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

Coming up on the program...

China's top leadership unveils the major economic tasks for 2016...

Member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization discuss regional development...

And the US president gives an update on the fight against Islamic State militants...

In Business...China's central bank launches a new exchange rate index...

In Sports...looking at some of the football matches in upcoming Champions League play...

And in Entertainment...the world premiere of the new Star Wars film...

All of that coming up in the next hour.

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Top NewsChina pinpoints major economic tasks for 2016China's top leadership has unveiled its major economic tasks for the coming year, with emphasis on issues concerning urban planning and innovation.

The major tasks were listed in a statement issued after a political bureau meeting of the CPC Central Committee on Monday, which was presided over by Xi Jinping.

The statement says China should expand the effective demand on the housing market by turning more migrant rural workers into urban residents, to reduce the high housing inventory.

The statement also pledges to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation as well as reduce operation costs for companies.

Xi Jinping, in describing the economic and social development task as "arduous" next year, said the country should continue to reform and open up, stick to the general guideline of seeking progress while maintaining stability, and promoting the improvement of productivity.

Agreements strengthen China-UAE tiesAnchor:

A series of cooperation deals have been inked between China and the United Arab Emirates.

The deals were signed as Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, is paying his a four-day official visit to China.

CRI's Luo Bin has the details.

Reporter:

During a meeting with the Crown Prince, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the ever-growing ties between the two countries.

"China regards UAE as a good friend and partner in the gulf region. I hope the two sides will boost practical cooperation within the framework in pursuit of reciprocity and common development."The two sides have agreed to set up a 10-million dollar fund to make strategic deals around the world.

Deng Li with the Chinese Foreign Ministry says specific investment projects have not yet been approved.

"It's mainly used to invest in China and the UAE as well as for trilateral cooperation in Africa. It's a new move aimed at future development. Involved projects are still in negotiation. Generally speaking, it targets energy, infrastructure construction, and high end industries. "The two sides have also pledged to boost practical cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Sheikh Mohamed says UAE is seeking cooperation.

"UAE is committed to the strategic partnership with China. Especially at present stage, we would like to work with China to carry forward the one belt, one road initiative."As part of the results, the two sides also signed a memorandum of cooperation on RMB clearing in the UAE and agreed on expanding the RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor program to the UAE at a quota of 50 billion yuan.

In addition, China's central bank on Monday extended a currency swap agreement with the central bank of the United Arab Emirates, allowing the two sides to exchange payments in one currency for equivalent amounts in the other.

In aviation, Emirates Airline is expected to launch four weekly flights to Chinese provincial capitals Zhengzhou and Yinchuan next year.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

SCO Prime Ministers' Meeting to Expect Fruitful Result in Regional CooperationThe 14th prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is now underway in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou.

Heads of government from the SCO members are due to issue a statement on regional economic cooperation after the meeting, reiterating support for regional development strategies including the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

According to CRI reporter Zhai Lei, who is covering the event in Zhengzhou, the meeting will talk about how to boost industrial capacity cooperation among member countries.

"Leaders of the SCO member countries will also witness today the signing of such documents as SCO member states' customs cooperation plans from 2016 to 2021. The move will facilitate interconnection and customs clearances among SCO member states as well as their information sharing in the field of law enforcement, including combating smuggling."The meeting, to be concluded later today, will also touch upon the issues of regional security.

The SCO currently has six member countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

China and Kazakhstan have agreed on scores of deals on industrial capacity cooperation worth over 20 billion dollars.

Belt and road initiative brings new opportunity for SCO membersAnchor:

Experts say the SCO members are very important countries along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the project will help these countries find new growth opportunities.

CRI's reporter Guo Yan has details.

Reporter:

Economic cooperation tops the agenda during the SCO meeting.

Zhang Jianping, a senior official from the National Development and Reform Commission, says SCO members have made progress in infrastructure construction and industrial capacity cooperation.

