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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping leaves today for the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris...

The Chinese president has also pledged to lift 70 million people out of poverty nationwide by 2020...

And Russia has announced economic sanctions against Turkey in response to the downing of a Russian warplane in Syria...

We have our weekly round up of the latest Science & Technology news.

In Sports...Great Britain takes the early lead at the Davis Cup in Belgium...

In Entertainment...honouring Bruce Lee on what would have been the martial arts master's 75th birthday...

Top NewsXi Jinping to attend UN Climate Change Conference in ParisChinese President Xi Jinping is leaving for Paris today for the UN Climate Change Conference.

According to our reporter Ding Ning who is going with the president, Xi Jinping is scheduled to have a working dinner with his French counterpart Francios Hollande, and hold talks with U.S. President Barack Obama before the opening ceremony of the UN climate conference.

"The most important work for President Xi Jinping is to attend and deliver a speech at the opening session, in which he will state China's views and propositions for the governance of the global climate change. At the same time, President Xi will express that China is willing to work with other countries to push for a pact to curb global warming, as well as to establish an institutional framework which the world responses to climate change after 2020."The UN Climate Change Conference in Paris is set to open on Monday with representatives from 195 countries and the European Union gathering together to hammer out a comprehensive, balanced and ambitious deal to address climate change.

Chinese Companies are Transforming to Green DevelopmentAlong with government efforts to achieve a new development path that is both more sustainable and climate friendly, Chinese companies are also transforming their ways.

Our reporter Luo Bin has more.

In recent years, China has released new laws and regulations to protect the environment. This, to some extent, is forcing some companies to be more environmental friendly.

Wang Zhaojing is from a company that deals with ecological restoration in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. His company used to be a dyeing and printing factory, which discharged a large amount of water waste every day.

"Printing and dyeing can produce a great amount of wastewater. So when it is discharged into Dianchi Lake, it can cause huge pollution. To solve such problem, our company has built a 10-thousand-cubic meter sewage treatment plant with advanced technology. Under this new technology, some molecules of water can be filtered to reach nanometer-level, which means you can drink the water after filtering."In addition to companies discharging heavy waste, companies with high energy costs are also looking for new ways of development.

Fuhua Metallurgical Company is located in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It's a traditional company in the metal processing sector.

Its general manager Zhao Jianjing says this company has eliminated 10 tons of coal washing capacity and a one megaton heat oven.

"Outdated production capacity is not in accord with our country's policy. It also causes trouble to the environment. So if we want to develop, we have to eliminate the outdated production capacity and protect our environment with the most advanced technology."China has released action plans for air and water pollution prevention and control in recent years.

At the beginning of this year, the new Environment Protection Law, deemed the "strictest ever," officially came into force.

Meanwhile, China has also released measures to encourage companies to reduce emissions and energy costs.

China's Five-Year Plan from 2016 to 2020 says China will strengthen its supervision over corporate emissions and pollution.

Zhang Jiwen is from the Development and Research Center of the State Council.

He says companies must behave themselves in accordance with laws and regulations, or they will be eliminated.

"Companies should know that our country is now entering into a stage of middle and high-end development. So backward industries should either be knocked out or have to improve. All the companies have got to strictly abide by the environmental protection laws and regulations. Only in this way can they develop."China has also cooperated with other countries to deal with climate change to achieve a sustainable development.

During President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States in September, a new China-U.S. joint statement was issued on climate change, reiterating their resolve to work together and with others toward an ambitious, successful outcome at the upcoming climate conference in Paris.

On Nov. 2, President Xi and his French counterpart Francois Hollande issued a joint statement on climate change in Beijing, pledging to promote a working program to accelerate pre-2020 efforts in mitigation, adaptation and support during the Paris climate conference.

For CRI, this is Luo Bin.

FM Fabius hands over COP21 keys to UNIn France, the site of the international Paris climate conference officially became United Nations soil on Saturday, as journalists and officials began to arrive amid heightened security.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who is also the chief negotiator at the meeting, handed the keys of the sprawling Le Bourget conference centre to Christiana Figueres, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat.

Almost all governments have outlined plans for fighting global warming beyond 2020 in a positive sign for resolving a string of obstacles at the climate summit.

