新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2015/12/06

The Beijing HourEvening EditionSpencer Musick with you on this Sunday December 6th 2015.

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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Chinese President Xi Jinping back in Beijing after his trips to France, Zimbabwe and South Africa...

The Forum on China Africa Cooperation, attended by the Chinese President and other officials, wrapping up with fruitful results...

A series suicide of bomb attacks leaving 19 dead and 130 others wounded in the Lake Chad Region...

In the 2nd half of the hour, it is our weekly round up of what's been happening in the world of science and technology...

In sports... Liang Wenbo's top form continues at the UK Snooker Championship...

And in entertainment... Peking Opera goes 3D....

Top NewsChinese president back home after visits to Paris, AfricaChinese President Xi Jinping has returned to Beijing after a week-long tour to France, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

During his stay in Paris, Xi Jinping attended the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and delivered a speech.

In his speech, the Chinese President expressed China's resolve in fulfilling its commitment to combating global warming.

The meeting aims to yield a new international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases beyond 2020 when the 1997 Kyoto Protocol expires.

He has also met separately with French President Francois Hollande, U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the conference.

Following his Paris stop, Xi Jinping paid state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Johannesburg, he chaired a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

During his Johannesburg stay, Xi Jinping and African leaders reached a consensus on lifting China-Africa relations to a new level: that of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi Jinping also held separate and group meetings with dozens of African leaders and attended a conference with business dignitaries.

The Johannesburg summit is the second of its kind under the 15-year-old framework of the FOCAC.

The first China-Africa summit took place in 2006 in Beijing.

FOCAC Summit closes with fruitful resultsThe 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit has come to an end in South Africa with all sides hailing it as a success, yielding fruitful results.

Leaders on both sides reached a consensus on lifting China-Africa relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

The Johannesburg summit was the second of its kind under the 15-year-old framework of FOCAC, which groups China, 50 African countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, and the Commission of the African Union.

Attended by the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders and representatives of about 50 African countries, it ended with the approval of the Johannesburg Declaration of FOCAC and the FOCAC-Johannesburg action plans (2016-2018).

Addressing the meeting, the Chinese President said the two documents, representing all-round planning for the future development of China-Africa relations, would also provide a strong spiritual guide and a political guarantee for the two sides to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation on a higher level across more areas.

In his closing speech, President Xi also noted the remarkable achievements FOCAC had reached in the past 15-years and considered the prospects for further China-Africa cooperation in the future.

"We have exchanged opinions on global and regional issues and decided to strengthen cooperation and coordination to maintain our mutual interests of China and Africa and the overall interests of developing countries."From the African side, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, described the summit as a "ground-breaking and momentous occasion."He said that the relationship between Africa and China was not new but a long-standing historic relationship, and that China had given great support to Africa in its process of fighting colonialism and imperialism in the African continent decades ago.

In addition, Zuma also expressed his appreciation of President Xi's earlier announcement to provide financial support for Africa.

"The package of capital assistance to support the ten areas to the tune of 60 billion U.S. dollars was announced. This includes grants, preferential and concessional loans, a China-Africa industrial cooperation fund and debt relief."The Africa leaders expressed willingness to participate actively in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, enhance security cooperation, and speak with one voice in the international arena, so as to safeguard common interests, and face common challenges.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

Chinese FM says implementation of Africa industrialization plan underwayChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that China is willing and also has the capacity to make itself the ideal partner with Africa, helping the continent achieve economic and political growth.

He made the remarks at a press conference held in South Africa's Johannesburg after the second summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that concluded there on Saturday.

The conference was hosted by both foreign ministers from China and South Africa.

CRI's Fei Fei reports.

Wang Yi says China is best suited to provide all-round support for Africa.

"We not only have the strong will but also the practical capacity to do this. After decades of industrial accumulation, we already have a large amount of high-quality production capacity, mature technology and necessary financing support. And especially the production capacity and technology of China are suitable for the development need of African countries, as they are of high quality and reasonably priced."With economic cooperation in a full swing between the two sides, Wang notes that China is also willing to help solve hot issues on the continent by playing a bigger role, on the basis of equal consultation.

"Implementation of the 10 major plans will help Africa solve the long-puzzling issues involving employment, food and clothing, health and medical treatment. We will also help Africa radically solve three major bottlenecks in development, namely poor infrastructure, shortage of talents and lack of funding."For her part, Maite Nkoana Mashabane, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, says the FOCAC Summit has exceeded expectations.

"We welcome partners like China that says that they will respect the sovereignty of each of our states, but work with us through our Africa agenda 2063 and also work with individual sovereign states on the growth path that they have chosen."According to the Chinese foreign minister, a pilot project has already started in Kenya, as part of the country' plan to help Africa to pick up its pace of industrialization.

