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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Chinese President Xi Jinping reviewing armed forces for first time at Victory Day parade in Tian'anmen Square....

President Xi announcing plans to cut the Chinese military by 300-thousand troops....

And U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry defending the proposed Iran nuclear deal....

In Business...China stepping up plans to turn military technology into commercial success....

In Sports...Chinese mainland team set to play Hong Kong in the football World Cup qualifiers....

And in Entertainment.... Chinese celebrities paying tribute to war veterans on V-DayTopXi Jinping reviews armed forces for first time at Tian'anmen SquareAnchor:

China held a grand military parade in Beijing on Thursday morning to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World's Anti-Fascist War.

Cri's Zhao Jianfu has more.

Reporter:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has reviewed the armed forces for the first time at Tian'anmen Square as Chinese leader and head of the Central Military Commission.

Around 12 thousand troops, World War II veterans, and nearly 1,000 foreign troops from 17 other countries marched in the parade.

World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attended the V-Day commemoration.

At 10:00, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced the beginning of the ceremony.

"The ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War now begins."President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the commemoration, stressing that China will remain committed to peaceful development and will never seek hegemony or expansion.

He noted that China's victory came with a huge national sacrifice, saying the best way to honor those who died during the war is to make sure the tragedy will never repeat itself.

"The experience of war makes people value peace all the more. The aim of our commemoration is to bear history in mind, honor all those who laid down their lives and cherish peace and open up the future."Amid army songs performed by the military band, Xi inspected 11 foot formations and 27 armament formations from the People's Liberation Army (PLA). He also observed two WWII veteran teams and ten echelons of aircraft that flew over the parade. Nearly 1,000 foreign troops from 17 countries also participated in the parade.

A highlight of the parade was two formations of veterans and families of those who gave their lives in the war who rode in open-air buses, representing the military forces led by both the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang Party.

The veterans are 90 years old on average and all live on the Chinese mainland, and the families of those who gave their lives in the war are all in their 70s and 80s.

China also displayed its armaments in the military parade with six modules.

Military commentator Song Zhongping says one of the highlights of the parade was the new equipment on display.

"This time, all the armaments in the military parade were domestically made, which is very impressive. Another highlight here is that the ratio of the new equipment is high as 84 percent. The debut of new domestically produced armaments shows the improvement of our battle power"This is the first parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression after the Japanese signed its formal surrender treaty on Sept. 2, 1945.

The V-day parade concluded at around 11:40 in the morning, with roughly 70,000 white doves and 70,000 balloons released into the sky.

For cri, I'm Zhao Jianfu.

China to cut troops by 300,000: President XiAnchor:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced plans to cut the Chinese military by 300-thousand troops.

He made the announcement during a speech marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression which was followed by a military parade in Beijing.

In his speech, Xi Jinping stressed that in the interest of peace, China will remain committed to peaceful development.

"We Chinese love peace. No matter how much stronger it may become, China will never seek hegemony or expansion. It will never inflict its past suffering on any other nation."It will be the country's fourth cut of troops since the reform and opening-up in the 1980s.

In 1985, the country decided to cut its force by one million in an effort to focus on economic development.

In 1997, China decided to further shrink its troops by half a million, reducing the total to 2.5 million.

Between 2003 and 2005, a third cut of 200,000 downsized the troops to 2.3 million, with the army becoming the smallest in the country's history.

For more on this, I earlier spoke with Professor Teng Jianqun with China Institute of International Studies.

Audience Impressed by Military ParadeAnchor:

China has held a grand military parade to celebrate Victory Day with veterans, foreign guests and citizen representatives attending the ceremony. CRI's Luo Yu tells us more about how attendees felt about attending the event.

Report:

The military parade to celebrate Victory Day began with dozens of veterans leading the formations.

Among the observers of the parade, at the scene is a son of a late veteran. Li Haishan's father fought against Japanese invaders in the war more than 70 years ago.

