The Beijing HourMorning EditionSpencer Musick with you on this Wednesday November 18th 2015.

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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping arriving in Manila for the two-day APEC Economic leaders meeting...

The death toll of a landslide in east China's Zhejiang Province rising to 31, with 6 still missing.

French authorities raiding properties in the hunt for evidence and accomplices to Friday's Paris attacks...

In Business.... China and Singapore to work on upgrading their current free trade agreement negotiations.

In Sports....the Chinese national team drawing team Hong Kong in the world cup qualifiers...

And in Entertainment.... Charlie Sheen drops a bombshell by revealing that he is HIV positive...

Top NewsPresident Xi arrived in Manila; Preview of this year's APECAnchorChinese President Xi Jinping is now in Manila for the two-day APEC Economic leaders meeting that starts on Wednesday.

President Xi is due to speak about the progress in carrying out the Belt and Road Initiative, while updating the consensus made at the last APEC meeting in Beijing last year.

The American and South Korean presidents are also among the leaders who have arrived in the Philippines for the meeting.

Most heads of the 21 APEC members, with the exception of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, have promised to attend the summit, despite the latest terrorist attacks in Paris.

Economic integration, small and medium enterprises, and sustainable growth are expected to be high on the agenda under the theme of "Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World."Building the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, or FTAAP, is also likely to be discussed by leaders in this region.

APEC members reached consensus on the Beijing Roadmap to push forward the FTAAP process during last November's summit here in Beijing.

For more on the preview of APEC leaders' meeting, CRI's Wang Mengzhen earlier spoke with He Weiwen, senior researcher at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University.

Back AnchorThat was He Weiwen from Renmin University speaking with CRI's Wang Mengzhen.

APEC economies growth slows to 3.1 pct in Q2The 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders Summit is ongoing in Philippines' capital Manila.

According to an economic analysis released on Tuesday, the growth among 21 APEC economies softened to 3.1 percent in the second quarter of 2015, down 0.3 percent from a year ago.

To release the prolonged weakness in global economic activity, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Alan Bollard, said leaders from 21 economies in Asia Pacific will focus on the development of micro, small and medium enterprises.

"One is micro and small and medium enterprises where we are trying to find ways to ensure that they can use supply chains to export and import, that they can make use of new electronic technologies to do that. And that we ensure things like trade agreements, and various developments around the border are all not just done for big businesses, but for small businesses as well."Bollard added China has been playing an active role in boosting regional economy and trade.

"China has put in place a number of initiatives about new drivers of growth. And we now have a range of technical working groups and APEC is working away on those particular in initiatives. And some of those have been reported back to ministers this year. In addition, China helped us establish economic activity blueprint. "The report forecast the economy in APEC region will grow by 3.1 percent in 2015, slightly below the 3.4 percent in 2014.

In 2016, the APEC region is expected to post a stronger GDP growth rate of 3.4 percent.

China's participation important for APEC CEO Summit, says chairmanChairman of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit Tony Tan Caktiong said China's participation at the ongoing meeting in Manila is of great importance.

He said China's large presence with a delegation comprising over 200 members reflects the country's key role in the global economy.

"So I think whatever China does of course will affect everybody. That's why we need China to be actively participating. And we are so happy that there's a big delegation of, aside from the government side, the private sector side. The CEOs are coming and that's a very good sign."Tan said the summit will focus on developing a cooperation system for the service industry in order to increase personnel exchanges.

He also said he is looking forward to the highly anticipated speech from Chinese President Xi Jinping set for today.

The CEO summit runs from Nov. 16 to 18.

Premier Li to attend East Asia leaders' meetingsChinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the annual East Asia leaders' meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Nov. 20 to 23.

Chinese Vice Minister Liu Zhenmin says all parties will exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern.

"Premier Li will present China's policies on cooperation among East Asian countries, and will offer some creative ideas for pragmatic cooperation, with stable East Asia growth as the medium-term objective so as to elevate East Asia cooperation to a new level."Li will also pay an official visit to Malaysia at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak.

"They will exchange views on bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation in various fields, working out a road map for developing bilateral relations. They will witness the signing of a series of documents for cooperation in the economic, trade, cultural and judicial areas."Malaysia has been China's largest trading partner among ASEAN countries since 2008.

Chinese FM calls on China, U.S. to transform challenges into opportunitiesChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China and the United States should focus on transforming challenges into cooperation opportunities, which meets the common interest of both countries and the international community.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Philippine capital.

