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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Experts continuing to laud China's commemoration of China's V-Day Parade....

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger observing that China's slower pace of economic growth is a natural transition...

And some 10-thousand refugees arrive in Germany as the migrant crisis in Europe continues to escalate...

In our weekly sci-tech feature... China's Lunar Orbiter Gets Close-up images of the Moon.

In Sports...China giving Russia a beat down at the Women's Volleyball World Cup...

In Entertainment... The Box office on the Chinese Mainland rakes in the big bucks...

Top NewsTibet to Mark Autonomous Region AnniversaryTibet Autonomous Region in southwest China has been given a major makeover to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the region.

More than 3 million Tibet residents of all nationalities are welcoming the anniversary in their own ways.

Tibet will hold a celebration meeting, mass pageant, exhibition presenting the region's achievement over the past 50 years, a show and a highway opening ceremony to celebrate the anniversary.

A central government delegation will participate in the activities.

China's V-day Parade shows respect to history, determination to defend peaceAnchor:

Some foreign experts have continued to laud China's commemoration of the victory of Chinese people's resistance against Japanese aggression during World War II.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has moreReporter:

Michael Seslavinsky, head of Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications of Russia, says the commemorative activities have expressed a respect for history.

"China suffered huge losses during the WWII. We should remember and respect the history and recall those who lost their lives with Chinese people. Without contributions made by China, the second world war could not have finished so rapidly."He says the battlefield in the East was very huge, as the region affected by the war was much larger than that in Europe.

Pavel Negoitsa, President of Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, says the military parade is of great significance, as some countries and politicians have tried to weaken the role of former Soviet Union and China in fighting against Japanese aggressors and German fascists during WWII.

"From such perspective, it is appropriate and necessary to hold the military parade so as to prove to the world the indelible contribution made by China for the victory of the WWII."Two formations of the veterans representing the resistance war forces led by both the Communist Party and the Kuomintang participated in the military parade on Thursday in Beijing.

Along with families of those soldiers who gave their lives in the war, they were reviewed by Chinese President Xi Jinping as they rode in open-air buses through the square.

Michael Miagkov, professor of Moscow Institute of International Relations said that people who still have fresh memory of the history of WWII are becoming fewer and fewer.

"For those veterans in China and former Soviet Union, this might be the last memorial day in their lifetime, and we should remember them and show our respect to the veterans who experienced the war."Mya Than Than Nu, secretary of Myanmar's Democratic Party, says the military parade China held on the 70th anniversary of the World Anti-Fascist War has a special meaning.

"Through the parade, China shows to the world that it will stick to the path of peaceful development, and it has the ability to keep world peace. To prevent further wars, many countries gathered in China and participated in this parade for world peace."Ahead of the epic V-Day parade on Thursday, President Xi Jinping announced to cut China's troops by 300,000.

The cuts, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017, will be China's 11th military reduction since the founding of New China on October 1, 1949, and the fourth one since the 1980s.

In 1985, China downsized its army by more than 1 million, the largest cuts ever. After the recent move, China's troop levels will stand at 2 million, compared with 6.27 million in October 1949.

For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.

Slower Chinese economic growth is natural transition: Henry KissingerFormer U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has gone on-record saying that the slowing of Chinese economic growth is a natural transition.

Kissenger made the statement during his interview with China Central Television earlier this week in New York city.

"Chinese economy is transiting from an export-led model to underput somewhat more reliance on consumer spending, and it is also reorienting its foreign policy - some of these concepts like the "Silk Road" concept. When you have a transition from one model to another, it's inevitable that you cannot do it in perfect synchronization."Speaking of the transition, Kissinger noted that western countries had encountered periodic moments of crisis during their economic evolution.

"Having seen how China has evolved over the last 30 years, I look at this as a temporary, almost inevitable aspect of transition, from which we should, both sides learn that we should synchronize our economic politics in order to make every minimum impact on each other."At the same time, Kissinger points out that the statements from Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama have both recognized the importance of deepening bilateral dialogue and are looking for ways to accomplish it.

Russia's Primorsky Krai is to open self-driving tours to Chinese touristsRussia's Far East region of Primorsky Krai is becoming a new favorite destination for Chinese tourists.

Statistics show in the first 8 months of 2015, the region has received nearly 90-thousand Chinese tourists, up 75% compared with the same period last year.

The region has become the second most favorable destination for Chinese tourists after Moscow.

Vladimir Miklushevsky, Governor of the Primorsky Krai region says they are in talks to make self-driving tours available to Chinese tourists.

