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

Coming up on the program this morning...

China and France reach an agreement on climate change during the French President's time here in Beijing...

Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger....

And Russia pledging that it will continue to search for victims of the plane that crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

In Business....China's steel sector hitting a bump in the road in the first three quarters of this year...

In Sports..... China announcing two substitutions for its football national team...

And in Entertainment.... the 2nd China international circus festival kicking off today...

Top NewsChina, France Reach Deal on Climate ChangeAnchorChinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Francois Hollande issued a joint statement on climate change in Beijing on Monday, vowing to promote a working program to accelerate pre-2020 efforts in the areas of mitigation, adaptation and support during the Paris climate summit.

CRI's Victor Ning reports.

ReporterFrance will host the climate summit in Paris in December, which is largely expected to result in a global and binding agreement on addressing climate change.

During their meeting, the two leaders have called for an enhanced transparency system to build trust and confidence in the Paris pact.

They stressed that developed countries should continue to offer enhanced financial, technological and capacity-building support to developing countries in the post-2020 period.

President Xi said that China supports France as the host of the conference and voiced support for France to make the conference a great success.

"The upcoming climate summit in Paris marks a significant meeting in global efforts to cope with climate change. The joint statement from China and France delivers the message that the two sides are working to improve the multilateral process on climate change, so as to boost the upcoming climate negotiations in Paris and make the conference a great success."The two presidents have reaffirmed joint efforts to push forward a "legally binding" Paris agreement on the basis of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

"We would like to continue to work with full efforts with all the parties for a comprehensive, balanced and powerful achievement at the conference in Paris, based on principles of common but differentiated responsibility, fairness and individual capability."For his part, French President Francois Hollande said that in the joint declaration, China and France have promised to realise their national strategies of achieving low carbon emission development by the year 2050.

He also noted that China and France have shown their sincerity in dealing with the issue.

"I hope such agreements can be achieved at the climate change conference in Paris. In fact, China and France have shown our sincerity and common strategies of development in order to control the rise of the global temperature."President Xi and Hollande have pledged stronger cooperation in countering climate change in areas such as low-carbon transportation, renewable energy, and carbon capture and storage technologies.

The two presidents also witnessed the signing of 17 cooperation documents later on Monday, ranging from trade, finance, energy to environmental protection and cultural exchanges.

Hollande will also meet with other top Chinese leaders before wrapping up his two-day China trip on Tuesday.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Xi Jinping Meets With Henry Kissinger in BeijingChinese President Xi Jinping met with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in Beijing on Monday.

Kissinger is leading a US delegation to attend the fifth meeting of the China-US Track Two High-Level Dialogue.

Xi Jinping recalled his visit to the US in September, and emphasized the importance of developing a new model of major-country relationship between China and the US.

The president briefed the US delegation on the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, which adopted the 13th Five-Year for China's economic and social development.

Kissinger congratulated Xi Jinping on a successful visit to the US, adding that the two countries should enhance strategic dialogue and offset negative factors in bilateral ties.

The China-U.S. Track Two High-Level Dialogue mechanism was launched in Beijing in October 2009.

China Debuts First Large JetlinerAnchorChina has unveiled its first domestically produced large passenger jet as the country seeks to develop its domestic sector and challenge foreign industry giants for prestige and market share.

CRI's Luo Bin has the details.

ReporterThe C919, a narrow-body homemade jet which can seat 158 passengers, has been rolled out of the final assembly line after going under production at a facility in the commercial hub Shanghai for over a year.

Mavis Toh, Asia air transport editor for Flightglobal, says it is an answer to the industry giants Airbus and Boeing's aircrafts.

"The C919 is targeted as a competitor to the Airbus A320 and also the Boeing 737. This is a very significant programme for China because it's basically their – it's a major push for the country as they want to be known as a major player in the aviation manufacturing sector."The plane, developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, has a standard flight range of 4,075 km.

The company said it has won 517 orders from 21 customers home and abroad for the aircraft.

The aircraft featured 102 new applications of technology and materials, including third generation aluminum-lithium alloy materials, which were used for the body.

Li Xianping, deputy chief designer of the aircraft, says the design was coordinated by a digital prototype this time.

"Before, our designing was coordinated by a physical prototype, but now we use a digital prototype to coordinate the process. With the help of it we can visualize the overall structure and over 10-thousand parts of the aircraft."China is the world's largest civil aviation market, with its 21 largest airports seeing annual throughput exceeding 10 million passengers.

