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

Coming up on our program this morning...

a series of events have been held in China to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is today...

The signing ceremony for the official launch of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will be held on Monday...

and a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers ends abruptly without a deal on the Greek debt crisis...

In Business...China's central bank injects more liquidity into the market for the first time in two months...

In Sports...a scoreless draw between the two top teams in the Chinese Super League...

In entertainment...accolades for a legendary filmmaker from Hong Kong at an event in the UK...

Top NewsNo rest until sweeping victory against drugs: XiChina has been holding a series of events to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls today.

The country's first report on its drug situation was released on Wednesday. It stated that drug abuse remains a serious problem.

On Thursday, President Xi Jinping attended a meeting in Beijing to honor those fighting on the frontline against drugs.

He has called for a more comprehensive and coordinated effort to combat drugs.

"The antidrug work concerns our nation's security, prosperity and people's well-being. We must fight the tough battle with a steadfast mind and solid work and there would be no rest until a sweeping victory."Minister of Public Security, Guo Shengkun, who also heads China's anti-drug task force, warns there's an arduous task ahead.

"To win the anti-drug war, we must resort to a comprehensive approach with a focus on prevention. All efforts must be made to eradicate the soil on which the drug problem breeds and spreads."During the meeting, President Xi Jinping expressed respect and thanks to police, workers and volunteers.

Premier Li Keqiang also attended the meeting.

According to the report on China's drug situation, China had nearly 3 million registered drug addicts at the end of 2014, but the real number who have used narcotics is thought to exceed 14 million.

That means one of every 100 Chinese may have used drugs.

The report also revealed that drug users in China are becoming younger. Over half of the addicts registered are under the age of 35.

Last year, 169 thousand drug crime suspects were captured in China.

Illegal drugs cost the Chinese economy an estimated 500 billion yuan or over 80 billion U.S. dollars this past year.

For more on this, CRI's Ding Heng earlier spoke with Dr. Yin Bo, Associate Professor from the College for Criminal Law and Science, Beijing Normal University.

Back Anchor:

That is Dr. Yin Bo, Associate Professor from the College for Criminal Law and Science, Beijing Normal University, speaking with CRI's Ding Heng.

Signing Ceremony for AIIB to be held on Monday in BeijingA signing ceremony for the official creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is going to be held on Monday in Beijing.

The Chinese government has confirmed President Xi Jinping will meet the heads of the delegations representing the prospective founding members of the bank.

A meeting of finance ministers of the countries involved is also scheduled to take place.

Written remarks by Chinese premier Li Keqiang, who will head to Europe on Sunday, will be delivered during the meeting.

The China-proposed bank is expected to begin operating later this year with start-up capital of around 100-billion U.S. dollars.

Australia's government announced on Wednesday that it has been accepted as a founding member of the AIIB.

The Australian side is putting in over 700-million US dollars into the bank.

This will make Australia the 6th largest shareholder in the bank.

Billions Embezzled by China's Lottery Managers: AuditorsAnchorChina's auditing authority says nearly 17 billion yuan, 2.8 billion US dollars, raised through the country's lotteries was embezzled or misused by lottery managers and sellers between the start of 2012 and October 2014.

CRI's Niu Honglin has the details.

ReporterAccording to the report published by the National Audit Office, the "problematic" money constituted more than a quarter of the lottery funds reviewed in the audit.

Authorities say irregularities included embezzlement, fraud, illegal subsidies for staff, and procurement of fancy offices.

Yu Lin, deputy head of the Department of Social Security Audit, details how the offenders mishandled the money.

"In order to get money from the lottery fund, some departments even came up with fake welfare investment projects, things such as orphanages, rehabilitation centers, or nursing homes. Some of the money ends up going unused, while some is embezzled, to purchase things like cars. "According to China's Regulations on Lottery Management, the money raised through lotteries is divided into three parts: the jackpot for lottery winners, lottery management expenses and fees paid to sales distributors, and funds handed over to the state for social welfare causes.

63 billion yuan worth of unauthorized online lottery sales spanning 17 provinces, where online distributors are paid 20 to 60 percent higher than regular ones by local departments, have been uncovered.

