Coming up on our program this morning...

We'll be taking you through all the details about this morning's massive commemorations to mark V-Day 70-years ago, including an update from our reporters on the ground around Tian'anmen.

China's top leaders have been busy greeting the dozens of world leaders who have been pouring in to help mark today's ceremony.

Thai authorities have issued a new arrest warrant in connection with last month's deadly bombing in Bangkok.

In Business... a coalition of brokerages in China are once-again planning to inject more capital into China's A-Share market.

In Sports... China back in action tonight in World Cup Football qualifiers.

In entertainment.... a new trailer for a film adaptation of Shakespeare's MacBeth has been released.

All of that coming up in the next hour.

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Top NewsParade to Begin at 10:00The ceremonies to mark the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression are set to kick off at 10am here in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a speech before the military parade begins at Tian'anmen Square.

More than 12-thousand military personnel, as well as veterans and their descendants, are set to take part in the event.

17 foreign contingents will also take part.

This will be China's 15th military parade since the PRC was founded in 1949.

World leaders, including Russian leader Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are joining Chinese leaders to oversee the parade.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama - who issued a landmark apology for the war in 1995 - is in Beijing in a personal capacity.

However, current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided not to attend.

China Radio International will bring you a live broadcast of the event starting from 9am.

So stay with us, and also log on to CRIENGLISH.com for more detailed information from Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing.

Xi Honors Veterans ahead of V-Day ParadeAnchor:

Ahead of this morning's military parade, Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken time yesterday to award medals to 30 Chinese and foreign veterans of the Second World War.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

Reporter:

Xi Jinping, in his capacity as the chair of China's Central Military Commission, says all national heroes, including those in World War II, are the "backbone" of the Chinese nation.

"No matter if you fought on the frontline or in the back, no matter if you were a soldier or if you provided assistance, those who participated in the war against Japanese agression are all war heroes and the heroes of the nation."Xi Jinping is promising history will never be forgotten.

"The purpose of the medal ceremony is to pay tribute to the war heroes and show that the Chinese people will cherish peace and remember history."The honored foreign dignitaries include relatives of Claire Chennault, Commander of the famed US Army Air Corps "Flying Tigers," as well as the relatives of Joseph Stilwell, commander of the allied forces in south China, Burma and India as well as the family of Canadian army surgeon Norman Bethune.

Also among those honored are Soviet generals and airmen who fought on the China front.

Soviet veteran M.A. Gareev is among those honored.

"The medal shows the gratefulness of the Chinese people and government to veterans from Russia and other countries. We are also very thankful for the support and help from China."President Xi Jinping says the foreign help to China should be remembered forever.

"In our hard times, the international anti-fascist fighters from countries including the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, Korea, Canada and India came to fight by our side and forged a profound friendship with the Chinese people. We will remember you forever and your enduring accomplishments in China."The front of the medal is embossed with WWII soldiers, the landmark pagoda in China's revolutionary cradle of Yan'an, the Yellow River as well as an olive branch.

Around 210-thousand veterans or their relatives from around the world will receive the award.

Former Eighth Route Army solider Jiang Xueshun was among the Chinese veterans at the ceremony.

"We feel excited and proud. This honor belongs not only to myself, but to all veterans fighting for the country. At this moment, I even more miss those sacrificing their lives in the wartime and those of my comrades-in-arm."It's estimated around 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians lost their lives during Japan's occupation of China.

The Chinese government is also planning to increase the subsidies for World War Two veterans across the country, including those who fought under the command of the Kuomintang.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Foreign Guests Invited to Join China's V-Day Parade CelebrationsAnchor:

Numerous foreign guests are taking part in this morning's V-Day parade, including family members of an American "Flying Tigers" veteran, along with the son of a Japanese fighter who joined the Chinese military during the war.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

Reporter:

Ted Stevens, a late pilot of the Flying Tigers, also known as the American Volunteer Group, served in China during WWII to help the Chinese fight Japanese aggressors.

His wife Catherine Stevens recalls her husband describing members of the flying tigers as 'the greatest generation'.

