Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese Capital.

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Chile for the last leg of his 4-nation Latin American tour.

A new debate about children's safety is underway following a deadly accident involving a bus full of kindergarten children in Guangxi.

Hundreds of people have been forced to flee their homes in Nepal following the formation of a barrier lake.

In Business.... a new state-level "new area" has been established in Hunan's capital.

In Sports.... Liverpool embarrassed on the pitch on the heels of announcing the sale of star striker Raheem Sterling.

In entertainment... this year's Cannes Film Festival has drawn to a close.

Top NewsChinese premier arrives in Chile for official visitChinese Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Chile's capital, Santiago for the last leg of his 4-nation Latin American tour.

He is due to hold talks with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

Li Keqiang is also expected to oversee the signing of a number of economic agreements.

The premier is also scheduled to deliver a speech to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago.

Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with China.

It's also the first Latin American nation to sign a free trade agreement with China.

Premier Li's upcoming visit to boost China-Chile strategic tiesAnchorLeading officials in Chile says they expect Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's time in the country is going to help solidify a trade relationship which has been expanding for years.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

ReporterFormer president of Chile Eduardo Frey says there's a huge demand for the two countries to upgrade bilateral trade, and he hopes premier Li's visit can take economic ties to the next level.

"China and Chile should expand trade cooperation and seek more common ground. Those previously-reached agreements have been unable to fully serve the development of the bilateral ties. The two countries have signed FTA and mutual investment agreements and I expect, during Premier Li's visit, the two sides will reach an agreement to avoid double taxation, which will greatly boost mutual investment between enterprises from both countries."Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with China and the first in the region to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with China.

Under the FTA, imports and exports between the countries will be exempted from tariffs by the end of this year.

Liu Rutao is the economic and trade counselor of the Chinese embassy in Chile.

"Usually, the period of tax reduction after the signing of a FTA is 8 to 10 years. Chile was the first to sign a FTA with China, So, by now, the China-Chile FTA is the only one that has got through to this stage. This year, more than 98 percent of imports and exports between China and Chile will enjoy zero tariffs."Diego Torries, a senior official from Chile's foreign ministry, is responsible for the country's trade affairs in the Asia-Pacific region.

He hopes trade agreements to be signed on Li's visit can help the country to draw more investment from China.

"Boosting free trade between the two countries is one of Premier Li's goals. We want to learn more about China's interests and meanwhile, try to seek common interests between us so as to deepen our trade relationship. We also hope the new agreements to be signed soon will not only promote bilateral trade, but also help attract more Chinese enterprises and build Chile into a regional hub for Chinese investment."The overall trade volume between the two countries reached over 34 billion U.S. dollars last year.

The FTA has diversified trade, with an increase in the number of Chinese automobiles entering the Chilean market.

Today, Chinese-made cars account for 17 percent of all cars in circulation, and that figure is on the rise.

Marsillio is a Chilean civil servant and says products made-in–China are very popular among the locals.

"Made-in-China products are used widely in Chile. They are of good quality. It indicates the high level of Chinese technologies and the high competitiveness of Chinese products. In particular, many Chinese auto brands have entered the Chilean market. As far as I know, Jianghuai and Shanghai vehicles sell very well here."The Chilean official also hopes to see more benefits of the Sino-Chilean relationship spread to the ordinary people of his country.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Premier Li's visit to speed up transformation and upgrade of China-LatAm cooperationAnchorChinese Premier Li Keqiang is set to deliver a speech at a meeting of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The speech in Santiago, Chile is the latest endeavor on the Chinese Premier's 4-nation Latin American tour.

CRI's Yu Yang has more.

ReporterPremier Li Keqiang's speech is going to focus on China's policy toward Latin America.

Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, says transformation and upgrading of Chinese and Latin America ties is urgently needed.

"Premier Li Keqiang's visit conveys two important signals: One is China is enhancing the quality of its investment into Latin America; the other is China is changing the investment direction. While stabilizing its investment to energy industry, China has started to promote cooperation with Latin America in industrial capacity and increased investment into infrastructure."Barcena notes economic development in Latin America has slowed in recent years.

She says the region needs a large amount of foreign investment to help it emerge from its economic downturn.

