Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital...

Coming up on the program this evening...

The Chinese president has met with his American counterpart in the US capital...

One Chinese national is among the hundreds of people killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia...

and a report on the deadly capsizing of a passenger ferry on the Yangtze River is expected soon...

In Business...new guidelines to modernize state owned enterprises in China...

In Sports...Team China is back on the hard court in a few minutes, to follow up yesterday's win at the Asian Championships...

And in Entertainment...an original Chinese play at a festival in Italy...

TopChinese president arrives in WashingtonChinese President Xi Jinping has met with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama after he arrived in the Washington D.C.

During a three-hour-long talk , the two leaders exchanged views on governance, bilateral ties among others.

Xi Jinping told Obama that his visit to Seattle was delightful and fruitful, and he expects his stay in Washington D.C. can deepen understandings and achieve productive results.

President Xi also says two countries should build trust to ensure that a new model of major-country relationship between China and the United States can further develop.

In return, Obama expressed his welcome to China's peaceful rising, saying a prosperous China not only works best for China's interest, but also complies with American interests.

A grand welcoming ceremony is due to be held later on today at the White House.

The two leaders will hold official meetings and meet the press afterward. .

China, U.S. Sign Military Annexes to Enhance Mutual TrustThe Chinese Defense Department has announced the Chinese and US militaries have formalized a new set of agreements meant to try to head-off conflicts.

Wu Qian with the Chinese Ministry of Defense says the agreements formally establish lines of communication to allow both sides to tell one-another about major military operations.

The agreements also cover codes-of-conduct in dealing with air and sea encounters between the two militaries.

"It is a practical measure, and implements a strategic decision made by the leaders of the two countries. It is conducive in creating more strategic mutual trust, preventing misunderstandings and coping with air and maritime accidents. It will also contribute to the establishment of a new type of relationship between China and the US, as well as the militaries of the two powers."The Chinese and US sides formally agreed to establish the new reporting systems in November after being proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his meeting with Barack Obama in June of 2013.

President Xi's US Visit Promote Bilateral Ties: Expert CommentsAnchor:

A number of experts and analysts around the world have highlighted Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing state visit to the United States in building stronger economic links and promoting people-to-people exchanges.

President Xi wrapped up his trip to Seattle Thursday, the first stop in his first state visit to the United States.

CRI's Wang Wei has more details.

Reporter:

Talking about President Xi's cultural references of "sleepless Seattle" and "house of cards" during his speech when arriving at Seattle, Rick Dunham, Co-director of the Global Business Journalist Program of Tsinghua University, says the cultural references in President Xi Jinping's speech will help the leader connect with the local public.

"I think what President Xi Jinping did was to connect with his business audiences. I think that was more the American public audiences there was the CEO of the tech companies, aerospace industries and social media companies and I think that's he did connect most publicly and then he did have private meeting and private roundtable. I think that is more important than the speech."During his two-and-a-half-day stay in Seattle, President Xi attended an entrepreneurs symposium and met governors from five US states, visited Microsoft, Boeing, and also a local high school.

President Xi also called on China and the United States to enhance local-level cooperation and tap the potential of their complementary advantages.

One expert says President Xi 's trip to Seattle showed that China attaches great importance to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Ruan Zongze is the executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.

"As we can see, President Xi Jinping's trip to Seattle, including his speech, his visit to Boeing, Microsoft and Lincoln High School, all highlight the trade cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Deepening the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and U.S. is the most important elements of Xi's visit."On the day President Xi arrived in Seattle, a group of Chinese companies signed deals with Boeing to buy 300 aircraft.

Professor Mark Beeson with the University of Western Australia says economic and trade links between China and the United States will not only do good for the economy but also for bilateral relations.

"I think the really significant aspect is their mutual inter-dependence. And I think there is very strong evidence suggests that great economic integration is a good thing in many ways, not only for economic development but in helping to stabilize and pacify the relationships."For CRI, this is Wang Wei.

Chinese President Xi Jinping to Address the UN General AssemblyAs part of his time in the US, Chinese President Xi Jinping is also scheduled to attend a series of summits in the United Nations' headquarters in New York.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, says a wide range of issues will be discussed.

