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

Coming up on our program this morning...

China's top political advisor is promising continued religious freedom in Tibet to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

New feelers are being put out by the government about potential triggers to stop massive sell-offs on the mainland markets.

Clashes have broken out in Hungary amid mass attempts by migrants to storm the capital, Budapest.

In Business... forex reserves come in down through August.

In Sports... swimming sensation Sun Yang takes another title.

In entertainment.... Tom Cruise meets his fans here in China.

Top NewsChina Sticks to Freedom of Religious Belief: OfficialChina's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng has made a stop-over at the Jokhang Temple in Tibet's capital, Lhasa.

He's made the visit as part of the ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the Tibet Autonomous Region's founding.

"On behalf of the CPC central committee, the State Council and the President Xi Jinping, I'd like to send my greetings to everyone in here. It is traditional for Tibetan Buddhism believers to love their country and religions. Numerous eminent monks and virtuous Buddhas are willing to safeguard the national unity and ethnic solidarity, and to spread the righteous beliefs. The party and the government have always given it full credit and have been supportive to the development of Tibetan Buddhism."A banner inscribed by President Xi Jinping has also been hand-delivered to the 13-hundred-41-year-old Temple.

Yu Zhengsheng is leading a delegation of some 65 different people into Lhasa to mark the 50th anniversary.

Tibet Environment Well ProtectedAnchorEnvironmental protection has been highlighted as one of the Chinese government's prorities when it comes to the development of the remote, southwestern areas of the Tibet Autonomus Region.

CRI's Qi Zhi explains.

ReporterDubbed 'The Roof of the World," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses Qiangtang.

Qiangtang is China's largest nature reserve in Tibet.

It's located in the northwestern part of the Autonomous Region, covering the foot-hills of the highest points on earth, as well as part of the Tarim Basin and the extreme western regions of China.

Situated more than 5-thousand meters above the sea level, and making up an area of nearly 300-thousand square kilometers, Qiangtang is almost 3-times the size of the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu.

Karma Tsedrup, one of the local Environmental Protection Officers, says Qiangtang is ecologically unique, in that it affects the entire region around it.

"The Qiangtang Natural Reserve is dominated by a special paramos ecosystem. This means the region plays a key role in how climatic changes evolve both here in China and in other parts of Southeast Asia."Qiangtang is among 47-nature reserves in Tibet which cover over 400-thousand square kilometers in total.

Tibet is one of the areas of China which has abundant water resources.

Lakes in the Region cover a total area of more than 25-thsouand square kilometers.

The autonomous region is also where the Yangtze and Yellow River start.

Qiangtang is also home to more than 100 different kinds of mineral deposits.

Around two-fifths of China's copper reserves are located in the area.

Large amounts of lead and zinc are also in Tibet.

Despite the opportunities, Zhang Tianhua with the Tibetan Resource Management Bureau says they still want to maintain the environment in the Region.

"We will never choose to develop the economy at the cost of the environment. When it comes to environmental protection, we do everything we can to make sure it it safe."As part of the environmental commitment, no new mining projects in the region have been approved over the last 2-years.

A number of existing mining operations have also been closed.

At the same time, steps are also being taken to try to stop the desertification of the region, which lies on the southern edge of the Gobi Desert.

Jia Qinqing is a forestry official from Shandong who has been sent-in to try to help create tree-breaks in the desert areas.

"At first, most of the trees died not long after being planted. But now, keeping trees alive isn't a problem thanks to our improved watering, fertilizing and maintenance techniques."One issue still creating a challenge in the Qiangtang Region of Tibet is a lack of people willing to make the step out into the wilderness.

Zongga with the Regional Environmental Protection Bureau says a lack of personnel is becoming a significant problem.