'My father used to be the Chief of Staff for Heavy Artillery Regiment of the No.55 division. He passed away more than 20 years ago. Yet we always remember him because he has many battle scars. I wish that through this parade, people can shore up their confidence in our country with more solidarity and our country can become a more powerful nation'.

A more powerful nation doesn't necessarily mean military expansion. After hearing that China will cut the number of its troops by 300,000, Wu Manli, a Beijing resident says it is a positive sign showing the world that China cherishes peace and stability.

Although today we have a massive parade, we have demonstrated very positive attitude because we will downsize our troops. So we show the world our good will for peace. As China has suffered great sorrows since the war began and Chinese people have gone through an arduous journey in our development. We must treasure the hard-earned peaceful environment.'

Wang Lei is a Beijing local resident from Daxing district and says watching the parade was inspiring.

'Formations of the army, navy and air force was awe-inspiring. I was amazed by them marching in step and they have received very strict training to achieve this. I felt particularly thrilled when the National Flag Guard walked out of the Monument to the People's Heroes. And when the bell rang, it reminded me of our history. We have to remember it.'

Zekarias Woldemariam, a government official from Ethiopia speaks highly of the parade.

'In my country I've seen a parade, but it's not as big as this one. I think this one is a very unique and an international one. It's a commemoration of a big victory, a victory against the atrocities, against aggressions. So leaders throughout the world should take a lesson from that struggle and the commitment paid by the people and the government of China 70 years ago and they should do whatever they could to prevent any possible problem against civilians in the future.'

Some 40,000 people were present in Tian'anmen Square to view the parade. It could be the largest live audience to watch any parade here in the country.

For CRI, I'm Luo YuV-Day parade marks China becomes a leading power again: KissingerFormer U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has said that China's grand Victory Day parade symbolizes that the nation has returned to its historic position as one of the world's leading powers.

"It sort of marks a culmination of a phase of history that China, which had been an occupied subject to intrusions from foreign countries, has not only reconstituted itself and goes back to its historic position as one of the leading powers."The former diplomat says the parade is a tribute to China's past and an indication of the country's changes.

Kissinger also says that the China-U.S. relationship should be based on finding a way to solve common problems.

"I am assuming that our relationship will not be based on showing each other our military potential, but finding a way to solve common problems."Kissinger, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, visited China as a special envoy of later U.S. President Richard Nixon in a secret diplomatic mission in 1971.

His visit was viewed as a signal of the two countries normalizing their relations.

USS Missouri Marks 70th Anniversary of VJ DayAnchor:

USS Missouri, the battleship which saw the signing of Japan's agreement to surrender in WWII, hosted a commemoration event on Tuesday to mark the historic event. CRI's Victor Ning has more.

Reporter:

On Tuesday, the decommissioned warship USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor hosted an event that marked the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. The event also honored more than 20 US WWII veterans.

Brian Schatz, a US Senator from Hawaii, summed up the historical significance of the date.

"On this deck on September second, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, Japan formally and unconditionally surrendered to the United States, bringing to a close one of the darkest periods in history and ushering in a period of relative peace."On September 2, 1945, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, Amy General Yoshijiro Umezu and a number of Allied leaders signed Japan's Instrument of Surrender for WWII on the USS Missouri, ending a period of global history dominated by major world wars.

Admiral Scott Swift, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, addressed several hundred people who gathered on the deck of the ship on Tuesday.

"It was not about retribution. Like today's ceremony, it was an acknowledgement that the shared losses of World War II vastly exceeded the immediate gains at the time."Most of the honored veterans were in their 80's or early 90's. Donald Fosburg, a former USS Missouri sailor, was on the war ship on September 2, 70 years ago.

"I was on duty. I was dealing with the press. I was a radioman. I was down in the crew's mess. We had to deal with the press. They were bringing their messages. They ask a lot."The ceremony also exhibited artifacts related to the signing of the Instrument of Surrender. Among the items were two pens used by Allied leaders to sign the surrender agreement.