"We expect the Secretary-General in specific to discuss a whole round of issues with the President when he meets him. But obviously there are important issues such as sustainable development, lifting people out of poverty and climate change in which China has a critical leadership to play."One of the summits, the UN Sustainable Development Summit, will take place later on today.

A new set of Sustainable Development Goals is expected to be adopted by the assembly.

"Obviously to be here for the adoption of the new sustainable development goal, this roadmap to eradicate poverty for the next 15 years and I think China has been a great example in development and in lifting people out of poverty."On the invitation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Xi Jinping will give a speech at the anniversary session of the UN General Assembly.

The President is due to talk about China's development course and contribution to the world economy.

And for more on that, CRI's Tu Yun spoke with Zhou Xiaoming, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva.

More Chinese travel to US with increasing people-to-people exchangesAnchor:

As part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's continued push for more people-to-people exchanges between China and the US, both sides have been taking steps to make it easier for people to travel to one-another's countries.

The latest figures suggest these new policies appear to be working.

CRI's Luo Bin has more.

Reporter:

The number of Chinese travelers to the United States increased by 21-percent last year to more than 2-million.

The U.S. Commerce Department is predicting a 17.5-percent annual increase in Chinese visitors on an annual basis, with some 6-million Chinese travelers entering the United States per year by 2020.

In the Washington D.C. area, the largest number tourists already come from China.

Stats show Chinese travelers to Washington are also spending more, on average, than any other nationality.

Matt Gaffney is the CEO of Capital Region USA, which is the official group which markets international travel to Washington, as well as neighboring Maryland and Virginia.

He says the new visa rules implemented earlier this year are having a big impact.

"Partly, this is due to a longer length of stay. It's about almost two weeks that they are visiting us. The average is nine nights. Chinese travelers are at almost 14 nights. So that by its nature means a longer spend because you're staying more nights, but on a per-night basis, their spend is higher than the average as well."Under the new policy, tourists and business travelers are now able to apply for visas for up to 10-years.

The changes don't affect the length of stay on each trip, but mean the visa-holders don't have to re-apply each time, making the travel process much more convenient.

Matt Gaffney with Capital Region USA says this is likely to encourage more people from China to explore different parts of the United States.

"They're able to travel for a longer stay perhaps, they are traveling independently or with very small groups, so there's much more flexibility in where they are going; they are really getting in to see the heart of America, as opposed to just the major American cities."The U.S. tourism industry is targeting international travelers with new advertising campaigns, even recruiting celebrities such as movie producer Spike Lee to make the pitch.

Sean Zhu is facilitator who helps Chinese students and tourists learn more about the life and culture in the U.S. capital.

"They are not only for, you know, to see the sites. They are here to see whether there are opportunities for if you are a businessman, they also want to seek opportunities here. If you ask students, you want to see what it's like here, you want to see how the schools look like, and if it's possible that they will study here. And also there are people who want to just want to enjoy the different culture right here."Chinese visitors to the United States spent about 21 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Some estimates suggest that figure could go as high as 80-billion U.S. dollars a year over the next 5-years.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

One Chinese National Dies in Mecca StampedeOne Chinese national is confirmed to have died in the stampede near Mecca on Thursday.

Hong Lei, Spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the announcement on Friday.

"We are saddened by the deadly stampede in Mecca. One Chinese national has died in the accident. We express our condolences to all the victims and their families."Li Chengwen, the Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, traveled to Mecca immediately after the tragedy, which has killed more than 700 while injuring around 800.

Li visited local hospitals to determine how many Chinese nationals were affected by the tragedy.

The ambassador said the organizers of the Chinese pilgrimage will enhance security measures to ensure the safety of their team members.

"As a next step, we will devise and implement safety measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese nationals. We will help them to successfully complete the pilgrimage and to return to China safely."Following the accident, the Chinese delegation ceased activities during regular hours, rescheduling plans in order to avoid large crowds and high temperatures.

The delegation has also begun monitoring safety conditions near activity sites.