"China and Russia have started comprehensive cooperation in industrial capacity. For example, they jointly developed aircraft for commercial use. They have launched joint research on high-speed rail construction in Russia. Through a series of high-level talks, China and Kazakhstan have a wide range of cooperation in expanding industrial capacity. A good example for cooperation of SCO members is that TBEA, a major transformer provider in China, is helping central Asian countries in long-distance electricity transmission."Statistics show that the trade volume between China and other SCO member countries reached 130 billion US dollars in 2014, ten times the level of 2001 when the organization was founded.

China's investment in the SCO member countries has exceeded 70 billion US dollars, while the investment from SCO members to China has exceeded 1 billion US dollars.

Economic cooperation also helps growth in other areas including the well-being of residents, culture and tourism.

Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the SCO Research Center with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the SCO provides a platform for further cooperation among countries along the Belt and Road initiative.

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Silk Road Economic Belt will not only bring prosperity to the region but also take economic cooperation between member countries to a higher level."The Belt and Road Initiative was put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Kazakhstan in 2013, and has since witnessed tangible commitments by China, including the launch last year of a New Silk Road Fund worth 40 billion U.S. dollars.

During an SCO summit in Russia's Ufa in July, President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to regard the SCO as an important platform to dovetail the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

The SCO secretariat-general of the Mezentsev says the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative will benefit countries in the Eurasian areas.

He says it's important for the countries along the route of the Belt and Road initiative to find new development strategies.

"The proposal of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative is a macroscopic concept. It takes future development into consideration. So next, we have a lot to do to coordinate under the initiative and the long-term development strategy of SCO member countries. We take the long-term goal of development of related countries into consideration."The two-day SCO prime ministers' meeting is set to conclude on Tuesday.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Ancient Town Ready for Internet SummitAnchor:

Preparations are in full swing for the forthcoming World Internet Conference, set to take place in one of China's most ancient towns later this week.

CRI's Tu Yun with more.

Reporter:

For such an internet-focused event, a fast enough internet access is surely a top priority.

Ge Wei, head of Wuzhen Tourism Co., Ltd., said over 3,000 new WI-FI hotspots have been installed making internet surfing in the township a fantastic experience.

"We have laid and re-enhanced over 50 kilometers of optical links in total. So, there are more than 20 'ten-gigabyte' optical cables in the whole scenic spot."With the conference around the corner, close to 1,000 volunteers have arrived, ready to provide multilingual services.

And what's making them stand out is the color of their uniforms.

Wang Huilin, with the event's organizing committee, explains the reason behind the design.

"Wuzhen Town is one of our water towns located in the south of the Yangtze River. We want to show participants some of our national features, as well as the special flavour of our water town. So we chose the color blue 'Wuzhen blue' for our working uniforms."This year's session takes place between Wednesday and Friday.

Internet cultural transmission, Internet development and cyber space management are among major topics.

It's also expected to provide a platform for the showcase of latest innovations in the industry.

Among the achievements to be showcased is an intelligent POS - or Point of Sale - terminal.

Different from traditional devices, the new one enables customers to pay through popular mobile applications such as WeChat and AliPay.

Customers can complete payments simply by scanning QR codes on their smartphones.

So far, local authorities have equipped about 200 local businesses with the device.

Local entrepreneur Zhang Cheng says the new machine meets a new and growing need of customers.

"In the past, many customers asked whether they could pay by WeChat or AliPay. Now after using this terminal, we really feel the immense changes the Internet has brought to our lives."At the same time the new device can boast enhanced security features.

Qian Feng is from the Wuzhen Branch of the Agricultural Bank of China.

"The first thing ensuring payment security is the signature of the customer, which allows them to check their transaction. The second thing is that we can trace merchandisers and banks through information saved in the terminal. That way, we can safeguard tourists' rights and interests."More than 2,000 political and business leaders from around the world will attend the event, including the prime ministers of Russia, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

For CRI, this is Tu Yun.

China, South Korea to start maritime demarcation negotiation next weekThe first round of negotiations on maritime demarcation between China and South Korea will be held in a week's time.

The talks will be co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul in Seoul.

The two countries announced the demarcation plan during President Xi Jinping's visit to the South Korea back in 2014.

