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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Typhoon Soudelor making landfall on southeast China's Fujian Province...

A Chinese non-governmental rescue team carrying out operations in Myanmar...

And China's ambassador to Japan urging the Japanese prime minister to face up to history...

In our weekly sci-tech feature...A network being set up to boost pollution monitoring here in China...

In Sports...China's women's football head coach stepping down...

In Entertainment...Chinese live-action fantasy movie "Monster Hunt" continuing to break records here in China...

All of that coming up in the next hour, but first, just a reminder there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

You can follow us on our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghourFind us on WeChat by searching "beijinghour."Or email us directly at [email protected].

You can also visit crienglish.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top NewsTyphoon Soudelor lands on SE China's coastal provinceTyphoon Soudelor has made landfall on southeast China's Fujian Province with strong gales and heavy rains.

Soudelor landed on the coastal city of Putian in Fujian Saturday night and is expected to storm through the province.

Gao Shuanzhu, chief forecaster from China Meteorological Administration, says the impact of Soudelor will be much longer and broader than the huge storm Chan-Hom, which hit the region last month.

"When typhoon Chan-Hom landed, it only covered part of the coastal area of Zhejiang Province. This time, typhoon Soudelor will impact and cover the whole of eastern China, which directly leads to a much longer torrential rain period in the region."Precipitation in the provincial capital Fuzhou reached historical high on Saturday, with much of the downtown waterlogged.

The province has evacuated more than 160-thousand people and 32-thousand fishing boats in a bid to minimize damage.

So far, flights to the provincial capital Fuzhou have been canceled, while nearly 100 trains running through Xiamen have suspended services.

Forecasts say heavy rains and strong gales are still expected through Sunday morning in the northern part of Fujian Province.

Before landing on Fujian, the super typhoon hit Taiwan Saturday early morning, leaving at least 6 people dead, 4 missing and over 100 injured.

Chinese Team Rescues Flood Victims in MyanmarAnchor:

A Chinese non-governmental rescue team is carrying out operations in Myanmar, sending 13 local flood victims to hospitals, as severe floods, triggered by heavy rainfall since June, have affected many areas of the country.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

Reporter:

The flood disaster in Myanmar has brought the death toll to 89 and affected hundreds of thousands of people across the country, prompting a state of emergency and calls for urgent relief efforts.

A Chinese non-governmental team, Blue Sky Rescue Team, has begun its operations in some townships of flood-hit regions in Myanmar, sending 13 victims including 11 children to the hospital.

The second batch of the 21-member BSR Team arrived in Yangon early on Saturday, along with rescue boats and relief aid, aiming to extend helping hands to local people.

Leader of the second batch of the team Hu Xing says they have fully prepared for the rescue work.

"Members of the team come from around China. I will divide them into two groups. The team has brought 8 rescue boats, relief aid and medical staff. I can ensure each rescue group has at least one qualified medical staff member."As the largest non-governmental humanitarian organization in China, the Blue Sky Rescue Team is the first international rescue team to arrive in Myanmar.

The first batch of 10-member team arrived in the country earlier this week. Currently, the team has carried out the rescue operation in the Sagaing region, one of the worst-hit areas by flood.

However, chief leader Yuan Shan has introduced that the situation in Sagaing is dire.

"So far, the flood water in Sagaing has subsided. But several villages and towns are still trapped by the flood. The most important thing is that the drinking water and food there are polluted; so local people have to drink dirty water. The health situation is cause for concern."On Thursday, Myanmar President U Thein Sein met with the first batch of BSR team and expressed his appreciation to China and the Chinese rescue team.

For the Chinese side, the central government has announced emergency relief aid worth millions of yuan to help Myanmar's flood victims.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar has called on Chinese enterprises in the country to provide aid to flood victims and coordinate efforts in the rescue operation.

It's been forecast that the severe flood has begun to move southwards and it is likely to expand and affect southern areas of Myanmar.

For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.

Drought eases in parts of north China, but worsens in other partsThe parched northern part of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has received its first rain since the end of July, easing the drought situation.

The rainfall has reduced the drought-stricken area by 41-thousand square kilometers to 514-thousand square kilometers.

However, a remaining 43 percent of the Region is still in the grip of a prolonged dry spell, especially in the middle and western parts where high temperatures have aggravated the situation.

Meteorologists say the drought will reduce grazing grass output in this live-stock breeding region.

Zhang Cunhou is an official with the Inner Mongolia Ecological and Agricultural Meteorology Center.

