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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese authorities are providing more details about what exactly they have planned for reforms in the State Owned Enterprise sector.

New fury about bad tourist behavior is brewing following word an ancient vat was carved on at the Forbidden City.

Australia is poised to get a new Prime Minister following the ouster of Tony Abbott at the leader of the Liberal Party.

In Business... China Railway Group set to absorb its smaller subsidiary.

In Sports.... Guangzhou Evergrande looking for a spot in the AFC Champions League semi-finals tonight.

In entertainment.... Chinese actor Jackie Chan moving back with his old talent agency.

Top NewsNew Guideline on China's SOE Reforms ReleasedAnchorA new series of plans have been laid out by the Chinese government to try to streamline this country's state-owned sector to make it more market-oriented.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

ReporterAccording to the guideline, major reforms in SOE's key areas will be achieved by 2020, when SOEs are expected to be more robust and influential and have greater ability to avoid risks.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Zhang Xiwu, vice chairman of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, says 6 major tasks will be focused on regarding the deepening of SOE reforms.

"We should promote classified reform, modernize SOEs, enhance state assets management, promote mixed ownership, prevent the state assets from erosion, and strengthen and improve the Communist Party's leadership of SOEs. The reform should also be conducted in an open and transparent way. The policy, schemes, measures and the process of the SOE reform must be made public and be monitored by the people."The basis and starting point of the reforms is to turn the SOEs into fully independent market entities, as well as to incite and release the enterprises' vitality.

The government will also consolidate and clean up some SOEs for better resource allocation.

One of the highlights of the guideline is that mixed-ownership reform becomes the most significant means to improve the SOEs' efficiency.

Lian Weiliang, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, says multiple types of investors will be brought in by SOEs and encouraged to go public, though no specific timetable will be set.

"First of all, non-state firms will be encouraged to join the process in various ways, including buying stakes and convertible bonds from or conducting share rights swaps with SOEs. Secondly, SOEs will be encouraged to invest in their non-state counterparts. Thirdly, SOEs will also be allowed to experiment with selling shares to their employees."The mixed-ownership reform will promote new technology, management and business models for SOEs.

In the meantime, the guideline also mentions that SOEs will be divided into two categories, for-profit entities and those dedicated to public welfare.

The former will be market-based and stick to commercial operations and should aim to increase state-owned assets and boost the economy, while the latter will exist to improve people's quality of life and provide public goods and services.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

China to Pilot State-asset Investment and Operating CompaniesAnchorThe Chinese government has outlined some of its new plans for reforms in the state-owned sector, including allowing some of them to set up their own investment divisions.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

ReporterXu Hongcai, assistant Minister of Finance, says more than 110 State-owned firms currently administered by the State Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission are going to be allowed to set up their own investment arms, much like Singapore's Temasek.

"Under the new system, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission can authorize these companies to be shareholders of state-owned enterprises operating core businesses. The companies will serve as a layer between the government and the market."The government began testing this model earlier this year in the Province of Shandong.

Shandong Luxin Investment Holdings Group and Shandong State-owned Assets Investment Holdings have been set up to act as investment arms for state-run companies in that province.

Professor Zhang Chunxiao with the Chinese Academy of Governance says the creation of these types of investment companies will help with efficiency.

"State-owned enterprises turning into independent market entities will help maintain and increase the value of state assets. At the same time, state assets regulators on different levels will have more time to focus on how to better supervise and manage state assets. In this way, SOEs' operating efficiency is improved and so is the supervision efficiency."Li Daxiao, chief economist with Yingda Securities, says he believes the move will also help stabilize the stock markets.

"State-owned enterprises dominate China's A-share market. The guideline to deepen reforms of state-owned enterprises offers these companies more freedom to ensure their own future development. The reforms will gradually enhance the SOE's efficiency and should increase the valuation of their shares. Consequently, the A-share market, particularly among the blue chip stocks, will be more stable."The new SOE reform agenda also calls for a gradual move to mixed ownership of SOE's.

A deadline of 2020 to implement the changes has been laid-out.

It comes as the profits of state-owned companies continue to narrow.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Netizens Fury over Defaced Forbidden City VatAnchorA new spotlight has been turned on bad behavior among Chinese tourists following an old royal vat in the Forbidden City in Beijing has been defaced by a couple attempting to display their love.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

ReporterThe victimized water vat is located in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City.

