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

Coming up on the program this morning...

China passing a prisoner amnesty deal to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII....

Chinese premier Li Keqiang assessing that the country's economy continues to lead the world in growth...

European countries planning to increase identity checks and baggage controls on railways following the thwarted attack on a high-speed train last week...

In our weekly sci-tech feature... China mulling increased financial incentives for inventors....

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

In Entertainment...China's palace museum marks its 90th anniversary...

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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Top NewsChina Passes Amnesty to Pardon WWII Veteran InmatesAnchor:

China passed a prisoner amnesty deal on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. Thousands of war veterans, along with several other categories of prisoners, will be granted official pardons.

CRI's Victor Ning with more.

Reporter:

The National People's Congress Standing Committee approved the resolution during its most recent bi-monthly session. President Xi Jinping signed off on the deal on Saturday.

China first granted pardons to non-war criminals in 1959, while the first amnesty deal for war criminals came in 1975. The resolution passed on Saturday is China's 8th amnesty since its founding in 1949.

Chu Huaizhi, a professor of law at Peking University, speaks to the significance of the latest measure.

"Besides celebrating the victory in World War II and the war against Japanese aggression, this amnesty also shows the government's confidence in its politics. What's more, it also conforms to the basic policy of our Criminal Law - severity tempered with gentleness."Four categories of prisoners who are not deemed a threat to society and who were sentenced before Jan. 1, 2015, will be considered:

1) Criminals who fought in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the civil war against the Kuomintang.

2) Criminals who participated in wars to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity after 1949, with the exception of those found guilty of serious crimes including embezzlement and bribe-taking, terrorism and organized crime, and repeat offenders.

3) Criminals who are 75 or above, and those with physical disabilities who are unable to care for themselves.

4) Those who committed crimes while under the age of 18 and received a maximum sentence of three years in prison, or who have less than a year of their prison term to serve, with the exception of those convicted of homicide, rape, terrorism or narcotics offences.

Li Shishi, director of the committee's legislative affairs commission, emphasizes several restrictions of the new measure.

"Anyone in prison through the anti-corruption campaign or for national security, as well as those convicted of graft, bribery, terrorism and sabotage will not be eligible for the amnesty."Judicial authorities say there are "several thousand qualified prisoners" under the latest legislation. They are expected to be released by the end of 2015. The exact number of pardoned prisoners will remain unknown until local courts complete all amnesty rulings.

Wang Ping, professor of law at China University of Political Science and Law, says the latest amnesty's connection to China's war against the Japanese invasion sets it apart from previous pardons.

"For the past pardons, we considered them as forgiveness to those who launched and participated in unjust wars. While for those who participated in just wars, for world peace and for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we should show our respect and gratitude."Professor Chu from Peking University also says this amnesty reflects China's tradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, and it is in line with the Criminal Law, which was amended in 2011 to allow leniency in the punishment of the aged.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

China's economy operating within appropriate range: PremierChinese Premier Li Keqiang has said the country's economy is operating within an appropriate range and that China continues to lead the world in terms of growth.

Li Keqiang chaired a special meeting of China's cabinet in Zhongnanhai on Friday to discuss developments in the global economic and financial fields and their implications for China's policy responses.

Li Keqiang says the implications of recent world market volatility are growing for China's financial market as well as imports and exports, adding new pressure on the Chinese economy.

On the issue of economic work in the coming months, Premier Li says the key is delivering results from decisions already made, with top priority given to ongoing development.

He adds that proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy will stay in place.

The Premier notes that, as the traditional drivers for economic growth are not as strong, it is necessary to provide more public goods and services, and encourage mass entrepreneurship and innovation to boost momentum.

Li Keqiang says there exists no basis for continued depreciation of the RMB and China is well positioned to defend the bottom line of preventing regional or systemic risks.

Two Individuals' SacrificeAnchor:

We now continue our VJ Day series marking the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

For China's northeastern provinces, it was a 14-year battle against Japanese occupation and colonial rule. For the entire nation, it meant an all-out war of eight years. National salvation depended on both collective efforts and individual sacrifices.

Sometimes it seemed as if the fate of the entire Chinese nation was on the shoulders of just one person.