"In an interview, my husband was asked about the war. He said, 'those of us who served in World War II have been called the "greatest generation." Those of us in China answered the call to serve in what we called "the forgotten war". There are few of us who left who live through the dark period of history, but as we see the heroism and bravery of those who served in our armed forces today, we know that they are truly the greatest generation.'

Between August 1941 and July 1942, the Flying Tigers played a key role in China's victory over Japanese forces.

The pilots of the Flying Tigers were all former members of the U.S. Army Air, Navy or Marine Corps.

They resigned from their U.S. military commissions in order to serve in China.

Catherine Stevens says that part of their history is also being shared in US memorials.

"Part of that is what is happening in our memorials such as the World War II Museum in New Orleans. And part of that museum, which he and his great friend senator Dan Inoue of Hawaii helped, and they call it their passing the torch to future generations and hope that they can learn more about the terrible war that happened here in China."At the same time, Tsutsui Kenji, the son of a Japanese fighter who joined the Chinese army during China's war against Japanese aggression, expressed his feelings on attending the military parade on September 3.

"It's my honor to participate in the military parade tomorrow. As for the absence of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from the event, I think it's the Japanese government's decision, probably in view of many factors including the domestic political consideration."Kenji's father joined the Japanese army and was sent to in Nanjing, the then capital of China in 1940 to become a flying instructor.

Finally, he joined China's Eighth Route Army and became one of its Japanese fighters.

China's V-Day parade marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the victory of the anti-Fascist War.

For CRI, I am Wang Wei.

Overseas Chinese Attending Parade to Commemorate 70th Anniversary of WWII VictoryAnchor:

An estimated 2-thousand overseas Chinese from over 120 different countries will also be attending the commemorations later on this morning in Beijing.

CRI's Liu Yuanhui reports.

Reporter:

Yang Qianghua, who lives in Germany, is one of the hundreds of overseas Chinese invited to attend the event.

He says the younger generation tends to forget the sacrifices made during the war.

"Seventy years ago, our older generation, including those overseas, made huge sacrifices and great contributions to national independence and liberation, as well as to world peace and justice. We should cherish the memory of the revolutionary martyrs and their fight for world peace, and never forget history. So I think this commemoration is very significant."Liu Hao is a former Chinese soldier now living in Brazil.

He says he's excited to see China's new military hardware.

"I just feel so honored and excited to have the opportunity to attend the parade. The range of new weapons that will be shown at the parade is very exciting. It's a very proud feeling that we as overseas Chinese can witness the improvement in our country's military might."At the same time, a memorial hall has opened in San Francisco mark the end of the War in the Pacific which also includes a section about the war in China.

It includes numerous displays, including weapons, photos and sculptures highlighting both the horrors and heroism of the battles in the Pacific theatre.

Florence Fang is the curator of the Chinese section of the memorial hall.

"I believe the memorial hall serves as an international platform to tell Chinese stories of the war to the world. It tells the heroic stories of eight years of war against Japanese aggression and our contributions to the World War II in those eight years."Tens of thousands of overseas Chinese have also held various events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.

In the US city of Chicago, the Chinese community has put on a concert at Chicago Symphony Hall to mark 70th anniversary.

In Vancouver, Canada, Chinese-Canadians, dignitaries and members of the Canadian Forces have also gathered to commemorate the end of World War II.

In the Philippine capital, Manila, a number of Chinese people have laid wreaths at the Chinese Cemetery in the city to memorialize the veterans who died in the war.

For CRI, I'm Liu Yuanhui.

Xi Welcomes More Foreign LeadersChinese President Xi Jinping has met with more foreign leaders in Beijing on the eve of the V-Day commemorations.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye is one of the latest world leaders to arrive.

Xi Jinping has taken time to hail the unity between the Chinese and Korean people in the fight against Japanese forces.

He also has taken time to call for a resumption of the six-party nuclear talks.

Xi Jinping has also held talks with Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain.

The two have discussed joint cooperation in Pakistan's industrial zones.

At the same time, Xi Jinping says China will continue to support Pakistan's efforts in safeguarding its national security.