"The staff at all our natural reserves in Tibet have less than 400 people. Each of them has to take care of more than a thousand square kilometers of land."In an attempt to try to bridge the gap, money has already been set aside this year to hire an additional one-thousand rangers to help patrol the protected areas of Qiangtang.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Experts provides Tibetan people with technical AidAnchorAgricultural experts connected to the Chinese "Aid-Tibet" program is encouraging farmers in the Ngari region of the Chinese Region, which is situated on the western extremes of China, to try to adopt new harvests.

CRI's Guo Yan reports.

ReporterHan Junwen, an Aid-Tibet program agricultural expert from northwest China's Shaanxi province, brought forage seeds to the remote area in 2005.

When he first came to the county, he was shocked by what he saw – large plots of barren land.

Since the county is short of rainfall, Han persuaded villagers of Gar New Village to plant alfalfa, a cold-and-dry-resistant plant.

"The seed of alfalfa is as small as sesame. A single seed is too small to break through the soil, so we decided to sow between 30 and 40 seeds in one pit."However, in spite of government subsidies, some villagers at first declined to plant alfalfa as they had doubts about the new plant.

A villager named Migmar was finally persuaded and decided to give it try. Within two to three years, he harvested 2,500 kilograms of fresh grass which brought him a big fortune.

"At first, we had no trust in alfalfa. Later, in the following two years, we found that alfalfa is high-valued and popular among livestock."The successful example pushed other villagers to plant alfalfa, and since 2010 both the planting area of alfalfa and the number of dairy cattle have increased rapidly.

At present, nearly 2,000 hectares of alfalfa is planted and almost 600 heads of milk cows are being raised for sale.

Gongbu, a village head in Gar County, says with the help of Han they have started to lead a stable life.

"We plant alfalfa and raise cattle. By selling the forage and dairy products, the whole village earns over one million yuan each year."So far, the annual per capita income has reached 20,000 yuan in Gar County, extraordinarily higher than it was ten years ago.

However, Han Junwen says his team plans to further extend the alfalfa planting and ensure each person has two heads of cattle in three years.

"We plan to build a fodder-processing plant to store food for the animals in case of winter natural disasters. It will be a great relief for the local government."China launched the national Aid-Tibet program in 1995 to improve people's livelihood in the autonomous region.

Over 6,000 experts and officials from the countries other provinces have so far been sent to different parts of Tibet to help develop the local economy.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

China Considers Stock Index Circuit Breaker, Scraps Dividend Tax for Long-term InvestorsAnchorChinese authorities have unveiled new measures to help stabilize the stock market including the proposed implementation of the circuit-breaker mechanism and cutting dividend taxes for long-term investors.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

ReporterThe planned introduction of an index circuit breaker system would be similar to trading-curb triggers currently used on the markets in New York.

It would help limit volatility by temporarily cutting off, or restricting, trading during intra-day periods when the market sees significant rises or drops.

Zhang Lan with GF Securities' Development Research Center says the creation of the system makes sense.

"The implementation of a circuit breaker system is already available in more mature markets. In case of extreme market volatility, the system will give investors more time to confirm whether a stock's price is reasonable. This will help prevent knee-jerk reactions by investors."The China Securities Regulatory Commission is suggesting the trading-curbs kick-in after a 5 percent rise or fall in the CSI 300 Index from the previous day's close.

It would trigger a 30-minute suspension of all mainland trades, provided it happens before 2:30pm.

If there's a swing of 5-percent after 2:30pm, the markets will be shut down for the day.

But if the market sees a more dramatic swing, either up or down 7-percent from the previous close, the markets can be shut down for the rest of the day, regardless of what time it takes place.

Word of the new plans hasn't seemed to bother most professional traders in China.

GF Securities' Zhang Lan says they still expect the mainland markets to continue moving in a somewhat-unpredictable way in the short-term.

"Even if stocks rallied this Tuesday, it is still possible to see corrections in the future. I don't think we can determine whether the policy will be effective or not based on a single day's market performance. It's not a good idea to try to determine one-day's performance based on a policy announcement."Meanwhile, in another move to try to bolster the markets, Chinese authorities have also announced that investors holding a stock for more than a year will be exempt from the 5-percent dividend tax as of this Tuesday.