The names scratched into the vat appear to be "Zhang Tao and Liu Ya," and are carved between two handles on the over 300-year-old bronze relic, surrounded by a heart-shaped outline.

Shan Jixiang, Director of the Palace Museum, says police have been called in to investigate.

"We've invited professionals to assess the damage and have reported it to the police. Tourist misbehavior has been on the decline in recent years, but precautionary measures will be kept in place to prevent such things from taking place again. The offending tourists should be publicly shamed."Police are calling on the couple to turn themselves in.

The defacing of cultural relics by Chinese tourists isn't a new phenomenon.

Around two years ago, a Chinese national sparked outrage after he wrote his name on an ancient carving at the Luxor Temple in Egypt.

And the damaged vat this time is not the first in the Forbidden City to fall victim of defacement.

Shen Lixia with the Palace Museum still remembers a similar incident back in 2013.

"The written words read 'Liang Qiqi came here for a visit.' Through our efforts, the characters were eventually removed. Fortunately, that incident didn't leave any permanent damage to the iron vat."Tour guide Sun Yan says while they constantly remind tourists to follow the rules, some will still end up breaking the rules.

"Earlier this summer, a number of tourists jumped over the fence, some threw cigarette butts into the vats after breaking the smoking ban in the Forbidden City. I think more should be done to improve the management and better protect the relics."Shan Jixiang with the Palace Museum says they've set up their own blacklist to ensure offenders can't become repeat offenders.

"Visitors need to register their names when buying tickets. Those who behave badly in the museum will be blacklisted and not allowed entry ever again. This step has done a lot to help ensure order."A crackdown on inscribing one's name on the Great Wall began nearly a decade ago after it was found that a growing number of tour groups who were visiting sections of the so-called Wild Wall, or areas which have not been restored, were carving their names.

Violators now face fines of up to 50-thousand yuan.

It's being suggested that fine should be extended to other cultural sites across China, as the current fine is only 200 yuan.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

iPhone 6S meets challenge from other iPhones, domestic smart phones in ChinaAnchorA new survey conducted in Shanghai is suggesting there may be a lack of enthusiasm here in China toward the latest roll-out of Apple's iPhone design.

CRI's Luo Bin has more.

ReporterJust two days after Apple released its latest iPhone upgrade, the iPhone 6S, reporters in Shanghai did a straw poll survey of locals around the city to gauge the reaction.

While certainly not scientific, the lack of enthusiasm is quite evident.

"Apple's strategy is to have very few updates in its new models from the previous ones. So for me as a long-time Apple user, I don't think I need to buy the new one because there's not much difference.""I think there are fewer and fewer innovations in the iPhone. At least nothing which surprises me. On the other hand, a lot of domestic phones are becoming quite good, and sell at reasonable prices. Why should I give all my money to the foreigners?"Mobile industry analysts note it's been Apple's strategy to roll out a dramatically upgraded new mobile product every two years, and to promote a minor upgrade to their latest device in the interim.

But some are suggesting the ability to upgrade the technology may have hit a bottle-neck.

Wang Yang is the director of IHS Technology.

"Electronic products, including mobile phones, have reached a phase where it takes longer to innovate; most of the upgrades are only small ones. It's just like the PC industry. Once the product becomes more mature, there will be less and less room for hardware innovation."Other Apple products, however, do remain quite popular in the Shanghai market.

Many mobile retailers in Shanghai cut their prices for the iPhone6 and the 5S by as much as 20-percent as soon as iPhone6S was released.

Sales for these products immediately increased.

Zhu Xiang, director of Yolo Home Appliances in Shanghai, the strategy has worked fairly well.

"This morning we sold around 20 to 30 units, and we estimate it will reach 70 to 80 by the evening. That's triple our usual sales."Apple launches its new products every September.

This makes the third quarter a hot season for other tech brands to try to beat them to the punch.

Almost a dozen domestic phone makers, including Coolpad, Huawei and Smartisan have launched or are planning launches for their new phones.

Wang Yang from IHS says most of these phones are popular among those who want to have a second or third mobile phone.

"iPhones only have a single SIM card slot, but many people, especially in business, tend to have several SIM cards for different uses. So what we've seen is more and more people are buying an iPhone, and then also buying a quality smartphone that sells for around a thousand yuan. This is an area where domestic phone makers can make headway."While the iPhone6S may not surpass its previous generations' popularity in China, the country is still one of Apple's biggest markets.