"Inner Mongolia's northern pastoral areas have been in the grip of dry spell for more than two months. The areas do not have water for irrigation. And the ground water level was so low that it is of little help. The output of grazing grass is sure to be affected."El Nino has brought excess rainfall to China's southern and eastern areas in the summer months, while the northern region experienced severe drought.

Northeast China's Liaoning has seen high temperatures and dry conditions since the start of July, with rainfall at its lowest since records began in 1951.

The China Meteorological Administration has said that El Nino will continue to strengthen this year but will not escalate into a super El Nino.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan urges Japanese leader to face up to historyThe Chinese Ambassador to Japan has urged the Japanese prime minister to face up to history when making an upcoming statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced that the statement would be issued as a cabinet decision, which is often quoted as the official position of the Japanese government on the issue of its wartime aggression in the early 20th century.

Previously Abe planned to issue the statement on a personal basis on August 14.

It remains to be seen whether the so-called Abe Statement will admit the war waged by Japan was aggression or if it will include an apology to World War II victims.

The Chinese ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua says China, together with other countries invaded by Japan during the war, is very concerned regarding the content of the statement.

"Upon the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the 'Abe Statement' is closely watched by international society, including China, as to what message it will convey on the war of aggression waged by Japanese militarism. Only by facing up to its history and showing a clear attitude toward its war responsibility can Japan face up to the future and open a new chapter in history."South Korea, whose peoples were also victims of wartime atrocities committed by Japan's military, has continually urged successive Japanese governments to face up to the nation's military past.

Ties between Japan and its Asian neighbors have been frayed by the efforts of some Japanese politicians to deny or whitewash Japan's wartime wrongdoings.

Australian minister recalls China's vital role in WWIIAnchor:

Australian Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull has reminded fellow Australians of China's vital role fighting against Japanese forces during World Word Two.

Our Australian correspondent Wang Xiao has more.

Reporter:

When addressing the Australia-China Business Week in Sydney this week, Mr. Turnbull said at the very beginning of his speech that it is important not to forget that in Australia's battle for survival against Japan their longest ally was China.

On February 19th, 1942, 242 Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin, Northern Australia.

They attacked ships in Darwin's harbour and struck the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases.

The town was only lightly defended and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces at little cost to themselves.

The urban areas of Darwin also suffered severe damage from the raids and 243 civilians were killed.

The attacks were among almost 100 air raids against Australia in 1942 and '43.

The Minister said "in our darkest hour, when our foes were literally on our doorstep, when our cities were under direct military attack, then, at that tipping point in our history, China was our staunch, indefatigable ally."China had been invaded by Japan in 1937 and fought alone until Japan's attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Mr. Turnbull said that without China's endurance and courage in the face of Japan, Australia's war history may have ended very differently indeed.

He said Australian people cannot imagine modern Australia without China's contribution to their people, culture, and prosperity.

For CRI, I'Wang Xiao from Sydney.

Skeletons found in mass grave in northeast China show atrocities of Japanese invadersAnchor:

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II. During the war, the Japanese aggressors committed a series of crimes which go against the basic principles of international law.

In several northeast Chinese provinces, many mass graves were found and they serve as evidence of the Japanese atrocities and attempts to sack China's coal resources.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

Reporter:

During the Japanese occupation in the 1930s and 1940s, the Japanese troops coerced Chinese people into mining in coal-rich northeast parts of the country.

Many miners were killed in accidents due to absence of protective measures, intense labor or cruelties.

The "Dongshan" mass grave is located in Hegang city, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

An interpreter from the Dongshan mass grave monument says it is difficult to find a skeleton that was complete.

"We only excavated part of the pit, which was about 10 meters long, eight meters wide and a little less than 3 meters deep. Many of the unearthed skeletons had broken spines, while others had bullets gone through their skulls. We even found seven skeletons that were connected by a barbed wire through their orbital bones."The whole pit is 40 meters long, 30 meters wide and seven meters high.

The 87-year-old Xu Yanzhang is a surviving miner who used to work in the Dongshan coal mine.

In 1942, the 14-year-old boy was thrust into the mine for hard labor.

Malnutrition, endless toil, plague and mining disasters meant Xu witnessed illness, despair and death every day. But the supervisors, guard dogs and barbed wire made escape all but impossible.

Xu says workers who became too ill to work were abandoned. He had witnessed those who were still alive being thrown into mass graves.