But in saying this, the head of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean says unfocused investments will do little good for either side.

As such, Barcena says Li Keqiang's tour of the region is helping play an important role in reducing investment risks.

"Through this visit, both sides will have better understanding of each other's needs. We can have a better knowledge of which areas China is interested in, and China will know more about which areas we give priority to. This will to a large extent promote diversification of China's investment in Latin America, and ensure efficient investment as much as possible."Barcena also says that as China's economy is undergoing a transformation, the two sides can make strategic adjustment in their trade structures.

"China has a population of 1.4 billion and is experiencing rapid development of urbanization, which bring challenges to China's food safety. Latin American has great advantages in production of grain and other agricultural products. For example, China needs more beef and milk, then we can increase the export of beef and milk. We can also cooperate with Chinese enterprises for co-production of agricultural products. This is an important way of adjusting trade structure of both sides."Chile is the last leg of the Chinese Premier's 4-nation tour to Latin America.

Li Keqiang has also made stops in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Kindergarten Bus Accident Raises Concern over Safety of Rural ChildrenAnchorA crash this past week involving a bus carrying kindergarten students in southern China is re-igniting debate about school bus safety in China's rural areas.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more.

ReporterThe accident happened in the city of Guiping in Guangxi.

A passenger van, only designed to carry 11, lost control and slammed into a roadside lake, leaving two children dead and 21 others injured.

Four of the children remain in intensive care.

17 others remain under observation.

Liu Hang, director of Emergency Care at Guiping People's Hospital, says the children under observation are expected to pull through.

"We have no idea how much water is left inside their bodies, so they need stay here for three to five more days. They will be discharged only after we make sure they have recovered. We don't want to see them leave and then run into problems at home. As such, we will continue to treat them."The minibus was carrying 24 children and a teacher when the accident took place, which is more than double the maximum occupancy of the bus.

Liu Yejun is a parent in the school system in the city of Guiping.

"We usually don't count how many students on board, though its roughly a dozen students. The van is overcrowded virtually every time."Many schools in China's rural areas contract a private vehicle to take students too and from school, as a legitimate school bus is often far too expensive.

A certified school bus in China can cost between 100-thousand to 500-thousand yuan.

Additional costs such as insurance, fuel, maintenance and a driver can reach up to 50-thousand yuan annually, which is well beyond the means of many schools in rural China.

More government subsidies are being demanded to help rural schools afford proper school buses.

The crash in Guiping is the latest of accidents involving unregistered school buses in China overloaded with young children, sometimes causing fatal tragedies.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Fatal Shooting Latest ProgressAnchorOfficials investigating an officer-involved shooting in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang have re-affirmed an earlier conclusion made by authorities that the shooting was justified.

CRI's Huang Shan has more.

ReporterThe review of the fatal shooting incident was carried out by a prosecutors in Harbin.

The conclusion reached is the same as that of an earlier internal investigation done by the city's railway police department.

It confirms that the shooting at Qing'an County Railway Station was done out of duty and the officer, Li Lebin, did not violate protocol.

Prosecutor Sun Chengyi is in charge of this case.

"We reviewed surveillance footage of the scene, listened to affidavits from witnesses and the person concerned, and looked at photographs of evidence such as the baton, gun, the police ID and the permission to use firearms. After investigating this evidence, prosecutors decided that Officer Li Lebin was lawfully carrying out his duty and was within his legal rights to use the gun in this case. "The review of the incident was carried out after the internal investigation report triggered some public doubts on the verdict, especially regarding use of the gun and the legitimacy of the video footage.

One point of contention regarding the video is that position of an arm band on the officer's uniform appears to switch, with one video angle showing it on his left arm while another camera shows a band on the officer's right arm.

But prosecutors examined the video and say it is authentic and un-edited, and the arm band appears to change position because one of the cameras had been set to a "mirror image" setting.

In the video footage, the Xu Chunhe is seen assaulting the police officer, continuing to throw punches at Li despite multiple warnings before the policeman opens fire.

One witness says he believes the footage published is in line with what he saw.

