The Beijing Hour (Monday-Friday)Evening EditionToday is Wednesday, November 25, 2015. I'm Paul James.

And I'm Bob Jones, Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital... Coming up on the program this evening...

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has wrapped up a series of meetings with leaders from Central and Eastern Europe.

Chinese authorities have confirmed President Xi Jinping will be attending this year's Climate Change summit in ParisRussia warns of consequences from what it calls "a deliberate act" following the downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey's airforce.

In business... Reports suggest Applie pised to launch Apple Pay early next year in China.

In sports... The Golden State Warriors have carved themselves into the NBA record booksIn entertainment... another round of restrictions being imposed on Chinese actors caught with drugs.

All of that is coming up in the next hour, but first, a reminder, there are several ways you can reach us at the Beijing Hour.

You can follow our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

On WeChat: search "beijinghour"Email us directly at [email protected].

Visit crienglish.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top NewsChina, CEE prioritize railway cooperationAnchor:

A meeting among China and 16 central and Eastern European countries has come to an end in the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu, nailing down several priority areas for cooperation over the next 5 years.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has the details.

Following the morning session of the China-CEE summit, the leaders from the 16 Central and Eastern European nations joined Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on a train ride from Suzhou to Shanghai, hitting speeds of around 300 kilometres per hour on the 100-kilometer-long trip.

The Premier has used the 25-minute train ride as a showcase for future cooperation through the so-called "16+1" framework.

"The development of China's high-speed rail is a symbol of our advanced equipment technolgy. We have already signed deals this week with both Hungary and Serbia on railway construction. Negotiations on other projects of their kind are also underway. As such, we think there is massive potential for cooperation in the area."Under the deals signed with Hungary and Serbia, a rail link is going to be built connected the Hungarian capital Budapest with Serbia's capital, Belgrade.

Both countries, in particular Hungary, have been pressing to have the link built.

Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban has been actively courting the Chinese rail project by suggesting his country can be a distribution point for Chinese goods meant to flow through the rest of continental Europe.

Construction of the railway, set to cut travel time between the Serbian and Hungarian capitals by more than half, is due to be complete in 2-years.

At the same time, Premier Li Keqiang has also floated the idea of China helping create a sea-port cooridor linking the Adriatic-Baltic-Black Sea region, suggesting China has a lot of experience with port design and manufacturing.

Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma says she likes the idea.

"I would like to express our support for the sea port corridor initiative connecting Baltic and Black Sea and Adriatic ports proposed by our Chinese colleagues. I'm grateful and have high confidence for Latvia."Most of China's investments in central and Eastern Europe have been connected to infrastructure and energy projects, which can be costly for smaller economies in Central and Eastern Europe.

As such, Premier Li Keqiang says the Chinese government wants to create a new financing vehicle which countries in the region can use to develop these projects.

"We would like to establish a '16+1' multilateral financing firm. We will promote the projects, especially larger ones, under the principle of commercialization. To do this, China will apply to become a member of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development to support the construction projects. But at the same time, we will also support equiptment manufacturing in Central and Eastern Europe through commerical banking operations."Trade among China and 16 countries making up Central and Eastern Europe came in at around 60 billion U.S. dollars last year.

This is around one-tenth the trade volume among China and all the countries in Europe.

The 16 Central and Eastern European leaders attending this week's sessions in Suzhou are now headed to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

For more on how China is cooperating with Central and Eastern Europe, CRI's Michael Butterworth spoke earlier with Professor Feng Zhongping with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

Professor Feng Zhongping with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations speaking with CRI's Michael Butterworth.

Xi to Visit France, AfricaAnchor:

It has been announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Paris Climate Conference later this month.

He will then head to Africa for state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa and a China-Africa summit in Johannesburg.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

Reporter:

The Paris conference is set to open on November 30.

President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and express China's proposals on countering climate change.

Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the conference should be realistic about the different capabilities and responsibilities among developed and developing countries.

"China hopes the meeting will stick to the principles outlined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities should be highlighted as they reflect the fact that developed countries have made a greater historical contribution to climate change."Liu Zhenmin also suggested the conference push for more concrete actions from developed countries, who are expected to honor their commitments to offer financing and technology to developing countries.