Authorities have also cut the tax on dividends for those holding shares between a month and a year by half.

This is the latest in a string of moves by Chinese authorities to try to rejuvenate investment in the mainland markets.

China's A-Share market has lost around 2.5-trillion US dollars in value since mid-June.

In a speech over the weekend at a G20 meeting, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan says he still believes the markets in China are stabilizing.

Chen Xiaosheng with Shenwan Hongyuan Securities says it's their belief the worst may be over.

"From a market perspective, for the main board and the growth enterprise board, including small caps, market leverage has fallen sharply since the downturn. So it is fair to say that market risks have been eased to some extent."Unlike markets in Developed economies, the vast majority of trading accounts on the mainland - around 80-percent - are held by individuals, rather than institutional firms.

It's for this reason PBOC Chief Zhou Xiaochang has told this past weekend's G20 finance and central bank leaders meeting in Turkey he feels the Chinese economy is going to weather any storm put forward by the equities markets.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Japan "Being Ridiculous" in V-Day Parade Complaints: Chinese SpokespersonThe Chinese government is calling on Japan to -quote- "stop being ridiculous" about its complaints that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attended last week's World War II commemorative events in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says, instead, Japan's government should be looking more inward.

"We urge certain countries to stop pestering us unreasonably. They'd make better use of their time and energy to take a closer look at the UN Charter and reflect on its history. Those countries who are complaining should also be attempting to win the trust of their Asian neighbors and the international community with some practical action."Japanese authorities issued a formal complaint to the UN last week over Ban Ki-moon's decision to attend the events marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Victory over Japanese Aggression.

Ban Ki-moon has already issued a response, saying he believes it's important to recognize and reflect on China's "contribution and sacrifice" during World War II.

Shanghai Opens Jewish Memorial Park to Honor Chinese-Jewish Ties in WWIIA Memorial Park has been opened in Shanghai to pay tribute to the ties between China and the Jewish survivors of World-War II.

The park includes a memorial wall, as well as a series of commemorative statues.

Israeli Consul-General Arnon Perlman says the site, which is located on the western end of Shanghai in Qingpu district, should serve as a reminder of what people during the War had to go through.

"So more events like this and more places like this and more tombstones like this, just make sure that the future generations remember the past, the individual past and the mutual past and for the two nations. And this is something that is very, very important to remember for all of us - whether its Jews, Israeli or Chinese - to remember the friendship between China and Israel and between Shanghai and Israel. This is what's important."It's estimated around 20-thousand European Jews made their way to China to try to escape the Nazi onslaught.

Shanghai has maintained a significant Jewish community since it became a major metropolitan center in the 1920's.

China Joins in EU's Innovation ProgramAnchorThe EU's chief of Research, Science and Innovation has arrived in Beijing.

It's Carlos Moedas first official visit to China since taking office.

He's here to help China join the European "Horizon 2020" program.

For more on what the "Horizon 2020" is, as well as what China's participation might be, CRI's Chen Xieyuan caught up with Carlos Moedas.

Back anchor:

Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation speaking with CRI's Chen Xieyuan as part of his time here in Beijing.

Bangkok blast suspect admits to possession of explosivesThai police say one of the suspects thought to be involved in last month's deadly bombing in Bangkok has admitted possessing explosives.

Police spokesperson Prawut Thavornsiri.

"Police pressed charges according to the arrest warrant: possession of explosive devices which are not permitted. The suspect acknowledged the charges and admitted to it."Yusufu Mieraili was arrested last weekend near Thailand's border with Cambodia carrying a Chinese passport.

The passport he was carrying lists his place of birth as Xinjiang.

However, its unclear if it's authentic.

A second suspect -- identified as Adem Karadag -- was arrested a week ago when police raided an apartment in the outskirts of Bangkok and found bomb-making materials.