"He pushed his mother towards the police, and then he grabbed the child next to him to shield himself from the police. The policeman couldn't help but hit the child once, however after the first hit he stopped. The man saw that the policeman stopped, so he just threw the child aside."Xu Chunhe was traveling with his 81-year-old mother and three children when the incident took place on May 2.

After the incident, local railway police offered compensation of 200,000 yuan to Xu's family.

However, later, news emerged that the compensation was only hush money.

The village official from where Xu lives has denied this.

Meanwhile, authorities have also detained a man for spreading online rumors that journalists behind the reports on this story have received money from the local authorities to speak well of the police.

The man, surnamed Chai, first published the rumor through his Weibo account.

After being detained, he admitted that his conclusion was groundless.

"Because the news was all over the internet at that time I just reviewed some of the pieces, and thought that there were only two journalists reporting on this incident, so I just made the conclusion and put it online. I really thought it would perish quickly when other information poured in. I put it online just to relieve my stress from work."The video also showed that Xu barred other passengers from checking into the station before the clash erupted and that the officer had tried to stop him from doing so.

Autopsy report suggested that Xu was drunk at the time of the incident.

For CRI, this is Huang ShanPeople's Life Highlighted in Mainland's Taiwan Affairs Chief's Kinmen VisitChinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief Zhang Zhijun has made a visit to the Taiwan islet of Kinmen just off the coast of Fujian.

Zhang Zhijun has toured a reservoir on the islet which is part of a water-supply project linking the island with the mainland.

"Our previous efforts will be in vain if the project is not built quickly. I believe relevant departments on both sides need to work more closely together to get the project finished on-schedule so people in Kinmen can use mainland water as soon as possible."The project is one of the major issues discussed as part of a meeting between Zhang Zhijun and Taiwan's mainland affairs chief Andrew Hsia on Kinmen.

Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Fuhai says the joint project is critical for the island.

"Water and electricity are important to the development of Kinmen. Kinmen has had a shortage of water for a long time. Thanks to efforts by both sides, there is now policy support which should help see the project completed in a year-and-a-half."Kinmen, lying just a couple of kilometers off the coast of Fujian, is home to around 125-thousand people.

Thousands evacuated after landslide in NW NepalThousands of people have fled villages and towns along a mountain river in northwest Nepal.

The river has been blocked by a landslide, creating a potentially deadly reservoir some 2-kilometers long.

The Kaligandaki River is around 200 kilometers northwest of the capital, Kathmandu.

The earthquakes which have rattled Nepal have triggered numerous landslides in the country.

Experts Call for Long-term Rehabilitation Plan for NepalAnchorThe World Health Organization is calling for more international funding to help bolster Nepal's health care system.

The WHO says the earthquakes which have rattled the country have exposed how ill-equipped the country's health care system is to deal with serious injuries.

CRI's Zhao Jianfu has more.

ReporterMedical staff in Nepal have been struggling to treat a large number of injured with limited supplies since a massive quake struck the country almost a month ago.

According to a World Health Organization report, the country has only about 2 physicians and 50 hospital beds for every 10,000 people.

Sunil Pokhrel, a physical therapist at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, says most of his patients require long-term care.

"The injury, the percentage of injury is very high and the most of the people we have are having long term disability and they require long-term cure. So I think for the long term rehabilitation they will need support with necessary devices as well as in the health related needs they need to have support from international community."According to a data from the country's national statistic bureau in 2011, nearly 2 percent of Nepal's 28 million people are listed as disabled.

The figure is likely to have risen after two massive quakes hit the country on April 25 and May 12.

Nearly 18,000 people were injured. But, so far, figures for the total number of people disabled due to their injuries are not available.

Twenty-seven-year-old Rishi Khanal is one of those injured.

He was buried for more than three days after the April 25 earthquake. Doctors had to amputate his leg.

Khanal used to be the breadwinner in his family. He is calling for financial assistance as he is uncertain what the future will hold.

"For the future I need help from any organizations, I need financial help."Handicap International, a non-governmental organization, is now helping the Nepalese government plan rehabilitation programs.

The NGO surveyed patients across four hospitals in Kathmandu and found that out of the 500 injured people they spoke to, 30 percent underwent a limb amputation or suffered from an injury requiring long term rehabilitation.