"We welcome all foreign tourists to visit Primorsky Krai, especially Chinese guests. We share 1100 kilometers borderline with neighboring China. We are now in talks with the Chinese side to draft self-driving tours and we see this as a new profit point for tourism."It's been reported that Russia is to extend the free port regime to more cities in Russia's Far East region, while the city of Vladivostok and 15 other maritime administrative districts were given the status in July.

The governor adds that the eight day visa-free entry will certainly boost tourism in the future.

Vladimir Miklushevsky says his goal is to use all local resources to bring in more tourists.

Apart from developing the infrastructures in scenic spots, we also have to build hotels and upgrade their services and facilities, for these factors are limiting our development now."He also says they are developing cultural tours by setting up a theatre, galleries and museums so that foreign tourists can experience the authentic Russian ballet and other arts here.

10,000 Refugees to arrive in GermanyAnchor: Germany has opened its borders to thousands of exhausted migrants, after they arrived finally from Hungary where the government had tried to stop them but was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers reaching Europe's frontiers.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

Reporter:

Officials say around 6-thousand migrants had passed through Munich by Saturday evening. Some 1,700 are being sent directly onward to places outside Bavaria.

The remaining 4,300 were either given temporary accommodation in Munich, or taken on buses to other locations in Bavaria, Germany's biggest state.

Thousands of asylum seekers reached Germany and Austria on Saturday after a surprise overnight effort by authorities to transport them out of Hungary, where they had been stuck for days.

Authorities say up to 10,000 migrants were expected to arrive in Germany on special trains from Budapest via Vienna and Munich.

The Munich residents handed out information leaflets and aid, while clapping hands with the migrants as they walked past.

Local resident Barbara Luehers says they have so much to give in Germany and it is time to help.

"We are living so well and we can finally help them, these people - it is just that we have to give them what we can, we have to show them they are welcome, and it is terrible how they were treated in Hungary."Germany's interior ministry has said Berlin's decision to open its borders for Syrians is an exceptional case made out of humanitarian reasons.

It said in a communiqué that Europe's so-called Dublin rules, which require migrants to apply for asylum in the first European Union country they arrive, had not been suspended.

Simon Hegewald, police spokesman for the German federal police at Munich station, says the local government has made every effort to smoothen the refugee transfer.

"We have already, as of 16.00 two more trains with several hundred new migrants who have due to arrive. We get the prognoses with short notice, one or one and a half hours beforehand they left us know how many migrants there actually are on board the train. So the federal police will be employing massive reinforcements of police officers at the station around this time."Bavarian Social Minister Emilia Mueller says the resettlement of Syrian refugees is a Germany-wide issue.

"It is a concentrated effort, we are dealing with the situation, we all have to work together, it is a Germany-wide issue and a responsibility for the whole of Germany."Europe is struggling to cope with a flood of migrants and refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and beyond.

About 350,000 migrants and refugees have reached the border of the European Union this year. The European nations are groping for solutions amid sharp divisions over burden-sharing.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Ship ferries 2500 migrants in Greece after scuffles with policeA ship has ferried nearly 2500 migrants to the port of Piraeus from the Greek island of Lesbos.

The Eleftherios Venizelos, chartered by the Greek government, is trying to ease mounting pressure from the migrant influx on the islands near the Turkish coast.

The move comes one day after violent scuffles between migrants and policemen took place at Lesbos's port.

About 200 migrants threw stones at police after they were not allowed to board a passenger ferry.

Police then responded with tear gas.

Greece has seen a surge in the number of refugees arriving by rubber dinghies from neighbouring Turkey, with aid agencies estimating some 2,000 crossing over daily this month.

Statistics show that over 13 thousand migrants and refugees have been ferried from the eastern islands to Athens since Monday.

Most make their way north to the border with Macedonia and from there to central and Western Europe.

Refugee crisis to feature at G20 leaders summit in TurkeyThe unprecedented refugee influx which has opened deep divisions across Europe, is set to be high on the agenda at the summit of premiers and heads of states from the world's top 20 economies in Turkey in November.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cevdet Yilmaz says the refugee issue is more about geopolitical risks and the humanitarian matters caused by them.

"It has become Europe's problem. A human tragedy is happening. All of us should see that Turkey cannot be held responsible alone for the unfair suffering. This is a humanitarian situation and all the humanity must contribute."Turkey is hosting some 1.8 million refugees from the crisis in Syria and has repeatedly accused Europe of not doing its part to help share the burden.

