Coming up on the program ...

Chinese President Xi Jinping sets out his stall at the Climate Change Conference in Paris.

The world welcomes the Chinese currency into the Special Drawing Rights basketRussia Clamps down on more Turkish products in the wake of the jet fighter downing in Syria.

In Business.... The IPO Pipeline in China is switched on again.

In Sports... Retiring Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant in his own words.

And in Entertainment.... what's it like being Hong Kong actor Edison Chen?

All of that coming up in the next hour.

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TopXi Jinping Highlights China's Position on Combating Climate Change in Paris SpeechAnchor:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured world leaders that his country has the confidence and resolve to fulfill its climate change commitments.

In his address at the United Nations Climate Conference, which kicked off in Paris yesterday, the Chinese President also urged developed countries to cooperate on financing and technology transfer to combat climate change.

CRI correspondent Duan Xuelian reports from Paris.

Reporter:

Chinese President Xi Jinping was among the first to give his speech at the leader's event on the opening day of the Paris conference.

He expressed China's resolution to work with international communities in fighting climate change before outlining the country's climate and energy policies.

Addressing the 150 fellow national leaders, President Xi says that the principal of common but differentiated responsibilities is crucial to climate change negotiations.

"The Paris agreement should help increase the investment and ensure the actions on climate change. Developed countries should keep their commitments to mobilizing 100 billion U.S. dollars each year by 2020, and provide the stronger financial support to developing countries afterwards. It's also important to transfer climate-friendly technology to developing countries. "Stressing that the expected agreement should help encourage broad participation, Xi Jinping also notes that it is important for the accord to accommodate national conditions of various countries and lay emphasis on practical results.

"It is imperative to respect differences among countries especially developing countries in domestic policies, capacity building and economy structure. Addressing climate change should not deny the legitimate needs of developing countries to reduce poverty and improve their people's living standards."Calling the Paris summit not a finish line but a new starting point, Xi Jinping emphasizes that China has taken bold actions to reduce carbon emissions while setting ambitious climate goals.

"On the basis of technological and institutional innovation, China will adopt new policy measures to improve industrial mix, build low-carbon system, develop green building and low-carbon transportation and establish a nationwide carbon-emission trading market, so as to foster a new pattern of modernization featuring harmony between men and nature."In his speech, the president reiterates China's pledge made in June to cut its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, and increase non-fossil fuel sources in primary energy consumption to about 20 percent and peak its carbon emissions by the same date.

Commenting on the Chinese leader's speech, Su Wei, China's chief negotiator at UN Climate Conferences said that it is part of the strong political momentum that the conference needs to reach an effective deal.

"The most important message in Xi Jinping's speech is that he clarified China's position in combating climate change, they are detailed plans and are very practical. It also shows that China is a responsible country, we are willing to tackle the challenges in curbing climate change which is also an universal task. The speech is important as it sends out all these positive signals."Su explains that negotiations groups have already engaged in talks to modify the draft of the Paris agreement.

The two week conference is due to close at the end of next week.

For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian in Paris.

Leaders call for swift action to reach climate deal as COP21 kicks offAlso at the Paris summit, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on world leaders to take swift action to reduce global warming, as talks got underway.

" Paris must mark a decisive turning point. We need the world to know that we are headed to a low-emissions, climate resilient future and there is no going back."Leaders from around 150 countries have been addressing the summit, which aims to reach a deal aimed at reducing carbon emissions around the world and cap global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius.

During his address, US President Barack Obama said the world needed to build on progress already made to cut carbon emissions amid the growing threat from climate change.

"And what should give us hope, that this is a turning point, that this is the moment we finally determine that we would save our planet is the fact that our nations share a sense of urgency about this challenge and a growing realisation that is it within our power to do something about it."Echoing the urgency of reaching the deal, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi told delegates that developing countries needed room to develop while fighting climate change.

"It is not just a question of historical responsibility, they also have the most room to make the cuts and make the strongest impact. And climate justice demands that with the little carbon space we still have, developing countries should have enough room to grow."He announced that by 2030 India will reduce emissions by 33 to 35 percent of 2005 levels, and added that it will produce 40 percent of its power "from non-fossil fuels."So far, 184 countries out of the 195 participating countries have submitted their national contributions to trim global warming.