There are 2-million pilgrims taking part in the Hajj's last major rite at the Mina valley near Mecca.

Around 14,000 Chinese nationals have been participating in the pilgrimage this year.

Muslim pilgrims carry out the ritual stoning of the devil in Mecca after deadly stampedeAt the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Muslim pilgrims carried out the ritual stoning of the devil on the Eid festival as part of the Haj pilgrimage, a day after a deadly stampede.

In the wake of Thursday's catastrophe, Saudi King Salman has ordered a safety review.

"Regardless of the investigation results, the improvement of the methods and mechanisms of the Hajj season will not stop, we have instructed the concerned entities to reevaluate the current policy and the distribution of responsibilities."The Saudi government has already formed a committee to look into the incident.

Wael Abdullah, an Egyptian pilgrim who survived the accident, describes what happened.

"I was coming from Mount Arafat, when I reached an intersection in Mina, I saw people pushing and shoving, people on wheelchairs fell down, then people started to fall on each other. I hardly moved out and left the area of the stampede, crowded people trampled in this area, at the intersection."Interior Ministry spokesperson Mansour Turki said the incident was initially triggered by pilgrims moving in opposite directions.

"From what I can see, these are the apparent reasons for the accident: a rise in the number of people, overcrowding and an overlap of crowds, as well as the collapse of the pilgrims and certainly contributing to that, a rise in temperatures and also the tiredness that the pilgrims were experiencing due to the effort they had already exerted in the previous stage."It is the deadliest incident to occur during the pilgrimage in 25 years.

A similar stampede in 1990 left more than 14-hundred dead.

Thursday's stampede is also the second deadly incident in Mecca area over the past 2-weeks.

A crane collapsed earlier this month at the Grand Mosque, killing over 100 people.

22 dead, 11 injured in highway accident in central China22 people have died following a four-vehicle collision on a highway in central China.

14 others were injured in the accident.

Local authorities in Hunan province say the crash happened just before 10 o'clock Friday morning on a section of highway linking Shanghai and Kunming.

A bus caught fire after a collision with a truck. The wrecks were then struck by two other vehicles.

Investigation into Yangtze Ship Capsizal ConcludesChinese authorities have now concluded the on-site investigations into the deadly ferry capsizing earlier this year on the Yangtze River.

Huang Yi with the State Administration of Work Safety says the preliminary report into the capsizing of the Eastern Star cruise ship is expected to be finalized soon.

"The field investigations and the simulation tests are all finished. At this point, we're now reviewing and revising our investigation report. This will include identifying the causes behind the capsizing, and who should be held responsible."The Eastern Star capsized while on a tour of the Yangtze River in Hubei on the night of June 1st.

442 people, most of them seniors, died when the ship overturned during a sudden storm.

Only 12 people managed to survive.

China launches first solid fuel-powered Changzheng carrier rocket into spaceChina successfully launched its first solid fuel-powered carrier rocket, the Long March-11, into space this morning.

It was launched from the northwestern Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Yang Yiqiang, general director of Changzheng-11 with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, says the new rocket takes far less time to prepare for launch.

"Our launch preparation time is 24 hours or even shorter. The shortest preparation time of the Taurus and Minotaur series is 72 hours."The Long March-11 carried four satellites into space.

Volkswagen Expected to Nominate New CEO, EU Wants InvestigationVolkswagen's supervisory board met in Berlin on Friday over the nomination of the company's next CEO.

Martin Winterkorn, the company's former CEO, resigned earlier this week after the US Environmental Protection Agency revealed that Volkswagen cheated during US emission tests over the past seven years.

The EPA said Volkswagen had used an illegal software during testing, which enabled its diesel cars to emit fewer pollutants compared to actual driving conditions.

The German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Thursday that the company also manipulated emission-testing data in Germany.

The company has said that 11 million cars worldwide could be affected in the scandal.

The company is expected to let go a number of other executive managers, including U.S. chief executive Michael Horn.

In the wake of the scandal, Lucia Caudet, the European Commission's spokeswoman, said that the organization wants all member states to investigate the issue.

