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

Coming up on the program this evening...

A first-ever red alert for smog is being issued in Beijing as of tomorrow morning, restricting vehicle traffic and other areas of life in the capital.

A number of arrests have reportedly been made after an attack on a police inspection station between Inner Mongolia and Gansu.

A major earthquake rattles China's neighbor Tajikistan.

In business... new stats suggesting China could be the world's top electric vehicle market by year's end.

In sports... Golden State's record-breaking winning streak remains in-tact after a stop in the 'Big Apple."In entertainment.... British 80's pop duo Wham! looking for help in China to find a young man in a special photo.

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 NewsBeijing to raise the smog alert to red for first timeA red alert, the highest level for smog danger, is set to take effect in Beijing tomorrow morning.

Starting at 7am on Tuesday, an odd-even license plate restriction will be imposed on all vehicles in the city.

Industrial production will also be curtailed further, and further restrictions on schools may also take effect.

This is the first time since the 4-tiered color-coded smog system was brought in a few years ago that the condition has been brought to red in Beijing.

This come as the heavy smog has returned to the capital region after a couple of days reprieve.

As 6pm this Monday, PM2.5-levels across Beijing are averaging around 240.

Levels higher than 200 are defined as heavy pollution by Beijing's environmental protection bureau.

As such, schools were told to keep their students indoors today.

The capital has already seen a reduction of industrial activity.

Forecasters are suggesting the smog is going to linger in the greater-Beijing area until at least Thursday, with rain expected to clear the air at that point.

Coal fired power plants are the major culprit at this point.

This comes as politicians in Paris continue talks on bringing together a global emission reduction plan this week at the UN Climate Change talks.

Here in China, plans are already in-place to reduce emissions of major pollutants in the power sector by 60 percent by 2020, with emissions to peak by 2030.

China Inner Mongolia attack due to border dispute: policeIts being reported a number of arrests have now been made in connection with an attack on a police outpost in Inner Mongolia.

Around 100 people, armed with sticks and stones, attacked a remote checkpoint on Sunday afternoon along the provincial border between Inner Mongolia and Gansu.

The mob trashed the police station, injured over a dozen people inside the facility, and then reportedly dumped some of them in the nearby desert.

Despite the scale of the attack, authorities are not describing it as terrorism.

Instead, the attack is said to involve a long-running border dispute between people in the area living on the Inner Mongolian and Gansu sides.

A local official has revealed the area has long been the source of contention among locals because of the repeated redrawing of provincial boundaries in the 1960s and 1970s.

At issue is which side of the provincial border people's lands fall on, as they are subject to different restrictions, depending on which side they're on.

In September, the same police outpost was ransacked by masked men carrying sticks, who intimidated staff.

Sino-American Dialogue on Rule of Law and Human Rights Held in BeijingA new round of talks on human rights and the rule of law is underway between US and Chinese officials.

As part of the talks in Beijing this Monday, the Chinese side is calling for the US to better-understand China's different choices of in its path toward human rights.

Cui Yuying, deputy director of China's State Council Information Office, says for China, poverty alleviation and economic development remain the most important goals when talking about political and human rights development.

"Here I'd like to raise three suggestions. First, be rational and objective when looking at each other's human rights development. Second, be aware of the differences in culture, tradition, political system and economic development of each other and mutually understand the concept differences. Third, respect each other's different choices of human rights path."Delegates from the US side say they are interested in how the Rule of Law is to be followed here in China.

James Jacobs is a professor at New York University's School of Law.

"I think it's very exciting to watch the development of China as it moves more and more towards rule of law. And we want to hear as much as we can, learn as much as we can about what's going on in China."The China-US talks on Human Rights and the Rule of Law first began in 2009.

Chinese Academy of Engineering announces 70 new membersA total of 70 scientists have been elected as new members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

This brings the total number of academics at the CAE, one of China's top academic institutions, to 852.

The Newly-appointed scientists mostly specialize in satellite technology, big data and next-generation Internet.

The average age is 56, with the youngest 47-years old.

Liu Xu, head of the Academy of Engineering's election committee, says this year has seen more members selected from grass-roots units.

"Front-line researchers and technicians from enterprises and hospitals account for more than 30 percent of the newly elected this time, up 8.5 percent from the last election. These front-line experts better represent the ideological, scientific and academic level of engineering technology. They are pushing forward the construction of modernization on the forefront."In addition to the 70 Chinese scientists, 8 foreigners are also elected, pushing the foreign ranks of the Academy of Engineering ranks to 49.