During his time in Paris, Xi Jinping is also scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Francois Hollande.

After leaving Paris, President Xi will pay a state visit to Zimbabwe from Dec. 1 to 2 at the invitation of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

The last stop of his trip will be South Africa where he will pay a state visit and chair the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg.

At the summit, China will announce a package of initiatives aimed at boosting agricultural and industrial development in Africa.

Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming said the meeting will set the direction for China-Africa cooperation in the future.

"We spent nearly a year making the plans with adherence to principles of mutual benefits. We hope and believe that the new plans will help integrate the development strategies of China and African countries."Peace-keeping and security are also expected to be discussed at the summit.

The forum itself was launched 15 years ago.

It has become as an important driver for China-Africa cooperation in various areas.

The session in Johannesburg will be the second FOCAC summit since it was established.

The last one was held in Beijing in 2006.

It will be Xi's second trip to Africa as president.

In March 2013, he visited Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo on his first overseas tour, only weeks after taking office.

For CRI, this is Luo Wen.

Zimbabwe Looking Forward to Xi's VisitPresident Xi Jinping's visit to Zimbabwe early next month will be the first by a top Chinese leader in nearly 20 years.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says it is expected to open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

"I only want to say we actually await the visit with interest. And when Xi visits us, we shall be discussing some of the projects and programmes we would want China to assist us in unity. It is more of a visit of the Chinese head of state. That is very important to us. But the personal thing, the personal visit is a great great achievement by both Zimbabwe and China. But for now, it's a visit by the greatest friend we have in the international community."As this year's chairperson of the African Union, Mugabe expected good results from the upcoming summit of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation.

"What's more, the forum is already the interaction between China and South Africa, and this time it will be China and Africa, a very great thing indeed. And I'm going to be, at the moment, chairman of the African Union. Thanks."The summit will be held in Johannesburg on December 4 and 5.

Tension between Turkey and Russia soaring up after Russian plane downedAnchor:

Russian media is reporting President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to deploy its S-300 anti-aircraft missile system at its main airbase in Syria.

The move comes on the heels of Turkish fighter jets shooting down a Russian bomber on Tuesday.

Varitions of the Russia's S-300 anti-aircraft system can fire missiles at airborne targets as far away as 400-kilometers.

The deployment of the missile system at the Russian airbase near the port city of Latakia would put the system well within range of targets inside Turkish territory.

The anti-aircraft missile's presence near the Turkish border is escallating tensions between Russia and Turkey, which is a member of NATO.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

Reporter:

An investigation into the incident is still underway.

According to Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti, one of the two pilots was killed in the air by fire from the ground. Meanwhile, a Russian marine was also killed during an operation to rescue the two pilots.

The other pilot who went missing after his jet was shot down was said to be rescued by the Syrian army and taken back to a Russian base, but the Russian authorities haven't confirmed that as yet.

Turkey and Russia exchanged bellicose language after the downing of the plane.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned Turkey that the incident would lead to possible economic losses on the Turkish side, adding that this damage will be difficult to repair.

The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed the incident was a "deliberate action." But that it would not affect Russian efforts to push for a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis.

Earlier, Russian President Vladmir Putin branded the shooting as a "stab in the back committed by accomplices of terrorists," and warned of "serious consequences for Russia-Turkey relations" during his meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

"We, of course, will analyse in the detail everything that has happened. And today's tragic event will have significant consequences for relations between Russia and Turkey, too. I understand that every state has its own regional interests and we have always respected that. We will never tolerate such atrocities as happened today."The Turkish views the incident from a different perspective.

Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan defended Turkey's actions as self-defense.

"We are feeling distressed for encountering such an incident. But the actions were fully in line with Turkey's rules of engagement that have been declared before. Turkey does not harbour enmity towards its neighbours."The Turkish military insisted that the fighter was shot down by two of its F-16s after it violated Turkish airspace 10 times within a five-minute period.

Though Russia and Turkey have traded angry words before over alleged incursions by Russian fighters into Turkish airspace during forays over Syria, this is the first time Turkey has shot down any Russian planes since Moscow started airstrikes in September.

