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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Chinese authorities holding several people in custody for alleged stock market violations...

The death toll in the Tianjin blasts rises to 158 as schools in the area open today on schedule...

And final preparations underway for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China to mark the World War II victory...

In Business...China removing loan-to-deposit ratio's for banks...

In Sports...we will bring you a wrap up of the last day of action in the IAAF World Championships...

And in Entertainment.... Horror film directorial legend Wes Craven dies at the age of 76.

Top NewsJournalist, securities regulatory official held for stock market violationChinese authorities are holding several people in custody for alleged stock market violations.

One of them is Wang Xiaolu, a journalist with Chinese business publication Caijing Magazine.

He has been placed under "criminal compulsory measures" for allegedly spreading fake information on the securities and futures market.

Liu Shufan, an official with the China Securities Regulatory Commission, is also being held on allegations of insider trading, bribery and forging official seals.

Authorities are also holding four senior executives with CITIC Securities for suspected insider trading.

At the same time, Chinese authorities have also levelled punishments on nearly 200 people for spreading rumors about the stock market, the explosions in Tianjin and the upcoming commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Minors Under 10-year-old to be Banned from Being Advertisement SpokespeopleMinors in China under 10-years of age will soon be banned from being spokespeople for any kinds of advertisements.

This comes as the country's new advertising law will be put into effect tomorrow.

Zhang Guohua, an official from China's State Administration for Industry & Commerce, explains the necessity of the new rule.

"According to our civil law, minors under the age of 10 are people without the capacity for civil conduct, meaning they have limited cognition towards the wider society and other such things. To hire them as advertisement spokespeople violates the principle of truth on advertisements, thus the advertisements could be inaccurate."In the meantime, the new law also says that spokespeople should not endorse any commodities or services which they've never consumed.

The spokesperson will also face administrative punishment and be banned from endorsing for 3 years once found being a spokesperson for a misleading advertisement.

Zhang Guohua says that it's important to be cautious when doing endorsements.

"Any spokesperson who says something that goes against the facts about the commodity or service during endorsement, be it functions or quality, he or she will be held accountable and face serious punishment, even bears civil compensation."He adds that illegal or misleading advertisements will be suspended and placed on file for investigation and prosecution.

Tianjin blasts death toll rises to 158The death toll from the Tianjin warehouse explosions has risen to 158 on Monday.

The dead include 94 firefighters, 11 policemen and 53 civilians. 15 are still missing, include 10 firefighters and five civilians.

Two blasts ripped through a warehouse on August 12 in Binhai New Area, Tianjin Port where large amounts of toxic chemicals were stored.

Schools in the area have opened on-time today for the autumn semester.

Among more than 300 primary and middle schools in the Binhai New Area, a total of 16 schools were damaged in the massive blasts.

The district government says registration work on the schools damaged in the August 12th blasts is now complete.

Guo Yu, an official with Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area No. 2 Primary School, says the school grounds are safe.

"The soil, water and air qualities of our school meet standards. It is under this precondition that we let our children come back to school."On Sunday, no excessive levels of pollutants were found in the air outside the exclusion zone, but high levels of cyanide were detected from water samples from inside the exclusion zone. The worst about 20 times the level officially regarded as safe.

The explosions at the Port of Tianjin were one of China's worst industrial accidents in years.

At least 11 government officials have been detained and face charges of dereliction of duty and abuse of power.

A dozen people connected to the company which owns the warehouse at the center of the blast are also facing charges.

China to Quicken Steps of Prevention, Control of Water PollutionAnchor:

A new report has been put under review by Chinese lawmakers connected to water pollution.

CRI's Yu Yang has more.

Reporter:

The report, the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law, has been reviewed by the National People's Congress.

Vice-Premier Wang Yang is among those who have gone over the potential amendments to the legislation.

He says protecting China's water is going to be part of the forthcoming 5-year plan, and will be part of new industrial, investment, financial and tax policies.

