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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Malaysian authorities have confirmed a piece of debris found on Reunion Island last week belongs to a Boeing 777, adding more evidence that it may belong to missing flight MH370.

New concerns about escalator and elevator safety are being raised here in China following two recent deaths.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Egypt for talks on how to counter the Islamic State.

In Business... Greece's stock market is set to reopen this Monday after being shuttered for the past 5-weeks.

In Sports... Chinese star swimmer Sun Yang has won another World Championship gold.

In entertainment... legendary British singer Cilla Black has passed away.

All of that coming up in the next hour.

A reminder as always 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/beijinghour.

Find us on WeChat by searching "beijinghour"Email us directly at [email protected].

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

Top NewsFlaperon Officially Identified as from Boeing 777: Malaysian MinisterAnchor:

Malaysian authorities say they've confirmed a piece of airliner debris found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, is part of a Boeing 777.

This is the same aircraft used on missing flight MH370, which disappeared last year.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

Reporter:

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai says French authorities, together with aircraft maker Boeing, the US National Transportation Safety Board and a Malaysian team are looking into whether the debris, known as a flaperon, belongs to MH370.

If the serial number on the flaperon confirms that it is from Flight MH370, it would represent the first physical evidence the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

The debris may also be able to provide some indication as to what exactly happened to the flight itself.

Using sophisticated tools, investigators will be able to analyze the flaperon to try to glean more information about the causes of the crash, such as whether its shape corresponds more to a mid-air explosion or a crash into the ocean.

Meanwhile, more metal debris, including what might be an airline hatch, have also been found washed up on Reunion Island.

French authorities, which administer the small island, say its too early to determine what the new debris is.

Questions have been raised about how debris from MH370 could make it all the way to Reunion Island, which is roughly 4-thousand kilometers away from where searchers believe the plane went down on March 8th of last year.

However, Zhang Wei with China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology, says there is a good chance the materials found washed up on Reunion are from MH370.

"In theory, all of the debris from crashed planes can be recovered. The only factor is time itself. The movement of ocean currents follows along certain known principles. The currents flowing in the Indian Ocean could take parts of MH370 along them, eventually washing them up on the island."Some have been suggesting a detailed search around Reunion Island should be conducted.

However, Zhang Wei notes the Malaysia Airlines flight didn't have enough fuel to make it anywhere near Reunion Island.

The Malaysian government has sent several teams to Reunion to search for more debris and to assist in the investigation in France.

Malaysia's goverment is also asking for help from aviation authorities in the vicinity of Reunion in the hope of finding more clues to the missing aircraft.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared while on March 8th of last year shortly after taking off on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on-board.

Two thirds of the passengers were Chinese nationals.

Investigators say they believe someone onboard shut off all the plane's external communication devices and identification equiptment, then directed the flight into the southern Indian ocean off the west coast of Australia.

Malaysian authorities have refused to say who they suspect may have done this, but have cleared any of the passengers from suspicion.

This has focused most speculation around either the pilot or co-pilot of the flight as being responsible for the flight's disappearance, as only someone with intimate knowledge of a Boeing 777 could have turned off the flight's transponders.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

China plans expanded serious illness insuranceThe Chinese government has confirmed its working on plans to try to expand the serious illness insurance plan to cover more people in the country.

The State Council has issued a statement, saying the insurance should be able to benefit all urban and rural residents covered under the basic health insurance program by the end of this year.

Serious illness insurance in China has so far been used only on a trial basis.

It reimburses patients for medical expenses that exceed the basic coverage.

The idea is to prevent people from being dragged into poverty because of medical costs associated with emergency procedures.

Right now the current scheme covers around 700-million people, which is around half of China's population.

Escalator safety major issue in ChinaAnchor:

There are growing concerns in China about the safety of both escallators and elevators in this country following a pair of recent accidents which left two women dead.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

Reporter:

The latest fatal elevator accident took place a week ago on a cargo lift in the province of Jiangsu.

A young woman was killed after she suddenly became stuck in the gap between the lift and the platform.

The preliminary investigation suggests she was killed after the elevator's brakes failed.

Chen Danjian is one of the investigators from the city of Hangzhou who is looking into what happened.

"The elevator failed to stop and dragged the victim along with it as it went up. Our preliminary assessment is the accident may have been caused by brake failure. As for the cause of the failure, we will still need to identify it using technical analysis before coming to a full conclusion."This was the 2nd accident involving people-moving devices in China this past month.