Bogu Kailai's suspended death sentence commuted to life imprisonmentThe Beijing Higher People's Court has commuted the death sentence of Bo Xilai's wife Bogu Kailai to life in prison.

The death sentence of former railway minister Liu Zhijun has also been commuted to life imprisonment.

The prison authorities said the criminals had expressed repentance and had not intentionally broken the law while in prison.

Bogu Kailai is serving a term in Yancheng Prison, accused of murdering a British citizen in 2012.

62 year old Liu Zhijun was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in 2013.

He was convicted of taking bribes of over 64 million yuan and abusing power.

Report: Clamor of Chinese Tourists Most Complained OverseasAnchor:

A new report suggests that 'clamor' - shouting and excessive noise - prompt the most complaints about Chinese tourists in foreign destinations.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

Reporter:

The survey was conducted jointly by the Chinese Academy of Tourism and China Radio International.

It reached locals from all walks of life at hot destinations for Chinese tourists around the world.

Yeung Lin is a tour guide in Macao.

She describes the kind of bad behavior from mainland travelers she hates most.

"I have led many tour groups from the mainland. The misbehaviors having struck me most among them included clamor, queue-jumping, littering and Chinese-style road crossing."According to the results of the same survey, the noisiness of Chinese tourists was also complained about in Russia, which has seen a sharp rise in Chinese visitors over the past three years.

"Many Chinese tourists coming to our shop liked to talk loudly. I once asked some of them why, and they answered that they were used to talking at such a loud volume. But it's kind of noise for us."Official data show close to 62 million Chinese people traveled overseas in the first half of this year - that's up over 12 percent on the same period in 2014.

The surge has mainly resulted from more relaxed visa policies and the increasing value of the RMB Chinese currency abroad.

Asia still dominated China's outbound tourism market and South Korea still ranked as the No.1 destination country.

But some Chinese are also igniting a growing anger there, especially among city cleaners.

"We are really hoping to see something can stop them from littering cigar butts. We have to clear these leftovers from day to night. It's a tough work."Complaints over Chinese bad behavior have been lingering for years at popular tourist destinations worldwide.

In order to reduce inappropriate behavior by Chinese tourists, China's state tourism administration CNTA set up a black list system earlier this year.

It targets tourists who violate order on public transportation, damaging public facilities or historical relics and ignoring social customs at tourism destinations.

To help solve the problem, tour guide Yeung Lin also came up with some proposals.

"Authorities can advertise some rules and traditions mainland tourists must follow when traveling abroad. It's also important to help people learn about local culture before their trips since insufficient comprehension of a destination may lead to misunderstanding after they arrive there."Under the trial blacklist regulation, the CNTA will develop a national database on misbehaving tourists, with the records kept for up to two years.

Being blacklisted could affect a person's ability to travel abroad again or even secure a bank loan.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Obama makes address on anti-ISIL campaignAnchor:

U.S. President Barack Obama delivered an address from the Pentagon on Monday to update the country on the on-going campaign against Islamic State militants.

The president has been under increasing pressure to reassure Americans that his strategy against the terror group is working, following the massacre earlier this month in San Bernardino, California.

Ellen Scott has this report from Washington.

Reporter:

President Obama said the U.S.-led coalition has made progress dismantling ISIL's core in Iraq and Syria by launching more targeted airstrikes than ever.

"We are hitting ISIL harder than ever. Coalition aircraft, our fighters, bombers and drones have been increasing the pace of airstrikes --- nearly 9000 as of today. Last month in November we dropped more bombs on ISIL targets than any other month since this campaign started."There hasn't been a shift in strategy...the focus is still on targeted airstrikes. President Obama continues to rule out sending ground forces into Iraq and Syria.

President Obama listed off the names of ISIL leaders who had been killed in these airstrikes. He added that the latest round of coalition airstrikes have disrupted ISIL's freedom of maneuver.