The lifeless body of a three-year-old Syrian boy that washed ashore in the Turkish southwest holiday resort of Bodrum this week has triggered an emotional wave across the world.

Germany has been leading calls to take in more people fleeing war and upheaval.

More bodies recovered after boat overloaded with migrants capsize off MalaysiaSearch and rescue teams in Malaysia have recovered two more bodies after a boat overloaded with migrants capsized earlier in the week.

This brings the total of victims to 46, including 26 dead and 20 alive.

All victims have been recovered by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and search and rescue team.

An overloaded wooden boat believed to be carrying dozens of Indonesian illegal immigrants sank off the coast of Malaysia on Thursday.

The boat, estimated to have about 70 people aboard, left Sabak Bernam in Malaysia's western state of Selangor for Sumatra in neighbouring Indonesia when the accident happened.

It's been predicted that a fresh surge of refugees and migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh is expected to set out in boats for Southeast Asia when the monsoon season ends in about a month.

Southeast Asia is facing a huge migrant crisis with more than 4,000 people landing in many countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Baltimore activists try to end the cycle of violenceAnchor:

The city of Baltimore in the United States has a reputation for violence, with more than 200 murders so far this year alone.

With the numbers of homicides spiraling, community leaders are mobilizing to revitalize and transform the troubled community with a special eye for protecting the city's children. .

CRI's Luo Bin reports.

Reporter:

Of all the neighborhoods in the city, West Baltimore has been disproportionately affected by the violence this summer.

Its corners are flanked by whole blocks of vacant buildings, often wrapped in yellow police tape. The Western District has seen 43 homicides this year - far more than any other district in the city.

In April, officers arrested Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man.

He suffered a critical spine injury in the police transport van and died seven days later. His death spawned protests that gave way to violence and looting, and the city's homicide rate began to skyrocket.

The police commissioner lost his job, and half a dozen officers were indicted in connection with Gray's death, but the violence continued.

Derek Bowden, a Baltimore Community Activist stands outside a row of abandoned houses in the city. He mourns the city he once knew.

"It was beautiful. We might have been poor, but we all ate, we all looked out for one another. And now it's devastation. It's like extinction of a people, I don't understand."The challenges the city faces has produced two very different responses.

A converted laundromat in West Baltimore, just blocks from where Gray was arrested, has been transformed into a safe zone for local children.

Ericka Alston launched the center in the poor, crime-riddled neighborhood in response to the violence that followed the death of Freddie Gray.

"Half a block away someone one was shot and killed. We could hear the bullets, you hear the gunfire and we're in a community where kids know to duck and hide, and take shelter. That's why a safe place was needed."Across town, in a high-rise conference room downtown, Baltimore police are working on a very different message.

Last month, the Police Department launched what they call a War Room in an effort combat the spike in killings.

Also the 300 Man March, an organization dedicated to promoting peace and empowerment, are mobilizing on the ground, with grassroots efforts to instill lessons of nonviolence.

Every Wednesday at twilight, the group takes an hour-long bike ride through the city, donning T-shirts that read: "We Must Stop Killing Each Other."Community activism like this is helping some young people learn that there is an alternative to a life of violence.

"We learning to do the right thing and not selling drugs like all these crack heads and all that other stuff that be around here."Munir Bahar, who leads the annual 300 Man March against violence in West Baltimore, says a cultural shift needs to take place in the inner city.

"It's cool to be in a gang…you get stripes if you get locked up. This is the backwards idiotic sort of culture that exists in the street world and that's really what we're attacking. It's a cultural thing."Some gang members are going into schools to talk to students about nonviolence or working with community activists to try to change things.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

President Obama hosts King Salman of Saudi ArabiaAnchor:

U.S. President Barack Obama hosted King Salman of Saudi Arabia for bilateral talks at the White House.

Yemen and the Iran nuclear deal topped the agenda as both men expressed concerns about the unrest across the Middle East.

CRI's Priscilla Huff reports.

Reporter:

One sign of how important this meeting is between the leaders of the United States and Saudi Arabia.

U-S President Barack Obama personally met King Salman at the door to the West Wing of the White House, something he rarely does. A few minutes later President Obama formally welcomed the Saudi ruler before the TV cameras in the Oval office.

"So, Your Majesty, welcome, and let me once again reaffirm not only our personal friendship but the deep and abiding friendship between our two peoples."With Washington and Riyadh far apart on key issues, King Salman also wanted to sound a hospitable note.