In our 2nd report, CRI's Xiaoyi tells about stories of a guerrilla solider and a child oxherd who contributed to the war effort.

Reporter:

Areas along the Songhua River in Heilongjiang Province, especially the vast mountains and deep jungles, witnessed prolonged guerrilla warfare. Soon after it gained full control of the northeast after the September 18th incident in 1931, Japan set up a puppet Manchuria regime and imposed colonial rule, seizing resources, and enforcing cultural invasion.

As China withdrew its regular army, guerrilla warfare became the main form of resistance.

91-year-old Huang Dianjun explains why he fought.

"(People were) Oppressed by the Japanese, beaten and cursed by them. We were furious and full of anger. We had to stand up."Huang Dianjun joined the combats in snowy mountains. They were led by General Yang Jingyu.

Writer and historian Sa Su says General Yang was one of the most heroic figures in those days, a brave soldier with military wisdom.

"He was the master of guerilla warfare. He was 1.9 metres tall and was nimble. So hew as like god to many Chinese. His troops were quick to attack and quick to retreat. They often travelled long distances, leaving enemy troops tracing behind at a loss. Once there was an opportunity for combat, he seized it."Heavily outnumbered by the enemy, the guerillas managed to inflict big losses of the Japanese, who mobilized elite troops to catch him.

A scorched earth strategy was carried out, looting rural harvests to cut off any means of supply. In February 1940, YangJingyu and his men were separated and surrounded by Japanese troops. He was fighting alone, but hit and ran for five days, with no food at all. Finally, he was killed by machinegun shots.

Historian Sa Su says Yang Jingyu won the respect of even enemy soldiers.

"The Japanese media reported that their soldiers couldn't help but burst into tears for his braveness when they approached the dead body."Unable to understand why he could hold on, the Japanese ordered an autopsy, only to find tree bark, cotton and grassroots in his stomach, for he had not eaten for more than six days.

Japanese commander at the scene, Ryuichiro Kishitani, was shocked. Later, after Japan's defeat, he committed the seppuku-style suicide. His will reads, "His Majesty might be wrong in launching this war. China has steely soldiers like Yang Jingyu. It would not fall."YangJingyu's death inspired more people to fight. During the 14-year occupation of the northeast and eight-year national war, many joined in the battles.

Down south, in Laiyuan County, about 210 kilometres southwest of Beijing, a boy oxherd's story moved many hearts. A song depicting the sacrifice of 13-year-old Wang Erxiao later became a national hit.

On October 25th, 1942,Erxiao was herding his ox on a mountain slope, when he saw dozens of Japanese soldiers approaching, in search of wounded Chinese soldiers. Thinking there were also thousands of villagers hiding in the valley, the boy lied to the Japanese and led them to the ambush of the Chinese army.

85-year-old Shi Linshan remembers how he cooperated with Erxiao to warn Chinese soldiers that Japanese troops were coming.

"A bayonet was pointed at his back towards the heart. They forced him to show the way to the Chinese army base. He circled them around. He was stalling so that our soldiers could retreat."When ambushed, one angry soldier stabbed Erxiao and tossed his body onto a mountain rock. The boy died later.

1942 was a tough year for people in North China. Japan was eager to dispatch some of their troops in China to other countries and even cross into Siberia to open a second warfront against Soviet Red Army. But continued fighting in China pinned down many of their divisions, delaying or even barring them carrying out the strategies jointly designed with Nazi-Germany.

Frustrated, the Japanese troops intensified their scorched earth policy, killing, burning and looting, in order to tighten the grip of North China. A tougher time for China, whose regular army were engaged in major battles elsewhere. Therefore pinning down as many enemy troops as possible would mean doing the impossible, and they did it, often relying on individual sacrifices, as in the case of Wang Erxiao.

Deputy Curator of the Museum of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Luo Cunkang, emphasizes the distinguished contribution Chinese people made to the global anti-Fascist war.

"Another thing is China was the main oriental battlefield in the whole picture of the world's anti-Fascist war. However some Chinese people have little awareness of the important role that China played in this regard. Also the international community has put little emphasis on this fact."1.5 million Japanese soldiers were eliminated in China, accounting for about 70 percent of Japanese casualties in World War Two. That helped achieve the overall victory of allied troops, at a huge cost of national sacrifices and individual pains, with a total casualty of 35-million Chinese.