Wang said China and the United States enjoy potential for cooperation in broad fields, adding that the two sides should make efforts to expand consensus and manage differences with proper means.

For his part, Blinken said that the United States is willing to work with China to effectively address various hotspot issues and global challenges.

Blinken added the United States supports China in hosting the 2016 G20 summit, and is willing to make positive efforts for the success of the meeting.

Death toll rises to 31 in China landslideDeath toll of a landslide in east China's Zhejiang Province has risen to 31, with 6 still missing.

The landslide buried 27 homes in Lidong Village, Liandu District of Lishui City.

More than 300 villagers have been relocated.

China's Weather bureau has forecast torrential rain tonight, which might hamper the rescue efforts.

The local government has also decided on a location for new buildings.

A land replacement plan for the affected farmers will be completed in a week.

Staff with the Ministry of Land and Resources have been dispatched from Beijing to carry out inspections in the neighboring mountainous area and prepare to organize an evacuation if necessary.

Blast at market in northeastern Nigeria's Yola kills over 30: ReutersA blast has struck a market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Yola on Tuesday evening, causing heavy casualties.

Reuters is reporting that the blast has killed over 30 people and wounding 80 others, citing the Red Cross.

The explosion occurred at a fruit and vegetable market beside a main road in the Jimeta area of Adamawa's state capital around 8pm local time.

Nobody has claimed responsibility but reports say the blast bore the hallmarks of militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

Russia Labels Downing of Passenger Jet a Terrorist ActAnchorRussia announced on Tuesday that terrorists were responsible for downing the Russian passenger plane in Egypt last month.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

ReporterThe head of Russia's Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov revealed that the plane crash was the result of a terrorist attack, and that explosives were used to orchestrate it.

"According to our experts, a homemade explosive device equivalent to one kilogram of TNT went off onboard, which caused the plane to break up in the air, which explains why the fuselage was scattered over such a large territory. I can certainly say that this was a terrorist act."Bortnikov had already communicated the findings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has said Russia will strengthen its military operations in Syria and punish those responsible for the attack.

On Tuesday, Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said the Kremlin's decision to disclose the findings was facilitated by last week's terrorist attacks in Paris.

"Apparently the political situation is developing more swiftly with the attack on Paris and it was understood in Moscow that maybe it's important to push forward the official disclosure about a breach of security in Sharm-el-Sheikh and a bomb exploding on board."Egyptian authorities have said they will take into consideration of Russia's findings and incorporate them into a more comprehensive investigation process.

The Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation Hossam Kamal said on Tuesday that Egypt is yet to conclude its own investigation of the incident.

"The investigation team hasn't found any evidence of criminal activity in this accident, until now. As for the technical aspects, we have put possible scenarios in place. These scenarios are being studied now, and as soon as we find out any conclusion, whether technical problems or criminal activity, we will be the first to announce it."On October 31, a Russian Metrojet Airbus crashed over the Sinai Peninsula, shortly after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh. The plane was carrying mostly Russian tourists to St. Petersburg. All 224 on board perished in the crash.

Russia has offered 50 million US dollars in rewards for information leading to the arrests of those responsible for the attack.

Meanwhile, at a St Petersburg crematorium, people have continued to bring in flowers and candles to commemorate the lives lost.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Russia Intensifies Air Strikes at Targets in SyriaRussia is firing air-launched cruise missiles from long-range bombers against Islamist militants in Syria, stepping up its air strikes against militant targets.

The move comes on the heels of Kremlin announcing a manhunt for those responsible for downing a Russian airliner over Egypt.

Russia has just concluded that a bomb attack brought down its passenger jet over Egypt last month, killing all 224 people on board.

Russian air forces have carried out around 23-hundred missions in Syria in the last 48 days.

French police raids houses, hunting for evidence and accomplicesFrench authorities continued raiding properties on Tuesday in the hunt for evidence and accomplices to Friday's Paris attacks claimed by Islamic State.

Police raided houses in Paris suburbs where attackers are believed to have stayed before the attacks in Paris which killed at least 132 people.

The police named two of the French attackers. Ismael Omar Mostefai, 29, of Chartres, southwest of Paris; and Samy Amimour, 28, from the Paris suburb of Drancy.

One top suspect, Belgian-born Frenchman Salah Abdeslam, remains at large.