"We need to transform our development strategies to better defend against water pollution. We are going to set up a system through which the water, as well as the rivers and lakes which hold the water, will be inspected and evaluated so that we can have advanced warnings about issues."Wang Yang also says the State Council also plans to add amendments to the legislation to ensure officials are held accountable.

"We need to prioritize a system of objective assessment tools for local officials. Local governments will have to bare the legal liability for the quality of water in their area."Environmental Protection Minister Chen Jining says their new plan is a multi-step approach.

"The 'ten-step' water plan was officially launched this April. It focuses on several areas, including an adjustment to the industrial structure, optimizing the available space and scientific and technological advancements. There are a total of 238 specific measures in the plan. Among them, 105 are precautionary measures. We hope the precautions will be the focus when the plans are implemented."The new amendments to the legislation are also expected to cover sewage issues, particularly in rural areas.

Housing and Urban-Rural Development Minister Chen Zhenggao says this is also going to be addressed in the forthcoming 5-year plan.

"We plan to continue our efforts to put the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law into practice. We have three things to do. The first is to set clear objectives and work hard to solve the problem within the 13th five-year-plan period. Second is to help local governments raise money. Third, we are going to ensure local governments keep to a schedule."The analysis shows that drinking water resources in nearly 85-percent of cities across China currently meet nationwide standards.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Russian Diplomat: Distortion of History IntolerableAnchor:

The Russian embassy here in China is making the final preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip China this week to help commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

Reporter:

Evgeny Tomikhin, Minister-Counselor at the Russian Embassy in Beijing, notes the victory in World War II came at a huge cost.

He says it's the Russian government's goal to ensure that sacrifice is not forgotten.

"The effort to prevent the distortion of history has met tough challenges in recent years in some European countries, which regrettably, include some former Soviet states. If we sit back, our children will never know the truth. We must act firmly to stop it."It's estimated the war left more than 27 million people dead in Soviet Union.

The number of dead in China is believed to be around 35 million.

As part of the commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the military parade held in Moscow this May.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making a reciprocal visit.

He'll be among 30 different heads of state to attend the events this coming Thursday.

Evgeny Tomikhin says the final preparations by the Russian side are already underway.

"According to the agreement reached by President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping, the two sides have planned a series of joint commemorative events for this year. We are happy to see Chinese soldiers' participation in Russia's V-Day parade on May 9, and the Russian honor guards to take part in the September 3 parade has been in Beijing undergoing intensive training."Officials from Russia and China paused earlier this month to honor 29 Soviet pilots who were killed in Hubei's capital, Wuhan, while trying to defend the city from Japanese forces in the late 1930s.

This week will also include a Russian ship sail into the city of Dalian in Liaoning.

A ceremony is also going to be held in the city of Harbin in Helongjiang.

The city was once occupied by Japanese troops before being liberated by the Soviet Red Army 70-years ago.

Evgeny Tomikhin says both the Chinese and Russian governments are working to try to restore some of the monuments in northeast China connected to World War II.

"Most of the sites are located in China's Northeast. Some memorial halls, cemeteries and monuments for Soviet soldiers have been renovated. Renovation work is currently underway at China's largest cemetery for foreign troops in Dalian. It will end soon."More than 1.5 million Soviet troops helped push Japanese forces out of China's northeast a month before the end of World War II.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Part III –Memories of Blood and TerrorAnchor:

Ahead of this week's commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the end of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, we're bringing you the latest in a series of reports on the war itself.

In this edition, CRI's Xiao Yi has more on some of the horrors Chinese people had to face while Japanese forces attempted to take control of the country.

Reporter:

In the freezing winter of 1937, the Japanese army captured Nanking, today's Nanjing, and started a 40-odd-day massacre. Within just six weeks, the then Chinese capital became a city of terror where 300-thousand innocent lives perished in slaughter.

American missionary John Magee was in NanKing when the massacre took place. He secretly filmed the killings and later presented the film as his testimony during the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in 1946.

Magee described the murders as a witness at the Tokyo Trial.