On July 26th, just a day before the elevator accident in Wuxi, a woman was killed after falling into a gap at the top of an escallator at a shopping mall in the city of Jingzhou in Hubei.

Security camera video, which found its way online, shows the 31-year-old woman briefly clinging to the edge of the gap while holding her young son out to be rescued by a mall staff member.

The child was pulled to safety.

However, his mother was later found dead under the escalator.

The two incidents have created a new wave of concerns about escalator and elevator safety in China.

Stats from the China Elevator Association show more than half of all accidents involving elevators and escalators are connected to maintenance and repair neglect.

Zhang Huaiji, an engineer with the Shenzhen Institute of Special Equipment Inspection and Testing, notes many of the elevators put into service after 2003 are reaching the end of their service life.

At the same time, he says the growing number of escalators and elevators being put into service in China is creating too heavy a workload for the limited number of inspectors available.

"There are too many elevators. Shortages of professional staff are very severe in some places. A technician sometimes has to double or triple his workload to keep up."The heavy workloads and low wages have also begun affecting retention rates for elevator maintenance technicians, putting their numbers here in China below international standards.

China's rapid urbanization over the past decade has seen the number of elevators and escalators put into service increase by a rate of around 20-percent a year.

Official analysis from China's State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine show there are currently around 150-thousand elevators and escalators currently in-service which are over 15-years old.

Around 5 in every 100 elevators or escalators inspected in China are found to have some type of problem.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

World's longest rail route boosts trade between China and EuropeAnchor:.

Observers on both sides of the world's longest rail route are moving to defend the costs associated with sending shipments from eastern China to Spain's capital, Madrid.

Cri's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

Reporter:

The longest rail link in the world, dubbed the "silk road express," connects the industrial hub of Yiwu on the East coast of China with the Spanish capital Madrid.

The link, first established late last year, is part of the Chinese government’s plans to create a "21st century Silk Road" and boost trade with both Central Asia and Europe.

The first direct freight train from China to Madrid carrying Christmas paraphernalia arrived in December.

It returned laden with wine and olive oil, in time for the Chinese New Year in February.

Since then, there have been three more round trips from Yiwu to Madrid.

The journey, spanning over 8-thousand miles cuts across eight different countries, which has created logistical issues, as the cargo has to be moved on to different trains three different times along the route because of incompatible rail gauges in different countries.

Still, Analyist Mario Esteban with the Elcano Royal Institute, a Spanish think-tank, says sending material along the line still poses fewer security risks than using sea routes.

"Most of the trade between China and Europe goes by the sea because is cheaper, even though it takes a bit more of time. What's the problem? This long sea route passes by very sensitive strategic areas, such as strait of Malacca or the Gulf of Aden."Another issue is cost.

Sending goods on the route costs around 5-thousand US dollars per container, which is more expensive than shipping by sea.

Still, Zhang Ruizhi, a top manager at a Chinese Import-Export firm, says sending non-perishables by train still makes economic sense.

"The time it takes to ship is much faster than traditional sea shipping. The train takes approximately 18-21 days. Compared with sea shipping, it's about twice the speed of shipping by sea. Although it's longer than air transport, but the cost of shipping by train is far more economical. As a result we chose to import our goods by train."It is also more environmentally friendly than road transport, which would produce 114 tonnes of CO2 to shift the same volume of goods, compared with the 44 tonnes produced by the train – a 62% reduction according to analysts.

The rail link connecting China to Spain is one of several rail connections between China and Europe.

Another route runs between Chongqing and the German trading hub of Duisburg five times a week.

There is also a rail link between Beijing and Germany's second largest city, Hamburg, which has cut down transportation times to just 20 days.

China is the European Union's biggest source for imports, and is China's largest trading partner.

The Chinese government plans to invest billions of dollars more in the future through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to create more infrastructure projects through Central Asia.

For Cri I'm Poornima WeerasekaraFormer Peacekeeper Recalls Tough Days in HaitiAnchor:

Today we bring you our third in a series of reports about the Chinese military's involvement in UN peacekeeping missions.

In this edition, CRI caught up with a female officer who served two different tours in Haiti, which has played host to the largest number of Chinese peacekeepers since China began sending its troops out under the United Nations banner.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

Reporter:

Peng Xiaoliang has served twice as a duty officer for the police unit attached to the Chinese peacekeeping missions in Haiti. Her team was responsible for curbing crime, protecting human rights and rebuilding local law enforcement capabilities.