French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency allowing administrative arrests and searches sans warrant following the bloody attacks.

French investigators believe the Paris attacks may have been ordered by Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian national now living in Syria.

Seven Suspects Arrested in Germany over Paris Attacks ReleasedGerman police have released seven suspects arrested earlier on Tuesday under suspicion of a possible connection with the Paris attacks.

Police say that security checks found that none of the suspects had links to last Friday's attacks.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere says authorities acted on a tip that one of those arrested might be a key suspect sought in the attacks.

However, he adds that it is not the man whom authorities are seeking.

He stressed that there was further concern that one of the culprits fled to the neighboring country of France and calls for the continued strengthening of border controls.

Belgium increases terror threat level to 3 for whole countryBelgium has increased its terror threat level from 2 to 3, the highest level across the country, and canceled a football match against Spain scheduled for Tuesday evening.

The Belgian interior ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that there will be a reinforced police presence in the country with a high population density and at big events.

The statement said organizers must make prior contact with the interior ministry to assess the risk of big events.

Belgium was due to play Spain at the King Baudouin stadium to the north of Brussels, with an estimated 50-thousand strong crowd. Some 600 police officers and army officers had been called in to patrol the event.

The Belgian football union said they are disappointed that the match has been cancelled but they cannot take any risks when it comes to safety.

No explosives found after football match cancelled in HanoverA soccer friendly between Germany and the Netherlands has been canceled at short notice due to threat of terrorist attacks at the Hannover stadium in northern Germany on Tuesday.

Interior Minister of German state of Lower Saxony said no suspects have been arrested and rumours about explosives have been so far not been confirmed.

Most fans were waiting outside of the stadium when the order to evacuate came about an hour and a half before kickoff.

"There were lots of people all of a sudden who told us that we had to leave the stadium as fast as possible. It'll be evacuated. Please do not panic, just leave the stadium very fast. So we did go outside, nobody knew why, even the employees had to leave, first they said that they found a suit case with explosives, but now this has been revised. Now they say that there were 'conspicuous people' in the stadium. We know nothing."German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several cabinet ministers were expected to attend the match, which comes four days after the terrorist attacks in Paris that killed more than 130 people.

Police see no terror tie seen in attempt to open door on Boston-bound flightA female passenger who was apparently intoxicated attempted to open an exit door on a Boston-bound British Airways flight on Tuesday, prompting people on the plane to restrain her.

Passengers aboard the airplane praised the British Airways crew and said they had everything under control.

"The crew pretty much had her subdued without very little problems. She wasn't shouting, she wasn't thrashing, seemed more like a panic attack."British Airways said the crew had asked police to meet the flight due to the unruly passenger.

The Massachusetts state police spokesman said there was no indication of any terroristic intent on the part of the woman, who was taken into custody after the aircraft landed at Boston Logan International Airport.

The FBI said it was responding to the incident.

US House leader urges 'pause' in Syrian refugee programUS House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday called for a pause in a White House program to settle Syrian refugees in America.

"The majority leader and our committee chairs are developing a plan to address the Syrian refugee crisis. Our nation has always been welcoming, but we cannot let terrorists take advantage of our compassion. This is a moment where it is better to be safe than to be sorry. So we think the prudent, the responsible thing is to take a pause in this particular aspect of this refugee program in order to verify that terrorists are not trying to infiltrate the refugee population."The discovery of a Syrian passport near the body of one assailant involved in the Paris attacks last Friday has stirred fears in US legislators and governors.

Ryan has won the support of half of US state governors in urging President Barack Obama to suspend the refugee scheme, which aims to admit 10-thousand Syrians in fiscal year 2016 which began October 1.

Between October 2011 and November 14 of this year, the United States admitted more than 2,000 Syrians for resettlement as refugees.

Ryan said he and committee chairs in the House of Representatives were working on legislation to address the Syrian refugee crisis.

US Tiny Homes Movement in the U.S. Grow SlowlyAnchorThere is growing enthusiasm in the US for downsizing homes and making life simpler in the process.

As CRI's Xie Cheng reports, people have been inspired by the so-called tiny house movement.

ReporterHilary and Shane Lentz, a couple from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had been considering a major downsize for years.

"The thing that I wanted to see for myself was, does it feel really tiny, like do you feel claustrophobic when you're in here? And I was pretty surprised, I did not feel all that closed in feeling, like even up in the loft, which is kind of you know a smaller space up there, it was very comfortable."Now a Harvard University project has given them a taste of what it would be like, and this is the idea of Harvard's graduate students who've created a startup called "Getaway", which makes tiny cabins available for vacation rentals.