Karadag has already been charged with possession of bomb-making materials, as well as holding dozens of fake Turkish passports.

However, authorities believe neither were physically involved in planting the bomb on August 17th at the Erawan Shrine that killed 20 people, including 7 Chinese nationals.

Thai police issued an additional circulars on Monday.

They say they're looking for two foreign men of unknown nationalities believed to have stayed in the same apartment.

The motive behind the bombing remains unclear at this point.

Tension on Hungary-Serbia border as migrants fleeAnchorA series of scuffles have broken near the Hungarian border with Serbia, with would-be asylum seekers attempting to break through police lines in an attempt to air their grievances in the Hungarian capital, Budapest.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

ReporterAlmost 300 migrants were seen marching down a highway from the Serbian border towards Budapest, escorted by police cars and a police helicopter hovering above.

They were part of a 1,000-strong group who had forced through a police line at a refugee collection point in the city of Roszke.

The asylum seekers were being taken to a registration camp - as per EU rules – when they tried to escape.

EU rules require asylum claims to be processed in the first country that migrants arrive in.

But at least one migrant from Syria says the Hungarian authorities have kept them in deplorable conditions.

"We have actually been in the camp for two days in a very bad situation, in the cold, and we have escaped that. (The Hungarian government) treated us very badly. They left us without tents, without blankets, on the ground, you know? Without toilets for two days, it was, we could not ever bear that."There were minor clashes throughout Monday, as migrants chanted "Freedom!" and protested at having to wait for hours in the open for buses to take them to the registration centre in Roszke.

Meanwhile, scuffles also broke out in neighboring Macedonia as police tried to restrict the entry of over 2-thousands migrants who were trying to cross into the country from Greece on Monday.

Spanish media say police have fired rubber bullets at asylum seekers in a detention centre in Valencia after about 50 people- from Sub Saharan Africa - tried to escape.

As Europe's migrant crisis deepens French President Francois Hollande says mandatory quotas were being drawn up to relocate 120,000 migrants across the EUFrance says it would take in 24,000.

"Our history is one marked by refugees or asylum seekers who came here to make France with us. The European Commission proposes or is going to propose that 120,000 refugees are shared over the next two years. That will represent for France 24,000 people. "Meanwhile, the UK has promised to take in up to 20,000 refugees from camps in Syria over the next five years.

But British Prime Minister David Cameron says those who have already crossed the Mediterranean into Europe will not be considered"We've already provided sanctuary to more than 5,000 Syrians in Britain and have introduced a specific resettlement scheme alongside those we already have to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk. But given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the Syrian people, it is right that we should do much more. So Mr Speaker, we are proposing that Britain should resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees over the rest of this parliament."An estimated 340,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Europe so far this year.

But the crisis has divided the 28-nation bloc.

Poorer countries in the East have refused mandatory resettlement quotas.

For CRI I'm Poornima WeerasekaraFrance to send spotter planes to SyriaThe French government has revealed plans to dispatch reconnaissance planes over Syria starting this Tuesday to help with the fight against the Islamic State.

President Francois Hollande says attacks being coordinated out of Syria have targeted numerous countries, including France.

"We have proof that it's from Syria that attacks are being organized against several countries, and notably ours. My responsibility is to ensure we are informed best about the threats that weigh on our own country in order to confront it. That is why I have asked the Minister of Defense that from tomorrow we conduct reconnaissance flights over Syria."But at the same time, Hollande is ruling out ground operations by French troops.

The French airforce is among those taking part in bombing raids against Islamic State positions in Iraq.

However, the French government has been unwilling to allow its airforce to hit targets in Syria.

France, a former colonial power, still has significant ties in the region, including Lebanon.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 18.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 29 and a low of 22.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 33 and lows of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 35.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 25.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 32 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 34 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 29.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 30 degrees.