Yu Lin says such unauthorized online lottery selling doesn't follow regulations.

"Under the current managing system, the amount of lottery management expenses and social welfare funds a province or a region get is related to the total lottery sales amount. Online sales break the geographical limits, allowing distributors in one province sell tickets to buyers all around the country, as a result obtaining money that should have belonged to other provinces."Wang Xuehong with the Chinese Public Welfare Lottery Study Institution, Pecking University, says a lack of supervision is part of the reason why unauthorized online lottery sales' are so rampant.

"Lottery departments in as many as 17 provinces had been offering direct online channels to their customers, reflecting the country's saggy regulation and supervision on the issue. We should have restrained it from the very beginning, but we didn't. So this is part of the reasons for the problem."The audit covered a total of nearly 230 provincial and municipal-level lottery sales organizations, and nearly 5000 projects funded by lottery sales.

The NAO says 14.5 billion yuan of misused funds have been recovered, as of the end of May, while authorities are investigating 90 cases of suspected violations.

China's nationwide lottery sales in 2014 totaled 382 billion yuan, or nearly 62 billion US dollars.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Millions of hectares of Chinese farmland contaminated by heavy metalsAnchorEcologists have warned that around one fifth of China's farmland has been polluted and vast swathes have been contaminated by heavy metals.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

ReporterAccording to a report released by the China Geological Survey (CGS), the country's largest geoscience agency, 7.6 million hectares of arable land - roughly the size of Ireland - have been affected by lead and other heavy metals.

Nearly one third of that total is categorized as moderately or severely contaminated.

Yang Zhongfang, a member on the report's expert panel, says much of the pollution is in the south of China.

"Much of the heavy metal pollution can be found in the south, which accounts for approximately 73 percent of such contamination nationwide. Secondly, there has been a noticeable emergence of multiple metal contamination. That is, the soil in a single region is affected by more than one heavy metal. Thirdly, the cause of the contamination was extremely complicated, with the heavy metals coming from a variety of sources".

The pollution is also threatening land used to grow high-yield grain in China's northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning.

"China's northeast region is home to one of the world's three largest black earth belts, but the soil there has lost about 22 percent of its organic matter over the past 30 years, significantly lowering soil fertility and exacerbating the effects of heavy metal pollution".

Meanwhile, soil alkalinity and acidification are becoming serious problems in China due to both man-made and natural causes.

In response, Chinese geologists are calling for clearer rules and supportive measures to treat polluted farmland and groundwater.

Xiao Guiyi is deputy director of the geological investigation department at China Geological Survey.

"We are going to do a detailed survey on heavily contaminated farmlands as well as those that are of high quality, so that we can accurately map where they lie and offer advice to local governments on farmland planning and protection. We will also ask local governments at all levels to step up controls on heavy metal pollution, and to prevent further expansion of the contaminated land".

The Land and Resources Ministry revealed that the land treatment industry accounts for less than 1 percent of the total output of the environmental protection sector. In some developed countries, this proportion surpasses 30 percent.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.

China, Russia to boost media cooperationAnchorChina and Russia have vowed to boost media cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on the integration and development of new media and traditional media.

The pledge has been made at the China-Russia Media Forum, underway in St. Petersburg.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

ReporterThe China-Russia Media Forum is focusing on how to improve international communication in the era of all media.

Participants will also discuss the media's role in promoting the integration of the two countries' development strategies and boosting new-media exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia.

Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is leading the Chinese delegation at the forum.

He has called for Chinese and Russian media to cooperate more closely to advance the two countries' relations.

"As China-Russia relations have been making great strides, media organizations of both sides should deepen exchanges and center their cooperation on the two countries' major strategic blueprints, initiatives and projects, so as to jointly boost the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination and facilitate the integration of China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union framework."Also attending the forum is a CRI delegation led by Director General Wang Gengnian.

On the sidelines of the forum, Wang and Dmitry Kiselyov, President of Russia's international news agency Russia Today, have signed a supplement to the cooperation agreement between the two news organizations.