For the first time there is almost universal involvement. So far this year, over 95 percent of nations have issued long-term plans for tackling climate change, meant as building blocks for a Paris accord.

Fabius has said the high number of submissions is encouraging. The summit is to be attended by 143 world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Fabius has stressed the importance of reaching a deal on December 11.

"Of course I will respect this mandate with one objective which is known to all of us and which is to be able to say six simple words on December 11, but which will be the product of an unprecedented effort: the Paris agreement is approved."For her part, Christiana Figueres urges more action to achieve the U.N. goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius in order to avert floods, extinctions of animals and plants, and rising sea levels.

"We're now in the bandwidth of 2.7 to 3.5, a very, very important sign of progress of technology, of policy and of capital shifts. Is that enough? No."Current plans would put the world on track for a warming of anywhere from about 2.7C to 3.5C by 2100, broadly the range estimated by various expert groups.

Governments hope the summit will end in a deal that marks a turning point away from rising dependence on fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution, shifting towards cleaner energies such as wind or solar power.

The summit will be held in tight security after the attacks in Paris by Islamic State militants that killed 130 people.

Global Warming Compromise Chilean GrapeClimate change is said to be affecting Chilean winemakers' efforts to improve their image abroad from bang-for-your-buck vinos to more premium wines.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more details.

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountain range on the east, Chile's producers have traditionally thrived in this Mediterranean-like climate.

But with temperatures rising and rains becoming scarcer, producers are being forced to employ new techniques, or even uproot vineyards and move to cooler, wetter climates further south before grape quality suffers.

Julio Bastias is the chief enologist at Matte Vineyards, located in central Chile.

"What we have observed over time is that the temperatures or the seasons start to change, there is an increase in temperatures, the thermal fluctuation diminishes and this means that we don't know for how many more years or how many more decades we will be able to cultivate some varieties, like some whites or some reds that will probably have to stop growing here to let other varieties grow that adjust better to these climatic changes or a new temperature in the valleys."Winemaking in Chile dates back to the arrival of the first conquistadores four and a half centuries ago.

It wasn't until the early 1980s that producers like Spanish winemaker Miguel Torres introduced methods that have since lifted the industry to become the world's fourth biggest exporter, with Chilean wine now a familiar sight on supermarket shelves from China to the U.S. and Europe.

Bastias says if temperatures keep rising, maintaining current grape varieties and improving quality in Chile is going to become increasingly difficult.

"Basically the grapevines need heat to sprout, develop their metabolism and ripen the fruit properly. What happens when there are changes in temperatures or areas begin to have an increased or decreased temperature, is that a specific variety is going to lose its characteristics. So they are notes in the organoleptic properties of the wine are going to start to affect their quality.

Chile is best known for its signature carmenere grape, an old French variety rediscovered 20 years ago after being thought extinct, but also grows cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, merlot and chardonnay, among others.

Claudia Villarroel, a meteorologist at Chile's Meteorological office, explains some of the changes in weather conditions.

"It has been shown that at least in the central zone, and above all in cities that are more populated or have more buildings, there has been a change of 0.2 degrees, precisely, in the maximum temperature, above all here in Santiago, and in the minimum temperature it has been around the same range."Almost 200 nations will meet in Paris this month to try to work out a global accord to slow climate change. But, according to climate change data from the World Bank, an increase in temperature of at least 1.5 degrees Celsius is more or less locked in.

Chile's wine production has doubled in the last 15 years and exports are forecast to reach 3 billion dollars by 2020, up from 1.8 billion dollars currently.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

China pledges resolute measures to root out poverty by 2020China has pledged measures to help 70 million people escape poverty by 2020.

President Xi Jinping addressed a government conference on poverty alleviation and development on Saturday.

"To build a well-off society in an all-round way, it's a solemn promise to our people. The government must make poverty alleviation the top priority, to ensure that all poor people live in a well-off society and enjoy essential social services by 2020."Major tasks for governments over the next five years include ensuring the poor have adequate food and clothing, and benefit from compulsory education, health services, and housing.

Meantime, the conference demanded that national expenditure on education should be expanded in poor areas, and special care should given to the children of migrant parents - the so-called left-behind children.

Industrial development is also key to poverty alleviation.

1 rescued, 8 missing from capsized fishing boat at East China SeaA fishing boat with a crew of nine has capsized on the East China Sea, roughly 120 nautical miles off the Yangtze River estuary.