Prosecutor: "What was the action of Japanese soldiers towards the civilian Chinese men after they had possession of the city of Nanking on December 13, 1937?"John Magee: "The killing began immediately in several ways, often by individual Japanese soldiers or up to thirty soldiers together going about. Each one seemed to have the power of life or death. And then soon there was organized killing of great bodies of men. These people were being killed by rifle fire and machine guns principally. Also we knew are groups of several hundred being buried to death."The massacre is just part of the brutality of Japanese troops during WWII. In Nanking they also committed countless cases of rape, looting and arson and burned one third of the city to the ground.

According to the latest research conclusions, Japanese troops committed 173 cases of organized killings in which casualties topped 800 each.

Over the course of 14 years of war, China suffered a total of 35 million military and non-military casualties, accounting for a third of the total casualties of all the countries in WWII. The occupation of Nanking and the massacre was the most-discussed war crime at the Tokyo Trial where Japanese war criminals were convicted. However, the trial did not thoroughly expose Japanese militants' overall crimes and the nature of their invasion of China. Right-wing Japanese nationalists refuse to recognize the numbers of victims, discredit survivors, and claim that the Nanking massacre was entirely fabricated.

Diana Lary, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of British Columbia in Canada, says Japan's denial of its wartime atrocities is very insulting.

"The Japanese, officially, they sort of come up with the idea that it's not in Japanese culture to apologize which I find ridiculous. A lot of people (in Japan) would say we really suffered more than anyone else because we were bombed by the atomic bomb and by conventional bombing. To me that's irrelevant because they still have to recognize what happened. In China, people always use the word 'Bu Chengren', won't admit', and that's very insulting to China, Korea and the other places they occupied. It simply makes it very difficult for Japan's neighbors to deal with her."Besides the killings, Japan is also trying to conceal its wartime medical crimes including those committed by Unit 731, the Japanese army's biological warfare division headed by the infamous Shiro Ishii.

But that didn't stop conscientious people from exposing the truth of how the illegal human experimentation had helped Japan's military aggression.

Yutaka Mio was the first Japanese to officially testify on the Japanese army's biological warfare program in the 1930s. The former imperial police officer was stationed in Japan's puppet state of Manchuria during World War II.

"Those people transported to Unit 731 were all used for experiments. I am very sure about that. They could never get out of there alive. I was on a transport mission specifically for Unit 731. We sent 'Maruta' there.""Maruta" is the name given to the experiment subjects for Unit 731. They were civilians and prisoners of war from China, the Soviet Union, the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia.

At the base of Unit 731 in Harbin, these defenseless souls were killed through vivisection without anesthesia, bacterial experiment, weapon testing and other horrible experiments. At least 3,000 people perished at the hands of Japanese "scientists".

From 1931 to 1945, Unit 731 also waged germ warfare in China with Unit 1644. Studies by Chinese and foreign scholars suggest that the number of Chinese victims is around 270,000.

To destroy the evidence, the retreating Japanese invaders blew up the base when the Soviet army took Harbin in 1945.The terrible experiments remained secret for a long time after the war. Instead of being tried for war crimes, the researchers involved in Unit 731 were given immunity in exchange for their data.

But recently, more and more materials relating to Japan's illegal human experimentation in World War II have been disclosed, such as the live dissections of American prisoners of war revealed at the Kyushu University's Museum.

But the "State of Denial" continues. So the world has every reason to be on alert at a time when many Japanese politicians and cabinet ministers pay respect to convicted war criminals at least twice a year, when documents and school textbooks systematically water down that part of history, and when Japan's government and parliament constantly push for a greater military role overseas.

Back Anchor:

CRI's Xiao Yi with Part Three of our series on the war of resistance against Japanese Aggression.

China's first homemade regional jetliner qualified for commercial operationsChina's first independently-developed regional jetliner ARJ21 has qualified for commercial operations.

The aircraft has finished its final demonstration flight in Sichuan, where pilots and engineers are allowed to adjust and improve the jetliner according to the passengers' experience.

Cai Jun, a test pilot for the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, explains some of the aircrafts' advantages.