Under the new deal, CRI and Russia Today will deepen cooperation in such areas as program and information exchanges, joint reporting projects and new media development.

During President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia in May, the two countries decided to launch a "China-Russia Media Exchange Year" from 2016 to 2017.

As part of the program, CRI and Russia Today have agreed to launch a joint reporting project in areas covered by China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative.

Wang Gengnian says it's part of a broader project in China-Russia media cooperation.

"During the 'China-Russia Media Exchange Year', CRI will take the initiative in elevating the media cooperation between the two countries. Topping our agenda will be a round-table meeting of the Media Council, a Silk Road-themed joint reporting project and a new episode of our joint project 'Hello, China'. We hope to demonstrate the concrete results of the bilateral media cooperation through the multi-media platform."For the past 10 years, CRI has been striving to promote China-Russia cultural exchanges through media cooperation.

It has so far established cooperative partnerships with five state-level media outlets in Russia.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

China Offers 483 Mln USD Worth of Aid Package for NepalAnchorThe Chinese government is pledging 3-billion yuan in assistance for Nepal's reconstruction effort.

For more on this, CRI's Huang Shan reports.

ReporterChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the announcement as part of a package of aid announced at an international conference in Kathmandu on Nepal's reconstruction.

He says the grants will focus on sustainable development in the Himalayan nation.

"We will fully engage in the reconstruction of Nepal from five aspects, namely, offering non-reimbursable assistance, providing help for financing including preferential loans, encouraging Chinese companies to play a role, cultivating Nepalese talents, and encouraging Chinese regional governments to enhance cooperation with Nepalese local governments in Nepal's reconstruction."In making the pledge, Wang Yi also says local governments in China will also be providing assistance in Nepal's reconstruction.

Representatives from more than 60 countries and international agencies have attended the event.

India, Japan, the European Union, and the Asian Development bank have all pledged to offer help.

Nepalese finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat indicates the commitment received at the conference is roughly two-thirds of the amount needed for reconstruction over the next five years.

"In total we have received the commitment of US $4.4 billion, which was in fact more than we had expected. Part of it is in the form of grant, and part of it is in the form of concessional loan."Nepal was rattled in late April and early May by a series of earthquakes, leaving around 87-hundred dead and billions of dollars in damage.

For CRI, I'm Huang Shan.

Eurogroup Meeting Ends without Deal on Greek Bailout IssueA meeting of eurozone finance ministers has ended abruptly without a deal on Greece's bailout package.

The Eurogroup had to consider two documents: one was proposed by the Greek government, the other its international creditors.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis says the Greek government's version includes compromises according to institutional requirements.

"The Greek government's version which was adapted on the basis of the institutions' document which we had received earlier... Interestingly several colleagues disagreed and criticised not only our text but the text of the institutions and we decided as a Eurogroup that we shall continue our deliberations. The institutions are going to look again at the two documents, ours and their own. "Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem warns the negotiations will be difficult.

"The institutions are going to look at the last proposals, as I said. If anything of that is useful we will use it of course but we are very, on a number of issues, quite far apart so it is going to difficult."The failed Greek debt talks overshadowed an EU summit that kicked off on the same day.

Leaders of EU member states had divergent reactions to the marathon talks that yielded no breakthrough.

French President Francois Hollande says an agreement is still "possible" and "necessary," while German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Greece for "going backwards" on some items.

The latest Greece Bailout Deal Negotiation FailsAnchorThe Greek government has warned it doesn't have the money to pay it, and will require an additional cash infusion from its lenders or it will default on the payment.

A default could trigger the eventual removal of Greece from the Eurozone.

For more on the move, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke with Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

Back anchorThat was Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator spoke with CRI's Paul JamesAt least eight arrested amid violent taxi protests against UberPOP app in FranceAt least eight people have been arrested in Paris after a protest by taxi drivers turned violent.

The drivers were protesting use of the local version of the US ride-sharing app Uber.

A local news channel citing police sources says the people arrested include taxi drivers and Uber drivers.

On Thursday, thousands of taxi drivers blocked access to Charles de Gaulle airport to protest unfair competition, fearing the loss of customers and jobs to the Uber service.