Recruitment for the latest round of life-long appointments began in January.

Under the Academy of Engineering's new charter, the government or businesses aren't allowed to meddle in the nomination process.

China Warns of Fake Living BuddhasAnchor:

Chinese authorities are reportedly considering the creation of a database of sanctioned "living buddhas."This follows on the heels of a new, controversial video making the rounds.

CRI's Luo Wen explains.

Reporter:

The video began circulating via Weibo last week in China.

In it, a self-proclaimed living Buddha named Baima Aose, is seen ordaining mainland actor Zhang Tielin as a living Buddha himself as part of a ceremony in Hong Kong.

The controversy stems from both Baima Aose himself, as well as the process he used to annoint the actor as a living Buddha.

Gyatso Ling is one of the 358 recognized living Buddha's currently in Tibet.

"The reincarnations of living Buddhas have to follow certain rules in Tibetan Buddhism. Every living Buddha should have a monastery for self-cultivation."On top of not following the proper procedures, Baima Aose's own standing as a living Buddha is also in question.

The Sichuan-based Kathok Monastery, from which Baima Aose claims he obtained his living Buddha status, has described him as a "fake."He's also been accused, like a number of others, of being a con-man.

Zhu Weiqun is an advisor with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"Fake living Buddhas swindle money from practitioners in eastern and central China and trick women into having sex with them. Some of them then return to Tibet and engage in illegal 'splittist activities.'

The living Buddha system in Tibetan Buddhism took shape in the 13th century after Tibet became an administrative district in China during the Yuan Dynasty.

The religion holds that the soul of a senior lama, or monk, is reincarnated in the body of a child who will then grow up to become a so-called Living Buddha.

Under Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the search for a living Buddha is said to be complex, involving divination, interpreting dreams, oracles and prayer.

Because of this, a new set of rules on the reincarnation of Tibetan living Buddhas was enacted in 2007.

It's stipulates that all reincarnations need approval from regional and central authorities.

The latest controversy is also prompting calls for the creation of a nation-wide database to identify those who are legally ordained as a living Buddha.

For CRI, this is Luo Wen.

Earthquake in Tajikistan shocks Central AsiaA series of aftershocks of around magnitude-5 or greater are being reported after a major earthquake hit China's central Asian neighbor of Tajikistan this afternoon.

The quake, which Chinese authorities have measured as a 7.4, hit in Tajikistan's central mountains just before 4pm Beijing-time.

It struck at a depth of around 30-kilometers.

Because of this depth, combined with sparse population in the mountains which surround the epicenter, the damage and injuries should be kept to a minimal for a quake of this magnitude.

However, the quake did send shockwaves throughout the region, including areas of the Hindu Kush in neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are still trying to recover from last month's deadly quakes there which have left thousands homeless.

It's unclear if any new damage or injuries in that area have taken place.

Syria condemns U.S.-led airstrikes on Syrian army positionsThe Syrian government is condemning air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition that hit Syrian Army positions on Sunday.

Syria's Foreign Ministry says four coalition warplanes targeted a Syrian military camp in an eastern Syrian province with nine rockets, killing three soldiers and wounding 13 others.

The statement says the attack is an impediment to the counter-terror efforts in the region, as the Syrian outpost was fighting terror groups in eastern Syria.

Syria's government is also calling on the international community to condemn the attack, which has been described as the first US-led coalition strike on the Syrian Army since it started air strikes on targets in Syria over a year ago.

If the US-backed coalition intentionally targeted the Syrian army group, this would mark a major escalation in the coalition's mandate in Syria, as it has been focusing its airstrikes exclusively on Islamic State targets to this point.

The Obama administration has long been calling for the ouster of the Syrian government, but has not launched any attacks to back up that goal.

The Pentagon has yet to comment on the incident.

Obama calls California shooting rampage act of terrorismAnchor:

US President Barack Obama has delivered a rare speech from the Oval Office, hoping to ease domestic fears about the reach of the Islamic State following last week's attack in California, which is said to have been inspired by the group.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

Reporter:

The shooting in San Bernardino, California, left 14 dead and has once-again rekindled debate and fear over terrorism in the United States.

In an attempt to level-off some of those fears, Obama has used the Oval Office speech, only his 3rd as President, to promise resolve in fighting the extremist group.