Back anchor: CRI's Xiaoyi with Part Two of our VJ-Day series. Tomorrow, we will take a detailed look at the bitterness of the war.

Ban Ki-moon: China will play "very important role" in transformative ageAnchor:

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is set to pay an official visit to China early next month. During his visit, Ban is scheduled to attend celebrations on September 3rd to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the war against Japanese Aggression.

Ahead of his visit to China, Ban sat down with several Chinese media outlets outlining his agenda and sharing his thoughts regarding a wide range of issues.

CRI's UN correspondent Su Yi reports from New York.

ReporterAs one of the guests to attend the V-Day celebrations, Ban spoke highly of China's contributions and sacrifices made during the war.

The UN chief says this year provides an important opportunity for the international community to review that part of history and to build a better world.

"China's contributions and sacrifices during the Second World War are very much recognized and appreciated for all such sufferings and sympathized by the world's people. And on the brighter future, China has a very important role to play. As the second largest economy and a peace-loving country, there are a lot that China can contribute to this rapidly changing and transformative age."China's foreign ministry has announced that thirty heads of state are confirmed to attend the V-Day celebrations, as well as ten leaders of international organizations, including UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

During his visit to China, Ban is also set to meet with Chinese leaders, discussing a wide range of issues, including the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN, climate change, and the upcoming key UN sustainable development summit this September.

Ban Ki-moon says China has contributed a lot to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals that were set by world leaders in 2000.

The eight-point development agenda which covered several key issues like eradicating poverty and fighting against HIV/AIDS is set to expire at the end of this year. The international community will adopt a more ambitious post-2015 sustainable development agenda at the UN development summit next month.

The UN chief is calling on member states to include these goals into their own development strategies.

"I am convinced that China can play a hugely important role in helping this sustainable development goals implemented."On the planned speech to be made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2015 general debate next month, Ban Ki-moon says he hopes the Chinese president can send a stronger message on international security issues, peacekeeping operations, and South-South cooperation.

Looking back at the seven decades since the founding of the UN, Ban summarizes the achievement of the world body as the end of colonialization and the success of development issues.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi in New York.

China adopts amendments to Criminal LawAnchor:

China's top legislature has adopted amendments to the Criminal Law, removing the death penalty for nine crimes. Among other changes, the amendment alters conviction standards for the crime of corruption, and extends protections for women and children.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

Reporter:

The National People's Congress Standing Committee on Saturday voted to change the conviction standards for the crime of corruption.

The amendment says criminals convicted on serious corruption charges who have received a two-year suspended death sentence will face life imprisonment after serving two years.

The move aims to safeguard judicial fairness and prevent the most corrupt criminals from serving shorter prison terms through commutation.

Qu Xinjiu, professor at the China University of Political science and Law, says the amended statute is more reasonable than the previous one.

"Compare to the previous provision, the change is that other factors, such as the motivation and the damage to the society, will also be considered. This can rectify the unreasonable phenomenon in which only the amount of corruption is concerned. Of course, the level of corruption is still the most important factor to consider."The new rule mainly targets officials who illegally seek commutation, parole or non-prison sentences.

At the same time, the amendments also stipulate that human traffickers must face harsher criminal penalties.

Professor Qu Xinjiu says that, compared with previous revisions, the change is relatively substantial.

"The old version stipulated that the crime could be remitted if one didn't abuse or rape the trafficked women or children, or impede the rescue, which means the police would not press charges. But the law has changed and now those actions will only alleviate your penalty, which is a world of difference from the original version."The revised law also repealed the crime of sex with underage prostitutes and reclassified it as rape, meaning it involves a tougher punishment.

Under the previous 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 the death sentence.

The revision comes after heated debates among many legal professionals questioning whether to scrap the crime of sex with underage prostitutes since it was written into the Criminal Law in 1997.

The top legislature has also removed the death penalty for nine crimes at the end of a six-day bimonthly session.

The nine crimes include smuggling, counterfeiting currency and raising funds by means of fraud, among other things.

