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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jingping stressing the long history of China-UK relations in his address to the British Parliament...

The UK taking steps to attract more inbound tourism from the Chinese market...

And UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urges calm as tensions escalate between Israel and the state of Palestine...

In Business....the Bank of China announces the establishment of a trading center in London...

In Sports....An update on the latest action from the UEFA Champions League...

And in Entertainment....A Chinese director includes blind and visually impaired children in his new film...

Top NewsXi Addresses British ParliamentAnchorDuring his first full day of state visit to the UK, Chinese President Xi Jingping has addressed both Houses of the British Parliament. In his speech, Xi highlighted the long history of China-UK relations, and laid out a roadmap for future cooperation.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

ReporterPresident Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, received a grand and warm welcome on Tuesday in London.

The welcoming activities reflected the great importance the UK attaches to its relations with China. While addressing the British parliament in the afternoon, President Xi echoed the same sentiment.

"Although my visit has just started, I am already deeply impressed by the vitality of the China-UK relations and the profound relationship between our peoples. "Xi's audience included British Prime Minister David Cameron and politicians from all parties in the UK.

During his speech, Xi praised the UK for its long and active engagement with China.

"Since the founding of the new China in 1949, our two countries have led the way in a number of areas in terms of bilateral relations. The UK is the first western power to recognize the new China, and the first EU member to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. The UK is the leading offshore RMB trading centre after Hong Kong. The UK hosts more Chinese students and Confucius institutes than any other EU member country."Looking forward, Xi expressed great enthusiasm for an even brighter future for China-UK relations.

"Shakespeare wrote 'what has passed is prologue.' We are in an age of pursuing peace and development. It is also an age when countries have to meet challenges and work together. As a Chinese saying goes, a mountain can never be too high, nor an ocean too deep. This great new age enables both of us to join hands and move forward from the new departure point of our comprehensive strategic partnership."The Chinese president also called on British lawmakers to lead the way in further strengthening Sino-British cooperation.

"I hope you will, as we Chinese often say, stand higher to see further. I hope that you will continue to promote the UK's relation with China, strengthen our friendship and support our cooperation. And I hope that you will build a bridge of understanding and cooperation so to help us to create a brighter and more promising future for out bilateral ties."On Wednesday, President Xi will hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron. A number of deals are expected to be signed between governments, financial institutions and enterprises in various fields. The state visit will conclude on Friday.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

Xi praises constant development of China-UK tiesIn his speech at the British Parliament, Chinese President Xi Jinping has also paid tribute to the historical efforts that have benefitted both nations.

He says that the growth of China-UK ties is driven by mutual understanding, support and friendship between the two peoples.

"During the second World War, 24 Chinese naval cadets took part in the Normandy landings. They received commendation from Prime Minister Winston Churchill for their gallantry. The late Lord Lindsay, a British peer, was actively involved in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. He helped China improve radio communication equipment under difficult conditions, and risked his life to send urgently needed supplies of medicine and radio equipment to Chinese troops."The Chinese President says history will forever remember those who dedicated themselves to China-UK friendship and the cause of peace and justice in the world.

President Xi has also noted that the ongoing efforts of individuals from both nations show the level of support shared between China and the UK.

Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, says the visit by the Chinese president will reinforce the links between the United Kingdom and China.

"The Chinese people have many many friends in this Parliament. Those friends are familiar with what you, Mr. President, have described as the Chinese Dream, and which others have referred to as the second Chinese revolution. Your country is engaged in an experience and experiment without equal in history. You are attempting to complete an industrial revolution which took Britain the better part of two centuries in little more than two decades."He says the world will be watching and waiting expectantly on the outcome as the emerging super power, that is China, takes its new place in the world.

Xi Receives Grand Welcome in the UKPresident Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, received a grand and warm welcome by the British royal family on Tuesday. The day's activities included a morning greeting, a ceremonial welcome, a private lunch and talks with the royal family.

The festivities concluded with an elegant state banquet at the Buckingham Palace, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.

