft will be restricted and any display over land will be restricted to flybys only.

The A27 highway is expected to remain closed for days while authorities continue forensic investigation.

In the past 15 years, there have been 10 fatalities at U.K. air shows.

Saturday's incident will be the first of these involve anyone other than the aircrew.

Sierra Leone Releases Last Known Ebola VictimHealth authorities in Sierra Leone released the country's last known Ebola patient from an Ebola Treatment Center on Monday.

Adama Sankoh was given a certificate of discharge by President Ernest Bai Koroma after being cleared of the Ebola virus.

President Koroma had this to say about the latest development.

"It is a great pleasure for me and I believe all of us to be here today to witness the discharge of Adama Sankoh, the last patient to be discharged from an Ebola Treatment Centre in Sierra Leone. This is a momentous occasion and one I know everybody has been waiting for."The milestone release allows the nation to begin a 42-day countdown to being declared free of the virus that has killed more than 3,500 people there.

The only other country to have not declared itself Ebola free is Guinea.

In all, the epidemic is responsible for more than 11-thousand 2-hundered deaths since late 2013.

Japanese Climber to challenge EverestA Japanese climber will be the first to attempt to scale Mount Everest since a massive earthquake in April that triggered avalanches which were responsible for the death of 18 climbers.

Nobukazu Kuriki of Tokyo will make a solo attempt on the 8,850-metre Everest summit along the normal Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

WeatherBeijing will see scattered thundershowers tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 31.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a low of 23; more clouds tomorrow with a high of 30.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 23, cloudy tomorrow and a high of 31.

Lhasa will have showers tonight with a low of 10, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 22.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, sunny tomorrow, 36.

Kabul, cloudy, 30.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, slight rain with a high of 19.

Brisbane, sunny with a high of 24.

Perth, cloudy, 20.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsForeign war heroes to attend China's V-Day paradeDozens of foreigners acclaimed in China for their contributions during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression will attend the country's V-Day celebrations on Sept. 3.

The group of over 100 foreign VIPs will include relatives of these wartime heroes from 15 nations.

Among them are veterans of the "Flying Tigers," the nickname given to the American Volunteer Group, the air corps that fought alongside the Chinese during WWII.

Relatives of Canadian doctor Norman Bethune, who died saving Chinese soldiers during the War, as well as foreign nationals, whose relatives helped save Chinese people during the Nanjing Massacre, are also set to be among the attendees.

Typhoon Goni to hit NE ChinaChina's National Meteorological Center has warned that Typhoon Goni is set to sweep the country's northeast, affecting farming there.

Goni is moving toward the northeast at a speed of 25 km per hour with weakening strength, and is expected to land near the borders of Russia and North Korea on Thursday morning.

The typhoon is forecast tp bring gales and torrential rain to the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang from Wednesday to Friday.

The NMC has warned strong winds and low temperatures will hamper crop growth in the area, which is one of China's major grain production bases.

China unveils border trade zone with North KoreaAuthorities in northeast China's Liaoning province are preparing to open a border trade zone with North Korea.

The Guomenwan trade zone is located in the city of Dandong, a key hub for trade, investment and tourism between China and North Korea.

With a total investment of 1 billion yuan, it covers a floor area of 24,000 square meters.

According to the provincial government, the trade zone is expected to open in October.

Residents living within 20 km of the border will be able to exchange commodities at the marketplace with people from North Korea and enjoy a duty-free policy if spending less than 8,000 yuan per day.

U.S. diplomat to visit India to shape bilateral strategic talksA high-ranking U.S. diplomat will visit India to give shape to the first-ever Indo-U.S. strategic and commercial dialogue.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal will arrive in the Indian capital tomorrow for a two-day visit.

She will meet Indian officials to fix the date and agenda of the bilateral strategic and commercial talks.

Biswal's visit also comes ahead of a possible meeting between U. S. President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when Modi attends the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.

However, no date has been finalized for the meeting.

Biz ReportsTurning now to business news.

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

Asian stocks closed mixed on Tuesday.

At close,Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index gained 0.7 percent.

Shares related to chemicals, computers as well as banking industries are leading the gains today.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japan's benchmark Nikkei ended sharply lower, losing 3.9 percent.

However, South Korea's KOSPI was up 0.9 percent.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index also advanced 1.5 percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX 200 gained 2.7 percent.

China's Central Bank Injects 150 Bln into MarketChina's central bank has pumped the most funds into the financial system in open market operations since January 2014 amid efforts to ease a liquidity strain.

The People's Bank of China conducted 150 billion yuan, or 23.4 billion U.S. dollars, of seven-day reverse repurchase agreements today.

This is a process in which central banks purchase securities from banks with an agreement to resell them in the future.

The reverse repo was priced to yield 2.5 percent, unchanged from the yield on a net injection last week of 150 billion yuan using reverse repos.

Liquidity in the money market has tightened due to dropping new yuan funds outstanding for foreign exchange and a depreciating Chinese yuan.

The PBOC also channeled another 110 billion yuan via its medium-term lending facility, which allows banks to borrow from the central bank by using securities as collateral.