"Actually the flight experience is very important. The passenger cabin is highly comfortable. The seats are wide and have ample space, so we will not change too much in the passenger cabin, but will look to improve the cockpit in order to make it better."The ARJ21 has conducted several demonstration flights in many cities across China including Shanghai and Tianjin since this March.

Zhuang Haogang, board chairman of Chengdu Airlines, explains some next steps to be taken.

"This is the first time that China operates its first homemade regional jetliner commercially. The security standards are consistent with the international security standard. What we need to do next is to gain more understanding and be familiar with those equipment."Crew training and comprehensive testing will now be conducted following the completion of these demonstration flights.

ARJ21 is set to officially launch commercial operations next year.

China's new UAV CH-5 completes maiden flightChina's latest domestically developed unmanned aerial vehicle has successfully completed its maiden flight in northwest China's Gansu province.

CH-5, or Rainbow 5 is the largest reconnaissance and strike drone developed by China.

Ou Zhongming, head of the UAV project of the Chinese Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics says the maiden flight was a success.

"It is successful in accordance with our standards, as the taxiing distance before the taking-off and after landing and the landing point were all within the limits permitted by our calculation."The CH-5 is designed to perform reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, border patrol, island defense and anti-terrorism missions.

The drone has a maximum takeoff weight of three tons, a maximum payload of 900 kilograms, and an endurance of over 30 hours.

It will increase the range of reconnaissance from 30 kilometers to 80 kilometers.

Scientists Look at Glaciers for Clues to the PastAnchor:

A group of scientists are examining a number of ice core samples taken from the world's largest tropical ice cap with the hope of determining what impact climate change is having on the tropics.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen reports.

Reporter:

A group of scientists from the Ohio State University are trekking to the top of the Quelccaya Ice in the Peruvian Andes to try to measure the effects of climate change on the world's glaciers.

The average distance above sea level on the glacier is around 54-hundred-70 meters.

The Quelccaya ice cap is the largest tropical ice cap on Earth.

Paleoclimatologist Doctor Lonnie Thompson says they believe inside is an annual record of the earth's climatic changes covering the last 18-hundred years.

"The day will come when there will no longer be a Quelccaya Ice Cap and the history that is preserved here will no longer be available, so in many ways we are also salvaging a history of our past that will be lost as the earth continues to warm,."Thompson and his team spent a week in June on the Quelccaya glacier, drilling ice and snow samples to measure the isotopes in the annual dust layers.

The isotopes provide a history of precipitation, allowing the glaciologists to analyse the ice layer-by-layer through the centuries to try to understand how ancient weather shifted.

Flecks of dust, falling seasonally, enable them to count down the years, much like the rings in a tree.

The chemistry of the snow can also help scientists trace the effects of human pollution, such as chemicals and metals in the atmosphere.

Researcher Doctor Emilie Beaudon is looking into this aspect of the research in the Andes.

"We don't know how well they (contaminants) are deposited in the ice cap yet, but our objective is to try to measure that, and since the ice cap is meant to melt and those contaminants are meant to be released on the environment we would like to quantify this contamination and see if it could have any impact on human health."Photographs taken over a 33-year period suggest the speed of their research is becoming more urgent, as parts of the glacier have been disappearing by as much as 50-percent over the past 3-decades.

A World Bank report drafted in 2009 suggests global climate change threatens the complete disappearance of the Andes' tropical glaciers within the next 20 years, putting precious water, energy and food sources at risk.

For CRI, I'm Wang MengzhenThai police issue new arrest warrants for Bangkok blastThai police have issued new arrest warrants for two suspects in its capital's deadly bombing two weeks ago.

Police spokesperson Pra-wut Tha-worn-siri says they are hunting for a 26-year-old Thai woman and a foreign man in his 40s after a weekend search on a property in the Min Buri district.

"(During the search), the apartment's owner was not there. After an investigation, the court issued arrest warrants for the person who rented the room. First suspect is a female named Wanna Suansan, 26, and another male of unknown nationality, who lives in the room."The police uncovered fertiliser, digital watches and an explosives detonator in the apartment.

A picture of the female suspect showed her wearing a headscarf, and a sketch of the man showed him with short hair and stubble.

