Coming up on the program ...

The Chinese President Xi Jinping joins world leaders in Paris for the start of the World Climate ConferenceUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says government pledges to cut global warming emissions are not enough.

Turkey signs a deal with the EU to ease the refugee crisesIn Business.... Macao’s latest trade agreement with the Mainland on liberalising trade.

In Sports... British victory in the Davis Cup ending an 80 year drought.

And in Entertainment.... Excitement ahead of the premier of an epic historical series in ChinaAll of that coming up in the next hour.

A reminder as always there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

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TopXi in Paris for UN Climate SummitChinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Paris for today's UN Climate Change Conference.

Xi Jinping was received by his French counterpart Francois Hollande at the Elysée palace, and is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit.

Paris will host 147 heads of state and government for the UN Climate Change Conference, which aims to secure a binding commitment from participating countries to reduce global emissions and keep temperature rises to below two degrees Celsius.

The Chinese president will deliver a speech at the conference, raising China's proposals on countering climate change.

He will then leave for state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa and a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg.

France Reassures Security Ahead of UN Climate SummitFrance has issued reassurances on security ahead of today's UN summit on climate change.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve says almost a thousand people thought to pose security risks had been banned from entering the country, since tighter border controls were enforced earlier this month in the wake of the deadly attacks on Paris.

"In the context of a terrorist threat, which you know about, the mobilisation of police and military forces on this magnitude has never been seen before. That mobilisation aims to protect French people, to secure the climate conference, and to control borders and which, as you know, since it was installed on November 30th, has allowed us to prevent more than thousand people - 1,039 to be more precise - who represents the risk for the security and public order to enter the French territory."He also gave a briefing on earlier scuffles in the centre of Paris during what was described as a climate change demonstration.

Hundreds of masked demonstrators tried to enter the Place de la Republique, defying a ban on rallies imposed during the current state of emergency.

The clashes broke out as they threw projectiles at police officers who fired gas to disperse them.

According to the minister, 208 people were arrested and no causalities have been reported.

The French President, Francois Hollande called the clashes 'scandalous' and said it has nothing to do with the climate issue.

"This is why the demonstrations are not authorised. We knew there would be troublemakers who have nothing to do with the environmental activists or with those who want the conference to be a success and are only there to create incidents. "Earlier in the day, climate change protesters had formed a 2-kilometre human chain and covered the symbolic Place de la Republic with thousands of shoes calling for concrete acts to limit climate deterioration.

Similar protests against climate change have been taking place around the world.

UN chief wants climate target review by 2020Anchor:

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said governments' pledges to cut global warming emissions are not enough and should be reviewed before 2020.

In an interview Sunday Ban said he endorsed plans for reviewing targets every five years.

CRI's Luo Bin has more.

Reporter:

At the UN climate summit which starts Monday in Paris, governments are expected to adopt a landmark deal to fight climate change and help vulnerable countries deal with rising sea levels, extreme weather events and other effects of global warming.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says the "time is now" for world leaders to act to improve people's lives.

"The time is now to act. We don't have any time to waste. Leaders should bear and feel a moral and political responsibility for humanity. This is the one which will really help put an end to poverty, making cities healthier, livable, and making our lives much, much safer and more prosperous with human dignity."More than 180 countries have signed up to climate action plans before the conference, including pledges to cut or control heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions after 2020, when the new deal is supposed to take effect.

Although optimistic about reaching a significant agreement in Paris, Ban said governments' pledges to cut global warming emissions are not enough.

"The national climate change action plan submitted by member states up until now, by more than 183 countries, we call it INDC - Intended Nationally Determined Contribution - amounts to around three degrees Centigrade (37 degrees Fahrenheit). But it's not enough. We have to do much more and faster to be able to contain the global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius (35 degrees Fahrenheit). That is our target."Meanwhile, he also calls for plans to review targets every five years.

"There have been many discussions whether it (the reviewing process) should be every five years or ten years. But I think five years seems to get the emerging consensus among the member states."The industrialized nations had earlier committed to long term financing support in the form of a green climate fund worth 100 billion US dollars a year to support concrete mitigation action by developing countries.