China launches campaign against underground banksChinese police have launched a nationwide campaign against underground banks in a bid to maintain order in financial and capital markets.

A similar campaign was launched in April to stop transfers of illicit money through offshore companies and underground banks.

The campaign uncovered several major cases involving more than 430 billion yuan, or 67.2 billion U.S. dollars.

Underground banks are still rampant and becoming a channel for other crimes to transfer illicit assets, disturbing the financial and capital market.

The campaign against the banks will run until the end of November.

China Plans to Impose Limit Management on Local Government DebtsChina's Ministry of Finance has proposed to impose limit managements on local government debt.

Minister of Finance Lou Jiwei explains more about the plan.

"Local governments will be given a three-year grace period to make arrangements and transfer their debts held in forms other than non-governmental bonds, for example those borrowed through bank loans, into local government bonds issued within their set limit."He adds that the new budget law stipulates that local governments can raise funds by issuing local government bonds within a warning limit set by the State Council.

In this way, the local governments must exercise limit management to keep their debts within the limit.

"Referring to both accepted international practices and China's conditions, we plan to set a 100 percent debt ratio as the overall government debt warning line, which means that the debt balance of a local government should not exceed its overall finance level."In recent years local governments have resorted to borrowing to raise funds for local infrastructure construction, fight against natural disasters, work towards the improvement of people's lives and economic development.

But an excessive growth of debts has led to the problem of insolvency.

China's lottery sales slip in JulyAnchor:

Latest stats show China's lottery sales experienced a year-on-year decline in July.

July saw over 27 billion yuan, or 4.2 billion U.S. dollars' worth of lottery tickets sold.

This is a year-on-year drop of over 27 percent.

However, authorities say last year's high baseline is the main reason for the large percentage drop.

Lottery sales in China have come in at 215 billion yuan through the first 7 months of this year, down 0.4-percent year on year.

The same analysis shows lottery sales have more than doubled in China's poorer, more remote regions, including Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Guizhou and Fujian.

For more on the lottery sales in China, CRI's Paul James spoke with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

China mulls decoupling asset evaluation industry, regulatorsChinese lawmakers have started to mull a draft law requiring independence of asset evaluation industry associations from government regulators.

The draft law has been submitted for its third reading at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of China's top legislature.

It said regulators should not have personnel or financial connections with industry associations, nor can they feed asset appraising agencies with business orders.

Meantime, a report from the NPC's Law Committee has suggested adjustments on managing asset appraisers in the country.

Cong Bin, an official from the Law Committee, says entrance permits into the industry are also rescinded.

"The Law Committee suggests that registered asset appraisers be renamed asset appraisers, therefore requirements for registration will be deleted, and the professional appraisers will be managed under a performance rating system."The draft law deals with the management of asset appraisers, the obligation and rights of evaluation institutions, supervision over the appraisal industry, and penalties for violations.

The draft law also aims to facilitate coordination among government departments to better regulate the industry.

Americans' views of oil & gas industry improveAmerican's views of oil and gas industry have improved thanks to the low gasoline prices.

A recent survey has shown that 34 percent of Americans say they have a positive view of the industry this year, up 12 percentage points since 2012.

Ratings have improved as the average price of gasoline in August has declined more than 1 U.S. dollar per gallon since 2012.

The survey also found there is a statistically strong, albeit imperfect, inverse relationship between gas prices and Americans' views of the oil and gas industry.

Positive perceptions of the oil and gas industry fell to an all-time low of 15 percent in 2008, when gasoline prices averaged 4.1 dollars per gallon.

However, this improvement has not changed the total negative impression of this sector so far.

The net rating of the industry this year is -13 based on 34 percent positive ratings and 47 percent negative ones.

SportsIAAF World Championships Update/PreviewHitting the starting block with a preview of upcoming action from the IAAF World Championships that are going on right now in Beijing:

In women's action:

Discus Throw finalAnd in the 400-meter sprintIn men's action:

It's another battle for the world's top sprinters in the 200-meter heatsAnd in the long jump, three Chinese jumpers made it to the finalsStill to come this evening:

It's the men's finals in the 400-meter hurdles and the men's finals in the 800-meter race.

In upcoming women's action:

It's the 1500-meter event.

For more action, we go to our reporter, Luo Bin, who is on the ground at the Chinese capital's Bird's Nest Stadium.

Guangzhou Evergrande vs. Kashiwa Reysol in AFC, EPL, La Liga RecapIn football action:

First, from Asia:

Guangzhou Evergrande hit the pitch against Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol for a place in the semi-finals of AFC Champions League.

From the English Premiere League--Arsenal and Liverpool evened out nil-nil in their scoreless encounter.

Both sides showed dominance in the draw, but Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, was incensed after Gunners' Aaron Ramsey's goal was incorrectly ruled out for an off-sides call.

Over in La Liga:

Eibar are determined to bounce back from nearly dropping to relegation, and they took the first step to doing just that by beating Granada 3-1.

Football: Ricardo Ferretti Interim Head Coach for Mexico Nat'l TeamIn off-pitch football news:

The Mexican Football Federation formally presented Tigre coach Ricardo Ferretti as the interim manager of the national squad at a press conference in Mexico City on Monday.