The Shanghai Maritime Search and Rescue Center received a report of the capsized boat on Friday morning, and rescuers were sent to the accident site immediately.

Local maritime authorities had rescued one sailor by Saturday afternoon.

The search for the other eight missing crew members is ongoing.

The cause of the capsizing is under investigation.

Stage collapse at university music hall injures 25 in BeijingMore than 20 students were injured after a stage collapsed on Saturday evening at a university in Beijing.

The accident occurred at around 7 o'clock when the students were rehearsing in the music hall at Beihang University.

25 students were injured and were taken to hospital. None of the injuries are said to be serious.

Police have cordoned off the accident site and an investigation is underway.

China Tightens Control on "Lab Drugs"New measures are being rolled out in China to contain the fast spread of new psychotropic substances, also known as NPS or "laboratory drugs."These are a range of drugs designed to mimic the effects of established illicit drugs, such as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD.

In its latest move, 116 NPS have been added to "the list of non-medical psychotropic and anesthetic drugs for control."Zhao Zhongchen, from the State Narcotics Control Office, explains the difference between NPS and traditional drugs.

"The psychoactive drug substances we refer to are different from the traditional drugs and synthetic drugs. The synthetic drugs act more on the human brain and nervous system. The greatest harm of such substances is that people who use such drugs would cause trouble, as the drugs generate hallucinations, very harmful to society."The authorities, including public security, food and drug supervision, and healthcare are to collaborate in the fight against the production, smuggling and abuse of the listed substances.

The manufacturers of these drugs are continually developing new chemical combinations to replace those that are banned in order to stay one step ahead of the law.

Panda Basi Celebrates Her 35th BirthdayGiant panda Basi, the oldest of its kind alive in the Chinese mainland, has celebrated her 35th birthday in southeast China's Fuzhou City.

After her routine exercises and health check, the birthday party got underway, attracting over 300 panda fans and experts from both home and abroad.

San Diego Zoo staff gave the panda a book featuring her US visit in 1987.

"Basi, happy birthday. You are my favourite panda in the whole world. You have brought so much joy to so many people all around the world."Basi was the inspiration for Panpan, the mascot of the Beijing Asian Games in 1990.

20 years old for a panda is said to equal about 80 in human years.

Promo HereRussia Launches Economic Sanctions against TurkeyRussia has launched a series of sanctions against Turkey following the shooting down of a Russian warplane by Turkish forces.

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree, including a ban on importing certain Turkish goods and prohibition of Turkish companies' activities in Russian territories.

It's also reported that Russia is mulling whether to cancel charter flights between the two countries, which are estimated to be worth 4 billion US dollars for Ankara annually.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the crisis has prompted Putin to "mobilise" in the way an army does in tense times.

"The president is mobilized, fully mobilized, mobilized to the extent that circumstances demand. The circumstances are unprecedented. The gauntlet thrown down to Russia is unprecedented. So naturally the reaction is in line with this threat."It's been estimated that 90,000 Turkish nationals work in Russia, with an expat population at 200,000 when family members are taken into account.

Moscow suspended its visa free policy with Turkey earlier this week.

A government spokesman from Turkey says his government is also considering measures.

Turkey has advised its citizens against non-urgent travel to Russia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is saddened by the downing of the Russian plane.

"We are really saddened by this incident. We wouldn't have wished this to happen, but unfortunately it did. I hope this will not happen again. Turkey has never been in favour of triggering tensions and clashes and we never will be."President Putin has so far refused to contact Erdogan because Ankara does not want to apologize for the downing of the jet, which resulted in the death of one of the pilots.

The two countries are at odds on whether the Russian jet intruded into Turkish airspace.

Greece Stresses Migrants Issue before EU meetings with TurkeyGreek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said his country faces an unprecedented refugee crisis as the main flow of migrants from Turkey to Europe passes through Greece.

Tsipras made the comment after meeting with opposition party leaders to seek their backing in a common policy to tackle the migration crisis.

"The greatest population movement since World War II has caused an unprecedented refugee crises that changes the data and balance throughout Europe. And these refugee flows pass through our country. This requires a high sense of responsibility and seriousness, not only by government but also by the opposition,"Greece has asked the EU for financial and technical help to deal with the issue but ruled out the possibility of joint sea patrols with neighbouring Turkey.　EU leaders and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will meet in Brussels later on today to discuss how Turkey could help prevent migrants from crossing to Greek islands.