"Every day we destroy as well more of ISIL's forces...their fighting positions, bunkers and staging areas, heavy weapons, bomb making forces and training camps. In many places ISIS has lost its freedom of maneuver -- because they know if they mask their forces we will wipe them out."But...Republicans in the U.S. are critical of President Obama's rare address at the Pentagon. They see the tough talk against ISIL as more of a way to dismantle doubts about his foreign policy after the attacks in Paris and in San Bernardino.

Obama warned that the US and its partners faced a 'very tough fight ahead' and despite some progress, there's still work to be done.

"We recognize that progress needs to keep coming faster. No one knows that more than the countless Syrians and Iraqis living everyday under ISIL's terror as well as the families in SB and Paris and elsewhere who are grieving the loss of their loved ones."During his address, Obama announced that he's sending Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to the Middle East to help secure more help in the fight against the Islamic State.

"Just as the US is doing more in this fight. Just as our allies...France, Germany and the UK, Australia and Italy are doing more, so must others. That's why I have asked Secretary Carter to go to the Middle East -- he will depart right after this press briefing -- to work with our coalition partners on securing more military contributions to this fight"He also said that Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Moscow on Tuesday in order to push diplomatic efforts to finally put an end to the Syrian civil war.

For CRI I'm Ellen Scott in Washington.

U.S. working on including social media scrutiny in visa reviews: reportThe United States is said to be working on a plan to include scrutiny of social media posts of "certain people" during the visa vetting process.

Media reports in the US say the move represents a new focus on the use of social media in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting in Southern California.

No details of the plan have been revealed.

Federal investigators have been combing the digital footprint of the husband and wife who opened fire at a holiday party at a social services center earlier this month, killing 14 and wounding many others.

Yemeni president says ceasefire to begin Tuesday morningYemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi has ordered a ceasefire to start on Tuesday morning.

The ceasefire will officially start at noon local time.

Hadi, the internationally recognized Yemeni president, has informed the United Nations and the coalition command that he will announce an "extendable" seven-day humanitarian ceasefire on Dec. 15 to coincide with the UN-facilitated peace talks, which will be held in Switzerland later today.

Previous peace talks in June failed and a ceasefire the following month quickly unraveled, but months of stalemate in ground combat and reports of increased pressure by Gulf Arabs' Western allies to end the war may encourage a political settlement.

More than 6,000 people have been killed in Yemen since March in ground battles and airstrikes, half of them civilians.

Syrian forces recapture key airbase east of DamascusIt's been reported that Syrian troops have fully recaptured a key military airbase near the capital Damascus.

The Marj al-Sultan airbase as well as large swathes of the nearby town are east of Damascus.

Most militants with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front have reportedly withdrawn from both the airbase and town.

The recapture of the area comes after two-weeks of military operations.

The airport and its adjoining town are believed to be strategically important for government forces to constrict rebel groups in the region, relieving Damascus from daily mortar shelling by the rebels.

EU Foreign Ministers Meeting Held in BrusselsAnchor:

The European Union continues to strengthen it's relationship with Turkey as discussions regarding the country's joining the EU are re-energized and pushed forward.

While some in Brussels wonder if Turkey will ever meet all the requirements for EU membership, many top EU leaders keep stressing Turkey is now an invaluable partner in fighting terrorism.

Our Europe Correspondent Kevin Ozebek has the latest.

Reporter:

As European Union foreign ministers begin the week in Brussels, Turkey tops the agenda.

On Monday, Turkey moved one step closer to becoming an EU member.

European Union leaders have agreed to examine Turkey's economic and monetary policy, to make sure it's aligned with EU rules and regulations.

It's a necessary step on the road to EU membership.

Volkin Bozkir is Turkey's minister to the EU.

"We have expressed our strong commitment to reinvigorate the process and proceed in all chapters. Turkey expects to join the union as an equal member with all the rights and obligations."But some members of the European Parliament say Turkey will never grant full freedom of the press and full freedom of expression.

That too is needed for EU membership.

But the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini says membership talks must continue...because Turkey is an invaluable ally.

She met with Turkey's delegation visiting Brussels...