The voice of a translator:

"Once again, Mr. President, I'm happy to come to a friendly country to meet a friend. And we want to work together for world peace. Our region must achieve stability, which is essential for the prosperity of its people. And in our country, thank God we are prosperous, but we want prosperity for the entire region, and we are willing to cooperate with you in order to achieve that."However, as Brookings institution scholar Bruce Reidel - a long time American diplomat writes in U-S News and World Report, the Oval office meeting could do little about Yemen, one of Saudi Arabia's deep problems because, quote they are impervious to an American solution.

Saudi Arabia is also worried about the Iran nuclear deal.

Key committees of the US Congress are setting their schedule to approve or disapprove the agreement, although enough Senators have voiced their support, the White House is confident the deal will get the thumbs up.

Writing for the Washington Institute for near east policy, Simon Henderon underscores Riyadh's concern that sanctions relief will be used to finance Iranian troublemaking in the region, and quote the kingdom regards the Obama administration's defense of the deal as naive and therefore views it with extreme skepticism.

But it's the images of the migrants fleeing the violence in Syria that's garnering the most attention especially from US President Barack Obama.

"We share concerns about the crisis in Syria, and we'll have the opportunity to discuss how we can arrive at a political transition process within Syria that can finally end the horrific conflict there.

With a US Saudi Arabia investment forum underway at one of Washington's fanciest hotels, King Salman kept to a positive tone.

"Our relationship is beneficial not only to our two countries, but to the entire world and to our region. And this is significant, and we must always affirm that and deepen such relations. We always emphasize that we want to deepen our relations and further our cooperation in all fields."At the close of the meeting, the two leaders discussed a new strategic partnership for the 21st century and how to significantly elevate the relationship between the two countries.

Or as the White House statement put it, it was a positive and fruitful discussion.

For CRI, I'm Priscilla Huff in Washington.

Scientists from the University of Cambridge Build a Robotic 'Mother'

Anchor:

Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed a mother robot that independently builds its own baby robots and then tests their performances to inform the future design.

CRI's Liu Yuanhui reports.

Reporter:

The mother robot first glues one to five modules together to make a child robot and put a slightly-different motor inside each cube. Then it tests how far each cube moves from a starting point in a certain amount of time, with the best individual's traits carried over into the next generation.

The lead researcher Dr Fumiya Iida said their experiments bring about interesting results.

"The mother robot can actually build hundreds of child robots and see the performance of these child robots and, if their performance is good, keep their design for the next generation. And if bad, just let it go. And just repeating this iterative design improvement processes, the mother robot can actually gradually improve the performance of the child robot,"Dr Fumiya Lida also said the mother robots produced a large number of robotic offspring.

"The largest experiment that we did so far, we built 500 robots; the mother robot generated 500 robots to see what one is good and which one is bad. And after all, we found quite an interesting design, the design of the child robots, that is very difficult for humans to design."While the idea of a mother robot that autonomously builds better and better baby robots sounds like a premise for a science fiction film, this super mother robot's ability, in fact, is determined by a reward program.

Andre Rosendo, who worked on the project at the University's Department of Engineering, explains how the reward program works.

"We program the robot based on some functions that define the reward that the robot is going to get depending on the construction that they make. They cannot change their own reward. And as the robot evolves, trying to maximize the reward that we give them, they try to reach better behaves (behavior). In the case of children robot, it's distance. So the longer the distance that the robot walks, the better the reward that it receives,"The research team in Cambridge says their robots are mimicking nature's evolutionary mechanism of survival of the fittest, and can be applied to manufacturing.

"When you go to industries and you have, for example, a factory that makes cars; if you could have robot cameras evaluating how each car is being created, and from the mistakes that you had in the operation you could just re-do for the next car and for the next car, and you keep re-doing it - at the end you're going to have amazing cars."So far, the mother robot needs about ten minutes to design, build and test a baby robot it produced.

The scientists hope they could eventually use a computer simulation to pre-select the best robot designs and use real models for actual testing.

For CRI, I'm Liu Yuanhui.

Headline newsTibet to Mark Autonomous Region AnniversaryTibet Autonomous Region in southwest China has been given a major makeover to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the region.

More than 3 million Tibet residents of all nationalities are welcoming the anniversary in their own ways.

Tibet will hold a celebration meeting, mass pageant, exhibition presenting the region's achievement over the past 50 years, a show and a highway opening ceremony to celebrate the anniversary.

A central government delegation will participate in the activities.