"The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us. Our success won't depend on tough talk, or abandoning our values or giving into fear. That's what groups like ISIL are hoping for."Obama also says "terrorism" itself is evolving to where extremists are using "less complicated acts of violence," such as mass shootings, rather than complex, multi-faceted attacks such as 9/11.

His speech has also reiterated his stand that US ground troops should not be an option in defeating the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Instead, he's used part of his speech to call on the Muslim world itself to do more to stop the extremists.

"We will continue to provide training and equipment to tens of thousands of Iraqi and Syrian forces fighting ISIL on the ground so that we take away their safe havens. In both countries, we're deploying special operations forces who can accelerate that offensive. We've stepped up this effort since the attacks in Paris, and will continue to invest more in approaches that are working on the ground."Observers are suggesting Obama's speech from the Oval Office is a tactical political decision, as most of his other national addresses have been from the East Room of the White House or the Rose Garden.

By using the Oval Office, observers suggest Obama is hoping to underscore his administration's resolve in fighting the Islamic State.

However, new polling suggests around 60 percent of Americans currently disapprove of Obama's handling of terrorism.

Terrorism experts have accused Obama of lacking clear plan to stabilize the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Obama has also used his national address to make a new call for stronger gun control in the wake of the California mass shooting, which left 14 people dead last week in the city of San Bernadino outside Los Angeles.

Obama's latest proposal for gun control includes a ban on the sale of guns to those who are on a "no-fly list."So far, the investigators looking into the San Bernadino shootings have not offered a definative motive, something Obama did mention in his speech.

However, its been widely reported at least one of the shooters, the woman in the husband-and-wife duo, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State's leader.

Neither had been suspected of being radicalized before launching the attack.

They were later killed by police during a shootout.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

Turkish PM vows not to deploy more troops to Bashika until Iraq's concerns easedAnchor:

Turkey has promised that no further forces will be deployed to northern Iraq.

This, now that Baghdad is threatening to go to the UN if Ankara does not withdraw its military forces sent to help Kurdish fighters outside the city of Mosul.

But in making the pledge of no more troops, the Turkish side isn't saying whether the group of around 150 Turkish troops will be pulled out.

A Turkish military says the battalion has been deployed as part of a training mission.　Iraq's President is describing the move as a "violation" of international law.

Mosul has been in the hands of the Islamic State since last year.

For more on this dispute, CRI's Mike Butterworth earlier spoke with Assistant Professor Nader Hashemi with the University of Denver.

That was Assistant Professor Nader Hashemi with the University of Denver speaking with CRI's Michael Butterworth.

Britain's police investigate Tube stabbing in E LondonThe suspect behind a suspected 'terror related' attack at London metro station over the weekend is due to make his first court appearance later on this Monday.

The 29-year old is facing attempted murder charges after three people were stabbed at a London Underground station on Saturday evening.

Richard Walton with London's Metropolitan Police says they're looking at the incident as a possible act of terrorism.

"It's too early to be absolutely certain about the motives for this attack. Obviously, the Counter Terrorism Command is investigating it. We've got a number of lines of enquiry and we're pursuing this investigation with some speed to determine what happened, how it happened, and particularly the motive that lies behind the attack."The still-unnamed suspect began slashing at commuters at an east London Underground station on Saturday night, reportedly shouting "this is for Syria."One of those attacked suffered serious injuries.

The suspect was later taken down by police with a tazer.

It comes just two days after the UK parliament agreed to increase its military presence in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State.

The UK is on heightened terror status following the move by lawmakers.

Venezuela President Maduro concedes election defeatThe latest exit polling shows Venezuela's opposition has won a majority of seats in the country's National Assembly.

Venezuela's National Electoral Council has announced the opposition has won at least 99 seats in the 167-seat legislature.

The socialists have retained 46 seats, while another 22 races have not been declared yet.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has conceded defeat.

"Looking at these results, we've come here with our high moral and ethical standards, to acknowledge these adverse results, to accept them and to tell our Venezuela that our Constitution and democracy have triumphed. We accept this. (applause) (We accept) The results as they emanated from the electorate."A string of violence leading up to the vote had observers questioning whether the opposition would get the turn-out needed to defeat the Socialist incumbents.

The opposition victory brings about an end to 17-years of Socialist rule in the country's legislature, which began under late-former President Hugo Chavez.