China achieving climate goals: ReportAnchor:

A new report outlining the steps the Chinese government has been taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been released.

The report itself suggests significant progress is being made on a number of fronts.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

Reporter:

The report, title "China's Response to Climate Change Policy and Action in 2015" is an assessment of the steps that have been taken to both reduce emissions and clean up the air in the country.

Among the achievements laid-out in the analysis, the government notes C02 emissions have come down by close to 16-percent over the past 5-years.

This has been aided by the addition of some 2.2 billion cubic meters of forest coverage across the country over the past 10-years.

In addition, the proportion of non-fossil fuel energy production has increased to over 11-percent this year.

Xie Zhenhua, China's leading expert on energy production with the National Development and Reform Commission, says these goals have been accomplished through a series of steps being taken across the country.

"Pilot projects for the creation of low-carbon cities and communities are underway. Seven carbon emission trading programs have also been launched online. These are just a couple of the numerous steps being taken to adapt to the realities of climate change. Through these kinds of programs, people in China are becoming more familiar with the need for green and low-carbon energy development."It's expected the next 5-year national development plan to be adopted next year will include a priority on environmental protection.

The State Council, China's cabinet, adopted a plan back in July to promote the idea of an "energy Internet," which coordinates how power is both generated and used around the country to optimize its use.

Han Xiaoping with China Energy Network says this approach addresses challenges faced in China around energy efficiency and distribution.

"In the future micro-grid system, electricity will become similar to information. As part of the concept, companies and households will be able to take part in the production of renewable energy. People can set electricity generators on the roofs of their houses, offices, and plants to provide power for themselves. This will create a type of 'micro-grid.' This will go a long way toward creating a more stable renewable energy system in China."Among the priorities for the Chinese government in creating non-fossil fuel energy is a focus on nuclear and hydro-electric power production.

At the same time, traditional industries are also going to be given incentives to "go green."Chinese president Xi Jinping announced a plan in September to launch a nationwide cap-and-trade program in 2017 for high-polluting sectors, including power generation, iron and steel, chemicals and building material suppliers, including cement, paper and nonferrous metals producers.

For CRI, this is Wang Mengzhen.

Xi, Obama Meet in ParisChinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart President Barack Obama sat down for a meeting ahead of the opening of the UN's climate change conference in Paris.

Xi Jinping told Obama that the two sides should stick to the right track of building a new-type of major-country relationship, and enhance cooperation in different areas to make the Paris negotiations a success.

He also said the two needed to regulate their differences over security issues in a more constructive way.

"China and the United States should enhance coordination and cooperation on macro-economic policies, work together to combat all forms of terrorism, and manage our differences and the sensitive issues in a constructive way, to help the Paris climate conference deliver its expected targets."Obama said the United States and China have a "common vision" to move towards a low carbon, global economy and enhance transparency to build trust.

"The United States and China also come here with a common vision for what's needed in a Paris agreement, including moving towards a low carbon global economy this century, enhancing transparency to build trust and robust financial support to help developing countries adapt. And here in Paris we will be working together to try to deliver on that issue."He added that the U.S. side is ready to maintain close communication with China on bilateral cooperation, global security, macro-economy, climate change and other hotspot issues.

IMF decides to include China's RMB in SDR basketAnchor:

The International Monetary Fund has officially announced that the Chinese currency is eligible for joining the Special Drawing Rights basket as an international reserve currency.

Experts believe the move indicates global recognition of the Chinese currency, and hope it will promote a stronger real economy.

Our Washington correspondent He Fei has more details.

Reporter:

"The IMF's executive board decided that the renminbi qualified for the SDR basket and existing criteria."Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF, made the announcement in Washington.

Lagarde says the decision is an important milestone in the integration of the Chinese economy into the global financial system.

"The addition and the inclusion of the renminbi in the SDR basket of currencies is a recognition of the significant reforms which have been conducted, of the significant opening up of the Chinese economy, of the financial, more market-driven principles that are being used by the Chinese authorities going forward. That is clearly symbolic in a way of all those reforms, which is why I associated the renminbi inclusion with the reforms conducted and to be continued."According to IMF, the RMB will have a weighting of 10.92 percent in the new SDR basket, while the respective weighting of other currencies in the basket are 41.73 percent for the U.S. dollar, 30.93 percent for euro, 8.33 percent for the Japanese yen and 8.09 percent for the British pound.