Thai police had been criticised for an erratic investigation that had, until this weekend, uncovered few clues about who was behind the blast.

Police have not confirmed the identity or nationality of the 28-year-old man they arrested on Saturday in Nong Chok, in which many Thai Muslims and foreigners live.

The man has been charged with possessing illegal explosives.

The August 17 attack on a Bangkok Hindu shrine killed 20 people and injured more than 100.

No group has claimed responsibility.

Yingluck concerned about additional evidence in grain subsidy caseFormer Thai prime minister Ying-luck Shina-watra says she is concerned about additional evidence recently submitted by the attorney-general in the rice subsidy scheme case leveled against her.

Yingluck appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday to review evidence.

She says at the moment, they have not seen the additional papers.

"Our next meeting (with the plaintiff side) is scheduled for October 29, which means that we have two months to look at the papers. I'm quite concerned and would like to ask the lawyers to do their best to uphold our rights."Yingluck was charged with negligence of duty, due to a scheme in which the government bought rice from farmers at above-market prices.

Her government was attacked for refusing to abandon the scheme when the unsed rice and debt piled up.

It is said that Yingluck's negligence of duty caused an estimated 16 billion US dollars in losses.

Prosecutors on Monday provided an evidence dossier of 60,000 pages and 23 additional witnesses in the case.

If convicted, Yingluck could be jailed for up to 10 years.

Headline newsChinese president meets Cambodian King, Serbian presidentChinese President Xi Jinping has met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in Beijing.

Sihamoni is now visiting China and set to attend the country's V-Day celebrations on Sept. 3.

President Xi has also met with his Serbian counterpart Tomislav Nikolic who will attend the commemoration activities for the 70th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

President Xi says China and Serbia have made tremendous sacrifices during the World War II and made great contributions to the eventual defeat of the Fascist forces in Asia and Europe.

China's Ningxia starts annual Mecca pilgrimageNorthwestern China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has begun sending Muslims on their annual Mecca pilgrimage.

A charter flight with nearly 300 Muslims took off on Monday to go on the government-organized trips to the Saudi Arabian city.

It is the first group of some 2,800 pilgrims from Ningxia this year.

A total of 14,500 Chinese Muslims will take 47 charter flights on Mecca pilgrimages in 2015, according to the China Islamic Association.

China has more than 20 million Muslims. About half of Chinese Muslims are from the Hui ethnic group. Ningxia has the largest Hui population in the country.

Suspected gas poisoning hits girl school in AfghanistanMore than 100 girls have been hospitalized following a possible gas poisoning at a school in Afghanistan.

The incident took place on Monday morning at a high school in Herat city, capital of Afghanistan's western province of Herat.

Some 100 students were hospitalized after they felt dizzy and several even fell unconscious.

Police have initiated an investigation to find the cause of the incident.

So far no group or individual has claimed responsibility.

Radical groups and anti-government militants who oppose education for girls have been blamed for such attacks in the past.

Australia calls on more European nations to join anti-IS air strikeAustralian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has urged major European nations to band together to help fight Islamic State in Syria.

Julie Bishop said up to 40 percent of all asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe were Syrian. That number could drop if coalition nations ramped up their efforts against the IS.

Australia is considering a request from the United States that would result in Australian F/A- 18 Hornets undertaking bombing missions in Syria.

Currently no European nations are conducting air strikes in Syria; while Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Britain are bombing IS targets in Iraq.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Time to check business news, first take a look at the closing numbers in Asian market on this Monday, joining us on the desk is CRI's Wang Mengzhen.

Reporter:

Thank you Spencer.

Chinese stocks ended lower today following substantial gains on Thursday and Friday.

Shares related to banking and military industry advanced today, while companies in information technology and commercial trade are among the biggest losers.

This comes as the Chinese authorities have intensified efforts to crack down market manipulation.

Over the weekend, authorities have held a securities official, a journalist and senior staff with CITIC securities for alleged insider's trading.

At the closing bell,The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was off 0.8 percent, standing just above 3200 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index lost 2.3 percent.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's growth enterprises, tumbled 4.1 percent.