In the meantime, the incident has sparked concern in the West that it could escalate into clashes between Russian and other members of the US-led coalition, which include Turkey, during their so far separate campaigns to target jihadists in Syria.

Of greater concern, the incident also risks derailing efforts to bring peace to Syria, that were gaining tentative momentum following the November 13 Paris terror attacks.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

International Community pushes Turkey and Russia to de-escalateThe international community has been pushing Turkey and Russia to prevent the event from escalating into serious clashes, especially after leaders from the two sides have exchanged some aggressive language.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says China is paying close attention to the incident and calls on all sides to strengthen communication.

"China is paying close attention to this incident. At the moment, there are many circumstances (that have arisen), and we need to clarify them. China supports the international fight against terrorism, and we hope all sides strengthen their communication and coordination."U.S. President Barack Obama said Turkey had the "right to defend its territory and its airspace" and that it was important that Russian and Turkish representatives were "talking to each other.""I think it's very important right now for us to make sure that both the Russians and the Turks are talking to each other, (and) find out exactly what happened, and take measures to discourage any kind of escalation."British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his concern about this event, and urged Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to maintain lines of communication with the Russian side.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson of U.N. General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon, said Ban is "seriously concerned" about the downing of Russian plane and appealed to all parties to urgently de-escalate.

"The Secretary-General urges all relevant parties to take urgent measures with a view to de-escalate the tensions and he hopes that a credible and thorough review of the incident will clarify the events and help prevent future recurrences."In the meantime, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called for calm and de-escalation after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane, adding that NATO will stand in solidarity with its member Turkey and support its territorial integrity.

U.S. France Pledged Solidarity Yet Short of Grand CoalitionAnchor:

U.S. President Barack Obama and visiting French President Francois Hollande have repeated their determination to fight against IS extremists. But President Obama stopped short of endorsing the French proposal for a grand coalition that would include Russia.

CRI Washington chief correspondent Xiaohong reports.

Ann:

President Obama said Tuesday that the United States stands by its old friend and ally France in times of good and bad, and vowed to deliver justice to the perpetrators of the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.

"This barbaric terrorist group, ISIL, or Daesh, and its murderous ideology, poses a serious threat to all of us. It cannot be tolerated. It must be destroyed. And we must do it together."President Obama pledged to step up support to France and other allies fighting the Islamic State militants.

However, he stopped short of announcing any major shift in his counter-ISIL strategy as had been expected by many in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Paris. Last week in Turkey, President Obama stressed that the strategy he has put forward is the one that would ultimately work.

Visiting French President Hollande, for his part, promised to increase airstrikes against ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria.

"We will intensify the strikes. We will have some more specific targets, to make sure that Daesh's resources, their means, are cut off."He also explicitly ruled out the idea of sending French ground troops, saying it's for the local forces to do so.

President Hollande kicked off his global tour to seek a greater international coalition that would also include Russia. However, Turkey's shoot-down of a Russian fighter jet has complicated his efforts.

While the incident is still under investigation, Obama has urged against any kind of escalation.

"I think it is very important right now for us to make sure that the Russians and the Turks are talking to each other, find out exactly what happened, and take measures to discourage any kind of escalation."He says the two leaders have agreed that Russia could play a more constructive role if it is to shift its focus to defeating ISIL, rather than strikes against the moderate opposition in Syria.

French President Hollande is going to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.

Frenchman Charged of Housing Ringleader of Paris AttacksThe man who housed a suspected ringleader of the 13 November Paris attacks has been charged with terrorism-related offences.

Jawad Bendaoud was accused of criminal association and detention of incendiary or explosive substances linked to an extremist enterprise.

Jawad Bendaoud has been held, but has appealed against his detention.

"Someone asked me a favour and I did him a favour. One asked me to accommodate some people for two, three days and I provided this service. I didn't know where they came from and don't know. If I had known I would not have accommodated them."The three occupants of his apartment in Saint-Denis were killed in a police raid last Wednesday, including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind of the IS attacks in Paris.

Abaaoud was suspected of having orchestrated the explosions and shootings that killed 130 people and injured over 300.