These include new industrial parks that contain several firms operating in various economic sectors including manufacturing for export.

In Ethiopia, China has built industrial parks which are currently producing footwear for both domestic and overseas markets.

The foreign minister adds Beijing is also promoting made-in-Africa goods in the country by setting up free exhibition space and trade booths.

For CRI, this is Fei Fei.

AU Commission speaks highly of Xi's speech at China-Africa ForumChairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has hailed Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech delivered at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in South Africa's Johannesburg.

"The overall speech was very good and in line with our own aspirations and our own agenda -- Agenda 2063. And that plan, if we all implement it together, it is really very important, because it is at the center of creating jobs, of modernizing Africa."She notes that the major plans announced by President Xi Jinping corresponds with the development path of Africa.

AU Commissioner for the Infrastructure and Energy, Dr. Elham M.A.Ibrahim, echoed the sentiment that the ten major cooperation projects proposed by China will promote the development of Africa.

"I'm sure that this will help a lot, especially in the area of ICT (Information and Communications Technology). That expertise of China is well-known and our people can benefit from that, especially on the regulations, internet governance -- all these political policies [and] regulations -- is very important. And it's very important to exchange information and experience with others."The package announced during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation mainly covers the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, and infrastructure.

Xi Jinping also pleged some 60 billion U.S. dollars to ensure smooth implementation of the initiatives.

China's Poverty Relief in Africa RecognizedA number of International observers are applauding the Chinese government's latest moves to reduce poverty and develop agriculture in Africa amid Chinese President Xi Jinping's time on the continent.

CRI's Liu Yuanhui reports.

As part of President Xi Jinping's time in Africa, a package of plans has been announced to increase agricultural development and help modernize the continent.

Kim Jong-jin with UN's Food and Agriculture Organization says China's experience in agriculture should go a long way in Africa.

"China made great achievements in agriculture and rural developments. And China accumulated lots of innovation, technologies, development experience during this period. And this is very precious development solutions for many other developing countries."Speaking to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Xi Jinping has promised 60 billion US dollars will be provided to Africa to help the regional economy become more advanced.

Doctor Godwin Ichimi with the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs says the pledge is being well-received.

"The African economy is a very vibrant one. It's one that is still growing, and has the potential to absorb even more investments from China."At the same time, calls are being made for more African investment in China.

Trade between China and Africa exceeded 220 billion US dollars last year.

China has been the largest trading partner with Africa for the past 6-years.

During his time at the FOCAC Summit in Johannesburg, Xi Jinping has also pledged financial support for African countries affected by this year's El Nino weather system.

200-thousand African technicians are going to be trained with Chinese help over the coming 3-years.

Former Pakistani ambassador to China, Akram Zaki, says China help in developing nations in Africa fits with the Chinese government's long-standing external policies of assistance.

"Human development, education, health, social security and job opportunities. So this is a comprehensive concept of human development in uplifting Africa, and making them real partners without looking down upon them on the basis of equality and mutual interest."Ronnie Linns, a Brazilian scholar on Chinese issues says China's role in Africa should be viewed as positive.

"As we all know, Africa is a vast land with a lot of potential. It can have a good future. Cooperating with China is very important to Africa, as China is helping Africa develop with the highest speed in the history and brings Africa more opportunities."The 2-day Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is wrapping up this Sunday in Johannesburg.

For CRI, I'm Liu Yuanhui.

Peng Liyuan Promotes AIDS Prevention in SAOn the sideline of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China's first lady Peng Liyuan has joined her African counterparts to promote HIV and AIDS prevention in Johannesburg.

The first ladies called for more measures to prevent infection at a meeting of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA).

Peng became a World Health Organization goodwill ambassador for AIDS and tuberculosis back in 2011 and has been tasked with promoting China's international cooperation on AIDS prevention and control.

As part of her address at Saturday's meeting, Peng Liyuan outlined her participation in China's HIV and AIDS fight over the past decade.

"I'm determined to do my best to combat AIDS. With the help of the Chinese government and social forces in the last ten years, I've been to many places in China to visit HIV/AIDS patients, publicize knowledge on prevention of HIV/AIDS, promote the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients, call on the society to care for HIV/AIDS patients and eliminate discrimination towards HIV/AIDS patients, all of which have reaped great achievements."The OAFLA comprises of First Ladies from 40 African countries.

Nompumelelo Ntuli, the South African First Lady, gave a speech focusing on African girls under the threat of AIDS.