Jon Staff is the CEO of the "Getaway".

"There are a lot of people who book our getaway Tiny Houses, they're doing so because they're really excited about building their own tiny house and they want to test drive tiny house living."Harvard University rents out tiny houses for 99 US dollars a night.

People considering joining the tiny house movement can give it a try in a 160 square foot space for a night or two.

Jay Austin built his 145 square foot home in an urban farm in the middle of Washington DC three years ago and doesn't regret the move.

But he says others who are looking for a location need to be persistent.

"I would say just go for it. I would find land, find you know kind of the will to build, or to buy and if a city official, a zoning official, or a town official tells you that a tiny house is not illegal ask for that citation."Industry experts say it is hard to pinpoint actual numbers behind the trend.

According to The National Association of Realtors, the number of buyers purchasing small homes, which are properties of less than a thousand square feet has remained around one percent for the past five years.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

China seeks more co-op with Turkey in building subwaysChina has become an active supporter in building Turkey's subway system in the capital city Ankara.

So far, 18 out of the 30 subway trains in Ankara have been made by China's leading high-speed railway maker CSR and Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive.

Osaman is a staff member of CSR-MNG rail company, a joint venture between CSR and Turkish MNG holdings. He appreciates China's rich experience in railway building.

"80 percent of the workers are from Turkey. Because of the lack of enough expertise in Turkey on the railway sector, we have brought industrial experts, and a strong management team from China to train our local workers and engineers."Meanwhile, Fu Weichen, general manager of the joint venture, says China also hopes to build an industrial cluster in the country.

"The establishment of this company was the result of implementing the One Belt One Road initiatives and the result is complementary to each other. China has provided technology and funding and Turkey has the demand and market. This is a win-win result."Set up in 2013, CSR-MNG has become the most advanced equipment manufacturer in Turkey.

Baidu partners with China CITIC Bank in direct banking businessChina's biggest online search engine Baidu is ready to collaborate with China CITIC Bank to build a direct banking business.

China CITIC Bank will officially announce the strategic partnership on Wednesday.

So far, details about the cooperation have not been revealed.

Baidu is expected to finally enter the private banking market, through the partnership with CITIC.

Baidu's rivals - Alibaba and Tencent - have already successfully acquired licenses for private banking by forming alliances with different partners.

WeatherBeijing will be overcast with a high of 5 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 3.

Shanghai will see slight rain with a high of 18 and a low of 14.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast with during the daytime with a high of 18 and lows of 16.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 24.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 14.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 16 degrees.

Washington, slight rain with a high of 18 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 30.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 16 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 27.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsSenior Chinese Military Officials Visit India and RussiaVice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong on Tuesday met with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi in New Dehli.

Fan said the Chinese and Indian defense officials had agreed to uplift the level of cooperation between armed forces of the two countries, properly handle differences and take effective measures in maintaining peace and stability in their border areas.

Modi said he was satisfied with the implementation by the two militaries of the consensus reached by Chinese and Indian leaders on maintaining border peace and stability.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.

Xu hailed the high-level growth of bilateral comprehensive partnership of strategic coordination, which brought along the fruitful cooperation of the two countries' armed forces.

Putin on his part praised the China-Russia all-around cooperation as one crucial factor for world peace and stability.

DPRK still mulling Ban's visit to PyongyangNorth Korean authorities are still mulling UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to Pyongyang.

The official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday that the visit has not been confirmed, but it did not deny Ban's likely trip to the North.

It has been over 20 years since former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali visited North Korea in 1993.

Ban planned to visit Kaesong Industrial Complex, an industrial zone jointly operated by both Koreas, in May but the visit was later canceled due to a sudden withdrawal of approval from Pyongyang.

Gold coins, hoofs found in 2,000-year-old Chinese tombChinese archaeologists have discovered 75 gold coins and hoof-shaped ingots in an aristocrat's tomb that dates back to the Western Han Dynasty around 2-thousand years ago.

The gold objects are the largest single batch of gold items ever found in a Han Dynasty tomb.

They were unearthed from the tomb of the first "Haihunhou" or Marquis of Haihun in east China's Jiangxi Province.

Leader of the excavation team said the gold objects appear to have been awarded to the marquis by the emperor.