On Saturday, Macedonian soldiers began building barriers at the border with Greece.

The number of migrants making the journey to Europe rose dramatically this year compared to 2014, although the influx shows signs of decreasing as winter approaches.

Colorado Springs residents stunned by shootingPolice are still investigating on the motive of a gunman who shot at a local abortion clinic in the US town of Colorado Springs.

57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear surrendered to police following a standoff that lasted several hours. The shootings resulted in three deaths, including two civilians and a police officer.

Police are said to be searching a property linked to the suspect.

Meanwhile local residents have expressed disbelief.

"You've got some guy out there killing people because he thinks Planned Parenthood are killing people. That don't make sense.""I mean, over the past few years, you see shootings and all this other stuff kick off and it just becomes a knee jerk reaction over political points rather than any sort of compassion over what has happened and lives that are lost."The Planned Parenthood group has been the target of frequent protests against abortion in the past.

Egypt: high chance of hidden rooms in Tut tombExperts are suggesting that there is a high chance that the tomb of Ancient Egypt's boy-king Tutankhamun has passages to a hidden chamber, which may be the last resting place of the lost Queen Nefertiti.

This conclusion is based on the preliminary results of a new exploration of the 3,300-year-old mausoleum.

British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves theorizes that Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally Nefertiti's tomb.

"My close examination of these scans highlighted the apparent presence of closed doorways: On the West wall potentially leading to an additional Tutankhamun period store room - labelled 'X' in the cutaway bottom left here, and that on the north to a corridor continuation of the tomb labelled 'y'. The proposal I put forward was that the burial of Tutankhamun was actually a tomb within a tomb."He says even the most minor of incisions in the wall could wreak havoc on an inner chamber that may have been hermetically sealed for so many years.

New evidence from radar imaging is to be sent to a team in Japan for analysis. The results are expected to be announced in a month.

Famed for her beauty, Nefertiti was the subject of a famous 3,300-year-old bust.

E-commerce giant Dangdang to open 1000 real bookstores in 3 yearsChinese online retail giant Dangdang has announced plans to launch 1000 real-world bookstores within 3 years, even though this may seem contrary to current business trends which are seeing just about everything moving online.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has the details.

With the success of online bookstores, many traditional bookstore chains have, in recent years, either declared bankruptcy or cut back their business activities.

This has made many people wonder whether physical 'bricks and mortar' bookstores will soon become a thing of the past.

Yi Yali is one of them - a traditional bookstore owner struggling to survive in the digital era"Between 1997 and 2010, real bookstore business reached its peak with its rapid growth. Many featured bookstores have emerged at that time. However, the bookstore business has been in a decline since 2010 due to rising costs. This includes expensive human resources and rents."However, Yin Changlong, General Manager of Shenzhen Publication and Distribution Group, disagrees with that view, saying the traditional bookstore business has not yet entered the ranks of so-called sunset industries.

"It is the failure of business strategies rather than the fall of brick-and-mortar bookstore industry itself. The biggest challenge for traditional bookstore lies in its single form, which makes it hard to build strong ties with customer. As such, bookstore operators need to be more creative."Many physical bookstore owners have adapted their business models, providing optimal sensory experiences for readers.

Among the most successful - the Taiwan-based elite and the Beijing-based SDX Joint Publishing Company. They usually partner with other retailers such as coffee shops and art galleries to create a comprehensive cultural space.

Zhang Wei, assistant executive of Dangdang.com says the e-commerce giant wants to follow this business trend.

"Our bookstores in the first and second tier cities will be as large as one to two square kilometers, and they will become a cultural complex with sales of books and other related products with higher profits. Meanwhile, we will team up with renowned shopping malls in an attempt to substantially cut bookstores management costs."At the same time, Dangdang will merge its online and offline business and customer services. This is also being seen as a great opportunity for the online retailer to turn around its financial position.

Dangdang's first offline bookstore is expected to open in Changsha city next month, occupying 1,200 square meters.