Tan Yaling, Head of China Forex Investment Research Institute, believes the move is a recognition of Chinese currency in the international society.

"After the inclusion to SDR, RMB can be used for settlements among central banks. It's good to improve its international standings and we should seek this opportunity to strengthen our real economy."RMB was rejected into the inclusion of SDR five years ago on the basis of not "freely usable".

During the past five years, Chinese authorities have undertaken a series of reforms, such as improving its foreign exchange rate formation system, and opening up its interbank bond and Forex markets.

According to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, renminbi now ranks fifth as a global payments currency and seventh as a global reserve currency.

Huang Yiping, an adviser to China's central bank, explained how the inclusion will affect people's lives in the future.

"That RMB being included in the SDR basket means that it is now one of the most important currencies globally. It is a great push in making the RMB truly international, and encouraging individuals and organizations of all countries in the world to hold it as well as invest it,"Huang adds that the inclusion of the RMB into the SDR also reduces the exchange rate risks of financing, and lowers the trade costs when Chinese people shop abroadThe IMF's Special Drawing Rights basket is a type of international reserve asset that IMF members can turn to in times of need.

The basket is currently made up of the US dollar, the euro, the British Pound and the Japanese Yen.

It's composition is reviewed every five years.

The inclusion of the RMB will take effect Oct. 1, 2016.

For CRI, this is He Fei from Washington.

China's central bank welcomes inclusion of RMB in SDR basketChina's central bank has said it welcomes the decision of the IMF to include the Chinese currency in the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket.

In a statement published on its website, the People's Bank of China says the decision shows the IMF's recognition of the achievements made by China's economic development, reform, and opening up.

It says the RMB will help boost the representation of the SDR and improve the current international currency system.

The statement also says China will speed up the promotion of financial reform and opening up to make a positive contribution to global economic growth, financial stability, and economic governance.

China urges EU objectivity on human rightsA Chinese official on Monday urged the European Union to view China's record on human rights objectively.

Li Junhua, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organizations and Conferences, made the remarks at a press conference after co-chairing a meeting on the issue between the two sides.

"The Chinese side is attaching great importance to human rights dialogue. The meeting involved representatives of high ranking officials from ten government departments. The two sides exchanged views on new developments and cooperation in the fields of human rights, environmental protection and social integration. The talks were candid and comprehensive."There were also representatives at the meeting from the Supreme People's Court, China's top legislature, and government departments handling areas including security, judicial and religious matters, women and children.

Beijing, N. China endure worst smog of yearProduction at industrial plants has been curtailed, highways have been shut down, and the movement of materials at construction sites has come to a halt in Beijing, amid the heavy smog which has been engulfing the capital for recent days.

The Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau has upgraded the smog condition from Yellow to Orange, triggering the automatic pollution-calming measures.

This is the first time this year the authorities have raised the alert level to orange, second only to red.

Concentrations of PM2.5 peaked at 900 micrograms per cubic meter in southern Beijing.

The World Health Organization's recommended maximum is 25 microgram per cubic meter.

There have been similar readings in areas surrounding Beijing, including Tianjin Municipality and cities in Hebei Province.

Sun Feng, from the Environmental Protection Bureau, says the snow which hit Beijing last week is partly to blame.

"The snowfall last week was heavy and covered a large area. As the snow melts, the humidity increases and temperatures decrease. But the temperature of the mid-level atmosphere tends to rise, leading to less wind. So, this makes the PM 2.5 level jump up quickly."Forecasters are warning the smog, caused by increased coal-fired power production during the current cold-snap, is expected to linger until Wednesday at least.

Hazardous air is also affecting much of northern China including Tianjin, Hebei, Henan and Shandong.

Mainland, Taiwan negotiators review their achievementsNegotiators from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have met in Taipei to review achievements in their talks since 2008.

The Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait, or ARATS, and its Taiwanese counterpart the Straits Exchange Foundation, looked back on 11 rounds of cross-Strait talks which led to 23 agreements.