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

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina sticks to freedom of religious belief: officialChina's top political advisor, Yu Zhengsheng, says both the Communist Party of China and the central government are going to continue to adhere to the policies that ensure the freedom of religious beliefs in China.

Yu Zhengsheng made the comments during a tour of a Tibetan Buddhism monastery in the Regional capital, Lhasa.

As part of his time at the monastery, Yu Zhengsheng has also handed over a hand-written banner from Chinese President Xi Jinping, inscribed with the characters reading "enhancing ethnic solidarity, building a beautiful Tibet."Yu Zhengsheng is heading a central government delegation in Lhasa this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

China seeks opinions on stock index circuit breakerAuthorities in charge of the mainland's stock exchanges are now seeking public opinion on an index circuit breaker system.

The system would help limit volatility by temporarily cutting off, or restricting trading during intra-day periods when the market sees significant rises or drops.

China's securities regulator is suggesting the trading-curbs kick in after a 5 percent rise or fall in the CSI 300 Index from the previous day's close.

It would trigger a 30-minute suspension of all mainland trades, provided it happens before 2:30pm.

If there's a swing of 5-percent after 2:30pm, the markets will be shut down for the day.

But if the market sees a more dramatic swing, either up or down 7-percent from the previous close, the markets can be shut down for the rest of the day, regardless of what time it takes place.

Shanghai to Merge DistrictsMunicipal officials in Shanghai are reportedly considering merging its Jing'an and Zhabei districts.

Jing'an District covers nearly 8-square kilometers and has a population of about 330-thousand.

It's mainly Shanghai's downtown core.

Zhabei is about 4-times the size of Jing'an, home to some 850-thousand people.

If confirmed, it would be the latest of a series of district mergers in Shanghai over the past 4-years.

Two detained for Great Wall DamagePolice in Gansu have detained 2 people for damaging part of the Great Wall.

Authorities say the suspects were found digging for, what they hoped was, buried treasure under the over 18-hundred year old wall-structure.

Gansu marks the western end of the Great Wall.

Most of it is made of rammed-earth, rather than bricks.

Damage to historical structures in China can result in prison terms.

Trial operation of driverless bus successful in ChinaA Chinese firm has announced it's successfully tested an unmanned passenger bus.

Yutong Bus says its 10.5-meter long bus has managed to successfully navigate around the testing area in the province of Henan.

The bus uses cameras, laser radar and other navigation devices to operate without a driver.

However, the new driverless bus is still going to require the proper approvals from authorities before it can hit the road.

Biz ReportsAnchorTurning onto business news.

U.S. stocks were closed on Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

The markets will reopen today.

Now, a quick look at the closing numbers across Europe, as well as a recap on the Chinese market.

ReporterFirst in Europe, the stocks rose on Monday, lifted by mining and commodities giant Glencore.

The company's shares gained as much as 12 percent after it said it will suspend dividends, sell assets and raise 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in a new share issue, as it aims to cut its debt to 20 billion dollars by the end of next year.

In addition, the rally in Europe was broad-based, marking a rebound from Friday's steep losses of almost 3 percent after investors marginally upped their bets that the Federal Reserve could raise U.S. interest rates later this month.

At the closing bell,The UK's FTSE 100 upped 0.5 percent.

Germany's DAX soared 0.7 percent.

France's CAC 40 increased 0.6 percent.

Here in China,The shares extended losses on Monday, the first trading day after a four-day holiday after the end of the V-Day celebrations.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dipped 2.5 percent, despite the assurance provided by the authorities over the weekend that the market would stabilize.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index lost around 0.6 percent.

China's forex reserves fall for fourth straight month in AugustAnchor:

New stats show China's foreign exchange reserves dipped by some 90-billion US dollars last month, coming in at 3.56 trillion US dollars as of the end of August.

The August downturn marks the 4th consecutive month of declines in China's forex reserves.

China's foreign exchange reserves have been on a downward slide since their peak last June, when they totaled nearly 4-trillion US dollars.