The French Interior Minister has asked Paris police to issue a decree prohibiting the use of Uber and other ride-share apps in the city.

U.S. police shoot unarmed man in domestic dispute: mediaMedia reports in the US say several police officers have shot an unarmed man during a call about a domestic dispute.

It happened in Maryland. Baltimore County officers were called to a home around 1 in the morning on Thursday. Reports say the officers heard a disturbance inside the residence and forced their way inside.

A police spokesman says the officers were then confronted by a man who produced what the officers thought was a gun. Several officers opened fire. At least 19 shots were fired.

The media reports say the man was killed. Police have not confirmed the man's death, only saying the man was taken to an area hospital for treatment, but without mentioning his condition.

WeatherBeijing will see thundershowers with a high of 30 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 21.

Shanghai will have heavy rain with a high of 30 and a low of 23.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 35 and lows of 28.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 32.

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 37.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 29.

Over to North America,New York will have slight rain with a high of 24 degrees.

Washington, slight rain with a high of 30 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 27.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 23 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will have slight rain with a high of 19.

And Rio de Janeiro will see some rain with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsNo rest until sweeping victory against drugs: XiChina has been holding a series of events to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls today.

The country's first report on its drug situation was released on Wednesday. It stated that drug abuse remains a serious problem.

On Thursday, President Xi Jinping attended a meeting in Beijing to honor those fighting on the frontline against drugs.

He has called for a more comprehensive and coordinated effort to combat drugs.

According to the report on China's drug situation, China had nearly 3 million registered drug addicts at the end of 2014, but the real number who have used narcotics is thought to exceed 14 million.

Defense Ministry: China schedules Asia Pacific security forumChina's Defense Ministry is poised to host a major security conference here in Beijing later this year.

The so-called Xiangshan Forum will discuss security cooperation in Asia-Pacific when it opens in October.

It will focus on regional security trends, maritime security and fighting terrorism.

Defense officials, armed forces delegations and representatives from various international organizations are scheduled to attend the sessions.

Palestinian Authority Delivers Evidence of Alleged Israeli War CrimesThe Palestinian Authority has submitted its first documents to the International Criminal Court , believed to contain evidence of Israeli war crimes during last year's Gaza conflict.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that he had submitted dossiers on the Gaza conflict, Israeli settlements, the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

It comes after a recent report released by the United Nations, which points out that both Israel and Palestinian militant groups committed grave abuses of international humanitarian law during the Gaza War last summer.

Voting result of Myanmar's constitution amendment bill comes no surprise: Aung San Suu KyiMyanmar's parliament has voted against several constitutional amendments, including one that would remove obstacles for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to run for the presidency in this year's election.

Suu Kyi, chair of Myanmar's National League for Democracy, says the vote shows reluctance for reforms but she's not surprised with the result.

The NLD is expected to see heavy gains against the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party in anelection likely to take place by November.

No date has been set yet.

Biz reportsAnchorFirst, a quick check on the closing numbers across North America and Europe on this Friday morning, our reporter Sophie Williams.

ReporterU.S. stocks shaved early gains to close mildly lower on Thursday, as investors weighed positive economic data against the uncertainty of Greek debt crisis.

The Dow Jones fell 0.4 percent.

The S&P 500 lost 0.3 percent.

The Nasdaq decreased 0.2 percent.

On the economic front, the U.S. Department of Commerce's latest number shows U.S. personal income increased 79 billion U.S. dollars, or half a percent.

Disposable personal income rose 65.5 billion dollars, or half a percent in May.

Personal consumption expenditures soared 106 billion dollars, adding almost 1 percent, the largest gain in nearly six years.

Over in Europe, time is running out for Greece and creditors to reach a deal before Greece have to repay a 1.6-billion-euro loan to the IMF by the end of this month.

Eurozone finance ministers met earlier on Thursday for their fourth meeting in a week, attempting once again to strike a deal but the meeting ended abruptly again.

UK's FTSE 100 decreased more than half a percent.