"In order for us to ensure an HIV free generation across Africa, we must not forget the structural and societal issues that place our adolescent girls at risk of acquiring HIV AIDS. Poverty, gender inequality, gender-based violence, child marriage, all of these issues hinder our youth from benefiting from the education and care that is required to ensure they reach their full potential."AIDS is one of the top causes of death in Africa that comprises slightly under 15 percent of the world's population.

According to estimates by WHO and UNAIDS, 36.9 million people were living with HIV globally at the end of 2014.

Africans account for nearly 70 percent of those who live with HIV and are dying of AIDS related illnesses.

Nineteen killed in suicide bomb attacks in Chad: governmentA series suicide of bomb attacks on Saturday have left 19 dead and 130 others wounded in the Lake Chad Region.

Chadian government spokesperson Hassan Sylla Bakari is calling for vigilance against further terrorist acts.

He says the government has instructed a medical team to go to the site and help treat the wounded.

The Chadian government has confirmed that four suicide bombers attacked Koulfoua, an island in the Lake Chad Region, killing themselves and 19 innocent people. Earlier reports said 30 people were killed.

The Lake Chad Region is a site of regular attacks staged by terrorists from the Boko Haram militant group.

The terrorists launched suicide bomb attacks on Baga Sola city in the region on Oct. 10, leaving 41 people dead and 48 others injured.

These frequent attacks have prompted the Chadian government to announce a state of emergency in the Lake Chad Region bordering Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria.

Greece Approves 2016 Budget with Deep CutsThe Greek Parliament on Sunday approved the country's 2016 budget.

The budget makes around 6 billion dollars in public spending cuts, including around 2 billion from pensions and 540 million from defense. It also includes tax hikes of just over 2 billion dollars.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says the budget was made with ensuring social equality in mind.

"This budget plan is a difficult task for us, being a government that wants to leave its mark with social justice and redistribution of resources during a period of economic austerity and hardship. Behind the numbers of our budget, one can see the struggle to support workers and the more vulnerable members of society."Greece entered a EU bailout deal worth 93 billion dollars in August, the third of such deals for the country in five years.

Tsipras says for the first time in five years, spending on hospitals, social welfare and job creation was increased within the parameters of the bailout deal.

The Greek government forecasts no economic growth this year and a contraction of 0.7 percent in 2016.

Debt is forecast to grow to 356 billion dollars, or 188 percent of GDP, about a 7 percentage point increase from this year.

Paris to Hold Auction for MeteoritesA new auction is set to take place in Paris this coming Monday, dealing exclusively with meteorites.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

Space enthusiasts can bid for 250 extraterrestrial rocks on Monday at the Drouot auction house in Paris.

The meteorites are from the collection of Pierre Delpuech, a French collector who travelled the world to acquire the most beautiful pieces. He passed away earlier this year.

An expert at the Drouot auction house Luc Labenne explains why this auction is unique.

"This is the very first time that you have the collection of one collector which will be sold at auction. So pieces that have never been on the market, that went directly from the finder, maybe through an intermediary to the collector. And now, in one go, we have them presented to the public and they have not been seen ever before."The pieces include the Gibeon meteorite. It was discovered in the Kalahari Desert in Africa in 1836. Weighing 110 kilograms, the rock is expected to fetch up to 70,000 dollars.

Auctioneer at the auction house Christophe Lucien says buyers looking for cheaper finds are also in luck.

"The smallest object, the smallest meteorite of the sale is estimated at 55 or 65 US dollars, so those are the objects that one can even offer for Christmas."Rocks, dust or debris travelling in outer space are called meteoroids. Meteorites are those that have reached the earth. A number of them can be traced back to the moon or Mars.

Most of the meteorites on sale in Paris are 4.5 billion years old. Currently, about 30,000 meteorites are known to exist. Only less than 1 percent are considered aesthetic.

Labenne explains the shapes of the rocks are determined by the forces of nature.

"That shape of the meteorites comes from the fact that they entered the atmosphere with the speed of several dozens of kilometres per second and that sculpted them, gave them the shape, it is a natural sculpture; it is a little bit the marriage between the space and the Earth."The expert says the space rocks attract a good number of collectors on this planet.

"Meteorite collectors, those who regularly buy some pieces, who are following a precise theme, a shape, or their importance for science or their aesthetics, they are couple of thousand in the world, but only couple of hundred of them are very active."Two main markets exist currently for meteorites – one for those with aesthetic appeals, and another for rocks with other notable attributes, such as having come from the planet Mars.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Shanghai Takes Measures Against Rising Sea LevelsIt's been reported that Shanghai has constructed hundreds of kilometers of protective sea walls as a precaution against potential flooding brought by rising sea levels due to increasing global temperatures.

CRI's Xie Cheng with the story.