Venezuela's economy has been in rampant decline for over the past year, with the oil-dependent country unable to finance the social welfare programs which Nicholas Maduro has tried to maintain, despite the dramatic drop in oil revenues.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter says no cancer in his brainFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter has announced that his most recent brain scan shows he is cancer-free.

Carter has made the revelation some 4-months after revealing a form of melanoma had spread to his brain.

"When I went this week they didn't find any cancer at all, so I have good news. So a lot of people prayed for me and I appreciate that."Carter says he will continue to receive regular three-week immunotherapy treatments.

The 91-year old was first diagnosed with melanoma in August which had spread to his liver and brain.

Carter served on term as the US President in the 1970s, and is best known in China as the President who oversaw the official diplomatic recognition of China by the United States, playing host to then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping during his famed tour of the United States.

Carter also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, including the famed Camp David Accords, which saw Egypt formally recognize the state of Israel.

Israel Holds Chinese Food Workshops to Get Prepared for More Chinese VisitorsAnchor:

Four leading chefs from China have been making the rounds in Israel, teaching hotel and restaurant chefs around the country to prepare Chinese food amid the growing number of Chinese visitors making their way to Israel.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

Reporter:

At a professional culinary school in central Israeli city of Tel Aviv, Chinese chef Chen Qing is giving a Chinese food workshop to Israeli hotel and restaurant chefs, as well as to the students of the culinary school itself.

Chen Qing is among 4 Chinese chefs who have been traveling Israel, offering free master classes around the country.

The workshops include teaching chefs how to prepare Chinese dishes suitable for breakfast, main courses and desserts.

This way, Israeli chefs are able to learn about the specific culinary requirements of most Chinese tourists, and how to best adapt their menus to welcome them.

Israeli chef Nor has taken a lot of notes during the workshop he attended.

"The taste, the spices… it's very delicious, and it's interesting. It's a new taste, not the old Israeli taste. We have now a lot of Chinese people that come to the hotel. We want to know the traditional food to cook for them, to start the Chinese style. It's a new taste, new culture."Chen Qing says he hopes these workshops are also a good way for him to exchange ideas with Israeli chefs.

"Normally they can't make proper Chinese food because they don't have the right ingredients. Beyond that, nobody was around to tell them whether they were cooking the food right or not. They ask me: can I make it like this? I say yes, I used to try it that way and it works, then they know it is OK. It opens up their minds. I can also see things from them that maybe I've missed. So it works well to help us both."The workshops are being sponsored by the Israeli Tourism Ministry.

The tourism agency is taking the step ahead of Hainan Airlines opening its Beijing-Tel Aviv direct flights this coming April.

Amir Halevi is the Director-General of the Israeli Tourism Ministry.

"For us the Chinese market is very important. The year 2016 is the first time that a Chinese airline is going to fly from China to Israel, so we want to be ready with the hotels, with the tour guides and with the food. Our goal is in 3 years to be with 100,000 Chinese coming to visit Israel, and hopefully we can make it."The Israeli Tourism Ministry is also working to ease visa requirements for Chinese people, and has opened a Chinese language course for Israeli tour guides to better serve Chinese visitors.

Around 34-thousand Chinese visitors went to Israel last year, an increase of around one-third compared with the year before.

But with the new direct flight route opening in the Spring, the numbers are expected to grow significantly.

For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.

WeatherHeavy smog has returned to Beijing.

The smog is forecasted to be heaviest tomorrow and the day after.

A red alert, the highest level for smog danger, is set to take effect in Beijing tomorrow morning.

The smog won't back down in the greater-Beijing area until at least Thursday.

Temperatures tonight dips down to a low of minus 2 degrees Celsius; tomorrow a high of 3.

Shanghai, clear overnight with a low of 9; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 13.

Chongqing, overcast tonight with a low of 9; still overcast tomorrow with a high of 14.

Lhasa is cloudy tonight with a low of minus 4; sunny tomorrow with a high of 11.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, overcast tomorrow, with a high of 21.

Kabul, also overcast, 9.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, wet, a high of 32.

Brisbane, cloudy, 28.

Perth, sunny, 26.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will see some clouds with a high of 19 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsBeijing to raise the smog alert to red for first timeA red alert, the highest level for smog danger, is set to take effect in Beijing tomorrow morning.

Starting at 7am on Tuesday, an odd-even license plate restriction will be imposed on all vehicles in the city.

Industrial production will also be curtailed further, and further restrictions on schools may also take effect.