The Chinese president has also met with leaders from East Timor, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Premier Li Meets Foreign LeadersChinese premier Li Keqiang has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing ahead of the V-Day celebrations.

Both say they plan to uphold the results of the victory 70-years ago, as well international justice.

Li Keqiang has also told Putin about China's ambitions to work with Russia in the development of Russia's Far East.

The Chinese Premier has also met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, with both calling for an early resumption of a trilateral FTA talks with Japan.

The talks, which began in 2008, have been stalled for the past 4-years over historical and territorial disputes.

Foreign media focus on China's V-Day paradeToday's commemorations in Beijing are gaining a lot of attention in media sources outside of China.

Singapore's Zaobao newspaper has been providing extensive coverage of the commemorations.

Zhou Zhaocheng, chief editor of the paper's website, says they're trying to provide multiple angles for people to read about.

"We've been paying close attention to the military parade and the activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance against the Japanese Aggression. On top of our written reports, we're also going to show China's military parade through a multi-media approach involving photos and video segments."Negoitsa Afanasievich with Russian newspaper 'Rossiyskaya Gazeta' says their main editorial mission has been to recount the history of the War.

"Our first goal is to let the younger generation know about the dark times. We find some people are trying to polish history, avoid talking about it or just ignore it. Some are exaggerating their own contributions to the war or not mentioning others' efforts. As the media, we can do something to let the younger generation know the true history and remember those sacrificed in the war."Hundreds of foreign journalists have been accredited to cover this morning's commemorations in Beijing.

The Parade Questions List Luo Yu, Wang Mengzhen and Wang WeiAnchor:

Commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the War are set to kick off in just under 3-hours, at 10am.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to deliver a speech, followed by a massive military parade.

Now we're joined on the line by CRI's three reporters in the Tian'anmen area.

US, Russia mark 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat in WWIICeremonies have been held in the United States and Russia marking the 70th anniversary of Japan's formal surrender in World War II.

At the WWII Memorial in Washington, former Senator and WWII veteran Bob Dole, who unsuccessfully ran for President against Bill Clinton in 1996, says things would be much different today had the world not made sacrifices.

"And if you think about World War Two, can you imagine what would have happened had we lost? What language we'd be speaking, if we'd have the freedoms or liberties that we enjoy today?"Japan signed the Instruments of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri on September 2nd, 1945.

In Russia's Far East, President Vladimir Putin has joined Russian veterans for a ceremony commemorating the 1945 victory over Japan to end World War II.

On his way to Beijing, Putin made a brief stop in Chita, a Siberian city where he laid a wreath at a war memorial and spoke with local veterans.

Zakhir Bashirov is a WWII veteran taking part in a ceremony in Kamchatka.

"In order not to allow this tragedy to happen again we must remember and talk about this tragedy. We must never forget about what our people and country have been through."The ceremonies have also been held to mark the anniversary of the Soviet military operation to capture the Kuril Islands from Japan at the end of WWII in 1945.

Russia and Japan are still locked in a bitter territorial dispute over the Southern Kurils.

That dispute is so acrimonious that Moscow and Tokyo have still not signed a formal peace treaty after the war.

Thai Police hunt Turkish man over Bangkok blastThai police have issued an arrest warrant for a Turkish man, whose Thai wife is also a suspect in the deadly Bangkok bombings on August 17th.

Thai Police spokesperson Prawut Thawornsiri says the suspect is "part of network that provided accommodations" to those connected with the bombing.

"Another suspect is the husband of Wanna Suansuan, another suspect, whose name is Emrah Davutoglu. It might be a group who lost out on profits after police began work blocking the illegal network of smuggling people in and out to another country. Whatever the group is, they have Thais and foreigners involved."Police say the suspect is somewhere in Turkey.

Of the 8 people who have Thai warrants out for them, at least two are believed to be Turkish.

Over the weekend, Thai police found bomb-making materials during a raid on an apartment on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Wanna Suansan has contacted Thai police, saying she had nothing to do with the bombing, and says she wants to return to Thailand to clear her name.