"We discussed the common approach to counterterrorism and common work with foreign fighters. Especially the difficult boarder between Turkey and Syria. both ways. Foreign fighters entering Syria and foreign fighters getting out of Syria and back to Europe."Counterterrorism also was high on the agenda during the meeting of EU foreign ministers.

They're still working on how their countries can better share intelligence.

Security Expert Evgenia Gvozdeva says it's the most important issue the EU can push in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.

"Still a lot of things should be done to improve the exchange of information between the security authorities on all levels between countries in the European Union. But at the same time as the Paris attacks showed, there should also be an exchange of information improved with countries beyond the borders of the European Union.

And improving intelligence sharing will be discussed again in Brussels later in the week when a two day EU leader's summit starts on Thursday.

For CRI, I'm Kevin Ozebek in Brussels.

Some Turkish troops leaving camp near Iraq's MosulTurkey has withdrawn some of its troops deployed near the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Media reports say a convoy of nearly 10 vehicles left the Bashiqa Camp on Monday, with only some advisers and technicians remaining.

The withdrawal is said to follow an agreement between the Baghdad federal government and the regional government of Kurdistan.

The troop movement comes after Iraq's strong reaction to the deployment of the Turkish troops to Bashiqa, which Ankara says was aimed at training Sunni forces fighting Islamic State militants.

Baghdad appealed to the United Nations Security Council last week, repeating its demand for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Turkish troops from northern Iraq.

The Turkish side has insisted that its soldiers are in Iraq as part of a training mission.

Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, has been under IS control since 2014.

Abbas reshuffles Palestinian consensus gov't despite Hamas oppositionThe Palestinian Prime Minister has reshuffled his consensus government despite opposition from Hamas.

Official news reports say Mahmoud Abbas has appointed three new ministers in the justice, culture, and social welfare portfolios.

The changes have been made despite the objections from Hamas, and against an agreement between Abbas and the Islamic movement on the formation of the consensus government.

Headline NewsChinese president calls for effective implementation of global climate dealChinese President Xi Jinping says China and France should work with all parties to effectively carry out the climate accord reached in Paris.

During a telephone conversation with French President Francois Hollande, Xi Jinping said the Paris deal charted a clear course for global cooperation on coping with climate change, starting from 2020.

The Chinese president also notes that the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership has achieved new progress this year.

He hoped China and France would maintain political exchanges and conduct close communications on major international and regional issues in 2016.

In addition, Xi Jinping expressed that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with France within the framework of the G20 and jointly accelerate global economic growth.

China, Kazakhstan earmark fund for industrial cooperationChina and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement on the establishment of a production capacity cooperation fund of 2 billion U.S. dollars.

The framework agreement was signed on Monday between China's Silk Road Fund and KAZNEX INVEST JSC, a major development institution in Kazakhstan.

The China-Kazakhstan fund is the first special fund since the Silk Road Fund's establishment in December 2014.

Obama makes address on anti-ISIL campaignU.S. President Barack Obama delivered an address from the Pentagon to update the country on the on-going campaign against Islamic State militants.

President Obama said the U.S.-led coalition has made progress dismantling ISIL's core in Iraq and Syria by launching more targeted airstrikes than ever.

Obama warned that the US and its partners faced a 'very tough fight ahead' and despite some progress, there's still work to be done.

The president has been under increasing pressure to reassure Americans that his strategy against the terror group is working, following the massacre earlier this month in San Bernardino, California.

Syrian forces recapture key airbase east of DamascusIt's been reported that Syrian troops have fully recaptured a key military airbase near the capital Damascus.

The Marj al-Sultan airbase as well as large swathes of the nearby town are east of Damascus.

Most militants with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front have reportedly withdrawn from both the airbase and town.

The recapture of the area comes after two-weeks of military operations.

The airport and its adjoining town are believed to be strategically important for government forces to constrict rebel groups in the region, relieving Damascus from daily mortar shelling by the rebels.

Biz ReportsTurning to business news, starting with a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Monday, as Wall Street eyed the Federal Reserve's policy meeting scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, signs of stabilization in oil prices provided some upward jolts to the stock market.

