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

Coming up on the program this morning...

China's new Five Year Plan of National Development laying out a new path to economic prosperity with innovation at its core...

China set to end its decades long one-child policy in a bid to promote long-term economic growth...

And Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her visit to China...

In Business....China clairifying rules for foreign investors to tap into the mainland market...

In Sports..... Chinese player Marco Fu of Hong Kong crashes out of the International Snooker Championship...

And in Entertainment.... Chinese suspense thriller 'The Witness' opens for screening today in both China and Korea.

Top NewsChina's New Five-year Plan Highlights Path to ProsperityThe Communist Party of China has decided on the country's course for the next five years, targeting medium-high levels of economic growth, highlighting innovation and abandoning the decades-long one-child policy.

The four-day Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee has adopted proposals for economic and social development in the 13th Five-year Plan of national development, covering 2016 to 2020.

The new program is vital for the final countdown to reaching China's first Centenary Goal, which is to double 2010 GDP and the 2010 per capita income of both urban and rural residents by 2020, completing the building of a moderately prosperous society.

The Centenary Goal is in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the CPC's founding in 1921.

A communique released after the meeting says the country will underpin development as a top priority.

The country is aiming to achieve its economic goal by ensuring more balanced, inclusive and sustainable development.

The country will promote greater sophistication in its industrial sector and significantly raise the contribution of consumption to economic growth.

Experts estimated China must retain an annual growth rate of at least 6.5 percent over the next five years to reach its goal of doubling 2010 GDP by 2020.

Innovation to be Put at Core for China's 5-year PlanAnchorAccording to the communiqué released following the 5th Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, innovation will be placed at the core of China's development path in the next 5 years.

CRI's Xie Cheng with more on what this new focus on innovation means for China's economic growth going forward.

ReporterThe communiqué said that a number of sectors including science, technology and culture need to be made more innovative, and that China will continue to encourage mass entrepreneurship in the hope that it will lead to new technology.

Zhu Jianfang, an economist from CITIC Securities, spoke highly of the communiqué.

"It's unprecedented that innovation has been put into a very important position, especially a core position for China's future development, and it might even bring all the country's future tasks together."For his part, renowned economist Ma Guangyuan believes that innovation plays a crucial role in China's future development, especially to accomplish the goal of building a society of moderate prosperity in all respects by 2020.

"Innovation will be indispensable for China's economy's further development, and the emphasis will become much lower on previous measures such as entirely relying on material factors, human resources or exports. Those countries which have been able to avoid the middle class income trap also prove that innovation is necessary after going through relatively rapid development period."He notes that a system on public policies supporting and encouraging innovation needs to be formed.

The government has taken a series of measures to promote innovation, such as planning to encourage a system nurturing innovation and seeing to a better allocation of resources including labor, capital land, technology and management.

A range of measures for emerging businesses such as financial support, supporting infrastructure and administrative assistance have also been announced.

Zhu Jianfang suggested that innovation will not only influence China's economic and social development, but also bring benefits for a series of industries.

"The institutional and technological innovation will stimulate high-end manufacturing to develop on a higher level. Service industries, such as medical care and elderly care, will also gain greater scope for development, since innovation will bring institutional changes on those industries."Statistics shows that over 3.1 million new companies were established in China from January to September.

In this period, the high-tech sector reported 10.4-percent growth in value-added output.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

New Family Planning Policy to Benefit China's Overall Growth: OfficialAnchorThe head of China's health and family planning services has commented on the plans to allow two children per couple. The official says the move will strengthen the country's demographic structure and provide a better template for future economic growth.

CRI's Victor Ning reports.

ReporterOn Thursday, the Communist Party of China announced a plan to abolish the decades-long One-Child Policy, allowing all couples to have two children. The announcement came amid increasing concerns over China's rapidly aging population and shrinking work force in recent years.

Li Bin, Director of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, says the change in policies will facilitate China's overall growth in the long run.

"The new policy will improve the demographic structure of China, increase labor supply, ease pressure brought by an aging society, facilitate the healthy growth of China's population, and further contribute to the sustainable development of the economy. "According to official data, China had a population of 1.3 billion at the end of 2014, while 15 percent of them were above the age of 60 and 10 percent over the age of 65. China's labor force peaked at 940 million in 2012, dropping to 930 million by 2014. The figure is expected to decrease by another 29 million by 2020. The new plan announced on Thursday is expected to slow that decline in the long run.