Zheng Lizhong, executive vice president of the ARATS, says the two associations have removed many barriers in exchanges and smoothed interaction between the mainland and Taiwan.

"People on both sides across the strait are members of one family. We will try our best to do everything as long as it will be beneficial, improving the affection and well-being of the compatriots on both sides, as well as benefit the promotion and peaceful development of cross-Strait relations."Shih Hui-fen, vice chair of Taiwan's SEF, says the talks have covered issues that are vital to ordinary people's lives.

"For more than 7-years, the ARATS and the SEF have signed agreements and put them into force, which are the fruits produced by the competent departments of the two sides and the wisdom of multiple parties. This is a hard-won achievement that both sides should take great care of it. We will create more concrete results for the people on both sides."Both of them highlighted the historic meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore in early November and promised to capitalize on the momentum created by that meeting.

Turkey Shoots down Russian Plane to Protect Oil Trade with IS: PutinAnchor:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Turkey of shooting down a Russian warplane in order to protect Turkish profiteering from the illegal imports of oil produced by Islamic State rebels in Syria.

The accusation comes as the Kremlin announces new measures to restrict Turkish imports.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

Reporter:

Speaking in Paris on the sidelines of the UN climate summit, Mr Putin says the downing of the Russian warplane was a huge mistake.

He accused Ankara of shooting down the plane to protect its delivery track of oil with IS militants in Syria.

"We have now received additional information proving that, unfortunately, huge amounts of oil produced in oil fields controlled by IS and other terrorist organisations flow into Turkish territory."Turkey has been denying such accusation and is a part of the US-led coalition striking the militant group.

Mr Putin also made a point of questioning the viability of forming a broad international coalition against the Islamic State group following the incident.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has announced restrictions on imports of Turkish fruit and vegetables as part of a package of new sanctions.

The new measures were announced at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

"These are our necessary responses that we resort to only to protect the interests of our people, as a reaction to the aggressive behaviour of the Turkish Republic. It's a response to the unfriendly actions of the Turkish government. Special measures indeed affect a large part of the economic relations."The latest sanctions also include limits on the ability of Turkish construction firms to sign new contracts in Russia, and restrictions on road transport.

The measures come on top of some already published in Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree on Saturday, such as an end to visa-free travel for Turks in Russia and extensions of labour contracts for Turks working in Russia, effective as of 1 January 2016.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country would not apologise to Russia for shooting down the plane and said he hoped Russia would reconsider sanctions.

"I can say that the protection of our airspace (and) land borders is not only a right, but a duty for my government. No Turkish prime minister or president or authority will apologise because of doing our duty. Turkish airspace, protection of Turkish airspace, Turkish borders is a national duty and our army did their job to protect this airspace."Turkey has said it was defending its national airspace, while the Russian government has denies its plane remained on the Syrian side of the border.

Davuloglu also said Turkey remained open to talks with Russia about ways to avoid such incidents in the future.

For CRI, this is Min Rui.

British PM to Call Parliament Vote on Airstrikes in SyriaBritish Prime Minister David Cameron has called for a debate and vote in Parliament on Wednesday over airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria.

The Prime Minister emphasizes that the country should work together with its allies in tackling extremism:

"I can announce that I will be recommending to cabinet tomorrow that we hold a debate and a vote in the House of Commons (British lower house of Parliament) to extend the airstrikes that we've carried out against ISIL (Islamic State group) in Iraq, that we extend that to Syria, that we answer the call from our allies, that we work with them, because ISIL is a threat to our country and this is the right thing to do."The move follows a decision by opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to allow Labour Party lawmakers to vote according to their conscience on the matter.

The action of the Labour leader gave David Cameron the confidence that he could win the vote to send British forces to hit IS militants not just in Iraq, but in Syria as well.

U.S. tightens Visa-Waiver Program amid security concernsThe White House has announced steps to tighten its Visa Waiver Program, which allows 20 million citizens to enter the U.S. each year, in the wake of the deadly Paris terrorist attacks last month.

New changes include collecting information from VWP travelers on past travel to countries regarded by the United States as a terrorist safe haven and possible pilot programs for collecting biometric information from VWP travelers.

The U.S. says it will also start to identify any VWP partner countries that are "deficient in key areas of operation".

