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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Tibet marking the 50th anniversary of its establishment as an ethnically autonomous region within China...

Experts expressing confidence about the Chinese economy moving forward...

And French President Francois Hollande announcing that his country is set to take some 24-thousand more refugees.

In Business...China's foreign exchange reserves falling for the fourth straight month in August....

In Sports...China victorious over rivals Japan in the Women's Volleyball World Cup...

And in Entertainment.... Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is released in Shanghai...

Top NewsRegional Ethnic Autonomy Suits Tibet, China: White PaperAnchor:

The Chinese government's new white paper on Tibet says the current system of ethnic autonomy in the region is working for the people of the region.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

Reporter:

The latest white paper on Tibet's development has been released ahead of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of Tibet Autonomous Region.

The paper details the steps taken in the Region's economic and social development since regional ethnic autonomy was codified 5-decades ago.

Doje Cezhug, vice chair of the Tibet Autonomous Region, says Tibet has been allowed to modernize.

"A comprehensive transportation system including roads, railways and aviation has been built. An extensive energy system has now been formed with hydropower as the mainstay, but backed by geothermal, wind, and solar energy sources. Tibet has now entered the information age, having established a modern telecommunications network with optical cable satellites and the Internet as the backbone."Data included in the white paper shows Tibet's GDP has soared from 327 million yuan in 1965 to some 92 billion yuan last year, an over 280-fold increase.

The analysis also notes urban and rural areas in are seeing a rapid increase in incomes.

Last year, the per capita disposable income of urban residents in Tibet reached some 22-thousand yuan, a 38-fold increase compared with the average of 565 yuan in 1978.

The per capita disposable income of farmers and herdsmen last year was about 73-hundred yuan, representing an average annual increase of nearly 11-percent.

Ma Jinglin, vice director of Tibet's development and reform commission, says policy support will continue to flow from Beijing to continue helping local farmers and herdsmen.

"Farmers and herdsmen in Tibet enjoy free health care. Under the local educational program, their children's living expenses and tuition from pre-school to senior high school are all covered."Norbu Dondup from the CPC United Front Work Department in Tibet says the freedom to practice religion in the region is also a fundamental right.

"Currently, there are 17-hundred-87 sites for different religious activities in Tibet, and more than 46-thousand resident monks and nuns. These can easily accommodate local religious believers' needs. In Tibet, almost all religious believers have scripture halls or shrines at their homes. And prayer flags and mani stones are seen everywhere. People in Tibet support the Communist Party of China's religious policy and are very satisfied with it."The white paper also says the Dalai Lama's separatist activities violate the Constitution of China.

It also says the Tibetan people are managers of their local social affairs and masters of their own destiny, creating and sharing the material and spiritual wealth of Tibet.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Central gov't officials in Tibet for 50th anniversary of autonomyThe Chinese government's top political advisor, Yu Zhengsheng, is now in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, to take part in events marking the 50th anniversary of the region's founding.

A 65-member delegation from the central government will be taking part in a ceremony in front of the Potala Palace on Tuesday to mark 50-years since the creation of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Yu Zhengsheng has already met with several active and retired Tibetan officials.

Ahead of the celebrations on Tuesday, the central government has issued a white paper on Tibet, reaffirming its current policy for regional autonomy.

Documentary on world's highest Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet starts to show on CCTVA six-episode documentary on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet has premiered on China Central Television.

It details the breath-taking natural scenery along the world's highest river, local people's life, and also the changes of the new Tibet.

Qi Kejun, director of the documentary, says the documentary also tells stories of ordinary people and demonstrates the tremendous changes and social progress achieved by Tibet after its autonomy.

"We let people narrate their own life stories and behaviors without any interferences, so that they can roll out true stories one by one."To capture the wonders of the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, the camera crew of nearly 100 people went to dangerous areas covered by heavy snow.

The documentary took the crew more than one year to finish.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Experts provides Tibetan people with technical AidAnchor:

Agricultural experts with China's "Aid-Tibet" program have offered technical support to residents in Ngari Prefecture of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

CRI's Guo Yan reports.