This is the first time since the 4-tiered color-coded smog system was brought in a few years ago that the condition has been brought to red in Beijing.

Forecasters are suggesting the smog is going to linger in the greater-Beijing area until at least Thursday, with rain expected to clear the air at that point.

Inner Mongolia Raid caused by "provincial border dispute"It's being reported a dispute over land may be behind an an assault on a police inspection station in Inner Mongolia.

A group of around 100 people, believed to be from neighboring Gansu, attacked the station on Sunday afternoon, injuring 13 people and destroying 11 police vehicles while trashing the station itself.

The attackers, armed with stones and sticks, also used pepper spray on some of the police officers during their assault.

Some of the staff at the station in Inner Mongolia were then taken and dropped in a remote area in the Gobi Desert.

The exact motivation, aside from being a dispute over land, has not been made clear.

Authorities are now on the hunt for the suspects.

Six officials arrested after central China karaoke fireSix officials have been arrested and 12 others have been hit with sanctions after a fire at a karaoke bar last year killed 12 and injured 28 others in Henan.

The arrests come around a year after the deadly fire in the suburbs of the city of Xinxiang in the middle of last December.

Among those being charged with dereliction of duty include the local fire chief, the deputy Chief of Police and the owner of the karaoke bar.

Others involved in the case have been hit with sanctions ranging from dismissal, demotion and warnings.

Local authorities say the karaoke bar itself never obtained the proper fire safety permits.

Earthquake in Tajikistan shocks Central AsiaA series of aftershocks of around magnitude-5 or greater are being reported after a major earthquake hit China's central Asian neighbor of Tajikistan this afternoon.

The quake, which Chinese authorities have measured as a 7.4, hit in Tajikistan's central mountains just before 4pm Beijing-time.

It struck at a depth of around 30-kilometers.

The quake did send shockwaves throughout the region, including areas of the Hindu Kush in neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It's unclear if any new damage or injuries in that area have taken place.

Venezuela President Maduro concedes election defeatThe latest exit polling shows Venezuela's opposition has won a majority of seats in the country's National Assembly.

Venezuela's National Electoral Council has announced the opposition has won at least 99 seats in the 167-seat legislature.

The socialists have retained 46 seats, while another 22 races have not been declared yet.

The opposition victory brings about an end to 17-years of Socialist rule in the country's legislature, which began under late-former President Hugo Chavez.

Biz ReportsAsian StocksAnchor:

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

Mainland markets closed higher amid thinner turnover on Monday led by small cap stocks.

Media, education, tourism, nonferrous metals, software, internet, textile and internet sectors were the main gainers on the day.

At the close, the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.3 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen Component index rose 0.9 percent.

The small-cap ChiNext Index rose 1.7 percent.

In Hong Kong, the Heng Seng moved down 0.2 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares closed higher Monday as robust U.S. jobs data at the end of last week underscored expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will hike its key interest rates this month.

Gainers were led by food, retail and services-linked shares.

The Nikkei 225 added one percent.

South Korea's KOSPI closed half of a percent lower.

Singapore's Straits Times index advanced 0.8 percent.

And finally,Australia's ASX/200 edged up a fraction of a percent.

China to launch circuit breaker next yearAnchor:

A proposed stock market circuit breaker is going to be implemented in China as of January.

The original proposal has been approved by China's securities regulator.

Its meant to curb the wild swings seen in the mainland stock markets this year.

Under the new plan, if the index goes up or down by 5 percent after 2:45 in the afternoon, or if the index rises or falls by 7-percent at any time, trading will be suspended for the day.

The suspension time in the event of an unsustained swing, such as a one-off massive buy or sell, would be at least 15 minutes.

This year the Shanghai Composite Index saw market slumps of over 7 percent six-different times.

For more on this, CRI's Bob Jones spoke earlier with Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

China to become world's No.1 electric car marketThe China Association of Automobile Manufactures is forecasting electric car sales in China this year may surpass the US for the first time, making China the world's top market for electric vehicle sales.

The organization estimates electric cars sales in China will hit between 220-thousand to 250-thousand this year.

Figures for the U.S. market are expected to come in at around 180-thousand.

The new energy vehicle sector has seen significant growth in China in the past two years.

This has come mostly through directives for government departments to purchase electric vehicles, as well as subsidies and tax cuts for private buyers to purchase electric cars.

The sales of electric vehicles in China surged 290 percent year on year through the first 10-months of this year to over 171-thousand.