Kerry Meets with Israeli, Palestinian Leaders to Ease TensionAnchor:

US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Jerusalem and the West Bank for the first time in over a year on Tuesday, hoping to calm two months of deadly violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

Reporter:

During his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State John Kerry says that Israel has both a right and an obligation to defend itself.

"Clearly, no people anywhere should live with daily violence, with attacks in the streets, with knives or scissors or cars. And it is very clear to us that the terrorism, these acts of terrorism which have been taking place, deserve the condemnation that they are receiving and today I expressed my complete condemnation for any act of terror that takes innocent lives and disrupts the day-to-day life of a nation."Kerry visited the region amidst a wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians that has continued for about two months, with at least 93 Palestinians and 19 Israelis killed since the beginning of October.

He has discussed with Netanyahu steps that can be taken to stop the violence and improve conditions on the ground.

For his part, Netanyahu says that the international community should support Israel's fight against terrorism, which he says is "the battle of civilization against barbarism".

"There can be no peace when we have an onslaught of terror - not here or not anywhere else in the world, which is experiencing this same assault by militant Islamists and the forces of terror. Israel is fighting these forces every hour."While Israelis keep blaming the unrest on religious incitement, Palestinians have pointed to Israel's occupation and ongoing settlement program in the West Bank, the lack of any prospects for a political solution, and a deep sense of frustration and despair on the part of the Palestinian people.

Issa Amro is a Palestinian human rights activist.

"Israel is not defending itself. Israel is defending its occupation, its apartheid, its illegal settlements, its racism and discrimination. The occupation is the main feeder of violence. The main problem is the occupation. The main problem is the illegal settlements everywhere, all over. This is the main problem, not someone carry a knife, going to a checkpoint to be killed."Kerry also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Abbas stressed the release of a fourth group of Palestinian prisoners detained before the Oslo Accords, with both Kerry and Abbas agreeing to ongoing communication.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

"Positive progress" in cross-Strait trade pact: mainlandA mainland official says positive progress has been made at new round of talks about establishing a commodity trade pact between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

The two sides held discussions on the matter in Taipei between Saturday and Monday. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for December.

An Fengshan, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said both sides have high hopes for the establishment of a commodity trade pact after the latest talks.

As a key part of the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, the commodity trade pact focuses on tariff reduction and removal, rules on commodity origin, customs procedures and trade remedies.

As for the service trade pact, another key part of ECFA, An expressed his hope that the two sides can work together to see the pact take effect as soon as possible.

Tunisian President Declares State of EmergencyTunisia's president declared a state of emergency and curfew on Tuesday, following a bomb attack on a bus full of presidential guards.

"Following the discussion with the Parliament Speaker and with the Prime Minister, I declare a state of emergency for 30 days according to law. And secondly, I impose a curfew for the greater Tunis area starting from 9 tonight until 5 tomorrow morning, and inform you that the national security council will meet tomorrow here in Carthage Castle at 10, to make the necessary decisions to deal with and confront this situation."At least 12 people were killed in the attack.

It's believed the explosion was probably carried out by a suicide bomber in the vehicle itself.

Security sources said the guards were boarding the bus heading to theWeatherBeijing will be clear tonight with a low of minus 9, tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 0.

Shanghai will be cloudy tonight with a low of 3, sunny tomorrow, high of 5.

Chongqing will be cloudy with a low of 10, tomorrow will be cloudy, high of 15.

Lhasa will be clear with a low of minus 1, tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 17.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 21.

Kabul, cloudy, 10.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, slight rain, high of 31,Brisbane,sunny,32,Perth, sunny, 30,And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be overcast with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsPremier Li Meets Prime Ministers of Hungary, LithuaniaChinese Premier Li Keqiang has met more European leaders on the sidelines of the China and Central and Eastern European countries leaders' meeting.

While holding talks with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Li described the Hungary-Serbia railway project as a landmark for cooperation between China and Europe.

The project was proposed by the Chinese Premier during his visit to Serbia in 2014.

Li says he hoped the two sides could accelerate preparations to begin building the line.

Premier Li has also met the Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius.