Wu Xingshi with the Project Expert Advisory Committee believes the plane will benefit the industry as well as the country's economy.

"Building a competitive industry through the independent development and marketing of the passenger plane will help push the transformation of the economic growth mode and the development of industrial technologies, strengthen national comprehensive strength and international competitiveness, and accelerate the pace of modernization."The C919 is scheduled to make its maiden flight next year and then begin test flights for about three years before putting into commercial use.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

Premier Li Encourages Cooperation of Younger Generation between South Korea and ChinaAnchorChinese Premier Li Keqiang is stressing the importance of the exchanges between the younger generation from China and South Korea, calling on them to make a joint effort in the field of innovation in industry.

Premier Li made the remark while addressing a forum attended by young talents from the two countries, as he wrapped up his visit to South Korea.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more.

ReporterStressing that communication among the younger generations is an important part of bilateral cultural exchanges, Premier Li Keqiang encouraged participants at the forum to seize the opportunity as both China and South Korea are seeking economic development driven by innovation.

"Now it is the best time for full cooperation between China and South Korea. There are some 60 thousand South Korean students studying in China, and the number of Chinese students in South Korea also reached that number. We hope that the number can continue to increase in the future, and these young students can start up their careers in the respective countries right after graduation. This could be a huge treasure for both China and South Korea."During Premier Li's visit to South Korea, the two countries reached agreements in a wide range of areas, including building up synergies between their own development strategies, and enhancing cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship.

South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn noted that cooperation among younger generations will be key to turn such initiatives into fruitful results.

"Since the two countries established diplomatic ties, cooperation between China and South Korea, based on the mutual friendship and trust among our leaders, have achieved unprecedented development. Now both the two countries are each other's strategic partners, and China is the largest trade partner of South Korea. We also signed the free trade agreement in June and the number of mutual visits has exceeded 10 million. In the future, cultural exchanges, especially among young people, will be important to deepen bilateral ties, and I wish this forum can play an important part to push for those exchanges in various fields. "The young leaders' forum gathers elites from the two countries in the fields of politics, economy, culture and also sports.

Among them is one of China's best Go players Chang Hao.

"I think communication is one of the most important things for exchanges between countries. I'm very happy to see that there are a lot of go lovers in China, South Korea and Japan. I also hope that the game can work as a bridge or an envoy of peace, to enable us to have more exchanges and better relations."China and South Korea have agreed to hold mutual visits by 100 young talents from each country in the next five years, and the young talents' forum will be held accordingly.

For CRI, this is Niu Honglin.

Exchange Mechanism between China, South Korea and Japan Needs More Follow-ups: ExpertAnchorFor more on these diplomatic activities that have taken place in the South Korean capital, our reporter Zhou Jinnan earlier caught up with Francis Fukuyama, the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.

Back AnchorThat is Francis Fukuyama, the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, speaking with CRI's Zhou Jingnan.

United States Pacific Commander Visits ChinaThe Commander of the United States Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris is currently in China for talks with Chinese defence officials, amid tensions over issues concerning the South China Sea.

Harris's visit comes as the US naval destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea last week, without notifying the Chinese government.

The intrusion prompted strong protests by the Chinese side.

The Chinese Defense Ministry earlier revealed that Admiral Harris' visit was pre-scheduled before the incident.

But experts note that such direct dialogues will help the two countries to manage differences.

Military observer Zhang Junshe.

"Admiral Harris is coming to China as part of the annual exchanges plan between the two military forces. It is pre-set. But at a time when the US dispatched their ship into the South China Sea without permission from Beijing, his visit shows that the two sides both have the consensus on how to manage the differences in a constructive manner, both having the wiliness to contain the disagreements. And I think that is the main goal for his time in China."It's been reported that Admiral Harry Harris will spend three days in China.

Revealed topics for discussion include personnel exchanges between the two forces and China's participation in the 'Rim of the Pacific' military drill.

Chinese Prosecutors Target "Money for Commutation"Chinese prosecutors have launched a campaign targeting convicts with money or power that are seeking commutation, parole or non-prison sentences illegally.

Supreme People's Procuratorate President Cao Jianming said in a bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee that commutation, parole or non-prison sentences are areas susceptible to corruption or miscarriages of justice.