Vanke says Jushenghua has become its biggest shareholderChinese property developer Vanke is reporting Shenzhen Jushenghua, a Chinese firm with property and insurance businesses, has become its biggest shareholder.

Jushenghua and partner Foresea Life Insurance, now own a 20 percent stake in Vanke after Jushenghua bought nearly 5-percent more on Friday.

Jushenghua currently owns 20 percent of Foresea.

China Resources Company was previously Vanke's biggest shareholder, with a 17 percent stake.

Vanke says that even with the new changes, it currently has no controlling shareholder or de facto controlling shareholder.

Tencent plans to expand WeChat mobile payment overseasTencent has announced plans to expand its mobile payment service on WeChat outside China.

Wechat Pay is going to be made available in more than 20 countries and regions, including Australia, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau, in an attempt to make things more convenient for customers who are traveling abroad.

"With WeChat's mobile payment service, we won't have to exchange currencies before going abroad. It can be troublesome to take cash overseas. I can also skip the foreign transaction fees that are charged on my bank cards. It's going to be great to be able to pay for anything in the world with only a mobile phone."Its unclear when the new overseas payment scheme will be launched.

A payment through WeChat is made simply by scanning a QR Code through the app.

Once a WeChat account is connected to a Chinese bank card, overseas billings will be ultimately converted and paid for through the Chinese currency.

WeChat currently has 650 million active users, with around 60 percent of them using its payment system.

HK economy to suffer from world economy's downward trend: officialHong Kong's Financial Secretary is warning the city's economy is going to suffer from the current downward trend in the world economy.

John Tsang is warning both exports and the tourism sector in Hong Kong will remain weak.

Speaking the city's Financial Affairs Panel, Tsang is warning diverging financial policies in the United States and Europe may have far-reaching consequences on the world economy.

In addressing the Panel of lawmakers, Tsang says Hong Kong's economic growth in through the 4th quarter should come in at a range of between 2 and 3-percent.

Tsang does say the 2.4-percent annual economic growth target for Hong Kong will be realized, saying the SAR government will continue to boost domestic demand through a number of different steps.

Hong Kong's economy has been hit by bouts of social and political unrest, which has driven mainland tourists away and has prompted mainland companies which might once have chosen to base out of Hong Kong to maintain or shift their operations across the border in places like Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

SportsGolden State Warriors Beat Brooklyn Nets for 22th WinIn NBA,The Golden State Warriors continue to roll over the competition in their record-breaking start to this year's season.

After coming off a narrow win yesterday morning against the Toronto Raptors, the Warriors were much more dominant this morning, easily handling the Brooklyn Nets 114-98 as part of their current eastern road swing.

Stephen Curry finished with a game-high 28 points for the Warriors in the victory.

The Warriors, now 22-0 to start the season, take their unbeaten streak into Indiana and Boston later this week.

In other action,The Detroit Pistons rolled over the L.A. Lakers 111-91 for their 4th win in a row.

Kobe Bryant with just 5 points for the Lakers.

--------The Phoenix Suns have suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, going down to the Memphis Grizzlies 95-93 this morning.

--------Elsewhere,Wesley Matthews netted a game-high 36 points to help the Dallas Mavericks with a 116-104 win over the Washington Wizards.

And it was the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Milwaukee Bucks 98-95.

---------Here in China,It's an off-day today in the CBA, with most teams resting until Wednesday before resuming action.

There is only one game on the schedule tomorrow.

This has Foshan entertaining Qingdao.

Both clubs sit well out of playoff contention at this point.

NFL: Panthers remain perfect after edging SaintsIn NFL action from this morning,The Carolina Panthers remain the only undefeated team in the NFL this season, edging the New Orleans Saints 41-38.

With the victory, Carolina also secures the first playoff berth in the NFL, as well as the NFC South Division.

--Some 8-days ago, New England was also thinking about a perfect season.

Now, the Patriots are thinking how to recover from their first back-to-back loss in some 3-years after being upset at home to the Philadelphia Eagles 35-28 this morning.

With the 2nd loss in a row, New England drops to 10-2 on the season.

--In other action,It was Denver moving to 10-2 with a 17-3 win over San Diego.

--Cincinatti is also 10-2 after routing Cleveland 37-3.

--Indy dropped a chance to take an outright lead in the AFC South, getting beat up by Pittsburgh 45-10.

The Steelers move to 7-5.