Chiara Retis, a rehabilitation technical coordinator for the organization, says Nepal need to speed up its planning process and move into an implementation phase.

"The fact that today there has been this big disaster and this big number of injured people. In fact it highlights again this need speeding up the process, hopefully, for a comprehensive work. So now we'll look at the immediate needs, the big number of injured but this will be also an opportunity to start implementing in actual plan."The Nepal Physiotherapy Association says currently Nepal has only about 23 physiotherapists at work and needs at least another 20 to join its rehabilitation program.

For CRI, I am Zhao Jianfu.

John Nash, wife, 'A Beautiful Mind' inspiration, die in NJAnchorMathematical master John Nash, the man whose struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001 Oscar-winning movie "A Beautiful Mind," has been killed, along with his wife, in a car crash in the US state of New Jersey.

CRI's New York correspondent Su Yi has more.

ReporterPolice say 86-year-old Nash and 82-year-old Alicia were killed in a crash on the New Jersey turnpike on Saturday while taking a cab home from the airport.

Known as brilliant and eccentric, Nash worked with Princeton University for many years, most recently serving as a senior research mathematician.

He won the Nobel Prize in economics in 1994 for his work in game theory, which has offered insight into the dynamics of human rivalries.

It is considered one of the most influential mathematical theories of the 20th centuryBorn in Bluefield, West Virginia, Nash first studied in Pittsburgh before moving to Princeton.

His recommendation letter contained just one line: "This man is a genius."Nash married Alicia Larde in 1957 shortly after publishing some of his theories.

He developed severe schizophrenia soon after, and was put under psychiatric care several times.

The couple divorced in 1962.

However, the two stayed close.

And through treatment, Nash's condition began to improve by the 1980s.

The couple remarried in 2001.

His struggles, as well as his brilliance in mathematics was chronicled in the 2001 film "A Beautiful Mind."The film won four Oscars, including best picture and best director, and generated renewed interest in John Nash's life story.

Russell Crowe, who portrayed Nash in the film, has tweeted he is "stunned" by Nash's death.

His co-star in the film, Jennifer Connelly, who portrayed Alicia, has called the couple "an inspiration,.""A Beautiful Mind" director Ron Howard has tweeted saying "it was an honor telling part of their story."For CRI, I'm Su Yi in New York.

Suspected Mass Graves of Illegal Migrants Found in MalaysiaMalaysian authorities say they've discovered a series of mass graves and suspected human trafficking detention camps in a number of towns and villages bordering Thailand.

Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says they're still trying to determine how many bodies they're dealing with.

"The Inspector General of Police and his deputy is currently at the Malaysian-Thailand borders for confirmation and identification of the bodies in the mass grave."Its being reported the mass graves may contain the bodies of hundreds of migrants thought to be from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Northern Malaysia is on a route human traffickers are known to use to transport people to other parts of Southeast Asia.

More than 3-thousand migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh have found their way into Malaysia and Indonesia this month.

Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand have agreed to accept the migrants, provided the international community comes to their assistance.

The agreement follows revelation Thai authorities had been turning away refugee boats.

Andrzej Duda wins presidential election in PolandExit polling in Poland is suggesting Andrzej Duda won the country's Presidential runoff.

Duda, representing right-wing Law and Justice Party, has received 53 percent of the vote.

Incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski has conceeded defeat.

The loss marks a significant blow to the ruling Civic Platform party ahead of the parliamentary elections later this year.

The official results will be published by the National Election Commission on Monday evening.

Ethiopia's Ruling party to Gain Landslide Win in Parliamentary ElectionsParliamentary elections have drawn to a close in Ethiopia.

The ruling party, Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, is widely expected to win the vote in a landslide.

Opposition parties are alleging their supporters have been harassed as part of the vote itself.

The left-wing PRDF has been in power for over 2-decades.

Provisional results of the vote are expected to be released later this week.

The final tally is due out next month.

Ethiopia's economy has been one of the fastest growing in Africa.

Burundi Opposition Figure Zedi Feruzi's Death Stops Peace TalkOpposition leaders in Burundi are refusing to continue taking part in UN-sponsored peace talks.