Industry observers are suggesting China could wind up with around 30-percent of all iPhone6S orders around the world in the first 24 hours after the launch of the new iPhone.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

New Growth Engine Emerging in HunanOfficials in Hunan's capital, Changsha, have designated a core district in the city as the new engine of growth for the city, and the whole of the province.

Wangcheng District is already home to a growing pharmaceutical sector, as well as nonferrous metal processing, manufacturing and logistics.

Li Yanbo, the district's chief planner, says they expect more companies to begin gravitating to Wangcheng District under their new plans.

"Each of the four sub-districts north of the Xiang River has set a specific direction for development. They are competing and also cooperating with each other, ensuring a bright prospect for the city."More than 300 companies from abroad have already set up branches in the district, with total output hitting 65 billion yuan last year.

China, UK and US join forces on human gene editingIt's been announced a group of Chinese scientists are going to be joining an expert panel later this year to lay out guidelines for a controversial new procedure connected to human genome research.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences will join other scientists from the UK and the US at an international summit in Washington in early December to discuss a process called human gene 'editing.'

'Editing' is a new process which has been developed which can allow scientists to alter the smallest parts of human DNA.

This process can allow scientists to alter the human genetic code to allow scientists to potentially eliminate genetic-based diseases.

However, the scientists will be meeting to discuss the ethical and social ramifications of the advancement, with a report due to be released sometime next year.

Australian PM ousted by party rivalAustralia is poised to have a new Prime Minister.

This, after Tony Abbott was ousted as head of the Liberal Party by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull in an internal party ballot last night.

Turnbull, who will become the country's fourth prime minister in just over 2-years, says Australia needs a strong economic leadership.

"We need to have in this country, and we will have now, an economic vision, a leadership that explains the great challenges and opportunities that we face, describes the way in which we can handle those challenges, seize those opportunities, and does so in a manner that the Australian people understand, so that we are seeking to persuade rather than seeking to lecture."Turnbull had previously been leader of the Liberal Party while in opposition, but was ousted by Abbott in 2009.

Abbott survived a previous leadership challenge in February.

However, his government has consistently been behind the opposition Labor Party in the opinion polls, leading to the challenge.

Abbott has been criticized for not being inclusive enough among his cabinet members.

EU Refugees PackageAnchorEuropean Union ministers meeting in Brussels have been unable to agree on a quota system to distribute an additional 120 thousand asylum seekers across the bloc.

Our correspondent Jack Parrock has more from Brussels.

ReporterHungary is tightening controls on its border with Serbia - across which they've already built a 4 meter high barbed wire fence.

Causing refugees to rush to make the crossing into the European Union.

Meanwhile EU ministers meeting in Brussels were trying to find agreement on a plan to share the burden of asylum seekers - who arrive in Hungary, Greece and Italy - through a quota system of 120 thousand places in other EU countries.

Dimitris Avramoplous - EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration"We formally, as the president said before, adopted the decision to relocate 40 thousand refugees from Italy and Greece but for our proposal on 120 thousand we did not have the agreement we wanted."The quota system is heavily opposed by eastern EU states as they say it will encourage more refugees to come.

While the European Union continues to try to resolve the deepening refugee crisis, many here say it is calling into question the core values of the bloc, of solidarity and compassion. But it's also raising questions about whether EU's border free zone can survive.

The meeting came while a number of EU countries like Germany, Austria, Slovakia and The Netherlands temporarily reimposed border checks to try to control the flows of refugees - free movement between most EU nations has been unrestricted since 1995.

Kris Pollet - Senior Legal & Policy Officer at ECRE (The European Council on Refugees and Exiles)"There is a lot of political discourse about solidarity and responsibility sharing and that this is a problem that is common to all of Europe and Europe should tackle this together, there is a lot of nice words but in reality we do see that as soon as the temperature is rising in terms of the numbers of refugees arriving, states do tend to their own national interests."Most of the refugees entering the EU are from conflict torn countries like Eritrea, Somalia and Syria - and while the EU struggles to find a collective response, many more are continuing to arrive.

For CRI, I'm Jack Parrock in Brussels.

DPRK hints at satellites launchIt's being suggested North Korea may be preparing to attempt a new long-range ballistic missile.

This follows a report in North Korean state media, which is quoting an official with the North Korean Aerospace Development Administration as saying they're accelerating their efforts to put new satellites into space.

This is fueling speculation the DPRK may be preparing to launch a rocket to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the ruling Korean Workers Party, which falls on October 10th.

However, South Korean observers say they've not yet detected any signals the North may be preparing for a missile launch.