--Houston also goes to 6-6 atop the AFC South after a 30-21 loss to Buffalo.

--Other winners on the day included Miami, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, the New York Jets, San Francisco, Seattle and Kansas City.

--Tomorrow morning, its Washington at home to Dallas.

Football: Crystal Palace looks for 2nd straight EPL winIn Football from the English Premier League,8th-place Crystal Palace is set to take on Everton, looking for its 2nd win in a row.

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew:

"They have a good manager, good players and a stable environment. So they're a team we are competing with ourselves. It give us an opportunity to try and get a result. If we can get a result, we can stay above them. That's an indication of how we've been and how good we've been."Ahead of tonight's match, Everton has booked its place in the last four of the League Cup with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough.

Last night's match in the Premiership saw Newcastle dump Liverpool 2-nil.

--------From Major League Soccer in North America,The Portland Timbers have won the MLS Cup for the first time, defeating the Columbus Crew 2-1.

Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey:

"It's just amazing. I can't describe it right now. It is so fresh, the adrenalin is high and you see the energy in this room right now. We just played a 90 minute game and I am sure all of the guys are tired but they are still able to party like this. Unbelievable."The Portland Timbers entered the MLS in 2011, but have been a professional soccer team in the US for over the past 40-years.

South Korean Chang named Chinese Super League side Chongqing Lifan's coachIn off-field football news,South Korean Chang Woe-Ryong has been named the head coach of Chinese Super League side Chongqing Lifan.

Chang has signed a three-year contract with Lifan.

Chang is no stranger to Chinese football, having come to China in 2011, where he coached Qingdao and Dalian.

He's expected to arrive in Chongqing this Friday.

Han Xinyun into First Round of Australia OpenIn tennis,Han Xinyun has once-again booked her spot into next year's Australian Open.

She blew away Wang Yafan in an all-China final of the Asia-Pacific division of the Win a Wildcard competition.

With it, 25-year-old will be making her 2nd appearance at the Australian Open.

She went down to Samantha Stosur in the first round of the tournament in 2010.

Wang Yafan will still have a chance to compete at the Australian Open, provided she can make it through the tournamnent qualifiers before the tournament actually begins in January.

Robertson Beats China's Liang Wenbo to Win UK ChampionshipIn snooker,Australia's Neil Robertson downed China's Liang Wenbo 10-5 to win the UK Championship for the second time, making the first ever 147 in a major tournament final.

Robertson becomes the eighth player in snooker history to lift the trophy more than once.

Liang Wenbo, who is the second Chinese player to reach the final in the World Championship, now jumps to 15th in the world rankings.

It earns him a place in next month's Masters.

The 28-year-old will make his debut in the invitational event against John Higgins.

Australian Marc Leishman wins Nedbank Golf ChallengeIn golf,Beijing native Feng Simin has completed a wire-to-wire victory at the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in Florida, regaining a full LPGA tour exemption next year.

The 20-year-old closed with a 3-under-69 to finish at minus-18 and a seven-stroke victory.

Feng, who earned her tour card last year, played just one year at Vanderbelt University before getting her card.

It's still not clear if she plans to go pro yet, or stay in school.

Meanwhile,Marc Leishman has picked up his first European Tour title by winning the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.

The Australian, who started the final round ahead of Swede Henrik Stenson by one stroke, carded a 5-under 67 to finish 19-under for the tournament.

"It's awesome. I haven't won since the middle of 2012 so to win here is huge. It's been a while and I can't really put it into words at the moment."Stenson finished second, with England's Chris Wood coming in third.

----------------American Bubba Watson has cruised to a three-shot victory at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Watson finished at 25-minus, three clear of fellow American Patrick Reed.

"I want my name to be posted on that leaderboard every tournament, every year so people are always talking about Bubba Watson and how consistent he is and how good he is so that's my whole, my whole focus right now is every year getting better and better."-----------Here in Asia,Sergio Garcia has finally won his first tournament of the calendar year, taking this year's Ho Tram Open in the second playoff hole in Vietnam.

Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang finished tied for 2nd.

Lindsey Vonn Wins Canada's Super G skiing eventIn skiing,American Lindsey Vonn has won another World Cup race, this time at Lake Louise in Canada.

Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend smoked the competition at Lake Louise, beating her closest rival by 1.32 seconds.

Vonn now has 14 downhill victories and four "Super G" wins at the venue in Alberta.