"If you can't work, they would beat you heavily and throw you out at the end to the mass grave. At that time, I saw that some miners were too sick to get up from bed. They couldn't go to work. A Japanese came and saw these people still alive but couldn't do anything, so they dragged them out to the mass grave and left them there to suffer and await death."Li Shujuan is a contemporary historian who has studied several reports written by the Japanese army during their war of aggression and reconstructed the historical scenario.

"Through the documents recorded by the Japanese side, we knew that the Japanese army shipped coal produced in Hegang to the Hegang station, and then the coal would be shipped to steel mills and ironworks in Japan through the Manchurian railways. We all know that steel mills and ironworks were used for the production of weapons. Japanese invaders were using coal produced by Chinese people in Hegang to produce weapons and used them to suppress the Chinese people's struggle against Japan's aggression."According to Hegang's coal research institute, from the September 18 Incident in 1931 to the time when Japan announced surrender in 1945, Japanese aggressors had plundered more than 1,300,000 tons of coal from Hegang.

More than ten thousand miners died of unnatural causes in the city.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Japan Nagasaki CathedralA Japanese artist has used projection mapping technology to show an animation on a reconstructed cathedral in Nagasaki on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the bombing.

The cathedral is only 500 meters away from the hypocentre of the atomic bomb the United States dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

Hiroshima, also bombed by a United States atomic bomb, has the famous Hiroshima Peace Memorial that has been preserved as the ruins of one of the buildings left standing after the attack.

Nagasaki artist Kazuyoshi Sakai, 30-years-old, said it was a shame his city didn't have something similar, so he made this projection to remind people of the devastation.

"Hiroshima has the A-bomb Dome to symbolise the devastation caused by the atomic bomb but Nagasaki doesn't have one. So, we reproduced an A-bomb wreck to tell the young generation the horror of the nuclear bomb."One of the spectators, a Hiroshima resident travelling Nagasaki, was full of praise for the event.

"It's a brilliant idea. We all know how important the role of the Hiroshima A-bomb Dome is in telling what happened in the city. It's not a bad thing that Nagasaki doesn't have such a ruin but creating one in this way and giving people a chance to look back on the tragic event is truly a great idea."The U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August 1945 killed 140,000 people, and was followed by the bombing of Nagasaki which killed about 40,000 instantly.

12 Dead in Mali Hostage SiegeAt least 12 people including four foreign UN contractors died in a hostage siege at a hotel in central Mali that ended early Saturday when government troops stormed the building.

Gunmen had burst into the hotel at around 7:00 am on Friday, according to the government. At least one of the attackers was said to be wearing a belt of explosives.

Malian forces cordoned off the area but their efforts to dislodge the attackers were complicated by the presence of hostages.

The hotel siege was the third attack in just a week in Mali, which is still struggling to restore stability despite a landmark peace deal agreed in June to end years of unrest and ethnic divisions.

"Neither the public nor the army is safe from these repeated attacks. They happen every day, we think the army is the solution but we are really afraid because our soldiers are being killed for reasons we don't even understand. Honestly, we, as citizens, we don't know how to sleep at night with all this going on."UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack, which comes as Mali is seeking to implement a June peace deal despite continuing unrest from militant groups and spreading jihadist attacks since the beginning of the year.

Father of a Palestinian toddler dies of woundsThe father of a Palestinian toddler killed in an arson attack on his home a week ago died on Saturday of wounds sustained in the fire.

Israeli attackers torched the home of Saad Dawabsheh in the West Bank village of Duma on July 31, killing his 18-month-old child and seriously injuring his wife and a second son.

The act has been described by Israel's prime minister as one of terrorism.

Hundreds of Palestinians rallied at Dawabsheh's funeral in Duma.

Taha Dawabsheh, a relative of the deceased father, condemned the crime.

"First, we condemn this ugly crime which happened for the first time in history, people were sleeping and the "bats of the night" came upon them to burn them. A toddler was killed a week ago and his father died today, and we hope his mother and brother Ahmed recover in hospital. We ask the community and all the free people of the world to help us and stand with us and our people and we ask for protection committees for our village against the settlers."The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, has called for the attackers to be brought swiftly to justice.

He said in a statement that political, community and religious leaders on all sides should work together and not allow extremists to escalate the situation.

Croatian Prime Minister speaks on IS kidnappingIn Egypt, police searches and diplomatic efforts have intensified to find 30-year-old Croatian man Tomislav Salopek who was kidnapped on 22 July by Islamic State forces.

Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Sunday that everything possible was being done to help secure the release of Tomislav Salopek, who was kidnapped by the Islamic State group in Cairo.