Meanwhile Police say another suspect arrested on Tuesday, close to the border with Cambodia, has admitted to being near the scene of the blast.

Thai police say fingerprints on possible bomb-making equipment found over the weekend have been matched.

The deadly blast at a popular Hindu shrine last month left 20 people dead, including 7 Chinese nationals.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 21.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 31 and a low of 24.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 34 and lows of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 35.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 26.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Washington, overcast, 34.

Honolulu, rainy, 29.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 28 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 15.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsParade to Begin at 10:00The ceremonies to mark the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression are set to kick off at 10am here in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a speech before a massive military parade begins at Tian'anmen Square.

World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are joining Chinese leaders to oversee the parade.

China Radio International will be bringing you a live broadcast of the event starting from 9am.

Xi Honors Veterans ahead of V-Day ParadeChinese President Xi Jinping has taken time yesterday to award medals to 30 Chinese and foreign veterans of the Second World War.

The honored foreign dignitaries include relatives of Claire Chennault, Commander of the famed US Army Air Corps "Flying Tigers," and of Joseph Stilwell, commander of the allied forces in south China, Burma and India, as well as the family of Canadian army surgeon Norman Bethune.

Around 210-thousand veterans or their relatives from around the world will receive the award.

The Chinese government is also planning to increase the subsidies for World War Two veterans across the country, including those who fought under the command of the Kuomintang.

Thai Police hunt Turkish man over Bangkok blastThai police have issued an arrest warrant for a Turkish man, whose Thai wife is also a suspect in the deadly Bangkok bombings on August 17th.

The suspect is said to be "part of network that provided accommodations" to those connected with the bombing at a popular Hindu shrine that left 20 people dead, including seven Chinese nationals.

Police say the suspect is somewhere in Turkey.

Of the 8 people who have Thai warrants out for them, at least two are believed to be Turkish.

Law Change to fight human traffickingNew amendments to China's Criminal Law are being adopted to better protect women and children.

Under the changes, people who are found to have purchased abducted women or children will face prosecution.

Currently, the law doesn't cover those who buy those being trafficked, provided they're not hurt.

The Ministry of Public Security is calling on those who have knowingly paid for someone in a vulnerable group to turn themselves in before the new laws take effect in November.

China's Lunar Orbiter Gets Close-ups of the MoonChinese space authorities have obtained new images of a planned Moon-landing site.

The images have been taken from 30-kilometers above the moon by a service module placed around the moon last year.

China's Space Administration is planning on sending its unmanned Chang'e-5 mission to land on the Moon in two years time.

It will be the China's first attempt to complete a return mission, as the lander is expected to collect samples from the moon.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Turning onto business news. First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe as well as a recap on the Chinese market.

Reporter:

US markets bounced back on Wednesday following a deep decline in the previous session, as Wall Street assessed the Federal Reserve's Beige Book.

The Beige Book is analysis of all the different regions of the United States the Fed covers.

At the close,Both the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 gained over 1.8 percent.

The Nasdaq soared 2.5 percent.

Reports from the 12 Fed Districts indicate economic activity continued expanding across most regions and sectors from July to mid-August.

Meanwhile, labor productivity in the U.S. nonfarm business sector has increased at a 3.3-percent annualized rate during the second quarter, well-surpassing market expectations of 2.8 percent.

However, the US private sector only added 190-thousand jobs from July to August, missing the market consensus of 210-thousand.

Meanwhile in Europe,Markets there turned around somewhat on Wednesday as traders saw intervention in China that helped calm unstable markets.

At the closing bell,The UK's FTSE 100 added 0.4 percent.

Both Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 increased 0.3 percent.

Finally in China,The mainland markets contracted for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, with the Shanghai Composite Index reversing sharp losses from the morning session, but still closed down 0.2 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index shed 1.1 percent.

Chinese brokerages to add own money to invest in A-sharesA coalition of securities dealers has announced new plans to inject their own money into China's A-share market.

The brokerages include some of the biggest names in China, including CITIC Securities, Haitong Securities, Guotai Junan Securities and GF Securities.

All are going to increase their investments from their current 15-percent net assets to 20-percent.