This follows the shooting death of an opposition party leader.

UPD's leader, Zedi Feruzi, along with his bodyguard, was shot and killed over the weekend by unknown gunmen.

Opposition Front of Democracy party leader Frederick Bamvuginyumvira says its their belief government forces are behind the killing.

"We can't negotiate with the president of the Republic in regard to the violation of the constitution or the violation of the Arusha accord. It is impossible. We have decided to leave the negotiations because they are of no use. Today, the most urgent thing is to cease the killings we are seeing and the organised assassination of opposition leaders,"Feruzi was a vocal opponent of President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term in office.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny today with a high of 35 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 22.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 26 and a low of 18.

In Chongqing, it will see showers during the daytime with a high of 25 and lows of 22.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, sunny, 32.

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 38.

Kabul will have cloudy with a high of 18.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 29 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 23degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 24.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 26 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 16.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChinese premier arrives in Chile for official visitChinese Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Chile's capital, Santiago for the last leg of his 4-nation Latin American tour.

He is due to hold talks with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

The two leaders are expected to oversee the signing of a number of economic agreements.

Premier Li Keqiang is also scheduled to deliver a speech to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago.

Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with China.

It's also the first Latin American nation to sign a free trade agreement with China.

Chinese armed police end rescue mission in NepalChinese Armed Police have returned to Tibet after wrapping up their relief mission in Nepal.

Around 500 members of the Chinese Armed Police Force were dispatched into Nepal to help repair roads damaged by the massive earthquakes which rattled the country.

The Chinese crews repaired nearly 150-kilometers of damaged roads.

They also reinforced three bridges in Nepal.

Beijing issues blue alert for high temperatureBeijing's observatory has issued a blue alert for high temperature for Monday and Tuesday, this year's first heat alert.

It warns temperature could rise to 35 degrees Celsius.

A blue alert is the lowest on China's four-tier weather warning system.

400 die in heat wave across IndiaIt's being reported some 400 people have died amid a heat wave which has been gripping India over the last four days.

The deaths are being reportedly mostly in the country's south.

It's believed most of the victims are homeless people.

Parts of northern India, including New Delhi, are also reeling under intense heat, with temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius.

Forecasters are warning the heat wave is unlikely to break for the next few days.

Polls close in Spain's regional elections, count beginsExit polling from the regional elections in Spain shows the ruling Popular Party continues to dominate the political landscape.

It's being reported the right-wing party has secured majorities in 11 of the 13 regions up for grabs.

However, the exit polling also appears to show a surge in support for new parties.

A pair of grass-root parties have earned seats in almost all the regional governments.

The ruling Popular Party is also set to lose control of Madrid city hall, which it has run for more than 20-years.

The regional elections in Spair are viewed as a barometer for the national elections coming up at the end of this year.

Spain has seen its two main political parties dogged by corruption scandals.

Biz reportsAnchorFirst let's get a preview of what we can expect on the markets this week.

Here's CRI's Niu Honglin.

ReporterU.S. markets will be closed this Monday for the Memorial Day holiday.

Observers will be closely watching the reaction of the markets on Tuesday to Federal reserve Chair Janet Yellen's speech on Friday suggesting the Fed is still on track to raise interest rates this year, despite the country's weak performance in the first quarter.

In making the statement, Yellen has said the rate increase will come in a slow and gradual manner.

The highlight of the economic week in the US will be the revised figures for first-quarter growth.

The US Commerce Department is set to unveil the GDP figures on Friday.

On Wednesday, the Commerce Department will release revised building permit data for April.

The monthly index of pending sales of existing U.S. homes will also be released this week.

On the corporate front,Toll Brothers, the largest U.S. luxury homebuilder, is expected to report higher revenues for the latest quarter.

Warehouse operator Costco Wholesale is scheduled to report its quarterly sales, which observers are warning may come in below analyists average estimates.

North of the US border, the Bank of Canada will issue its decision on interest rates this week.

The Canadian central bank is widely expected to maintain its rate at 0.75-percent.

And in Europe,The focus will be on Greece following comments from a cabinet member suggesting the country is likely going to have to default on an IMF debt payment next month.