"Your visit to the United Kingdom marks a milestone in this unprecedented year of cooperation and friendship between the United Kingdom and China as we celebrate the ties between our two countries and prepare to take them to ambitious new heights."For his part, President Xi Jinping has expressed China's wishes for furthering Sino-UK ties.

"As important representatives of developed and developing countries, we are both at the crucial stage of development. We still have a long way to go in reforming, developing and improving people's lives. This year is the start of the second 10-year China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. We should grasp the opportunity, join our hands and create a better future for our relationship."The welcome for President Xi and Peng Liyuan also included a 103 royal gun salute and a review of the royal horse guard. Xi's visit is at the invitation of the Queen, and is the first such visit by a Chinese president to the UK since 2005.

Locals in UK Speak Highly of President Xi's Interview with ReutersAnchorMany local citizens in Britain have spoken highly of Chinese President Xi Jinping's one-on-one interview with the Reuters News Agency released ahead of the president's state visit to the country.

CRI's Xie Cheng reports.

ReporterDuring an interview with China Central Television, Reuters UK Bureau Chief Guy Faulconbridge said he was impressed by President Xi's answers.

"I thought the answers were actually very clear, and also very interesting. They weren't, as we would say in English, bureaucratic. They were quite clear and to the point. I thought it was very interesting the way he spoke of the relationship with the United Kingdom. I thought the words were very strong. In that sense it was very clear and to the point. I also thought it was very interesting the way in which he just describes the Chinese economy that he admitted there were problems, but the Chinese government and Chinese authorities were trying to deal with that, with the problems. And I thought that was very clear."During the interview, President Xi, a football fan, talked excitedly about his impending trip to Manchester, where he'll go to tour Man City's football headquarters.

Faulconbridge said he likes the topics of China-UK relationship and football most among all the questions posed by the agency.

On the subject of economy, investment counselor James Stuart said he's been impressed with the responsibility shown by President Xi in promoting the growth of the Chinese economy.

"I think the image I have is an individual who is more than capable of developing and, to some extent, embracing China's position as the second and ultimately the largest economy in the world. This is a huge responsibility."During the interview, President Xi said the slowdown of the Chinese economy is a concern, but steps are being taken to address the issue.

Stuart also added that he expected Renminbi trading to continually grow in line with export and import growth between China and UK.

Discussing issues of education, Raff Flackett, the UK regional director of BE Education, specializing in helping Chinese students gain entry to reputable universities in the UK, praised Xi's character and vision for the issue.

"He is a clearly a man who has got a very strong sense of purpose. He clearly does have a little bit of humor in there. I think that the fact he is willing to consider football and things like that as an essential part of life and education makes him a very good man, in my opinion. We see that as a crucial part of developing the student because in sports you learn how to pick yourself up when you get knocked down. It teaches you leadership, it teaches you team spirit and teamwork and things like that. So I think it is fantastic to see that's being encouraged in Chinese schools as well."For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Multiple deals to be sealed during Xi's Britain visit: trade authorityChina's Ministry of Commerce says multiple deals in various fields are expected to be signed during President Xi Jinping's visit to Britain.

Ministry spokesperson Shen Danyang explains the details.

"The deals would include agreements between governments and deals between financial institutions and enterprises. The areas include finance, energy, medical care, automobiles, and real estate. The deals will be "very big" and surpass the achievements made by President Xi's predecessors during their UK visits. The China-UK partnership in trade and commerce has great potential."It's been reported that these deals could be amounting to as much as 46 billion US dollars, and help to create nearly 4000 jobs in the UK.

The ministry says Chinese and British enterprises face many opportunities in infrastructure construction, citing China's Belt and Road Initiative and Britain's "Northern Powerhouse" project, a bid to balance its London-led economy.

The ministry also indicates that China-Britain investment and business cooperation have been continually growing.

Last year, bilateral trade reached more than 80 billion U.S. dollars, up some 15 percent.

In the first three quarter in 2015, bilateral trade remained steady and reached 58 billion U.S. dollars.

London China Book Festival OpensA China Book Festival has opened in London.

Most of the English-language books featured at the show are being exhibited for the first time.