The increased investment will be handled through the China Securities Finance Corporation.

This is expected to pump billions into the A-share market.

The move comes despite the companies share prices themselves continuing to be battered.

CITIC's and GF's shares in Hong Kong are down close to 50-percent this year.

CSRC Fines Three Online Brokerages for ViolationsChina Securities Regulatory Commission is fining three leading online brokerages for securities violations.

They include Hundsun Technologies, Mecrt Corporation and Hithink RoyalFlush Information Network.

The companies are accused of allowing investors to trade without opening accounts via China's real-name registration requirements.

The securities regulator has also issued warnings and separate fines to these firms' managers and board chairs.

Illegal gains worth about 25 million U.S. dollars is also being seized.

China to slash import-export fees amid slowdownMore plans to import-export fees are set to take place in China in a bid to try to shore up foreign trade.

The government plans to cut fees at ports, customs clearance centers and quarantine areas.

Any fees which don't have a legal basis will be eliminated before year's end.

Authorities began cutting foreign trade fees last year.

This has cut around 5-billion US dollars worth of fees so far.

However, the government is warning that trade authorities have been lax in cutting certain fees.

China's foreign trade growth dropped to 7.3-percent through the first seven months of this year.

The annual growth target for 2015 is around 6 percent.

China oil market reform paves way for new crude benchmarkAnchor:

New reports are suggesting a global crude oil futures contract is set to be opened in China as early as next month.

The idea would be to compete with the existing contract markets, including London Brent and the U.S. WTI benchmarks.

The Shanghai International Energy Exchange, also known as INE, has circulated a draft of the futures contract to market participants, suggesting the launch could happen as early as October.

The launch of crude futures in Shanghai was given approval last year.

For more on what's happening with China's oil market, we're joined on the line by CRI's Financial Commentator Cao Can.

"Summer Davos" to eye economic growthFinal preparations are underway for the upcoming "Summer Davos" sessions in the city of Dalian next week.

This year's discussions will include a focus on both Chinese and global economic growth, along with technological innovation.

Around 17-hundred business and political leaders from more than 90 different countries are expected to attend the three-day gathering, which is set to get underway on September 9th.

The Chinese cities of Dalian and Tianjin alternately host the annual Summer Davos sessions.

Zijin on the prowl for overseas acquisitionsZijin Mining, China's most profitable gold producer, is reportedly planning to accelerate its overseas acquisitions, despite the current downturn in commodity prices.

The company's chair says Zijin needs to look abroad as to meet the current level of demand in China.

Gold consumption this year in China is expected to top around a thousand tons.

However, domestic production only sits at around half that level.

Zijin is hoping to raise up to 10 billion yuan in a private placement to finance its expansion plans.

The company has already purchased a 50-percent stake in Barrick Gold Corporations mining operations in Papua New Guinea for 300 million US dollars.

Huawei watch finally makes global debutHuawei has unveiled its new smart-watch at the annual consumer electronics trade fair in Berlin.

The Huawei Watch runs on Google's operating system for wearable devices, known as Google Wear.

It will retail for around 350 US dollars, depending on the style and options.

SportsChina to Face Hong Kong in World Cup QualifierIn football,Qualifying for the 2018 World Cup will resume tonight, with the men's team from the mainland taking on Hong Kong.

The mainland side comes into the match-up on the heels of a 6-0 thumping of Bhutan to kick off their qualifying campaign.

Hong Kong is also undefeated, beating both Bhutan and the Maldives.

In other action,Singapore and Syria will go head-to-head.

Singapore Head coach Bernd Stange says he believes his side is the clear underdogs given their world rankings.

"And now we have the third away game in a row and it's Syria. If you are looking as an indicator, they are 117 and Singapore is 155. That's a huge gap in all sports. I would say the winner is clear but we are playing football and you never know what happens in our sport."Singapore has four points from their opening two matches while Syria have three points from their first match.

In other Asian qualifying action,Japan will take on Cambodia.

South Korea will face Laos.

And it's Asian champions Australia taking on Bangladesh.