Tough already, but they were also caught in a devastating earthquake in 2010, during her second deployment in the country. More than 300-thousand people were killed, including 102 UN staffers. Eight of them were Peng Xiaoliang's fellow officers in the Chinese team.

Five years have passed. The memory of the disaster is still fresh in mind"The earthquake brought more work. Under the pressure of exhaustion and sadness of losing friends, I felt I was pushed to an extreme both physically and emotionally. When I saw the corpses of my colleagues being sent back home, I fainted."After the quake, Peng Xiaoliang and her team lived and worked in makeshift tents for over four months. They worked day and night with other international aid agencies and the local government to rebuild Haiti.

Peng Xiaoliang says this experience has taught her lifelong lessons.

When she was first deployed in Haiti from December 2007 to August 2008 her team had to face one of the fiercest riots in the country's recent history.

In April 2008, a protest over hunger and rising food prices broke out in the southern countryside in Les Cayes and soon the unrest engulfed the whole nation, including the capital, where officer Peng Xiaoliang and her team was stationed. It was the most dangerous accident she encountered during this mission.

"Our military barrack in Port-au-Prince was assaulted by groups of rioters. One of the duty posts was hit by a volley of bullets. Even the bullet-proof glass protecting the post had cracked with two bullet holes in it. To be honest, I was very worried and frightened as most of the anti-riot police forces were in Les Cayes."But the team, along with other UN peacekeeping forces, was able to bring the situation under control within 10 days without sustaining any casualties themselves.

Officer Peng now serves as the deputy director of the Frontier Inspection Station in south China's Foshan city. She says her peacekeeping experience helps her serve better in her current post.

"The Peacekeeping experience has helped me understand my own abilities and it reminds me to serve the people at all times. Wherever we are, we need to stick to ethical standards."The Chinese police force wrapped up its peacekeeping missions in Haiti in 2010. But several Chinese police teams are still deployed in other parts of the world to maintain stability.

This year, China sent its first police team to Cyprus, expanding its commitment to UN the peacekeeping mission there.

Since China first sent its police unit to East Timor in 2002, a total of 2138 police officers have been deployed in nine missions over the past 15 years.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

For more on China's participation in UN peacekeeping missions, go to crienglish.com where you'll find a special section decicated to it.

John Kerry restarts the dialogue with Egyptian officialsU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has begun talks with Egyptian officials as part of his current trip to the country.

His trip is focused mostly on securing supportin the region for the continued fight against the Islamic State.

Speaking in Cairo, Kerry says keeping young people from embracing extremist ideologies is one of their goals.

"We all know that defeating terrorism requires a long term strategy. Border security and law enforcement actions are a significant part of the equation. But even the larger imperative is to persuade and prevent young people from turning to terror in the first place."Kerry's time in the region is also meant to try to ease regional concerns over the Iranian nuclear deal.

The US Secretary of State is due to meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council in Doha later on this Monday for security talks.

Iran can boost oil output days after sanctions lifted: ministerIran's oil minister says his country will be able to increase its crude oil output almost immediately after international sanctions are lifted under the new nuclear accord signed last month.

Bijan Zanganeh says Iran wants to reclaim its reputation as a leader in the global crude oil market.

"We predict that by late November or early December we can see all the sanctions lifted, God willing. The first thing to do will be to reclaim the markets and the market share we lost which amounted to one million barrels per day as far as crude oil was concerned."Zanganeh says they believe they can increase production significantly once the sanctions end.

Reports are suggesting oil producers such as BP and Shell have expressed interest in developing Iran's reserves once the sanctions are removed.

Iran is home to the world's fourth-largest oil reserves and had the second-biggest output in OPEC before U.S.-led sanctions began July 2012.

It's still the third-largest producer in OPEC, with an estimated daily output of 2.8 million barrels in July.

Canadian PM triggers election campaign with vote in OctIt appears Canada is heading toward a federal election on October 19th.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is moving to disolve parliment, which will kick off an 11-week campaign.

The state of Canada's economy is expected to be one of the main issues, as growth has been slowing, particularly in resource-dependent provinces.

However, Harper's Conservatives are also expected to try to make national security one of the central issues in the election.

"This election is also about security, not merely our security against the normal risks of criminal behaviour, but our security against the growing threats of an increasingly dangerous world."Harper's Conservatives have been in-power since 2006, and won a surprise majority in the Canadian parliament last election.

However, the current polling is suggesting the Conservatives may lose their majority, forcing the party into a minority government scenario.