France's CAC 40 closed slightly lower with 18 of the 40 selected experiencing decrease.

Germany DAX closed flat.

PBOC Injects 35 billion yuan to money market, the first time in 2 monthsChina's central bank has injected 35-billion yuan into the money market through open market operations.

This is its first cash injection through repo operations in more than two months.

The last injection was on April 16.

The People's Bank of China says the yield for the seven-day reverse repo stands at 2.7-percent.

The injection comes as small and medium-sized banks see increasing demand for short-term capital amid the current mid-year financial assessment pressures, as well as the massive injection of new IPO's in China over the past few trading days.

BOC raises 4 bln USD for Belt and Road projectsBank of China said on Thursday it had successfully raised the equivalent of 4 billion U.S. dollars from the international bond markets for the Belt and Road initiative.

The money will support projects to boost infrastructure links between Asia and Europe.

The bonds contain fixed interest securities and floating interest, with diversified terms to maturity.

This is the biggest amount of bonds issued at one time by the Bank of China abroad, in four currencies through its overseas branches.

The banks plans to increase its credit scale to 100 billion U.S. dollars in the coming three years for Belt and Road projects.

Corporate News of the WeekAnchorLet's check out some of the main events taking place on the corporate front in China this week.

Joining me on the line now is Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

==Uber reportedly has landed a significant investment from Chinese fund manager Hillhouse Capital Group that could reach $1 billion.

[Talking point]

Uber is raising new funding. Is this a signal that Uber will go public soon? How will this influence Uber's future IPO price?

The use of a local version of Uber in France has triggered protest and the app is also banned in the Indian capital New Deli, do you think these would influence the company's possible IPO here in China?

==Hershey, the maker of Reese's, Twizzlers and Almond Joy candies, is cutting its profit forecast and eliminating 300 jobs after struggling with slowing growth in China.

[Talking points]

What is going on with the chocolate industry? Were the sales hurt by increased competition?

==Chinese chat app Momo got a buyout offer six months after it listed in the United States. Last week, security software company Qihoo 360 received a buyout offer from its CEO. , also this week, AirMedia and others are expected to follow this trend.

[Talking points]

What is your opinion on the privatization frenzy? Why these company are doing so?

==Back anchorThat was Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

China adds 20 mln 4G users in MayThe number of 4G users in China continued to grow in May, with 20 million new users added during the period.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Thursday says the number of 4G users has reached 200 million, as the country steps up investment in the telecom industry to expand broadband coverage.

In total, there were 657 million mobile broadband users, including 3G and 4G users.

Development of the broadband network has seen significant improvements also.

By the end of May, over 50 percent of broadband users had enjoyed cable speed above 80 megabytes per second.

Under a recent guideline from the State Council, by the end of 2017, China will increase the average cable broadband speed to 30 megabytes per second, more than triple the current speed.

Meanwhile, the 4G network will be expanded to cover the whole of the country.

Alibaba affiliate's new online lender to target SMEsAlibaba affiliate Ant Financial Services Group launched an online lender to offer loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.

As one of the first five private banks approved by China's Banking Regulatory Commission, MYbank has 4 billion yuan, or $644 million US dollars, of registered capital.

The bank is set to acquire 10 million small business users in five years as the financial market for these small players are currently undeserved by major financial institutions.

On the same day, Ant Financial also announced a joint venture with China National Investment & Guaranty, and Hundsun Technologies.

They will collaborate on "Wang Jin She", an Internet-based financial assets exchange platform.

The platform is the first of its kind authorized by the government.

New cargo train service between China, Belarus opensA freight train service between China's northeastern port city of Yingkou and the Republic of Belarus was launched on Thursday.

The new trade route is the third cargo route between Yingkou and European cities following Moscow and Warsaw.

The first train left the Yingkou Port in Liaoning Province on Thursday morning, carrying 50 containers of mechanical equipment worth 6 million U.S. dollars.

The train will pass through Russia before reaching its destination in Belarus.

It will run once a week. Each trip takes 10 days.

Several Chinese cities, including Chongqing, Chengdu, Changsha, Yiwu and Suzhou, all have similar freight services to Europe.