Li Bin says the government will next work on updating current policies and regulations to implement the new plan.

"We will ratify and improve our policies and regulations, to focus on reproductive health, and strengthen services on women's health and childcare. We will also simplify policies to better serve those affected by the new plan, especially those families who may have special needs in terms of family planning. "A final layout of the new policy is expected to be ratified by China's top legislature next March.

The new policy is expected to benefit around 100 million families across China.

In Beijing, a just married 27-year-old woman surnamed Wang expressed her delight after Thursday's announcement.

"My husband and I want to have two children because we were both raised in two-child families, and we enjoyed it. We knew that the one-child policy would be abandoned at some point, but we never thought it would come so soon. It's come in time for us!"Some factors, however, could limit the new policy's short-term outcomes. Yuan Xin, a professor with Tianjin's Nankai University, says people born in the 1970's may be more enthusiastic about having a second child, while those born in the last three decades have no urgent desire to do so. Some have cited the high costs of child-rearing as a challenge for many young couples.

China launched the One-Child Policy in the 1970's to curb the surging population. The policy has reduced China's population growth by about 400 million since then. The policy was later relaxed to allow two children for couples who were both only children.

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee ruled in November 2013 that couples are allowed to have two children if one of them is an only child.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

China Will Continue to Encourage Mass EntrepreneurshipMeanwhile, the communique from the fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee has said that China will continue to encourage mass entrepreneurship.

It says the country will better integrate the Internet with traditional industry to drive economic growth in the next five years.

The communique also says the government will intervene less in price formation, deregulating pricing products and services in competitive sectors.

The country will also boost the development of the big data sector.

QA with Andrew Colquhoun on CPC Session CommuniqueFor more on the communique from the plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee, CRI's Luo Wen earlier spoke with Andrew Colquhoun, Head of Asia-Pacific Sovereigns, Fitch RatingsBack: Andrew Colquhoun, Head of Asia-Pacific Sovereigns, Fitch Ratings, speaking with CRI"s Luo Wen.

CPC Meeting Confirms Major Officials' ExpulsionThe fifth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee on Thursday endorsed prior decisions to revoke the membership of 10 former officials, including Ling Jihua.

Ling is a former vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

He was found to have seriously violated political codes of conduct and CPC rules, taking advantage of his posts to seek profit for others and accepting huge bribes.

Previous decisions to strip the officials of their membership were made by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

According to the CPC constitution, a decision to expel a member or alternate member of the Central Committee must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote at a plenary meeting of the Party committee to which he or she belongs.

Xi Jinping meets German Chancellor MerkelChinese president Xi Jinping met visiting German chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday evening in Beijing.

The two sides have agreed to maintain a sound, stable and sustained comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi Jinping called on China and Germany to consolidate trust, accommodate their respective core interests and major concerns, and achieve new progress.

He urged Germany to help facilitate China-EU personnel exchanges and speed up negotiation on a China-EU investment treaty.

Merkel in turn vowed to boost bilateral trade, industrial and financial cooperation, and participate in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Earlier Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Merkel witnessed the signing of 13 cooperation agreements, including a deal for China to buy 130 aircraft from Airbus.

With a list price of 17 billion U.S. dollars, it is one of the largest orders China has ever placed with the European aviation giant.

Angela Merkel, Li Keqiang Hold Talks in BeijingAnchorChinese Premier Li Keqiang has already met with Merkel upon her arrival in Beijing.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen reports.

ReporterFollowing a red-carpet welcoming ceremony, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has sat down with the visiting German Chancellor for talks lasting some two-hours at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Premier Li Keqiang says he's pitched the idea of creating an intergovernmental mechanism between China and Germany so the two sides can coordinate with one-another on their respective development strategies.

"China and Germany should enhance innovation, as well as coordinate our "Made in China 2025" strategy with Germany's "Industry 4.0" strategy. On the one hand, Germany's industrial growth and technological developments needs bigger markets, such as China. On the other hand, China can learn advanced concepts and technological innovations from Germany, as well as help German companies broaden their markets. Both countries can compliment one-another. I've also committed that the Chinese government will protect German companies' intellectual property rights."Its said the two leaders also exchanged their thoughts on regional economic cooperation, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the internationalization of the renminbi and the prospects of a China-EU Free Trade agreement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says its her country's hope China's ongoing economic transition will provide new opportunities.