The 61 year-old Brazilian agreed to combine his club duties with the national team role on a temporary basis to give more time for the federation to find a full-time manager.

The Mexican federation sacked former coach Miguel Herrera following allegations that he had a physical confrontation with a journalist in Philadelphia after winning the Gold Cup on last July.

Ferretti will take charge for three friendly matches against Trinindad and Tobago, Argentina and Panama, and then a playoff match against the United States on October 10th for a place at the Confederations Cup in Russia in 2017.

IndyCar Driver Justin Wilson Dies from Head Injury at 37Some sad news from the world of Indy Racing:

IndyCar driver Justin Wilson died on Monday night from a head injury suffered when a piece of debris struck him at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

He was 37.

Wilson, a British driver who lived in the U.S. state of Colorado, was hit on the head during Sunday's race by a piece of debris that had broken off another car.

Wilson's car veered into an interior wall at the track, and he was swiftly taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital.

EntertainmentRapper Drake Reported to be Dating Serena WilliamsIt’s being reported that rapper Drake and American tennis legend Serena Williams are now an item after several photos of the two locking lips surfaced online early Tuesday.

Entertainment Website TMZ picked up the photos, taken just hours after Serena dominated and won the WTA tournament in Cincinnati, with Drake in the crowd.

Several restaurant patrons are quoted saying that the two had a private room in the back of the eatery, where they couldn't keep their hands and lips off of each other.

Buzz about the two being romantically involved had been swirling for months before the photos emerged appearing to confirm the rumors.

Chinese Version of 'War Horse' to Kick off BeijingThe Chinese version of world renowned stage play 'War Horse' will kick off National Theatre of China in Beijing on September 4th.

The play is the toast of the West End and Broadway, which has taken one and a half year to be adapted into the Chinese version.

The puppet-powered play was based on a best-selling 1982 novel with the same name. It narrates the story as it happened during the First World War, through the eyes of a horse.

The Chinese director of the show, Li Dong, shares the highlights of the show.

"The producing volume of this play is some 15 times larger than usual plays. The play is fantastic; sometimes you may even forget that the horse is being manipulated by people. The most touching part is the emotion between the horse and its owner, which is interwoven within the storyline. I think this is what the audience will keep in mind after watching the show. "He also indicates the life-size horse puppets were created by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, and are worth some 3.6 million yuan.

The Chinese adaptation of 'War Horse' is also planned to be staged in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Co-produced 'Bad Man Must Die' to Hit Big Screens on October 23rdChina-South Korea co-produced film 'Bad Man Must Die' has announced to be released in both countries on October 23rd.

China's top director Feng Xiaogang and leading Korean filmmaker Kang Je-gyu have teamed up as producers of this black action comedy.

The film is directed by Sun Hao, who used to be the assistant to and frequent collaborator with Feng Xiaogang.

Popular actor Chen Bolin is starring along with famous Korean actress Son Ye-jin to interpret a thrilling but romantic story taking place on Jeju Island in South Korea.

'Bad Man Must Die' features an adventure of a Chinese primary school teacher, who travels to the touristy Island and comes across a mysterious lady by accident. The pair later gets involved in a local crime.

The film costs some 113 million yuan or roughly 18 million US dollars for production, and takes two months to shoot.

Around ninety percent of its scenes were filmed on Jeju Island.

Biopic Film 'Straight Outta Compton' Enjoys Huge Success in US Box OfficeMusical biopic film 'Straight Outta Compton' has enjoyed huge success by topping the US box office.

Being the biggest August opening ever for an R-rated film, 'Straight Outta Compton' has grossed nearly 112 million US dollars in the two weeks since its release.

As the film's storyline is based on the rise and fall of the California hip-hop group named N.W.A.

Former N.W.A star Ice Cube shares his feeling after watching the film.

"You know, I was taken back - it was like a time capsule for me. Just seeing the drum machines and seeing the turntables and the clubs. It was like, I wish I was back there in those times. I remember those times so vividly and they were shot so beautiful - and Gary Gray paid so much attention to detail. So, when I saw it I knew that the fans would love it, because I know that if I was taken back, that they had to feel what I felt."The film is directed by Gary Gray, and features an impressive young cast, including Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, and Jason Mitchell as the late Eazy-E.

Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson Jr. plays his dad.

'Straight Outta Compton' will drop in theaters in the UK and Ireland on August 28th.

WeatherBeijing will see scattered thundershowers tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 31.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a low of 23; more clouds tomorrow with a high of 30.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 23, cloudy tomorrow and a high of 31.

Lhasa will have showers tonight with a low of 10, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 22.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, sunny tomorrow, 36.

Kabul, cloudy, 30.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, slight rain with a high of 19.

Brisbane, sunny with a high of 24.

Perth, cloudy, 20.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy 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...

Preparations in full swing for the parade here in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory in the war against Japanese aggression...

Chinese stocks taking yet another major hit today...

South Korea and the DPRK lifting their military alerts as tensions ratchet down between the rival sides...

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