After removing the death penalty for these crimes, those convicted will face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.

EU officials meet to prevent future train attacksEuropean countries will increase identity checks and baggage controls on trains after American passengers thwarted an attack on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris last week.

An emergency meeting in Paris was held on Saturday with top European security and transport officials to see what could be done to prevent another train attack.

Some representatives who attended the meeting were skeptical of what efforts could be taken.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere spoke at the meeting saying that a "blanket surveillance" of train operations in Europe would be nearly impossible.

We have to be better prepared to work together when we have special hints. But I must say it is impossible to have a complete check and luggage of millions of people who travel day by day in Germany and in Europe. This is technically impossible and it would be a victory for terrorists to destroy our free travel.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve elaborated on how security could be strengthened.

Passenger identification and visual inspections of luggage will be strengthened, in the stations but also inside the trains, everywhere it is necessary. Mixed patrols, with security forces from different countries on board trains travelling across borders already exist.

The suspect in last week's attack had been on the radar of European surveillance but was still able to purchase his ticket in cash while showing no ID.

He was also able to board the train with a automatic rifle as well as a handgun without being noticed by security.

World Championship winner Bolt receives gift from cameraman who crashed into himAnchor:

Sprinter Usain Bolt, who triumphed in the men's 200m at 2015 IAAF World Championships, has received a gift from the Chinese cameramen who accidentally crashed into the runner following Thursday's race in Beijing.

CRI's Guo Yan has the details.

Anchor:

Usain Bolt was knocked over by the cameraman on an electric scooter when he was celebrating completing the World Championship sprint double on Thursday evening.

Song Tao, the cameraman, explained he was following Bolt and staring at the camera lens' viewfinder when the self-balancing scooter's wheel caught another camera track on the ground and lost balance.

Song sent a red bracelet, a good-luck charm, to Bolt and placed it on the champion's wrist as an apology after the award ceremony on Friday night.

The world champion said at a news briefing afterward that he was not hurt in the accident and even made light of the situation.

"He said sorry as much as he could. But I checked to make sure if he was okay because I think he got the worst of it because he was off-balance falling backwards. I'm not sure if he hit his head but I'm just happy that he's okay. I'm fine, so it's all fun."The cameraman returned to work at the championships, saying he was also uninjured.

"My first thought was that, no matter what, please do not let Bolt be injured due to this. I was worried and did not feel relieved until the news briefing was over, when he said he was alright."Media staff at the games site said they understood that Song was so focused on his job that he did not notice the track on the ground.

Diago is a reporter for Globo television in Brazil.

"It's unfortunate because Tao Song... He did such a beautiful shot, he was circling around Usain Bolt as Bolt did the lighting, such a beautiful shot. He would be remembered by that, but the whole world has seen him, there were about thousands of cellphones filming him as he ran over Usain Bolt. Probably he was even more scared than Bolt to hurt that man's so expensive legs. He is very famous in Brazil now."Some Internet users joked that the cameraman was the only man capable of taking down Bolt, who has won all but one world and Olympic individual sprint titles since 2008.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

China scraps loan-to-deposit ratio stipulation for commercial banksChinese lawmakers have voted to remove a 75-percent loan-to-deposit ratio requirement for commercial banks.

This is part of the government's latest effort to reform the commercial banking sector.

Once removed, the ratio will instead act as a liquidity-monitoring indicator.

Last month, the State Council, China's cabinet, released plans to amend the country's 20-year-old commercial banking law.

Previously, the 75-percent ratio was set to prevent over quick expansion of commercial banks' credit scale and to control liquidity risk.

The new amendment will take effect starting from October.

WeatherBeijing will have thundershowers today with a high of 27 degrees Celsius, more rains tonight with a low of 20.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 30 and a low of 23.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 32 and lows of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 29.

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 36.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 26.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 30 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 29.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 26 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 23.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsChina confirms prisoner amnesty for WWII anniversaryChina's top legislature has approved a prisoner amnesty deal, the 8th since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.

The move is being made to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and will affect thousands of war veterans and seniors, as well as convicts who are young or infirm.