Deputy Director of the State Council Information Office Guo Weimin says the festival is an important part of cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"There are over 100 kinds of books on exhibition this time with a wide range of contents. There are books related to China's contemporary politics, economics and culture, especially history books and fictions. I think they will be helpful for British people to learn more about Chinese histories, culture and development."Along with the many spectators looking for a good read, the festival has also attracted many UK-based publishers.

Emma House, Director of Publisher Relations, says she's excited to introduce Chinese culture to British readers.

"I think it's really an exciting time to introduce Chinese culture to British readers. This is a very prominent book show where we have many visitors from the world to come and visit. And so the importance of Chinese exhibition here is very good for introducing the Chinese culture to UK readers."The ten-day festival is being jointly hosted by more than 20 book stores in the UK.

Britain tries to attract more Chinese touristsAnchorA new report is suggesting that a record number of Chinese tourists visited Britain in the first half of this year.

At the meantime, the UK is trying to remedy its complex visa rules in order to attract more Chinese tourists.

CRI's Guo Yan has the details.

ReporterChina is the currently the fastest growing source of tourism revenue for the entire world, but Britain is missing out due to its complex visa rules.

Chinese tourists are expected to spend the equivalent of more than one and a half billion U.S. dollars in Britain this year, much of it in London.

Gordon Innes is the Chief Executive Officer with London & Partners.

"We're seeing Chinese tourist numbers growing very rapidly every year to the UK. Last year almost 400,000 Chinese coming into the UK came through London."That sounds like good news for London, except that about three times as many Chinese tourists visit the French capital Paris.

France and most other European countries are in the Schengen zone, which means if you get a visa for one country, you automatically have a visa for the rest.

But Britain remains outside the Schengen passport free zone and plans to stay there.

The British government thinks it may have found a solution.

"The exciting thing is we now can parallel process a Schengen visa and a U.K. visa at the same time."Christopher Rodrigues is the chairman of VisitBritain.

According to the agency, the number of Chinese visitors to Britain in the first six months of 2015 reached a record 90,000, a 28 percent rise on the same period of 2014.

And tourism officials are expecting the total number of Chinese visitors for the year to reach more than 200,000.

Rodrigues says the current procedure for applying both a Schengen visa and a U.K. visa is still costly and time consuming, and to meet expectations, the British government needs to do something more.

"Our leading finance minister has initiated a scheme to bring 50,000 additional visitors from China not having to pay for a visa, so it's a free visa scheme."Britain is also re-branding several famous tourist destinations in Mandarin, with Savile Row being translated in English as "Tall, Rich, Handsome Street" and London's tallest building the Shard becoming "Star Plucking Tower".

The initiatives appear to be working, because Chinese tourist numbers are growing in the U.K. though the industry believes the true potential remains untapped.

London is currently the world's most popular tourist destination, though Chinese visitors account for less than three percent of total tourism spending.

For CRI, I am Guo Yan.

US, Russia sign MoU on safe flight operations over SyriaUS and Russian military officials have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on safe flight operations over Syria as the two sides carry out separate airstrikes against militants in the country.

The MoU was reached 10 days after US and Russian jets came within visual range of each other during a mission.

The MoU, now in effect, includes specific safety protocols for safety crews to follow, including maintaining professional airmanship, the use of specific communication frequencies and the establishment of a communication line on the ground.

However, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the memorandum does not set up security cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.

"The MoU does not establish zones of cooperation, intelligence cooperation or any sharing of target information in Syria. The discussions through which this MoU was developed do not constitute U.S. cooperation or support for Russia's policy or actions in Syria. In fact, far from it, we continue to believe that Russia's strategy in Syria is counterproductive and their for the Assad regime will only make Syria's civil war worse."Cook said the full text of the document would not be released at Russia's request.

On the other side, Russian Deputy Defence Minister General Anatoly Antonov said the signing of the memorandum does not mean a shift in Russia's stance on the issue.

"The signing of the document is no way changes the Russian position of principal whose military forces in Syria are operating at the request of legitimate authorities of that country while projection of force of the United States and the counter-ISIL coalition lead by Washington on the territory of Syria without the consent of Damascus and in the absence of relevant UN Security Council resolution represents negligence of the international law."Antonov also noted that his country was seeking a more substantial agreement with the US side, but the result was negative.