Zhang Zhenyu, of the Shanghai Flood Risk Information Center spokesperson, said the seawalls virtually encircle half of the city.

"These are all the sea walls we have built, including from Hangzhou Bay to up at the top at the border with Jiangsu province, including Chongming island, Hengsha island and Changxing island - those three islands - all have sea walls."Over 520 kilometers of Shanghai's shoreline is lined with those sea walls, which could reduce the threat brought by rising sea levels to some extent.

Many experts have predicted that Shanghai is facing a serious danger of flooding with annual rainfall in the city 20 percent higher than the global average, causing sea levels expected to rise between 20 and 60 centimeters by 2050.

Apart from rising sea levels due to melting ice caps, increasing temperatures could also bring more extreme weather events such as typhoons and torrential storms.

Zhang Zhenyu said Shanghai itself is hit by an average of 2 to 3 typhoons annually, and the effects could be utterly severe if the torrential rains occur simultaneously with spring tides or Lake Tai floods.

But he also expressed confidence that the trend is still controllable.

"The sea levels here are rising, but although in recent years this trend has increased, it is still within the levels of being controlled. The controls we have in place already should be able to deal with the next 20, 50 – even 100 years of rising sea levels."Apart from coastal protection, Shanghai also has a number of other river flood protection methods, such as a mechanical gate rising and falling once a day so as to regulate the water level in the Suzhou Creek which leads into the Huangpu River running through the center of Shanghai.

However, Shanghai doesn't only face rising water levels, but also has to deal with gradual sinking.

The city has sunk on average about 8 millimeters annually since the mid-1970s, but the trend has slowed to around 1 to 3 millimeters per year.

Shen Shuilong, a professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University, explained that the problem has come under control now thanks in part to government regulations that require strict outlines in the planning stages.

"Development is unavoidable, cities need to develop. But ground subsidence should be controllable if there is a plan in place for the protection of the ground and environment during planning and design stages."For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Evergrande's Football School aims to cultivate talents in dream of winning World CupA Chinese property group is investing heavily to prop up the nation's soccer dreams.

At Guangzhou Evergrande's huge soccer academy in south China, over 2,500 students are trained on 50 full-size pitches.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

China now ranks 84th on the world's football list consisting of 209 countries, below teams like Jordan, Montenegro and Gabon.

The most urgent goal for football schools around China is to shake off the country's lowly place and move up on the ladder.

The Evergrande Football School, in southern China's rural Qingyuan city, has invested heavily to become a breeding ground for China's soccer talents.

Many students in the co-ed school, share the dream about joining the Chinese national soccer team, including 11-year-old Wang Shijie.

"When I join the national team, I will do my very best to win the World Cup."The school signed an eight year contract with European giant Real Madrid.

Since then, the club has sent 24 coaches to drill not just the children, but also the hundreds of Chinese coaches at the school.

Fernando Sanchez Cipitria, technical director at the academy in Guangdong and a former player for Real Madrid, has spent three years in China.

He said the students are hard working but needed to learn to play as a group.

"Technically, they are very good. What they lack is the ability to play together as a group. They have to understand that football is not just kick the ball and run, which was what we saw in the beginning when we arrived. They also need more patience, and they need to make better decisions as a group in the field."Property giant Evergrande Real Estate Group has spent 2 billion yuan since the academy's opening in 2012.

The school is expanding and has already opened a branch in Spain, where 50 of the China campus' best students receive further training there.

The school's executive principal, Liu Jiangnan, said he is confident the Chinese national team will become one of the best soccer teams in Asia within a decade.

"I think in ten years' time, there shouldn't be a problem for China to be one of the best teams in Asia. After ten years, a large group of my students here will become top football talents. I firmly believe this."Led by the Chinese president, a football fan, China has clearly made it a goal to become a soccer superpower.

Chinese authorities are also providing vital political support to the move. Local governments have helped subsidise television licence fees to support local teams.

However, corruption in football circles remains serious. At least nine officials, four judges, 13 footballers or coaches and 17 club workers have been jailed or punished in crackdowns since 2009.

The only time China qualified for the finals of the World Cup was in 2002, when the tournament was jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan.

China was dismissed at the group stage without scoring a goal and conceding nine.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

Chinese steel companies report overall loss in first ten monthsLatest stats show that China's large and medium sized steel mills have seen a loss of 72 billion yuan or 11 billion U.S. dollars in the first ten months of this year.

Their average sales margin stood at minus 1.5 percent during the period, marking the worst figure of the year.

China Iron and Steel Association attributed the drop to slowing investments in the property and infrastructure sectors, as well as weakening manufacturing.

