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

Coming up on the program this evening...

At least a dozen people remain missing after a landslide hit an industrial park in Shenzhen and as rescue work is underway...

Two major free trade agreements involving China and its neighbors coming into effect today....

And the 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO wrapping up in Nairobi with the accession of Liberia and Afghanistan into the organization...

We'll have our weekly look back at the Science and Technology World...

In sports...Guangzhou Evergrande having to settle for fourth place yet again at the club world cup...

And in entertainment... A Spanish contestant being crowned at this year's "Miss World" competition in Sanya...

Top NewsA dozen people missing in industrial park landslide in S ChinaA landslide hit the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province on Sunday, burying over 20 buildings, and leaving a dozen people missing.

The landslide struck Shenzhen's Liuxi Industrial Park in the city's northwestern Guangming New District in the morning.

China Central Television puts the number of missing at 27.

Seven people have so far been rescued from the debris, one of whom had suffered minor injuries.

Local authorities dispatched more than 700 rescuers to search survivors at the site.

Over 900 local residents living nearby have been moved to safety.

A residential area next to the industrial zone has also reportedly been hit by the landslide.

China-South Korea FTA comes into forceThe new free trade agreement between China and South Korea has officially come into effect as of today.

Park Tae Ho with Seoul National University says the signing of the free-trade pact makes sense for South Korea.

"Despite its impressive achievements, the South Korean economy only accounts for 1.8 percent of the global total. South Korea won't be able to lift its per capita income to 30,000 US dollars by relying on domestic market only. It should go global and exploit broader export markets. So it's a necessary choice for us to establish FTA."As part of the agreement, tariffs on more than 90 percent of goods traded between China and South Korea will be eliminated over the next 20-years.

Zhang Shaogang from the Ministry of Commerce says the FTA will definitely benefit Chinese consumers.

"Female consumers are given access to South Korean cosmetics with lower prices and better services. In terms of medical cooperation, more South Korean hospitals, especially plastic surgery hospitals, may open branches in China."Wu Xia from Qingdao Customs in Shandong province said trade companies will enjoy great tariff cuts as of today.

"Within the first year after the FTA taking effect, exporters in Shandong can save 850 million yuan through tariff cuts. Most of the export products are electromechanical, leather and glass products. On the other hand, importers will enjoy 190 million yuan in tariff cuts in total. Our main imported goods from South Korea are auto components, chemical products and machine tools."South Korean analysis suggests the country's manufacturers are going to see their overall export growth increase by 1.35-billion U.S. dollars over the next 12-months.

The country also expected the FTA with China to help raise its real GDP by 0.96 percentage points, create 54-thousand jobs and enhance consumer benefits by 14.6 billion dollars.

China is South Korea's largest trading partner, with South Korea importing around one-quarter of all their products from China.

China-Australia FTA Takes Effect TodayAfter a decade of negotiations, a much-heralded Free Trade Agreement between China and Australia officially goes into effect today.

Once the agreement is fully implemented, 96 percent of Australian goods will enter China duty free, while 100 percent of Chinese exports to Australia will enjoy zero-tariff treatment.

The two economies will now see unprecedented levels of exchange in areas including natural resources, manufactured goods, investment, education and tourism.

Australia's Trade Minister Andrew Robb says tariffs have been cut on a range of important Australian exports including dairy, beef, lamb, wine, seafood, fruit and vegetables.

Tariffs on Australia's exports of coking coal to China have been eliminated, while the phased elimination of tariffs on non-coking coal also starts on Sunday.

Another round of tariff cuts will follow on Jan. 1, 2016For more on the FTA, CRI's Zeng Liang spoke earlier with Professor James Laurenceson, Deputy Director of the Australia-China Institute at the University of Technology in Sydney.

FTA to Boost Financial Exchanges Between China and AustraliaThe newly effective China-Australia Free Trade Agreement is expected to boost financial exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

With the financial sector a major focus of the agreement, the two sides will further joint efforts in banking, securities and anti-money laundering. Australia also plans to reduce the operating costs for Chinese banks to open branches there.

President of Bank of China in Sydney Hu Shanjun says it will be much easier for Chinese banks to establish their presence in Australia.