Russia joined the airstrikes in Syria at the end of September, meaning the first time Russian and US jet flying combat mission in the same air space for the first time since World War Two.

Refugees arriving by sea to Greece tops 500,000: UN refugee agencyThe number of refugee and migrant arrivals to Greece has topped half a million so far this year.

The UN refugee agency said the total number of refugees and migrants to reach Europe via the Mediterranean is now over 643-thousand.

In the meantime, at least 3,135 people have died en route.

Refugees have also reported smuggling issues where smugglers offer discounts rates for crossings in bad weather and packing more people onto boats for the crossing, which frequently proves fatal.

The UN refugee agency stressed that additional stabilisation measures need to be taken to guarantee the fulfillment of the relocation programme agreed to by Europe in September.

UN Secretary General Urges Restraint between Palestine and IsraelUN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging Palestine and Israel to show restraint amid the growing tensions between the two sides.

Ban's remarks came after two Palestinians were shot dead on Tuesday night by Israeli troops in the southern West Bank.

Earlier in the day, three Palestinians were killed and more than 16 wounded in a tension in the Gaza Strip.

Ban said the wave of unrest was undermining Palestinian statehood hopes and Israel's desire for security.

"The status quo is only making things worse. This conflict has gone on for far too long we must for the future of our children come back from this dangerous abyss, safeguard the two-state solution and lead people back into the road towards peace."However, the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said the situation should be resolved within the region without making it an international conflict.

"It is important that every step taken would not be seen as giving a prize to terrorism by making this an international conflict. It is up to the parties of the region to find a way to bring an end to this tragedy."The unrest between Palestine and Israel began three weeks ago, partly due to Palestinians' anger over what they see as increased Jewish encroachment on Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque complex.

Since October, 49 Palestinians and 10 Israelis were killed in the unrest.

Russia to give large areas of land in the Far East to its citizens for freeAnchorRussian officials say they plan to give large areas of land in the country's Far East to Russian citizens for free. The new law, which is expected to be passed in November, aims to boost the development of the region and will allow Russians to take and use up to one hectare of land for any purpose.

CRI's Anya Ardayeva reports from Moscow.

ReporterRussia's vast Far Eastern region occupies one third of Russia – the biggest country in the world covering over 17 million square kilometers. Experts say while this area holds huge economic potential – it also lacks investment – and people.

Alexander Krutikov is a deputy director of Russia's Far Eastern Development ministry.

"Russia's Far East occupies one third of the Russian Federation, six million square kilometers, where some 6 million Russian citizens live. This means one person per square kilometer."In 2016, the ministry wants to start distributing land in the Far East for free. Any Russian citizen can apply and receive up to one hectare of land – and in five years, the government promises them free ownership.

"Together with all-Russia center for public opinion we conducted a poll on the interest to this project and 20% of the respondents confirmed that if they are given free land they are willing to consider moving to the Far East. That's almost 30 million citizens."The government has launched a campaign to attract people to the initiative - from weather forecasts on television explaining that the weather in the region is not that cold - not much colder than in the Western part of the country.

to videos showing how to surf the Pacific ocean in sub-zero temperatures.

Alexei Maslov, professor, head of the School of Asian Studies, Higher School of Economics in English"A lot of people want to move back to central part, to the European part of Russia. So one of the main problem is to change the public opinion, to change the mentality of moving from East to West."In September, Moscow also organized its first Eastern Economic Development Forum in Vladivostok to attract investors from Asia – and said this forum will now happen every year.

Meanwhile, the population of Russia's Far Eastern region continues to shrink – it is now almost half the number of Moscow's population of 11 million.

Experts say that while the new government initiative could provide a welcome development for the region – it may take years before it bears fruit.

Anya Ardayeva, CRI, Moscow.

Families from North, South Korea hold reunionsHundreds of South Koreans crossed the border to the North on Tuesday for reunions with family members separated for six decades by war.

About 500 Koreans met their family members for the first time at a banquet at North Korea's Diamond Mountain Resort.