Previous moves by the DPRK to put a satellite into space have met with sanctions, as they are viewed as covert attempts to test the North's long-range missile capabilities.

Iran Ready for International Cooperation over Nuclear Programme: Head of Iran's Nuclear AgencyThe head of Iran's nuclear agency says Tehran is ready for "extended international cooperation" in its nuclear energy program.

Ali Akbar Salehi has made the statement at the opening session of the International Atomic Energy Agency's annual General Assembly in Vienna.

"In this session of the general conference, which also coincides with Iran's nuclear deal, I would like to make known our readiness for extended international cooperation with other members and all fields of peaceful uses of nuclear energy with priority based on nuclear safety, within of course the existing IAEA regulations."The finalization of the Iran nuclear deal will see a reduction of sanctions against Iran connected to its nuclear programs.

It may also allow more room for international cooperation with Iran when it comes to its nuclear power production.

Iran has long-insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.

Japan's upper house to vote on controversial security bills this weekAnchorThis week is expected to see the Japanese government finalize the passage of its controversial security bills that would allow its troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two.

CRI's Poornima WeerasekaraReporterJapan's upper house of parliament is set to vote on the controversial legislation this week, which will dramatically change the country's defense policy and allow its troops to fight abroad, despite significant public opposition to the move.

Those opposing the bill point out that Japan's military past is still a thorn in relations with its neighbors even after 70 years.

"Japan has a history of invasion, therefore, regardless of any reason, I do not want Japan to become capable of that again."Despite big public protests, Abe's ruling bloc wants to pass the security bills before parliament ends its session on September 27.

A vote in the upper house is expected this week.

A poll carried out by one of Japan's leading private newspapers, the Asahi Shimbun showed that 54 percent of respondents opposed the legislation, while 29 percent backed it. 68 percent saw no need to enact the bills during the current Parliamentary session.

But those supporting the bill voiced fear of China's rise in power.

"I feel worried whenever I read about China's rising military strength, and I think we will have a hard time if we don't match their power."Abe has vowed to pass the controversial legislation. In July his government pushed a group of bills through parliament's lower house that lets Japan's armed forces defend an ally under attack.

China and Japan have had long unresolved territorial disputes over the Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea, souring relations between the two countries.

The latest move by Abe could further strain the already frail Sino-Japan relations.

The United States, Japan's closest ally however, has welcomed Abe's move as vital to meet the so-called new security challenges in the region.

Christopher Hobson, assistant professor of International Politics at Tokyo's Waseda University, says part of the reason for the security bill is due to fears that the United States will not be as reliable a partner in future.

"The United States is declining in power following wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and also, economic problems. So, there is an increasing concern about whether the United States is as reliable an ally as it used to be."But Hobson says the new security bills are unconstitutional, since Japan's current post-war pacifist constitution bans the use of military force.

"What the LDP (the ruling Liberal Democratic Party) has done is, they tried to reinterpret the constitution which is widely considered by most of the experts to be unconstitutional."Last week, Japan's Defense Ministry submitted a request for a 2.2 percent increase in its military spending for the coming year. If approved, the new defense budget at just over 5 trillion yen or some 42 billion US Dollars would be Japan's biggest in 14 years.

For CRI I'm Poornima WeerasekaraMexican Foreign Minister on Deaths of Tourists in EgyptMexico's government is calling for an immediate investigation into the deaths of a number of Mexican nationals in Egypt.

This, after Egyptian security forces mistakenly fired on a group of tourists in Egypt's southwestern desert on Sunday.

It's believed the attack left a dozen tourists dead, including as many as 8 Mexican nationals.

Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Massieu says Egyptian officials are promising a full investigation.

"The Mexican government asks the Egyptian authorities to grant the clarification of this matter the highest priority and urgency, and to give the Mexican embassy in Cairo and its staff all that they need to carry out their duties and support all those affected for their future repatriation to Mexico. The ambassador of Egypt told me that his government is establishing an investigative committee that will be led by the prime minister himself and the results will be published."The Egyptian military fired on the tourists after mistaking them for terror suspects who were in a group of trucks similar to the ones the tourists were in.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 14.

Shanghai will see showers with a high of 26 and a low of 22.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 29 and lows of 23.

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 24.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 28 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 29.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 26 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 21.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina issues guideline to deepen SOE reformsOfficials in China have pledged that the competence of the state-owned enterprises will be improved, and they will be turned into fully independent market entities.