EntertainmentBritish pop group looking for the boy during their historic gig to China in 1985British pop duo "Wham!" of 80's-fame has put out an appeal, looking for the little boy who took a photo with them on the Great Wall during their historic show in China in 1985.

The show itself was ground-breaking at the time, as Wham!, frontmanned by George Michael, became the first western pop group to perform in China.

In April 1985, Wham! toured China for 10-days, which has attracted global attention.

The tour culminated with a concert at the Workers' Gymnasium in Beijing in front of 15-thousand.

During their time at the Great Wall, a little boy ended up in a photo with the duo.

Now the band wants to find that boy some 30-years after-the-fact.

Their tour of China in 1985 was the culmination of an 80's music career for George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, who split up the following year.

Chen Kun Sings Theme Song for "Mojin: The Lost Legend"The music video for the theme song for Chinese fantasy film "Mojin: The Lost Legend" has been unveiled.

"Xun Long Jue" is performed by the movie's lead actor Chen Kun.

The song is has been produced by singer-songwriter Yan Yidan, who first received attention for writing the soundtrack of Chinese period drama "Scarlet Heart" in 2011.

"Mojin: The Lost Legend," directed by Wu Er'shan, is an adaptation of the best-selling novel series "Ghost Blows Out the Light," which is a fantasy adventure about grave robbers seeking a hidden treasure.

The first part of the novel was adapted into another film "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe," which came out at the end of September.

"Mojin: The Lost Legend" is due to hit Chinese theaters on December 18th.

Ed Sheeran takes on Ellie Goulding for BBC Music song awardEd Sheeran, Ellie Goulding and Jason Derulo are all in the running for 'Song of the Year' at the BBC Music Awards.

Their tracks, including Sheeran's "Bloodstream," are among 10 songs nominated ahead of the awards this coming Thursday.

Other songs in the running include Jess Glynne's 'Hold My Hand' and 'Uptown Funk' by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars.

Out of the five awards at this year's BBC music event, 'Song of the Year' is the only accolade voted for by the public.

Other awards to be announced on the night include 'British Artist of the Year' and 'BBC Live Performance of the Year,' which are voted on by a BBC Music panel and leading music journalists in the UK.

U2 pay tribute to Paris in new songIrish rockers U2 have written a song to pay tribute to Paris following last month's deadly terrorist attacks that left 130 people dead.

The group was due to play in the French capital in the days after the attacks, but the gigs were cancelled.

However, U2 has finally played its first rescheduled show in Paris on Sunday evening.

As an encore, Bono wrapped himself in a tricolour French flag and sang a verse of French singer Jacques Brel's "Ne me quitte pas," or `"Don't Leave Me".

U2 will play a second Paris concert later tonight.

Before the gig, Bono has revealed a new song titled "Streets of Surrender" contains lines about Paris being the "city of liberty" and having "streets of love and pride."Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift win Twitter in 2015Twitter is suggesting 2015 has been a year of two-halves.

The social-media company says first six months were all about Taylor Swift, before a Justin Bieber "take-over".

Bieber has around 50-million followers on his account.

The same observations also show the most posts shared through Twitter have come from the frontman for British band One Direction.

But at the same time, Twitter says social media conversations over the past year have not all been about celebrities and music.

European Twitter's boss says political expression and opinions on events in the news have been stronger than ever.

Actor Morgan Freeman unhurt after plane's unexpected landingOscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is safe and sound after his private plane blew a tire while taking off.

The plane had to make a force landing at an airport in Tunica, Mississippi, just before nightfall on Saturday.

However, the star and his pilot were unhurt.

In a statement, 78-year-old Freeman said he was traveling to Texas to shoot a segment for the series, "The Story of God."He continued to say that he appreciated the concern and prayers for their safety.

Freeman was previously involved in a 2008 car accident that seriously injured the actor and a passenger in Mississippi near his home.

The actor is known for his roles in "The Shawshank Redemption," and 'Driving Miss Daisy."He has been nominated for five Academy Awards and won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in Clint Eastwood's 2004 film "Million Dollar Baby."That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...

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

A first-ever red alert for smog is being issued in Beijing as of tomorrow morning, restricting vehicle traffic and other areas of life in the capital.

A number of arrests have reportedly been made after an attack on a police inspection station between Inner Mongolia and Gansu.

On behalf of all of all of us on the Beijing Hour news team, this is Paul James in Beijing. Join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together...