Oil price rebounded after dipping below 35 dollars in Monday's morning session, as some traders bought back their short positions.

The U.S. dollar also increased against most major currencies on Monday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, was up 0.1 percent.

At the closing bell,Dow Jones rose 0.6 percent.

S&P 500 was up 0.5 percent.

The Nasdaq increased 0.4 percent.

In Europe, shares suffered big losses as commodities continued to slide on Monday.

At the close of trading,UK's FTSE 100 shed 1.3 percent.

Germany's DAX fell 2 percent.

France's CAC 40 moved down 1.7 percent.

China launches new yuan indexAnchor:

The China Foreign Exchange Trade System, an arm of China's central bank, has introduced a new exchange rate index.

The CFETS RMB Index will measure the yuan's performance against a basket of 13 currencies, with weightings based mainly on international trade.

The dollar has the largest weighting with about 26 percent, followed by the euro and the yen at 21 percent and 14 percent respectively.

While announcing the launch late Friday, the PBoC said yuan fluctuations shouldn't be measured in terms of the U.S. dollar alone, and exchange rates are a reflection of trade and investment with multiple countries.

On Monday, the central parity rate of the renminbi weakened for the sixth consecutive day to its lowest level against the U.S. dollar since July 2011.

For more on the new index, CRI's Bob Jones earlier spoke with Professor Liu Baocheng from the University of International Business and Economics.

EBRD approves China membership applicationThe European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has approved a request by the Chinese authorities for China to become its shareholder.

EBRD president Sir Suma Chakrabarti says China's membership will provide more opportunities for investment by Chinese groups.

The EBRD has also expressed that it's willing to work with the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The EBRD opened for business with headquarters in London in 1991.

Up to now, its existing shareholders included 64 countries and 2 international organizations.

China's new energy vehicle output surgesData shows production of new energy vehicles here in China surged by 600 percent year on year in November, with total production standing at over 72-thousand units.

Output of pure electric passenger vehicles soared 700 percent from a year earlier to 30-thousand units.

At the same time, output for plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles tripled to 75-hundred.

Data also shows that China produced 280-thousand new energy vehicles in the first 11 months, up by four times from the same period in 2014.

China to give whole nation 4G coverage by 2018China aims to cover all urban and rural areas with the 4G network by 2018.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says the country will channel more energy into the promotion of 4G, and boost research and development of 5G.

Meantime, China is also planning to install fiber optics in more than 80 percent of its villages.

The plan is part of the Internet Plus action plan, which was unveiled in July by the MIIT.

It will integrate mobile Internet, cloud computing and the Internet of Things with modern manufacturing to boost the healthy development of the Internet.

CGN signs nuclear deal with Kazakhstan's KazatompromChina General Nuclear Power Corporation has inked a deal with Kazakhstan's Kazatomprom to build a nuclear fuel assembly plant and mine uranium deposits in the central Asian country.

The largest nuclear power supplier here in China says the main business terms and construction schedules have been agreed upon with Kazatomprom.

No further details have been revealed at this point.

Cooperation between the two firms on uranium development and nuclear fuel fabrication was initiated in 2006.

They also have a uranium mining joint venture.

CGN has imported nuclear fuel pellets and uranium from Kazatomprom in recent years.

Baidu seeks driverless buses on roads in 3 yearsChina's top online search firm aims to put self-driving buses on the road in three years.

The decision from Baidu comes after it set up a business unit to oversee all its efforts related to automobiles.

The unit will also include its initiative in partnership with BMW to develop a self-driving passenger vehicle.

Senior Vice President Wang Jing will lead the new unit as general manager.

However, Baidu has declined to give details on potential auto manufacturer partners for the bus or the investment amounts for the unit.

Cargo airline gets permit to fly passengersCargo company Yangtze River Express Airlines is going to begin operating domestic passenger flights.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued a certificate to the airline on Monday to operate the passenger flights.

The airline will operate passenger flights from Shanghai to Sanya, Guiyang and Zhuhai.