India, who has offered to cut its emissions per-unit of GDP figures to 35 percent by 2030, warned that international efforts to arrive at a climate deal will not succeed if they keep dislodging the balance of responsibilities between developed and developing countries.

Ban says he believes the member states will figure a way out.

"Countries have varying capacities of addressing this climate change agreement. Also, at the same time, (they have) different level(s) of economic development. Therefore, there should be a balance between the responsibilities of developed countries and developing countries. I'm sure that the member states will be able to find good and creative solutions."In a separate interview, Ban also spoke highly of China's role in tackling climate change, hailing China as "a leader in promoting South-South cooperation".

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

Expectations Weighing-in ahead of COP21 in ParisAnchor:

Ahead of today's UN Climate Change Conference, environment experts and politicians are weighing-in on expectations.

Our reporter Niu Honglin has more.

Reporter:

Professor Chris Rapley with the Department of Earth Sciences at University College London says he expects the Chinese delegation is most likely going to take on a leading role in Paris.

"China is showing real international leadership in this issue, which we see as incredibly welcomed. It is such a huge economy, it is so politically important and the fact that it is taking leadership is really showing the rest of the world the direction that they need to head in."The Chinese government has already promised to cut CO2 emissions by 60 to 65 percent from the 2005 levels, based on the growth of the Chinese economy, over the next 15-years.

At the same time, Chinese authorities have set a goal to have emissions peak by 2030, on top of pledging just over 3-billion US dollars to help poorer nations reduce their impact on climate change.

United Nations climate Chief Christiana Figueres says she believes that an agreement will be reached in the upcoming conference as countries are having increased 'will' towards this end.

The UN official also says that she believes China's role in coping with climate change can be divided into three main areas.

"First is what China is internally, which is quite admirable all the steps that China is taking toward what many of the Chinese authorities call the eco-civilization. Then there is the whole set of initiatives that China has undertaken bilaterally with other countries."China has already signed a number of bilateral climate agreements with big emitters, including an independent South-South cooperation fund of over 3 billion U.S. dollars to help developing countries affected by global warming.

Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Francois Hollande issued a joint statement on climate change in Beijing.

French ambassador to China, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne says the two countries can focus more on green development projects.

"We hope our cooperation can be implemented into detailed projects. In fact, many French companies have already carried out projects such as waste disposal in Chinese cities. President Holland first arrived at Chongqing when he visited China earlier this month, because we have models of successful cooperation there. We hope that we can continue to create opportunities for such green development cooperation. "During Chinese President's state visit to the United States in September, Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama also issued a new China-U.S. joint statement on climate change, reiterating their resolve to work together and with others towards an ambitious, successful outcome at the upcoming climate conference in Paris.

For CRI, this is Niu Honglin.

Chinese State Councilor to visit U.S., chair dialogue to fight cybercrimeThe first China-US high-level joint dialogue on cybercrime will take place this week.

China's State Councilor Guo Shengkun is to chair the meeting.

The dialogue is one of the outcomes agreed by the two countries during Chinese President Xi Jingping's US visit earlier this year and will focus on information sharing and collaboration on the crackdown of cybercrimes.

Guo, who is also the Public Security Minister, will also co-host a ministerial meeting with U.S. Department of Homeland Security with Secretary Jeh Johnson.

1st Home-developed Regional Plane DeliveredAnchor:

China's first home-developed regional aircraft has been delivered to its customer.

CRI's Tu Yun reports.

Reporter:

The ARJ-21, produced by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, was delivered to its first customer, Chengdu Airlines, on Sunday.

It is China's first regional jet to be manufactured conforming to international standards.

Luo Ronghuai, director of the ARJ21 Project, says it's a milestone for China's commercial plane making industry.

"This is China's first 90-seat regional jet. For us, this airliner will be the largest and most advanced model after it is put into service."China is currently the world's largest civil aviation market, with annual traffic exceeding 10 million passengers, and a fleet of over 3,000 aircraft - dominated however by Boeing and Airbus models.

With a standard range of more than 22-hundred kilometers, the first ARJ-21 will fly seven domestic routes over the coming three months, and later, on routes to Southeast Asian countries.