The current VWP allows citizens from 38 countries to enter the United States for as long as 90 days without a visa.

WeatherBeijing will see heavy smog today with a high of 2, overcast tonight with a low of -2. The city has issued its highest pollution alert this year.

The smog will linger until a cold front arrives tomorrow.

Shanghai will be overcast with a high of 17, slight rain tonight with a low of 11.

Chongqing will be overcast with a high of 14 and a low of 11.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 21.

Kabul, cloudy, 10.

Over to North America,New York will see slight rain with a high of 14 degrees.

Washington, slight rain, 15 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto will have some rain with a high of 11 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, cloudy with a high of 32.

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

Headline NewsUN Climate Conference kicks off in ParisHigh-level climate change talks have kicked off in Paris, with the goal of creating a long-term deal to reduce emissions.

Speaking at the opening session, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on all countries, the developed in particular, to share more responsibility for the outcome of the event.

Xi Jinping says he hopes the conference will be a new starting point, rather than a finishing line.

French President Francois Hollande is also calling on world leaders to reach a global warming deal.

151 world leaders have converged on Paris to launch the two-week meeting this Monday.

It is also being reported that a 20 billion US dollar annual fund for clean energy projects is going to be announced.

Premier Li vows AIDS battleChinese Premier Li Keqiang has promised more initiatives to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in order to limit its spread.

To mark World AIDS Day, that falls on today, Li Keqiang said anti-AIDS drugs needed to be developed more quickly.

Li also stressed that health insurance needed to be put in place to reduce the burden on society.

As of the end of October, nearly 600-thousand people were living with HIV/AIDS here in China.

China's central bank welcomes inclusion of RMB in SDR basketChina's central bank has said it welcomes the decision of the IMF to include the Chinese currency in the Special Drawing Rights basket.

In a statement published on its website, the People's Bank of China says the decision shows the IMF's recognition of the achievements made by China's economic development, reform, and opening up.

It says the RMB will help boost the representation of the SDR and improve the current international currency system.

The statement also says China will speed up the promotion of financial reform and opening up to make a positive contribution to global economic growth, financial stability, and economic governance.

Russian announces concrete import items to be restricted from TurkeyRussia is to restrict imports of Turkish fruit and vegetables as part of a package of new sanctions following the downing of a Russian military plane by Turkey last week.

The latest sanctions also include limits on the ability of Turkish construction firms to sign new contracts in Russia, and restrictions on road transport.

The measures come on top of some already published in Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree on Saturday, such as an end to visa-free travel for Turks in Russia and extensions of labour contracts for Turks working in Russia.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country would not apologise to Russia for shooting down the plane and said he hoped Russia would reconsider sanctions.

Biz ReportsStocksU.S. stocks closed lower on the final trading day of November, as investors awaited a key jobs report.

This is the last report for the year and could influence the Federal Reserve's decision on its interest rates at its December meeting.

In other markets, gold futures in the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose on Monday.

The most active gold contract for February delivery, added 0.9 percent.

In addition, oil prices dropped Monday ahead of the OPEC gathering that is expected to maintain the production quota.

At the closing bell,Both Dow Jones and the Nasdaq fell 0.4 percent.

While S&P 500 moved down 0.5 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe, equities closed amid mixed sentiment on Monday.

At the close of trading,UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.3 percent.

Germany's DAX gained 0.8 percent.

France's CAC 40 increased 0.6 percent.

South Korean parliament ratifies FTA with ChinaSouth Korea's parliament has ratified the much-anticipated Free Trade Agreement with China.

The agreement, signed in June this year, was passed by a majority of votes.

The ratification by South Korea means the FTA will begin to take effect after Chinese lawmakers give their stamp-of-approval to the new agreement at the annual political sessions in 2016.

Under the terms of the FTA, tariffs on over 90-percent of goods traded between the two countries are going to be eliminated over the next 20-years.

As part of the agreement, the South Korean government is to work positively to advertise the advantages of the free trade zone, a 12-trillion-U.S. dollar market.

The deal is the largest bilateral free trade deal that China is involved in, in terms of volume, which is approaching around 250-billion US dollars a year.

Analysts are suggesting the China-South Korea FTA could be the first step toward a trilateral free trade agreement among Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo.