UK Labor Laws to Blame for Migrant Crisis: Former French MinisterA former French minister is blaming the UK for the growing number of migrants gathered in the port city of Calais.

Ex-employment minister Xavier Bertand says the UK needs to change its labor laws if it hopes to resolve the issue.

"They want to go to England. Why? To find a job because they know it is possible to work without identity card in England. You have to change your policy."It's estimated around 5-thousand migrants are now camped in Calais around the mouth of the Eurotunnel.

They've been attempting to used the Channel Tunnel as a route into the UK.

Around 200 of them have managed to break through several security layers in Calais.

Most have been stopped by French police.

The migrants have been attempting to hop trains or trucks through the tunnel to make it into England.

Close to 10 have been killed in recent weeks.

The UK government has pledged extra guards, police reinforcement and better fencing to help ramp up security.

The government is also making an attempt to break the perception that UK streets are -quote- "paved with gold."Second American accused of hunting lion in ZimbabweZimbabwe is accusing another American doctor of illegally killing a lion in April.

This follows on the heels of a Minnesota dentist killing a famous lion in Zimbabwe in early July.

Authorities in Zimbabwe are looking into reports a doctor from Pennsylvania may have also shot and killed another lion with a bow and arrow near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park without approval.

Prince Mupazviriho with Zimbabwe's Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate says they've suspended safari's in the region as a result.

"We have banned every activity so that we can investigate and establish the truth of the matter. But as of now our law enforcement officers are looking into the matter so that we can really understand what transpired and if what ever happened in April was illegally done."Under the law in Zimbabwe, it's illegal to bow hunt for lions without prior approval.

Zimbabwean authorities are currently seeking the extradition of a Minnesota dentist who is accused of killing a famed lion named 'Cecil' a month ago.

Two Zimbabwean nationals are currently facing charges connected to that case.

Palmer has insisted he relied on his professional guides to ensure his hunt was legal.

Controversial Egg-freezing Gains Rising Attention in ChinaAnchor:

A controversial new technology is said to be bringing new hope to the growing number of women in China who miss out on the optimal age to conceive a child.

However, some gynecologists say the new process is not as optimal as some had hoped.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

Reporter:

Oocyte cryopreservation, or egg freezing, is a procedure where a woman's ovum are removed, frozen and placed in long-term storage.

When the woman is ready to become pregnant, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized and transferred into her uterus.

The technology is gaining increasing popularity in China, which is seeing a growing number of women, known in Mandarin as "Shengnv," choose instead to focus on their careers and put off starting a family until after the age of 27.

Qiao Jie is the head of Peking University Third Hospital that is leading the egg-freezing research in the country.

"There is no official stats on how many babies are born through the procedure in China every year, but the number is gradually increasing. We have conducted more operations every year than before and the total number in hospital has exceeded 300."The technology has been gaining increased attention after popular Chinese actress Xu Jinglei made public that she's had some of her eggs frozen.

But while she's decided to consider that option for a later-life pregnancy, the procedure still has its skeptics among women in China.

"I may choose it if necessary. The quality of eggs will decline as age grows. So I would undergo the operation for the sake of my child's health.""I don't think it's a reliable way. There is no doubt that the natural fertilization is much better."Rumours have been circulating in China that undergoing he procedure may bring on early menopause.

Gynocologist Doctor Qiao Jie says there is no truth to that rumor.

However, she notes the success rate of the operation is less than 30-percent.

She also says patients who want to undergo the procedure do it as early as possible.

"The success rate depends heavily on the quality of oocyte. The quality of oocyte varies a lot according to one's age. Generally speaking, the younger, the better."There are also questions about the potential health of a child born through a frozen embryo.

Doctor Qiao says they've yet to find any proof that this could be a concern.

However, she notes the procedure is still in its early stages in China.

"It seems safe at present. But the technology is still young and has only been applied to a limited number of people. We need more time to observe the side effects of the procedure."Since its development some 30-years ago, around 24-hundred children have been born via this procedure around the globe.

China's first frozen-egg birth took place 11-years ago.

Under the current rules in China, both single and married women can have their eggs frozen.

However, only married women with the proper birth permits are allowed to use the eggs.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Shaolin abbot cancels Thai visit over investigationThe abbot of the Shaolin Temple has canceled an appearance at a buddhist event in Thailand this weekend amid an investigation into a series of allegations against him.

The 50-year-old Shi Yongxin has sent a note to organizers of a buddhist conference currently taking place in Thailand, saying he had to skip the start of the 6-day event to deal with "unexpected official duties".