Decreasing profit has already forced small steel makers to exit the market.

On Wednesday, six major steel mills issued a joint statement saying they will cut the production of 200-series stainless steel by 30 percent starting this month.

They also urged the government to suspend approvals for new production capacity.

China's manufacturing PMI, an index for factory activity, hit a 39-month low last month, suggesting prolonged contraction and sluggish demand.

Headline NewsChinese president back home after visits to Paris, AfricaChinese President Xi Jinping has returned to Beijing after a week-long tour to France, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

During his stay in Paris, Xi Jinping attended the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and delivered a speech.

In his speech, the Chinese President expressed China's resolve in fulfilling its commitment to combating global warming.

Following his Paris stop, Xi Jinping paid state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Johannesburg, he chaired a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

During his Johannesburg stay, Xi Jinping and African leaders reached a consensus on lifting China-Africa relations to a new level: that of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The Johannesburg summit is the second of its kind under the 15-year-old framework of the FOCAC.

The first China-Africa summit took place in 2006 in Beijing.

CPC to target gov't organs, public institutions in discipline inspectionsThe Communist Party of China Central Committee plans to put all government organs and government-sponsored institutions under its discipline inspections next year.

Luo Liping from the office of the CPC Central Committee inspection leadership group made the remarks on Sunday.

Discipline inspections have grown more intensive since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012.

The inspections have been focusing on investigating and punishing officials violating Party or frugality rules, especially those embezzling public money, taking bribes, and selling or buying government positions.

Luo notes that all local governments, enterprises and public institutions under the administration of the central authorities should be inspected before the 19th CPC National Congress.

18 die in train-public vehicle crash in Indonesia's capitalA commuter train and a minibus collided in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta on Sunday morning, killing at least 18 people and injuring several others.

The driver of the minibus was among those killed.

Local media reports say the collision occurred at a train intersection in western Jakarta when a mini-bus drove across the trainline despite a warning signal.

Minibus passengers injured in the collision have been moved to nearby hospitals.

An investigation is ongoing.

China Issues Yellow Alert for SmogChina has issued a yellow alert for smog set to cover the country's northern regions from Sunday evening to Monday evening.

Beijing, Tianjin, as well as parts of neighboring provinces of Hebei, Henan and Shandong will be shrouded in moderate smog, while the southern part of the capital will be choked by heavy smog.

The smog will be dispersed by a cold front next Thursday.

China has a 4-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Sci&Tech (Sunday)Anchor:

It's time now to check in with what's been happening this week in the science and technology sector in our weekly Sci-Tech report:

A man has turned dense smog in Beijing into a concrete brick.

And Chinese doctors have cured a leukemia patient by using gene therapy at a hospital in Chongqing municipality.

Let's catch up on all of the latest with CRI's Wen Jie.

====================================Visible pollutants: Man turns Beijing smog into brickA young man from southern China's Shenzhen has turned air pollutants collected in Beijing into a brick.

The man, nicknamed "nut brother", said he sank into the idea two years ago.

At that time, media reports were largely concerned with smog and air pollution.

He collected air particles with an industrial vacuum cleaner in the capital during the past one hundred days.

The cleaner can last four days with every charge, sucking in the amount of air that over 60 people breathe every day.

The dust collected was compressed and fired into a brick at a factory in the neighboring city of Tangshan.

The man said he plans to use the brick as building material in Beijing.

The city witnessed its worst smog this year last Sunday, with a PM2.5 reading that peaked at 900 micrograms per cubic meter.

====================================China to get first self-built cruise linerChina is hopefully to set embrace its first cruise ship in 2020, tapping into booming tourist demand.

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding is set to take on the construction task with technical support from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

President of the parent firm China State Shipbuilding Corporation Hu Wenming explains why the ship is to be built.

"We've been able to make LNG carrier and aircraft carrier already. A cruise liner is the last of the three high-tech ships that China doesn't have the ability to make. We are resolved to finish it, for it marks the country's great industrial capacity."The design of the vessel will feature traditional Chinese elements, and cost one billion U.S. dollars.

It's expected that four and a half million Chinese will be taking cruise vacations by the time the liner is delivered.

====================================Gene therapy cures adult leukemia patient in ChinaChinese doctors have cured a leukemia patient by using gene therapy at a hospital in Chongqing.

Zhang Fang is the first patient who has been completely cured of the disease after she was treated with CAR-T therapy in the hospital.

The CAR-T treatment uses modified T cells to fight cancer cells in leukemia patients.

China has about four million patients with the disease.

Most of them are treated by using chemo-therapy or bone marrow transplants.

The CAR T gene therapy is still at the clinical trial stage and has been carried out in less than ten hospitals in the country.