Reporter:

Han Junwen, an Aid-Tibet program agricultural expert from northwest China's Shaanxi province, brought forage seeds to the remote area in 2005.

When he first came to the county, he was shocked by what he saw – large plots of barren land.

Since the county is short of rainfall, Han persuaded villagers of Gar New Village to plant alfalfa, a cold-and-dry-resistant plant.

"The seed of alfalfa is as small as sesame. A single seed is too small to break through the soil, so we decided to sow between 30 and 40 seeds in one pit."However, in spite of government subsidies, some villagers at first declined to plant alfalfa as they had doubts about the new plant.

A villager named Migmar was finally persuaded and decided to give it try. Within two to three years, he harvested 2,500 kilograms of fresh grass which brought him a big fortune.

"At first, we had no trust in alfalfa. Later, in the following two years, we found that alfalfa is high-valued and popular among livestock."The successful example pushed other villagers to plant alfalfa, and since 2010 both the planting area of alfalfa and the number of dairy cattle have increased rapidly.

At present, nearly 2,000 hectares of alfalfa is planted and almost 600 heads of milk cows are being raised for sale.

Gongbu, a village head in Gar County, says with the help of Han they have started to lead a stable life.

"We plant alfalfa and raise cattle. By selling the forage and dairy products, the whole village earns over one million yuan each year."So far, the annual per capita income has reached 20,000 yuan in Gar County, extraordinarily higher than it was ten years ago.

However, Han Junwen says his team plans to further extend the alfalfa planting and ensure each person has two heads of cattle in three years.

"We plan to build a fodder-processing plant to store food for the animals in case of winter natural disasters. It will be a great relief for the local government."China launched the national Aid-Tibet program in 1995 to improve people's livelihood in the autonomous region.

Over 6,000 experts and officials from the country's other provinces have so far been sent to different parts of Tibet to help develop the local economy.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Experts Confident about China's EconomyAnchor:

A leading Chinese government researcher is suggesting the markets here in China are going to react well this week to speeches made by leading Chinese economic officials at a G20 meeting in Turkey this past weekend.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

Reporter:

China's central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, along with Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, have tried to ease concerns over China's economy at the meeting in Ankara, Turkey.

They mainly focused their attention on China's stock market, RMB exchange rate and economic reforms while addressing Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from the G20 economies.

Zhang Liqun with the State Council's Development Research Center says their speeches should help restore confidence in the state of China's economy.

"The key message both Zhou Xiaochuan and Lou Jiwei wanted to convey through their speeches is that people should not doubt the future of China's economy, in spite of short-term fluctuations."Governor Zhou Xiaochuan says measures taken by Chinese government has shielded the stock markets from a collapse, while at the same time, reducing systemic risk.

Chinese markets have shed nearly 40-percent since peaking in mid-June.

Zhou Xiaochuan's speech has heard him suggest that a series of measures that have been taken, including the PBOC providing liquidity to the market, have worked.

He's also told his G20 counterparts the devaluation of RMB isn't likely to last for long, given China's current economic status, as well as its large surplus in foreign trade.

Researcher Zhang Liqun with the State Council says he believes Zhou Xiaochuan's comments will help.

"These messages may help stabilize the stock and currency markets. Chinese stocks have fallen to just over 3-thousand, with the market bubble almost deflated given the low price-earning ratio. And in the forex market, a sharp rise or decline is unlikely to happen again."Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, meanwhile, has told the G20 in Ankara, that China is still maintaining 7 percent growth, despite changes to demographics and a lower rate-of-return on exports.

Lian Ping, chief economist with the Communication Bank of China, says maintaining 7-percent growth over the mid-term shouldn't be difficult to achieve.

"The figures show that China's economy is still stable and the Chinese government is confident it has sufficient policy space to keep a mid-to-high speed of growth. In my opinion, the 7-percent target can probably be achieved over the coming 5-years."Zhang Liqun with the Development Research Center of the State Council suggests economic reforms still remain the key.