It's being reported Shi Yongxin is staying at the temple because of an investigation by the religious affairs bureau in Henan.

A former Shaolin monk has alleged Shi Yongxin has used fake ID, kept lovers, had child and pocketed temple assets.

It's also being claimed Shi Yongxin had once been kicked out of Shaolin back in the 1980's after plundering cultural relics and organizing a mafia-type gang.

Police have launched an official investigation.

Shi Yongxin, beyond being the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, is also a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

World's Biggest Radio Telescope to Help Better Study UniverseHoisting and matching work for the world's largest radio telescope has begun in Guizhou.

Scientists hope to use the 500-meter wide telescope to get a better understanding of the physical properties found in space.

Li Di, deputy chief engineer of the telescope, says they hope to use it to better observe pulsars.

"The pulsars are very unique compact substances with extremely strong magnetic fields. You can't really understand them on Earth. As such, our new telescope should help give us a better idea of their basic physics, and perhaps a better understanding of physics. The radio telescope could make groundbreaking contributions in this respect."The massive radio telescope in Guizhou is expected to be put into operation sometime next year.

WeatherBeijing will be overcast with a high of 32 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will be cloudy and temperatures will drop to 23.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 38 and clear tonight with a low of 29.

In Chongqing it will be cloudy in the daytime with a high of 39 and overnight it still be cloudy with the lowest temperature of 27.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be rainy today with a high of 34.

Kabul will be overcast with a high of 28.

Over to North America,New York will be rainy with a high of 33 degrees.

Washington, cloudy, high of 34.

Honolulu, also cloudy, 28.

Toronto, Canada, will have slight rain with a high of 28 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 19.

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

Headline newsFlaperon officially identified as from Boeing 777: Malaysian transport ministerMalaysian authorities say they've confirmed a piece of airliner debris found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, is part of a Boeing 777.

This is the same type of aircraft used on missing flight MH370, which disappeared last year.

Work is underway to determine whether the debris, a wing part known as a flaperon, belongs to MH370.

It may also be able to provide some indication as to what exactly happened to the flight itself.

Meanwhile, more metal debris has also been found washed up on Reunion Island.

French authorities, which administer the small island, say it's too early to determine what the new debris is.

China plans expanded serious illness insuranceThe Chinese government has confirmed its working on plans to try to expand the serious illness insurance plan to cover more people in the country.

The State Council has issued a statement, saying the insurance should be able to benefit all urban and rural residents covered under the basic health insurance program by the end of this year.

Serious illness insurance in China has so far been used only on a trial basis.

Right now the current scheme covers around 700-million people, which is around half of China's population.

Vice-Premier Leads Games Bidders back from Kuala LumpurChinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong has led the Beijing's successful Winter Olympic bid team back from Malaysia.

Senior CPC official Li Zhanshu and Beijing Party chief Guo Jinlong were among some 500 people greeting the delegation at the airport yesterday in Beijing.

Beijing was chosen over Almaty, Kazakhstan as the host of the 2022 Winter Games following an IOC vote in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

This will make Beijing the first-ever city to host both the summer and winter Olympics.

Over 100 killed in flood, landslide caused by heavy rains in IndiaRain-triggered landslides and flooding has left at least 100 people dead in several states in India.

More than 8 million people are being affected by the flooding.

The eastern state of West Bengal is bearing the brunt of the rain-triggered flooding, with nearly 50 deaths being reported since Friday.

A tropical cyclone has brought heavy rains to the area, submerging hundreds of villages and displacing tens of thousands.

The Indian army has been called in to help.

Seven injured in boat explosion in southeast EnglandSeven people have been hurt in a boat explosion in southern England.

Local police say the privately owned boat had a number of people on-board when the explosion hit.

A teenage girl and a three-year-old boy are among the injured.

The cause of the blast remains unclear.

Biz ReportsMarket PreviewAnchor:

Turning onto business news. First let's get a preview of what we can expect on the markets this week.

Here's CRI's Luo Wen.

Reporter:

This week's economic calendar will see the release of a lot of corporate earnings reports and several noteworthy economic reports.

Later on this Monday, the U.S. auto industry is scheduled to report sales for July.

Analysts expected the U.S. automakers to report a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 17.2 million units in July, which will be just slightly ahead of June's 17.16 million units.

On Wednesday, the ADP National Employment Report is likely to show U.S. private employers added 215-thousand jobs in July, down from a previous month's 237-thousand jobs.