"We invite all member states - in addition to the ones who are already doing so - to carry out all the necessary investigations. We need to have the full picture of whether and how many vehicles certified in the EU were fitted with defeat devices, which is banned by EU law."The spokeswoman also said the European Commission is reflecting on improving its surveillance of the auto market. Meanwhile, the US EPA is also planning sweeping changes to the way it tests for diesel emissions.

Volkswagen now faces a massive fine in the US, estimated to reach 18 billion dollars.

The company's shares suffered unprecedented losses early this week, but have bounced back in the last two days.

The shares showed an increase of 4.3% on the Frankfurt stock exchange early Friday, ahead of the announcement of the new CEO.

Matthias Mueller, the head of the Porsche sports car brand, has been a leading candidate for the position.

Putin to Talk with Obama in New YorkRussian authorities have announced President Vladimir Putin is hoping to talk about the conflict in Syria with US President Barack Obama during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly next week.

The White House says it is Putin who has asked for the meeting between the two.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says while Syria might be discussed, Obama is going to have a different priority for the meeting.

"When the President sits down with President Putin, the top item on his agenda will be Ukraine. And President Obama will once again use this occasion to reinforce to President Putin the importance of Russia keeping the commitments that they've made in the context of the Minsk agreement."The US has been expressing concerns about a Russian military build-up in Syria in recent weeks, including combat aircraft, tanks and other equipment being moved in to support forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Britain, France and Germany Meet with EU Over SyriaBritain, France, Germany and the European Union have met in Paris to lay out a possible new diplomatic push to end the fighting in Syria.

Attendees at the talk included top diplomats from the three countries and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, highlighted the urgency for a new approach to Syria.

"Now, after almost five years of civil war, more than 250,000 deaths, 12 million people who lost their homes, it is urgent that we find a common path within the international community in order to stop the deaths and the displacements in Syria and the region."The delegates were expected to discuss Russian military presence in Syria, after Washington expressed concerns about Moscow's backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

S. Korea, Japan to hold foreign ministers' meeting in New York next weekSouth Korea and Japan will hold a foreign ministers' meeting in New York next week when the two top diplomats attend the UN General Assembly.

Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday that the two ministers will meet on Sept. 30 to discuss bilateral relations, regional cooperation and other issues of mutual interest.

They are also expected to discuss whether to hold a bilateral summit between South Korean President Park Geun- hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the upcoming trilateral summit between China, South Korea and Japan.

Park has refused to sit down face-to-face with Abe citing his wrong perception of history.

FIFA officials meet in ZurichFIFA's executive committee is meeting at the organization's headquarters in Zurich.

On the agenda is whether to move the next meeting set for Japan in December.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is believed to have cut his travel plans since the United States indicted 14 sports marketing executives and football officials on bribery, money laundering and wire fraud charges.

The governing body's new ethics body is also expected to table a request to have more leeway to disclose investigation details.

The two-days meeting kicked off on Thursday, as the specter of American and Swiss investigations into world football continue.

FIFA said it has already given access to Swiss investigators to the emails of suspended Secretary-General Jerome Valcke.

The 54-years old is suspected of selling World Cup tickets at a higher price than the face value.

Valcke insists the claims are fabricated.

WeatherBeijing is clear tonight with a low of 13 degrees Celsius; a mix of sun and cloud tomorrow with a high of 26.

Shanghai, cloudy tonight with a low of 22; still cloudy tomorrow with a high of 27.

Chongqing, overcast tonight with a low of 20; overcast to rainy tomorrow with a high of 24.

Lhasa, cloudy tonight with a low of 11; still cloudy tomorrow with a high of 23.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, wet tomorrow with a high of 33.

Kabul, cloudy, 22.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will see slight rain with a high of 18.

Brisbane, cloudy with a high of 22.

Perth, also cloudy, 26.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 17 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsXi, Obama have three-hour-long talk on ties in Blair HouseChinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama have exchanged views on governance, bilateral ties and other issues of common concern.

During the three-hour-long talk at Blair House on Thursday night, President Xi said the reform and opening up processes are basic state policies of China and fundamental driving forces for the country's future development.