In Europe,Iceland will face the Netherlands in Amsterdam tomorrow in the latest round of qualification matches for Euro 2016.

Icelandic mid-fielder Gylfi Sigurdsson says his squad believes his squad has a good chance against the Netherlands, even though they're 12 places behind them in the world.

"Yes I think we do. We beat them in the first game so of course we have a chance. It's going to be hard. We know that we're playing away from home so it's going to be tough for us. If you look at their squad they have really good players but so far in this competition we have been playing really well so we want to continue that form and hopefully we can get a point or three points tomorrow night."With six of their ten qualification games already played, Iceland is leading Group A with 15 points.

The Netherlands is sitting in third with 10 points.

This, despite Iceland currently being ranked 24th in the world, while the Netherlands is listed as 12th.

In other action,It's Italy set to stomp on Malta.

China's Zheng Saisai Advances in Women's Doubles at US OpenIn tennis,Rising Chinese star Zheng Saisai and her playing partner Vania King from the United States have made it into the second round of US Open.

They knocked out another Chinese player Xu Yifan and Zarina Diyas from Kazakhstan in a three set match.

Taiwan's Chan Chin-Wei and her partner have been bounced early from the tournament, going down to No. 5 seeds Caroline Garcia of France and Katarina Srebotnik from Slovenia in straight sets.

In women's singles,American Madison Keys has won her second round meeting with Tereza Smitkova 6-1, 6-2.

"It was amazing. I don't know if it's because of the roof now, but it didn't seem as big as I thought it was going to feel. It was amazing to play out there. You know, I thought I played pretty well, so hopefully I can have many more matches on Ashe."The three-time defending champion Serena Williams struggled a bit early, but still managed to move a step closer to completing a calendar Grand Slam after beating Kiki Bertens 7-6, 6-3.

It's Williams' 30th consecutive victory in Grand Slam matches.

This is also her 50th match victory of the year.

In other action, young Canadian Eugenie Bouchard appears to be shaking off some of the troubles she's been having this season, also advancing into the 3rd round after getting past Slovenian Polona Herzog in a 3-set match.

It's the first time the former world number-5 has won back-to-back matches since March.

On the men's side,Defending champion Marin Cilic booked his place in the third round of the US Open with a straight sets win over Evgeny Donskoy.

The ninth seeded Croatian will next face either 17th seed Grigor Dimitrov or Mikhail Kukushkin.

Two-time US Open semi-finalist David Ferrer also went through by beating Filip Krajinovic in a three sets affair.

David Ferrer on his win.

"It was tough, it was tough it was not quick. I think that I had to play better than the first day in this match. But he is not easy Krajinovic. He has good talent and finally I could win so I am happy."Next off for him is Jeremy Chardy of France.

It's a pretty good day for Spain, as Spainiards Roberto Bautista-Agut and Feliciano Lopez also have made it through.

However, their countryman Fernando Verdasco wasn't as luckyHe went down to 10th seeded Canadian Milos Raonic.

China Beat Chinese Taipei 76-62 at Basketball Asian ChampionshipIn basketball,China's women's team has booked a place in the semi-finals in the Asian Championships in Wuhan, getting past Chinese Taipei 76-62 last night.

27-year-old Chen Xiaojia scored a game-high 17 points and 8 rebounds.

"We have learned a lot on how to pass the ball from the game against Japan yesterday. We did pretty good today. When we trained this morning, our coach told us to focus on this point. So we have showed what we've got from our training."This victory moves Team China to a 4-1 record.

After the preliminary round, China sits second in the standings.

China will next take on South Korea, who comes into the match after hammering India 121-44 last night.

In other action,Defending Champions Japan continue to dominate, dumping Thailand 95-43.

The Philippines needed overtime to get past Kazakhstan 80-73.

Malaysia got past Sri Lanka, 57-33 in a low-scoring affair.

And it was North Korea over Hong Kong 66-43.

Over on the men's side,Final practice sessions are underway for the Asian Men's championship in the city of Ningbo.

Several players are recovering from injuries, including Yi Jianlian, Guo Ailun and Li Gen.