Kim Sung-joo, head of South Korean Red Cross, hopes there will be more events like this.

"I think we all need to make our best efforts not to make this reunion a one-time event but to be a precious opportunity for a new beginning. To get to a day, in which we are able to confirm the life and death of all separated family members, exchange letters, and even freely meet at anytime, as quick as possible. Let's make our best efforts together."The separated family members were expected to spend 12 hours with their relatives for three days until Thursday.

In a second round of reunions, from Saturday until Monday, about 250 South Koreans are to visit the mountain resort to reunite with about 190 North Korean relatives.

WeatherBeijing will have slight rain with a chilly high of 12 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 9.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 26 and a low of 19.

In Chongqing, it will be sunny with a high of 29 and lows of 19.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 27.

Kabul will be rainy with a high of 16.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 20 degrees.

Washington, sunny with a high of 22 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 16 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, slight rain with a high of 22.

And Rio de Janeiro, slight rain with a high of 34 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsXi Addresses British ParliamentDuring his first full day of state visit to the UK, Chinese President Xi Jingping has addressed both Houses of the British Parliament.

In his speech, Xi highlighted the long history of China-UK relations, and laid out a roadmap for future cooperation.

Xi's audience included British Prime Minister David Cameron and politicians from all parties in the UK.

During his speech, Xi praised the UK for its long and active engagement with China.

He notes that the UK was the first western power to recognize the new China, and the first EU member to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

The Chinese president has called on British lawmakers to lead the way in further strengthening Sino-British cooperation.

On Wednesday, President Xi will hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Chinese company pledges 3 bln USD to fund biomass plants in BritainA Chinese company has pledged 2 billion pounds, or about 3.1 billion U.S. dollars, to build biomass power station in Britain.

SinoFortone Group announced on Tuesday it signed the contract with British firm Orthios Eco Parks Limited.

The 299-megawatt combined heat and power station would generate electricity from imported plant waste from two sites in Wales.

The electricity would light homes and the excess heat would be used to warm indoor ponds growing seafood and hydroponic crops.

China welcomes inter-Korean family reunionsChina has welcomed the efforts by North Korea and South Korea to improve their relationship through family reunions starting on Tuesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing that China is delighted to see the family reunions between the two countries.

The family reunions will run through to Oct. 26, with hundreds of South Koreans heading to Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea to meet their relatives with whom they have been separated since the 1950-53 Korean War.

Obama congratulates Canada's Trudeau on election winUS President Barack Obama has sent his congratulations to Canadian Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau on his party's victory in the elections.

A White House statement said the two leaders talked in a telephone conversation, agreeing on the importance of deepening the already strong US-Canada relationship.

The Canadian Liberal Party, led by Trudeau, defeated the ruling Conservative Party to win the federal parliamentary election with 184 out of 338 seats.

Obama and Trudeau also hailed the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, stressing the need to move forward with implementing the agreement.

The two leaders also pledged to work together to achieve an "ambitious and durable" global climate agreement in Paris in December.

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.

U.S. stocks closed lower after wavering in a narrow range on Tuesday, while the U.S. dollar traded mixed against other major currencies.

Meanwhile, the country's privately-owned housing starts in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.2 million, 6.5 percent higher than August and well above market consensus.

The strong housing data added to the positive builder-confidence report released in the previous session, signaling a robust recovery of the country's housing market.

At the closing bell,Both Dow Jones and S&P 500 fell nearly 0.1 percent.

While the Nasdaq dipped 0.5 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe, the equities largely declined on Tuesday.

At the closing bell,UK's FTSE 100 fell 0.1 percent.

Germany's DAX was down 0.2 percent.

France's CAC 40 decreased 0.6 percent.

Finally here in China, shares closed higher on Tuesday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 1.1 percent, while the Shenzhen index advanced 1.8 percent.

Bank of China announces establishment of Trading Centre in LondonThe Bank of China has formally announced the establishment of a trading centre in London.

The trading centre is set to provide clients with greater coverage in foreign exchange, derivatives, commodities and fixed income trading.

Meanwhile, the bank has also launched the BOC RMB Bond Trading Index in Beijing, London and Singapore.