Researchers are still working through the main chamber of the tomb in the Haihunhou cemetery, the most complete known Western Han Dynasty cemetery.

Biz ReportsTurning 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 narrowly mixed after volatile trading Tuesday, as investors digested a batch of economic reports.

The Dow and the Nasdaq ended with little gains.

The S&P 500 fell a fraction of a percent.

The U.S. Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers increased 0.2 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, in line with market consensus.

The so-called core CPI, which strips out food and energy costs, edged up 0.2 percent in October, a similar increase as seen in September. The core CPI rose 1.9 percent over the past 12 months.

The fed on Tuesday reported that U.S. industrial production declined 0.2 percent in October after decreasing by the same margin in September.

Investors also kept a close eye on the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee due out Wednesday.

In corporate news, shares of Wal-Mart rose 3.5 percent, after the retail giant reported quarterly profit that beat estimates.

Meanwhile in Europe, stocks posted strong gains, bouning back from uncertainty caused by the deadly attacks in Paris.

British benchmark FTSE 100 added 2 percent.

Germany's DAX added 2.4 percent.

France's CAC 40 surged 2.8 percent.

Finally here on the Chinese side of things:

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed virtually flat, and the smaller Shenzhen index lost 0.9 percent.

China, Singapore to upgrade FTAAnchorChina and Singapore have started talks aimed at upgrading their current free trade agreement negotiations.

The two sides are expected to conclude the negotiations by the end of next year.

The CSFTA, which came into force in January 2009, was the Chinese government's first such agreement with any Asian country.

Under the current terms, 95 percent of Singapore's exports to China are already duty free, while there are no tariffs on all Chinese exports to Singapore.

For more on this, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke with John Ross, senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.

Back AnchorJohn Ross, senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University speaking with CRI's Shane Bigham.

Iran says won't negotiate with OPEC over output hikeOPEC member Iran says will not negotiate with OPEC over a planned half million barrels per day oil production hike once sanctions are lifted.

The Iranian oil minister said Tuesday that despite a supply glut keeping crude prices low, Iran has consistently said it plans to up its output when nuclear-related sanctions are lifted under a deal agreed in July with world powers.

Bijan Zanganeh said share is a higher priority over just crude prices.

"We should not be worried about the price. Those who have taken advantage of the absence of Iran to increase their production and have benefited should worry. Our export will double after sanctions are removed. So if the price is halved, it will not affect us. We will maintain our previous revenues."Zanganeh said sanctions on Iran are expected to be lifted in early 2016, allowing for the 500,000 barrel per day hike, followed by a further ramping up of one million extra barrels per day one year later.

China to enforce checks to fight low-quality goods bought onlineChina's State Administration for Industry and Commerce will ramp up inspections of goods bought online.

The move is seeking to root out low-quality goods that have plagued firms like Alibaba as well as the country's broader international image.

There will be random quality checks for goods bought online, and the authority will take into account consumer reports, and press for cooperation from e-commerce platforms.

Companies like Alibaba, rival JD.com and a plethora of others have been called out by China's regulators for enabling the sale of low-quality goods as well as counterfeit products.

But authorities are also keen to shake off China's broader reputation as a market plagued by consumer safety scares and intellectual property infringement.

This is in line with what earlier this month China's Cabinet said that it planned to eradicate intellectual property rights infringement on the Internet within three years.

China to build more NEV chargers before 2020Authorities in China are going to build more than 12 thousand new charging stations before 2020 to fulfill the demands of over five million new energy vehicles.

According to a new guideline released on Tuesday, 4.8 million new charging piles will also be built around the country in 5 years.

New stats show that China could have more than 5 million NEVs by 2020 based on government incentives, with more than 4.3 million being electric cars for personal and official use.

At the end of last year, China only had 780 stations for charging vehicles and changing batteries, as well as 31,000 piles serving a total of 120,000 vehicles.

The government has putting efforts to promote the use of new energy cars with measures including subsidies, tax reductions and increased convenience in aquiring number plates.

China to ensure circulation of new 100-yuan noteChina's central bank on Tuesday said that it will enhance supervision on the circulation of a new version of 100-yuan banknote in use since last Thursday.

The new note, the largest denomination of the Chinese currency, is harder to counterfeit and easier for machines to read due to enhanced security features.

In the initial stage, some business owners are reluctant to accept this new banknote as they are not familiar with the counterfeit features.