China resumes IPOsAnchor:

The pipeline for initial public offerings has been opened again in China following a 4-month freeze.

A total of 10 new companies are being listed this week on the mainland markets.

Among them, a Shenzhen-listed industrial explosives maker began trading on Monday.

The remaining 9 firms are set to hit the markets over the next two days.

Securities regulators in China shut down IPOs in July amid the massive sell-off which hit the mainland markets this summer.

For more on the resumption of IPO's and its implication for the mainland markets, CRI's Paul James spoke with Gao Shang, senior analyst with Guantong Futures.

Bill Gates announced Cleantech initiativeMicrosoft co-founder Bill Gates, US President Barack Obama and other world leaders have announced a plan to research and develop clean energy technology at the UN climate summit in Paris.

It's been reported that at least 19 governments and 28 leading world investors have signed up so far, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, billionaires George Soros, Saudi Prince Alaweed bin Talal, and Jack Ma of China's Alibaba.

Billions of dollars are expected to be invested into this initiative which aims to bring down the cost of cleaner energy.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates introduced the 'Breakthrough Energy Coalition' to the press and public.

"We're launching the 'Breakthrough Energy Coalition'. It's a global private investment group that will take risks that will allow companies to get innovation out of the lab and into the marketplace, and will focus on early-stage companies that could scale up to major carbon solutions."Gates committed one billion US dollars of his money and has been described as the "intellectual architect" behind the effort to get investors involved.

He said they're hoping to get others to pledge more money in the coming days.

Chinese railway company wins Israel urban rail transit trains open bidA Chinese company has won an international contract to provide trains for an urban rail transit project in Israel.

The bid was won by China's CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles and involves the provision of 120 low-floor light rail trains, and a 16 year maintenance contract, for NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System.

The company fended off competition from 10 leading railway equipment manufacturers including Alstom, Siemens and Bombardier.

It is the first time a Chinese enterprise has won a contract in Israel's international bidding process.

The 23-kilometer long railway starts from Bat Yam to Petach Tikva via Tel Aviv.

The project launched the bidding process in 2012, but postponed the official tender to June, 2014.

Alibaba-backed bank wins SK nodSouth Korea has approved the creation of an Alibaba-backed Internet bank.

K-Bank is backed by Alibaba's financial affiliate Ant Financial Services and South Korean companies.

Ant Financial has agreed to help establish the new lender.

However, it has not specified how much it has invested nor the new lender's registered capital.

Other investors of K-bank include Korea Telecom, Woori Bank, GS Retail and Hanwha Life Insurance.

K-Bank is estimated to start operating in the second half of 2016, after getting a final license from the regulator by June.

It marks Ant Financial's second banking venture outside China, after Indian payment service Paytm, received a banking license in October.

China to launch precision medicine programChina is drawing up a strategic program on Precision Medicine.

Precision Medicine allows doctors to tailor medical treatment to each individual based on the examination of the patient's genetic make-up.

The program will focus on the classification and treatment of diseases, and will define individual prevention and treatment plans.

Head of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhan Qimin, says modern medical methods such as gene detection and therapy will give doctors more precise information with which to make decisions.

"Precision medicine classifies diseases at a molecular level, but any decisions will still be made by doctors. Precision Medicine will give medical practitioners the information they need to make those decisions."The program is expected to be included among the Scientific Special Projects of the 13th five-year plan.

State Grid nodded to issue RMB30bln enterprise bondsChina's major power grid operator, the State Grid, has issued 30 billion yuan worth of enterprise bonds.

The application was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission on Monday.

60 percent of the capital raised will be used in the construction of 24 projects, 20 percent in the replenishment of operating capital, and the rest in the repayment of bank lending.

The State Grid says it will only offer 10 billion yuan worth of bonds in the first batch.

Mercedes-Benz to recall vehicles in China over airbag flawsGerman carmaker Mercedes-Benz is set to recall at least 10-thousand vehicles in China over defective airbags.

The affected vehicles were manufactured between 2007 and 2008, involving C-class and GLK models from the years 2008-2009.