SportsCSL: Guangzhou take halfway lead after draw against BeijingStarting things off with football,Leaders Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guo'an are still sharing the lead in the Chinese Super League.

The strongest attacking force Guangzhou Evergrande and the most secure defense Beijing Guo'an played to a goalless draw last night.

The two teams are tied at 30 points after 15 games. Guangzhou is on top of the leaderboard on goal differential halfway through the league.

In the other game last night,Underdog Shanghai Shenxin got its second victory this season by beating Hangzhou Greentown 2-0.

Novak Djokovic looks ahead to WimbledonIn tennis,World number one Novak Djokovic has defeated Richard Gasquet in an exhibition match at the Boodles tournament ahead of Wimbledon.

It was his first match on a grass court this season.

Djokovic, who was runner-up at the French Open earlier this month, is hoping to do better.

"Well, I do have always high expectations of myself... I've won it a couple of times already in my career, so... you know, I have to be honest and say yes, I'm going to Wimbledon with an intention and desire to win the title, but I'm not the only one. There are 128 players in the draw who are competing to win this most prestigious trophy we have in the sport."In other action,Sam Querrey knocked out second seed Gilles Simon to reach the semi-finals at the Aegon Open in Nottingham.

His next opponent is Alexandr Dolgopolov, who rallied to a win against Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun.

The other semi-final match up is between Denis Istomin and Marco Baghdatis.

On the women's side and in the Eastbourne Tournament,China's cross-strait pair Zheng Jie/Chan Yung-jan made it into the semi-finals after defeating Julia Goerges/Lucie Hradecka in women's doubles.

Caroline Wozniacki, Belinda Bencic, Sloane Stephens and Agnieszka Radwanska are into the semi-finals in women's singles.

Golf resultsIn golf,Rafa Cabrero-Bello, Lasse Jensen and Daniel Gaunt share the lead at the BMW Open in Munich.

They are at seven-under 65 after the opening round.

At the USPGA Tour,It is again a three-way tie at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Noh Seung-yul, Keegan Bradley and Brian Stuard are leading at six-under 64.

Tour de France route changed due to landslideOrganizers of this year's Tour de France have changed the route for the penultimate stage due to a landslide.

The ascent of Col du Galibier in stage 20 is replaced by Col de la Croix de Fer, a 29 kilometer climb with an average gradient of 5.2 percent.

The overall length of the race remains unchanged.

Highlights from day 14 at European GamesNicola Adams, the first woman Olympic boxing champion, has won the women's flyweight division at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Another London Olympic medalist, Teymur Masmmadov from the host nation, won the men's light heavyweight division by unanimous decision.

In the pool, Russia's Maria Astashkina broke the world record in the junior 200 meter breaststroke.

Japan appoints Olympic minister for 2020 GamesJapan has appointed Toshiaki Endo as its Olympic minister to guide the country through preparations for the 2020 Summer Games.

Sixty-five-year-old Endo is a lawmaker who has worked on sports policy and plays rugby.

Endo knows what his responsibilities are at this new post.

"It will be the biggest event globally, and it is a significant event for Japan, so I will be responsible and carry this out."One of Endo's first tasks is likely to be a decision on the final design for the National Stadium. The officials have to scale back the design to keep the cost from ballooning out of proportion.

The new minister will also have to smooth things over between Tokyo and the national government after Tokyo mayor Yoichi Masuzoe refused to pay for the construction of the stadium.

Senior Chinese Sports Official Suspected of CorruptionXiao Tian, deputy director of China's General Administration of Sport of the vice presidents of basketball's international governing body, is being investigated for alleged corruption.

China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced the investigation on Thursday via its official website. It says Xiao is suspected of graft.

Further details were not given by the corruption watchdog.

Xiao was elected as one of Swiss-based FIBA's three vice presidents last September. FIBA has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Liu Xiang Announces DivorceChinese Olympic gold medalist Liu Xiang has announced his divorce from actress Ge Tian.

Liu, in making the announcement on social media, is citing character differences for their split.

The two married in September of last year.

There have been wide-spread reports of their separation over the past month.