This week's focus will be on Wednesday's data on service sector growth, business activity and employment stats from the Institute for Supply Management.

At the same time, Chinese authorities will release the services and composite PMI figures on Wednesday, and trade surplus stats on Friday.

Back in the US, Friday's jobs data is expected to show the U.S. economy created 222-thousand new jobs in July.

The unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 5.3 percent.

On the corporate front,HSBC Holdings will report its first-half results, amid an ongoing review as to whether it should move its headquarters and a long-running cost cutting campaign that's seen it shed 50-thousand jobs.

Media company and theme park operator Walt Disney on Tuesday is expected to report third-quarter profit above the average analyst estimate.

Disney's quarterly results will include gains from the release of second film in the "Avengers" series - "The Avengers: Age of Ultron".

Finally, Hershey will post its results on Friday.

Investors will look for updates on market conditions in China, Hershey's reassessment of its Shanghai Golden Monkey Food acquisition and plans for further acquisitions.

China Considers Limiting Third-party Online PaymentsAnchor:

China's central bank is proposing setting limits on the size of transactions through third-party online payment systems like Alipay.

The bank says it has put out the proposal for public scrutiny in an attempt to ensure security for consumers' information and money.

Under the proposal, the amount people will be able to spend through third-party online payments per day may be limited between one and 5-thousand yuan, depending on how sophisticated the system's security checks are.

Platforms that have both digital certification and signature qualification checks will be exempt from the restrictions.

Those with only one qualification check will be limited to a thousand yuan per day.

If the system has two or more checks but don't have digital certifications and signatures, the limit will be 5-thousand yuan.

The central Bank says its basing the figures on the average spending by average Chinese consumers this past year.

For more on the proposal, we are now joined on the line by Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Questions:

Q1 What are the reasons behind the new policy? Does it mean that the current third-party online payment is unsafe?

Q2 What will the new policy bring to ordinary consumers? Will it make the payment procedure very complicated as the online payment is very popular among Chinese shoppers?

Q3 How will it influence the third-party online payment platforms?

Back anchor:

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

Greek stock market to reopen Monday after five-week shutdownThe Athens stock exchange is set to reopen today after being closed for the last 5 weeks as part of attempts to stop Greece's financial collapse.

Greek traders expected a day of losses due to pent-up trading demand and worries about the future and Greece's worsening economy.

Some have suggested the Athens General Index could drop by as much as 20-percent on the day.

Under the plan approved by the European Central bank, local investors will be allowed to buy shares with existing cash holdings.

However, they can't withdraw money from their Greek bank accounts to buy shares.

CITIC Securities responds to short-selling accusationsChina's top securities broker, CITIC Securities, has responded to claims that it has short-sold some of its Chinese A-shares.

On Friday, the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges restricted trading of 24 separate accounts amid accusations their electronically-programmed trades were misleading other investors through frequent orders and cancellations.

One of the accounts had been run by by two shareholders, a foreign hedge fund and Shenzhen-based CITIC United Venture Investment, which is a subsidiary of CITIC Securities.

This led to reports that CITIC had teamed up with foreign hedge funds to short-sell Chinese stocks.

In response, CITIC Securities has issued a statement, confirming the two sides had established the trading account 2010.

But CITIC says it ended its involvement with the account in November after transferred its equities out.

At the same time, CITIC insists it supports the government's regulatory measures to stabilize the stock market.

The authorities have announced they plan more scrutiny into set-rate buy and sell programs used by institutional investors.

As part of the programs, investment houses will either sell or buy stocks based on locked-in prices.

Chiense regulators say they believe this is factoring into the volitility on the markets.

China to impose export control on some drones and computersChinese authorities are set to impose export controls on certian drones and high performance computers this coming Saturday.

Under the new rules, companies making certain drones and computers specified on the Ministry of Commerce's website will have to register with Commerce authorities and get a license before being allowed to export them.

The items include drones which can stay in-flight for more than an hour.

This comes as drone exports from China continue to increase.

A company in Shenzhen has become one of the world's leaders in drone exports.

Regulators are warning companies which send out drones which aren't approved for export may face administrative penalties or possible criminal charges.

Research center to reinvent Shanxi's coal industryThe provincial government of Shanxi and Tsinghua University have announced plans for a new research center designed to try to reinvent Shanxi's struggling coal industry.

The research center will focus on clean coal and other low-carbon energy technology development.

It will also provide technology consulting services.

Coal mines and processors in Shanxi have lost close to 650-million U.S. dollars through the first half of this year.