The first one was named the Parker pen. It was used by then U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz to sign the document. The Nanjing Museum in China had lent the pen to the exhibition. The second pen was used by then US General Douglas MacArthur, and it was borrowed from the US Naval Academy Museum.

Li Kexin, minister at the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, also attended the ceremony in Hawaii.

Li said the reunification of the two pens symbolized the relationship between China and the US, in that when done by joint efforts, a common goal could be achieved. Later this month, President Xi Jingping will visit the US. Li said he believed the trip would bring the two nations and two peoples closer.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Kerry Defends Iran Nuke DealU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has defended the proposed Iran nuclear deal signed in July, saying rejecting it would damage America's standing in the world.

Kerry made this remark during his speech in Philadelphia.

"It is hard to conceive of a quicker, or more self-destructive blow to our nation's credibility and leadership, not only with respect to this one issue, but I'm telling you across the board, economically, politically, militarily and even morally. We would pay an immeasurable price for this unilateral reversal."Kerry also noted that the deal is the best way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and that critics have presented no reasonable alternative.

The American House of Representatives will vote on the deal next week.

Barbara Mikulski, a democratic senator has said she will support the deal. She is the 34th Senator who has showed support for the deal.

15 people rescued, 14 killed after boat capsizes in Malaysian watersSo far 15 people have been rescued and 14 confirmed dead after a boat carrying around 100 people capsized in waters off the coast of Malaysia.

The boat capsized early Thursday morning off the western coast of Malaysia in the Malacca Strait.

The passengers were believed to be Indonesian migrants.

A maritime enforcement official said that there were two possible causes for the accident, overloading and bad weather.

Thailand Arrests Third Suspect in Deadly Bangkok BombingA third suspect in Bangkok's deadly blast last month has been apprehended.

Local newspaper The Bangkok Post named the suspect as Kamarudeng Saho, who was arrested in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat. The Thai national was taken to Bangkok on Wednesday.

Thai police said the arrested man had contacted one of the eight wanted suspects in the two explosions in Bangkok in August.

Two other arrests were made previously. Authorities did not release the identities of the other two suspects, who were not Thai nationals. Police have called the man in the 2nd arrest on Tuesday "a main suspect". On Thursday, Thai police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said they found a potential bomb recipe from the man in the second arrest.

"From the suspect arrested from Sakaeo, we found what appears to be a recipe used to create a bomb. Right now, we have sent that to an expert to confirm whether this was a bomb recipe and what kind of bomb it was."Thailand has issued eight arrest warrants in the investigation of the two explosions.

Gun Control in the USThe latest high-profile shooting in the United States, the on-air murder of Virginia TV journalist Alison Parker and her cameraman, is raising new debate, and also new questions, about whether gun control is viable in the US.

Our reporter Kate Fisher has more from Washington.

Reporter;"A news crew gunned down in cold blood on live TV..."It's the shooting that's shocked America. But in this Virginia gun shop it's business as usual. Co-owner, Joshua Karrasch believes there are ways of making gun ownership safer.

"I feel education, training , maybe we could even start talking about universal background checks as good starting points but the bottom line is firearms are here and we can't ban them"But Alison Parker's grief-stricken parents say they will not be cowed by the pro-gun lobby – vowing not to rest until the law is changed. It is a tall order. The most recent research says there are 300 milllion guns in the USA and nearly a third of adults owns one. And according to website, gun archive dot org 8 thousand seven hundred people have been killed by guns in the US so far this year. But figures like that are still not enough to force a change in gun legislation. Campaigner Lori Haas, whose daughter was shot and injured in the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, is hoping the latest incident may shock America into reexamining gun control.