"In that past, it was difficult for foreign financial institutions to launch businesses here. They need to first launch representative offices, and then upgrade them into branches. Now Australia says it welcomes foreign banks, and the process will likely be shortened. Well-known Chinese banks looking to open branches in Australia can now do so directly."The two sides have also agreed to loosen the formalities for approving investments, benefiting Chinese private enterprises looking to invest in Australia.

Hu Shanjun says Chinese investors have been diversifying their portfolios in Australia.

"In the past, Chinese companies invested in two major fields. The first was mining, such as iron, coal, copper and gold. The other was energy like oil and gas. Now they are turning towards fields like real estate, agriculture, food, and senior medical care."Chinese investment in Australia stood at around 75 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2014.

China releases new map of Macao SARChina released a map on Sunday of administrative divisions demarcating the maritime and land zones of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Premier Li Keqiang signed a decree to release the map, the draft of which was endorsed by an executive meeting of China's cabinet on Dec. 16.

The new map goes into effect today, while the old one, which was issued in 1999, will be abolished.

Chief executive Chui Sai On said the demarcation of maritime and land zones will help Macao break through its bottleneck in economic and social development.

"It is a great support from the central government for Macao in implementing governance by law, appropriately accelerating diversified economic development, promoting deep-level regional cooperation as well as people's livelihood and welfare."According to the new map, an 85-square-kilometer sea area to the east and south of Macao shall be administered by Macao SAR. A stretch of land for a border inspection building between Macao and Zhuhai City in Guangdong Province has also been demarcated.

Macao gives its full play to key role in Belt and Road InitiativesToday marks the 16th anniversary of Macau's return to China. This year, Macau has been formally brought into China's Belt and Road Initiative.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen brings you more on how the special administrative region is making the best use of the new initiatives to boost its tourism and other industries.

Reporter:

Yang Ting is a tourist from Beijing. She is among the numerous visitors who consider the St. Paul's Cathedral as a must-see in Macao.

"I definitely want to see the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral when visiting Macao since it is an integral part of its historic centre. I also have planned to walk around the whole historic areas including the Mandarin's House and Dom Pedro V Theater."The latest stats from the World Travel and Tourism Council suggests tourism industry accounted for over 43 percent of Macao's whole GDP in the year of 2014.

Chief Executive of Macau, Chui Sai-on, says the special administrative region, once a key hub of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, is now ready to grasp the golden opportunity provided by the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Based on the SAR government's initial research, we decide to prioritize Macao's tourism and cultural sectors joining the "Belt and Road" Initiatives. On one hand, Macao is a world-renowned tourism destination. On the other, Macao is well-known for its rich historical and unique culture. While adopting Chinese culture as the main stream, the city is also proud of the co-existence of multiple cultures."In November, the initiative, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has for the first time appeared in the Macao SAR Chief Executive's policy address. Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, it aimed at reviving the ancient trade routes that span Asia, Africa and Europe.

Apart from the traditional areas, the SAR government is also exploring the potential to incorporate its conference and exhibition industry into the new initiatives.

Data from a new industry report shows Macao's conference and exhibition industry ranked the top among all places in Asia last year, with its exhibition sales surging 38 percent year on year.

Liu Guanhua, the executive of Macao's Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, elaborates.

"In recent years, many renowned international hotels and integrated resorts have set up their branches in Macao one after another, providing venues for different types of conference and exhibition projects. In the last five years, Macao hosted over 1000 conferences and exhibition annually. At the same time, several local events including Macao International Trade and Investment Fair have become the internationally recognized fairs. "Meanwhile, Chui Sai-on says Macao is currently forging closer ties with the Portuguese-speaking countries along the Belt and Road, taking advantage of its Portuguese dialect and unique location.

"We have not only actively involved in various international organizations, and also enhanced cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiatives. Recently, we are planning to deepen communications with East Timor, given our historical friendship and long-term cooperative relations with the Southeastern nation. "On December 20, 1999, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao.

Since then, Macao has given full play to its significant role of a bridge and service platform between the Chinese mainland and Portuguese-speaking countries.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

Thailand, China launch railway projectA massive new rail project involving Chinese assistance has been officially launched in Thailand.

CRI's Li Jianhua with the details.

The launch ceremony has taken place at the Chiang Rak Noi Station in central Thailand's province of Ayutthaya.

This is where the project's Operation Control Center will be located.