He urged both countries to increase cooperation on Euroasian transportation, push for progress in China-Europe cargo freight train services, and a joint railway project in the Baltic Sea area.

China urges "differentiated responsibilities" on climate changeChina has again called for the upcoming Paris Climate Conference to be realistic about the different capabilities and responsibilities among developed and developing countries.

Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin made the remarks on Wednesday in Beijing.

Liu said China hopes the conference will stick to the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities.

He added that the conference should push for more concrete actions from developed countries, who are expected to honor their commitments to offer financing and technology to developing countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the conference and express China's proposals on countering climate change.

Syrian army pick up second Russian pilotThere are reports that a Russian pilot has been picked up by the Syrian army after ejecting from a jet shot down by the Turkish air force.

Russia's ambassador to France told media on Wednesday that the pilot is on his way back to the Russian air force base.

The Russian defense ministry has confirmed that the other pilot was killed by Syrian opposition forces.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the downing of Russian Su-24 warplane by Turkey, describing it as a "deliberate action."A spokesperson for the ministry said it was neither a mistake nor an accident, but a deliberate action that has never happened before.

The spokesperson added that the incident would not affect Russian efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis.

Russia to deploy S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in SyriaRussian media is reporting President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to deploy its S-300 anti-aircraft missile system at its main airbase in Syria.

The move comes on the heels of Turkish fighter jets shooting down a Russian bomber on Tuesday.

Varitions of the Russia's S-300 anti-aircraft system can fire missiles at airborne targets as far away as 400-kilometers.

The deployment of the missile system at the Russian airbase near the port city of Latakia would put the system well within range of targets inside Turkish territory.

The anti-aircraft missile's presence near the Turkish border is likely to draw a response from NATO, as Turkey is a NATO member.

Biz ReportsAsian StocksAnchor:

Time to check today's business news, starting with the closing numbers in Asia.

Asian stocks were on edge on Wednesday as geopolitical tensions flared after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet, while crude oil prices extended gains.

Here in China, mainland markets closed higher as small-cap stocks led the day's rally.

Gainers were led by medical care, software, telecoms operation, computer, internet, machinery and media.

At the close, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.9 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen index went up 1.6 percent.

The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises surged 2.9 percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Heng Seng Index shed 0.4 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares ended lower bringing an end to five straight days of closing highs as geopolitical tensions following Turkey's downing of the Russian jet saw investors in a 'risk off' mood and seeking out safe havens.

Securities, financing business and banking-related shares led the declines.

The benchmark Nikkei lost 0.4 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI trimmed 0.3 percent.

Singapore's Straights Times index inched down 1.1 percent.

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

Apple Plans to Launch Apple Pay in China by February: ReportIt's reported that Apple is planning to launch its mobile payment system 'Apple Pay' in China by early February.

Apple has reportedly reached a deal with China's big four State-run banks to roll out the payment system.

When it's launched, Apple Pay will mainly compete with state-controlled UnionPay and Alibaba's online payment platform Alipay.

Apple Pay was launched in the United States in October last year.

It is said that Apple gets 0.15 percent of all credit card transactions and 0.5 cents per debit transaction in the United States.

Apple then brought Apple Pay to the UK in July to capitalize on the increasing number of mobile online transactions.

Sales of New iPhones Weaker than Expected in ChinaIndustry research is suggesting sales of Apple's iPhone 6s and 6s-Plus in China are weaker than expected.

Stats from IHS Technology suggests Apple's sales through the 3rd quarter accounted for about 12-percent of mobile phone sales in China.

That's only about 0.5-percent higher than the previous quarter.

Wang Yang, director of IHS Technology, says a lack of new advancements in the 6S series has people in China looking toward cheaper options.

"All the major Chinese smartphone makers have been able to convince more Chinese consumers to buy home-grown products, marketing them as high-quality products at lower prices. As an example, an iPhone is sold at 5,000 to 6,000 yuan in China, while many Chinese-produced smartphones can cost only around 1,000 yuan, or even cheaper. Those phones performance is about 80 percent of that of an iPhone. For consumers in China, this quality-to-price ratio has become more appealing to them."Stats released by Alibaba shows Apple ranked fourth in the sales of mobile phones during is massive Singles' Day promotion.