It can help overseas investors to understand China's Interbank Bond Market, track market prices and enhance the efficiency of trading.

Chairman of the London Policy and Resources Committee Mark Boleat addressed the launch ceremony.

"The city of London was able to take the chair and to provide the secretariat in which all of the other agents could come together to develop London as a key RMB center. And the fact that the Bank of China is now opening its trading center in London and launching the RMB bond index is a testament to the success of that work in such a short period of time."The RMB Bond Trading Index is run by the Bank of China's Shanghai RMB Trading Unit.

Price information is maintained on Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters EIKON every trading day, with monthly reports available on the BOC's official website.

The London trading centre is expected to become BOC's second largest offshore trading hub behind Hong Kong.

Vanke acquires 20 pct stake in London real estate projectChina Vanke has entered the UK's commercial realty sector.

The real estate giant here in China has acquired a 20 percent stake in the 750-million-pound The Stage development project in Shoreditch, in the north of London.

Vanke has spent over 30 million pounds, or 45 million U.S. dollars, buying the stake from the former equity holders, including Cain Hoy Enterprises, McCourt Global, Galliard Homes and Investec Structured Property Finance.

The project was home to the Curtain Theatre back in the 16th century.

The Curtain Theatre was the first stage that performed William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Henry V.

The Stage project also includes a new tourist attraction celebrating William Shakespeare.

China allows private capital into oil, gas explorationChina has allowed private enterprises to bid for gas and oil exploration projects for the first time.

The Ministry of Land and Resources announced on Tuesday when declaring the opening of a bidding project for gas and oil exploration in Xinjiang.

Director of the Oil and Gas Administration under the ministry Yang Yonggang said the new policy is good for private companies.

"In the past, only state-owned petroleum companies could carry out oil and gas exploration. But this time, the trial launched in Xinjiang can help qualified and economically capable enterprises to get involved through market competition. So the door for oil and gas exploration is being gradually opened to the whole country."Currently, a total of 13 state-owned and private enterprises are bidding for five exploration areas in Xinjiang.

Under the policy, bidders have to be domestic enterprises, and final bidder with a majority shareholding has to be a home-grown business with net assets of more than 1 billion yuan.

The results will be released after a qualification examination by an expert panel and approval by the ministry.

China is still attractive to foreign investment in the world: MOCChina's Ministry of Commerce says the country is still one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.

The ministry's spokesperson Shen Danyang said during the first three quarters of 2015, nearly 20-thousand new foreign invested companies were set up in China, an increase of at least 10 percent.

The value of investment flowing into the Chinese market from these new companies represents an increase of 50 percent year on year.

China's foreign direct investment remained stable and with better quality as more funds were flowing into the service sector.

The sector saw a gain of 19 percent compared to the previous year.

China's outbound direct investment also recorded progress, rising 16.5 percent year on year.

For more on this, CRI's Shane Bigham earlier spoke with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

ReportBack anchorGao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures, speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.

Shandong launches province's first direct intercontinental freight train to EuropeThe first intercontinental freight train in east China's Shandong Province has departed directly for Europe.

The train starts from Linyi City, and is set to make stops at the stations in Harbin and the Russian capital of Moscow before arriving in Hamburg, Germany.

Trains are scheduled to depart from both directions every two days, and each trip will take 18 days.

Departure and destination stations would be adjusted according to changes in freight transport demand.

The trains are estimated to transport cargo of around 400-thousand tons with a trade volume of 2 billion yuan or 320 million U.S. dollars each year.

China's Didi launches bus-booking serviceChinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing has launched an online bus-booking service to its platform.

So far, the bus-booking service has attracted more than 500-thousand subscribers across China.

The service charge on a pay-as-you go bus trip now starts between 7 to 13 yuan, or 1 to 2 U.S. dollars per ride, which is three to five times the price of public buses.

Didi has already provided taxi-hailing, chauffeur and ride-sharing services.

It also dominates the Chinese online taxi-hailing market.

The company plans to bring the bus-booking service to more Chinese cities and invest more to launch new routes.