"I think seeing this live on TV, knowing that the shooter filmed it from his perspective is just galling and upsetting to so many people, I'm expecting we'll see an increase in support for better regulations."President Obama wants change too. In an interview with ABC News on the day of the shooting he said he was heartbroken.

"It breaks my heart every time you read about or hear about these kinds of incidents. What we know is the number of people who die from gun related incidents around this country dwarfs any deaths through terrorism."But despite presidential support past experience suggest it's unlikely much will change - while the pro-gun lobby continues to wield huge influence and the Republicans remain in control of the US Congress.

For CRI I'm Kate Fisher in WashingtonMalyasia Airlines Flight MH 19 Made Unscheduled Landing in ChennaiMalaysia Airlines flight MH 19 made an unscheduled stop on Thursday in Chennai, India, due to broken lavatories. The flight was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The airline told Xinhua that the flight had already reached the final destination of the Malaysian capital by Thursday morning.

A passenger was quoted as saying all six lavatories were functioning upon takeoff; however, three soon became inoperable, and all six stopped functioning a few hours later. The pilot decided to make the unscheduled landing as there were still several hours left in the flight, according to the passenger.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH19 is the new call sign for the airline's Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur route. The previous MH 17 was retired after it was shot down in Ukraine last year killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.

President- Obama: Alaska's warming climate is wake-up callUS President Barack Obama has said Alaska's warming climate should be a wake-up call for the whole world.

Obama made the comments in Kotzebue, a small town north of the Arctic Circle.

"One of the reasons I came up here is to really focus on what is probably the biggest challenge our planet faces. If there's one thing that threatens opportunity and prosperity for everybody, wherever we live, it's the threat of a changing climate."Obama says the warmer temperatures in Alaska have already threatened entire communities and ways of life in that area.

Obama stresses that climate change will threaten all people in the future if nothing is done.

"Climate change poses the same threat right now. If we do nothing, temperatures in Alaska are projected to rise between 6 and 12 degrees by the end of the century. And that threatens all of us with hardship, not just people up north."Obama admits that the US was not doing enough to stop the planet from continuing climate warming.

Guatemalan President Resigns Amid Corruption ScandalsGuatemalan President Otto Perez has resigned on Thursday.

The move came a day after the country's Constitutional Court rejected a claim by Perez to reverse a Supreme Court decision that allowed Congress to vote for his impeachment over accusations of graft.

Guatemala's attorney general and a UN backed anti-corruption commission have sought Perez's impeachment after months of investigation into a scam, which allowed importers to avoid customs duties with bribes to officials.

Perez and his administration have spent recent months tangled in corruption allegations and public protests.

Perez was also stripped of his immunity on Tuesday.

On Wednesday night, the attorney general's office said a detention order was issued for Perez. The attorney general has also said the former president is under investigation for money laundering.

General elections are scheduled in Guatemala for September 6.

WeatherBeijing will be overcast tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius, rainy tomorrow with a high of 24.

Shanghai will be cloudy tonight with a low of 24, tomorrow will expect showers with a high of 31.

Chongqing will be overcast tonight with a low of 25, rainy tomorrow with a high of 30.

Lhasa, rainy tonight with a low of 11, tomorrow also wet with a high of 22.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be rainy with a high of 36.

Kabul, also rainy, 25.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will see slight rain with a high of 17.

Brisbane, rainy, 22.

Perth, also rainy, 20.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will have slight rain with a high of 14 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina concludes V-Day paradeChina concluded its high-profile V-Day parade at about 11:40 a.m. Thursday, with about 70,000 white doves and 70,000 balloons released into the sky.

President Xi Jinping along with other Chinese and foreign leaders were seen waving to around 40,000 spectators from the Tian'anmen Rostrum.

Around 12,000 troops, World War II veterans, and nearly 1,000 foreign troops from 17 other countries marched in the parade, marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Veterans who fought in China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression took the lead in the military parade.

With an average age of 90, the veterans riding in convertibles in formation, represented the counter-aggression forces led by both the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang.