"The public are strongly discontented that some criminals with money and power get commutation, parole or non-prison sentences illegally. Some criminals and their family seek lighter sentences through social relations and bribery. Their behaviors exert a negative impact on the public trust in the judicial system."A SPP report said more than 88,800 criminals were illegally released on probation, served their sentence outside of prison or have had jail terms commuted improperly between 2010 and August this year.

An amendment to the Criminal Law which took effect on Sunday ruled out commutation for most corruption suspects.

It aims to prevent the most corrupt criminals from serving shorter prison terms through commutation, and targets officials who illegally seek commutation, parole or non-prison sentences for their crimes.

China to Provide Free Senior High Education to More Poor StudentsChina is gradually providing free senior high school education to more poor students.

Vice president of the National Institute of Education Sciences Zeng Tianshan pointed out that China's senior high school enrollment rate is still lower than that in developed countries.

He said in face of the rapid development of higher education, senior high school education remains a weak link in the whole education system.

"The expansion of senior high school enrollment will not only help enhance the quality of higher education but increase the average years of schooling. Now the average is just 10.1 years. The development of senior high education is of great importance to improving the quality of the population."By 2020, China will provide free senior high education to all students in the country, with the gross enrollment rate expected to reach 90 percent.

China has adopted a double-track model for senior high education: the normal senior high education and a secondary vocational education.

Experts said enhancing the quality of senior high education in remote rural areas should be a top priority.

According to the communique of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, China will gradually exempt tuition fees in secondary vocational schools and give priority funding to poor students.

The exemption of tuition fees will benefit nearly 20 million secondary vocational students, nearly half of the population receiving free senior high education.

Russia to Continue to Search for Air Disaster VictimsAnchorThe Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has pledged that it will continue to search for victims of the plane which crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

ReporterAt a meeting in the Emergency Situations Ministry on Monday, Alexey Smirnov, Acting Head of the National Centre for Crisis Management, explained the details about the rescue operation's next moves.

"The third stage of the rescue operation is planned for tomorrow. The search area will be expanded to 30 square kilometres. And I ask for plans to be presented to the national centre before midnight. French experts from Airbus will proceed with work on the crash site, as well as representatives of the Interstate Aviation Committee and Egypt's aviation authorities."Discussing the cause of the tragedy, many analysts believe that an external factor could have caused the air disaster, such as a purely mechanical or physical action.

But Russian aviation authorities said it was premature to comment on the possible cause, and said the conclusions can be drawn only after the fragments and contents of the black boxes have been studied.

The plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders have both been recovered from the crash site.

Talking about comments saying that the Islamic Group may hit the plane down, Gerald Feldzer, a Paris-based aviation expert, denied that explanation, saying the IS group has neither the equipment nor skills to bring down an airliner.

Gerald, however, also suggests that it is "absolutely a possibility" that a bomb was smuggled into the hold of the plane.

"One thing is sure: If such a violent and sudden accident occurred, it might have been due to an engine explosion that could have set fire to the wing and led to the loss of control of the plane, which would have spun into a nosedive. Or, it also could have lost a part of its rudder. We can imagine this scenario but we can also imagine that the pilot in this situation would have sent a mayday distress signal since he was in contact with the control tower."Meantime, relatives of victims continue to arrive at a crematorium in the Russian city of St' Petersburg, with more bodies of the victims are expected to arrive in the city.

Officials say 130 bodies and 40 body parts arrived earlier, and latest reports show that 4 bodies have been identified so far.

Saturday's crash killed all 224 people aboard the plane, which was headed from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

International Space Station Marks 15th AnniversaryMonday marked 15 years of continuous human habitation on NASA's International Space Station.

Commander of the station Scott Kelly says the station serves as an important testing bed for space technology.

"It's clearly an orbiting laboratory, a world class orbiting laboratory at that. There are the exploration goals and the things we need to understand living in low earth orbit that will enhance our capability to explore further out into the solar system."Scientists are using the ISS as a testing ground to develop technologies that could eventually send humans to Mars.

The first station crew docked on November 2, 2000. Since then, 220 people have moved in and out of the station. The ISS is a 100-billion-dollar research laboratory that flies 400 km above Earth. It is collaboration between the US, Russia, Canada, Japan and a number of European countries.

The crew currently on board planned a celebratory dinner to mark the occasion.

Iran Begins Decommissioning Uranium Enrichment CentrifugesIran has begun decommissioning uranium enrichment centrifuges under the terms of the nuclear deal struck with six world powers in July.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi comfirmed this in an interview during a recent visit to Tokyo.