Earlier this month, online retailer Amazon also launched its first 'real' bookstore in a Seattle- based shopping mall, making full use of its online business experience in the process.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

Headline newsXi Jinping to attend UN Climate Change Conference in ParisChinese President Xi Jinping is leaving for Paris today for the UN Climate Change Conference.

Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet his French counterpart Francios Hollande, and hold talks with U.S. President Barack Obama before the opening ceremony of the UN climate conference.

This would be the first time a Chinese leader attend the UN climate conference, during which President Xi Jinping is due to deliver a speech, stating China's views and propositions for the governance of the global climate change.

The UN Climate Change Conference in Paris is set to open on Monday with representatives from 195 countries and the European Union gathering together to hammer out a comprehensive, balanced and ambitious deal to address climate change.

Russia Launches Economic Sanctions against TurkeyRussia has launched a series of sanctions against Turkey following the shooting down of a Russian warplane by Turkish forces.

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree, including a ban on importing certain Turkish goods and prohibition of Turkish companies' activities in Russian territories.

It's also reported that Russia is mulling whether to cancel charter flights between the two countries.

Moscow has suspended its visa free policy with Turkey.

A government spokesman from Turkey says his government is also considering measures.

Turkey has advised its citizens against non-urgent travel to Russia.

Mali President Pays Tribute to American and Belgian Victims of Hotel AttackMali president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has paid tribute to the American and Belgian victims of the attack on a luxury hotel in the capital that killed 20 people.

At least two armed men launched a raid last week, killing six Russians, three Chinese and many others.

The siege ended hours later when Malian commandos stormed the hotel and freed 170 hostages. Two attackers were killed.

Three Islamist militant groups have claimed responsibility for the strike.

Mali authorities arrested two people on Thursday suspected of having links to the attack.

On Saturday, the UN said unknown attackers fired rockets at a U.N. peacekeeping base in northern Mali, killing three people.

Stage collapse at university music hall injures 25 in BeijingMore than 20 students were injured after a stage collapsed on Saturday evening at a university in Beijing.

The accident occurred at around 7 o'clock when the students were rehearsing in the music hall at Beihang University.

25 students were injured and were taken to hospital. None of the injuries are said to be serious.

Police have cordoned off the accident site and an investigation is underway.

Sci&Tech (Sunday)It's time now to check in with what's been happening this week in the science and technology sector.

In this edition of the Sci-Tech report, this year's World Robot Conference took place in Beijing, and US researchers are developing a wearable device that can translate sign language into English speech.

Here's CRI's Wen Jie.

The World Robot Conference 2015 kicked off in Beijing on Monday.

Organized by the China Association for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the three-day event includes a forum, an exhibition and a robot contest for young people.

All kinds of robots with cutting-edge technology can be seen at the exhibition.

Service robots with artificial intelligence have become a highlight of the exhibition. They are designed to help humans with various tasks, and play a major role in enhancing productivity.

The conference has attracted more than 100 experts, 12 international robotics organizations and over 120 robotics companies.

In a letter of congratulations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China is willing to cooperate with other nations in promoting robotics research and development.

Premier Li Keqiang said the conference is important for promoting robot technology as China pushes innovation-driven development and entrepreneurship to transform the country from the "world's factory" to a technological powerhouse.

As the supply of cheap labor dries up, Chinese manufacturers are gradually replacing manual labor with robots.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, a total of 57,000 industrial robots were sold in China last year, a year-on-year increase of 55 percent, and a quarter of all global sales.

Wearable technology being developed in US to translating sign language into English speechThe communication barrier between deaf people who use sign language and those that don't understand it may be coming to an end thanks to a new wearable technology being developed at Texas A&M University.

The device incorporates a system of sensors that records the motion of hand gestures, as well as the electromyography or EMG signals produced by muscles in the wrist when signing.

Roozbeh Jafari, is Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University.　"We decode the muscle activities we are capturing from the wrist. Some of it is coming from the fingers indirectly because if I happen to keep my fist like this versus this, the muscle activation is going to be a little different."He adds that the system is also designed to learn from its user in order to guarantee its accuracy.

"When you wear the system for the first time the system operates with some level of accuracy. But as you start using the system more often, the system learns from your behavior and it will adapt its own learning models to fit you. "Currently the proof of concept device is equipped to send the translated sign language to a computer or smartphone using Bluetooth.