China says to finish military cuts by 2017China says it will complete the cut of 300,000 of its troops by the end of 2017.

The announcement came hours after President Xi Jinping made the pledge at China's military parade commemorating the end of WWII that was staged earlier today in Beijing.

Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun says the move will mainly target troops equipped with outdated armaments, administrative staff and non-combatant personnel.

This will be the fourth military reduction for China since 1980s.

15 people rescued, 14 killed after boat capsizes in Malaysian watersSo far 15 people have been rescued and 14 confirmed dead after a boat carrying around 100 people capsized in waters off the coast of Malaysia.

The boat capsized early Thursday morning off the western coast of Malaysia in the Malacca Strait.

The passengers were believed to be Indonesian migrants.

A maritime enforcement official said that there were two possible causes for the accident, overloading and bad weather.

New suspect in Bangkok bombing arrestedThai authorities have arrested a man suspected of involvement in the deadly Bangkok bombing.

The Thai national was apprehended in Thailand's southern province and then taken to Bangkok on Wednesday.

Investigators found the third suspect had contacted Wanna Suansan, the only female of eight wanted suspects connected to the bombing.

The Erawan Shrine incident killed 20 people and injured more than 120 others on August 17.

Guatemalan President Resigns Amid Corruption ScandalsGuatemalan President Otto Perez has resigned on Thursday.

The move came a day after the country's Constitutional Court rejected a claim by Perez to reverse a Supreme Court decision that allowed Congress to vote for his impeachment over accusations of graft.

Guatemala's attorney general and a UN backed anti-corruption commission have sought Perez's impeachment after months of investigation into a scam, which allowed importers to avoid customs duties with bribes to officials.

Perez and his administration have spent recent months tangled in corruption allegations and public protests.

Perez was also stripped of his immunity on Tuesday.

Biz ReportsClosing Numbers of Asian MarketsAnchor:

Turning now to business news.

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

Joining me on the desk is CRI's Min RuiReporter:

All eyes on the V Day parade here in China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges are closed both today and tomorrow, in line with the Parade holidays.

The two markets will reopen on Monday.

The Hong Kong stock exchange is also closed today with trade resuming tomorrow.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei rose for the first time in four days, gaining nearly half a percent.

South Korea's Kospi ended slightly higher.

Singapore's Straits Times Index added almost one percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX 200 shed 1.4 percent.

Military Technology to be Used in Civil Industries to Fuel Economic GrowthChina is stepping up plans to turn military technology into commercial success.

The aim is to use cutting-edge military technology to fuel economic growth.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says using military technologies in civil industries will "significantly boost product values" and lift domestic consumption.

In the next five years, defense companies will increase their business in the commercial sector.

Major companies such as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and Aviation Industry Corporation of China will branch out into commercial sectors.

Aviation sensor chip manufacturing, undersea cable construction and technologies normally associated with defense firms will be involved in commercial sectors over the next five years.

Chinese companies have also put together cooperation deals with overseas partners in the fields of aerospace, aviation, shipping and nuclear power.

China oil market reform paves way for new crude benchmarkAnchor:

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

The idea would be to compete with 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, Paul James earlier spoke with CRI's Financial Commentator Cao Can.

Indonesia delays decision on China-Japan bid for its first bullet trainIndonesia's government has decided to put off announcing whether a Chinese or Japanese firm will win a high-speed rail contract for a few days.

An announcement, which had been expected this week, has been put off until at least Monday.

A reason for the delay has not been given.

Jiang Yuechun with the China Institute of International studies says the Chinese bid has a clear advantage.

"In terms of cost effectiveness, China enjoys a unique advantage among the world's major high-speed railway powerhouses. In addition, China has a clear advantage in such areas as the project duration, maintenance and government support. But above all, cost is a key advantage for China."The line itself would run 160-kilometers between the capital, Jakarta, and the textile-producing hub of Bandung.