"China has been seeking a slower but more stable growth over the past 3-years while pushing forward with reforms. The recent fluctuations in the market won't affect the course of reforms. Efforts will pay off as long as the government can continue to streamline the administration, delegate power and improve market supervision."At the same time, China's Finance Minister has told the G20 meeting in Ankara that 7-million new jobs created in China in the first half year, and says its the government's belief this will continue to stimulate personal consumption levels.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

For more on this, CRI's Zhao Yang earlier spoke with Winston Wong, Managing Director of Shipstone Group LimitedBack anchor: Winston Wong, Managing Director of Shipstone Group Limited, speaking with CRI's Zhao Yang.

Stronger El Nino May Last Until Winter: ExpertChina's National Climate Center has reported that the present El Nino in the Pacific Ocean has gotten stronger and is expected to last until this winter.

Statistics have shown that El Nino has lasted for 16 months since last May, as surface temperatures on the Pacific Ocean have been substantially above average.

Sun Leng, a senior engineer with the NCC, explains further.

"At present, the accumulated sea surface temperature anomalies index has reached 14.4 degrees Celsius, which means El Nino has gotten stronger."Sun predicts that El Nino will continue to strengthen and may last until this winter or even next spring.

El Nino has brought excess rainfall to China's southern and eastern regions in the summer months, while the northern region experienced severe drought.

In the meantime, measures have been instituted in the Philippines to mitigate El Nino's effect.

The public are urged to reduce water and electricity consumption as those two commodities may be the first to be affected by the weather phenomenon.

France to send spotter planes to SyriaFrance's president says the country will send reconnaissance planes over Syria from Tuesday to help in the fight against the Islamic State group.

President Francois Hollande explains that terror attacks have been planned from Syria against several countries, including France.

He says his responsibility is to be better informed about the threats, but the French president ruled out ground operations.

The French President also added that his country is set to accept 24-thousand refugees over two years in the face of Europe's growing migrant crisis.

Germany to offer 3 billion euros to cope with refugees issuesThe German government has decided to free up additional three billion euros or 3.35 billion US dollars for federal states and municipalities to help cope with this year's record influx of refugees and migrants.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her coalition partner has issued the statement at a high-level meeting and also agreed on a series of other measures, such as speeding up asylum procedures and facilitating the construction of asylum shelters.

The statement said that in addition to the three billion euros for states and municipalities, the government is planning to free up an additional three billion euros to fund its own expenses, such as paying benefits for asylum seekers.

The agreement included widening the list of countries deemed "safe", meaning their citizens generally have no claim to asylum, to include Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro.

Among those already in that category are Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia.

Australia to take 'significant' number of refugees: PMAustralian Prime Minister Tony Abbot has announced that his country will resettle a significant number of refugees from Syria this year.

"We will give people refuge. That is the firm intention of this government. The women and children in camps, in particular the women and children from persecuted minorities in camps, they deserve a compassionate response from Australia and that is exactly what they will get from this government."Abbott told the Australian parliament he would have more to say about numbers tomorrow after receiving reports from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton about the refugee crisis from Syria.

The opposition Labour Party called for an additional 10,000 refugee spots to help the world cope with the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

It's already been planned for the current fiscal year that began in July.

With a population of 24 million, Australia's annual refugee intake of nearly 14 thousand has been regarded as the world's most generous on a per capita basis.

Activists cross over to Hungary to rescue hundreds of stranded refugeesAnchor:

A convoy of over 200 vehicles driven by German and Austrian activists has crossed into Hungary to help gather migrants who have been stranded on the Hungarian side of the border.

It comes after Hungary opened its borders with Austria last week following a week-long standoff among would-be migrants and Hungarian authorities which led to violent demonstrations at one point.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

Reporter:

On Sunday a convoy of about 200 cars and minivans left Vienna for the Hungarian capital, Budapest, as part of a private initiative dubbed the "refugee-convoy."Organizers want to help hundreds of migrant families who are stranded in Hungary cross over to Austria, before the Hungarian government decides to close its borders again.