China economy enters "new normal" eyeing 7 pct growth rate: G20The Chinese economy has entered a "new normal" status and the growth rate of economy is predicted to be around 7 percent in the coming 4 to 5 years.

Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei made the comments in a written statement after the 2-day G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Ankara.

Lou says the Chinese government will not pay particular attention to a seasonal short term economic fluctuation, and will keep the stability of macroeconomic policies.

In the same joint statement, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan has pointed out that there is no foundation that the RMB will keep devaluing for a long term.

Residents in Naraha return after evacuation order liftedAn evacuation order has been lifted in the town of Naraha in Japan, 4 years after the fatal earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in the country forcing its residents to flee.

The move makes the city the third one to lift the order after parts of Tamura and Kawauchi were cleared earlier this year.

It is also the first time a whole township has been allowed to return.

A celebration has also been held for the move by local town officials at the city hall.

Naraha is one of 9 municipalities whose residents were ordered to evacuate in the aftermath of a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant some 12 miles away.

About 70 thousand people have been affected by the order with many of them residing in temporary housing scattered over northern Japan.

Soldiers killed in attack in Yemen to be repatriatedThe bodies of soldiers from a Saudi-led coalition killed in an attack in central Yemen are set to be repatriated.

The coffins of the late soldiers carried by a military plane have landed in Abu Dhabi, along with a red carpet in a military procession while soldiers from the same coalition lined up and saluted.

At least 60 soldiers from the coalition as well as 24 citizens were killed on Friday in the attack in Yemen.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash says that the troops were killed when a surface-to-surface missile struck a weapons storage facility at the Marib coalition base.

Friday's death toll was the highest for the coalition and is one of the worst losses of life in the history of the UAE military.

The UAE government has announced a three-day mourning period.

Sci&Tech (Sunday)Anchor:

It's time to check on the latest updates from the science and technology sector in the past week in our Weekly Sci-Tech feature.

This week:

China's Lunar Orbiter Gets Close-up images of the Moon.

Head scientists pair up for a disputed surgery dubbed a 'Frankenstein' surgery.

And a cure for genetic deafness is taking shape in a laboratory at Boston Children's Hospital in the United States.

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

Reporter:

Chinese space authorities have obtained new images of a planned Moon-landing site.

The images, taken from 30-kilometers above the moon, have been taken by a service module in orbit 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 first attempt by Chinese space authorities to complete a return mission, as the lander is expected to collect samples from the moon.

///////////////////////////////////////United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and CEO of China's search engine giant Robin Li have co-launched a mobile application for electronic waste recycling to save resources and reduce pollution.

The Baidu Recycle 2.0 can help individuals disposing e-waste products easily find authorized companies to make an efficient and environmentally-friendly deal.

The new app is considered to be a star product of the UN Development Programme and Baidu's joint data lab to facilitate a greener and more sustainable society in China.

For now, many Chinese still sell their electronic waste to unauthorized workshops because of its convenience and relatively good price.

These workshops are making huge profits out of brutally extracting rare metals from the waste.

However, experts warn the environmental damage caused by random disposal of toxic materials is a more long-term concern that cannot be ignored.

/////////////////////////////Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital are working on a cure for genetic deafness.

Lead researcher Jeff Holt and his team are using engineered viruses to repair damaged genes that make up parts of the inner ear.

"Our strategy was to take a viral vector, remove the viral genes so that it doesn't make anyone sick and to replace those with the correct DNA sequence for TMC1."TMC1 is a gene critical to hearing.

It is responsible for encoding proteins that convert sound into electrical signals the brain can process.

To test their treatment protocol, Holt and his team used two types of deaf mice that model the dominant and recessive genetic mutations of TMC1 in humans.

The team used an engineered virus called adeno-associated virus, or AAV1, to deliver the functioning TMC1 gene to the inner ears of the deaf mice models.

"We found that we can restore function in both cases for recessive and dominant forms of TMC1 mutations."Holt says that if all goes as planned, children of the future who lose their ability to hear due to genetic mutation will never go deaf.

////////////////////////////////Two leading transplant scientists are planning to work together to conduct the world's first human head transplant.

Sergio Canavero, a controversial physician who previously announced he will attempt to transplant a human head to a new body, said he'll partner with Chinese surgeon Ren Xiaoping on the ultimate medical challenge.

He said Ren's creation of new models in transplant etiology and experience in clinical etiology is what attracted him to the partnership.

Ren triggered public debate after successfully transplanting the head of one mouse to another's body in 2013.

He announced plans to perform the operation on primates this year.