Overcapasity and the crackdown on heavy-pollution coal fired power generators is being blamed.

The Shanxi government has been limiting coal production in recent years in the hope of shaking off its dependence on coal resources.

The provincial government has already put a moratorum on the creation of new coal mines for the next 5-years to tackle overcapacity.

SportsSun Yang wins third straight 400m freestyle world championships titleIn action at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia:

Chinese swimming superstar Sun Yang has claimed his third straight 400-meter freestyle world championships title.

The 23-year-old won the final ahead of British swimmer James Guy and Canada's Ryan Cochrane in 3rd.

On the women's side,China's Shi Tingmao has clinched the gold medal in the women's 3-meter springboard event.

Her teammate He Zi took silver.

China's Wang Han and Yang Hao also claimed the title at the Mixed 3-meter Synchronised Springboard event.

In synchronised swimming, China took silver behind Russia.

--------In Triathlon Olympic qualifying,Female Triathlete Gwen Jorgensen has taken the ITU World Olympic Qualification Event in Rio de Janeiro.

"Yes, really nice to be here. It's the Olympic trials so to be qualified for the Olympics is really good."With the victory, the 29-year-old American has extended her currently winning streak to 12 consecutive races.

Britian's Non Stanford and Vicky Holland finished in 2nd and 3rd.

The podium finish ensures all of them will compete at the Olympics in Rio next year.

DPRK beats Japan 2-1 at 2015 EAFF East Asian CupIn football,China has lost its first match in the East Asian Cup in Hubei's Wuhan.

They were beaten by South Korea 2-0.

In other action from the East Asian Cup,North Korea downed Japan 2-1.

Elsewhere,FA Cup winners Arsenal beat champions Chelsea 1-0 in England's Community Shield season opener at Wembley on Sunday.

Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker says this gives them a lot of confidence heading into the Premier League.

"It's difficult to say at the moment, obviously we've had a great pre-season so far. The peak was today by winning the community shield and we are quite confident that we will have a better start than last season."This is the first win for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.

Jelena Jankovic Wins Jiangxi OpenIn tennis,Top seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic has won this year's Jiangxi International Women's Open tennis tournament, downing Taiwan's Chang Kai-chen in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 to take the title on Sunday.

This is Jankovic's first title of the year and the first WTA 125 Series title of her career for the former world number one.

Jankovic is currently ranked 25th in the world.

In women's doubles,Rising Chinese star Zheng Saisai and her partner Chang Kai-Chen claimed the title, beating compatriots Wang Yafan and Chan Chin-Wei in a 3rd set tiebreaker.

---------On the men's side,China's Li Yuanfeng has downed compatriot Shen Youxu 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the third round of the ITF Men's event in Fuzhou.

Chinese compeditors Duan Yaqi, Li Zhaotai and Qiu Zhouyang have also advanced.

----------Elsewhere,It was Top-seeded Rafael Nadal getting past Italy's Fabio Fognini 7-5, 7-5 to take the title at the Hamburg Open in Germany.

Nadal's victory is in Hamburg ensures that he's one at least one European clay-court title this year, something he's done since 2004.

"Well obviously happy. An important victory, no. It was an important week for me, deciding to play here after (a) tough Wimbledon.... (it) was a big call to come here and play good tennis and have a good result. Finally that happened, so very, very important for me. Five-hundred points is very important title, one of the most prestigious titles in the history of our sport on this surface, on clay, so just very happy. It's a great victory for me."The 29-year old Nadal now has 47 clay-court titles, second only to the record of 49 held by Guillermo Vilas.

Nadal, who has been struggling with injuries, is currently ranked 9th in the world.

China beat Bahrain 3-0 at Asian Men's Volleyball ChampionshipIn volleyball,China has reached the quarter-finals with a 3-nil victory over Bahrain at the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship.

China remains undefeated so far after beating Sri Lanka and Japan in previous matches.

Next up for China is Australia.

In other action,Thailand got past Oman 3-2.

South Korea thumped Pakistan 3-nil.

--------In Europe,The Netherlands returned to Group 1 of the World Grand Prix on Sunday with a straight sets victory over Poland in the Group 2 final in Lubin.

----------Latvia's Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins have taken the men's European beach volleyball champions title in Germany.

This is the first gold for the pair.

They were silver medalists in previous European championships in 2013 and 2014.

Seattle Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1In Major League Baseball,The St. Cardinals took a 3-2 home win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

New St. Louis signing Brandon Moss hitting a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth in the victory.