One of the volunteers says it is an attempt to show the migrants they were welcome in Europe.

"It's really important to give a sign to them that they are welcome and that they don't have to fear Europe, and that especially Germany is a warm country for them, and that they don't have to fear and that they are safe and that they just don't have to sleep other days and nights on the street because it's such a horrible thing."Thousands of asylum seekers, many of whom have fled the fighting in Syria, have been making their way through Austria and heading towards Germany after Hungary decided to open its border with Austria on Friday.

"Four children,... my wife... to go Vienna, after to go Germany. Thank you very much."Hungarian authorities have warned its relaxation on the transit of asylum seekers is only going to be temporary.

The Hungarian Parliament is poised to vote this week on whether to send troops to its border with Serbia.

This is where many would-be asylum seekers enter Hungary.

Meanwhile, Hundreds have rallied in Vienna on Sunday to show their support to the migrant families arriving from Hungary.

"Many thanks for the Austrian help to people from Syria. Many thanks."German officials say well-over 20-thousand migrants have crossed the German border this weekend.

The German government has been pushing for an EU-wide quota system which would obligate EU member states to share the burden of caring for the new arrivals.

However, this has been opposed by a number of European member states, particularly the poorer nations in the east.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven is calling on the EU to come up with a coordinated response to massive inflows of migrants.

"We need a comprehensive and permanent system to make all EU-countries take care of people fleeing for their lives. The EU must take care of more refugees. And we, in Sweden, will do our part for that system."Many migrants have been attempting to move north through the Balkans to try to make it to Germany.

EU rules require refugees to apply for asylum in the first country they land in.

However, Germany waived this rule last month for asylum seekers from Syria, allowing them to register in Germany regardless of where they first entered the EU.

Germany expects to take in 800-thousand people this year.

For CRI I'm Poornima WeerasekaraFresh Investigation Pledged into Missing Students in Mexico: Attorney GeneralMexico's Attorney General has promised a fresh investigation into the disappearance of the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Teachers' college.

Arely Gomez made the comments at a news conference in Mexico City.

"I have expressed the absolute necessity to undertake an investigation at the highest level with a background and experience consistent with the magnitude of the case. For this motive we are requesting a new forensic investigation to be undertaken by a group of forensic experts of the highest reputation."This comes on the heels of an independent report saying it was a violent and coordinated reaction to the students, who were hijacking buses for transportation to a demonstration and may have unknowingly interfered with a drug shipment on one of the vehicles.

The report dismantles the Mexican government's investigation saying the attack last September was a case of mistaken identity.

The report has further fuelled the anger of parents who nearly a year later still don't know what happened to their kids and are now demanding a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Iraq authority announces the use of F16 fighters for first time in combatThe Iraqi military announced that the country has conducted airstrikes against the Islamic State group using F-16 warplanes supplied US.

The Iraqi Ministry of Defence released video of airstrikes it said were carried out by the US-made F-16 multi-role fighters, saying the planes will have a "big impact" on the course of future battles.

Iraqi Defence Minister, Khalid al-Obeidi said the warplanes will play an important role in future battles.

''The participation of F-16 fighter planes will have a big impact on the course of battles in the future, mainly in targeting extremists and IS (Islamic State group) militant hideouts.''

Iraq took delivery of the first four F-16s in July, with more to come.

Headline NewsCentral gov't officials in Tibet for 50th anniversary of autonomyThe Chinese government's top political advisor, Yu Zhengsheng, is now in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, to take part in events marking the 50th anniversary of the region's founding.

A 65-member delegation from the central government will be taking part in a ceremony in front of the Potala Palace on Tuesday to mark 50-years since the creation of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Yu Zhengsheng has already met with several active and retired Tibetan officials.

Ahead of the celebrations on Tuesday, the central government has issued a white paper on Tibet, reaffirming its current policy for regional autonomy.