SportsChampions League resultsBeginning with the latest football action from the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal put a stain on Bayern Munich's perfect record this season, stunning the German giants 2-0 at home in Group F.

Olivier Giroud and Mesut Oezil's late goals gave Arsenal their much-needed victory and reignite their hopes in the group.

The Gunners are the first team to beat Bayern this season, therefore bringing an end to Bayern's 12-game winning streak both in domestic and international action.

Bayern are still top of the group on goal difference.

Olympiacos came up to second place after defeating Dinamo Zagreb 1-0, tied at 6 points but down on goal difference.

In Group E,Barcelona had an easy 2-0 victory over Borisov to remain on top,And Roma drew Leverkusen 4-all in a goal-loaded game this morning.

In Group G,Chelsea and Dynamo Kiev came to a goalless draw,Porto downed Tel Aviv 2-0.

More Champions League action coming up early tomorrow morning,Real Madrid put their leadership on the line when they meet Paris Saint-Germain in Group A.

It will be a clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who have both recently become the clubs' all-time best scorer.

In Group D,Premier League front runners Manchester City meet Sevilla.

Man. City coach Manuel Pellegrini expects Sevilla to be ranked higher in La Liga but says they can be very different in the Champions League.

"When you play in different competitions, the team can play differently as well. Right now they aren't in a great moment in the league, but tomorrow is the Champions League and they have every chance to qualify and they will be very difficult to play against. They have very good players and they didn't award them two Europa League titles for no reason. So tomorrow will be a very good game despite the situation Sevilla is in."And finally it is Juventus looking for their third straight victory against bottom side Moenchengladbach.

AFC Champions League previewTurning over to more football action, in Asia,Chinese Super League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande take on Gamba Osaka in the return leg of the semi-finals at the AFC Champions League.

Evergrande, aiming for double crowns this season, arrived in Japan with a 2-1 cushion having won the first leg at home and only needing a draw to make the final.

Coach Luis Felipe Scolari calls Osaka their "toughest opponents" since he took over Evergrande and asked his team to be alert.

Captain Zheng Zhi says they are going all out for away goals.

The game is set for 6pm Beijing time.

United Arab Emirates club Al Ahli have earlier made it into the final after a 3-2 win over Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia.

Al Ahli won 4-3 on aggregate to go into their first final at the tournament.

CFA Cup previewOver in China,Four teams hit the field tonight for the second leg of the semi-finals of the CFA Cup.

Jiangsu Shuntian hold a 2-1 lead over Shandong Luneng after the first leg. The CFA Cup is their sole focus as they are not in contention for the title in the Chinese Super League.

Shuntian can qualify for next season's AFC Champions League if they win this tournament.

Shandong Luneng have the chance to qualify from both third place in the domestic league and as winners of the CFA Cup.

They are fighting on double fronts but with no guarantee on either.

In more action,The only team from the China League Beijing Beikong host Shanghai Shenhua.

Shenhua won their first encounter at home 3-2.

Beikong have eliminated three Chinese Super League teams in a row, including city rivals Beijing Guo'an.

Tour de France 2016 route unveiledIn cycling,The route for next year's Tour de France has been unveiled.

The 103rd edition of cycling's most prestigious race will again have 21 stages.

It gets underway from Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy and goes counter-clockwise to take riders to the Pyrenees.

It hits the legendary Mont Ventoux on Bastille Day before twisting through the Alps.

It also features two demanding individual time trials.

The Tour's director general Christian Prudhomme calls it a route "for those who dare.""From the fifth to the 20th stage there will be stages in the mountains, so that anything is possible, so that it's not all concentrated on one or two days. For a few years now we've been trying to open up the range of possibilities."Double and defending champion Chris Froome welcomes the course and says it is a better suit for him.

"Personally, I think it does suit me better than this year's Tour de France did. It really does test every aspect of the cyclist -- there's time trialling, there's climbing, some really tough climbing, we're going back to Mount Ventoux again which was a nice surprise, and we can also see a lot of finishes close to the bottom of descents, quite tricky descents, so it's going to be quite a technical Tour de France also."The Tour will visit Spain, Andorra and Switzerland on its way to the finish line in Paris.