"We have already started to take our measures vis-à-vis the removal of the centrifuge machines - the extra centrifuge machines. We hope in two months time we are able to exhaust our commitment."Under the July 14 agreement, Iran is to curb its nuclear programme under United Nations supervision to ensure it cannot be used to make a nuclear weapon.

It is an exchange for the removal of sanctions that have isolated Iran and hobbled its economy.

Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, conditionally approved the deal last month, but the lawmakers said that beginning implementation so soon was against his directives.

UN Agency Warns Yemen Famine RiskUN World Food Program has warned that almost half of Yemen's 22 governorates are now facing food insecurity at emergency level, which is one step below famine.

Yemen has been facing a mounting humanitarian crisis since conflict broke out in the already impoverished Arab country in March.

The Middle East country's extremely fragile humanitarian situation may be further worsened when a category 3 cyclone is expected to hit Yemen's mainland.

These governorates have a combined population of about 1.8 million people, 1.4 million of whom are already considered in need of humanitarian support.

Syria and Opposition Be Should Involve in Follow Up of Vienna Talks: EnvoyThe International Envoy to Syria said the Syrian government and representatives of the opposition should be involved in the follow up of the Vienna talks.

Staffan De Mistura arrived in Damascus on Sunday, two days after world powers and regional rivals met in Vienna to try to find a solution to the country's four-year civil war.

He said all sides of the conflict should be involved in the process of finding solution.

"We have been discussing the aspects of the Vienna talks because the Syrian government was not present, neither was the opposition and I think it is very important that everyone, all Syrians should be involved and associated so that is my duty and I am doing it."The Vienna talks on Friday were attended by 17 countries, the European Union and United Nations.

Those taking part called for a nationwide ceasefire and the renewal of stalled U.N.-brokered talks between the government and opposition, but failed to agree on the issue of which role Assad should take in a future Syria.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 17 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 6.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 20 and a low of 14.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast with a high of 20 and lows of 16.

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

Kabul will be rainy with a high of 13.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 17 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 21 degrees.

Honolulu, rainy, 29.

Toronto will see sunny with a high of 18 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, cloudy with a high of 24.

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

Headline NewsChina, France Reach Deal on Climate ChangeChinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Francois Hollande have issued a joint statement on climate change in Beijing on Monday.

The two leaders have vowed to promote a working program to accelerate pre-2020 efforts in the areas of mitigation, adaptation and support during the Paris climate summit.

France will host the climate summit in Paris in December, which is largely expected to result in a global and binding agreement on addressing climate change.

During their meeting, the two leaders have called for an enhanced transparency system to build trust and confidence in the Paris pact.

The two presidents also witnessed the signing of 17 cooperation documents later on Monday, ranging from trade, finance, energy to environmental protection and cultural exchanges.

Hollande will also meet with other top Chinese leaders before wrapping up his two-day China trip on Tuesday.

India, Pakistan Skirmishes on Kashmir LoC Kills 2 Indian TroopersTwo Indian military troopers were killed Monday in skirmishes with Pakistan military on Line of Control.

During the skirmishes both sides used heavy machine gunfire and rockets to target each other.

According to the India Militaray force, Pakistan resorted to "unprovoked" firing in the sector.

The skirmishes have come days ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the restive region.

The troops of India and Pakistan have intermittently exchange fire on the 720 km-long Line of Control.

The Line of Control is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

S. African Policemen Arrested for "Killing Suspect"Four South African police officers were arrested on Monday for alleged involvement in the killing of a suspected robber.

The case is said to have taken place on Oct. 19th, but only came to light over the weekend as footage showed a police officer fatally shooting the suspect.

The suspect attempted to rob a shop and fired several shots at the policemen who were chasing him.

The video footage shows a policeman shooting him while his colleagues looked on.

The incident is expected to renew concerns about police brutality in South Africa.

China's Self-developed Mars Probe to be on ShowA model of China's Martian probe will debut at the 17th China International Industry Fair, to be held from Tuesday to Saturday in Shanghai.

The golden model, a third of its actual real size, has been given pride of place at China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.'s exhibition stand.

China plans to launch the Mars probe in 2020.

China's astronomers have set their sights on the Red Planet following a successful soft landing on the moon late last year.

Biz ReportsMarket PreviewTurning 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 posted solid gains Monday, as investors cheered over a batch of positive economic reports.