70,000 orphans receive free health insuranceChina has given more than 70,000 orphans free health insurance as a new-school year gift.

Each child is insured for 100,000 yuan at a premium of 50 yuan a year to cover the cost of treating 12 critical illnesses.

The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs and China Children Insurance Foundation launched a program in 2009, aimed at raising funds to cover underprivileged children and orphans.

More than 440,000 orphans have benefited from the program since its conception.

Chinese peacekeepers set off to LiberiaA team of 257 Chinese soldiers are now on their way to Liberia for a 12-month United Nations peacekeeping mission.

They are the first team of the 18th batch of Chinese peacekeepers sent on tour since 2003, when China joined the UN peacekeeping mission in the western African country.

The 18th batch has 508 soldiers in total. The second team is scheduled to set off on Sept. 17.

Their mission includes infrastructure work such as road and bridge construction; repairs in residential areas and the country's airports; and reconditioning water and power facilities.

The troops are also tasked with providing medical treatment, along with disease control and prevention.

China launches training for UN military observersChina's Ministry of National Defense has started an international training course for military observers of the United Nations.

More than 40 military personnel, including Chinese training instructors and foreign attaches to China from 22 countries such as Australia and the United States, are now in Beijing to attend the three-week training course.

The sessions will be oriented around UN peacekeeping missions and will be taught in English. Courses will include a range of topics including case analysis and simulation drills.

The UN has more than 1,800 military observers deployed around the globe. China has dispatched 1,670 military observers since 1990.

Biz ReportsStocksIt's time to business news, first take a look at the closing numbers in Asia.

Chinese shares extended losses on Monday, the first trading day after a four-day holiday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dipped 2.5 percent to end at 3,080 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index was off 0.6 percent to close at 9,992 points.

However, the ChiNext Index, which tracks China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, gained 2.1 percent to close at 1,894 points.

Stocks in the finance sector and airplane manufacturing industry lost the most.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 1.2 percent to close at 20,584 points.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japan's Nikkei rose 0.4 percent on Monday, with investors remaining uncertain about the U.S. monetary policy outlook.

South Korean shares ended in negative territory as foreigners kept selling local stocks for 23 sessions in a row. The KOSPI fell nearly 0.2 percent at close.

In Singapore, the Strait Times tumbled 0.3 percent.

And finally in Australia, the ASX200 closed 0.2 percent lower.

China's forex reserves fall for fourth straight month in AugustChina's Central Bank has announced that the country's foreign exchange reserves fell to 3.56 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of August.

The country's foreign exchange reserves decreased by a total of 90 billion US dollars in August, marking the fourth consecutive month of falling forex reserves.

Following the news, the off-shore RMB against the US dollar devaluated to the lowest limit on a single day, from 6.459 to 6.472.

China's foreign exchange reserves have been on a downward slide since their peak at last June of 3.99 trillion US dollars.

China's margin trading balance exceeds RMB 959 bln as of Sept.2Latest figures show that China's margin trading balance fell below one trillion yuan as of September 2nd for the first time in 9 months, reaching 959 billion yuan, or 150 billion US dollars.

The balance had reached nearly 2.3 trillion yuan in June.

Yang Delong, chief analyst with China Southern Fund Management expects a bottom out later.

"I think the margin trading balance will further drop to maybe 500, or 600 billion yuan. Then the stock will bottom out. After deleveraging, investment risk will be lowered. "China's securities watchdog on Sunday night said that stocks are more stable now.

It also added it may introduce a stock index circuit breaker system, a point at which trading will be suspended for a period of time in response to substantial drops.

China 2014 growth revised down to 7.3 pctChina has lowered the country's growth rate for last year to 7.3 percent based on its preliminary verification.

The revised gross domestic product (GDP) came in at nearly 64 trillion yuan, or 10 trillion U.S. dollars, down over 32 billion yuan from the preliminary calculation.

The initial figure put the annual rate at 7.4 percent.

The National Bureau of Statistics calculates each year's GDP three times -- the preliminary calculation, followed by the preliminary verification and then the final verification, which is released several months later.