Bucking the trend, Hong Kong shares bounced back from morning losses, with the Hang Seng Index finished 0.3 percent higher.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japan shares 's Nikkei fell 1.3 percent in the wake of soft industrial output data.

South Korea's KOSPI added 0.2 percent.

Singapore's Straights Times lost 1.2 percent.

And Finally Australia's ASX200 ended 1 percent lower.

Back to you, Spencer.

China's Power Consumption Surges in AugustNew stats suggest China's electricity consumption has surged about 3 percent year-on-year in August, a positive indicator for economic expansion.

According to China's top economic planner, China used over 460 billion kilowatt hours of electricity from Aug. 1 to 28.

This is also nearly 5 percentage points higher than in July.

In the first half of this year, electricity consumption in China has added 1.3 percent, with the growth rate hitting a five-year low.

The latest figure also shows China's rail freight for coal, steel, iron and petroleum remained stable in August, a sight expansion from July.

Li Yangzhe with the National Development and Reform Commission on the latest stats.

"Judging from the current situation, the power consumption for August is likely to keep the 3 percent growth year on year, and it will continue to climb in September. Based on these factors, the economic operation showed a positive sign."Last month, both the official and Caixin General China Purchasing Managers' Indices have renewed their contraction.

China's foreign service trade deficit risesChina has seen a larger deficit in foreign service in July, compared with the previous month.

New stats from China's foreign exchange regulator suggest that the service trade deficit stood at some 107 billion yuan, or 16.8 billion US dollars in July.

The deficit is a 15 percent increase from June.

However, China's merchandise trade enjoys an over 280 billion yuan surplus.

Unlike merchandise trade, trade in services deals with intangible products such as transportation, tourism and telecommunications.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange started issuing monthly data on service trade start from last year.

China removes regulation on loan-to-deposit ratioAnchor:

Chinese authorities have confirmed the current loan-to deposit ratio for commercial banks is going to be lifted.

The 75-percent ratio is going to be eliminated as of October 1st.

Under the current rules, commercial banks in China are only allowed to use 75-percent of the deposits they have on-hand for lending.

Eliminating this restriction is expected to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the system.

The 75-percent was first established 20 years to prevent an overheating of the credit system, as well as to control liquidity.

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

Back Anchor:

Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London, speaking with CRI's Paul James.

First batch of imported finished automobiles heads towards Alashankou, XinjiangThe first batch of 80 finished automobiles is now heading towards the Alashankou port in China's Xinjiang from Europe via container trains.

This comes after the Alashankou port receiving the green light from Chinese authorities to import finished automobiles.

This makes it the first port in northwest China approved for such imports.

Thanks to the new Chongqing-Xinjing-Europe International Line, it will take just ten days to import vehicles to Xinjiang from Europe.

This will be one month faster than importing automobiles from coastal cities.

Located on the China-Kazakhstan border, the Alashankou port is one of China's major land border ports with a rail line, a highway and an oil pipeline.

Italy energy giant Eni finds large gas field off Egyptian CoastItalian energy firm Eni says it has found one of the world's largest natural gas fields off the Egyptian coast.

In its Sunday press release, Eni says the gas field, located at a depth of nearly 15-hundered metres, covers an area of some 100 square kilometres.

The offshore field is said to be capable of holding 30 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Eni believes the discovery could meet Egypt's natural gas demand for "decades", transforming the energy situation for the country.

So far, it is still unknown when the new gas field will be tapped.

As the biggest foreign energy firm in Africa, Eni has been in operation in Egypt since 1954.

Firm behind Three Gorges Dam reports surging overseas dealsChinese construction giant, China Gezhouba Group, says that its overseas contracts signed in the first half of 2015 have more than doubled from the same period last year.

The group, which built the Three Gorges Dam, announced on Monday that it inked overseas projects, worth about 66 billion yuan, registered a yearly rise of 134 percent.

The new contracts include a 1 billion dollar sewage plant project in Egypt, and a 4.5 billion dollar hydropower station project in Angola.