Going forward the team hope to miniaturize the device so it can be worn on a users' wrist like a watch and program it to decipher complete sentences rather than just individual words.

The researchers also want to incorporate a synthetic voice speaker, an upgrade that could potentially give the 70 million deaf people around the world a new voice.

Li-Fi Internet: First Real-World Usage Boasts Speed 100 Times Faster Than Wi-FiLi-Fi, a super-fast alternative to Wi-Fi is finally moving from research lab to the real world.

Li-Fi - short for Lighg Fidelity - is a similar wireless technology similar that allows data to be sent at a speed that is 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.

At these speeds, a high-definition film could be downloaded in just a few seconds.

Velmenni, an Estonia startup has revealed that it has begun trialing the technology within offices and industrial environments in Tallinn.

Li-Fi uses the Visible Light Communication technology, allowing people to access the Internet using light bulbs.

While it's difficult to build a whole new infrastructure for the technology, the CEO of Velmenni is optimistic that it can be integrated with the existing system, for a cleaner, greener and even brighter future.

Iceland's Glaciers could Disappear in 200 Years: ScientistA leading glacier scientist has warned that Iceland's glaciers will disappear in the next 200 years if global temperatures continue rising.

Helgi Bjornsson is a glacier research professor at the University of Iceland:

"If climate warming continues at a rate of two degrees per century, as people are afraid of and that is the prediction of climatologists, then our glaciers will disappear in 150 to 200 years."Iceland's glaciers, which currently cover 11 percent of the country's land, are melting at an alarming rate. Many locals have raised concerns about their living environment. Halli is one of them:

"When I was a child, there was much, much more snow in Iceland. So totally different like this today. All the way from middle of September to maybe late in April, but now today the winters are much shorter."According to professor Bjornesson, Iceland has lost over 11 billion tons of ice per year in recent years. So far, the country has lost nearly six percent of its ice since 1995.

The rapid melting of ice will lead to changes in river system and eventually leave them without water.

China's new-generation Beidou navigation satellite completes in-orbit testChina's new-generation Beidou navigation satellite completed an in-orbit test recently, and will provide navigation and positioning service in the next step.

The new-generation satellite was sent to orbit on Sept. 30 in the southwestern province of Sichuan. It was the 20th satellite for the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and puts China one step closer to providing an alternative to the U.S.-operated GPS.

Xie Jun is the chief engineer of the Beidou project.

"We mainly judge and analyze the states of the satellites, like whether they're stable in the sky and check their time. These are major tasks of satellite checking. As of today, we have launched 20 satellites. All of them on orbit provide the good navigation signal service. They operate very well."By applying the more stable rubidium atomic clock and hydrogen clock, the new satellite's navigation precision has been improved by over 100 percent.

Through a special design of inter-satellite link, data can be transmitted between satellites, which helps ensure the data's integrity and improve the precision of navigation.

What's more, data transmission speed of the new satellite has been improved by over 20 times than that of the former satellites. In the past, it took two days to transmit the satellite data to the ground center. Now data can be sent back in real time.

U.S. researchers create malaria-blocking mosquitoesU.S. researchers have managed to breed a new strain of mosquitoes which carry a malaria-blocking gene.

Through gene splicing, researchers at the University of California have managed to insert an anti-malarial gene into the breed of mosquito which is responsible for the largest spread of Malaria in Asia.

Researchers say the anti-Malaria gene is inherited by 99.5 percent of the mosquito's offspring.

It's hoped the advancement will help ultimately eliminate the insects' ability to transmit the disease to humans.

Further testing is being carried out to confirm whether the antibodies the genetically-modified mosquitos will continue to work through generational advancements.

Malaria is one of the world's leading global killers.

The virus, spread through mosquito bites, kills close to a million people every year.

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

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsGreat Britain leads Davis Cup 2-1In tennis news:

The Davis Cup action is heating up as the Murray brothers beat Belguim's David Goffin and Steve Darcis 6-4,4-6,6-3,6-2 in their doubles match on Saturday.

The win puts Great Britain in the lead with a 2-1.

After the match, Murray spoke about what his doubles rubber win mean for the British team.

"It's far from over. I said the same thing yesterday. Even if we lost the doubles, I would have said the same thing. I still think we have a very good chance in both of the matches tomorrow. Even if I was to lose against Goffin, I think we have a very good chance in the fifth rubber, whoever plays for them. I think we have a very good chance in that one. Obviously to be up 2-1 gives us a better chance of winning. Only having to win one of those two is better than having to win both.