This comes as China issued a new guideline on deepening SOE reforms, the latest move from the government to invigorate torpid SOEs.

The thrust of the new plan involves turning some of the over 100 centrally-administered SOEs into mixed-ownership companies.

The framework suggests the plan is going to be achieved by 2020.

Chinese president vows stronger ties with MauritaniaChina and Mauritania have signed 6 new cooperation documents connected to economics, infrastructure construction and health care.

The documents have been signed following meetings between President Xi Jinping and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

The two mainly discussed the Chinese government's Silk Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which is set to open in December in South Africa.

For his part, Aziz says he's welcoming Chinese investment in his country.

Malcolm Turnbull wins party ballot to become Australian PMAustralian Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defeated Tony Abbott to become head of the ruling Liberal Party, and will become Australia's next prime minister.

Turnbull is set to become the country's fourth prime minister in just over 2-years.

Turnbull had previously been leader of the Liberal Party while in opposition, but was ousted by Abbott in 2009.

Abbott survived a previous leadership challenge in February.

However, his government has consistently been behind the opposition Labor Party in the opinion polls, leading to the challenge.

1 Dead after shooting at Mississippi campusOne person has been killed in a shooting at Delta State University in the US state of Mississippi.

The victim, a professor at the university, was shot inside an office at the campus.

The campus has since been locked down as police hunt for the shooter.

She's believed to be a fellow professor at Delta State who is also wanted in connection with a separate shooting at a home some 300 kilometers away from the site of the campus.

Authorities say they believe the shootings are connected, though they have not provided a possible motive at this point.

2015, 2016 to become hottest on record: British weather agencyNew weather research out of the UK is suggesting this year and next year will be the hottest years ever in the world.

Britain's official weather agency says its analysis suggests the Earth's average surface temperature is running close to record levels, and appears likely to continue to rise.

British forecasters suggest part of the reason is the effect of the El Nino phenomenon.

El Nino represents a shifting of the jet stream once every 10-years or so which affects ocean temperatures, causing changes to weather patterns around the world.

Biz ReportsAnchorTurning onto business news. First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe as well as a recap on the Chinese market.

ReporterUS markets lower on Monday as traders await a Federal Reserve meeting this week that could result in the first interest rate hike in the US in over nine years.

At the closing bell,Both Dow Jones and S&P 500 closed down 0.4 percent.

While the Nasdaq slid 0.3 percent.

Analysts expect the markets in New York will remain somewhat shakey ahead of the Federal Reserve announcement on Thursday as to whether its going to raise interest rates.

On the corporate front, Apple shares rose 1 percent after it announced the pre-orders of its new iPhone 6S models were on track to best last year's record for new handsets.

Apple unveiled the new smartphones at a product launch last week.

Meanwhile in Europe, the major markets there dropped on Monday as well.

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

Germany's DAX was down 0.1 percent.

France's CAC 40 dipped 0.7 percent.

Finally in China,The shares continued to head south on Monday after weak economic data released over the weekend.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dipped 2.7 percent while the Shenzhen Component Index lost 6.6 percent.

Clampdown on illicit trading will not impact market: CSRCChina's stock market watchdog says its clampdown on illegal securities trading is not affecting the market.

The Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission has made the comments after Monday's slump on the markets.

The CSRC notes it's been cracking down on capital that enters the market via illegal channels since July.

China Railway Group mulling assets integration with one subsidiaryAnchorIt's been announced China Railway Group is going to absorb its smaller subsidiary, China Railway Number-2 Group.

The move is the latest attempt to pare down the sprawling railway sector in China.

Trading in the shares of both companies have been halted while the takeover is completed, which authorities expect could be done by next week sometime.

Number-2 Group's revenues shrank by over 25-percent through the first half of this year.

The larger, China Railway Group, is currently valued at around 36-billion US dollars.

For more on the move, we're joined on the line with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Questions1) So what's the main reason behind the merger of the two companies. Is it efficiency, or are there other factors?

2) Earlier this year, we have witnessed the merger of China's top two train makers CSR and CNR. Will the kind of consolidation become a trend within China's railway sector?

3) How much effect will consolidation in the rail sector in China have on Chinese train-makers ability to go international?

Back anchor:

That was Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Airbus heads to rival Boeing's territory with first US plantAirbus has announced plans to launch its first production facility in the United States.

Airbus plans to invest 600 million U.S. dollars in the plant in Mobile, Alabama.