The final reading on October manufacturing PMI picked up to a six-month high at 54.1, up from 53.1 in September.

The overall October PMI registered 50.1 percent, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous month, was above market expectations.

Traders will also look to non-farm payrolls this week for hints on the timing of interest rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

At close,The Dow rose over 0.9 percent.

And the S&P 500 gained 1.2 percent.

The Nasdaq jumped 1.5 percent.

In corporate news, shares of Visa fell nearly 3 percent after the company posted lower-than-expected quarterly profits.

Visa also announced a definitive agreement for Visa to acquire Visa Europe, creating a single global company.

In other markets, Oil prices drop amid supply glut worries, Gold futures was down on technical trading, while the U.S. dollar traded mixed.

Meanwhile in Europe, London's FTSE 100 posted little gains on positive economic data.

British manufacturing PMI gained momentum to hit a 16-month high of 55.5 in October. The data showed a solid improvement on the upward trend.

Germany's DAX surged nearly one percent.

France's CAC 40 added 0.4 percent.

Finally here in China, the shares closed lower on Monday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was down by 1.7 percent, while the smaller Shenzhen index lost over 2 percent.

Chinese Steel Companies Report Wide-ranging Losses in the First Three QuartersAnchorListed Chinese steel companies have reported wide-ranging losses in the first three quarters against the backdrop of sluggish demand.

Five of the 11 listed steel companies last week reported a collective net loss of 5.6 billion yuan, or 880 million U.S. dollars, compared with that of 1.4 billion yuan during the same period last year.

Another six listed steel companies have also released forecasts, projecting losses from 4.5 billion yuan to 5.4 billion yuan.

Meanwhile, reports also show that the steel output in the first nine months of this year dropped 2.1 percent from a year ago. Apparent domestic consumption fell 5.8 percent.

China currently has 1.25 billion tons of annual crude steel capacity, a surplus of around 300 million tons.

For more on this topic, we're joined by Gao Shang, commodity analyst with Guantong Futures.

Taking pointsQ1: What reasons do you think caused these losses for China's steel companies?

Q2: The steel industry is one of the most important industries here in China. How will the current situation of the steel industry impact on the national economy in a broader sense?

Q3: Reports say China makes nearly half the world's 1.6 billion tons of steel. Many countries in the world have been importing a large amount of steel from China every year. How might this slow down influence importers?

Back AnchorGao Shang, commodity analyst with Guantong Futures.

China to Boost Modernization of LogisticsChinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday urged modernization of logistics to boost domestic consumption.

In a written instruction, he urged departments and local authorities to undertake reforms and innovation to map supportive policies and cut logistics costs.

Li noted that popular entrepreneurship and innovation will be further encouraged and services in these areas will be improved.

Vice Premier Wang Yang is vowing to turn logistics for domestic trade into a new engine for economic development.

Domestic consumption contributed to 58.4 percent of GDP growth in the first three quarters amid government efforts to steer away from over-reliance on investment and exports.

China Unveils Detailed Scheme to Deepen Rural ReformChina unveiled a rural reform plan on Monday, underscoring the importance of developing modern agriculture and raising farmers' income.

The outline released by the State Council said that by 2020 the agricultural management and rural collective property rights systems will both be improved.

It also notes reforms to the rural land system will be rolled out as pilot programs, and the rural financial system will also be reviewed and improved.

China has witnessed substantial improvements to rural development over the past decades with the yields of summer grain reaching a record high in 2015 after 11 straight years of increase.

10-year Development Roadmap for New Energy Automobile ConfirmedPart of details on new energy automobiles roadmap under the "Made in China 2025" strategy were unveiled by Chinese media on Monday.

It's been reported that the annual sales volume of China's new energy automobiles will reach 20 percent of the total demands in the automobile market up to 2025.

Annual sales volume of self-owned new energy automobiles is set to exceed 1 million.

In line with the new plan, independent new energy automobiles will reach over 80 percent of the market share.

The government will formulate innovation and development planning for new energy automobiles linking the industries in order to realize this goal.

Air China Makes Maiden Flight to Ethiopia's CapitalChina's leading airlines, Air China, on Monday made its maiden flight to Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.

This has become the second destination of Air China's destination in Africa, after South Africa.

Air China touched down at the Bole International Airport in the capital of the East African country.

With this new route, Air China will make thrice a week flights between Beijing and Addis Ababa.