But at the same time, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange is also reporting gold reserves shot up over 2.5-billion US dollars in value to 61.8 billion US dollars.

Word of this sent the Renminbi to its 2-percent maximum decline against the US dollar on Monday..

For more on what's happening with China's reserves, and its currency, we're joined online with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Questions:

1,Why China's holding of foreign reserves drop so much this year? Where have they gone?

2,Some reports say China has used the foreign reserves to keep the forex rate stable. What's your take on that?

3,China's foreign reserves have been on the slide since last June, what does this trend indicate?

4,Official stats also show that with the decreasing of foreign reserves, China's gold reserve increased last month. Is it a positive thing? What does this indicate?

Back anchor:

That was Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

China exhibition to show new civilian helicoptersA helicopter exhibition is set to begin tomorrow in Tianjin.

The exhibition, which will run from Wednesday to Sunday, is being put together to try to encourage sales in the civilian helicopter market, which just opened up this past year.

AgustaWestland's luxury AW109, dubbed as the "ferrari of the air," and priced at just under 10-million US dollars, is set to be one of the highlights of the show.

At the same time, Chongqing General Aviation, which purchased US-based Enstrom in 2011, is putting out a pair of models on-display.

More than 160 foreign companies are registered to attend the event.

LinkedIn selects Shanghai for regional headquartersBusiness networking site LinkedIn has signed an agreement with the Municipal Government of Shanghai to establish its regional headquarters in the city.

As part of the deal, LinkedIn is promised to create a special "Shanghai Microsite."The company is also promising to develop a recruitment strategy for the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center.

LinkedIn vice-President Yu Zhiwei says they believe their new agreement with LinkedIn is going to create new opportunities.

"We will help the city of Shanghai build its homepage on LinkedIn. A number of key companies will help attract global talent. And gradually, a community will set up on this homepage. We also expect the best high-end talent around the world to be lured to Shanghai."Close to 400 foreign-funded firms have research and development centers in Shanghai.

LinkedIn has been developed as a business-based web program which allows users to contact prospective employers or employees.

However, its popularity has dwindled in recent years.

Police launch assets investigation into steel companyPolice in Shanxi have launched an investigation into the province's largest private iron and steel company.

Haixin Iron and Steel, which has filed for bankruptcy, had registered assets of some 6-billion yuan when it filed for bankruptcy.

However, over 750 of the company's creditors are demanding a total of 23-billion yuan.

Police and local authorities are now reviewing the company's audit report to try to determine if there were illegal transfers before or during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Authorities have already banned two major sponsors of the company from leaving the country.

Production at Haixin's facilities in Shanxi was suspended in March of last year.

SportsSun Yang Clinches 200m Freestyle Title at Chinese National MeetIn swimming,Olympic and world champion Sun Yang has taken the title in the men's 200m freestyle at the Chinese National Swimming Championships in the city of Huangshan in Anhui.

This is his second title at this year's championships.

"I'm satisfied with the result. In fact, I feel I can be faster, provided I'm in good condition. But I feel very tired now. For me, it's possible to break the Asian record. I'll harder to do it next year."Sun Yang's teammates Xu Jiayu and Shang Keyuan finished second and third respectively.

---------In a bit of a shock, newly-crowned 100-meter freestyle World Champion Ning Zetao ended up finishing 8th in the men's 50-meter butterfly.

The gold went to 16-year-old Li Zhuhao.

---------In the women's events,World champion Fu Yuanhui took the 50-meter backstroke, edging out Guangdong's Liu Xiang.

It was Qiu Yuhan of Liaoning taking the women's 50m butterfly.

Beijing's Fang Yi has taken home the title in the women's 200m individual medley.

Azarenka Books Place in Last Eight at US OpenIn tennis,20th seeded Victoria Azarenka has made it to the last-8 at the US Open, dumping American Varvara Lepchenko in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-4.