He pledged a more open, relaxed and transparent environment for foreign business to invest and operate in China.

President Xi arrived in Washington on Thursday after a two-day stay in Seattle. He's on his first state visit to the United States.

Chinese national among pilgrims killed in stampede outside MeccaAt least one Chinese national has been confirmed dead following Thursday's stampede at Mina outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei confirmed the death on Friday.

The stampede has left more than 700 Muslim pilgrims from various countries dead and at least 800 injured.

This was the second major incident involving mass casualties this month in Saudi Arabia. In early September, more than 100 pilgrims were killed and over 300 others injured after a construction crane toppled onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

China opposes Taiwan party leader's visit to JapanAuthorities on the Chinese mainland are expressing strong concern and firm opposition to the scheduled trip to Japan next month by Tsai Ing-wen, the chairwoman of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei has called on Japan to adhere to the one-China principle and honor its commitment to China on Taiwan-related issues.

Hong said on Friday that Japan should refrain from providing platforms for anybody in any name or pretext for spreading Taiwan-independence remarks.

Japan has made repeated statements on upholding the one-China policy and not supporting "Taiwan independence" or a "UN membership referendum" by Taiwan authorities.

A report on China's progress in human rights in 2014 has been published.

A report on China's progress in human rights in 2014 has been published.

The blue paper was released on Friday by the China Society for Human Rights Studies.

The report introduces new progress in human rights that China has achieved under its comprehensive reforms.

It also analyzes the influence of China's drive to promote rule of law on human rights, saying that human rights will be fully safeguarded by law in the future.

It is the fifth human rights blue paper that China has published.

Biz reportsStocksAnchor:

Time now to check today's business news, starting with closing numbers across the Asian markets Here's Victor Ning.

Reporter:

Chinese shares closed lower on Friday as the country's slowing growth continued to weigh on market sentiment.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index went down 1.6 percent to end at 3,092 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index lost 3.3 percent.

Rumors of IPO restarts in the morning session sent the market down by 2.5 percent at one point, but it recovered slightly after the Securities Association of China dismissed the news.

Securities shares fell across the board.

The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises declined 4.1 percent.

In Hong Kong, stocks got off to a negative start and then drifted into positive territory, with the Hang Seng Index increasing 0.4 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japan's Nikkei gained in the final hour of trading to close up 1.8 percent.

Japan's consumer price index dropped 0.1 percent in August year on year, the first slump in almost two years.

It's reported the Bank of Japan may step up its easing at the October policy meeting.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he had set out three new goals for "Abenomics" and will target a 20 percent increase in gross domestic product.

In South Korea, the KOSPI dropped 0.2 percent.

The Straight Times Index in Singapore tumbled 0.5 percent.

And finally,Australia's ASX/200 closed 0.6 percent lower.

China urges SOE modernization through mixed ownership reformThe State Council has issued a new guideline urging state-owned enterprises to accept mixed ownership and to modernize.

The guideline says SOEs must improve their management through market-oriented reforms while adhering to government guidance.

All kinds of capital are encouraged to invest in SOEs.

Li Jin, an expert on SOEs, on the significance of this round of opening up guidelines.

"The industries of oil, natural gas and military used to be sensitive areas. This time, provisions are made on these areas that can be open to private sectors, such as the spin-off of oil and gas pipelines from state-owned oil giants. The military industry can also be expected to open to the private sector with the exception of a few core areas."The guideline stresses using global resources such as the market, technology and talent to promote mixed ownership, participate in international competition, and improve resource allocation.

However, the guideline says state capital should maintain "the absolute controlling position," especially in fields relating to national security.

China has about 150,000 SOEs, holding more than 100 trillion yuan, or nearly 16 trillion U.S dollars in assets.

China's logistics activity posts steady growth in Jan.-Aug.

Logistics activity in China showed a steady but slow expansion in the first eight months of 2015.

The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing released a report on Friday.

It says goods delivered by logistics companies around China are worth 140 trillion yuan, or 22 trillion US dollars from January to August.

This is up 5.9 percent on year.

Meanwhile expenses of logistics firms increased 4 percent year on year.