Yangtze River Express, owned by Hainan Airlines, was set up in 2002.

Currently, it has 26 cargo aircraft flying on 40 routes globally.

SportsEurope's Champions league matches have been drawnAnd in some football league:

Defending champions Barcelona have again been drawn to face Arsenal in round 16 of the Champions League.

Barcelona has a history with Arsenal.

Arsenal has been dropped from the 2010 quarter finals, the 16th round of the 2011 tournament and also in the 2006 finals by the Spanish club teamArsenal Secretary David Miles commented on the situation at a press conference.

"Yeah, I mean Barcelona are full of great players. Having said that, we have got our own world class players. We have got Alexis Sanchez who I am sure will be delighted to go back and play against one of his former clubs. So, all-in-all, in my view the tie of the round - and it will be two fantastic games of European football."　Other teams selected to play are,Five time champs, Bayern Munich, who will play the 2015 runners-up, JuventusAlso, Ten time champs, Real Madrid, will face Roma.

Paris Saint-Germain will play Chelsea; Eindhoven will face Atletico Madrid, Dynamo Kiev will play Manchester City, Gent will face Wolfsburg and finally Benfica will play Zenit St. Petersburg.

The first legs of the tournament will be played from the 16th-17th of February.

Second legs will be played from the 8th-9th and the 15th-16th of MarchItaly hosts the Ryder CupIn golf:

The Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, located in Rome, has been chosen to be the scene for the Ryder Cup competition in 2022.

Starting in 1927, the team golf competition puts golfers from Europe and the US against each other.

The tournament only happens every two years, with hosts alternating each time.

Deputy director for the Marco Simone Golf and Country club Lavinia Biagiotti, stated that preparations are well underway to make the games special.

"We have six years ahead of us. We have lot of things to do. We will turn this into an unforgettable, amazing venue. But we have already something which is unique. We got the view from several holes of Saint Peter's dome. So I guess we are starting with the right foot".

Outside from the US and the UK, only Spain has previously hosted the Cup, with France being the hosts in 2018.

Ferrari holds annual F1 news conferenceIn some F1 news:

Ferrari's F1 Division hosted its annual end of the season news conference in Italy on Monday.

President of the motor group Sergio Marchionne was in attendance and spoke to the press about the future of Ferrari's F1 racing.

"Look, we approached the 16' car with a very clear idea and a very clear objective of creating a very competitive car to Mercedes. That was the only objective that the team had. I think it is very unlikely that our car will not offer Mercedes a proper challenge. For me to determine as to whether it will win or not - I think it will be very gutsy. Certainly the team has had that as an objective.

Ferrari is coming off a season which has been dominated by Mercedes.

The Italian sports car company is looking to increase its racing strategy for next season.

Japan receives two bids for Olympic stadiumIn some Olympic news:

Two designs have been released for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as of Monday.

The designs come from two competing companies looking to build the new stadium.

Japan's sports council has released the designs to the public and will be choosing one of the designs by the end of this month.

Details concerning the competing companies have yet to be revealed.

The Stadium overseer for the Sports council Takakuni Ikeda told the press that Tokyo 2020 officials are relieved to have two designs to choose from.

"As we must properly complete the stadium within the limited time window, we are relieved to receive two proposals, both of which meet our requirements (of the budget caps and the delivery deadline)."The original plans for the Stadium were drawn up by Zaha Hadid, but were scrapped due to the controversy over its cost and scale.

President for the Sports Council, Kazumi Daito has stated that the new plan for the sports facility will put athletes first.

The new stadium will replace the National Stadium, which was built in the late 1950s and hosted the 1964 Olympics.

Sharapova exhibition kicks off day 2In tennis:

Kei Nishikori beat Jack Sock 4-6,6-3,10-7 in the "Maria Sharapova and Friends" tennis tournament on Sunday in LA.

This marked the second day of the exhibition tournament.

The mood during the game between world number 8 Nishikori and world number 26 Sock was jovial and laid back.

At one point, Sock even let a ball boy use his racket to play a volley with Nishikori.