COMAC has received more than 300 orders from 19 airlines, including three from the Republic of Congo.

Chengdu Airlines will receive another five ARJ21 jets before the end of next year.

It also plans to build a fleet consisting of 30 such jets over the coming five years.

Wu Xingshi, chief designer of ARJ21, hopes a successful market performance for the jet will help increase the competitiveness of China-made planes.

"China's own passenger airliner has begun to enter the market. This is a direct contribution to complete China's aviation structure and propel China into being a world aviation power."The COMAC started to test the airliner back in 2008, making it the only model to have passed the world's longest trial flights.

So far, ARJ-21 has been awarded airworthiness certificates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and U.S. Federal Aviation Agency.

COMAC also expects the jet to help with the development of China's first large passenger aircraft the C919.

Unveiled earlier this month, the C919 is expected to take to the skies in seven years time and compete with the Airbus 320 and Boeing's 737.

For CRI, this is Tu Yun.

Chinese National Civil Servant Exam Starts with Fewer ExamineesThe number of people taking the National Public Servant Exam has shrunk for the second year in a row.

The latest numbers show that some 930 thousand people took the exam, which was held on Sunday.

That represents a 60 thousand decrease on last year's figure.

Wang Yukai, vice-president of the Chinese Society of Administrative Reform, says the downturn in the number of people enrolling is a sign of the times.

"I think the decrease has a lot to do with the change in the general environment in China. Right now, our government is pushing students towards self-employment and the innovation sector, which is appealing to young graduates."But the exam is still considered one of the most competitive tests in the country as only one out of every 33 is expected to get a government job this year.

Over 27-thousand positions in national-level government bodies are available this coming year.

Civil servant jobs are favored by many Chinese as they offer a relatively stable career, although the popularity of government posts has declined in recent years.

Replicas of Eight Caves in Mogao Grottoes on Exhibition in ShanghaiReplicas of eight caves in China's Mogao Grottoes have gone on show in Shanghai.

The exhibition, themed "Dunhuang: Song of life" is the largest of its kind in recent years.

Visitors can experience the real Mogao Grottoes by walking through exact duplicates of the caves.

Wang Xudong, president of Dunhuang Research Academy, says the exhibition offers a rare opportunity.

"Because the caves are precious and delicate, we do not open them to the public. But we want to show the public Mogao Grottoes' representative artworks from the period of Sixteen Kingdoms to the Yuan Dynasty, so we sent copies of the eight caves to Shanghai. Every cave has its own characteristics and represents culture and religious belief of its times,"The exhibition also includes 16 pieces of China's first-class national relics such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

The Mogao Grottoes, located in northwest China's Gansu Province, were listed as World Cultural Heritage sites in 1987.

The Grottoes are famous for their ancient Buddhist sculptures and artworks inside the caves.

Efforts Urged against Drug Use in SchoolsAnchor:

Schools in China are being called-upon to keep a closer eye on potential drug use by their students.

The suggestion is being made following a high-profile drugs bust this past week at a well-known school for the arts in Beijing.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

Reporter:

Sixteen students from the Beijing Midi School of Music have been busted for drug use after police launched a surprise raid at the school.

Authorities swooped into the Midi dorms on Tuesday, detaining suspects ranging in age from 17 to 29 after their urine tested positive for marijuana.

All are guitar majors at the acclaimed music school, which is the first in China to focus exclusively on teaching modern music.

The bust has created a buzz around the liberal arts campus.

"They are young and think it's cool and awesome. Maybe they believe the old theories that smoking marijuana can bring inspiration to the music they create. But they need to understand it’s illegal. You just can't take drugs because you want to.""This group doesn't represent all of us. Most of us are here to realize our dreams. We came here to study hard."This isn't the first time Midi has been linked with drug use.

Police in Beijing's University District in Haidian busted another group of students for drugs at the Midi dorms back in May after being tipped-off.

The latest stats on drug use in China suggests drug use is becoming increasingly prevalent among young people in China.

Stats from last year show that of the 480-thousand newly identified drug users in China 29-thousand were under the age of 18.