It's going to employ over a thousand workers.

The plant is being designed to produce the Airbus A321.

The French-based plane maker expects to receive 5-thousand orders in the North American market over the next 20 years.

Bank of China opens representative office in MyanmarBank of China has opened a representative office in the city of Yangon in Myanmar.

It comes just a week after the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China opened its branch in Yangon.

Bank of China says its move will help increase economic cooperation between China and Myanmar.

Bank of China is China's 2nd largest lender.

It is also the fifth largest bank in the world by market cap.

Chinese online retailer reaches to island city in South China SeaChinese online retailer JD.com has announced its able to deliver products to people living in the city of Sansha.

Sansha was established as a city on an island in South China Sea in 2012.

JD.com says its still building its essential infrastructure, so only small packages can be delivered to people there for the time being.

JD's base on the island will eventually allow it to deliver bigger home appliances such as TVs, refrigerators and washing machines.

It will also help the sale and delivery of Sansha's local specialties, such as seafood and fruit, to other parts of China.

Ant Financial to invest in Cathay InsuranceAlibaba's financial services provider Ant Financial is set to buy a 1.2 billion yuan stake in Taiwan-based Cathay Insurance.

The deal will see Zhejiang Ant Small & Micro Financial Services Group hold a 60 percent stake in the mainland unit of Cathay Financial Holdings.

The purchase will still have to be approved by the mainland government.

The deal is expected to be finished by the end of this year.

Ant Financial runs Alipay.

Cathay Financial is one of Taiwan's largest financial holdings groups.

It mostly deals in insurance, securities and banking.

Airbnb buys trip-planning tool VamoAirBnB has acquired the trip-planning company Vamo for an undisclosed amount.

Under the deal, AirBnB will absorb Vamo's staff and technology.

Vamo is a site which uses Big Data to help travelers find the best deals for multi-destination trips.

Airbnb allows people to rent out their spare rooms to travelers.

The company is currently valued at 25 billion US dollars.

Airbnb has around 40 million users worldwide.

China-Thai Rail Project Expected to Start Construction by the end of 2015A much-anticipated railway project between China and Thailand is expected to get underway by the end of this year.

This was announced during the just-concluded joint Railway Cooperation meeting in Bangkok.

During the meeting, China and Thailand reached a broad consensus on the railway sector including a feasibility study, detailed route design, engineering, procurement and financing.

At the same time, the Thai side spoke highly of the first-phase feasibility study report presented by the Chinese side.

Both sides have also agreed on an intergovernmental railway cooperation framework.

The planned railway will connect northeast Thailand's Nong Khai province, the capital Bangkok and eastern Rayong province.

SportsGuangzhou Evergrande to Face Kashiwa Reysol 222In football action here in China,Shandong Luneng has kept their chance of AFC Champions League qualification alive with a 2-1 win over Hangzhou Greentown at home in the Chinese Super League last night.

Shandong were on 56 points prior to kick-off, two ahead of 4th-placed Beijing Guoan.

Beijing Guoan can get back to two points behind Shandong if they can beat Changchun Yatai at home tomorrow.　-----------------Tonight in Guangzhou,Guangzhou Evergrande is hoping to roll into the AFC Champions League semi-finals when they host Kashiwa Reysol later tonight.

Evergrande downed Shanghai SIPG 3-0 over the weekend to move to the top of the Chinese Super League.

Captain Zheng Zhi says that victory gives them a lot of confidence heading into their AFC Champions League match-up tonight.

"Even though we are tied, I think the victory we got in Shanghai gives us a real confidence boost."Guangzhou Evergrande beat Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final.

In other action,Lekhwiya of Qatar will try to overturn a 4-1 deficit against Saudi side al-Hilal in their AFC quarter-final match.

----------------In Europe,Dimitri Payet has scored both goals to give West Ham a 2-0 win over Newcastle in the Premier League earlier this morning.

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic on the game.

"I congratulate my players because I think that we totally deserved it and it is a big relief because, although we started well - we weren't desperate for the points if you look at the table - but we were under pressure because we didn't want to lose three games at home, first three games at home. It is very vital to win at home because you want your fans to enjoy it, to go home happy and all that."West Ham United now sits fifth in the league standings with 3 wins from previous 5 games.

Meanwhile, Newcastle is only 20th, the very bottom of the league.

---------Elsewhere,Manchester City will open their Champions League campaign at home to Juventus tomorrow morning, Beijing time.