Saturday's ceremony comes exactly one-year after the Thailand-China Memorandum of Understanding for Railway Cooperation was first inked, and three months after the signing of an inter-governmental agreement on railway projects.

Thai deputy Prime Minister Prachin Chantong.

"Today last year, we signed an MOU between Thailand and China in cooperation on this train project. It's been only one year since our commitment and we can make it clear that this project is certainly going forward."The 845-kilometer-long line will pass through 10 Thai provinces and link the capital Bangkok with the northeastern city of Nong Khai, which is located near the northern Thai border with Laos.

The trains themselves are designed to operate at a top speed of 180 km per hour.

Thai Railways Minister Wutthichart Kalayanamitr says the link, once completed, will create significant economic benefits for the country.

"It will benefit Thai people, especially those living along the railway line, by creating job opportunities and increasing their income, as well as pushing forward tourism development and cutting transportation costs."The project itself is scheduled to be finished by 2018.

Both China and Thailand are financing the project, which is going to cost close to 470-billion US dollars when finally complete.

The link is part of a planned rail corridor running from Yunnan's capital Kunming all the way to the Malaysian peninsula.

Chinese state councilor Wang Yong.

"Once the railway takes shape, Thailand will become a key transportation hub of Southeast Asia, facilitating both the socioeconomic development of Thailand and its trade and exchange with China."It's expected the railway will help an additional 2-million Chinese tourists make their way to Thailand every year.

Construction is expected to begin this coming May.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

Supply-Side Reform Becomes Top Priority of Economic DevelopmentAs Chinese authorities continue to hash out next year's economic blue-print, it's being suggested consumers in China may start seeing changes to the quality of products being made available.

CRI's Niu Honglin explains.

Jiang Wan is a young mother living in Beijing.

Like many in her age demographic, she prefers to shop online, and gravitates toward foreign products for her baby girl.

"I usually choose to buy well known brands in bulk. I think when it comes to children's products, foreign companies are a step ahead. I know a lot of things that have foreign labels are often produced in China, which shows we here in China have the ability to produce quality products. So, one has to think that it's a lack of motivation from a business perspective that prevents Chinese firms from manufacturing quality products."Jiang Wan's attitude reflects a prevailing attitude among many consumers in China.

While many products on the shelves are labeled "Made in China," many people still don't trust the items being put out by Chinese firms.

Niu Li, head of Macroeconomic Research with the State Council, says part of the problem is many manufacturers in China are still not willing to innovate and adapt to today's consumer demands in China.

"Many traditional manufacturing industries in China face problems, which includes excess production capacity. But even though we are pumping out a lot of products, many people are still looking toward foreign products. The demand for Japanese toilet seat covers is a good example. There is real demand for these types of advanced products, but our manufacturers are unwilling to make the switch to more value-added products. This is why we urgently need to strengthen our supply-side reform policies to promote innovation and improve product quality."At the annual Central Economic Work Conference which began on Friday, "supply-side reform" is one of the major topics up for discussion.

A series of new policies are reportedly being discussed to tackle issues which have dogged Chinese consumers for years.

They're said to include ways to improve production quality, as well as customer service.

Broader-based issues such as environmental protection and opening-up further to the global economic system are also said to be part of the plans.

The reforms also include ways to shed excess production capacity, particularly aimed at weeding-out companies which continue to pump-out cheap, low quality products.

Former London School of Economics and Political Science Professor Roger Tucci says the planned reforms should help streamline the Chinese economic structure.

What we see in the new five-year plan is a move what we call supply side economic management, where the condition of maximizing supply abilities, prices availability, logistics' transportation ect becomes top priority. The key to all these is not that other elements are being downgraded or less important, but about the focus of achieving levels of economic efficiency within the Chinese economy.

The Central Economic Work Conference is held every December.

It's meant to not only review the economic performance in China over the course of the year, but also map out a strategy for the coming year.

The underlying policy direction of the government should be made clear when the official economic policy document is released, which will come a few days after the annual session comes to an end.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

WTO Nairobi meeting ends with major breakthrough on global tradeThe 10th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization concluded in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Saturday.

Member countries agreed to abolish agricultural export subsidies and also approved the accession of Liberia and Afghanistan into the WTO.

CRI's Fei Fei with more.

After five days of intense discussions, the 162 WTO member countries reached a breakthrough agreement for the world trade system.