Xiaomi, Huawei and Meizu out sold Apple on November 11th.

Apple's latest financial report shows its revenues in China came in at 12.5 billion U.S. dollars through its last quarter, down by about 5-percent from the previous 3-months.

Five knockoff Disney hotels fined in ShanghaiFive hotels in Shanghai have been fined a total of 100-thousand yuan or about 15,650 U.S. dollars for infringing Disney's trademark rights.

The hotels are all in Pudong New District and are owned by the Shenzhen Vienna Hotels Group.

They were found to be using the "Disney" trademark on their signs and websites without authorization.

The Shanghai Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce says it is inspecting other hotels to check for similar cases.

The Shanghai Disney Resort, Disney's sixth resort worldwide, is scheduled to open in the spring of next year.

China to strongly develop robot industryAnchor:

This year's World Robot Conference 2015 has concluded in Beijing this Wednesday.

During the three-day expo, China has been encouraging overseas robotics companies to share technologies with China-based vendors.

Meanwhile, China is attempting to develop the market share of made-in-China robots, with a goal of over 30 percent of the global market share by 2030.

The aim is to use robots to improve efficiency in manufacturing sectors ranging from automobiles to textiles.

China became the world's largest robotics market last year, in terms of the number of products in use.

At the same time, the aging population and the increasing income of Chinese families are set to boost sales of service robots.

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

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

Chinese banks' assets, liabilities growLatest stats show total assets and liabilities of Chinese banking institutions increased in October.

Onshore assets of China's banking institutions, including commercial banks, policy banks and rural credit cooperatives, climbed 15 percent from one year earlier to some 188 trillion yuan or about 29 trillion U.S. dollars.

Total liabilities of these institutions reached 174 trillion yuan at the end of last month, a 14.3-percent increase over the same period last year.

The data also shows that commercial banks' total assets gained 15.4 percent during the period, while their liabilities grew 15.1 percent.

The growth rates decelerated from figures at the end of September.

Brazilian airline Azul sells 23.7-percent stakes to Chinese airlineBrazilian airline Azul has announced that it has sold 23.7 percent of its shares to China's Hainan Airlines Group for 460 million U.S. dollars.

Azul is Brazil's third-largest airline which was founded by American David G. Neelman in 2008.

The airline says it will use the money to improve capital flow, renew its fleet, and provide better products and services for clients.

SportsGolden State Warriors Shatter NBA RecordIn some NBA news:

Oakland California's Golden state Warrior's have broke the record for best start of the regular season with a 16-0, after beating the Los Angelas Lakers 111-77 on Tuesday night.

The thashing took place at the bay area's Oakland arena, where the warriors achieved something which hasn't been done in the NBA's 70 year history.

Next up for the Golden State team is the record set by the 1971-72 Lakers' who achaieved a 33-game winning streak.

With the games set up as they are, some have speculated that the warriors could have a serious advantage of strength in games leading up to Christmas day, where the will be facing the Cleveland Caveliers for a rematch.

If Oakland win's all the games before this rematch, they will be riding a strong 28 game winning streak.

CBA updateIn CBA action,Its a full slate of games tonight, with all 20-teams in action for round-9.

Among the action, its Liaoning looking to make Xinjiang's 8-0 unblemished record "extinct," as the 6-2 Dinosaurs take on the Flying Tigers in Urumqi.

In other action,Johnathan Gibson will be looking for more help tonight from the rest of the Eagles as 2-6 Qingdao take on Jiangsu Tongxi.

Gibson currently leads the CBA in scoring, averaging 38.9 points-per-game, just slightly ahead of Marshon Brooks.

The Boston Celtic's first-round pick in the 2011 NBA draft is currently averaging 38.8-points per game for the Jiangsu Dragons.

Brooks and his Dragons are here in Beijing tonight taking on the Ducks.

--and Elsewhere:

It's Guangsha at home to face Beijing Beikong.

--The 2nd place Sichuan will take on Fujian.

Fujian, today, announced the signing of American player Jeremy Tyler to the club's roster.

The 24-year old Power Forward is back in China after the Houston Rockets waived his contract last month.