SportsIAAF World Championships Last Day Wrap UpThe IAAF world championships here in Beijing have come to an end.

On the final day of competition, it was China's Lv Huihui taking silver medal in the women's javelin with a new Asian record of 66.13 meters.

"After the 2012 Olympics, my coach stipulated a detailed training plan for me in every year, like 2013, 2014, this year and next year. So it is not a surprise that I can throw such a good result."It was Germany's Kathrina Molitor who took the gold, beating Lv on her very last throw.

In other action,China's Zhang Guowei had to settle for silver in the men's high jump.

"Yes, it's a big pity. I feel very sorry that I didn't meet the expectations of my fans. I will work harder and try to do a better job in the future."Canadian high-jumper, Derek Drouin, took the gold.

------------In the marquis event of the day, American LaShawn Merritt blazed through the last leg to get his team their sixth successive world 4x400 meters relay title.

Kenya earned the top spot at this year's Worlds, topping the medal standings with 7 golds, 6 silvers and 3 bronzes.

Jamaica came in 2nd, followed by the United States.

China finished up in 11th place with 1 gold, 7 silvers and 1 bronze.

Football: EPL, La Liga RecapIn football action:

From the English Premiere League:

Swansea shocked Manchester United, notching two points in the second half to win 2-1.

And Southampton dominated Norwich 3-0.

Over in action de La Liga:

Atletico Madrid downed Sevilla 3-0;Athletic Bilbao lost to Eibar 2-0;Valenca and Deportivo la Coruna drew 1-1;Granada beat Getafe 2-1;And Las Palmas and Levante had a scoreless nil-nil tie.

Tennis: U.S. Open PreviewIn tennis,A pair of Chinese women have made it through qualifying for this year's US Open.

Zhang Saisai and Wang Qiang have managed to make it into the draw.

Zhang is set to battle American Madison Brengle in round 1, while Wang Qiang will be up against a Greek qualifier.

Top-seeded Serena Williams will be on the hunt for her 22nd grand slam win, just two shy of Margaret Court's record of 24 slam victories.

"I think Wimbledon gave me unbelievable practice for this. At Wimbledon I was going for the second Serena Slam. That is rare. So, yeah, that really gave me the best practice and preparation in terms of going for the Grand Slam."A Flushing Meadows win would also make Williams the first woman since Stefi Graf to clinch all four grand slams in a calendar year.

---On the men's side,Hoping to return to form after coming off injury is two-time US Open champion Rafael Nadal.

"Last year I missed the tournament so for me it's very special to be back. It's a tournament that I've had very positive feelings [about] the last couple of years, and New York is just very, very special for me and I'm going to try to be ready for it."The U.S. Open begins later around 11 pm, Beijing time.

Maria Sharapova Drops from US OpenIn more tennis news:

Tennis star Maria Sharapova announced on Sunday that she will skip the U.S. Open.

The 28-year-old said via twitter that she has "done everything possible to be ready but, it was just not enough time," referring to her leg injury she was hoping would heal before the tournament.

Sharapova added that she will be active in time for the upcoming Asian swing.

This marks the second time in three years the 2006 champion has withdrawn from the year's last grand slam event.

U.S. Open officials have replaced Sharapova with fellow Russian competitor, Daria Kasatkina.

Golf: Jason Day Wins BarclaysIn golf:

Australia's Jason Day shot an eight-under par 62 for a six-shot victory at The Barclays on Sunday in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

Day closed with a birdie at the 18th for a six-shot win over runner-up, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, at 19 under par.

The PGA Champion and world no. 3 ranked Day says, although he's had big wins recently, it hasn't been easy:

"I'm still grinding it out and trying to do the best job I possibly can. But right now the control that I have with my golf ball and then the putts that I've been making, I've been working very hard on my whole game. Just recently more so with putting and it's paying off with those long putts that I holed on the backside today."The victory moves the 27-year-old to the top of the FedEx Cup, meaning he will be among the top five with a clear shot at the $10 million bonus.

Chinese Skipper goes for World RecordIn sailing news:

Chinese skipper Guo Chuan and his team arrived at Murmansk Port in Russia to take on the world record for sailing across the Arctic Ocean.