City Manager Manuel Pellegrini.

"I think we are playing against a very strong squad. That's why they won the title four years in a row in Italy, that's not easy. They played in the final of the Champions League last season. Maybe they didn't start very well this season but they continue to have very good players including Paul Pogba and some other good players. I'm sure that tomorrow if we want to win we need to play very well."In their four campaigns since 2011, City have failed to progress beyond the last 16, twice going out in the group stages.

City went down to Barcelona in the last 16 this past Champions League campagin.

In other action from the ECL,Manchester United will take on PSV Eindhoven.

Shakhtar will battlle Real Madrid.

And it's Wolfsburg taking on CSKA Moscow.

US Open champion Novak Djokovic talks about title in Central ParkIn tennis,This year's US Open men's singles champion Novak Djokovic has taken his latest piece of silverware to New York's Central Park to meet with his fans.

"These are the tournaments you always dream about winning and these are the ones that count the most in our sport. Those are the ones that are on your wall when you are a kid growing up, and imagining yourself to be a champion in tennis and you want to lift US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Australian Open, those are the four biggest ones. So, yes, I'm quite thrilled, filled with a lot of positive emotions and I'm going to try and cherish this, as I said, as long as I can."The world number one defeated Roger Federer in a 4-set final yesterday to win his 3rd Grand Slam of the year.

Quebec Open, Japan Open RecapIn tennis action from the Quebec Open women's event,Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni has partnered Lucie Hradecka from Czech Republic to reach the second round of the tournament, getting past American duo of Asia Muhammad and Maria Sanchez in straight sets.

They are joined by Barbora Krejcikova and An-Sophie Mestach, who also earned a straight sets win over an American pair.

--------At the Japan Open,Third seed Madison Brengle from the United States has made it to the second round after beating Spaniard Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-3, 6-1.

American Christina Mchale has also progressed, knocking out Yulia Putintseva from Kazakhstan in straight sets.

Liang Wenbo Knocked out of Shanghai MastersIn snooker,China's Liang Wenbo has been knocked out of the Shanghai Masters, going down to Scotland's John Higgins 5-1.

Higgins will next face Martin Gould, who took out Barry Hawkins 5-1.

In other action,Scotland's Alan McManus is also through after dumping Chinese player Yao Pengcheng.

Awaiting McManus in the next round is Chinese snooker ace Ding Junhui.

2015-16 CBA Regular Season to Kick offIn basketball,This year's CBA schedule has been released.

The season will tip-off on October 31st.

The opening match will see defending champions, the Beijing Ducks hosting Xinjiang Flying Tigers, at home at the MasterCard center in Beijing.

A total of 20 teams are playing in the league this year,----------------------Among them will be Beijing Beikong.

They're replacing the Chongqing Flying Dragons, who were bought out by Beikong's owners for some 200-million yuan after last season.

Beijing Beikong will be playing out of Workers Stadium.

Beikong's foreign editions include former NBAers Esteban Batista and Dorell Wright.

-----------------------In other CBA news,The Foshan Long Lions have agreed to terms with forward Tao Li.

The 33-year-old played last year with Qingdao in a supporting role.

Two games this morning to end NFL's Week 1In the National Football League,A pair of games are getting underway this morning to round out Week 1 of the new season.

The Atlanta Falcons are at home to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Later on this morning, its San Francisco at home to the Minnesota Vikings.

Meanwhile,Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson could miss 3 to 4 weeks with a strained left hamstring.

Jackson was injured early in Washington's 17-10 defeat at the hands of Miami.

The three-time Pro Bowler led the Redskins with 11-hunded-69 yards receiving and six touchdown catches last season, his first in WashingtonRio 2016 Organising Committee president Carlos Nuzman on budgetsA preparation seminar has been held to discuss the forthcoming Olympic Games next year in Brazil.

Rio 2016 chair Carlos Nuzman has taken time to downplay concerns about costs, given the recent decline in value of the Brazilian Real against the U.S. dollar.

"Listen, nobody is talking about cutting costs. We are working at the Games' operation. Each area of the organization is working in the best way possible and, up to this moment, we haven't had any impact by the climb of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian Real."At the same time, Rio officials say viral testing on the waters outside Rio, which are set to play host to a number of events, will be done before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, its still not clear if Rio will be able to hold a Tennis Test event this year, as the Olympic Tennis Centre isn't likely to be done by the end of September.