--Tyler's team last year, Shanxi, is at home to face Jilin.

--Foshan, still winless in the season, is in Shandong to take on the Bulls.

--The Shanghai Sharks are in Tianjin.

--The military boys, the Bayi Rockets, are on the road in Shenzhen.

--And its Guangdong Southern on the road tonight taking on Zhejiang Chouzhou.

Dubai's BWF Super Series Final list releasedin badminton:

The final list of players who will compete in Badminton's World Super Series finals in Dubai has been released.

For the mens singles event:

Chinese Olympic champion Lin Dan will be in the roster.

Despite his 2nd round exit at the Hong Kong Open this past week, Lin Dan is among the top-8 male players who will compete in the season-ending event.

World number-1 Chen Long will also be representing China in the Men's Singles.

Notably absent from this year's list is Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei.

The Lee wasn't able to secure the point needed to qualify after sitting out the first half of the season, due to doping charges.

In the Women's Singles,Olympic champion Li Xuerui has been shut-out of Dubai.

Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan will represent China as the 2nd and 3rd seeds behind Spain's Carolina Marin, who is the top seed.

The BWF Super Series finals will take place in Dubai from December 9th to the 13th.

Lin Dan attends Rio's badminton test eventIn some more badminton news:

China's five time badminton world champion and two time olympic gold medalist Lin Dan attended the olympic badminton test event in Rio de janerio on Tuesday.

The new badminton sporting area, pavilion 4 of the Riocentro Convention Center, is comprised of 5 game courts and a practice area.

The spectator capacity for the new pavilion boasts 6,500 and is closely positioned to the athletes village.

After the test event, Lin Dan gave postive comments regarding the new arena.

The reason why I am here is to prepare better for the Olympic Games next year. I wanted to know more details such as the venue and the weather here. I am a little bit surprised after playing the first game. I think it is the most special venue for me in the comparing with the previous Olympics I have participated in. Everything is new to me. There seems to have not many seats for the spectators. I don't know whether it is going to change next year, but I see a very small stand today."Bandmintons BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund also made an appearance during the event and stated that he was pleased with what he saw.

Other athletes that took part in the event were invited from Canada and Slovakia.

UEFA updateIn euro football:

The 2nd-to-last round of the group stages in the UEFA Champions League will come to a conclusion tonight.

Paris St. Germain can assure itself a spot in the last-16 with a victory tonight over Malmo.

and Real Madrid, which is one point ahead of PSG in Group A, is already assured a spot in the playoffs, and will take on Donetsk.

Davis Cup Final to start of Fridayand in tennis:

The 2015 Davis Cup Final is set to kick off on Friday, despite the high terror alert in Belgium.

The team from Great Britain, which includes tennis star Andy Murray, has increased its security detail as concerns rise ahead of the event.

While talking to the press, Andy Murray spoke to fans about security concerns.

They have a fantastic security team here. They're over there. I've been saying to a lot of people the last few days, I get a lot of the ties you think everything's fine and the security you don't necessarily need it. But in situations like this it's great we have such capable people that are able to give us the best advice. Everyone, I think, is very comfortable in the team.

The British team was expected to arrive in Brussels this past Sunday, where they would travel to the city of Ghent to have tournament tie breaker, but the high level of terror alert in the area delayed their trip.

The delay has misplaced many British fans, who haven't been assured the games would go ahead up until recently.

As of last week Great Britain's Captain Leon Smith, has assembled his 5 man team ahead of the games.

But Before Thursday he must reduce the team by one.

Smith spoke about the condition of his team:

"The most important thing is that we're here now. On a serious note, it's good that we're here, we're practising. Our main focus, as it should be, is now making sure all the players are ready to do their very, very best at the weekend."As Smith preps his players, a lot of pressure is being felt by the Murray brothers to perform in the tournament.

In Wimbledon and the US Open, the Murray brothers have shown they are a "doubles" force to be reckoned with, which could be the deciding factor in Britain taking home the win.

EntertainmentShanghai to ban druggie celebs from screensShanghai is planning to ban broadcasters from hiring celebrities, or showing their movies, TV shows and advertisements, if they are embroiled in drugs scandals.