Around three-quarters of all known drug users in China are believed to be under the age of 35.

Curiosity, as well as family issues and peer-pressure are cited as the main factors behind drug use among young people in China.

Zhang Li with the People's Public Security University of China says is because of this, more attention needs to be focused on convincing young people not to start down a path toward drugs.

"Most students at a young age don't fully comprehend adult life. Their judgment centers aren't fully formed, which means they can have a difficult time telling right from wrong, and can lack the ability to control their behavior. They're often also inexperienced when it comes to making friends."Professor Zhang Li says changes in modern society are also playing a factor in the rise of younger Chinese drug users.

"The spread of drugs has been accelerating with the rise of social communication through the internet, as teenagers today have way more access to information about what people older than them are doing. This can make them more prone to drug use than others."The professor also suggests the smoking and drug-related bans at schools in China aren't working as they should.

To change this, he suggests schools should be finding new ways to stop young people from experimenting with drugs, including tougher rules and harsher penalties for those caught if deterrence isn't working.

The Midi School of Music has since issued a public apology for this past week's scandal, and is promising to take a more proactive approach toward stamping out drug use at the school.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

EU, Turkey sign deal to stem migrant flowsThe European Union and Turkey signed a deal to stem migrant flows on Sunday at a summit in Brussels.

According to the deal, the EU will offer Turkey 3 billion euros, or some 3.2 billion US dollars, to help improve the living conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey, plus a revival of stalled talks on Turkey's possible membership of the bloc.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, stresses that the deal is designed to control the migrant flow, but there's no expectation that Turkey should guard EU borders for European countries.

"Let me state clearly that we do not expect anyone to guard our borders for us - that can and should only be done by Europeans. But we expect a major step towards changing the rules of the game when it comes to stemming the migration flow that is coming to the EU via Turkey."In response, Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says his country would look to work with the EU to deal with the refugee crisis, and any others that arise.

"But I want to say one thing - one message from Ankara, clear message - we are a European nation. The destiny of our continent belongs to us - to all of you. And for the future of the European continent, Turkey is ready to do everything possible, not just to respond to the refugee crisis but also to respond to all the crises."The EU has been negotiating with Turkey since September on strengthening the country's border controls with Greece in a bid to stem the unexpected migrant or refugee influx.

Some 1.5 million illegal migrants have arrived the EU so far this year. About 2.2 million Syrian refugees are now living in Turkey.

According to the International Organization for Migration, Turkey's neighboring country Greece has been a gateway for 700,000 more asylum seekers, most travelling from war-torn Syria.

Ankara prepares to hand over to Moscow body of Russian pilotThe body of a Russian pilot who was killed after his jet was downed by Turkish forces is being brought back to his homeland.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the body was delivered to Turkey late on Saturday.

The Prime Minister has also noted that with different coalitions operating in Syria, similar incidents, like the downing of the Russian jet, could happen again unless there was information sharing and coordination.

Turkey-Russia relations have plummeted after Turkey shot down the Russian jet fighter, claiming that the Russian Su-24 warplane had violated its air space.

Russia insists that its warplane was flying in Syria's airspace when it was brough down.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had earlier suggested a meeting on the sidelines of the climate change summit in Paris with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, but the idea was rejected by the Kremlin.

Israel suspends dialogue with EU over labeling settlement productsIsrael has suspended contacts with the European Union in relation to the peace process with the Palestinians, following the EU's decision to specifically label products produced in Jewish settlements.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspension would continue until a reevaluation of the process was complete.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman added however that direct diplomatic contacts with individual countries, such as Germany, Britain, and France would continue.

The move comes in the wake of new EU guidelines saying goods produced in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the northern Golan Heights should be labeled as such, and not as products of Israel.

The territories were captured by Israel in 1967 and have never been recognised by the international community.

Israel has denounced the labeling guidelines as hypocritical and reward for terrorism.

Iran calls for early conclusion on IAEA investigationIran's foreign minister said on Sunday that an end to the U.N. investigation into the country's alleged nuclear weapons programme was necessary for a landmark deal to be implemented.