==================================China's first polar fixed-wing aircraft arrives at research station in AntarcticaChina has sent a solar fixed-wing aircraft to the South Pole for the first time.

The "Xueying 601", or "Snow Eagle", arrived at China's research station "Zhongshan" on Monday.

It took off in mid of November from Canada, carrying three crew members.

The scientists will test the flight characteristics of the "Xueying" under the climatic conditions of Antarctica, as well as the performance of its equipment including the ice radar and the gravimeter.

The "Zhongshan" station would serve as its testing base in the South Pole.

The fixed-wing aircraft is designed for fast transport and emergency rescue.

So far, only the US, Germany and Britain own multi-functional fixed-wing aircraft in Antarctica.

===================================Climate change puts global food security at risk: reportA report released at the UN climate conference in Paris found that climate change poses threats to global food security and sustainable farming.

The scientific assessment says that global warming is likely to disrupt food availability, decrease access to food and make food utilization more difficult.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stressed the importance of global food security in adapting to climate change in a speech.

"This effort that this COP21 is focused on is really not just about dealing with the impacts of a changing climate but making sure that we do what we can to make sure that every human being has the right, the availability, the access, the proper utilisation, the stability of a food supply."Vilsack also said that the number of food insecure people has been cut by 200 million in the past decade or so.

He pointed out that forward progress is directly related to how aggressively they could tackle on climate change.

==============================Machu Picchu Put onto the Map by Google.

Machu Picchu is literally being put onto the map by Google.

Daniel Filip, the Engineering Manager of Google Street View, announced the good news.

"Today we are here to capture for the first time to capture a street view imagery of Machu Picchu and publish it on Google maps for the whole world to appreciate and be inspired to come to Machu Picchu and visit."Deanna Yick, Street View Program Manager for Google Maps demonstrates the device at Google HQ in California.

"Everyone I think is familiar at this point with street view imagery and seeing this imagery of the cars from the road. But a lot of people would argue that the most interesting stuff is actually off the beaten path and once you get off the roads that is where the good stuff is. So that is what we are focused on bringing people to some of the most exciting, monumental, historic places around the world that they are interested to see and we want to be able to provide that seamless experience on Google Maps."In the 1980s, visitors shunned Peru because of a raging guerrilla conflict that ended in 1999.

Its popularity has grown since then and over a century later the site receives an average of 4-thousand visitors a day.

Susana Pabon, General Manager for Google in Colombia and Peru, says that to provide information of remote places has always been Google map's main desire.

"Google is constantly working in innovation to be able to go into the most remote and important areas in the world, to be able to create what we call the perfect map, and that is the objective, to be able to create that perfect map, that is why we are going to areas like Machu Picchu, so people can see just with one click any part of the world and have access to places like this from their own computers"UNESCO inscribed the Inca stronghold on its World Heritage list in 1983, boosting the site's fame and making it eligible for international technical support.

The images released Thursday are the latest addition to the diverse collection of photos supplementing Google's widely used digital maps.

======================================Pocket sized robot that acts as a phoneThis year's International Robot Exhibition has kicked off in Tokyo on Wednesday.

A tiny humanoid robot that acts as a smartphone has attracted much attention.

The robot, named "RoBoHon", is small enough to fit in the pockets of a jacket or a bag.

About 19 centimeters tall, the cute gadget features a camera, a projector and a touch screen on its back.

However, the robot creator Tomotaka Takahashi encourages people to use the voice function of the friendly piece of tech.

"People hardly use the voice recognition function on the phones in their daily lives. The reason of that is because it feels strange to be speaking into a square tablet. Then, would it be a different feeling if the device you were speaking to was shaped as a human or animal? Wouldn't it feel more natural? That is what I thought."The "RoBoHon" can talk to the user to wake them up, and even tell you what you have planned on your calendar like a mini personal assistant.

It's reported that the robot will be on sale some time next year, but the price has not been announced.

And that brings us to the end of this edition of our weekly science and technology report.

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsLiang Wenbo reaches UK Championship final seriesStarting things off with snooker action,Liang Wenbo's superb form continues at the UK Championship as he beat David Grace 6-4 to reach the final.

Liang has conquered Judd Trump, Tom Ford and Marco Fu on his way to his first final at snooker's three biggest events.

The overjoyed Chinese potter celebrated with a jump as if he had won the championship.

Liang will battle it out with Neil Robertson later tonight for the title and an 150-thousand pound prize money in the two-session, best-of-19 final series.

Robertson completed a 6-0 whitewash of Mark Selby to become the favorite for this tournament.

CBA updateCBA action resumes tonight.

Eight games are underway in the 14th round of play.