"I certainly have confidence in China's economic growth. Each nation has different stages of economic development, along with some fluctuations. At this particular moment, Chinese economy is in need of innovative development, especially a larger investment on green economy. Germany can be acted as a great partner in this respect. Both nations have great potential for collaborations in industrial strategies, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as production of consumers' goods."Merkel also says she hopes to see China and the EU sign a bilateral investment agreement at "an early date."Meanwhile, both leaders also talked about strategic issues, including the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Angela Merkel says a solution needs to be hammered out in Syria quickly.

"We need a diplomatic political solution, and in view of the more than 300,000 dead and the millions of refugees in Syria the time is urgent and I am really happy that there are at least signs for a format of talks that will bring the necessary participants together, and the faster the people in Syria can be helped the better."Premier Li Keqiang says the Chinese side also wants to see something done quickly in Syria.

"The urgency of resolving the Syrian situation has been increasing. We think the most important thing right now is to seize the opportunity to implement a political resolution and set up an equal, inclusive and open political line of discussion."The German Chancellor is leading a delegation from Germany which includes 20 different business leaders representing the machinery, automotive, electrical and telecommunications sectors.

On top of her time in Beijing, Merkel is also due to make a stop in Li Keqiang's home province of Anhui, where she's due to co-chair a business development meeting along with the Premier.

This trip represents Merkel's 8th visit to China since taking over as German Chancellor in 2005.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

Chinese Officials Say Preparations for AIIB Well UnderwayAnchorChinese officials say the country is in full swing for the official launch of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank by the end of this year.

CRI's Qian Shanming reports.

ReporterSpeaking at an international seminar held by China's Finance Ministry, deputy head of the Chinese working group of the bank Chen Huan said China is ready to go.

"We are planning to start our banking business at the end of this year and we will formally launch the AIIB next year. Everything is going on smoothly according to our schedule. We are ready to start assessment of the investment projects. Once they are approved by the board of directors, the projects will get started soon."The National People's Congress, China's legislative organ, will examine the AIIB agreement in November.

If approved, it will lay the legal framework for the setup of the bank.

The China-proposed bank now has 57 founding members.

It needs at least 10 nods from the members to get the agreement into effect.

Meantime, the equity amount of the 10 members should be no less than 50 percent of the total equity of the bank, which is 100 billion US dollars.

An official with China's Finance Ministry Zheng Quan said China's approval will be crucial.

"As the first majority shareholder of AIIB, if China approves the agreement, the amount would be 30 percent. With the approvals from other members, the remaining 20 percent will be done and the bank will be established as a legal person. So China's approval is very important."Currently, the Asia-Pacific receives an annual investment of 20 billion US dollars from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

However, the money is still hardly enough to meet the booming demands for infrastructure construction in the region, even with the participation of the AIIB.

Chinese vice Finance Minister Shi Yaobin said the private sector is encouraged to take part in the investment, including the Public Private Partnership, or the PPP model.

"According to China's Commerce Ministry, the total amount of private assets in Asia-Pacific has reached 35 trillion U.S. dollars, but private investment for infrastructure and interconnection is limited. The PPP model will mobilize more funds and increase the supplement of infrastructure as well as improve the efficiency in using the fund. Next we will cooperate with other economies to share experiences and promote more PPP projects in Asia-Pacific."Officials said infrastructure projects in energy, transportation, rural construction and urban development will be the priorities of the bank.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

50 countries have signed the bank's articles of agreement this June, laying the ground rules for officially launching the multilateral lender.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

Paul Ryan Becomes the New House SpeakerAnchorRepublican Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin was elected the new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. The newly elected speaker used his first speech in the post to call on the House to unite and do the people's business.

CRI Washington chief correspondent Xiaohong reports.

Ann: 45-year-old Ryan became the youngest House Speaker in 140 years after receiving 236 votes Thursday morning. Outgoing Speaker John Boehner made the announcement.

Ryan urged lawmakers of in the chamber to reconcile with each other to fix a "broken" House.

"The House is broken. We're not solving problems, we are adding to them."Ryan vowed to change the way of doing business in the colloquially-named "People's House," giving the rank-and-file members a greater say in drafting new legislation.