The city's legislature has discussed a draft that says TV and cultural shows shall not feature people "who have been detained for drug offences in the past three years or are still drug users."Movies, TV dramas, shows and commercials featuring drug-abusing entertainers or producers will also be banned from being aired.

The draft has attracted much attention as a number of actors and singers have been detained for drug offences, shedding light on the rampant drug abuse in the entertainment sector.

On Nov 12, singer Yin Xiangjie was arrested for drugs offenses for the second time in Beijing.

The city has seen high-profile celebrities entangled in drug scandals including Jackie Chan's son Jaycee Chan and Taiwan actor Kai Ko.

New Bond movie dominates China's box office"Spectre," the new James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, has continued to dominate China's box office in the week to November 22, earning 188 million yuan, around 29.4 million U.S. dollars.

Without any major competition in the initial days of its screening, the film broke several records in the world's second largest film market - as we heard last week - including biggest Friday opening and the biggest weekend earnings for a foreign 2D movie.

"Spectre," the 24th installment in the franchise, debuted in China on November 13.

"Our Times," a rom-com from Taiwan, earned 109 million yuan to come in second in the week.

The third place went to "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2," which earned 102 million yuan in the week after opening on November 20.

"The Transporter Refueled" landed in fourth with 70.4 million yuan in the week.

Rounding out the top five was domestic rom-com "Ex-Files 2," with 29 million yuan taken during the week.

Obama honours Streisand, Spielberg In WashingtonUS President Barack Obama recognised 17 Americans with the highest US civilian award on Tuesday.

Among the recipients were giants of the entertainment industry including Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, baseball legends Willie Mays and Yogi Berra, and politicians, activists and government innovators.

President Obama paid tribute to Steven Spielberg, praising his amazing creativity.

"In his career, Steven has introduced us to extraterrestrials, rogue archaeologists, killer sharks, he's taken us to Neverland, Jurassic Park, but also the beaches of Normandy and Nazi concentration camps. Steven's films are marked most important by a faith in our common humanity. The same faith that led him to create the Shoah Foundation and lend a voice to survivors of genocide around the world."The President also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan, singer James Taylor, composer Stephen Sondheim and violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Among the posthumous recipients was and Japanese-American civil rights leader Minoru Yasui, who challenged the constitutionality of a military curfew order during World War II on the grounds of racial discrimination and spent months in solitary confinement during the legal battle.

'Carol' leads Spirit Awards film nominations'Carol,' the story of a 1950s housewife who falls for a store clerk, leads the pack of independent movies tipped for Oscars glory, as the Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations were unveiled Tuesday.

Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, the film was nominated in six categories, including best feature, best director and best actress.

"Beasts of No Nation," about a child soldier, came in second with five nominations, while the film "Spotlight," about the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into sex abuse in the Catholic Church, won four nominations.

Chinese director Zhang Ming's film "Before Born" has also be nominated.

The Spirit Awards are seen as a strong indicator of which independent movies could win Oscar glory.

The winners will be announced on February 27, a day before the Academy Awards themselves.

Tom Cruise in Talks to Star in 'The Mummy' RebootIt's been revealed that Tom Cruise is to in talks to star in Universal's "The Mummy" remake, helping to launch a new era of monster films at the studios.

The studio approached Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan last summer to help develop a 'cohesive monster universe' for Universal bringing the studios classic monster movie library to front and center.

Plot details are vague other than it will be set in the present day, unlike the previous three installments starring Brendan Fraser.

WeatherBeijing will be clear tonight with a low of minus 9, tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 0.

Shanghai will be cloudy tonight with a low of 3, sunny tomorrow, high of 5.

Chongqing will be cloudy with a low of 10, tomorrow will be cloudy, high of 15.

Lhasa will be clear with a low of minus 1, tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 17.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 21.

Kabul, cloudy, 10.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, slight rain, high of 31,Brisbane,sunny,32,Perth, sunny, 30,And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be overcast with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.

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

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

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wraps up meetings with 16 Central and Eastern European leaders in Suzhou.

Russia warning of consequences following the downing of one of its fighter jets by the Turkish Airforce.