Wanda, Suning forge allianceAnchor:

Chinese property developer Dalian Wanda has inked a "close cooperation" deal with China's largest electronics retailer, Suning.

The deal will allow Suning to open stores in Wanda's shopping centers nationwide.

40 Suning stores will be opened at Wanda Plaza outlets before the end of the year.

Suning runs more than 16-hundred outlets across China, together with one of the country's largest online retailing platforms.

For more on the new agreement between Wanda and Suning, CRI's Paul James earlier spoke to Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Back anchor:

Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London speaking with CRI's Paul James.

China to invest 2 trillion yuan on grid upgradeChina will invest at least 2 trillion yuan, or 315 billion U.S. dollars to improve its power grid infrastructure over the next five years.

China's National Development and Reform Commission said the reliability of power supply in major cities will strive to reach 99.99 percent, with annual outage time less than one hour by 2020.

The capability and safety of the power supply in other urban areas will also be improved, with annual outrage time less than 10 hours.

The annual outage time in the rural areas will be shortened to less than 24 hours and the grid will be upgraded to relieve power pressure during the busy seasons.

Meanwhile, the country will set up 12,000 charging stations by 2020 in order to meet the needs of five million electric cars.

China's investment in countries related to Belt-Road initiative grows 29.5 percent in 7 monthsChina's direct investment in countries along the one belt one road initiative grows nearly 30% year on year in the first seven months of this year.

Shen Danyang, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce on Monday said the amount of investment is 8.6 billion US dollars.

"Viewed by sectors, investment in the wholesale and retail trade sectors and that in leasing and business services sectors posted bigger growth of 428.7 and 500.3 percent year-on-year."The investment mainly realized in countries including Russia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Laos.

Toshiba logs 317.7 mln USD net loss in FY 2014Japan's Toshiba Corp has posted a group net loss of 318 million US dollars for the past fiscal year through March.

The high-tech giant attributes the loss to asset impairment charges and other losses.

Toshiba reported a net profit of 505 million dollars in fiscal year 2013.

The company hasn't given an earnings outlook for the current business year through next March.

Media: Apple to release Apple TV with gaming foucesIt is being reported that Apple will make gaming a key part of an Apple TV that is expected to be unveiled on this Wednesday.

An article in the New York Times says the new product is expected to have a starting price around 150 US dollars.

It has more power for better graphics, a new remote that could double as a controller and an app store for buying games.

The article says most analysts see little chance that Apple will be able to win over fans of high-end game consoles such as Microsoft Corp's Xbox One Sony Corp's PlayStation 4.

But insiders say Apple could instead go after the casual gamers who do not want a high-end console.

SportsChina beats Japan in Women's Volleyball world cupLets smash into Women's Volleyball with a recap of the world cup:

China secured their fourth FIVB World Cup title and a berth in the Rio Olympic Games in Japan on Sunday.

They achieved this by beating arch-rivals Japan in a 3-1 victory.

And the victory was a hard fought one.

After losing first set, the Japanese team fought back strongly in the second as they staged a 6-0 run.

China managed to pull within 24-22 score, but a net violation cost them the set.

In the third set, Japan fought to a 20-all tie but China would retaliate and score the next 5 points of the set.

Team-member Zhu Tin had this to say about the match.

"I think we are able to stand the pressure, because we have done lots of preparation before the match."It was tied at 19-all in the fourth set before China made a 4-1 run for a 23-20 cushion.

Zhu Ting led the Chinese team with 27 points and Zhang Changning and Yan Ni added 13 and 10 points respectively.

Jenny Lang Ping, who was instrumental in China's victory, had this to say about her motivation during the game.

"I think my old coach, Director Yuan has encouraged me a lot. He said, As a strong person, you have to deal with various of tough situations."China finished at the top with 30 points, four ahead of second-placed Serbia, who also gained a Rio spot.