The report estimated that logistics demand could increase further in the coming months on expectation of more investment and construction in September and October.

China's jobless rate stands at 5 in AugustChina's National Bureau of Statistics says China's jobless rate in August stood at five percent.

NBS spokesman Sheng Laiyun says the Chinese economy is not in deflation, but should pay high attention to the potential risks of deflation. Prices of staple commodities should also be a concern.

The spokesperson also says economic growth of no less than 6.5 percent economic be considered. The target has been set at around seven percent growth.

He adds China's growth engine will mainly rely on the service industry in the future.

China to promote e-commerce to modernize agricultural sectorChina will speed up e-commerce development for the farming and agricultural sector.

Ministries of agriculture and commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly released the action plan on Friday.

It will see China establish e-commerce infrastructure and policies while nurturing some influential agricultural and e-commerce brands in the next three years.

Farming in China has been booming for more than three decades.

However, it has not kept pace with demographic changes and advances in technology.

Inefficient sales channels, a shrinking labor force and financing difficulties have been squeezing farmers' earnings and dragging down the rural economy.

New Iphones Hit Stores FridayAnchor:

The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus hit stores in China on Friday.

Some shoppers have been queuing for hours to get the new devices.

CRI's Zhao Jianfu brings more details.

Reporter:

In Beijing, Apple fans can't hide their excitement as they wait for the Apple store to open.

"I have been very excited at every (new products launch) press conference as all the new products every time released by Apple have something that attracts me. ""I have been using every generation of (Apple phone), which is a very good phone."China is the world's biggest smartphone market.

The gadget's debut was delayed last year due to regulatory issues.

The release of the new phones comes after recent fears concerning apps sold in the Apple Store.

Apple said last week it was cleaning up its iOS App Store to remove malicious iPhone and iPad programs identified in the first large-scale attack on the popular mobile software outlet.

Earlier, several cyber security firms reported a malicious program dubbed XcodeGhost embedded in hundreds of legitimate apps.

However, 24-year-old customer Xia Zhongyu in Shanghai is not worried.

"I personally really trust Apple. All equipment in my home is mostly Apple. So it should be all right. There are so many Apple users, they cannot just target me to get me in trouble. So I don't think there will be any big problems. I believe Apple will improve its system, leaving no way for a system loophole,"After a dramatic redesign last year in which Apple enlarged the iPhone's screen and added mobile payments, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus boast even more modest improvements.

The phones, which are the same size as last year's models, feature improved cameras and 3D touch, a display technology that responds according to how hard the screen is pressed.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus start at $199 and $299 respectively with a two-year contract from a mobile service provider.

In the US, Apple unveiled its own device upgrade program for customers who want to buy a new iPhone 6S or 6S Plus without agreeing to a carrier contract. The new program will let customers upgrade to a new iPhone every year for a monthly fee.

The latest iPhones are available on Friday in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.　Analysts expect 12 to 13 million phones to sell in the first weekend, up from more than 10 million last year.

For CRI, this is Zhao Jianfu.

Bulk cargo and container shipping route links China, DPRKA bulk cargo and container shipping route between China and North Korea has been put into operation.

The route focuses on coal imports to China and grocery exports North Korea.

Longkou port in eastern province of Shandong will connect with Nampo port on the Korean peninsula.

The route was jointly established to promote international trade under China's "Belt and Road" initiative.

Yellen says Fed Reserve expected to raise ratesFed Chair Janet Yellen says she expects the Federal Reserve to begin raising interest rates from current record lows by the end of the year.

In a lecture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Yellen suggested that global economic weakness won't likely be significant enough to dissuade the Fed from a rate hike by December.

Yellen says she believes inflation will gradually move up to the Fed's target rate of 2 percent as unusually low oil prices and other factors prove temporary.

The Federal Reserve chose not to raise rates last week, citing global economic pressures and concern about excessively low inflation.

SportsAsian Championship update: China vs. JordanBeginning with live basketball action from the Asian Championship,Hosts China came from behind to conquer South Korea 76-73 to break through the group stages.