Andy Murray is looking to become the fourth man to win 11 rubbers in a year in his next match on Sunday.

One more win for the world number 2 will give Britain their first Davis cup title since 1936.

Badminton's Brazil Open enters semi-finalsIn some badminton news:

The Yonex Brazil Open, also known as the Badminton Test event ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has reached the semi finals.

The Grand Prix level tournament is a BWF associated event.

In the first semi for the men's singles,It was China's Guo Kai who faced Spanish world number 2 Pablo AbianThe match lasted for 47 minutes and saw Abian claim victory with a (24-22. 21-15)The second semi-final featured world number 1 Lin Dan taking on fellow Chinese, Zhu-SiyuanLin dan won with a 15-21, 21-12, 21-12 in 58 minutes, securing his place in the finals.

After the game, Spain's Abian spoke about the new Riocentro Convention center.

"The most complicated thing is the air conditioning. I believe it's of utmost importance to have no turbulent air conditioning .For now, it is still disturbing and it's complicated for the players. In a general view, the venue is very well but this thing of having this wind . . ."With the new venue being tested for the Olympics, all of the athletes gave constructive criticism on how things could be improved.

But overall, competitors were happy with the new arena.

Rosberg gets pole position for Abu DhabiIn F1 racing:

Nico Rosberg will be sitting pretty as he captured pole position for the final round of the formula 1 racing season in Abu dhabi on Saturday.

Rosberg scored the fastest time in the third qualifying round for the Grand Prix with a lap of one minute, 40.237 seconds.

Behind him by 4-tenths-of-a-second was Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and in third, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

After his successful day of qualifying, Rosberg spoke about how he was feeling.

"Well, before it was close in the other direction, now it's close in this direction. I'm quicker (than Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton) in the moment, and just very about that and enjoying the moment and, happy to be on pole again."　Rosberg will be attempting to win his third successive race on Sunday.

This also marks the 18th time the German was been at pole position in the seaon's total, 19 races.

Leicester City's Jamie Vardy sets new English League recordand in some Euro-football action:

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy set a new English Premier League goal-scoring record on Saturday by netting an 11th consecutive game in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

The 28-year-old striker beat Ruud Nistelrooy's 10-game scoring run for Manchester United which had stood since 2003.

After the game, Leicester City Coach Claudio Ranieri, spoke about his star players achievement.

"Oh, it's important for him. The record, there are records, because somebody, sooner or later, breaks the record. Now I hope this record... keeps on for a long time and we are very, very proud of this record, because everybody, his team-mates, help him to achieve it."Vardy's goal came in the 24th minute of the game, but was cancelled out by Bastian Schweinsteiger's equaliser in first half stoppage time.

Leicester has dropped to second place in the Premier League after Manchester City beat Southampton 3-1.

Ruka Ski Jumping World Cup cancelledand for those of you who like winter sports:

The Ruka FIS Ski jumping world cup competition in Finland was cancelled on Saturday, due to severe weather conditions.

Around 27 jumpers remain to compete in the event.

This is the second day weather has prohibited competition.

The chief problem for jumpers on Saturday was the wind, which clocked in at 8 meters-per-second and made it difficult to stick landings.

As of Saturday night, the event has been cancelled by authorities, which is bad news for the 70 athletes who came to compete.

Only 43 competitors had gotten to jump, from them, German Andreas Wank, had the longest air time and was in the lead with a distance of 129.5 meters.

Ceremony held for Rugby legend Jonah LomuIn some rugby news:

All Blacks Rugby hero Jonah Lomu, had a final farewell from family and friends in Auckland on Saturday.

The deceased legend was honored with a traditional Tongan burial ceremony.

As pall-bearers carried the coffin to the vodafone events center, Lomu's father in law, Mervyn Quirk, spoke a few words.

"This great man had so many challenges, from a young boy growing up, right through his life, secoming finally to that he carried for a number of years, even while he played. His heart was so big that he reached out to so many, even at times where he wasn't well, such is the love that he had for people."Details regarding Lomu's health complications are still unclear.

The rugby star passed away at the age of 40, after arriving in Auckland.