The central bank said in a statement on its website that they can learn the new features of the note from its official website or commercial banks.

The authority said it could need some time to upgrade money detecting machines for all retailers, but the central bank will provide assistance during the process.

Walmart is selling $10 Android phonesU.S. leading retailer Walmart recently started selling a LG Android Smartphone that will cost you ten bucks.

The device features a 3.8-inch touch display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 3-megapixel camera and Android 4.4 KitKat.

There is no contract, which means anyone could pick up a completely functional, working Android device for $10.

However, customers note the phone to be very outdated but nonetheless are better than specs of the original iPhone.

Amazon lists the same device at 60 U.S. dollars.

For the time being, the $10 sale price phone is out of stock.

SportsChina Draws Hong Kong 0-0 at 2018 World Cup QualifierStarting with some football news:

The Chinese national team has to accept a goalless draw with team Hong Kong in Group C of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian Zone qualifying tournament.

This has made the chance for the national team to enter the last stage of the Asian Zone qualifying campaign much slimmer, since only the eight group winners and four best second-place teams will gain the entry.

Currently Qatar is topping Group C with 18 points after defeating Bhutan 3-0, while the Chinese national team is at third and team Hong Kong rank second.

It is going to be difficult for the national team to be one of the four best performing runners-up among the 8 groups on goals, even if it wins its remaining two games against the Maldives and Qatar.

It's also been claimed that the national team should have won the game but Yu Dabao's goal in the 77th minute was ignored by the referees.

England Defeats France 2-0 at Friendly MatchSome other football news:

England has beaten France 2-0 at a friendly match held in Wembley Stadium in London.

England Midfielder Dele Alli took a return pass from Captain Wayne Rooney and scored the first goal in 39th minute of his first debut.

Then Alli sent Raheem Sterling away on left wing and he crossed for Rooney to volley the second goal for England in 48th minute, which sealed the final victory.

A minute of silence was held ahead of the game to pay tribute to the victims killed in the deadly terror attacks in Paris.

CBA Schedule/NBA ResultsIn basketball,Several games on tap in the Chinese Basketball Association tonight.

Beijing Beikong will take on Bayi.

Jiangsu Tongxi will compete against Shanxi.

Qingdao will take on Beijing Ducks.

Jilin will play against Shanghai.

And Guangdong will go up against Zhejiang Guangxia.

----------------------------Taking a look at some NBA results from yesterday:

The Chicago Bulls have extended their winning streak after edging the Indiana Pacers 96-95.

Jimmy Butler, who scored 17 points for Chicago, denied Paul George's jumper with a smother defence to help the Bulls hold on for the final victory.

Derrick Rose from Chicago got 23 points and 6 assists but departed with about 6 minutes remaining due to an ankle sprain.

In other action:

The Boston Celtics downed the Houston Rockets 111-95.

San Antonio beat Portland 93-80.

And Dallas defeated Philadelphia 92-86.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------There are several games coming up later this morning.

The Denver Nuggets will play the New Orleans Pelicans.

Cleveland will take on Detroit.

Minnesota will play against Miami.

And the Toronto Raptors will take on the Golden State Warriors.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Kei Nishikori Beats Tomas Berdych at ATP World Tour FinalsIn tennis, at the ongoing ATP World Tour Finals in London:

Japan's Kei Nishikori has defeated Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

The victory has boosted Nishikori's hopes of reaching the semi-finals after defeat to Serbia's Novak Djokovic in his opening match.

The Japanese world number eight clinched the first set on serve with a pinpoint forehand winner past the wrong-footed Czech world number six.

But Berdych reeled off 5 games in a row with some thunderous winners in the second set and finally win the second set.

Then, at the deciding third set, Nishikori was able to fend off a big attack from Berdych who later got two forehand errors.

Nishikori finally secured victory with a love hold.

IAAF Announce Inspection Team to RussiaThe International Association of Athletics Federation has announced a 5-man inspection team set to verify the reforms programme in Russia.

The move is set to enable the All-Russian Athletics Federation to gain reacceptance for IAAF membership.

Rune Andersen, a Norwegian international anti-doping expert, will run as an independent Chair for the team, while other 4 members are all IAAF Council Members.

Rune said they'll try their best to ensure that fair and honest competition is guaranteed.

Russia has been suspended from all international competitions after several its track-and-field athletes were accused of doping, including the upcoming 2016 Rio de Janerio Olympic Games.