The former world record holder announced his official retirement from competitive track in May in Shanghai.

Ge Tian didn't show up at that meet.

EntertainmentJonnie To recognized by BAFTALegendary filmmaker Jonnie To has been recognized by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

The director from Hong Kong visited BAFTA's headquarters in London on Monday to discuss his career at a special BAFTA: A Life in Pictures event.

The filmmaker has enjoyed a career spanning five decades in which he's directed 54 titles and produced 70 feature films including movies such as 'The Mission', 'Election' and 'Vengeance'. However the start of his career was unusual as he worked as a messenger.

"Before I entered the film industry I wasn't very academic at all and I didn't do very well at school, so, for me, getting a job as a messenger was a necessary step to take - even if it was a very low ranking job,"The "BAFTA: A Life in Pictures" event honoring Johnnie To was co-presented by the Asian Film Awards Academy.

Twilight director unveils new Chinese-American co-production filmTwilight director Catherine Hardwicke was in Beijing on Thursday to speak about her plans for a Chinese - American co-production set in an ancient Silk Road City.

The romantic movie 'Loulan' will be based on a city and kingdom of the same name that disappeared hundreds of years ago and whose ruins are surrounded by desert in Xinjiang.

Hardwicke says the story will give viewers an insight into the culture of time around 200 BC on the Silk Road.

"So we've been studying, we've been to the museum in Urumqi, we've been finding all about the history of the region, which is a mix of all these vibrant cultures coming from the East and the West. So this is a very cool story about the Princess of Loulan."The $50 million China US co-production will revolve around the princess who is fought over by Han Chinese and warlike nomads the Huns.

Filming in Xinjiang and Beijing is expected to start in August next year with a target release date of late 2017.

Schwarzenegger gives update on Twins sequelArnold Schwarzenegger has given an update on the sequel to the movie Twins.

The sequel which has been in the works since 2012 is entitled Triplets with Eddie Murphy linked to be the third brother. Writer and actor Josh Gad was hired to write the screenplay but earlier this year said that the project was on hold.

However speaking in an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke about the sequel saying that the script is currently being fine-tuned.

According to Schwarzengger, the plot will focus around the brothers who attend the funeral of their mother to find out at the reading of the will that they have an additional brother. He says that Eddie Murphy is keen on the idea.

No release date has been set for the movie so far.

Clueless movie to become Broadway musical90s iconic comedy Clueless is to become a Broadway musical.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the film's director Amy Heckerling confirmed that a musical version of the hit movie is being made. The musical will be a jukebox musical meaning that it will use well known songs instead of having its own original score.

The hit movie fused Jane Austen's Emma with Los Angeles' youth scene. It helped launch the careers of many of the film's stars including Paul Rudd and Alicia Silverstone.

Fans of Clueless will have to wait a while for the musical as Heckerling says the process is taking a long time.

Clueless is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

PBS puts series on hold after Affleck episode violates standardsPublic Broadcasting Service has put its 'Finding Your Roots' series on hold on Wednesday after determining an episode that omitted references to Ben Affleck's ancestor as a slave owner violated its standards.

The television service said it is postponing the show's third season and delaying committing to a fourth year until it can be fully satisfied with the show's editorial standards.

PBS launched an investigation after it was reported that Affleck requested the program not reveal his ancestor's slave owning history in the 2014 episode. His great great great grandfather was found to have owned 24 slaves.

Affleck's request came to light earlier this year in hacked Sony emails published online by whistleblower site WikiLeaks.

Saved by the Bell actor sentenced to four months in prisonSaved by the Bell actor Dustin Diamond has been sentenced to four months in prison for a bar fight during which a man was stabbed.

The actor who played Screech in the television series was convicted earlier this month of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.

Diamond said he was defending his fiancée and had not intended to stab anyone.

The man who was stabbed was not seriously injured.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

a series of events have been held in China to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is today...

The signing ceremony for the official launch of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will be held on Monday...

and a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers ends abruptly without a deal on the Greek debt crisis...

In Business...China's central bank injects more liquidity into the market for the first time in two months...

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