"Just being solid, being aggressive, dictating the play. Her ball is a little bit unpredictable. You know, sometimes it comes fast and heavy; sometimes it comes high and slow. So it's a little bit more difficult to time. But just really being solid and stepping up and trying to control."Azarenka, a former world number-1, is due to battle Romanian number-2 Simona Halep.

She narrowly got past Germany's Sabine Lisicki in a third-set tie-breaker.

Tomorrow morning, it's going to be defending champion Serena Williams taking on sister Venus for a place in the semi-finals.

"Well, I mean, I'm playing, for me, the best player in the tournament, and that's never easy. She's beaten me so many times. I've taken a lot of losses off of her - more than anybody. Yeah, she's a player that knows how to win, knows how to beat me, and knows my weaknesses better than anyone. So it's not an easy match at all. Hopefully things will go right."Serena Williams is hoping to become only the 4th woman to sweep all four grand slam singles titles in a calendar year.

--------On the men's side,Novak Djokovic has advanced to his 26th straight major quarter-final after knocking out 23rd-seeded Spainard Roberto Bautista Agut.

Djokovic will next face another Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez.

"As you progress in the tournament the matches are getting tougher, which is logical to expect. I'm going to play Feliciano Lopez now who is also Spanish tennis player but doesn't possess the typical Spanish style, back of the court. He comes in and slices; he is physically very strong; big serve. Hopefully I can be ready for that one."--------Defending US Open champion Stan Wawrinka is also through after getting past American Donald Young to reach his 3rd-successive US Open quarter-final.

China to Face Maldives at World Cup QualifierIn football,China's men's football squad is set to take on the winless Maldives tonight in Shenyang as part of the 2018 World Cup Asian qualifiers.

Captain Zheng Zhi.

"When we are on the pitch, we will keep a close watch on the opponent's goal. We'll kick the ball into their goal no matter what happens."China currently sits in 3rd place in Group C after two matches, including a 6-0 victory in Bhutan in the opener.

This is a must-win game for China, as only the eight group winners and four best second placed teams will advance to Round Three in Asian zone qualifiers.

-----------Other action will see Qatar and Hong Kong battle it out tonight for the top place in the Group C standings.

In other action,Afghanistan is set to be thumped by Japan.

Palestine is set to take on the UAE squad.

And it's South Korea taking on Lebanon.

-----------In Europe,Germany has defeated Scotland 3-2 at Hampden Park in Euro 2016 qualifying this morning.

Head coach Gordon Strachan on Scotland's Euro 2016 qualification hopes.

"When you play the world champions you need a wee bit of luck, you don't need deflections coming off somebody's foot and creeping into the back of the net. They never had that and they might of thought to themselves 'we've not had any luck tonight' but they went through that pain barrier so we are still in this. So I can't wait to have them back together to go for it again the next two games."--------Elsewhere,England is poised to take on Switzerland tonight in a Group E qualifier.

England coach Roy Hodgson says they'd like to see Captain Wayne Rooney set an English record tonight.

"It's going to happen. For Wayne's sake I guess, and you can ask him, it's no doubt the sooner the better. I can afford to be patient, but I'd like it to happen tomorrow night, because then we could have a few press conferences where Wayne's able to talk about other things, other than the pressure he feels under to score the 50th goal."The Manchester United forward has equaled Bobby Charlton's England record of 49 goals by scoring in Saturday's 6-0 defeat of San Marino.

The win has secured their place for France next summer.

-------Elsewhere,Austria will battle Sweden.

And it's Macedonia on the pitch against Spain.

New York Yankees beat Baltimore Orioles 8-6In Major League Baseball,Taiwan's Chen Wei-Yin gave up 4 earned runs on 9 hits in an 8-6 loss to the New York Yankees earlier this morning.

"Well, I will try to look at things in a more simple way in the next start. Whether it's men on base or nobody on base, I will just try to focus on making my pitch. I don't want to think of it being too complicated."Alex Rodriguez and John Ryan Murphy homered for the Yankees, who overcame a 4-1 deficit and improved to 18 games over .500 for the first time since 2012.