After their game, the Japanese player, Nishikori spoke about his preparation for next season.

World number eight Nishikori played a relaxed game of tennis against world number 26 Jack Sock, even at one point"No I just started, I started a week ago, so it's going to be two or three more weeks to have good training and good practice and I will go back to Florida after one week. So I am going to have to train hard."Next season is right around the corner for some of these athletes.

On January 18th, the Australian Open will be kicking-off in the city of Melbourne.

EntertainmentStar Wars holds world premiere in LAThe red carpet has been rolled out for the world premiere of the new and much-anticipated "Star Wars" movie in Los Angeles.

Police have closed Hollywood Boulevard ahead of the premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre, where the original movie opened in 1977.

Fans have been gathering outside three cinemas for the premiere release since last week.

They were told that they must spend at least 24 hours to be eligible to buy a pair of tickets, and another 24 hours to buy one more.

Though several trailers have been released, the plot of the film has been shrouded in secrecy.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is set 30 years after the return of the Jedi.

It also brings back characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will open across North America this Friday.

The film will also come to China on January 9th.

Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper Attend 'Joy' World PremiereWhile the "Hunger Games" is dominating the global box office for the fourth consecutive month, Jennifer Lawrence has moved on with her new comedy "Joy."Lawrence was joined by Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro to premiere the film in New York.

In the film, Lawrence reunited with director David O. Russell to tell the life of magic-mop inventor Joy Mangano.

Lawrence says the woman is powerful but also vulnerable.

"It's wonderful, and nobody does that better than David. He loves women and he understands characters so deeply. He was the perfect person to put such a special life on the screen."Lawrence has been nominated for best actress in a musical or comedy for her performance in the film at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards.

Lawrence has made two other films with Russell and feels proud to work with his team again.

Bradley Cooper, who also starred in Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook", agrees with Lawrence.

"It's what you just said - family. That's the best part. You know, to be a part of uh … being a part of this film is just like being a part of the family. That's what it feels like.""Joy" is slated to open in U.S. theaters on December 25.

It is not clear at the moment if the film will come to China.

S. Korean reality show "Running Man" apologises for plagiarizingThe producer of South Korean reality show "Running Man" has openly apologized for plagiarizing a TV programme in Japan.

The show has enjoyed huge popularity in both South Korea and China, which led to a Chinese version of the show produced by Zhejiang TV.

After watching the latest episode last Sunday, viewers accused the show of plagiarizing two games from a Japanese show called "VS. Arashi."The producer of the show said he didn't watch the Japanese programme before.

He added that staff of the show will use some images as inspiration during planning sessions.

However, he admitted it was his fault for not checking the source of those images.

Mariah Carey to Tour Europe for the First Time in 13 YearsPop diva Mariah Carey is going to be enchanting her European fans on their home turf for the first time in 13 years.

Carey's "Sweet Sweet Fantasy" tour will kick off in the United Kingdom on March 15.

She will play six dates in the UK before moving on to continental Europe.

Her other tour destinations will cover 16 countries.

She will then conclude the tour in South Africa.

The multi-platinum selling artist will adjust her playlist for each different nation she visits.

Carey was last in Europe in 2003 for her Charm bracelet tour.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny today with a high of 3 degree Celsius; tonight clear with a low of -4.

Shanghai, cloudy with a high of 10, tonight also cloudy with a low of 3.

Chongqing, will see slight rain today with a high of 9 and a low of 6.

Lhasa, cloudy, a high of 10 and a low of minus 6 degrees Celsius.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy, 17.

Kabul, overcast, 5.

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

Washington DC, cloudy, 17.

Honolulu, cloudy , 28.

Toronto, slight rain, with a high of 10.

In South America,Buenos Aires, cloudy with a high of 32.

And Rio de Janeiro will be overcast with a high of 32 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

China's top leadership unveils the major economic tasks for 2016...

member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization discuss regional development...

and the US president gives an update on the fight against Islamic State militants...

In Business...China's central bank launches a new exchange rate index...

On behalf of the rest of the Beijing Hour team, Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.