Iceland and Turkey advance in Euro 2016 QualifiersAnd in Euro Qualifier news:

Iceland became the smallest nation to qualify for the finals of the European Championship.

This came from a goalless draw with Kazakhstan on Sunday.

The Nordic island nation boasts an estimated population of around 329,100 people, and 23 of their number will be selected to compete at Euro 2016 in France next summer.

And in more Qualifying news:

Turkey leapfrogged the Netherlands into third place in Group A of the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

It was Arda Turan who inspired his team towards a 3-0 win at Konyan, Turkey on Sunday.　This defeat kills any chance of the Netherlands qualifying automatically for Euro 2016 world cup.

The Dutch can now only finish third in Group A.

US Open: Novak and Mladenovic advance while Serena preps to face VenusNow let's tap into some tennis news from the US Open:

Starting off with the men's division:

Top seed Novak Djokovic faced Roberto Bautista Augt in the 16th round of the US Open on Sunday.

Djokovic is aiming to reach his 26th consecutive quarter final in a Major tournament.

Sweeping through the opening set, Djokovic won with a 6-3, but was put under significant pressure in the second set.

Djokovic's suffered his first dropped set of the tournament this year but responded well, stepping up strongly to close out the match in four sets 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

He will now play 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez, who recently beat out Fabio Fognini.

In the women's courts:

To recap, the Williams sisters will meet each other for a place in the semi-finals of the US Open.

This news came after Serena beat fellow American Madison Keys at Flushing Meadows on Sunday.

Serena commented on the upcoming match with her sister.

"I think it's been an amazing rivalry. I think it's meant a lot. We've done a lot for the sport. I think, you know, hopefully it can continue as long as we play."Serena is currently chasing the title of calendar Grand Slam.

On other courts.

The 13th seed, Ekaterina Makarova faced Kristina Mladenovic in the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday night.

A tight first set culminated in a tie-break and it was Mladenovic of France who prevailed.

She played the key points well and took it 7-2.

Mladenovic will now face Roberta Vinci in the quarter finals.

Vinci progressed after her fourth round opponent Eugenie Bouchard withdrew with concussion.

Australian Matt Hall wins Red Bull Air RaceTurning to racing:

Australia's Matt Hall claimed his first ever Red Bull Air Race win in Spielberg, Austria on Sunday.

For first place, Hall posted a time of 56.851 seconds while second place was given to British competitor, Paul Bonhomme, who scored a 56.908.

Upon winning, Hall had this to say about the race and his performance.

"It feels bloody good actually. Sometimes you can start telling yourself that it's never going to happen, you keep missing opportunities so I woke up this morning a little bit nervous that it's another opportunity, that I might miss out on opportunity to come first, but to do that, I've done it now and now I can just get on with the job of racing planes,"Third place was given to America's Kirby Chambliss who finished with 58.291 seconds.

Taking 12 World Championship points for the win, Hall is now just five points behind Bonhomme in the 2015 standings with two races remaining.

Stenson leads at the Duetsch Bank ChampionshipSwinging into PGA news:

Swede Henrik Stenson put himself in a familiar position when he carded six-under 65 to grab a one-stroke lead after the third round at the Deutsche Bank Championship on SundayStenson claimed that his familiarity with the course gave him the upper hand.

"It's always good to be back at a course where you performed well and played well. I kind of like this golf course off the tee. And yeah, I'm playing well here so I'm just trying to keep it going."The 2013 winner posted a 13-under 200 total with one round left at TPC Boston in Massachusetts.

Stenson, who won the 2013 FedExCup is leading against American Rickie Fowler who is at 67 par and Australian Matt Jones who is at 68.

Stenson's bogey-free round included an eagle at the fourth hole, where he drove the green and sank a downhill 20-foot putt.

In other news, PGA Championship winner Jason Day's stretch of 22 consecutive rounds of par or better, the longest streak on the PGA Tour this year, ended when he stumbled to a 73 on Sunday.

EntertainmentMission Impossible: Rogue Nation releases in ShanghaiMission Impossible: Rogue Nation has been released in Shanghai yesterday.