He had come back from Europe after doing promotional work for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Lomu was a star player for the All Blacks team and is known for being their youngest recruit, being only 19 years-old when he joined.

EntertainmentChinese Kung Fu Superstar Bruce Lee's 75 birth anniversaryYesterday would have been Chinese superstar Bruce Lee's 75 birthday, and many people paid respects to the legendary Kung Fu masterKoby Tweeted "Happy birthday to the great Bruce Lee" while Tiger Shroff celebrated the date while shooting his film and says that "I'm dedicating this film to Bruce Lee. He is the reason I am here today and the reason I am blessed with a movie like this."In the celebration ceremony held by the Bruce Lee Foundation, a limited edition wristwatch has also been released.

Hailed as the greatest martial arts master of all time, Lee first kicked his way into stardom as Kato on ABC's "The Green Hornet."In 1973, Bruce Lee died at the age of 32 - just as he was on the brink of super-stardom with "Enter the Dragon." Still, the legend of the "Dragon" named Bruce Lee gave way to a new action genre that includes Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris.

Sa Dingding Releases Her New AlbumChinese singer Sa Dingding, who's famed for her skills of combining Chinese folk music and western electronica, has released her new album "The Butterfly Dream."Zhung Zi and his "The Butterfly Dream" is one of the best known anecdotes in philosophical literature.

The lyrics of Sa's new album are inspired by the works of Zhuang Zi.

The singer also describes her album as art that transports the listener to an ancient world, saying that it "paves a time tunnel which is free of restrictions in time and space.""The Butterfly Dream" is her sixth album.

Born in 1983, Sa Dingding released her first album entitled "Dong Ba La" at the age of 18, earning her the title of China's Best Dance Music Singer.

Moreover, the artist's international fame reached its peak when she performed last month at London's magnificent Lancaster House in the presence of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at a British creative collaboration summit.

The former BBC World Music Award winner is set to embark on a concert tour around Asia early next year.

Iranian filmmaker makes doc on Afghan woman rapperIranian documentary "Sonita" has premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival.

Originally, director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami wanted to make a story about a talented girl, Sonita, who wants to become the first Afghan female rapper and chronicle her struggles to make a demo recording.

However, while making the film, the Iranian filmmaker had to intervene when the girl's mother planned to sell her into a forced marriage.

"I decided that I have to be a character in the movie, so I had to be very fast with designing my entrance into the movie but anyway I think that I had to do this if you want to interfere in the story, somehow you have to be a part of it, to keep the authenticity."The director ended up paying $2000 to the mother to keep Sonita free for a while. However, her lead character seems to take all of it in her stride.

"My mother, she was trying to force me into marriage, but that doesn't mean she didn't love me. She loves me, she was forced to close her eyes to the love because she didn't know other ways, because she was forced to do that, because of tradition and because of the poverty. Through my songs she realized what is inside me. And as a girl I can do something, I can make my future."The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988. It aims to promote creative documentaries and to present them to as wide an audience as possible.

Filmmaker George Gittoes Brings His Documentary 'Snow Monkey' to IDFAAustralian artist and filmmaker George Gittoes returned to the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam with his new work, "Snow Monkey."In the new documentary, Gittoes follows Afghan street children, known as the Snow Monkeys, including kids who sell ice cream, and a gang.

The only way to protect the ice cream sellers from the gang was to offer the gang leader, Steel, a role in a movie.

According to Gittoes, his documentary's top villain was also a very smart child.

"What I know about Steel is that he is a genius, and now the teacher in the film has given him an IQ test and his intelligence is off the charts.""He's got the responsibility; this little genius providing for the whole family and in his very young age he's lost his childhood and he becomes a man. It's incredible in the film that someone so small - he's got adults, he got the police, he's got everyone terrified of him in that city. ""Snow Monkey" screened at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, which started on the 18th and concludes today.

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

A recap of your headlines:

Chinese President Xi Jinping leaves today for the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris...

The Chinese president has also pledged to lift 70 million people out of poverty nationwide by 2020...

And Russia has announced economic sanctions against Turkey in response to the downing of a Russian warplane in Syria...

In Sports...Great Britain takes the early lead at the Davis Cup in Belgium...

In Entertainment...a new album from Chinese singer Sa Dingding...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers: I'm 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.