The Cardinals have won nine of their last 12 games and have a major league-best 40-16 home record this season.

In other action,The Seattle Mariners beat the Twins 4-1.

Blue Jays beat Royals 5-2.

Tigers beat Orioles 6-1.

Pirates blamked the Reds 3-0.

And it's Yankees hammering the White Sox 12-3.

Inbee Park completes the Grand SlamIn golf,Inbee Park of South Korea has become one of only a select number of female golfers to win women's golf's "Grand Slam."She shot a 7-under-65 through the final round to win the Women's British Open by 3-strokes.

"Obviously this was the last major championship that I really (had) in my mind to win. So this is a very special tournament for me and obviously I have long way in my career to go but is definitely one the greatest days of my life."With the win, Inbee Park, just 27-years-old, becomes only the 7th women's golfer to capture four different majors.

She has won 6 of the last 14 Majors, and 7 in all.

----------On the men's side,Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat has won the Paul Lawrie Match Play event in Scotland.

This is the third win for Aphibarnrat on the European Tour.

The victory also moves him up into the top 65 in the world.

EntertainmentSinger and TV Presenter Cilla Black dies aged 72Renowned British singer Cilla Black has died.

A sppokesperson for the iconic singer says they will release details of how she died after a coroner's report is finished.

She was 72.

Cilla Black had a 50-year career which began in Beatles-era Liverpool.

She was also discovered by Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

Black put out a string of hits in the UK.

She also managed to chart in the US with the song "You're My World."By the late 1960s, Cilla Black began hosting a BBC variety show simply known as "Cilla."She also helped create the score for the 1966 film "Alfie."'Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation' Leads Box Office"Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" has opened in first place at the US box office with an estimated 56 million US dollars, a terrific boost for the spy series and its star, Tom Cruise.

"Vacation" followed in second place with a disappointing 14.9 million US dollars for the weekend.

Holdovers "Ant-Man" and "Minions" followed in third and fourth place, respectively.

The latest "Mission: Impossible," which sported a hefty budget of 150 million US dollars, is the fifth movie inspired by the classic television show to be released by Paramount Pictures.

Overseas, the movie has grossed 65 million US dollars, so far opening in markets that have traditionally represented about 40 percent of the franchise's international market share.

It will open in China next month.

'Zoolander 2′ Trailer Leaked OnlineA trailer for "Zoolander 2″ has been leaked online ahead of the sequel's 2016 release.

The unauthorized video begins with a voiceover from a Stephen Hawking sound-alike and a journey through the cosmos before arriving in the brain of Derek Zoolander, which is full of hairdryers, orange mocha Frappucinos and incorrect math equations.

Ben Stiller asks in the clip that "If God exists, then why did he make ugly people?" which is one of Zoolander's most troubling philosophical questions.

Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Christine Taylor are all back on the same roles as they played in the 2001 original.

The much-anticipated comedy will include a host of cameos from the likes of Kristen Wiig, Billy Zane, Fred Armisen, Justin Bieber and even Kim Kardashian.

"Zoolander 2″will hit the theaters on Feb. 12, 2016.

'The Crossing: Part 2' releases shipwreck trailerAs John Woo's The Crossing: Part 2 hit Chinese cinema last weekend, a 10 minutes trailer on the scenes of the disastrous shipwreck is also released.

The Crossing was adapted from the real historical tragedy of the steamer Taiping which sunk on its way from Shanghai to Taiwan while carrying thousands of people trying to escape war on the Chinese mainland.

The story set in the 1940s focuses on three couples from different classes whose lives have been completely changed by the war.

WeatherBeijing will be overcast with a high of 32 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will be cloudy and temperatures will drop to 23.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 38 and clear tonight with a low of 29.

In Chongqing it will be cloudy in the daytime with a high of 39 and overnight it still be cloudy with the lowest temperature of 27.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be rainy today with a high of 34.

Kabul will be overcast with a high of 28.

Over to North America,New York will be rainy with a high of 33 degrees.

Washington, cloudy, high of 34.

Honolulu, also cloudy, 28.

Toronto, Canada, will have slight rain with a high of 28 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 19.

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

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Malaysian authorities have confirmed a piece of debris found on Reunion Island last week belongs to a Boeing 777, adding more evidence that it may belong to mising flight MH370.

New concerns about escalator and elevator safety are being raised here in China following two recent deaths.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Egypt for talks on how to counter the Islamic State.

In Business... Greece's stock market is set to reopen this Monday after being shuttered for the past 5-weeks.

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