The win also moves them to 0.5-games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first in the AL East, after the Jays were hammered by Boston 11-4 earlier this morning.

In other action,The NY Mets beat the Washington Nationals 8-5.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Detroit Tigers 5-4.

And it's the Milwaukee Brewers over the Miami Marlins 9-1.

The Cincinnati Reds thumped the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1The Boston Red Sox downs the Toronto Blue Jays 11-4.

And it's the Cleveland Indians hammering the Chi White Sox 3-2.

EntertainmentTom Cruise meets fans to promote 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' in ChinaDaredevil actor Tom Cruise has met with Chinese fans in Beijing, one day before "Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation" opened in ChinaThe sequel is the fifth film in the hit movie franchise.

Actress Rebecca Ferguson and director Christopher McQuarrie also joined cruise to promote the action thriller.

Cruise reprises his role agent Ethan Hunt, who is fighting against an international criminal consortium of rogue agents and killers called the Syndicate.

Cruise says he has a strong emotional attachment to the franchise, after making the first "Mission Impossible" film almost two decades ago.

"I love making these movies. I just love entertaining you. And I just want to thank you for allowing me do so. It's very special being here today and presenting this film. "Leading lady Ferguson says she was nervous before she came to China.

"I've never been to China before, and I was nervous. I meet people with wonderful smiles and who are looking forward to another wonderful 'Mission.' I'm loving it. I don't want to go home. "The series has held the record for the best-selling action spy film series in the world since the release of the first film in 1996.

"Rogue Nation," which was released late July by Paramount Pictures, has already grossed over 500 million dollars worldwide.

It opens in Chinese theaters today.

Richie Jen on directing his first film 'All You Need Is Love'

Taiwan singer turned actor Richie Jen says he has fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a director, with romantic comedy "All You Need Is Love."The 49-year-old was not only the script writer and director of the film but also plays the leading role alongside Taiwan super star, Shu Qi.

Jen says his film should give audiences that warm, fuzzy feeling inside just like his music.

"Movies are dream factories. I want to make your dreams come true, and feel blissful afterwards.　I hope that my films, just like my songs, and my music. My music is very simple, but it is sincere, very pure and moving."The movie is about a rich girl played by Shu, who escapes to Peng Hu, an outlying island of Taiwan to run away from problems at home.

There she meets the owner of a bed and breakfast Inn - played by Jen - who is struggling to make ends meet.　Together they revamp the guesthouse, save it from bankruptcy and fall in love.

Richie Jen began his career as a pop singer in Taiwan in the 90s and his subsequent success opened the door for him to try acting in television and movies.

"All You Need Is Love" is in theaters now in Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, and will be released in Hong Kong on September 10th.

Queen Elizabeth II receives a waxwork makeoverUK's Queen Elizabeth II has had a model makeover, courtesy of Madame Tussauds in London.

It's to celebrate the week in which she becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch.

Madame Tussauds marketing manager Matthew Clarkson says seamstresses have worked for two months to add crystals to the Queen's gown.

"Madame Tussauds London are celebrating the record-breaking reign of Queen Elizabeth II with this beautiful gown, embossed with thousands and thousands of Swarowski crystals, 150 hours spent painstakingly attaching them to the diamond jubilee gown."Madame Tussauds has re-modeled Queen Elizabeth II 23 times during her reign.

The new-look is based on the waxwork created in 2012 to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne.

Wednesday marks a new milestone in British royal history with Queen Elizabeth II being on the British throne for 63 years and 216 days, breaking the previous record set by Queen Victoria.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

China's top political advisor is promising continued religious freedom in Tibet to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

New feelers are being put out by the government about potential triggers to stop massive sell-offs on the mainland markets.

Clashes have broken out in Hungary amid mass attempts by migrants to storm the capital, Budapest.

In Business... forex reserves come in down through August.

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.