Recent reports have been suggesting Indonesia's cabinet, which has the final say, has been leaning toward the Chinese bid, as it would see the line completed by 2019, as opposed to the Japanese bid's predicted 2021 completion date.

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BYD to export 10,000 vehicles to SudanChinese carmaker BYD is to export 10,000 vehicles to Sudan, including new-energy cars and gasoline-powered vehicles.

The agreement was signed in Beijing on Wednesday with Sudan state-run company GIAD Motor, the only company that has the automotive production qualification in the country.

Under the deal, BYD will first ship power systems and key components to Sudan and then assemble cars there at a later date.

It has set up two assembly plants in Africa, Egypt and Sudan, for gasoline-powered cars.

Xiaomi to launch laptops next yearXiaomi is to launch laptops next year, opening a new front in its battle against its rivals.

Xiaomi's notebook could go on sale as early as the first quarter of next year to compete with premium computers such as Apple's MacBook Air and Lenovo's ThinkPad.

It has held talks with Samsung Electronics to supply memory chips, and media reports say that an initial agreement may extend to providing displays.

Xiaomi's venture into PCs comes as growth in its core market winds down.

Statistics show worldwide smartphone sales recorded their slowest growth rate since 2013 in the second quarter of 2015.

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.

The Shenzhen-based company generated 9 billion US dollars in revenue in the first half of this year, representing a 70-percent year-on-year increase.

Direct charter flight launched between China, DenmarkA direct flight linking Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province and Denmark's Copenhagen is being launched by Capital Airlines.

This is the first direct charter flight between China and Denmark.

Another direct flight connecting Beijing and Copenhagen will be launched this Sunday.

Using Airbus A330 aircraft, these two flights are expected to carry more than 3,000 Chinese tourists to Copenhagen, a gateway to Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

SportsWorld Cup qualifier: mainland vs. HKStarting things off with some live football action.

Chinese mainland team are playing Hong Kong in the World Cup qualifiers.

Hong Kong are currently on top of the group, having defeated Bhutan 7-0 and the Maldives 2-0.

The mainland also enjoyed a 6-0 win over Bhutan and are determined to crush Hong Kong tonight, before they face the strongest opponents in the group Qatar.

Captain Zheng Zhi is hoping for a win following the success of the V-Day parade.

That game has just started and it is (UPDATE SCORE)Pavel Nedved attends V-Day paradeSome off-pitch football news,Former Czech football player of the year and Europe's Ballon d'Or winner Pavel Nedved accompanied Czech president Milos Zeman to attend the V-Day parade in Beijing this morning.

Nedved is planning to go to Shanghai where he will be discussing the possibilities of setting up a football school.

Nedved retired from Juventus in 2009 and is now a member of the team's executive board.

US Open updateIn tennis,Rafael Nadal worked hard to secure a straight sets win over Diego Schwartzman at the US Open.

Nadal rose up from 3-5 down in the first set to take it 7-5.

He never looked back and won the next two sets 6-3, 7-5.

Nadal thinks he recovered well after being broken in his serve.

"Tennis is tougher if they playing well. Today he played well, I think, so that's it. Accept that. I fighted well. I fighted until the end. I came back, even if I had lot of opportunities is the real thing is I was break down in both sets and I came back well to win both sets. That is an important improve for me, and I'm happy for that."Facing Nadal in round three is Fabio Fognini who has beaten him twice this year.

Also through are Marin Cilic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic, who celebrated his second round win with a random fan after picking them out from the crowd and dancing with them to music on the court.

Over on the women's side,Serena Williams maintained her fine form in the quest for a calendar grand slam.

Williams defeated Kiki Bertens in straight sets 7-6, 6-3.

Winning for the tennis player is not enough. She has high standards for herself.