The Beijing Ducks, fresh off of their second defeat by Xinjiang two days ago, are playing again on the away court against Shandong.

Shandong have the better 29-25 history head-on record.

The game is in its first quarter and it is (UPDATE SCORE IF AVAILABLE)Some more action at the same time,Xinjiang continue to have home advantage in tonight's game against Shanxi.

Guangdong tackle underdogs Bayi,Liaoning take on Jiangsu,Jilin going up against the Zhejiang Lions,And a middle-of-the-table clash between Fujian and Shanghai.

Shandong Luneng, Menezes finalize dealIn football,Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng have officially announced manager Cuca's departure and welcomed the arrival of his successor Mano Menezes.

Luneng have finalized the deal with Menezes. No details have been unveiled.

The two sides have been in talks and Menezes said earlier in the week that he had agreed to the contract Luneng offered.

Menezes is currently managing Cruzeiro in the Brazilian Serie A. He is expected to arrive in China and meet the Luneng team as early as next Friday after the season concludes in Brazil.

Fifty-three-year-old Menezes takes over from fellow Brazilian Cuca who led Luneng to a Chinese Super Cup victory, a third place finish in the Chinese Super League last season and qualified for the next AFC Champions League.

Menezes is the former head coach for Brazil's national squad. He had an unsuccessful 2-year stint with the team after the 2010 World Cup.

Sunday football recapElsewhere in football,Moenchengladbach are the first German team to beat champions Bayern Munich this season.

They held off Bayern's relentless first half attacks and struck three times in the second half to go 3-1.

Bayern's late sub Franck Ribery made a powerful comeback in nine months, scoring the only goal for his side only to witness their first Bundesliga defeat.

Bayern's slip allowed second placed Dortmund to close the gap to five points on the table with a 2-1 win over Wolfsburg.

'Gladbach are third.

Over in England,Leicester have gone top of the Premier League after beating Swansea 3-0.

Manager Claudio Ranieri was worried about Swansea's rebound from their last 10 games which they won only one.

Ranieri says he told his boys the right thing to do.

They played very good football, they moved the ball quickly, they played one-two touches and I asked my players stay together because if we spread out they kill us. We made a very good performance, we scored three goals but we had to chance to score again three or four goals and I am so pleased with that because we didn't concede a goal and you know for me this is very important."Leicester are two points clear of Arsenal which downed Sunderland 3-1.

Former leaders Manchester City went down to Stoke city 2-0 and fell behind by a further point to third place.

Chelsea have given up all hopes on title defense after a 1-0 defeat by Bournemouth.

The defending champions are struggling at 14 place on the table.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has set their goals on a top six finish at the end of the season.

More football action from La Liga,Barcelona conceded an eighty-fifth minute goal to be held 1-all by Valencia.

Real Madrid thumped Getafe 3-1.

Squeezed in between these two teams in second place on the standings are Atletico Madrid which beat Granada 2-0.

Former Peruvian football head arrestedIn off-field football news,Former Peruvian Football Federation president Manuel Burga has been arrested amid a widening investigation into the FIFA corruption scandal.

Burga is among 16 officials charged on Thursday with multi-million dollar bribery schemes for marketing rights in connection with football tournaments.

A US embassy spokesman declined to comment on whether Burga would be extradited to the United States.

Speed skating, snowboarding resultsTurning to some winter sports action from China,Chinese skater Fan Kexin has powered to another gold medal in women's 500 meters at the World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series in Nagoya, Japan.

World record holder Fan dominated the event by winning both finals. Her gold medals are the first for the Chinese women's team this season.

They also put Fan back on the world number one spot.

In snowboarding,Maxence Parrot from Canada has won the Beijing stop of the Air+ Style series at the Bird's Nest national stadium.

Parrot produced a Frontside Triple Cork 1440 Mute to win by 182.99 points.

The three-stop series will next go to Innsbruck, Austria early next month.

It concludes in Los Angeles later in February.

Golf updateIn golf,Bubba Watson's flawless round of 9-under 63 lifted him to a 2-shot lead after round three at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Watson says he has always maintained a fun attitude while playing competitive golf.

"I don't get so caught up in bad swings or bad thoughts. I just play golf and so that's the mindset I need every week, but this week obviously it's working right now. And I'm not really too stressed out right now, just happy to have my family here and be here. Tiger (Woods) puts on a great event and obviously Hero (World Challenge) is doing a great job to bring it here in this beautiful place."Paul Casey also shot 63 to move into second place.

Jordan Spieth slipped to four shots off the pace.

In South Africa at the Nedbank Challenge,Marc Leishman is leading Henrik Stenson by one shot going into the final round.