"Closure of the Possible Military Dimensions dossier is necessary for the continuation of the implementation of the nuclear deal. Of course this point has been mentioned in the deal itself as a commitment of the P5+1 to close this case at the IAEA."The U.N's International Atomic Energy Agency is preparing to wrap up an investigation into alleged nuclear weapons work by Iran.

However, on Thursday the agency's chief said its report will stop short of delivering a judgment on whether the suspicions are valid.

Iranian officials have threatened that they may stop carrying out their commitments under the nuclear deal unless the IAEA officially announces the case has been closed forever.

The agency report is meant to put the issue to rest after years of on-off attempts to investigate the allegations.

WeatherThe Ministry of Environmental Protection said 10 cities in northern China reported severe air pollution.

Air quality in another 21 cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, reported "heavy pollution levels."The capital city has issued its highest smog alert this year.

The smog will linger for another two days, before a cold front arrives on Wednesday.

Beijing will have smog today with a high of 4; some fog tonight with a low of -2.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 15 and a low of 12.

Chongqing, also cloudy with a high of 15 and a low of 14.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 24.

Kabul, cloudy, 9.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 10 degrees.

Washington, slight rain, 11 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will have some clouds with a high of 4 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, cloudy with a high of 30.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsXi in Paris for UN Climate SummitChinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Paris for today's UN Climate Change Conference.

Xi Jinping was received by his French counterpart Francois Hollande at the Elysée palace, and is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit.

Paris will host 147 heads of state and government for the UN Climate Change Conference, which aims to secure a binding commitment from participating countries to reduce global emissions and keep temperature rises to below two degrees Celsius.

The Chinese president will deliver a speech at the conference, raising China's proposals on countering climate change.

He will then leave for state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa and a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg.

Chinese State Councilor to visit U.S., chair dialogue to fight cybercrimeThe first China-US high-level joint dialogue on cybercrime will take place this week.

China's State Councilor Guo Shengkun is to chair the meeting.

The dialogue is one of the outcomes agreed by the two countries during Chinese President Xi Jingping's US visit earlier this year and will focus on information sharing and collaboration on the crackdown of cybercrimes.

Guo, who is also the Public Security Minister, will also co-host a ministerial meeting with U.S. Department of Homeland Security with Secretary Jeh Johnson.

First China-developed regional jet deliveredChina's first homegrown commercial regional aircraft was delivered to its customer, Chengdu Airlines, this Sunday.

The ARJ21 regional jet is China's first independently designed and manufactured airliner conforming to international aviation standards.

The jet carries up to 90 passengers with a maximum flying range of 3,700 kilometers.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China started to test the airliner in trial flights in 2008.

COMAC has received orders for more than 300 jets from 19 airlines, including three airlines from the Republic of Congo.

EU, Turkey sign deal to stem migrant flowsThe European Union and Turkey signed a deal to stem migrant flows on Sunday at a summit in Brussels.

According to the deal, the EU will offer Turkey 3 billion euros, or some 3.2 billion US dollars, to help improve the living conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey, plus a revival of stalled talks on Turkey's possible membership of the bloc.

The EU has been negotiating with Turkey since September on strengthening the country's border controls with Greece, in a bid to stem the unexpected migrant or refugee influx.

Some 1.5 million illegal migrants have arrived the the EU so far this year. About 2.2 million Syrian refugees are now living in Turkey.

Biz ReportsStocks & Market PreviewInternational developments are expected to heavily influence the markets initially this week, before a focus back to the United States, and the IMF's decision on the inclusion of the Yuan in its benchmark currency basket.

On Monday, the International Monetary Fund is expected to add China's yuan to its benchmark currency basket at a board meeting, seen as a symbolic victory for Beijing.

On Tuesday, China is ready to release November's official data from the Purchasing Managers' Index.

In the United States, the National Association of Realtors will issue data on pending home sales for October on Monday.

On Tuesday, the country's total vehicle sales for November will be released.

Authorities are set to announce productivity and labour costs for the third quarter on Wednesday.

The country's unemployment rate for November and trade deficit for October will be released on Friday.

Meanwhile in Europe, the European Central Bank is expected to publish Target 2 balances on Tuesday.