"I definitely feel more determined to do better than what I did. I know I can play better, so... Yeah, it definitely wasn't my happiest of moments. You know, I don't think you should be happy with just winning. At least I'm not. Maybe other people can. Always looking to do better. You know, if I don't play well, I'm not going to be happy even if I won."The only Chinese player in singles action Wang Qiang battles Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic later tonight.

In doubles action, Zheng Saisai and her partner Vania King knocked out Xu Yifan and her Kazakh teammate to reach round two in women's doubles.

Hearing to investigate Rio's water pollution crisisBrazilian lawmakers have held a hearing to investigate the effects of water pollution on athletes.

They questioned the safety of the sewage-filled Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, which is set to be used as the venue for sailing and surfing events during next year's Olympic Games.

Leonardo Spindola, representative of Rio's state government says their sewage treatment, though not effective enough, is a vital step in tackling the pollution.

"Perhaps we will not effectively reach the 80 percent pledge (of sewage treatment), but this goal was fundamental to stimulate, to attract investments to the city and to attract attention to the problem at Guanabara Bay."Rio's Olympic organizing committee has promised to introduce viral testing to help find a way to clean the waters.

Several athletes fell ill after participating in the test events in Guanabara Bay last month. But authorities and organizers insist the waters will be safe for next year.

Dongfeng Race Team sailors to lead Jeanneau China Sailing TourIn sailing,The Jeanneau China Sailing Tour is set to kick off later this month.

Four Chinese sailors from the Dongfeng Race Team will split into two teams and work with amateurs in off-shore challenges and in-port rallies.

The tour will visit six coastal cities: Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai, Xiamen, Shenzhen and Sanya.

It begins on September 19.

Jeanneau is one of the world's largest sailing boat makers and the official supplier for Dongfeng Race Team. The Chinese-French crew, skippered by Charles Caudrelier, finished third overall in the Volvo Ocean Race in June.

Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen to play in women's world cupIn table tennis,China have selected defending champion Ding Ning and three-time winner Liu Shiwen for the women's world cup in Japan.

China have been dominant in past world cups, having claimed all the titles in the previous 18 editions.

A total of 20 players will begin the tournament in groups of four. Other noticeable names include home favorite Fukuhara Ai, and South Korea's YANG Haeun who is a wild card entry for her mixed doubles title at the world championships earlier this year.

The world cup begins on October 30 in the northeastern Japanese city of Sendai.

Fabio Aru takes overall lead at VueltaIn cycling,Astana's Fabio Aru has snatched the overall lead after stage 11 at the Vuelta a Espana.

Aru finished the punishing Pyrenean stage in second place behind his teammate Mikel Landa.

He leads Joaquim Rodriguez by 27 seconds in the general classification.

An early crash in the stage ended Chris Froome's hopes of winning a Tour-Vuelta double.

The Tour de France winner from less than two months ago finished the stage after the crash, limping over the line some nine minutes down on winner Landa.

He just announced his withdrawal this afternoon due to injuries to his foot, knee and shoulder.

Elsewhere,Trek Factory Racing were quickest at the team time trial in the opening stage of the Tour of Alberta.

The Tour lasts for six stages and finishes on September 7.

EntertainmentChinese celebrities pay tribute to war veterans on V-Day celebrationChinese celebrities have taken to social media to pay tribute to the veterans who fought 70 years ago in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

China held a grand military parade to celebrate the V-Day on Thursday morning with dozens of veterans leading the formations.

Among the celebrities observing the parade at the scene were actors Li Youbin, Zhang Guoli, Olympic champion Guo Jingjing and her husband, along with Hong Kong kung-fu star Jackie Chan.

Guo Jingjing attended the military parade in 2009 in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

She said she wanted to bring the images to her child to show him China's development and Chinese military spirit.

Meanwhile, some actors and singers have posted photos on Sina Weibo, showing them saluting to veterans.

'Terminator Genysis' Still Tops Chinese Box OfficeArnold Schwarzenegger's sci-fi blockbuster 'Terminator Genysis' is still dominating the Chinese box office.