England Defeats Pakistan in ODI Series: CricketMoving on to cricket:

England has defeated Pakistan by six wickets to take a 2-1 lead in their four-match one-day international series in Sharjah, reaching 210-4 in 41 overs.

A battling fifth-wicket stand of 117 runs between James Taylor and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler led England's batting effort.

Taylor reached his half-century in 51 balls while Buttler finished off the match with a six off Pakistan's Iftikhar Ahmed.

England captain Eoin Morgan expressed his joy at a news conference.

"It is very pleasing considering we are a young side who lack a little bit of experience, I think it says quite a big deal about, sort of, the progress that we are making at the moment. We do accept that we will have little blips here and there, but the actual learning curve that we're going through is very significant and was sort of epitomised in that partnership today, the match-winning partnership."England lost the first match by six wickets in Abu Dhabi but won the second at the same venue by 95 runs.

The 4th and final match will be held in Dubai on Friday.

EntertainmentFeng Xiaogang Nominated for Best Actor at the Upcoming Golden Horse AwardsA big surprise for the upcoming Golden Horse Awards came as Chinese director Feng Xiaogang was nominated for best actor award.

The renowned director won the nomination for his performances in Guan Hu's Mr.Six, also known as 'Lao Pao Er' in Chinese, which has closed this year's Venice International Film Festival.

Feng Xiaogang elaborates on his connection with the character in this film.

"I think Mr.Six is a character closet to my heart. He is a person who still lives in the past, and sticks to his time spent reigning over the Beijing streets. However, times have changed. Such common people with distinct personalities are very charming. When you put your eyes on them, you can sense their charms."Other nominees in the running for this award include Deng Chao in 'The Dead End' and Dong Zijian in 'Delan'.

Meanwhile, Cannes-winning director Hou Hsiao-Hsien's film 'The Assasin' leads the race with 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Actress and Best Director.

Starring actress Shu Qi, the movie is about a girl in the Tang Dynasty who has been trained to kill since childhood.

The director says he rewrote the story, which is loosely based on a classic novel, to show the character's humanity.　"She has a weakness. She didn't have the heart to do it. She killed successfully the first time.　The second time, she saw the cute boy and didn't do it. This is one of main reasons I rewrote it."Other nominated films include "Port of Call", "Thanatos, Drunk" and "Mountains May Depart".

A total of 427 works were submitted this year.

The 52nd Golden Horse Awards will kick off on November 21st.

The Phantom of the Opera' Lands in Beijing for the First TimeTwenty-nine years after its premiere in London, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera is now being staged in Beijing for the first time on Tuesday evening.

The cast is led by eminent veteran musical actor Brad Little, who joined the show's Broadway cast in 1996 as the Phantom, and Emilie Lynn as Christine.

Beijing audiences are quite enjoying the show.

"It's an international production. It's rare to see such authentic New York Broadway opera here in Beijing, with world class performer singing the classical piece. I hope there will be more shows like this in Beijing putting on stage and reach more audiences."The musical has not been adapted into a Chinese-language version but Chinese translations are projected on a side board.

The show in now on stage in Beijing at Tianqiao Performance Center for 23 days, running until November 19.

Charlie Sheen admits he is HIV-positiveFormer 'Two and a Half Men' star Charlie Sheen has admitted he is HIV-positive.

The 50-year-old says he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS during an interview on ABC's 'Today'.

"I am here to admit that I am in fact HIV positive and I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks, of sub-truths, and very harmful and material stories that are threatening the health of so many others, which couldn't be farther from the truth."Howver Sheen is saying he has never transmitted the disease to others.

He gives more details on how was diagnosed as HIV-positive.

"Roughly four years ago. It started with what I thought - based on this series of cluster headaches and insane migraines and sweating the bed, completely drenched. After a battery of tests, they walked in the room and said, 'Boom, here's what's going on'. It's a hard three letters to absorb."Sheen also explains the reason that he unveiled his condition was to stop shakedowns from prostitutes and others who threatened to go public with the information about his HIV status.

In 2011, the actor was kicked off CBS' hit drama 'Two and a Half Man' for drug and alcohol use.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping arriving in Manila for the two-day APEC Economic leaders meeting...

The death toll of a landslide in east China's Zhejiang Province rising to 31, with 6 still missing.

French authorities raiding properties in the hunt for evidence and accomplices to Friday's Paris attacks...

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