The new Nairobi Declaration includes the elimination of agricultural export subsidies and further tariff reduction for information and technology products.

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo hails the historic result of the conference.

"The decision you have taken today on export competition is truly historic. It is WTO's most significant outcome in agriculture. The elimination of agriculture subsidies, export subsidies are spectacularly significant."According to the declaration, developed nations will eliminate their scheduled farm export subsidies immediately, while developing countries will get rid of theirs from 2018.

Wang Shouwen, a deputy minister from China's Ministry of Commerce, says farm export subsidies have been a prime focus for developing countries.

"It is unfair because developed countries are financially capable of providing subsidies for farm products. But, as for developing countries, they can't get subsidies as their agriculture sectors are relatively small. So this deal has significant meanings for free agriculture trade, and, particularly, for farmers' income and the growth of agriculture in developing countries."US trade representative Michael Froman also said the deal would "put an end to some of the most trade distorting subsidies" and "help level the playing field for American farmers and ranchers".

The ministers also endorsed the Information Technology Agreement, which expands the range of information technology products for tariff cuts.

The import duties on some 200 high-tech products will be cut over the next 7 years,Their annual trade is estimated at 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, taking 8 percent of the total world trade volume.

Wang Shouwen says the expansion is a great means to buoy slowing international trade.

"They include medical and IT products that are quite high-tech. Once their tariffs are cut, consumers can enjoy lower prices and investors would be more willing to put in their money in these products."During the conference that kicked off Tuesday, Afghanistan and Liberia were also approved to join the WTO.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of WTO, and also the first ministerial meeting held on the African continent.

For CRI, this is Fei Fei.

3 dead, 39 rescued after Indonesian boat capsizes in stormAt least 39 people have been rescued and three bodies recovered after a passenger boat carrying 118 people capsized off Sulawesi Island Saturday.

Rescued passengers told authorities that the boat sank after being hit by a storm.

The bow of the ship sank first after it began to take on water near the Gulf of Bone Saturday afternoon.

The boat, carrying 108 passengers including 14 children and 10 crew members, was en route from Kolaka to Siwa in central Indonesia.

A rescue operation is underway, involving ships, planes and volunteer boats.

Iraq to Investigate Accidental Strike by Coalition ForcesIraq has opened an investigation into an accidental coalition strike that left 10 of its soldiers dead in the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Friday.

According to the US-led joint operations command, the incident happened when initial strikes allowed Iraqi forces to advance towards Islamic State positions. A later air strike struck when the two sides were in combat, resulting in casualties on both sides.

The US has called it an instance of "friendly fire".

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says he's been in-contact with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

"I explained to him our regret and he and I agreed that this was an event that we both regretted and that there would be an investigation of it, but that these kinds of things happen when you're fighting side by side, as we are. And we recommitted ourselves to that campaign against ISIL. So it's a regrettable incident."The US also said it will conduct its own investigation into the matter.

Candidate Sanders apologises to Clinton over data breachAt a debate in New Hampshire on Saturday, Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders apologized to frontrunner Hillary Clinton and his own supporters for a breach of her campaign's valuable voter data.

"Not only do I apologize to Secretary Clinton, and I hope we can work together on an independent investigation from Day 1, I want to apologize to my supporters. This is not the type of campaign that we run. And if I find anybody else involved in this, they will also be fired."Sander' apology aimed to put the controversy to rest in that soon turned to national security concerns.

Clinton's campaign accused Sanders' team of stealing information used to target voters and anticipate what issues might motivate them.

In response to the breach, the Democratic National Committee temporarily cut off Sanders' team's access to its own data.

Former Maryland governor Martin 'O Malley also took part in the debate.

Headline NewsA dozen people missing in industrial park landslide in S ChinaA landslide hit the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province on Sunday, burying over 20 buildings, and leaving a dozen people missing.

The landslide struck Shenzhen's Liuxi Industrial Park in the city's northwestern Guangming New District in the morning.

China Central Television puts the number of missing at 27.

Seven people have so far been rescued from the debris, one of whom had suffered minor injuries.

Local authorities dispatched more than 700 rescuers to search survivors at the site.

Over 900 local residents living nearby have been moved to safety.

A residential area next to the industrial zone has also reportedly been hit by the landslide.