"The committees should retake the lead in drafting all major legislation. If you know the issue, you should write the bill."Ryan was the Republican nominee for vice president in 2012. During his 17 years in the House, he also served as chairman of two of the most powerful committees, namely, the Budget and Ways and Means committees.

When House majority leader Kevin McCarthy shocked the caucus by dropping his bid for the post, Ryan became the clear favorite among all fractions and was elected by his Republican colleagues on Wednesday for the Speaker's job. However, the fact that some stanch conservative Republicans did not cast their votes to support Ryan showed that the fractious House Republican Conference remains as big a challenge to Ryan as it was to Boehner.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.

UN Calls for 'Comprehensive Approach' on Refugee CrisisUnited Nations officials are hailing the upcoming international talks over Syria, calling them an opportunity for a much needed "comprehensive approach" to the current refugee and migrant crisis in Europe.

Spokesperson for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Stephane Dujarric said the secretary is very encouraged.

Europe is dealing with the largest refugee crisis since World War II as the civil war continues in Syria.

The usual pattern of the migrant season ending by autumn has been overturned this year, with refugee centres in Turkey and Lebanon remaining overcrowded.

Asylum applications in the European Union are expected to surpass one million in the current year.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 13 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 1.

Shanghai will see slight rain with a high of 17 and a low of 14.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast with during the daytime with a high of 19 and lows of 15.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 25.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 20.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 14 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 8 degrees.

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

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsChina's New Five-year Plan Highlights Path to ProsperityThe Communist Party of China has decided on the country's course for the next five years, targeting medium-high levels of economic growth, highlighting innovation and abandoning the decades-long one-child policy.

The four-day Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee has adopted proposals for economic and social development in the 13th Five-year Plan of national development, covering 2016 to 2020.

The new program is vital for the final countdown to reaching China's first Centenary Goal, which is to double 2010 GDP and the 2010 per capita income of both urban and rural residents by 2020, completing the building of a moderately prosperous society.

The Centenary Goal is in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the CPC's founding in 1921.

A communique released after the meeting says the country will underpin development as a top priority.

The country is aiming to achieve its economic goal by ensuring more balanced, inclusive and sustainable development.

Chinese Military Chief to Visit Pakistan, IndiaFan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, will visit Pakistan and India in mid-November.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun says Fan's visit will aim to strengthen military exchanges with the two countries, safeguarding regional peace and stability.

Yang also announced that Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan will attend the third ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur from Monday to Thursday.

The meeting involves defense ministers from the 10 ASEAN nations and their regional dialogue partners, including Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

British, Chinese Universities to Open New Joint Institute in Central ChinaBirmingham City University announced that it will open a new institute in central China's Hubei Province to Chinese and international students in September next year.

Birmingham City University and Wuhan Textile University will see the Birmingham Institute of Fashion and Creative Arts open to a new intake of 300 students.

Main subjects at the institute cover arts, design, media, computing, engineering and built environments.

The courses will be taught in both Chinese and English, and students can get internationally recognized British bachelor's degrees. They can also choose to spend half of their studies in Britain.

Biz ReportsMarket PreviewAnchorTurning 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 inched down on Thursday, as the country's economic growth in the third quarter came out weaker than expected.

U.S. real gross domestic product or GDP expanded at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the third quarter, down from the revised 3.9 percent increase in the second quarter and missing market expectations of 1.7 percent.

On a year-on-year basis, the American economy increased 2 percent in the third quarter, which is the slowest expansion since the first quarter of 2014.

Meanwhile, initial claims for unemployment benefits indicate that the U.S. job market remains solid.

Last week, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims was 260-thousand, below the market consensus.

At the closing bell,Dow Jones was off 0.1 percent.

S&P 500 edged down 0.04 percent.

The Nasdaq decreased 0.4 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe, the equities also closed lower on Thursday.

At the closing bell,UK's FTSE 100 was off 0.7 percent.

Germany's DAX finished off 0.3 percent.

France's CAC 40 closed off 0.1 percent.

Finally in China, the stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.4 percent.

And the smaller Shenzhen index gained 0.6 percent.

China Targets Transparency to Woo foreign investorsChina is expected to attract more foreign investors by being clearer on the rules that apply to them.