The crew of the "China Qingdao" features four expierienced sailors who will accompany Guo on his journey.

The world solo non-stop circum-navigation record holder and his teammates will begin to start the Arctic journey of 3,300 nautical miles without stopping.

Guo Chan and his ambitious sailors will be facing extreme conditions in their attempt to become sailing legends.

Chicago Cub's Pitcher Throws No-hitterIn Major League Baseball:

Chicago Cub's Jake Arrieta on Sunday broke a four-game losing streak in the closing game of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Arrieta struck out a season-high 12 batters to become the first 17-game winner in the big leagues by throwing baseball's third no-hitter in less than three weeks.

This marked the first no-hitter of Arrieta's career and the 14th in Chicago Cubs history.

EntertainmentHorror Film Maestro Wes Craven Dead at 76US Horror film master director and writer Wes Craven passed away early Monday in his Los Angeles home, after a battle with brain cancer.

The maestro was well known for his works on slasher and horror films, since his directorial debut with 'The Last House on the Left' in 1972.

Over the years, he interpreted and expanded the horror genre with his films, including 'Nightmare on Elm Street', and the popular 'Scream series.'

In 1999, the legend turned into a published author, with his novel Fountain Society.

Craven is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter and a stepdaughter.

He was 76.

'The Three-Bogy Problem' to be Translated into German VersionChinese award-winning science fiction 'The Three-Body Problem' is going to be translated into German, and may hit markets next fall.

German sinologist Martina Hasse announced this decision after meeting with the book's author Liu Cixin in Beijing.

Liu Cixin had earlier indicated the target of this work as science rather than science fiction.

"The book targets some general readers. Its function is to stimulate readers' imagination, broaden their minds and arouse their interest in real physics, real astronomy and real science, and then make them learn about it further more. I think it is the correct mission of a science fiction."Compared with the book's English version, Hasse says she will stick to the original work in terms of content and linguistic style.

Martina Hasse has tranlated several Chinese literary works by famous writers, including Mo Yan and Lung Ying-tai.

'The Three-Body Problem' received the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel earlier this month.

Its English version grabbed a bestselling spot on Amazon, two hours after winning that award.

Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals the Name of His Baby BoyBritish actor Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter have finally unveiled the name of their first child.

According to the Daily Mail, the couple named their baby boy Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch.

This name is said to follow a family tradition as Benedict and his father both share the middle name Carlton.

The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony on this year's Valentine's Day.

They announced the pregnancy in January and welcomed the baby in June.

Benedict Cumberbatch gained fame through his performance in the popular British TV series 'Sherlock' since 2010.

The 39-year-old artist is currently focusing on a astage play, as he starred in Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Barbican theatre.

The play is scheduled to run from August 5th to October 31st in London.

Taylor Swift Dominates 2015 Video Music AwardsThe 2015 MTV Video Music Awards kicked off at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, as pop star Taylor Swift dominated the night by taking home four major awards.

Taylor Swift thanked her fans when receiving the prize of Video of the Year for 'Bad Blood'.

"I love them so much. For the fans to give us this bonding experience we'll have forever -- thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm just happy in 2015 to live in a world where boys can play princesses and girls can play soldiers."Meanwhile, Mark Ronson won the award for Best Male Video with 'Uptown Funk', and Nicki Minaj takes the Best Hip Hop Video with 'Anaconda'.

Justin Bieber made a comeback to the big stage, with slick dance moves to his hit "Where Are U Now" and new single, "What Do You Mean."He even fell into tears at the end of his performance.

Another highlight of night was Kanye West, as he gave a rambling speech, apologizing to Taylor Swift for taking her microphone back in 2009.

The controversial star Miley Cyrus hosted the show, and announced that her new album is available online for free at the end of the show.

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

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

Chinese authorities holding several people in custody for alleged stock market violations...

The death toll in the Tianjin blasts rises to 158 as schools in the area open today on schedule...

And final preparations underway for Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to China to mark the World War II victory...

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...