China got off to a shaky start and was trailing by as many as 15 points going into the last quarter.

19-year-old Zhou Qi led China to a 9-0 run to overturn the deficit.

He hit a team best 21 points with 8 assists.

Zhou found the reason why they fell behind and how they came up again.

"It's so exciting. We are united and it helped us to victory. We did what our coach told us to do. We were well prepared for the game. We didn't have full control of the game at the very beginning. We were lacking a bit on defence."The defeat didn't ruin South Korea's chances at the next stage as they also went through with a 87-45 win over Singapore this morning.

In other action,Chinese Taipei suffered two straight losses to fall out of contention for the quarter-finals.

Defending champions Iran crushed Malaysia 122-42 to win all three group games and progress.

Malaysia are out with three defeats.

China are playing Jordan in their last group game right now. The game is in its first quarter.

Manchester City owner intersted in Chinese clubsIn football,Spanish media are reporting that Premier League club Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour is planning to acquire a Chinese club to expand his presence in the football realm.

Mansour is interested in Beijing and Shanghai clubs that are already heavy-weight in China's top flight Super League.

Beijing Guo'an, Shanghai SIPG, or Shanghai Shenhua could be the choice.

45-year-old Mansour is the younger brother of the president of the United Arab Emirates. He bought Manchester City for 200 million pounds in 2009 and also owns football clubs in the Unites States, Australia and Japan.

Marseille facing sanctions over home fan violenceElsewhere,French Ligue 1 club Marseille are facing sanctions after violence from fans halted their home game against Lyon last weekend.

Home fans threw projectiles onto the pitch targeting Mathieu Valbuena who returned with Lyon to face his former team.

The game was suspended for over 20 minutes and players were asked to return to the locker room.

That game resumed and eventually ended in an 1-all draw.

President of the French league Frederic Thiriez says they will find a way to solve such problems.

"My main concern as president of the league is that these kind of incidents would never happen again. I have already given some advice to find solutions. There was a very important meeting between the Marseille's president and the prefet (regional official) in charge of the police in Marseille, concluding with a concrete decision and following my point of view. I think we are on the right path."The French League authorities have ordered Marseille to shut their north and south enclosures in the home stadium.

Marseille officials say they will install safety nets in the stands to protect players.

Presidents of the two clubs will be summoned for a meeting on October 15 where the authorities will announce the final decision.

New Zealand beat Namibia 58-14 at Rugby World CupIn rugby,Top ranked New Zealand rolled over Namibia 58-14 in Pool C at the world cup.

New Zealand made it two wins in as many games in the defense of their Webb Ellis Cup.

Namibia were nothing like the underdogs people expected them to be and went on the attacks. They can be pleased with their resilient performance.

Captain Jacques Burger says they have a chance at winning a game at the world cup.

"I said before there's going to be a lot of negatives. There's going to be tough times playing the best team in the world, but I'm taking away a lot of positives. We fought well. I'm proud of the boys and I think going into the next match we can take a lot of good stuff away. All is not lost. We got a lot to do still and our aim is still to win one game at the World Cup and I think we're on track."Namibia will next face Tonga. And it is Georgia facing defending champions New Zealand.

Daniil Kvyat tops second practice session at Japanese GPIn formula one,Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat has topped the timesheet in the rain-sodden second practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Kvyat took advantage of the brief lull between rain showers and posted a best lap of one minute 48.277 seconds on intermediate tyres at the Suzuka circuit.

The Mercedes pair Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are second and third.

At fourth place is Kvyat's Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo who was the only other driver to finish within a second of the leader.

Fans paid tribute and laid flowers near the Marussia garage and at the place where Jules Bianchi crashed on the circuit in last year's Grand Prix.

The French driver eventually died last july of injuries sustained in the crash.

Henrik Stenson in two-shot lead at Tour ChampionshipIn golf,Henrik Stenson from Sweden is leading by two shots after the first round of the Tour Championship.

Stenson carded a 7-under 63 through 18 holes.

He fired six birdies and an eagle.

Paul Casey is sole second.

Rory McIlroy and Open Championship winner Zach Johnson are tied for third, down by three shots.