The statement released on Thursday following the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Policy leaders have decided on nationwide adoption of the "negative list" model that outlines sectors and businesses that are off limits to foreign investment.

This can ensure protection of foreign investors' rights and better allocate their funding.

The committee has also encouraged coastal areas to get more involved in global trade, calling for more manufacturing bases and cross-border economic zones.

Meanwhile, the service sector in particular should be further opened to foreign investment.

During the first three quarters, the value added of the service industry accounted for over 50 percent of GDP.

Starwood & Baidu MallAnchorTime to check in with some of the stories making headlines from the corporate world this week.

It's being reported that three Chinese companies have expressed interest to the government in bidding for U.S. hotel giant Starwood.

The three potential bidders include Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels, HNA Group and sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corporation.

Starwood runs a wide range of brands, including the older Westin and Sheraton, as well as the trendier new W hotels.

The company currently has nearly 1,300 properties in 100 countries.

At this point, the three Chinese firms have all submitted their proposals, a necessary step before they can formally enter the bidding process.

For more on this topic, we are joined on the line by Doug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief with Reuters.

Questions1. What is leading these three Chinese companies to bid for Starwood, given the generally high degree of risk that investments in the hospitality sector tend to carry?

2.Based on Starwood's latest market value of $15 billion, if one of the three succeeds, this deal could mark the largest single purchase ever of an offshore asset by a Chinese buyer. What impact might this deal have on the market value of Starwood going forward?

Chinese internet giant Baidu has launched its Baidu Mall B2C e-commerce platform.

The platform focuses on mid- to high-end products sold by third-party merchants, and sells apparel, food as well as beauty products.

Both Chinese and foreign brands are available on the platform.

Up to now, some international brands, such as Haagen-Dazs, Estee Lauder, Clarks, Colombia, Philips, Aimer, LV Group, all have storefronts on the platform.

Questions1.As we know, Baidu has been hoping to enter the e-commerce market for a long time, but the process has been less than smooth. As a search engine, do you think Baidu Mall will work?

2.Under the current situation of the e-commerce industry, the market has been monopolized by some domestic giants, such as Taobao and JD.com. Is there a viable path for Baidu to develop its e-commerce business?

Back AnchorDoug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief with Reuters.

Chinese, German Exchanges Launch Off-shore RMB Trading CenterThe Shanghai Stock Exchange, China Financial Futures Exchange and German Borse Group have launched a joint venture for the trading and pricing of off-shore yuan-denominated assets.

The move aims to promote use of the Chinese currency in the European financial market, helping the internationalization of the yuan.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange and German Borse Group each will hold 40 percent stake of the joint venture, while the China Financial Futures Exchange holds 20 percent.

The joint venture is set to be established in Frankfurt and start trading on November 18.

Alibaba Sells Dutch GoodsChinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has opened a section to sell Dutch products on its Tmall Global marketplace.

The launch came before China's November 11 online shopping extravaganza offers opportunities for both Chinese consumers and Dutch merchants.

Alibaba signed deals earlier with major Dutch retailers including Royal Ahold, Albert Heijn and Attent, during the visit to China by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and a delegation of Dutch companies.

Other countries including South Korea, the United States, Britain, France and Australia will also offer millions of products during the November 11 promotion.

Meantime, Alibaba travel unit Alitrip has agreed with KLM and the Netherlands travel authorities to promote travel to Holland.

They have launched an online flight ticket office targeting Chinese tourists as well.

Spring Group to Launch Chain of Hotels in JapanSpring Group, the parent company of Shanghai-based Spring Airlines, is launching a new hotel brand in Japan.

The new brand, SpringSunny Hotel, is a joint venture between Shanghai Spring Investment Management and Japan's property service provider Sun Frontier Fudousan.

The two sides are planning to invest some 166 million U.S. dollars over the next five years to expand the brand in Japan's major tourism hotspots.

The idea to open hotels comes after Spring Airlines opened direct flights from some Chinese cities to Osaka, Japan.

SportsMarco Fu out of International ChampionshipStarting things off with the latest snooker action from the International Championship,Hong Kong's Marco Fu fell to David Gilbert 6-5 in the quarter-finals to mark the end of Chinese representation in this event.

Fu saved a match point to force Gilbert into the deciding frame. Fu stumbled when in a 10-point lead to set Gilbert on a clearance to take the frame and match.