Greece cannot make IMF repayment: Greek interior ministerA member of the Greek cabinet is suggesting the country is likely going to have to miss a scheduled debt repayment next month.

Greek interior minister Nikos Voutsis says they just don't have the funds available to make the payment.

"I want to be very honest: 1.6 (billion euros) - 1.598 (billion euros) - are the four installments in June for the IMF (International Monetary Fund), starting on June 5 until the 19th. This money will not be given, and is not there to be given. "The comments come just a day after Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced Greece is ready to accept a long-lasting deal with lenders.

The Greek government has been negotiating with its euro zone partners and the IMF for the last 4-months to change the terms of its bailout conditions.

Greece's left-wing Syriza party secured an election victory on a campaign to end the austerity measures the country has been forced into to secure its international loans.

The country is still hoping to secure just under 8-billion US dollars in the final tranche of its latest bailout.

Central China establishes first "new area" to pilot reformsAuthorities in Hunan's capital Changsha have established this country's latest "state-level new area."The Xiangjiang New Area covers 490 square kilometers in Changsha.

It's situated on the west bank of the Xiang River.

It will pilot ten new reform measures in areas including government administration, economics, environmental protection and rural-urban integration.

Authorities hope to turn the Xiangjiang New Areas into a high-tech manufacturing and innovation base.

This is the 12th state-level new area developed here in China.

The first one was launched in Pudong in Shanghai in 1992.

Expert on the Expansion of the VAT Pilot Program in ChinaAnchorIt's being reported the Chinese government may be poised to completely replace this country's business tax with a value-added tax.

The expansion is included in the guidelines for reform priorities this year drafted by China's top economic regulator.

New plans recently released by the Chinese government include using the VAT in the construction, real estate, finance and the services sectors.

The Chinese government began replacing the business tax with a value-added tax in Shanghai back in 2012.

For more on the expansion of the VAT, we're joined on the line by Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Talking points:

Q1: Business tax is a major income source for local governments in China. So how will this reform affect local governments' tax revenues?

Q2: Since there are various kinds of products in the financial sector, the implementation of the VAT reform in this sector is considered a bit difficult to carry out. What problems need to be worked out for the implementation in this sector, especially in terms of setting the tax base?

Q3: Some say the transition from business tax to VAT is just the first step in the tax reform. Looking ahead, what is lying ahead in tax reform?

Back Anchor:

Mike Bastin, director of the China Business Center based in London.

JD.com responds to reported sales of refurbished iPhonesJD.com is promising "a thorough investigation" amid accusations its been selling defective iPhones on the site.

This follows reports of a person buying a new iPhone on the site, only to have it breakdown immediately.

JD.com contends its supply channel for the iPhones it sells is trustworthy, but says they are working with the authorities to investigate the case.

The case, first reported on television, has since gone viral through social media.

Shanghai's 1st private bank opens in FTZThe first private bank to be established in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone is now fully-operational.

The Shanghai Huarui Bank is catering to small and high-tech firms.

The bank has a lending quota of 10 billion yuan.

Huarui bank is also going to allow customers to make cross-border payments and Internet financing.

The bank will also exempt small borrowers from account management fees.

The bank began trial operations in January.

Huarui is one of 3 private banks approved by the China Banking Regulatory Commission.

China crude oil and natural gas output on a riseNew stats released by China's top economic planner suggest crude oil output in the country has reached nearly 70 million tonnes through the first 4-months of this year.

This is a 1.6 percent rise year on year.

The same stats also show over 150 million tons of crude oil has been refined during the same period.

This is an increase of 3.6-percent year on year.

Oil consumption is also up nearly 5 percent so far this year.

The National Development and Reform Commission is also reporting natural gas production is up nearly 5-percent year on year.

Natural gas imports are up nearly 7-percent.

SportsFootball: Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers Apologizes After 6-1 Loss to StokeTaking a look at football action:

In the English Premiere League:

Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers apologized to fans after his squad's 6-1 stomping at the boot of bottom-rung Stoke.

News also came out this weekend that Liverpool plans to sell striker Raheem Sterling for about 92 million dollars.

Hull drop to relegation after drawinng 0-0 with Manchester United.