"This is a very difficult situation, and we should be wise about it. We should do everything possible, but discreetly, and that is very hard."Residents in the city of Dakovo, close to the Salopek's home village of Vrpolje, said they felt for the family and were shocked this was happening to someone from their region.

The "IS" group issued a statement on Wednesday saying that it would kill Salopek in 48 hours if the Egyptian government did not release jailed "Muslim women" which is a reference to those detained in the government's crackdown on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists.

ICRC presidents visits Yemen amid ongoing conflictThe president of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer has arrived to the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on for a two day visit to highlight the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the country.

Speaking to reporters upon arrival, Maurer stressed he wanted all parties to respect humanitarian principles.

"My organisation is also an organisation which has a mandate of the international community, of all states, to ensure that rules and principles are respected during warfare. And therefore, this is also one of the issues which I would wish to discuss during my visit here in Yemen with all sides and all parties in that conflict. "The ICRC said more than 3,800 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition air strikes aimed at ousting the Shia Houthis began on March 26.

The ICRC has accused all sides of failing to adhere to the laws of war, resulting in added suffering to the population.

Norwegian ship with rescued migrants arrives in the port of Reggio CalabriaA Norwegian vessel carrying some 800 rescued migrants have arrived in the port of Reggio Calabria, southern Italy.

Earlier, migrants were transferred to the rescued ship "Siem Pilot" after being found off the coast of Libya on Thursday.

According to the Italian Coast Guard, most of the survivors are from Syria and Sub-Saharan countriesPrefect of Reggio Calabria Claudio Sammartino says his city welcomes the migrants with open arms.

"We are here to serve the country, saving human lives, women, men and children who are fleeing from dramatic and tragic situations. Reggio Calabria has been extending a big hug (to the migrants) for some time, a hug full of solidarity, comprehension and welcome."The migrants, including 48 children and 94 women, will be sent to reception centers across Italy after initial health checks.

So far, Reggio Calabria has embraced nearly 12 thousand migrants this year.

The arrival comes just one day after some 200 people were feared to have drowned in another migrant boat off the Libyan coast.

Beijing Enrolls Anti-smoking VolunteersAnchor:

Nearly ten thousands volunteers will be mobilized to help the enforcement of a blanket smoking ban in Beijing, which took effect on June 1.

Authorities in the city are encouraging more people to join the anti-smoking team to ease the shortage of law enforcement personnelCRI's Wang Wei reports.

Reporter:

Two months after Beijing introduced the new smoking ban local authorities describe the control efforts as satisfactory.

However, they are confronted with a shortage of personnel- there are more than 4 million smokers in the city, but only around 1,000 law enforcement personnel to police the anti-smoking ban.

Zhang Jianshu, head of Beijing Association on Tobacco Control says they are now recruiting volunteers to support the smoking ban.

Nearly ten thousands people have registered online.

"They are from all walks of life. We previously predicted that most of them will be retired people. The youngest one is only 14 years old, while the oldest 81."Zhang Jianshu adds the registration system is still open to the public. Those registered will receive training before they start working.

"We plan to set up a network to cover all the volunteers in different enterprises and institutions. Volunteers will not only file complaints but also handle them. We will forward complaints related to their own workplaces to them."Among the registered volunteers are some senior anti-smoking activists.

A woman surnamed Liu is one of them.

"At first those smokers were unwilling to accept our persuasion. But, later they would say thanks to us. The process, changing from rejection to acceptance, makes us feel warm. And so do they."Mei Hongguang, vice director of Beijing Patriotic Public Health Campaign Committee calls on more people to join the team to stop smokers from lighting up.

"We have 1.8 million enterprises and institutions in Beijing, and more than 4 million smokers. Based on those huge figures, a smoking ban in the city is an unprecedented job. Before June 1, many people doubted whether we could make it or not. Now, two months have passed, everybody has seen the progress."The committee is now soliciting designs for an anti-smoking badge.

Volunteers will wear the newly-designed badges to identify themselves in the future.

For CRI, I am Wang Wei.

China gives green light to using cash Ruble in Suifenhe CityA pilot program has been launched in northeast China's Suifenhe City to allow the direct use of cash Ruble to promote border trade with Russia.

China's central bank granted an official approval for the scheme on Saturday.

The city in the southeast of Heilongjiang province borders Russia's Far East.

The move now allows Russian visitors to Suifenhe to pay for their meals, shopping and taxi fares in ruble.

The cash inflow of Ruble into Suifenhe is estimated at 30 billion, about 3 billion yuan, annually.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 33 degrees Celsius.