SportsKobe Bryant talk's on leaving the NBAIn some news from the NBA:

Kobe Bryant has decided to retire from the sport of basketball following a loss of 107-103 to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

During a recent conference, Bryant explained his reasons for leaving the NBA.

"I don't want to get too Zen-like on you guys, but honestly, when I'm sitting in meditation, my mind starts drifting, and it always drifted toward basketball, always... always. And it doesn't do that now. It does that sometimes. It doesn't do that all the time, and to me, that was really the first indicator that this game is not something I can obsess over for much longer."After playing for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years and spending a life time playing basketball, Kobe will quit the game after the current season.

The star would later comment that his age and recent lack of passion for the game were a major motivating force for him deciding on making the change.

When asked what's next for the NBA super star, Bryant stated that he wasn't sure.

"Honestly, I don't know. It's tough to say now. I think that question becomes a lot easier to answer when training camp comes around next year... and I'm not there. I think that becomes a question that's a little bit easier to answer. But right now, I honestly feel really at peace with it."The 37-year-olds resignation notice came in the form of a poem, posted on "The Players Tribune"The poem was titled "Dear Basketball" and if you wanna check it out, it’s on the CRI website.

Public service held for Rugby legend, Jonah Lomuin some somber rugby news:

The public service for Former All Black rugby legend Jonah Lomu has taken place in Auckland's Eden Park on Monday.

In attendance at the event were thousands of mourners, wearing replicas of the stars number 11 jersey.

During the service, former team-mate of Lomu, Eric Rush, spoke about his friend.

"I'm just blessed to have been a part of your amazing journey mate, and we're going to miss you Big Man, we're definitely going to miss you. So, rest in peace brother."Lomu died on November 18th, at the age of 40.

The former All black was plagued with severe health complications leading up to his death.

FIFA's Dr. Dvorak speaks on rise of medication abusein some FIFA news:

FIFA's chairman of medical research, Dr. Jiri Dvorak has warned the international community of a recent rise in the abuse of medication by football playersDr. Dvorak spoke out during the three day Asian Football Confederation medical conference in India.

The FIFA Chairman claimed during his speech that, as the cases of abuse rise, it is the doctors, who are responsible.

"Another issue which worries us is related to the doping controls is the abuse of medications. Unrelated to the continent, unrelated to the age there is a clear alarming abuse of intake of medications, in particularly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Fifty per cent of players participating in World Cup are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, one third of them regularly prior every game. This is for me alarming and we doctors are responsible."Dr. Dvorak is well known for his anti-doping research in football.

This event marked the 5th AFC medical conference to have taken placeMessi, Ronaldo and Neymar shortlisted for Ballon d'Or awardand in more FIFA:

Football legends Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo have been shortlisted for the 2015 FIFA "Ballon d'Or" award.

The three were chosen from a larger list of 23 names.

Ballon d'Or, meaning Golden Football, is an award that goes to the player who performed the best in the previous calendar year.

Its decided by votes from national team coaches and captains, as well as journalists from around the world.

Ronaldo has been the recipient of the award three times, including the past two years.

Messi has won the golden football 4 times, which came consecutively from 2009-2012.

The winner will be revealed at a gala ceremony in Zurich on January 11th.

Boxing's Tyson Fury claims Klitschko cheatedIn boxing:

Great Britain's Tyson Fury has accused the camp of Vladimir Klitschko of being cheats, after beating the Ukrainian in their world heavy weight title fight.

The newly crowned champion told press that Klitschko's camp tried many tactics to unsettle him before the fight.

In his statement, Fury spoke about what had happened leading up to their match.

“They tried it with the gloves first, they even gave me the wrong gloves in the end, they were not the gloves I opted for but I could not be bothered making any more commotions so I took them. Then they put six inches of memory foam all over the ring - Peter sussed that out in about two seconds. They had to take that out so the fight was nearly off then on.”

Fury holds many titles in the boxing world including the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.

The boxer from Great Britain is currently undefeated.

Rio Chairman Carlos Nuzman praises badminton test eventin some news coming out of Rio:

Rio 2016 Organizing Committee chairman Carlos Arthur Nuzman spoke about the success of the badminton test event during a sponsorship announcement for the Paralympics on Monday.

The event featured athletes from around the world playing skirmishes in the newly built Pavillion 4 of Riocentro Convention center.