Consulate-General of China in Germany's Duesseldorf officially launchedThe Consulate-General of China in Germany's Duesseldorf has been launched on Saturday.

It makes Germany the only European country to set up four Chinese consulates.

Duesseldorf is the capital city of the Nordrhein-Westfalen or North Westfallen state in western Germany, that has maintained a close relationship with China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is willing to join hands to make North Westfalen an important transportation hub in western Europe, when meeting with the State Governor Hannelore Kraft.

The two sides also agreed to continue efforts to make the state a pilot area for the matchmaking of China's "Made in China 2025" and Germany's Industry 4.0 strategies.

According to Kraft, over 800 Chinese companies have set up their presence in the state, which made North Westfallen the most popular destination for Chinese investment in Germany.

Suspected Bomb Removed from Air France Flight in KenyaKenya's security forces removed suspected explosives from an Air France flight on Sunday.

The flight took off from the island nation of Mauritius and was bound for Paris. It made an emergency landing in the Kenyan city of Mombasa early Sunday morning local time, after a device suspected to be a bomb was discovered in the lavatory.

The plane was carrying 459 passengers and 14 crew members, all of whom were safely evacuated.

Aviation and security officers have rushed to Mombasa for further investigation.

Syrian army recaptures key rebel stronghold in AleppoThe Syrian army backed by the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah group has regained full control over one of the largest rebel strongholds in Syria.

Apart from the town of Khan Tuman in the northern province of Aleppo the army units have also captured the al-Amara hilltop in the surrounding area.

It is reported that Russia carried out over 40 airstrikes on the site in support of Syrian ground troops.

The capture of the town has dealt a strong blow to the Jaish al-Fateh rebels in southern Aleppo.

Sci&Tech (Sunday)Time to check back with what's been taking place this past week in the science and technology sector.

In this edition of our Sci-Tech report, a Chinese scientist is singled-out for his work in gene research, and Chinese space authorities launch a new satellite to search for dark matter.

Here's CRI's Wenjie.

===========================================A Chinese scientist has been featured as one of the ten people who mattered in science this year by the world-renowned journal Nature.

Junjiu Huang, a biologist at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, has been working in human embryo with edited genes.

Huang published the first report of his study in April, which sparked a global debate on the ethics of such research.

In his study, Huang and his team used spare embryos that could not progress to a live birth, and modified the gene in the embryos.

They used a powerful technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 to get through the task.

Huang said that he wanted to edit the genes of embryos because it "can show genetic problems related to cancer or diabetes, and can be used to study gene function in embryonic development."Nature's Chief Features Editor said that this year's list highlights individuals who have played important roles in areas ranging from climate change to gene editing to research reproducibility.

===========================================China's online search giant Baidu has announced that it will put its self-driving cars into use in the near future.

Already the company has set up a new business unit after the successful test drive of its self-driven car earlier this month.

Baidu's senior vice-president Wang Jin gives details on the development plan.

"We plan to put self-driving cars on the roads in the next three years, and mass-produce the vehicles within five years. The car is supposed to be less expensive than any traditional vehicles nowadays. "Wang also indicated that 80 percent of the newly produced vehicles would be equipped with self-driving technologies in ten years.

Baidu has cooperated with BMW AG to launch self-driving cars from 2014, and Baidu will focus on research and development of artificial intelligence.

In addition, China's Alibaba Group and Leshi Internet company are also moving into car-related businesses.

=============================================China's home-grown submersible to be used for tourism has begun trial operations in the southern Chinese city of Sanya this week.

The submersible "Huandao Jiaolong" can reach 40 meters under water, and accommodate up to 12 people at a time.

Head of the China Ship Scientific Research Center Weng Zhenping says that factors related to the submersible's performance had been fully considered.

"Given that the tourists are untrained, we attach great importance to the submersible's reliability, safety and comfort level. They are the keys in the design of the submersible."In order to provide an unobstructed view of the undersea world, cabins of "Huandao Jiaolong" are made of polymethyl methacrylate, compared to the metal of conventional submersibles.

"Huandao Jiaolong" is made by the same researchers of China's manned "Jiaolong" series.

The deep-sea research "Jiaolong" submersible can dive to over 7,000 meters under water.

===========================================China has for the first time sent a space telescope into orbit in a fresh search for signals of dark matter, the invisible material scientists believe to make up most of the universe's mass.