Cloudy tonight, temperatures should dip down to 23.

Shanghai will have moderate rain with a high of 30, also rainy tonight with a low of 27.

Chongqing will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 30, same skies tonight, lows of 23.

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

Kabul, cloudy with a high of 29.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 28 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 25 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will see slight rain with a high of 22.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsTyphoon Soudelor lands on SE China's coastal provinceTyphoon Soudelor has made landfall on southeast China's Fujian Province with strong gales and heavy rains.

Soudelor landed on the coastal city of Putian in Fujian Saturday night and is expected to storm through the province.

Precipitation in the provincial capital Fuzhou reached historical high on Saturday, with much of the downtown waterlogged.

The province has evacuated more than 160-thousand people and 32-thousand fishing boats in a bid to minimize damage.

Forecasts say heavy rains and strong gales are still expected through Sunday morning in the northern part of Fujian Province.

Before landing on Fujian, the super typhoon hit Taiwan Saturday early morning, leaving at least 6 people dead, 4 missing and over 100 injured.

Chinese Team Rescues Flood Victims in MyanmarA Chinese non-governmental rescue team is carrying out operations in Myanmar's flood-hit regions.

The flood disaster in Myanmar has brought the death toll to 89 in the country.

China's Blue Sky Rescue Team has sent 13 victims including 11 children to hospitals.

The second batch of the 21-member team arrived in Yangon early on Saturday, carrying rescue boats and relief aid.

As the largest non-governmental humanitarian organization in China, the Blue Sky Rescue Team is the first international rescue team to arrive in Myanmar.

The first batch of 10-member team arrived in the country earlier this week. Currently, the team has carried out rescue operation in the Sagaing region, one of the worst-hit areas by flood.

Chinese teacher sentenced to life for rape of studentsA former kindergarten teacher has been handed a life sentence by a court in northwest China, after the man was found guilty of raping or molesting 12 of his students.

Huang Zhenxin was sentenced by the Intermediate People's Court in northwestern city of Yinchuan.

Police say Huang sexually assaulted each of the 12 girls after telling them he would tutor them on their homework.

The kindergarten has offered compensation to each of the victims.

Drought causes Panama Canal to reduce cargo sizeThe Panama Canal will temporarily limit the cargo size of ships using the waterway due to a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Maximum ship draft will be cut to 11.89 meters from September 8, affecting 18.5 percent of vessels that normally transit the link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

A ship's draft is its depth in the water, and changes as the vessel becomes heavier or lighter.

The canal authority says further restrictions could be imposed on September 16 if weather conditions do not change.

The canal's locks can usually accommodate ships with a draft of up to 12 meters.

Sci&TechAnchor:

It's time now to check on the news of the week from the science and technology sector.

A comprehensive network is to be set up to boost pollution monitoring here in China.

China has started assembling the world's largest radio telescope.

And a US company has built an environmentally friendly super car using 3D printed parts.

Here's CRI's Wen Jie.

Reporter:

China's environmental protection ministry has announced plans to develop a comprehensive network, including satellites, drones, and remote sensors, to detect pollution.

The system, monitoring the country's land, sea, and air, is to be in place by 2020.

Satellites and drones have already been used in monitoring pollution here in China, but only in a limited role so far.

Vice Minister Zhai Qing said in March the ministry is seeking more advanced technical methods to take care of environmental problems.

"For the next step, we will further seek help from high-tech equipment to discover illegal pollution discharge. Last year, we tried to use drones to detect illegal behavior. The drones can stay in the sky for two hours and cover dozens of Square Kilometers. We've tried it in Hebei Province recently and we are planning to use it in major cities and areas around the country."The ministry says it will boost the use of these tools by also accelerating research on satellites with higher resolution.

400 million dollars has already been invested to build the system.

Northeast China's Jilin Province plans to send Jilin-1, the country's first self-developed remote sensing satellite for commercial use, into space in October.

According to a scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin-1 consists of four satellites: one for high-definition images, one for testing new space technology, and two for video.

The satellites differ from the previous dual-use satellites.

They will focus on providing photographs to commercial clients, while helping with harvest assessment, geological disaster prevention, and resource surveys.

Jilin, one of the country's oldest industrial bases, is developing its satellite industry as a new economic driver.

The province plans to launch 60 satellites by 2020 and 137 by 2030.

China has started assembling the world's largest radio telescope as it looks to improve its ability to explore outer space.

The 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, or FAST, rests in a bowl-shaped valley in the southwestern province of Guizhou.