Canavero and Ren plan to establish an international medical team.

They have identified a 30-year-old Russian computer scientist with muscular dystrophy as the first patient.

However, both of them admit that there are many technical difficulties with linking the nervous system, blood vessels and spinal cord in order to prevent the body from rejecting the head.

The complicated project could take place in least two years with full funding, proper staff and strong leadership.

The world's first attempted head transplant was back to 1970, when American neurosurgeon Robert J. White transplanted the head of one monkey to the body of another.

The monkey died after several days.

/////////////////////////////////////////////Tech giants are displaying their new smart products at the IFA technology fair currently held in Germany, competing to impress the world's tech experts and consumers.　The super-high resolution display known as 4K is the centerpiece feature of Sony's latest flagship smartphone.

The company has revealed big improvements to its Xperia Z5 range.

The phone comes in two sizes, starting with the pocket friendly Z5 compact with a 4.6 inch screen.

The larger Z5 Premium has a 5.5 inch 4K screen.

Kazuo Hirai, Sony President and CEO says the size is optimised for entertainment viewing.

"And for those of you who are entertainment enthusiasts we are offering the Xperia Z5 Premium, the world's first 4K smartphone giving you the ultimate viewing experience on a mobile device. So now you can enjoy the 4K viewing experience in the palm of your hand on the stunning 5.5 inch screen."Meanwhile, the Z5 comes with a 23 megapixel camera with an upgraded image sensor that allows for a five times zoom without losing any image quality.

It also comes with improved motion stabilisation for videos.

At the same time, Chinese company Huawei is launching the world's first smartphone with force touch at the fair.

Force touch technology is a feature previously only seen in the Apple Watch, that allows the phone to detect how hard the user is pressing on the touch screen and react accordingly.

Huawei's CEO, Richard Yu says the phone named Mate S can be used as a scale to weigh objects such as an orange.

"You can put an orange on a screen to check roughly what about the weight of this."The Huawei Mate S will also come with a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen, a 13-megapixel camera and a curved back.

The phone is Huawei's first phone targeted at the top end of the market and will be priced at between 730 - 843 US dollars.

The phone will be available in some 30 countries in Asia, Europe and the Middle East from mid-September.

////////////////////////////////////Brazil is building a giant observation tower in the heart of the Amazon to monitor climate change and its impact on the region's sensitive ecosystem.

The 325-meter high Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) is a joint project between Brazil's National Institute of Amazonian Research and Germany's Max Planck Institute.

It will be equipped with high-tech instruments and an observatory to monitor relationships between the jungle and the atmosphere.

The equipment will collect data about greenhouse gases, aerosol particles, cloud properties, boundary-layer processes, and the transport of air masses every day.

From the top of the tower, researchers can also trace the changes in air masses triggered by crossing large areas of forest.

Jurgen Kesselmeier, the German coordinator of the project explains the tower's functions:

"This tower is looking mainly for greenhouse gases which are heating up the atmosphere and these gases are exchanged with the surface at the ground. We would like to learn about the quantity of these gases to understand how this exchange is working. The second point is to look for secondary and primary aerosol particles, which is serving as particles that help to condense water - we call it cloud condensation nuclei - and this cloud condensation nuclei, are building up clouds. "All the data collected by the tower will be incorporated into models to predict climate development and could influence the decisions taken by the government about environmental policies.

The construction process of the tower has lasted eight years and is expected to be fully operative at the beginning of 2017.

///////////////////////////////New Zealand banknotes designed to foil counterfeitersNew Zealand's central bank is set to unveil a new series of high-tech bank notes, stepping up the war on counterfeits.

The 5 and 10 NZ dollar notes are said to be technologically sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing.

A transparent holographic window and a picture of a native bird that both change color when the note is tilted is said to be "a world first" feature.

Other security features include a "puzzle number" -- colored irregular shapes that combine like puzzle pieces to show the notes denomination when held up to the light -- and raised ink on both sides of each note.

The new bank notes are set to be released in mid-October.

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

Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoyed the show.

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsJapan wins FIBA, China comes in 2ndJumping into FIBA women's basketball news:

China's women's basketball team failed to bag a victory from competing finalist, Japan at the Asia Championship in central China's Wuhan.

The Chinese team once cut the deficit to 22 points on a 10-2 run, but that would be the closest in score they would get to their rivals.

Japan would respond with a 12-0 run later in the quarter, and would seal the win with a 35-point advantage towards the end.