3rd National Mind Sports Games Recap17-year-old Yu Zhiying from Jiangsu has clinched the gold medal in the Go Chess competition at the third National Mind Sports Games in the city of Zaozhuang in Shandong.

This is the first gold medal of the event.

On the men's side,It's Mi Yuting beating Peng Liyao to claim the title.

EntertainmentCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2 – The Green Destiny to be releasedThe sequel to the multi-Oscar-winning martial arts drama "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" will be released on the next lunar New Year's Day.

Titled "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – The Green Destiny" the much-awaited sequel will partly be based on Chinese author Wang Dulu's finale novel "Iron Knight, Silver Vase".

The novel follows the adventures of Jen and Lo/Dark Cloud's son, who is switched as a child with a baby girl and undertakes a quest to reclaim his true heritage.

The sequel is being directed by Woo-ping Yuen, who coordinated the martial arts fight sequences and action scenes in Ang Lee's original Crouching Tiger movie.

The cast will include Michelle Yeoh, who is reprising her role as the hardened and quietly-suffering warrior Yu Shu Lien.

Zhang Ziyi who portrayed the upstart Jen Yu in Lee's movie will also be returning for the next installment through flashback scenes.

The original 2000 film became a surprise international success and has won over 40 awards including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and three other Academy Awards.

Jackie Chan Returns to CAAJackie Chan has tapped Hollywood talent agency CAA to become his agent again.

Chan had previously been with the agency for several years before leaving briefly to follow his agent to WME.

After news broke last week that Chan and his agent, Philip Button was leaving WME, insiders suggested it was only a matter of time before the two returned to CAA.

Button is now with STX, but will serve as Chan's manager.

The agency will also represent Chan's production company SR Media Corporation, through their Century City and Beijing offices.

CAA will focus on packaging, arranging financing and selling film projects on behalf of the company, with a focus on U.S.-China co-productions.

SR Media just co-produced and financed the Daniel Lee-directed blockbuster "Dragon Blade."Chan is about to start filming the latest STX pic "The Foreigner".

He will also return to voice the character of Monkey in DreamWork Animation's "Kung Fu Panda 3."Design house Opening Ceremony pulls surprise with runway ballet at New York Fashion WeekThe design house Opening Ceremony is known for unique presentations and this season they treated guests to a runway dance performance at the New York Fashion Week.

Dancers from the New York City ballet walked in the runway show on Sunday and broke out into dance during the final walk.

The collection kept in line with the mod/retro look that is dominating this year's New York Fashion Week.

But there were not a lot of colors – the clothes on display were mainly black and white with pops of bright yellow and maroon.

Design duo Carol Lim and Humberto Leon offered loose-fitting jumpsuits with deep scooped necklines and bulky sweaters and overcoats with oversized buttons.

Past Opening Ceremony shows included a wall of oozing chocolate and a play directed by filmmaker Spike Jonze.

Justin Bieber on course to reclaim the top spot on UK Singles chartJustin Bieber is on course to reclaim the number one spot on the UK singles chart with his latest release "What Do you Mean?"The singer is taking on Sigala's 'Easy Love' in the race for the top position, with just over 300 combined sales separating the two tracks.

Calvin Harris & Disciples' 'How Deep Is Your Love' is at three.

While Jess Glynne's 'Don't Be So Hard On Yourself' is at four and The Weekend's 'Can't Feel My Face' completes the Top 5.

Over on the albums chart, Bring Me the Horizon's "That's The Spirit" is currently in the lead.

Elsewhere The Libertines are at three with their first album in 11 years, Anthems For Doomed Youth.

Schwarzenegger to take over for Trump's 'Apprentice'

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will try to fill Donald Trump's shoes on the hit reality TV show "The Celebrity Apprentice."NBC announced on Monday that the movie star and two-term governor will be the new host when the show returns to the network for the 2016 season.

Trump made the show a success, with ordinary people and then celebrities competing in business-related tasks.

In seven seasons, NBC said "The Celebrity Apprentice" has helped raise more than 15 million US dollars for charity.

There's no word on whether Schwarzenegger will replace Trump's "you're fired" catchphrase with his own "you're terminated."That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese authorities are providing more details about what exactly they have planned for reforms in the State Owned Enterprise sector.

New fury about bad tourist behavior is brewing following word an ancient vat was carved on at the Forbidden City.

Australia is poised to get a new Prime Minister following the ouster of Tony Abbott at the leader of the Liberal Party.

In Business... China Railway Group set to absorb its smaller subsidiary.

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.