The telescope will have a dish the size of 30 soccer fields when it is completed.

The new telescope is expected to greatly enhance China's ability to search for life in outer space and to explore the origins of the universe.

Li Di is a scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"It can explore deeper into space and look at asteroids and even Mars. Once completed, the task will be China's first internationally renowned equipment within a certain wave band. It will give China an opportunity frontier research."Technicians have begun attaching 4,450 triangular-shaped panels to the telescope's reflector.

Construction on the telescope began in March 2011 and is scheduled to be completed next month.

A California company in the US has built an environmentally friendly super car using 3D printed parts.　Kevin Czinger is the founder and CEO of Divergent Microfactories, the maker of that supercar - which is called "The Blade.""By looking at 3D printing not for that overall structure but to create individual modular structures that can be combined, that 3D printing transforms everything."Currently, cars are pieced together on long assembly lines inside large factories that use massive amounts of energy.

Czinger says even the most fuel efficient car has a large carbon footprint before ever leaving the plant.

"By constructing a car this way it has less than one third of the environmental and health impact than the 85 hours all electric car for example has."By using carbon fiber instead of steel or aluminum for the body, the entire vehicle weighs only 635 kilograms.

The Blade is fitted with a 700 horse power engine that runs on natural gas, reducing its carbon footprint even further.

The team believes their new 3D printing method for car manufacturing will soon have a huge impact on how the cars of the future are built.　A Japanese company has unveiled a miniature personal transporter that can fit in a backpack, called "WalkCar," powered by a lithium battery.

The slender WalkCar is made from aluminum and weighs between two and three kilograms, depending on whether it is an indoor or outdoor version.

However, the lightweight aluminum board is stronger than it looks, and can take loads of up to 120 kilograms.

It reaches top speeds of 10 kilometres per hour. Once the rider stands on it the WalkCar starts automatically, while simply stepping off stops the vehicle. To change direction, the user just shifts their weight.　Engineer Kuniako Saito said his studies in electric car motor control systems sparked the idea for the new kind of ride.

"I thought, "what if we could just carry our transportation in our bags, wouldn't that mean we'd always have our transportation with us to ride on?" and my friend asked me to make one, since I was doing my masters in engineering specifically on electric car motor control systems."WalkCars can be reserved online starting from autumn this year with a price of 100-thousand Japanese Yen or about 800 US dollars.

American researchers have developed a device that could deliver drugs to specific areas of the brain via remote control.

The device is ultra-thin, about as thick as a strand of human hair.

And, it's soft like the brain tissue into which it's placed. This neural probe administers drugs to the brain by using infrared technology, much like a TV remote control.

Co-developer Dr. Michael Brucha said the probe caused much less inflammation than the metal tubes through which drugs to the brain flow now.

"You can imagine very discreet localization of drugs to a particular part of the brain and that has huge implications long-term because that eliminates a lot of these side effects."According to researchers, this approach can be used to treat human brain disorders like Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

A latest research shows that a third of all online access in the UK is via smartphones, up from 23 percent in 2014.

The rise in mobile web surfing has been partly driven by the expansion of high-speed 4G data networks and the growing popularity of streaming video.

Jane Rumber is the head of communications industry watchdog, Ofcom.

"One of the most striking findings in our report this year is that smartphones are now the UK's most important device for getting online, overtaking laptops for the first time."On average, adult mobile users spent nearly two hours online each day using a smartphone in March 2015 , compared to just over an hour on laptops and PCs.

The research also found that the popularity of selfies has risen sharply, with 1.2 billion taken in 2014.

Despite the sharp increase in the use of electronic devices, the research shows that adults in the UK are still posting six letters, cards, or parcels in an average month, only a slight dip from 2013 levels.

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

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsFootball: China Women's Coach Hao Wei Steps Down After Last-Place East Asian Cup FinishKicking things off with football news from China:

Chinese women's football team head coach, Hao Wei, is stepping down from the position after the Steel Roses finished last at the Women's East Asian Cup, following their 2-0 loss to Japan last night.

Prior to their clash, each team was on a two-game losing streak, while China ranked third in the four-team tournament on goal difference. A draw would have guaranteed China the bronze medals.

However, it was Japan that came out on top; late goals at the 88th minute and during stoppage time got the Japanese ladies the third-place finish.

Hao Wei says he is stepping down because he has lacked the "ability" to be able to lead the Steel Roses to consistent victories.

After leading China into the last 8 of the World Cup in Canada, Hao was rumored to be heading toward a coaching position with Chinese Super League heavies Guangzhou Evergrande. However, this has not been confirmed.