Gilbert will face Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the first semi-final of his career.

Other action from the last eight,Mark Selby beat Neil Robertson 6-4,John Higgins downed Joe Perry 6-3.

CSL PreviewNow some football action that's coming up this weekend,Nothing is decided yet ahead of the last match day of the Chinese Super League.

Beijing Guo'an and Guangzhou Evergrande will lock horns in this season's grand finale at Beijing's Workers' Stadium tomorrow.

The game will decide if Evergrande can win their fifth title and if Guo'an can qualify for next season's AFC Championship.

Evergrande are two points ahead of Shanghai SIPG. A disputable buzz equalizer from Shandong Luneng last week prevented Evergrnade from being crowned at home.

Guo'an are fourth place, down by one on goal difference on Shandong Luneng and still in contention of a third-place finish.

A Japanese referee has been invited for this showdown.

Second-placed Shanghai SIPG take on Liaoning Hongyun,And third-placed Shandong Luneng will play Shijiazhuang Everbright.

It is also a battlefield at the bottom of table as teams fight to stay in the CSL.

One team will join Shanghai Shenxin and be relegated to the China League nextseason.

Guizhou Renhe and Tianjin Teda are in the red zone but Hangzhou Greentown is not safe.

Sharapova, Radwanska in Semi-finals of WTA FinalsIn tennis,Maria Sharapova is in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals after beating US Open winner Flavia Pennetta 7-5, 6-1.

Pennetta's career came to an end as she bows out of action.

The 33-year-old is proud of herself and thinks it's the right moment to go.

"It's the perfect way. Of course, it's the perfect way to finish a career, I think. If some player can peak and choose when they want to finish, they are going to choose for sure this way. And the other part is it's not easy to say goodbye, because you are in your high moment and... but it is the way I feel. I mean, I'm a little bit tired to fight every week. I need some time for me, for my family, for Fabio (Fabio Fognini), for just... I mean, I am a little bit old for tennis. Not for life, but for tennis. A little bit."The result also secured Agnieszka Radwanska's second place in the group and sent her into the last four.

Radwanska had earlier defeated top seed Simona Halep 7-6, 6-1.

Scheduled to play today are Angelique Kerber against Lucie Safarova,And Garbine Muguruza takes on Petra Kvitova.

In men's action,Roger Federer was pushed into the third set but came through against Philipp Kohlschreiber to reache the quarter-finals at the Swiss Indoors.

Richard Gasquet had a straight-sets victory over Dominic Thiem 7-6, 6-4.

Mexico GP Returns to Calendar on Day of the DeadIn formula one,The Mexico Grand Prix returns to the calendar after a 23-year absence.

Drivers will be racing on the revamped circuit this weekend as Mexico celebrates its "Day of the Dead"holiday.

Lewis Hamilton received an ornamental skull which he hopes can bring him good fortune.

Even with a third world championship under his belt, Hamilton finds it hard to quench the thirst for more victories.

"I'm here to have some fun this weekend. I've been having fun all year, but it's a little bit more of a relaxed weekend in that sense for me, but you know this is the first Mexican Grand Prix for 23 years so I want to win it. I want to be, a driver always wants to put their stamp on the first race in that territory, so that's my, that's my goal"The Mexico Grand Prix kicks off with the first practice session at midnight Beijing time.

Van Zyl leading Turkish Airlines OpenIn golf,Jaco van Zyl from South Africa fired a 11-under round of 61 to take a three-shot lead after the opening round of the Turkish Airlines Open.

Van Zyl had nine birdies and an eagle to go into sole lead.

Rory McIlroy is in a seven-way tie for fourth place, down by six shots but still leading the field on the Race to Dubai list.

McIlroy, who is still looking for his form and breaking down his mental barriers, is happy that he is improving.

"I feel like I'm practiced. It has been there. It's been good. I got into a couple of little swing flaws, but feel I've worked them out a litle bit. I'm still... you can see out there, I'm rehearsing a couple of moves and... I've got a couple of little swing thoughts, which is a good thing this week, because it takes my mind off the result and if I can just keep focused on these couple of swing thoughts that I have, it's a good place to be mentally and I can just go and try and execute the shots the way I want to."The Turkish Airlines Open is the season's last tournament in the European Tour series which leads up to the Dubai World Championship.