The Target 2 system facilitates payments between banks in different euro zone countries by channeling them through each national central bank's account at the ECB.

On the corporate front,The world's largest standalone medical device maker, Medtronic, will report its better-than-expected quarter profits on Thursday, as the company gains the benefits of buying Covidien and demand for its products rise here in China.

In addition, discount retailer Dollar General Corp's same-store sales are likely to come in below analysts' estimates for the third quarter on the same day.

The figure has been hurt by clearance activity at Family Dollar, which was acquired by Dollar Tree earlier this year.

Back to you Bob.

Macao, mainland ink new deal on trade in services under CEPAMacao and the Chinese mainland have signed a new agreement under the framework of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, further liberalizing trade in services.

The new deal aims to further expand the total areas of the mainland economy that are fully or partially open to Macao service providers to over 150 sectors.

These sectors cover nearly 96 percent of the areas officially recognized and classified by the World Trade Organization.

The Agreement on Trade in Services states that national treatment will be applied to Macao service providers in 62 sectors.

This has made Macao's market expansion in the Mainland easier, and at the same has diversified the nature of economic development.

Liang Weite, Secretary for the Economy and Finance of Macao, adds two further important points.

"There is no doubt this agreement is beneficial to enterprises from Macao. We will do more research on how Macao should take advantage of CEPA and expand its market in the Mainland. For one thing, I believe making sure the agreement can be implemented on time is of great significance. For the other, more promotion work should be done to ensure the service providers in Macao make full use of this opportunity."The new agreement is expected to come into effect in June, 2016.

For more on this, we're joined live by Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

Q1: Earlier on Friday, the mainland also signed a similar pact with Hong Kong. What are the differences between these two separate pacts?

Q2: Why specifically focus on trade in services? How will the further liberalization of trade in services benefit Macau and Hong Kong economic growth?

Q3: What changes will this bring to the mainland's trade in services sector?

Citic, Haitong Being Probed Over Violations of Margin ContractsChina's securities regulator is investigating three big brokerages over alleged breaches of rules on signing client contracts.

Citic Securities, Haitong Securities and Guosen Securities are being investigated by the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

The probes are into contracts which the three brokers signed with clients on margin finances and short-selling.

Currently, their normal operations remain unaffected.

Shares of Chinese brokerages led a decline in A-share markets on Friday, with Citic down by the 10 percent daily limit.

Haitong shares dropped 4 percent before trading was suspended in Hong Kong.

The Chinese government has stepped up its clampdown on malpractice in the securities industry after a 5-trillion-US-dollar stock-market rout this summer.

The crackdown since the sell-off has ensnared executives and regulators.

Insurer invests to meet aging populationA Chinese insurance company is planning to invest 100 billion yuan, or 16 billion US dollars, in the next five years in elderly-care communities and hospitals.

Taikang Life Insurance has opened its first self-invested hospital next to its elderly residential community here in Beijing.

It is also set to launch similar projects in Shanghai and Guangzhou next year.

Meanwhile, land has been set aside in Sanya, Wuhan and Chengdu for new projects which are set to start operation by 2020.

Up to now, 10 other Chinese insurance companies have invested over 70 billion yuan in the elder-care business here in China.

Damming of Yangtze's tributary starts for hydro-power developmentWork on the world's second tallest earth-filled dam on the Yalong River in Sichuan has begun.

The 300-meter embankment dam is on a tributary of China's longest river, the Yangtze.

It is expected to support a 3,000-megawatt power station.

It's been planned that it will generate power equivalent to that yielded by burning 13 million tons of coal a year, when it comes into operation, in 2021.

China-Japan forum on energy conservation opens in TokyoThe 9th China-Japan forum on energy conservation and environmental protection has kicked off in Tokyo.

Nearly 1,000 government officials, experts and entrepreneurs from China and Japan have attended the forum.

They have discussed issues including energy conservation and new energy vehicles.

Twenty-six cooperation programs in such areas as new energy, green manufacture and recyclable economy, have been signed.

AB InBev Plans to Sell SAB's Peroni, Grolsch BrandsThe world's top beermaker AB InBev is considering selling the Peroni and Grolsch brands, as it works to gain regulatory clearance to combine the world's biggest brewers.