Newcastle, on the other hand, avoid the relegation axe after they beat West Ham 2-0.

In La Liga:

Deportivo la Coruna managed to avoid relegation after coming from two goals down to behind to draw 2-2 at champions Barcelona on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid stomped Getafe 7-3.

From the Chinese Super League;Second-to-last ranked Guizhou took an upset shutout victory over league leaders Shanghai SIPG 2-0.

Guangzhou Evergrande and city rivals R&F tied at 2-2.

And Beijing had an uneventful 0-0 draw against Jiangsu Guoxin.

And in Asian World Cup qualifying action:

Thailand beat Vietnam 1-0.

NBA Playoffs RecapIn hoops action from the National Basketball Association playoffs:

Tipping off at 8:30 a.m., Beijing time,The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Atlanta Hawks for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Cavs are up 2 games to 0 in the series.

Earlier this weekend:

Golden State shot down the Houston Rockets 115-80 to lead the Western Conference Finals 3-0.

Tennis: French Open R1 RecapIn tennis action from the year's second Grand Slam--the French Open.

In the ATP:

World no. 2 Roger Federer decisively beat Colombia's Alejandro Falla 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

After the match, Federer expressed frustration over what he says are laxed security measures at Roland Garros following a fan approaching him unimpeded after the victory for a selfie with the Swiss player.

"Well, I'm not happy about it. Obviously not one second I'm happy about it. It happened yesterday in the practice, too. It's just a kid, but then three more kids came and today on centre court, where you would think this is a place where nobody can come on, just wanders on and nothing happens."Fifth-seed Japanese Kei Nishikori was in fine form during his 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 win over France's Paul-Henry MathewEight-seed Swiss Stan Wawrinka beat Turkey's Marsel Ilhan 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Also through are seeds J-Wilfried Tsonga of France, Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, German Philipp Kohlschrebier, and Latvian Ernest Gulbis.

Over in women's action at Roland Garros:

China's Peng Shuai, seeded 24th here, retired due to injury after losing the first set to Poland's Polona Hercog.

Third-seed Romanian Simona Halep fared much better, beating Russian Evgeniya Rodina in straight sets.

No. 7 Serbian Ana Ivoanovic defeated Russia's Yarolslava Shvedova 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Ninth-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova beat American Luisa Chirico 6-4, 6-2.

No. 13 Czech Lucie Safarova emerged victorious from two tie-breaks to earn a straight-set win over Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Also through are 21st seed Garbine Muguruza and no. 28 Italian Flavia Pennetta.

F1: Rosberg Wins Monaco GP After Pit Mix-up Puts Hamilton in 3rdIn racing news:

Germany's Nico Rosberg earned his third Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday after Mercedes blew championship-leading teammate Lewis Hamilton's chances with a needless pitstop.

Hamilton led comfortably from pole-position before Max Verstappen crashed his Toro Rosso car into the barrier.

The Brit was told to pit for fresh tyres, but emerged to find both Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel of Germany, who had not pitted, behind the safety car in front of him.

The error put Hamilton in third, while Rosberg notch his second-straight win.

Nico Rosberg on the victory:

"Very happy of course. But I know of course that it was just a lot of luck today. You know Lewis drove brilliantly and he would have also deserved the win for sure but you know that's the way it is in racing and definitely very happy and going to make the most of it."Rosberg's win cuts Hamilton's overall lead to 10 points after six of the season's 19 races.

Golf: S. Korea's Byeong-Hun An 1st Asian Golfer to Win PGA ChampionshipIn Golf:

On at the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship:

Overnight leader Byeong-Hun An produced a brilliant final round of seven-under on Sunday to become the first ever Asian winner of the tournament, clinching victory by six shots.

Over in the PGA Tour's Crowne Plaza Invitational:

NHL PlayoffsIn the National Hockey League playoffs:

A tense tie-breaker in the Eastern Conference Finals takes place at 8 a.m., Beijing time when the New York Rangers hit the ice against the Tampa Bay Lighting for game 5 of their series.

Both teams hold two games apiece after each team took one close win and one blowout.

Earlier this weekend:

The Chicago Blackhawks gutted out a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks in double-overtime to even up Western Conference finals to 2 and 2.