Some LPGA action from earlier,Lin Xiyu is in a one-shot lead after the first round of the Blue Bay event in Hainan.

Feng Shanshan and Ye Ziyi share a tie for 16th place at one-over.

Teenager Zhou Jiayi closed at 11-over.

Entertainment'The Witness' Opens in ChinaChinese suspense thriller 'The Witness' opens for screening today in both China and Korea.

Starring Yang Mi, Luhan and Zhu Yawen, the film is a remake of the Korean suspense film 'Blind'.

The film features a blind girl and a young boy, who accidentally become the witnesses of a rainy night kidnapping. The plot develops as the pair teamed up to hunt down the murderer, though their testimonies are completed in contrast.

'The Witness' marks Chinese singer Luhan's comeback to big screens, after topping box office with the romantic comedy 'Miss Granny' this January.

Earlier this month, the film has released its theme song 'Medals' sang by the 25-year-old singer and actor.

The film's director Ahn Sang-hoon has also directed the 2011 South Korean crime thriller 'Blind'.

'The Witness' has received wide praise after a screening in selected theaters in China.

It is scheduled to be released in select theaters in the U.S., Canada, and several other international locations.

Shanghai Disneyland to Launch Chinese-themed MerchandiseThe Shanghai Disneyland has announced that it will launch special merchandise with Chinese cultural elements to celebrate its opening next year.

Disney's creative vice president in the Greater China Region, Allen Yeung, says this idea is set to stir excitement among Chinese visitors when the theme park opens.

"This is one of the most, kind of, interesting product we have done -- kung-fu shoes. As you see, how we marry our Disney creatives with a local product. This is a very good example of what we're trying to do for The Walt Disney Company in China."The Chinese-themed merchandise will also include Chinese-style tea sets featuring the iconic duo Micky and Minnie Mouse.

Other additions to its merchandise lineup will include Chinese calligraphy and ink painting works, China-themed gold jewelry, and Disney character-inspired moon cakes.

Yeung unveils more details of inspiration behind their design.

"We have a local artist here working with us in the team and he's quite enjoying making a Minnie. So he really has a full understanding about the art and culture in China. And it's something that to him, kind of do some study, and that's how we come up with the scene, hopefully making a Minnie."He also indicates the company plans to collaborate with China Post, to issue stamps and first-day covers that merge Disney characters with traditional Chinese patterns.

Official figures show that the Walt Disney Company sells 38 items every second in China.

US Singer Akon to Release New Album through Free AppAmerican singer Akon surprised the fans by releasing his first albums in seven years through an free app.

Fans can get free access to the songs as long as they put up with a scrolling list of ads at the bottom.

Moreover, they can gain credit allowing for purchase digital goods and unlock more song, by interacting more with the app.

The 42-year-old singer elaborates on this unusual way to release music.

"This is going to be the first time ever done. The fist time it's ever been done in the history of music. Music has always been trying to figure out from a corporate standpoint how to get a grip on digitizing and monetizing content from a web based space. So ultimately this is going to be the solution for it".

According to the Associated Press, some 200,000 have already registered to receive the app when it's released in the next few weeks.

Nielsen Music tracks Akon's lifetime sales at 8.1 million album equivalents in the U.S., supported by 409 million streams on audio and video platforms.

Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz and Naomie Harris Atten 'Spectre' Berlin PremierThe all-star cast from new James Bond film 'Spectre' are now promoting the film in Berilin, Germany.

Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, and Naomie Harris walked the red carpets for the German premiere, following the film's world premiere in London on Monday and screenings in Rome and Zurich on Tuesday.

Craig, in his fourth performance as James Bond, has highly praised the film when spoke with fans before the screening.

"I don't really know what the secret is, I just think that everybody involved tries to make the best movie they can and we all work incredibly hard to sort of make something that is entertaining, exciting to watch."This new installment depicts James Bond's first-ever encounter with the global criminal agency known as Spectre, and peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind the agency.

Sam Mendes is back in the director's seat, following his success with the previous Bond film, "Skyfall," which took over 1.1 billion US dollars worldwide.

'Spectre' is due for general release in China on November 13th.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

China's new Five Year Plan of National Development laying out a new path to economic prosperity with innovation at its core...

China set to end its decades long one-child policy in a bid to promote long-term economic growth...

And Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her state visit to China...

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.