The city is a seat for headquarters of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

HSBC to Set Up Majority-owned Securities JV in ShenzhenHSBC has reached an agreement with Shenzhen Qianhai Financial Holdings to set up a majority-held securities joint venture in the Shenzhen Qianhai free trade zone.

The agreement means that HSBC will enjoy more preferential policies than its rivals.

Currently overseas investors are allowed to hold a maximum 49 percent stake in securities joint ventures in China.

The joint venture is subject to regulatory approval.

After getting the green light, it will conduct a full range of investment banking and securities businesses in China.

The joint venture will take advantage of preferential policies in Qianhai, a pilot free trade zone that focuses on the development of a modern services industry.

EPA Finds More VW Cheating Software, Including in PorschesU.S. environmental regulators on Monday said Volkswagen AG had installed emissions-control cheating devices in its diesel luxury vehicles in model years 2014 through 2016.

The move pulls Volkswagen's luxury brands, Porsche and Audi, deeper into the emissions cheating scandal.

Among the diesel models officials named as being in violation of U.S. laws are the Porsche Cayenne sport utility vehicle and five Audi models, including the A6 sedan and the Q5 SUV.

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned after the group admitted cheating in diesel emissions tests in the US, triggering the company's biggest business scandal in its 78-year history.

In the wake of the emissions scandal Volkswagen posted its first quarterly loss in at least 15 years.

SportsChina Announce Two Substitutions for National SquadBeginning with some off-pitch football news here in China.

China have announced two substitutes for the national squad for the World Cup qualifiers.

Zhang Chiming and Feng Xiaoting are recruited to take the place of Sun Ke and Ji Xiang who were both injured in their last game in the Chinese Super League.

Coach Alain Perrin made the decision so Zhang can fill in for Sun on the left flank and Feng can work on defense.

Team China are left with little option but to win the qualifier against the team from Hong Kong in 10 days time or will face elimination from the Asia top 40.

Guangzhou-based Company Acquires La Liga ClubGuangzhou-based tech company Rastar Group has acquired La Liga club Espanyol for 65 milllion Euros.

Espanyol's former president Dani Sanchez confirmed that the Chinese company took control of the club to invest in sporting activities in Spain.

It is the first time that a Chinese company has become a shareholder of a club from the top flight of Europe's elite football leagues.

Rastar Group is the third Chinese enterprise to partner with La Liga clubs amid increasing interest in the market.

Q-Bao is already sponsoring both Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad. China's richest man Wang Jianlin and his Wanda Group are behind Atletico Madrid.

Mourinho Receives Ban, Fine; New Manager for Aston VillaOver in England, in the Premier League,Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has received a one-match stadium ban and a 40-thousand-pound fine for misconduct towards a referee.

Mourinho admitted to the charge regarding his language and behavior towards referee Jon Moss during Chelsea's game against West Ham United.

Mourinho was set to the stands for that game which Chelsea lost 2-1.

The ban means he will miss this weekend's game at Stoke city.

Mourinho had previously received another stadium ban, which he is appealing against, for criticizing the referee from Chelsea's 3-1 home defeat by Southampton last month.

Elsewhere,Aston Villa have appointed Remi Garde as their new coach.

The former Lyon boss joined Aston Villa on a three-year contract, succeeding Tim Sherwood who was sacked last week following six straight defeats in the Premier League.

Aston Villa have just had a 3-1 defeat by Tottenham this morning under interim coach Kevin MacDonald.

Garde's first game in charge will be this weekend's home game against Manchester City.

Rugby World Cup AwardsIn rugby,The All Blacks are headed home to New Zealand after successfully defending their World Cup title against Australia and becoming the first team to have done so.

Before leaving they celebrated the Team of the Year award and fly half Dan Carter was named Player of the Year for the third time in his career.

Carter says it is an unexpected surprise and feels like "a fairy tale finish".

"I never expected this (award) I was just happy to be part of this World Cup winning side but to win back to back World Cup's and have the finish on what has been an amazing career, I've just been so fortunate. When you win awards like these, you can't help but think of your team mates. These are the guys that got me to where I am and it's a special bunch of guys and I'm just blessed to be part of a unique team."Michael Cheika received the Coach of the Year award for leading Australia to the brink of a World Cup victory just 12 months after taking charge of the team.

While admitting it is a bittersweet moment, Cheika has reasons to be proud of what he and his team achieved.