Four categories of prisoners who are deemed not to be a threat to society, and who were sentenced before January 1st of this year, will be considered for the amnesty.

This includes criminals who fought in the war against Japanese aggression, or in the later civil war against the Kuomintang.

Prisoners over the age of 75 and those with disabilities may be eligible for the amnesty.

Top legislature ratifies criminal judicial treaties with UK, BelgiumChina's top legislature has adopted two judicial treaties with the UK and Belgium respectively.

The treaties specify principles to follow in order to implement criminal judicial assistance.

They include investigation and evidence collection, providing testimony, and witness protection.

Also included are provisions regarding transfer of prison inmates, asset freeze and disposition of proceeds of crime.

Both treaties were approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, in June.

They were then submitted for approval on the bimonthly meeting of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, which ended Saturday.

Beijing police paying informants millionsBeijing police have paid out more than 2 million yuan , or about 317,000 US dollars, in rewards to citizen informants this year.

A police spokesperson says more than 1,700 citizens have received cash rewards.

In Beijing's Xicheng District, members of the public have provided more than 720 tips, which helped police to uncover about 270 criminal acts and detain 340 people.

In Dongcheng District, 1,000 people were questioned or detained by police acting on public tips-offs.

Beijing has mobilized 850,000 residents to patrol the city to ensure security ahead of a military parade on September 3rd, commemorating the end of World War II.

Bus crash kills 35 in S. Africa35 are dead in a bus accident in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province.

Only nine of the 44 passengers survived the crash that reportedly saw the bus fall off a cliff.

Four children were among the dead.

The South African Road Traffic Management Corporation says eight people sustained moderate injuries and one was seriously hurt.

But the Eastern Cape provincial health authority says six were in a critical condition.

The cause of the accident is not immediately clear.

Sci&TechAnchor:

It's time to check the headlines from the science and technology world this past week in our Weekly Sci-Tech Feature:

Chinese lawmakers are considering increasing the financial incentives that inventors receive for their inventions.

Chinese scientists have made a monumental breakthrough in genetics.

And an American student wins the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

Let's catch up on all the latest with CRI's Wen Jie.

Reporter:

China's top legislature is planning to increase the incentives received by inventors in academic circles, hoping the move will spur their vital research.

The plan would see the minimum reward raised to 50 percent of the invention's worth, up from the current 20 percent.

The bill was brought up for a second reading at the ongoing bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

It is the first attempt to revise the law in nearly two decades.

The move aims to encourage and standardize the commercial development of inventions made at research institutions and universities and accelerate sci-tech progress.

Chinese scientists have made a monumental breakthrough in understanding the structure and mechanism of the spliceosome, arguably the most complex macromolecular machine in genetics.

Shi Yigong, dean of the School of Life Sciences at Tsinghua University, announced the findings following the publication of two papers in the U.S. journal Science.

Shi's lab used the latest cryo-EM technology, which is used to study the architecture of cells, to map the structure of the spliceosome at atomic resolution. His findings improved the resolution by almost eight times.

The Spliceosome was discovered in 1977, but scientists had made no breakthroughs in the analysis of its structure until Shi's team announced its results after six year's of investigation.

"The spliceosome is a huge dynamic molecular machine. So naturally, we can see how each protein in the spliceosome functions, and how the sequences inside introns are identified. Therefore, if there is problem that leads to disease, we can imagine how the problem is formed."The breakthrough is expected to help scientists understand better genetic processes, as well as genetic disorders - 35 percent of which are caused in the splicing process.

An American student received the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize on Tuesday night for inventing a filter through which toxic heavy metals from electronic waste can be removed from water.

At the Grand Hotel in central Stockholm, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the prize to Perry Alagappan, who won out of the group of 29 finalists.

According to World Water Week, Alagappan's design created a first-of-its-kind filter that removes over 99 percent of heavy metal contaminants from drinking and industrial waste water.

The Jury believes the technology used in the project could revolutionize the way water can be treated and has a broad range of applications.

Teams from 29 countries competed in the 2015 finals of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, which encourages young scientists to develop their continued interest in water and the environment.

Chinese-developed offshore oil rig N0.981 completed its first deep-water, high temperature and high pressure (HT/HP) drilling on Monday in China's South China Sea.