The Dark Matter Particle Explorer Satellite, named 'Wukong' after the famous Monkey King from the ancient Chinese classical fiction 'Journey to the West', was launched this morning on a Long March 2-D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The 1.9-ton desk-sized satellite has entered a sun-synchronous orbit at a height of 500 kilometers to observe high-energy particles' direction, energy and electric charge.

Li Huawang, the chief designer of the Dark Matter Probe Project, explained the mission it will undertake over the next 3 years.

"The Dark Matter Particle Explorer Satellite will search for the evidence proving the existence of dark matter. The satellite will try to calculate the dark matter particles' annihilation or decay that are in space, and then infer the existence of dark matter through those results using a method called 'reduction ad absurdem.'"The new satellite's observation spectrum is approximately nine times wider than the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer onboard the International Space Station, while its energy resolution is at least three times higher than its international peers.

The four detectors it consists of, are mostly self-developed, and the payload could be as high as over 14-hundered kilograms.

Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced some upcoming projects after the Wukong satellite is launched in the future.

"After the successful launch of dark matter particle explorer satellite, next year we'll also launch a satellite for quantum science experiments, a hard X-ray telescope, and the SJ-10 satellite for microgravity research and space life science. Our exploration on sun, Mars and black holes is also on the way."He added that the successful launch is regarded as a new step in China's multi-billion-dollar space endeavor.

Dark Matter and dark energy are believed to account for some 95% of the total mass-energy of the known universe.

Dark matter has become widely accepted in the physics community though its existence has never been concretely proven.

Its exploration could give a clearer idea about the past and future of galaxies and the universe.

China also runs an underground dark matter lab in the southwest province of Sichuan, some 2,400 meters under the earth's surface.

Thursday's launch is the 221st mission by the Long March rocket series.

The country sent its first astronaut into space in 2003 to achieve manned space travel independently. In 2008, astronauts aboard Shenzhou-7 made China's first space walk. There are plans for a permanent space station, expected around 2022.

==========================================At the just concluded annual Internet of Things event in Dubai, the theme is how cities can become smarter and incorporate technology into their daily services.

The so-called Internet of Things is a network of physical objects which are all connected and able to exchange and collect data.

Amr Saleh is Global Managing director of Smart Cities at Cisco, one the main sponsors of the event.

"So the IOT world forum is an industry event that brings together through leaders in the industry that are interested in the Internet of things and how the internet of things plays a role in every industry that we have today from financial sector to manufacturing, transportation, smart cities and so on."The forum is looking at how cities can use the Internet to provide services that could make it "Smart".

Cisco says that being smart is more than just providing services but to help improve lives.

"Smart City is not a destination, it's a journey. When you start investing in the infrastructure you start investing in making it more attractive for people to live in. You start addressing physical, daily life challenges and try to leverage technology and the digital transformation to convert that into a digital process. That is the beginning of a smart city journey."One of the cities turning smart is Dubai.

The UAE hopes to be fully smart by 2017 providing services like phone apps that could help everyday life in Dubai from parking to automated street lighting.　And that brings us to the end of this edition of our weekly science and technology report.

I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

SportsHiroshima beat Evergrande 21 to fourth placeStarting things off with the latest football action,Guangzhou Evergrande came up short in attempting to improve their results at the Club World Cup.

Paulinho's early goal in the fourth minute came to nothing when Douglas' double headers in the second half put Sanfrecce Hiroshima ahead 2-1.

Double champions Evergrande now have to settle for the same place again following their fourth-place finish two years ago.

Their year of 2015 ended on a sour note with two back-to-back losses at the tournament after going undefeated under manager Luis Felipe Scolari since May.

Right now Barcelona and River Plate are in action in the final.

Barca striker Luis Suarez is ready to go for their third Club World Cup title.

"River Plate is definitely a strong team because they are the South American club champions. Any team that wins the Copa Libertadores is certainly a good team as it's very difficult to win that tournament. But we will do our best to become the Club World Cup champions."Lionel Messi and Neymar who both missed their semi-final against Evergrande are back in the starting line-up to complete the world's most ruthless attacking trident.

The game has come to its second half and it is 2:0 in favor of Barca.

Sunday football recapElsewhere in football,Chelsea's new interim manager Guus Hiddink saw his team beat Sunderland 3-1 in the Premier League.