Jason Day, playing in his first tournament as world number one, closed it further three shots down.

Japanese sports minister resigns over scrape of stadium planJapanese sports minister Hakubun Shimomura has announced his resignation over the scrapping of plans for the stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided to scrape the plan for the stadium as costs were blown out of proportion.

A third-party panel blamed Japan's sports council and the sports ministry for the ballooning costs.

Shimomura says he will return half of his play for six months through September as atonement.

Guidelines for a new Olympic stadium have been approved last month. It is expected to be completed by March 2020, a year later than originally planned.

EntertainmentChinese Stage Play, the Ricksha Boy, Performed in ItalyThe Rickshaw Boy, an original Chinese stage play by China's National Grand Theater closed the MiTo music festival in Turin, Italy on Thursday.

Set in the 1920s, the opera tells a story of a young Chinese rickshaw operator who came to Beijing to pursue his dreams only to find the harsh realities of life while trying to achieve them.

It has taken the Chinese National Grand Theater three years to create the opera and another year to practice for the MiTo music festival.

Professor Stefania Stafutti, the cultural counsellor of the Italian embassy to China says the Italian audiences are able to recognize the plots of love and despair in the play.

"I think the Italian audience can understand the story. They can recognise the plots of love, despair and difficulties. There are lots of Chinese elements in the play and the background music. The Chinese instruments used are attractive to Italian audiences. I think they will not only have no trouble understanding the opera, but will fall in love with it."The festival is in its ninth edition.

Little Door Gods to be released on New Year's DayA Chinese animation film about celestial beings is set to be released on New Year's Day next year.

Little Door Gods centers around the journey of two door gods in a modern Chinese town where traditions are vanishing.

Director of the film Wang Wei says he wanted to find out through the film, the value of these gods today.

The film will feature the voices of Chinese celebrities including singer Gao Xiaosong and actor Bai Ke.

Little Door Gods will also be available overseas and has both English and Chinese scripts.

Revenue from the country's domestic animation films grew by more than 65 percent last year.

Vladimir Putin calls Elton JohnRussian President Vladimir Putin has phoned musician Elton John to set up a meeting.

The Kremlin announced the news on Thursday.

It comes after it was revealed last week that the musician had been the victim of a prank call.

The pranksters impersonated the Russian president on the phone after Elton John said in an interview with the BBC that he wanted to discuss gay rights issues with the Russian leader.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin called Elton John and asked him not to be offended by the hoax call.

He also said he was ready to meet the musician when their busy schedules matched.

After the prank call, two famous Russian personalities Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov admitted to making the call which was later aired on television.

Nirvana song tops most iconic listRock band Nirvana 's song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' has been named the most iconic song of all time.

The tune made the top of a list of 50 songs compiled by researchers at Goldsmiths University in London.

Computer scientist and musician Dr. Mick Grierson from the university studied several 'best songs of all time' lists and ran them through software to compare them and create the ultimate iconic songs list.

In second place was John Lennon's 'Imagine' followed by U2's 'One'. Michael Jackson's song Billie Jean and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody finished the top five.

Other songs in the list included The Who's 'My Generation' and Guns and Roses' 'Sweet Child of Mine'.

Robert Pattinson says Twilight success drove him crazyRobert Pattinson, one of the lead stars of the Twilight films says the success of the franchise drove him 'crazy'.

The actor spoke about the effects of the films' success on his personal life in an interview with NME magazine. He says he didn't visit the supermarket for almost six years.

Pattinson also said he constantly had fans waiting for him outside of his house.

The Twilight franchise was based on the books following the adventures of Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen. The actors in the film were shot into fame after the success of the franchise.

Meanwhile Stephanie Myer, the author behind the Twilight books is preparing to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the first book's release with a special edition book which will feature bonus material.

The special edition Twilight will be released on October 6.

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

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

The Chinese president has met with his American counterpart in the US capital...

One Chinese national is among the hundreds of people killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia...

and a report on the deadly capsizing of a passenger ferry on the Yangtze River is expected soon...

In Business...new guidelines to modernize state owned enterprises in China...

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