North Korea topped the tournament for their second-straight East Asian Cup championship after they beat rivals South Korea 2-0.

Football: Juventus beats Lazio 2-0 in Shanghai for Italian Supercup WinIn other football news:

Juventus beat Lazio 2-0 to clinch the Italian Supercup in Shanghai last night.

New signee Mario Mandzukic opened up scoring for the Seria A and Copa Italia champs in the 69th minute. The Croatian hit home a header from a cross by Stefano Sturaro.

Doubling the score for Juve in the 74th minute was their other new addition, Paulo Dybala.

Juventus will next open their Serie A season at home against Udinese next Sunday, while Lazio host Bologna the day before.

New English Premiere League Season Kicks OffIn football action from the new English Premiere League season, which kicked off on Saturday.

Manchester United got a 1-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the season's opener.

Man U coach, Louis van Gaal, says there was a lot of pressure to win this game, after his side's dismal start last season:

"I lay too much pressure on this match. But then when you see the match you see two high level teams who are pressing high up and very good. And both teams could not cope with the pressure - neither Tottenham Hotspur neither Manchester United. On that we have to improve but out of our pressure we kept the ball and in the transition we make the goal."Last season EPL champs weren't as lucky. Chelsea were held at a 2-2 draw by Swansea.

Swansea coach, Gary Monk, says he was happy with the outcome against such a good team:

"Yeah, I thought for ninety minutes we were excellent. I thought we really competed. I set the team up to be offensive today and try and showcase our talent and I think we did that for ninety minutes."In other EPL action:

Aston VIlla downed Bournemouth 1-0;Everton and Watford evened out 2-2;Leicester beat Sunderland 4-2;and Crystal Palace defeated Norwich 3-1.

FINA World Championship Swimming RecapIn swimming action from the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia:

The United States grabbed two gold medals with two world records at the seventh competition day of the swimming world championwships on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Katie Ledecky continued her outstanding performance in Kazan as she timed eight minutes, 7.39 seconds to dominate the 800-meter freestyle final, 3.61 seconds faster than her previous world record set in last year.

The US timed 3:23.05 to win the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay title. The previous world record was held by Australia in 3:23.29. The Netherlands came second in 3:23.10, while Canada ranked third in 3:23.59.

China took a bronze in women's 50-meter butterfly as Lu Ying, runner-up of the event at the Barcelona worlds, timed a new Asian record 25.37 seconds.

Swimming: Michael Phelps Clocks Year's Fastest 200m Butterfly TimeIn more swimming news:

American swimming phenom Michael Phelps clocked in his fastest 200-meter butterfly finish at the U.S. national championships on Friday.

Phelps finished with a time of 1 minute, 52.94 seconds, brushing off months of less-than-impressive finishes and a second DUI arrest.

Phelps's finish is the fastest in the world this year in the 200-meter butterfly and sets him directly on a path to compete in Rio next year.

The American first set the world record in his high-tech competition suit six years ago.

Tennis: Kei Nishikori Avenges U.S. Open Loss to Marin Cilic at Citi OpenIn tennis:

At the ATP Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Kei Nishikori avenged his U.S. Open loss to Croatian Marin Cilic, rallying back from a first-set loss to win the semi-finals clash 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Nishikori has been one of the strongest players this season. He has moved up to No. 5 in the world rankings with a 41-9 record.

The other looming semi-finals clash is an All-American battle between eighth seed John Isner and Steve Johnson.

In women's action at the Citi Open:

Fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova got the W over American Varvara Lepchenko 6-2, 7-5.

Still coming up in women's semi-finals action, Germany's Angelique Kerber will take on Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.

Tennis: Maria Sharapova Out of Rogers Cup with Leg InjuryIn more tennis news:

Women's world no. 2 Maria Sharapova will miss the Roger Cup on Monday due to a sustained leg injury.

The WTA announced the news on Friday; the Rogers Cup serves as a hard-court prep tournament for the U.S. Open--the year's final grand slam.

Sharapova has been out of action since going down to Serena Williams at the Wimbledon semi-finals last month.

Cricket: England Wins Ashes Against Australia for Fifth TimeIn Cricket:

England completed its 18-month transformation from national embarrassment to Ashes winners on Saturday, taking 40 minutes to wrap up a series-clinching victory over Australia in the fourth Test that ushered in the international retirement of Michael Clarke.

England won with two days and more than two sessions to spare in Nottingham, mirroring the eight-wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston.