Japan has also secured a berth in Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

Four Japanese players had double-figure points, led by Sanae Motokawa's game-high 24 points.

The Final score of the game was 85-50 giving Japan a back-to-back FIBA win.

China's Shao Ting and Sun Mengran were named in the tournament's All-Star Five.

China beats Russia in Women's VolleyballSpicing it up with women's Volleyball:

China gave Russia a beat down Saturday in the women's volleyball world cup.

Ting Zhu scored a match-high 29 points as China improved to 27 points atop the standings.

Moving forward, China will face Japan in the finals of the tournament on this Sunday.

And Russia will now move on to face Algeria for a chance at redemption.

In other matches, Jelena Nikolic scored 11 points and aided Serbia in its 9th straight win over Kenya.

Serbia is in second place with 24 points and will face Argentina on Sunday.

Nicole Fawcett led with 20 points as world champions the United States beat host Japan.

Croatia, Kazakshtan and Israel to play away games in Euro QualifiersIn Euro 2016 football qualifying news:

Croatia will visit Oslo on Sunday for its Group H Euro 2016 qualifier.

Fearing further racist incidents, Croatia have banned their own fans from the team's away matches.

There was no organized section for Croatian fans in their previous game against Azerbaijan on Thursday.

That rule will apply for Sunday's match in Norway - and the fixture in Malta on October the 13th.

Croatia is coasting the top of Group H with 15 points from seven games, but could likely have one point deducted for a racist incident in a 1-1 home draw with Italy in June.

In Group A:

Iceland stunned the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Thursday with a victory that kept them on top of their Euro 2016 Qualifying GroupThis will move the team to the brink of their first major tournament finals.

The Icelanders, jointly coached by Heimir Hallgrimsson and Lars Lagerback, will host Kazakhstan on Sunday with the Kazakhs taking just one point from their seven previous matches.

And finally with news from group B:

Israel takes on Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday, looking to spoil their hosts' party.

A home win in the Euro 2016 Group B qualifier would see Wales reach a major championship final for the first time in 58 years.

Serena Williams through as Nadal Crashes out of US OpenNow let's fill you in with some US Open action:

On the women's court:

Serena Williams has again rallied from a set down to win during her pursuit of the first Grand Slam since 1988.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands pushed Williams hard through the opening two sets before the 21-time major champion took control in the third for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory on Friday night.

It was the eighth time that Williams has pulled off a victory after dropping the opening set.

Here's what Serena had to say about the game.

"I don't know. I just know usually when I'm down, I mean, I feel like if I'm not playing well, I know I can take it to another level. But if I'm down and I'm playing well, then I probably won't win. But usually, you know, I know that I can play better. I just try to tap into the energy and I try to play better."From the way she is playing, it's obvious that Serena is seeking to become the first player since Steffi Graf 27 years ago who to take home all four major titles in the same season.

In other action:

Samantha Stosur battled through to the fourth round of the US Open with a 7-5 2-6 6-1 win over Sara Errani.

The champion of 2011 at Flushing Meadows took the opening set in 48 minutes before the Italian 16th seed levelled by taking the second set.

The Australian 22nd seed ran away with the deciding set in just half an hour to set up a meeting with either Flavia Pennetta of Italy or the Czech Republic's Petra Cetkovska.

And for Men's US open news:

Rafael Nadal blew a two-set lead in a Grand Slam match for the first time ever in his 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Italy's Fabio Fognini.

The former world number one, seeded eighth, took a comfortable lead going into the third set, but Fognini rallied to dump the 2008 and 2013 champion out in the third round.

Nadal's defeat also ends the Spaniard's 10-year streak of winning at least one major title per season.

Fognini has reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time.

The excited Italian said this about his performance.

"Right now I can't tell you something more because was something incredible that I did today, I think. Is a really special win about the No. 1 on clay and he won two times here. So really happy."The last Italian man to get that far at the US Open was Davide Sanguinetti a decade ago.

Pakistan to compete in Malaysian field hockey tournamentFor some hockey news coming out of Pakistan:

Pakistan has summoned 63 top field hockey players for the upcoming Sultan of Johor's Junior Invitational Hockey Tournament in Malaysia.

An official from the Pakistan Hockey Federation said that training for the match has already started at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium in capital of Islamabad.

The 63 junior players will come from across the country to train for the tournament.

Olympian and Pakistan's former star hockey player Tahir Zaman, who is chief coach of the team, is supervising the camp while Olympian Zeeshan Ashraf and former international players Muhammad Irfan will officiate as assistant coaches.