AB InBev reached a 121-billion-US-dollar deal for its rival SABMiller earlier.

Business insiders say the deliberations for Peroni and Grolsch, which belong to SABMiller, are at a preliminary stage.

No final decision on the sale has been made.

Representatives for SABMiller and AB InBev declined to comment.

SABMiller agreed to sell its 58 percent stake in MillerCoors to partner Molson Coors Brewing in a 12 billion U.S. dollars deal to win regulators' approval.

The deal to merge SABMiller and AB InBev is set to create a massive business controlling half of the industry's profits.

SportsMurray wins Davis Cup for Great BritainIn tennis:

Andy Murray won Britain its first Davis Cup title in 79 years when he beat Belgium's David Goffin 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 in the first of the reverse singles.

The win gave Britain an untouchable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five series, meaning the final singles match was not played.

After the match, a victorious Murray gave comment on the game"I think for all of the team it's obviously great to have a Davis Cup next to our name. We'll all remember this year for the rest of our lives, regardless of what happens in the rest of any of our careers. Nothing may ever top this now."Britain is the only nation to have competed in all Davis Cup editions since 1900The country's 10th title makes it the third most successful nation after the United States with (32) and Australia with (28).

Britain last won the Davis Cup in 1936 with their star player, Fred Perry.

Now its Murray's claim to fame, as the world number 2 was undefeated in this year's Davis Cup games.

Ahmed Khalil wins AFC's Asian Player of the YearIn some football news:

UAE sharpshooter Ahmed Khalil stunned fellow footballers last night as he was named Asian player of the year at the annual Asian Football awards ceremony in India.

Many believed former 2013 winner Zheng Zhi would win it again, after he led Guangzhou Evergrande to their second AFC Champions League title in three years last week.

But surprise came when it was Khalil who accepted the trophy.

But the Chinese didn't go away empty handed, Guangzhou Evergrande has won the AFC Club of the Year Award ahead of ACL runners-up Al Ahli and Johor Darul Ta'zim.

After the awards ceremony, the 24-year-old former youth player of the year, Ahmed Khalil, says he could hardly believe his good fortune.

"Thank God This is a feeling to hard to describe. Of course it's true I won this trophy in 2008 then I hoped I would win it once more. I congratulate the Emiratis people for this achievement and I congratulate our national team and Al Ahly football club because this achievement is not just for Ahmed but also for the players who play with me for the club and the national team and I hope to do better in the future."Another award went to the Hong Kong Football Association, who has been declared the AFC Developing Member Association of the Year.

Rosberg wins Abu Dhabi Grand PrixIn Formula 1 racing:

Nico Rosberg has captured a third successive win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

It was Rosberg who started at Pole position for a sixth successive time in the season ending race.

Behind the German it would be fellow Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in 2nd, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in third.

After the race, the Abu Dhabi winner commented on his feelings concerning the end of the season.

"But no, it's going to be, anyway, it's great to end season like this, go on holiday like this, and (addresses crowd) thank you so much, you've been awesome again this weekend, for all your support and everything. Thanks to my team. Absolutely stunning, stunning car you've all given me again today. Just unbelievable, and (I'm) ecstatic."Rosberg's third successive win came at a time of one hour, 38 minutes and 30.175 secondsThis marks Mercedes 12th one-two finish of the season and Rosberg's sixth win for 2015Golf's Charl Schwartzel wins Alfred Dunhill ChampionshipIn golf:

Charl Schwartzel has won the Alfred Dunhill Championship at the Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa on Sunday.

Schwartzel won the tournament with a four shot lead over runner up, Gregory Bourdy of France.

This is the third time in four years, and fourth time over-all Schwartzel has dominated the Dunhill.

The South African spoke to the press about what this tournament win, meant to him.

"It feels good. You know... the way I've played the last few years, being down in quite a slump. Didn't really see myself coming out and winning, but you know, we've put in so much hard work in the last sort of eighteen months... You know, it's frustrating, week in, week out, you play and you feel like it's never going to turn and I guess there's no better fit than for it to turn around here."Schwartzel first won this tournament in 2005 and was victorious again in 2012 and 2013.