The grand start is scheduled for July 2nd.

EntertainmentDirector Zhang Wei Unveils Details of New Film 'The Sound of a Dream'

Chinese businessman-turned-director Zhang Wei is now filming with blind and visually impaired children, for the final scenes of his odyssey "The Sound of a Dream."Director Zhang Wei starts shooting the film in September at Mount Everest.

He indicates the cast and crew have gone through a rollercoaster adventure just like the characters in the movie.

"Our crew members experienced mountain sickness and frostbite. We have trekked through snow mountains, glaciers, valleys and river before arriving in the city, along with the children. In the film, the children go high up in the mountain and to the sea. They go on this great adventure and cross many bridges. In reality, the movie crew followed them on this journey. We had to plan ahead but we experienced a lot."The film portrays a life changing journey of three blind children, who leave Tibet to compete on a TV singing contest in the modern city of Shenzhen.

Known for depicting the lives of those who are marginalized in China, the director hopes the film can express the dreams and hopes of such children, rather than serving as a lecture urging care for the blind.

"The Sound of a Dream" is scheduled to be released in China next year.

Bill Murray and Kate Hudson Attend 'Rock the Kasbah' New York PremierBill Murray and Kate Hudson walked the red carpet for the premier of 'Rock the Kasbah' in New York City.

Well-known for his wacky sense of humor, Bill Murray seriously elaborates on his forthcoming comedy film.

"I haven't felt this way about a movie in a very long time, that something unusual was happening that we were really jumping over what was written and what was expected, making something much better than what we walked into at 6 o'clock in the morning and walking out every day going, 'I don't know.' It started with, 'Hey, this might be good. Hey, you know what? This could be really good.'"The 65-year-old actor plays a has-been rock manager, who discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice on a music tour in Afghanistan, and then manages her through Afghanistan's version of American Idol.

Kate Hudson, who also stars in the film, says she got a little nervous when working with Murray.

"but then you work with someone like Bill Murray and you definitely start thinking about all the work that you've admired for so long and it's just, you can't help but hope that, he enjoys the process as much as you're looking forward to the process. Because I wanted to have good chemistry with him and stuff so… but it was amazing. It was such a great, such a great experience."Superstars like Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga have appeared at the premier, to show their support for the upcoming comedy.

'Rock the Kasbah' is set to hit big screens on October 23rd in the United States.

Eight Celebrities Honored at Annual ELLE Women in Hollywood AwardsEight female celebrities were honored at the 22nd annual ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards in Los Angeles.

Kate Winslet expressed her thanks when receiving the honor.

"I think it's quite unusual to be able to pull a group of women together and get them in a room and have everybody show up and be on time. And it's lovely to have a moment of pause, like this one, where you can really be grateful, I think, and humble about why you're being asked to be here. And that's what it means for me. I feel very humbled by it."The Oscar-winning actress has spent the last two months getting out the world on the feature "Steve Jobs," in which she co-stars with Michael Fassbender.

The winners of this year's awards also include actress-producer Salma Hayek, comic-actress-writer Amy Schumer , and actress Carey Mulligan.

Kanye West Releases New SongsRap superstar Kanye West, who recently drew more attention for non-musical pursuits from fashion to declaring a presidential bid, unexpectedly unveiled two songs on Monday.

West, without comment, put two tracks on Soundcloud, his first postings on the free sharing website frequently used by little-known bands to promote their work.

One track is a new song, entitled "When I See It" and a new version of "Say You Will," the opening song on his chart-topping 2008 album.

It's unknown whether either song will be included on West's highly anticipated forthcoming album "Swish," which does not have a track list or release date yet.

The singer's last released album was in 2013, but he has remained constantly in the public eye.

In recent months, the husband of reality tv star Kim Kardashian scheduled a surprise show at New York Fashion Week and announced -- with an uncertain degree of seriousness -- that he will run for president in 2020.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jingping stressing the long history of China-UK relations in his address to the British Parliament...

The UK taking steps to attract more inbound tourism from the Chinese market...

And UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urges calm as tensions escalate between Israel and the state of Palestine...

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