The oil well's drilling depth reaches a record 4,448 meters.

Huang Yi is a manager of well drilling for China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

"According to the drilling result, the bottom hole temperature was 153 degrees Celsius, and the pressure coefficient was 1.93, which was above the standard of HT/HP wells in our industry".

Huang adds that deep water, high temperature and high pressure are the world-class problems for China's oil exploration and drilling.

The N0. 981 rig's successful drilling provided a technological support for China's construction of the giant gas/oil area in the South China Sea, and plays an important role in the country's energy safety.

The first head tower of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has been successfully hoisted, breaking the world record for the largest tower.

The 3000-ton head tower, measuring 105 meters high, was steadily lifted onto its base during a 10-hour operation.

It is the first time such a large head tower has been hoisted anywhere in the world.

The bridge is a mega sea crossing linking the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province, and Macao Special Administrative Region.

NASA has released new images showing a rise in global sea levels.

The agency says its analysis shows sea levels have risen four inches over the last two decades.

NASA Climate Scientist Josh Willis says the seas are still rising.

"There has been an acceleration in the rate of global sea level rise. Definitely since the late 1800s. At about 1900 sea level was rising at a rate of one millimeter per year. By the middle of the 1900s it was about two millimeters per year and the modern day rate is three millimeters per year."Melting polar ice and the expansion of ocean water due to trapped carbon emissions are being blamed.

NASA says sea levels could rise by as much as several feet over the next century.

Researchers in Germany have finally determined what caused the death of a famous polar bear at one of the country's zoos a number of years ago.

Zoologist Alex Greenwood says they've figured out that 'Knut' died of a rare form of encephalitis.

The polar bear drowned 4-years ago after collapsing in his enclosure at the Berlin Zoo.

The report into his death has finally determined the animal died from an anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

This is a rare autoimmune disease only discovered in humans 8-years ago and never previously found in animals.

Greenwood says their research will go a long way toward better understanding this rare form of encephalitis.

"The knowledge gained from his death should benefit both human medicine, because people will know the Knut disease and be more aware of it, and for animal medicine, now they have something new they can consider when they're dealing with these cases, which they wouldn't have even been thinking about, because nobody had heard of these diseases outside of human medicine in principle, it wasn't being considered."Encephalitis is an autoimmune disease which attacks the lining of the brain and spinal cord.

It causes swelling which can often be fatal.

The installation of reflectors on the world's largest radio telescope in Southwest China's Guizhou province has begun, marking the start of a final key stage of the telescope's construction.

Located in a natural valley, the 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope, known as the FAST Project, had its first reflecting unit installed in early August.

The reflector surface of the telescope consists of 4,450 reflecting units and the installation is due to be completed by March next year.

When completed, the telescope will take the place of the 305-meter-diameter Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as the largest of its kind in the world.

The sensitivity of the telescope will be more than 10 times stronger than that of a 100-meter telescope near Bonn, Germany.

Scientists believe more discoveries and breakthroughs are expected after construction is completed in September 2016.

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

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsChina Makes History with 4x100 Relay Silver-medal Win at World ChampionshipsLet's start with a recap of last night's IAAF World Championships action from Beijing:

China have made history after its men's 4x100-meter relay team won the silver medal in a hard-fought performance in front of a roaring home crowd.

The quartet of Su Bingtian, Zhang Peimeng, Mo Youxue and Xie Zhenye earned a bronze medal with a 38.01-second finish. But the Chinese sprinters found themselves promoted to second place when the United States were disqualified for exchanging the baton out of zone.

Jamaica had a convincing title defence in 37.36 seconds for gold.

Canada was lifted to third place in 38.13.

Su Bingtian on the silver-medal win:

"It has really not been easy for us to win a bronze medal today, and that is the best achievement we've had in China's track and field history. We were all astonished when we heard from the technical department that we were the runners-up because the U.S. team was disqualified due to a foul. This is the fact of relay events, if you have a good performance, you can win the championship. I think winning the medal tonight we should thank all the Chinese fans who have been cheering and supporting us in the competition."The first-place finish for Jamaica earned sprinter Usain Bolt his third win after a convincing performance.