EntertainmentFrench movie Dheepan wins Palme d'Or at 68th Festival de CannesThis year's Cannes film festival has drawn to a close.

French movie "Dheepan," directed by Jacques Audiard, has won the Palme d'Or award for Best Film.

The movie itself chronicles the lives of a group of relative strangers who establish a life for themselves as a family after escaping the civil war in Sri Lanka.

Jake Gyllenhaal, one of the jury members at Cannes, says "Dheepan" tells a touching story.

"In 'Dheepan' there's this idea that runs through it that was pretty invigorating for me where there are, essentially, three strangers who become a family and over the course of two hours it's relatively seamless to watch three strangers forced to travel to a foreign land and essentially learn to love each other - which is something I've never seen done in the way that it's done in that film. That was invigorating, walking out and seeing that concept done, that I thought could be probably impossible and hopefully isn't in life, but definitely in film."This year's Best Director Award has been given to Taiwan director Hou Hsiao-Hsien, for his film "The Assassin.""There is no point thinking about winning the Palme d'Or or not. If you do that, you can't be a director. First of all, why? Because the jury is very different each year and also the quality of the each jury is very different and you do not know who will like what and that is why it is better to not think about this and just concentrate on what I am doing the best."The best actress prize has been split between Rooney Mara for her role in the film "Carol," and Emmanuelle Bercot, the French star of the drama "My King."Best actor has gone to French actor Vincent Lindon for his role in "The Measure of a Man.""Chronic," a drama about a home-care nurse for the terminally ill, has been awarded to Mexican writer-director Michel Franco.

A total of 19 films were in competition this year at Cannes.

Keanu Reeves is Terrorized in Latest 'Knock Knock' TrailerA new trailer has been released for Keanu Reeves' new horror movie "Knock Knock."The film tells the tale of a man who is hunted by a pair of women who turn on him after he offers them shelter in his home.

It's directed by Eli Roth, who has a long-list of horror-film credits.

It co-stars Lorenza Izzo and Anna De Aramas as the femme fatales.

The movie made its original debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

Lionsgate films then picked it up for 2.5-million US dollars.

Its due to be released next month in the UK.

Actress and Comedian Anne Meara, Mother of Ben Stiller, Dies at 85Anne Meara, an Emmy and Tony-nominated comedian, has passed away.

She was 85.

The mother of actor Ben Stiller got into comedy during the 1960's.

She and her husband Jerry Stiller were a prominent 1960s comedy team.

They share a star on the Hollywood Walk in Fame.

Serena Williams serves up some fun in Paris for new movie 'Pixels'

World No. 1 women's tennis player Serena Williams took time out from her sport to serve up some laughs in the new film "Pixels."In "Pixels," popular Eighties video games Pac-Man and Donkey Kong come to life after NASA launches a time capsule into outer space to establish friendly communication with aliens.　Williams has been recovering from an elbow injury. She was in Paris to promote the movie in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Williams says she enjoyed her cameo.

"All my parts are with Peter Dinklage and he's kind of obsessed with me and I am not really feeling him so much so I have to act like I hate him which is hard because he is such a good actor and I love him to death, but it was fun, it was really fun."The film will be released in Hong Kong on July 23.

"Mad Men" actor denies reporter sexual harassment claimsThe publicist for "Mad Men" actor Paul Johansson denies a reporter's allegations of sexual harassment by the actor.

BuzzFeed News' Susan Cheng accuses the actor of sexually harassed her during an interview.

The actor's publicist Cheryl McLean, who was present, disputed Cheng's claims and said the women at the shoot acted like fans, not journalists.

He said there was nothing inappropriate going on.

The reporter has not yet responded for comment.

Paul Johansson is an actor and director, known for One Tree Hill, John Q and Alpha Dog.

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

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

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Chile for the last leg of his 4-nation Latin American tour.

A new debate about children's safety is underway following a deadly accident involving a bus full of kindergarten children in Guangxi.

Hundreds of people have been forced to flee their homes in Nepal following the formation of a barrier lake.

In Business.... a new state-level "new area" has been established in Hunan's capital.

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