Leishman is coming full force against Stenson and hopes to repeat his third-round success.

"I saw Henrik was getting away a little bit and I had to try and do something to make it interesting for tomorrow. Hopefully I can have another round like I did today and give him a run for his money."Local golfer Jaco van Zyl ended the day at third place. Entertainment3D Beijing Opera Film 'Farewell My Concubine' Debuts in BeijingThe Peking Opera film 'Farewell My Concubine' has premiered in Beijing, marking the first Chinese film to capture this art form by using 3D technology.

'Farewell My Concubine' tells a love story based on the legend of Chinese hero Xiang Yu and his concubine Yu. As Xiang Yu loses a battle for the throne and Yu commits suicide by using his sword.

The film stars 74-year-old opera veteran Shang Changrong and rising star actress Shi Yihong.

The film's director, Teng Junjie says when researching the culture of the Beijing Opera, he realized the potential to film it in 3D.

To make the film more appealing to younger audiences, the director has altered the traditional staging of the classic, and cut down the run time.

The film made its international debut in Hollywood at the Dolby Theater in 2014.

Award-winning Kung Fu Film 'The Master' to Open in China on Dec 11China's martial arts wizard Xu Haofeng will bring fresh air to the Kung Fu world with his new film, 'The Master'.

Adapted from the namesake novel, the film offers a realistic vision of the martial arts world.

It depicts a Wing Chun master who wants to open a martial arts school in Tianjin, and trains a talented apprentice, but later gets involved in a series of political conspiracies.

The director indicates no martial artist doubles have been used in this film, he requires actors to fight for real themselves.

Silver Bear Award winning actor Liao fan stars in this film as the leading role, along with famous actress Jiang Wenli and Song Jia.

'The Master' has won the Best Action Choreography Award at this year's Golden Horse Award.

It will hit big screens in China on December 11th.

'Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert' Held in NYC'Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert' has been held at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy Award-winner John Fogerty and Spoon joined the all-star concert event to celebrate the music and message of the legendary icon.

The Beatles remaining members, including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, made special video appearances during the concert event and broadcast premier.

Meanwhile, the members of the all-star house band featured Greg Phillinganes on keyboards and Kenny Aronoff as the drummer.

Besides the above performers, the event also includes a lineup of music stars, such as Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, and The Roots.

American actor Kevin Bacon is the special guest host of this star-studded event.

DGA Award winner Gregg Gelfand has directed the event.

Previously, the organizers announced that a portion of proceeds from the concert will be donated to New York's largest poverty-fighting organization, Robin Hood.

The organization has created and fund over 200 of the most effective programs, to help 1.8 million New Yorkers learn and earn their way out of poverty.

'Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert' is set to air exclusively on AMC at 9 p.m Eastern Time December 19th.

Pop Stars Shine at Jingle Ball Tour in LAThe Jingle Ball tour has kicked off in Los Angeles on Friday night, with One Direction, Selena Gomez and The Weekend performing on the stage.

Rising stars like 5 Seconds of Summer and Hailee Steinfeld are also on the list of the event.

Oscar-nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld says, though she is used to the limelight, the stage makes her feel more nervous than a movie set.

"I would probably based off of little experience I would have to go with singing in front of people just because you have that live instant reaction to anything whereas with acting you get a couple tries to get it right so I guess that's always more awkward and nerve-racking but yeah this I definitely I think is more terrifying".

Famous Swedish singer Tove Lo, who rose to fame in the US with hit single 'Habits', also gave her performance on the stage.

The 28-year-old singer compares audiences from the US and Sweden.

"Swedish people are usually - unless they are super drunk - a little bit more reserved. They pay attention and they really listen but they're not cheering you on as much. It makes it a little bit easier to interact with Americans."The Jingle Ball tour will continue in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., before wrapping up in Tampa, Florida on December 19th.

Katie Holmes Explores Art Basel in Miami BeachUS actress Katie Holmes has explored the Art Basel in Miami Beach for the first time, and enjoyed a party toasting her Ocean Drive magazine cover on South Beach.

The 36-year-old tells AP that, although she's not much of an art collector, she appreciates art very much.

The actress indicates she enjoys painting with Suri, her 9-year-old daughter with ex-husband Tom Cruise, but just as a hobby.

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

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

Chinese President Xi Jinping back in Beijing after his trips to France, Zimbabwe and South Africa...

The Forum on China Africa Cooperation, attended by the Chinese President and other officials, wrapping up with fruitful results...

A series suicide of bomb attacks leaving 19 dead and 130 others wounded in the Lake Chad Region...

On behalf of the CRI News team, this is Spencer Musick in Beijing. Join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour. Lets open a window to the world together.