Bolt says he is happy to have overcome doubt and injury at the World Championships:

"After all the doubt people have had throughout the season, all the injuries that I have been through and I got it done so I am happy. Thanks to Beijing. Thanks to the crowd. Thanks to the people for supporting. And love."In other action from the Worlds:

American Ashton Eaton set the world record in decathlon with a finish of 9,045.

The defending champion and London Olympic winner says winning the world record beats getting the gold:

"I think the world record is something that makes me more happy (than winning gold). Just because…　I don't know. It's something that people have never done before and I like trying to go for those things. I think it is important."UK runner Mo Farrah won the men's five-thousand-meter gold.

And American Allyson Felix got gold in the women's 400-meter finals with a time of 49.26 seconds.

China Dismantle Thailand 113-34 at FIBA Asia Women's B-Ball ChampionshipsIn women's hoops action:

China absolutely obliterated Thailand 113-34 to open their campaign at the 26th FIBA Asia Women's Basketball Championship in Wuhan on Saturday.

After building a huge advantage, the Chinese team started rotating through their roster. The Chinese women extended their margin bit by but, but at a steady pace to get an overwhelming 79-point lead at the final whistle.

Later today, China will face South Korea, who went down to Japan 59-53 on Saturday.

China are in level 1 with Chinese Taipei, India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

Basketball: China's NBL PreviewIn hoops action coming up tonight in China's National Basketball League:

Guang Xi Weizhuang will take on Zhengzhou;Nanjing will hit the court against Beijing;Guizhou will battle Henan;and Anhui with tip things off against Lhasa.

All games begin at 7:30 pm, Beijing time.

Football: Premiere League, La Liga RecapKicking into football action:

First, from the English Premiere League--Defending champs Chelsea were felled by Crystal Palace in a shock 2-1 defeat.

Now in second place, Palace earned their first win at Stamford Bridge in 33 years.

West Ham dominated Liverpool with a 3-0 win.

The win ends West Ham's near 52-year losing streak at Anfield.

Manchester City remained atop the standings with a 2-0 win against Watford.

Arsenal downed Newcastle 1-0.

Lester (sp) drew 1-1 with Bournemouth.

Aston Villa and Sunderland tied 2-2.

Totenham and Everton ended scoreless at nil-nil.

And West Brom Albion defeated Stoke 1-0.

Over in accion de La Liga:

Barcelona started their title defence with a 1-0 win over Malaga.

Real Madrid smashed newly-promoted Real Betis a whopping 5-0 in their opener.

Celta Vigo had their own convincing win over Rayo Vallecano. Celta won it 3-0.

And Real Sociedad tied with Sporting Gijon 0-0.

Golf: FedEx Cup Playoffs Update, Jordan Spieth Drops from World No. 1 After Missing CutIn golf action in the FedEx Cup Playoffs at the Barclays:

Australian Jason Day and South Korea's Sang-Moon Bae are tied at 11 under after both golfers carded a 7 under 63 in round 3 of the playoffs.

One shot off at 10 under is overnight leader Bubba Watson.

In other news from the tournament:

American Jordan Spieth's newly-earned world no. 1 ranking is about to be taken away just as quickly.

Just two weeks after topping the PGA Tour's global standings, Spieth missed the cut at the FedEx Cup playoffs after shooting rounds of 74 and 73, posting five bogeys and a double-bogey in both of the two rounds.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who Spieth leapfrogged after coming in second at the PGA Tour Championships 14 days ago, is restored back to his former place as the world no. 1.

Tennis: Petra Kvitova Wins Connecticut Open, Kevin Anderson Wins 1st Title in 3 YearsSwinging into tennis news:

In women's action--Second-seed Petra Kvitova won an all-Czech battle against fourth-seed compatriot Lucie Safarova to win the Connecticut Open final.

Kvitova dropped the first-set tie-break 8 to 6 before rallying back to win the match 7-6, 6-2, 6-2.

In men's action:

South Africa's Kevin Anderson won his first title in three years after downing French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert in straight sets.

Anderson needed 92 minutes to earn his third career ATP title since topping the Delray Beach tournament in 2012.