The Sultan of Johor Cup is an annual international field hockey tournament for young men under 21 years of age.

The tournament is held in Malaysia and is invitation only.

Pakistan has participated in all the previous four tournaments, but failed to reach the finals.

EntertainmentMainland Box Office Surpasses 29.7 Bln YuanThe Chinese mainland box office in 2015 has surpassed 29.7 billion yuan, or around 4.6 billion USD.

The figure is not only a 48.5% increase compared to the same period last year, it also beats the mainland's total box office revenue from 2014.

Domestic films generated around 18 billion yuan, or 2.83 billion USD, accounting for more than 60% of this year's total so far.

Business insiders are crediting the boom to improved quality of domestic films and promotions.

"Fast and Furious 7" is currently the highest-grossing film of all time in China, followed by the domestically-made "Monster Hunt".

The Chinese box office is expected to reach 40 billion yuan, or 6.3 billion USD, by the end of 2015, as a number of big titles are scheduled to hit theatres later this year.

Among them are highly-anticipated home-grown films like "Lost in Hong Kong", "Mr. Six", "The Ghouls", as well as Hollywood titles "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation", "Pixels", and "Ant-Man".

Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Early Masterwork Screened at VeniceAn early masterwork of Taiwan director Hou Hsiao-Hsien is now being screened at the on-going Venice Film Festival, after stored by Cinematek, the royal cinema archive of Belgium.

'The Boys from Feng-kuei' was made some 30 years ago, which is of great importance in the director's career as it has changed his cinematic style completely.

It was also one of the first films that introduced the unique cinema landscape in Asia to European audience.

The growing-pain film tells the story of four rebellious teenagers from the small coastal village of Feng-kuei, who came to Kaohsiung and faced the harsh realities of the big city.

Two other early works of Hou, 'Cute Girl', and 'The Green, Green Grass of Home', have also been restored by the organization.

Currently, the director's latest film 'The Assasin' has been released across mainland theatres.

The film is adapted from a story dating back to the late Tang Dynasty in the 9th century.

Famous actress Shu Qi starred as a female assassin who begins to question her loyalties when she falls in love with one of her targets.

'The Assasin' takes 7 years in the making and finally began filming in 2012.

It has already earned Hou Hsiao-hsien the Best Director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

'The Danish Girl' Premieres at Venice Film FestivalOscar winner Eddie Redmayne was welcomed by a large batch of shrieking fans, as his new film 'The Danish Girl' premiered at Venice Film Festival on Saturday night.

He walked the red carpet along with co-stars including Alicia Vikander and Amber Heard.

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom Hooper, this British biographical drama film portrays the famous painter Lili Elbe, who also known as the first recipient of a sex-change operation.

The leading actor Eddie Redmayne, who won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Stephen Hawking, says he felt lucky to star these two major roles.

"If you were lucky enough, as an actor, to get to play interesting people in interesting stories or firstly, if you're lucky enough as an actor to have employment - that's always a good start. But to get to play two such formidable people as Stephen and then Lili was a dream. A dream come true."Tom Hooper indicates that, transgender men and women sometimes suffer persecution and indignity, this film tells about inclusion that is "made possible through love".

'The Danish Girl' is inspired by the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff, published in 2000.

It is now been screened in the main competition section of the Venice Film Festival, and is due to carry out a limited release on November 27 in the US.

Emily Watson to be Honored at San Sebastian Film FestivalThe organizers of Spain's San Sebastian film festival have announced that British actress Emily Watson will be honored a lifetime achievement award at the festival.

The 48-year-old artist, who is known for 'Breaking the Waves' and 'War Horse', will receive the festival's Donostia award at a ceremony on September 25, as"recognition of her prestigious film career."Critics have praised her performance in the latest film 'Everest', as a logistics coordinator on a disastrous trek along Mount Qomolangma.

The British 3D biographical disaster film is inspired by the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, and features survival attempts of two expedition groups.

It has opened this year's Venice Film Festival, and will be released on September 18th.

Past winners of the Donostia award include Meryl Streep, Richard Gere and Ian McKellen.

The 63rd San Sebastian film festival, marking the highest-profile movie event in the Spanish-speaking world, will run from September 18th to 26th.

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

A recap of your headlines:

Experts continuing to laud China's commemoration of China's V-Day Parade....

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger observing that China's slower pace of economic growth is a natural transition...

And some 10-thousand refugees arrive in Germany as the migrant crisis in Europe continues to escalate...

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.