The movie is set to hit Chinese theaters nationwide tomorrow.

Leading actor Tom Cruise along with Rebecca Ferguson has attended the premiere to promote the film.

"When you see this film, from the opening frame to the end, you're gonna see things that you really haven't seen in screen before. Today, audiences see so many things with visual affects, but when you're looking at the plan, you looking at the motorcycles, you're looking under the water… We use visual affect to help in certain areas but when it comes to the shot, it's really, we're doing it."In the fifth episode of the Hollywood blockbuster, Ethan and team are taking on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

An unexpected guest showing up on the red carpet was Jack Ma, tycoon of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which has invested heavily in the movie, confident of good returns.

Jack Ma speaks highly of Tom Cruise with a great attitude of self-mockery.

"How can a man be that handsome? And how can a handsome man be that great? You know, I'm considered as the most ugly and unique looking person in China. That is why when I'm looking at a handsome man, I'm always jealous. But I'm never jealous of him. He's so great. Congratulations to all those great movies. "It is also Alibaba Pictures' first involvement in a Hollywood movie.

Statistics show the previous four Mission Impossible films grossed more than 2 billion US dollars worldwide.

China Film Forum promotes cooperation in Venice The second edition of ChinaA Film Forum has taken place on the sidelines of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.

Organised by the Venice Days section of the festival, the event brings together directors, producers, investors, film critics and journalists for a series of intensive discussions under the theme "Reasons for Creativity."A major topic at this year's forum is "how to create stories for other cultures."The participants watched the trailer of Forgotten War, an upcoming war-themed film brought to the forum by young Chinese producer Han Yi and director Zhang Duanyang.

Zhang says the goal of the film is to demonstrate China's role during WWII in a way that Western audience can understand and connect with it.

Established in 2014, the forum aims to help insiders of the European film industry better understand the Chinese market, and boost cooperation on film production and sales between China and Europe.

Actor Gaozheng Died at 93Actor and director Gao Zheng died yesterday afternoon.

The outstanding actor started his acting career back in 1947 and has played in dozens of famous movies and TV series ever since.

His famous productions include "The River flows to the East" and "Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon".

He has also directed the 12-episode TV series "Railroad Guerrilla".

He was 93.

Colbert's 'Late Show' debut"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will debut tomorrow night.

50 year old Colbert takes over the late-night TV talk show from David Letterman, who retired after his final broadcast on May 20th.

The comedian is best known for playing a sarcastic conservative personality on Comedy Central's Emmy-winning faux news show "The Colbert Report," which finished its nine-year run last year.

Colbert has said he will drop that popular character for the "Late Show," but keep the absurd sense of humor.

The first show will include guests George Clooney and presidential candidate Jeb Bush.

Kate Hudson replaces Rebel Wilson to voice in "Kung Fu Panda 3."it is being reported that Kate Hudson is replacing Rebel Wilson to voice one of the new characters in "Kung Fu Panda 3."Jack Black, Angelina Jolie are among those reprising their roles in the hit franchise telling the tales of Po, the noddle-peddling panda who is also a fabled Dragon Warrior.

The new storyline sees Po reunited with this long-lost father and he discovers a long-lost panda paradise.

The Kung Fu panda's newfound happiness is threatened with the emergence of a supernatural villain, and Po has to go from student to teacher as he must train a village of bears to master the martial arts.

Hudson will voice Mei Mei, a crazy ribbon-dancing panda, also the movie series' first female panda lead, who is romantically obsessed with Po.

Since she's replacing for Wilson, the previously completed scenes will be re-animated to reflect Hudson's take on the character.

This is the first animated voice work for Hudson, who is currently shooting "Mother's Day" for Garry Marshall.

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

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

Tibet marking the 50th anniversary of its establishment as an ethnically autonomous region within China...

Experts expressing confidence about the Chinese economy moving forward...

And French President Francois Hollande announcing that his country is set to take some 24-thousand more refugees.

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, Spencer Musick in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together...