During his praise, Nuzman stated that these events are necessary to improve the games.

"That's what test events are for. The test event is to see what we need to adjust. They (Badminton Athletes) praised everything, it was a success. I think that these test events that Rio are holding are the best in the history. The adjustments will be important because we hear the athletes to see what we can improve for them."　After the test event most athletes were happy with the new arena.

The biggest critique came from Spain's Pablo Abian who stated that the air conditioning was too turbulent.

EntertainmentTaiwan movie "Our Times" becomes huge hit at mainland box officeTeen movie "Our Times" has become the highest-grossing Taiwan movie released in the Chinese mainland.

Starring new actress Vivian Sung and actor Darren Wang, the movie has been a smash hit at the box office, taking in over 210 million yuan or around 33 million U.S. dollars within 10 days of being released.

Other teen movies have sparked heated discussion in recent years with controversial plot lines highlighting social issues such as abortion.

The massive audiences for "Our Times" however, seem to have taken the nostalgic film to their hearts, with a storyline taking them back to their schooldays in the 1990s.

Hong Kong movie star Andy Lau, famous Taiwan actor Jerry Yan and actress Joe Chen guest star in the movie.

Edison Chen's documentary video releasedThe first part of Hong Kong actor Edison Chen's documentary video "Being EDC" was released by VICE China on Monday.

"Many people asked me what I would change if time could fly back in time. I wouldn't change a thing. I'm happy with my life today, and I know something unhappy once happened, but it was an accident, I didn't do it deliberately. I have learnt a lot from that."The documentary video follows 19 days of Edison's life, while he was in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Wenzhou.

Several trailers for the documentary video have already appeared sparking heated discussion on the Internet. Fans are now looking forward to watching the full version.

Edison Chen, famous actor, musician, producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer, achieved notoriety in 2008 after a sex scandal, in which a number of explicit photographs of Edison and those of several Hong Kong actresses were published online.

The scandal shook the Hong Kong entertainment industry in early 2008 and received high-profile media attention locally and around the world.

On February 21, 2008, he publicly announced that he intended to step away "indefinitely" from the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

"Lastly, I would like to thank everyone for coming here today, and listening to what I have to say. I would like to also apologise once again to all the ladies and their families, my family, and to everyone in Hong Kong, and everyone in our society."The first part of the documentary video has already been released, with the rest appearing in the coming days.

Russian Renowned Movie Director DiedFilm director Eldar Ryazanov, who satirized and romanticized the life of ordinary Russians in his immensely popular comedies for almost six decades, has died at the age of 88.

Ryazanov's iconic works 'Office Romance' and 'The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia' enjoyed great popularity in China in the 1970s.

Russian film industry group Kinosoyuz said in a statement that Ryazanov died in hospital early Monday.

He reportedly died of a stroke.

Once compared to U.S. director Billy Wilder for his artistic diversity and longevity, Ryazanov directed almost 30 films, most of which became box-office hits and led to countless Russian catchphrases and popular jokes.

With "Star Wars" movie due to land, old toys go galacticVintage toys linked to the "Star Wars" film franchise are shifting faster than a swirling lightsaber, with prices of many soaring into hyperspace.

With the latest in the series - "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - due to open in December, auctioneers in the town of Thornaby in the northeast of England have sold one item for a colossal 18,000 pounds - that's about 27,000 US Dollars, 35 years after it could be bought for 1.50 in the shops.

WeatherBeijing will see heavy smog today with a high of 2, overcast tonight with a low of -2. The city has issued its highest pollution alert this year.

The smog will linger until a cold front arrives tomorrow.

Shanghai will be overcast with a high of 17, slight rain tonight with a low of 11.

Chongqing will be overcast with a high of 14 and a low of 11.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 21.

Kabul, cloudy, 10.

Over to North America,New York will see slight rain with a high of 14 degrees.

Washington, slight rain, 15 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto will have some rain with a high of 11 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, cloudy with a high of 32.

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...

Chinese President Xi Jinping sets out his stall at the Climate Change Conference in Paris.

The world welcomes the Chinese currency into the Special Drawing Rights basketRussia Clamps down on more Turkish products in the wake of the jet fighter downing in Syria.

On 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.