Within minutes of the result, Clarke announced he will be retiring from Test cricket after the fifth Test at The Oval to end a 12-year international career.

The English have won five of the last seven Ashes series, and the last four at homeEntertainmentBox Office of "Monster Hunt" Approaches 2 Billion YuanLive-action fantasy movie "Monster Hunt" continues to break the records as its total domestic box office is expected to exceed 2 billion Yuan, or over 320 million US dollars.

The film has already grabbed the record for the top-grossing Chinese film of all time by surpassing 2012 comedy "Lost in Thailand" only 10 days after its release.

It has also out-paced "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" to become the second highest grossing film of all time in China.

The theatrical run of the film will be extended to September 16th.

Meanwhile, "Jianbing Man" is also doing well as its box office is approaching 1.1 billion yuan.

It is the second domestic film to surpass the 1 billion yuan mark this year following "Monster Hunt.""Jianbing Man" cost only 18 million yuan or 2.9 million USD, to produce, making it one of the most profitable films in the country.

"Mr. Black: Green Star" also hit China's big screens on Friday. The film is expected to be another milestone for Chinese animation following "Monkey King: Hero is Back".

Russia's Oldest National Theater to Bring Classic Gogol Play to ChinaRussia's oldest national theater will take the classic Nikolai Gogol play "The Inspector General" to China.

The theater — known as the Alexandrinsky for short, is widely seen as the progenitor of all Russian theaters.

Its contact with China begun as early as 1935, when Peking opera master Mei Lanfang staged a performance at the famed Russian theater.

This satirical play centered on a small town and its mayor, and portrayed the greed, stupidity and corruption of Tzarist Russia.

It is original as it involves no sympathetic characters and no romance.

"The Inspector General" will be performed in Russian, with English and Chinese subtitles.

It's expected to be staged at the Shanghai Grand Theater on August 12 and 13.

Two Ben Affleck Movies Pushed BackThe release dates of two Ben Affleck movies have been pushed back.

The move is partly due to the actor's busy schedule for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The Accountant has been pushed back from its January 29, 2016 slot and will now open in US cinemas on October 7 next year.

The Gavin O'Connor-directed action thriller also stars Anna Kendrick and JK Simmons.

Originally set to hit cinemas on October 7, Live by the Night has not been assigned a release date and won't be out until some time in 2017.

The Argo star can next be seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, released on March 25, 2016, and will reprise his role as the Caped Crusader in Suicide Squad, in theaters August 5 next year.

Lawsuit filed in death of Bobbi Kristina BrownThe estate of Bobbi Kristina Brown has filed a multimillion-dollar wrongful death lawsuit against her boyfriend, alleging he is responsible for the injuries that led to her death last month.

The lawsuit filed Friday alleges Nick Gordon, who shared a townhome with Brown in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, beat her after an argument on the morning of January 31, then gave her a "toxic cocktail" to knock her out.

It accuses him of placing her face-down in a bathtub of cold water, causing her to suffer brain damage.

The suit seeks at least $10 million.

Brown, the only child of the late Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown, was rushed to the hospital after the incident in January and placed in a medically induced coma. She died in hospice care late last month at age 22.

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E" Makes Premier in LondonThe action comedy film "The Man from U.N.C.L.E" has made its premiere in London's picturesque Somerset House.

It is directed by Guy Ritchie, and co-written by Lionel Wigram, based on a 1960s' British TV series of the same name.

The leading actor of the film, Henry Cavill, says he is excited of showing this film to the audience.

"It's one of those things where it's so near and dear to your heart and I really like the movie but obviously I'm invested and slightly biased so I'm very, very interested to see what people think and how they react."The plot of the movie is set during the backdrop of the early Sixties, centering on an American CIA agent and a Russian KGB agent working side-by-side at the height of the Cold War.

The two are forced to team up on a joint mission to stop a criminal organization despite their cultural and political differences.

The film also stars Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Debicki.

It is expected to hit British theaters on August 14.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 33 degrees Celsius.

Cloudy tonight, temperatures should dip down to 23.

Shanghai will have moderate rain with a high of 30, also rainy tonight with a low of 27.

Chongqing will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 30, same skies tonight, lows of 23.

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

Kabul, cloudy with a high of 29.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 28 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 31 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 25 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will see slight rain with a high of 22.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

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

A recap of your headlines:

Typhoon Soudelor making landfall on southeast China's Fujian Province...

A Chinese non-governmental rescue team carrying out operations in Myanmar...

And China's ambassador to Japan urging the Japanese prime minister to face up to history...

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.