China will take on Singapore in the opening match of the tournament later this month.

China to Face Dominican Republic at Volleyball World CupIn volleyball,China's women's volleyball squad is set to take on the Dominican Republic tomorrow at this year's World Cup in Japan.

China comes in with a 7-1 record, and currently sits in 2nd place in the tournament.

Many observers have been looking forward toward the match between the Chinese and Russian, which will take place after China takes on the Dominican Republic.

This is because both China and Russia are still in-contention for the top-2 spots.

However, Chinese head coach Lang Ping says they can't look past the other two teams left in their draw.

Twelve teams are playing a round robin format in this World Cup, with the top two finishers qualifying for Rio next year.

EntertainmentChinese-Russian youth symphony orchestra held at NCPA in BeijingA joint performance by the Chinese and Russian youth symphony orchestra has been held at the National Center for Performing Art in Beijing on Wednesday night.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets attend the concert.

The Orchestra was made up of musician from Russia's Mariinsky Orchestra and China's National Center for Performing Art Orchestra.

It was conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Chinese pianist Sun Yingdi joined the orchestra for a rendition of Xian Xinghai's Piano Concerto Yellow River.

The second half featured Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B minor.

This is their second joint-concert for the Chinese and Russian orchestras after the first on May 8 in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow.

Liu Yandong said the concert, organized to mark the end of WWII is of special significance and one of the highlights of the Year of China-Russia Youth Exchange.

Ed Sheeran And Taylor Swift Enter Guinness World RecordsTaylor Swift and Ed Sheeran have mace it into the book of Guinness World Records.

Ed Sheeran currently holds the record for taking the longest climb to climb to the top of the UK singles chart.

It took 19 weeks for one of his songs released in July last year to become the top hit.

Taylor Swift holds a record for the most million-selling weeks in United States album chart history.

Her albums have gone for three million-selling weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

This record is the most prominent in sales since 1991 when Nielsen SoundScan first began keeping track of record sales.

One Direction, Dr. Dre, and PewDiePie also make it into the book this year.

Game of Thrones, the hit HBO TV series also found a home in the new record book for the largest TV drama simulcast.

Spielberg's DreamWorks to split from DisneyDreamWorks Studios, the film company co-founded by Steven Spielberg, will split from Walt Disney.

The two companies plant to go their own separate ways after Spielberg's take on "The BFG," based on British author Roald Dahl's 1982 book, is released on July 1.

Disney Studios signed a long-term, exclusive agreement with DreamWorks Studios in 2009 to distribute live-action films produced by DreamWorks under the Touchstone Pictures banner for which Disney receives a distribution fee.

But now the Oscar-winning director is in talks with Universal studios.

Universal Pictures became the fastest studio to hit 2 billion US dollars at the box office in a calendar year in June, buoyed by the success of "Fifty Shades of Grey," "Furious 7" and "Pitch Perfect 2."Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger Separating After 2 Years of MarriageTwo years after tying the knot, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger have split and are set to divorce.

Avril announced the split on Instagram on Wednesday, posting a photo of the her and Chad together on their wedding day.

Ever since the two Canadian rockers tied the knot in July 2013, they have been rumors that their marriage was failing apart.

This was Lavigne's second marriage.

She was previously married to Sum 41 rocker Deryck Whibley, who, after a public struggle with alcohol abuse, is now sober and a newlywed.

He and Ariana Cooper tied the knot over the weekend.

'Macbeth' Releases First Official TrailerThe first official trailer for history epic 'Macbeth' has been released.

The trailer follows the Scottish general's bloody journey to the throne under the influence of his ambitious wife who encourages him to take any necessary measures.

Adapted from Shakespeare's classic tragedy, the film was directed by Justin Kurzel.

It stars Michael Fassbender as Macbeth and Marion Cotillard as his wife.

The film has received critical acclaim after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

'Macbeth' will open in US theatres on December 4.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 21.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 31 and a low of 24.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 34 and lows of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 35.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 26.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Washington, overcast, 34.

Honolulu, rainy, 29.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 28 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 15.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

The ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Agression getting undeway later on this morning.

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.