"There's two parts to what we're doing. There's trying to win matches and do our best to win all of the games that we play and any tournaments that we play in. And then there's also the part where we're trying to get our supporters enjoying the game and Australian's enjoying the game. Even if rugby is not their favourite sport, it might be their second, and just to ride the wave with us and that's what we want to try and do, make Australia proud everytime that we play."Cheika's World Cup final counterpart Steve Hansen is unsure whether he would continue to coach when his contract runs out in 2017.

New Zealand's World Cup winning captain Richie McCaw on both occasions also remains doubtful about his career.

Before they make their decisions the All Blacks will hold victory parades in Auckland and Christchurch later this week.

ATP World Tour Masters ResultsNow some tennis results from the opening round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Paris,Dusan Lajovic forced Nicolas Mahut an early exit, downing the home favorite 7-5, 6-3.

Andreas Seppi brushed off Pablo Cuevas 7-5, 6-3.

Bernard Tomic crushed Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-2.

Alexander Dolgopolov defeated Jiri Vesely 6-3, 7-6,Dominic Thiem is the only player who faced some tougher challenges, conceding a set to Adrian Mannarino but eventually coming through 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

Entertainment2nd China International Circus Festival Kicks off in Zhuhai CityThe second China international Circus Festival kicked off in Zhuhai City, southeast China's Guangdong Province.

Performers are presenting shows including comic clowns, acrobatics in the air and on the stage, magic and more.

American clown actor Rubin performed at the festival, as an old lady in a red dress. He's been bringing laughter to people all around the world in that outfit.

According to him, coming here to China may help him with his acting career.

"To me the character's always developing and I'm still developing. The excitement for me of being here is to find out what the audience like from here. Because I know what the audience like in New York and I know what the audience like in part of Germany like. This is the fun for me as to adjust and figure it out."This year, some 30 acrobats and circus teams from 20 different countries and regions will take part in the event's competition section which will run till Thursday with an awards ceremony.

During the ceremony, two Gold, three Silver and four Bronze Tiger Awards will be presented to competing troupes.

The festival will continue its community outreach programs after the competition phase to bring selected performances to local citizens.

The 2nd China international Circus Festival runs until December 1st.

Adele's "Hello" Becomes First Song to Sell One Million in A WeekAdele's "Hello" is reported to be the first song to sell one million copies in a week.

Nielsen Music announced that the singer's comeback track has set a new record, as it sold 1.11 million digital copies.

Flo Rida's "Right Round" previously held the record for most downloads in a week with 636,000.

"Hello" has also been regarded as the highest-selling number one song in three years.

The track brought in combined sales of some 330 thousand in its opening week, the largest since X Factor winner James Arthur's track "Impossible" in December 2012.

Adele's third album "25" is set to be released on November 20th.

CBS to Produce New Version of 'Star Trek'

US TV broadcaster CBS has announced to release a new production of the classic franchise 'Star Trek'.

The new version is due out on the heels of the show's 50th anniversary celebration.

CBS president also indicates some new characters will be introduced, in terms of exploring imaginative new worlds and new civilizations.

Being one of the devoted fans thrilled by this news, Dimitrios Fragiskatos, manager of Midtown Comics Grand Central could hardly hold back his excitement.

"Because I feel like they're going to be focusing on Kirk and Spock and the rest of the original cast in the movies, I'm excited to see a whole new cast of characters exploring completely different areas, a completely different crew, captain."The brand-new 'Star Trek' will premier on January 2017 on CBS.

Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller's 'Burnt' to Open in UKBradley Cooper and Sienna Miller's new chef drama 'Burnt' is going to hit big screens in the UK.

The film portrays a double Michelin-star chef, played by Cooper, who is looking for a fresh start in London after nearly destroying his career with drugs and bad behavior.

The 40-year-old actor star gives more details on what the film is about.

"It's really a story about people and their relationships and the world is this culinary world of a two Michelin-star restaurant going for its third, and it's really just a peek behind the curtain of a very intense environment, where you have a lot of people that are very driven having to work together for a goal."Directed by John Wells, actress Sienna Miller co-stars in the film as one of Cooper's chefs.

'Burnt' is expected to open in UK on November 6th.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

China and France reaching an agreement on climate change during the French President's time here in Beijing...

Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger....

And Russia pledging that it will continue to search for victims of the plane that crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

In Business....China's steel sector hitting a bump in the road in the first three quarters of this year...

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.