EntertainmentChina's Palace Museum to Hold Exhibition Marking its 90th AnniversaryChina's Palace Museum in Beijing is going to exhibit over three hundred pieces of rare and valuable artwork next month, with an aim to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of its founding.

Director of the calligraphy department with the museum Zeng Jun, gives more details about the works being showcased.

"This exhibition will show a great variety of works including paintings, calligraphy, rubbings from stone inscriptions, Chinese silk tapestries, hand fan paintings and prints of imperial seals. These are all remarkable historical pieces. It is such a great opportunity to have so many treasures displayed together."Works by celebrated painters and calligraphers such as "Letter to Boyuan" by Wang Xun and "Stroll About in Spring" by Zhan Ziqian are included on the display list.

Among the works to be exhibited, Zeng Jun says "Along the River during the Qingming Festival" by Zhang Zeduan will be fully exhibited ten years after its previous display.

"We will open the whole scroll of the painting again this time and display it for about one month at this exhibition. People won't be able to see it again in at least three years."Founded in 1925, The Palace Museum is the largest museum housing ancient Chinese culture and arts, which is located in the Forbidden City.

The exhibition will run from September the 8th to November the 11th.

Placido Domingo Presents Concert in MacaoSpanish operatic tenor Placido Domingo has presented a concert in Macao, named the 'Domingo and Macao Orchestra'.

Domingo along with hand-picked sopranos staged a gala comprising opera, musicals operettas and Spanish zarzuelas.

He also performed the 'Song of Seven Sons' with the Macao Youth choir, which brought the concert to a climax.

Over one thousand spectators rewarded the singer with long and warm applause at the end of the show.

The world-renowned 74-year-old singer has performed over one hundred and fourty six different opera roles in thousands of works.

The musician says he likes to work with young people, as he hoping to pass lvoe of music from generation to generation, and to give more opportunities to young artists.

Domingo is well known for his versatile and strong voice.

He has been marked as one of the world's three top-class tenors, together with Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras.

John Lennon's Piano on Display in LiverpoolThe piano played by former Beatle John Lennon is currently on display in Liverpool, which marks the first time the piano has been displayed in the home city of the world famous music legend.

The piano was unveiled by his sister. It is now available on view for visitors at the Beatles Story, as part of celebrations for International Beatles week, now underway in Liverpool.

The sounds of the piano can be heard from albums including "Walls and Bridges" and "Double Fantasy." John Lennon even used it to compose "Fame" with David Bowie and "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" with Elton John.

This beloved piano has also been used by other musical legends including Bob Dylan and Aerosmith.

The unpublished photos of the legendary singer are also on display at the exhibition.

John Lennon was gunned down outside his New York home in 1980, at the age of forty.

The Beatles Story, an exhibition marking the band's 25th anniversary this year, is recognized as the world's largest permanent exhibition solely dedicated to the Beatles.

British Film Archive Uncovers Old Footages Recorded during WWIIThe North West Film Archive based in Manchester has unveiled a series of old footage, recorded by soldiers to their loved ones during World War II.

The films, known as Calling Blighty, were shot in India, shown at cinemas across Britain and then forgotten for decades.

The professor of art and media with Manchester Metropolitan University, Steve Hawley, says the films were a vital lifeline for families to get information about their loved ones who were fighting in distant places.

"One reason these films were made was to improve morale both of the serviceman in the Far East in the 'forgotten war' and also morale of the people at home. So they were shot in what looks like a NAAFI canteen out in India but actually it was a constructed set.

Now there is a push to reunite the old footage with surviving family members.

After the films going public, roughly seventy calls from people have been received with an aim to find their relatives.

WeatherBeijing will have thundershowers today with a high of 27 degrees Celsius, more rains tonight with a low of 20.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 30 and a low of 23.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 32 and lows of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 29.

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 36.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 26.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 30 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 29.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 26 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 23.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

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

A recap of your headlines:

China passing a prisoner amnesty deal to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII....

Chinese premier Li Keqiang assessing that the country's economy continues to lead the world in growth...

European countries planning to increase identity checks and baggage controls on railways following the thwarted attack on a high-speed train last week...

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.