He is also the first South African to win the same tournament four times on the European tour.

South Korea wins big at Badminton's Macau OpenIn some Badminton news:

South Korea won big at the BWF Grand Prix Gold Macau Open on Sunday .

It would be South Korea's Jeon jin who'd take on China's number three Tian Houwei in the men's singles finalThe 20-year-old Jeon took the first game before former world junior champion Tian claimed the second.

Tian saved two match points in the decider, but he couldn't do it for a third time and Jeon won 21-11, 13-21, 23-21 for his first ever BWF Grand Prix Gold title in Macau.

and in the ladies singles final, Indian star Pusarla Sindhu secured the Macau Open title for a third year in a row as she defeated Minatsu Mitani of Japan in three games, 21-9, 21-23, 21-14.

In doubles, South Korea would dominate with titles in the men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.

In all, the country would take home 4 titles from the tournament.

EntertainmentHighly-anticipated TV Drama Ready to Premiere TodayThe highly-anticipated historical epic series, "The Legend of Miyue", premieres today.

The epic, starring mainland actress Sun Li and Hong Kong actor Alex Fong, will air on Dragon TV.

Netizens can also simultaneously enjoy the series through Tencent Video.

Based on a hit online novel, the epic is the latest production of famed director Zheng Xiaolong, who also directed costume drama, "Legend of Zhen Huan" a big hit in 2011.

Set in the turbulent Warring States Period (476-221 BC), the series chronicles the legendary life of Miyue, the first empress dowager in Chinese history.

Elements of political intrigue, war and romance in that ancient age of chaos are highlighted in the epic.

Director Zheng's former work "Empress in the Palace" was critically acclaimed for its touching story and lavish scenes.

It has also reached the screens of many foreign countries including Japan and the United States.

Opera singer Wang Yunpeng to make his British debutA rising star in the world of opera, China's Wang Yunpeng, is to make his British debut in January with a concert in Liverpool.

He is to appear at an iconic venue where, in the mid-1800s, the British author Charles Dickens read his famous novels such as A Christmas Carol.

Wang Yunpeng's recital in the Concert Room at St George's Hall in Liverpool on January 24 is part of the Liverpool Opera 'Four Seasons' concert series.

Regarded as a new opera star of his generation, baritone Yunpeng Wang began the 2014-15 season with his debut at the world-famous Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Earlier this year he made his role debut as Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

The special guest at the concert will be the Europe-wide famous soprano Ingrid Kertesi, lead artist of Budapest Opera.

The renowned Liverpool pianist, David Walters will be the accompanist for the concert.

Harry Potter Exhibition will open in ShanghaiA Harry Potter exhibition will kick off in Shanghai this weekend.

In the exhibition, guests will get an up close and personal with the artistry and craftsmanship that went into creating the iconic props and costumes that appeared throughout the Harry Potter films.

These authentic artifacts will be displayed in elaborate settings inspired by locations from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the Gryffindor common room, Hagrid's hut and the Great Hall.

In partnership with Warner Brothers Consumer Products, Global Experience Specialists, Inc. created the 15,000-square-foot exhibition which includes artifacts and costumes from all eight Harry Potter films.

The exhibition made its world premiere in Chicago in April 2009 before traveling on to Boston, Toronto, Seattle, New York City, Sydney and Singapore. After Singapore the tour will continue on to additional international cultural and entertainment venues, museums and institutions.

WeatherBeijing will have smog today with a high of 4; some fog tonight with a low of -2.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 15 and a low of 12.

Chongqing, also cloudy with a high of 15 and a low of 14.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 24.

Kabul, cloudy, 9.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 10 degrees.

Washington, slight rain, 11 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will have some clouds with a high of 4 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, cloudy with a high of 30.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

The Chinese President Xi Jinping joins world leaders in Paris for the start of the World Climate ConferenceUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says government pledges to cut global warming emissions are not enough.

Turkey signs a deal with the EU to ease the refugee crisesOn behalf of the rest of the Beijing Hour team, Bob Jones in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.