The film opened in Chinese theatres on August 23rd.

It has since grossed more than 520-million yuan, or 82-million US dollars.

In contrast, the film opened in the North American market more than one month earlier on July 1st, earning a meager 90-million US dollars.

The fifth installment of the 'Terminator' franchise follows Kyle who travels back in time to 1984 to save his mother Sarah.

Following 'Terminator Genysis', a bunch of Hollywood films will appear in Chinese cinemas, including 'Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation', 'Minions' and 'Ant-Man'.

Currently, sitting at second place is war themed action film 'The Hundred Regiments Offensive', earning north of 140-million yuan.

Crime thriller 'The Dead End' came in at third with around 130-million yuan.

China Approves First Gay Film for Theatrical ReleaseChinese film regulators have for the first time approved the theatrical release of a gay romance film.

The film, 'Seek McCartney' will be the first gay-themed film ever to open in Chinese mainland theatres.

Film director Wang Chao announced the news on Sina Weibo, calling the decision ' a big step for Chinese filmmakers.'

Han Geng, leading actor in the film followed suit instantly, hailing the decision.

The China-France co-production follows two men, a Chinese and a Frenchman, who develop a romantic relationship under cross-cultural backgrounds.

The film also stars French actor Jeremy Elkaim as the lead.

'Seek McCartney' is expected to hit theatres this winter.

Another film 'The Dead End', which included two male characters engaging in passionate kisses, also managed to get theatrical release in China.

Justin Bieber reveals why he cried at VMAsCanadian pop star Justin Bieber has revealed why he cried at the VMAs over the weekend.

The singer burst into tears after performing his new single 'What Do You Mean.'

Speaking on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, the 22 year old said the crowd's support struck his heart.

"I just, um… It was just so overwhelming for me, everything. Just the performance, I missed some cues. So I was a little bit disappointed at that. But just the support...Honestly, I was just not expecting them to support me in the way they did. Last time I think I was at the VMAs, I think, last time I was at an awards show, I was booed."The singer continued to say that he has worked hard on the new album and at becoming the man he wants to be.

"Stepping into situations, you just can't help but feel judged, so I was just feeling judged and just wanting to win so badly and wanting to do what I love so badly that I just put everything on the line. What was just so special about the emotional moment at the end; it was just authentic, it was real."Bieber went candid to admit that he had made mistakes and surrounded himself with 'knuckleheads'.

Bieber's new single was released last Friday and is on track for a possible Hot 100 debut and his first-ever UK No.1 single.

His new album comes out on November 13th.

Chris Evans on His Directorial Debut 'Before We Go'

Captain America actor Chris Evans is making his directorial debut with indie film 'Before We Go'.

Evans stars opposite Alice Eve in the film about a woman stranded for the night in New York City.

Evans plays an aspiring musician who attempts to help the woman get home after her purse is stolen and she misses the last train to Boston.

Evans said playing a Marvel superhero helped him helm the smaller, indie film.

"Putting myself in the movie, the Marvel world provides a certain level of overseas notoriety and right now with these small movies, the way they get on their feet is with this kind of foreign presale model, if it weren't for Marvel, this wouldn't have happened."Though having starred in several blockbuster films, Evans said what surprised him most is the preparation work before shooting.

"How difficult prep is. You think making the movie is the difficult part, preparation goes for six to eight weeks whatever it is depending upon the film. Preparation, scouting, meetings with department heads is really difficult it's exhausting. When you get to the movie that's when you can actually breathe a little bit."The director also said he will definitely be keeping an eye on reviews when the romantic drama opens in theaters on Friday.

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

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

Chinese President Xi Jinping reviewing armed forces for first time at Victory Day parade in Tian'anmen Square....

President Xi announcing plans to cut the Chinese military by 300-thousand troops....

And U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry defending the proposed Iran nuclear deal....

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