The defending champions announced Hiddink as their manager until the end of the season prior to kick-off.

Hiddink attended the game with first-team coach Steve Holland in charge.

Holland says he told the players to put the Mourinho fuss behind them and get back to the game.

"Just that whatever their feelings were regarding the situation, that they had a responsibility to the football club and all its supporters around the world."Cheslea is settled for the rest of the season but Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal was thrown into peril when his side lost to Norwich 2-1.

United dropped out of the top four after three straight defeats.

Away from the limelight, leaders Leicester guaranteed they will be on top of the table on Christmas Day with a 3-2 win at Everton.

In the Bundesliga,Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed manager Pep Guardiola's departure at the end of the season and announced Carlo Ancelotti as his successor.

Guardiola just led Bayern into the winter break with a comfortable 8-point lead.

They beat Hannover 1-0 and therefore further stretched the lead as second-placed Dortmund lost to Cologne 2-1.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer celebrated his 300th Bundesliga appearance with this victoryThey have more reasons to enjoy the holiday season after reaching the knock-out games in the Champions League and progressing into the DFB Pokal last eight.

CBA/NBA updateIn CBA action tonight,New leaders Zhejiang Lions are looking to extend their winning streak as they host the other Zhejiang team tonight.

Second-placed Xinjiang are in Jilin hoping to get their game together.

After suffering back to back defeats, Guangdong is looking to get back on-track against Shanxi.

The Beijing Ducks are on the road to take on Tianjin, looking for their 6th win in a row.

Beikong are at home against Liaoning.

Liaoning's Guo Ailun is out for a week after being hit on the eye by a water bottle thrown by a fan after the last game.

He received two stitches to the bottom lid of the left eye.

Over in the NBA,The Thunders thrashed the Lakers 118-78,Washington downed Charlotte 109-101,New York hammered Chicago 107-91,The Rockets got past the Clippers 107-97,Memphis upset Indiana 96-84.

Qi Guangpu wins Ski World Cup Aerials; Canada win Curling Yichun International LadiesNow some winter sports action,China's Qi Guangpu has won the men's event at the Ski World Cup Aerials held in the Bird's Nest Stadium here in Beijing.

Qi became the clear winner with a back double Full-Full-Full to finish at 112.22 points.

China's Zhang Xin came in second place in the women's event.

In curling,Canada won the Yichun International Ladies event that just concluded in the northeastern Chinese city.

The young Chinese national team finished sixth. The other two teams from China's Harbin and host city Yichun are fifth and eighth.

Snowboard World Cup resultsIn snowboarding,Italian Christoph Mick has won the opening rounds of the FIS Snowboard Parallel Slalom World Cup on home soil.

Mick defeated world champion Roland Fischnaller by just six-hundredth of a second to clinch his maiden World Cup victory.

On the women's side,It is Patrizia Kummer from Switzerland easing into victory.

China, Japan to fight for water polo ticket to RioIn water polo,China's men's team are edging closer to Rio and the Asian championship after a 10-8 victory over Kazakhstan.

China have won all three of their games and picked up a maximum 6 points.

Only Japan are in their way for an Olympic ticket.

Japan also have a perfect record after thumping Saudi Arabia 31-1.

China and Japan will face off in their grand finale later today.

Only the winners can directly qualify for Rio.

China's women's team have already made it by defeating Japan twice.

Chinese seeds reach World Team Championship finalIn Go chess,China's seeded team of Ke Jie, Shi Yue and Zhou Ruiyang have reached the final of the World Team Championship with victories against the South Korean wildcards.

The South Korean seeds made the final after defeating the Japanese seeds.

The six players of two teams will fight for the title on Tuesday in Guangzhou.

Tinkoff-Saxo unveil new kitIn cycling,Tinkoff-Saxo's talisman riders Alberto Contador, Peter Sagan and Rafal Majka have unveiled their race kit for the new season in France.

They are joined by other riders and team owner Oleg Tinkov among others to present the yellow-and-blue kit with new designs.

The new jersey will make its debut in mid-January when Tinkoff-Saxo tackle the Tour Down Under.

Newly-wedded Peter Sagan showed off his wedding ring and his world champion kit that includes the rainbow jersey.

EntertainmentSpain's Mireia Lalaguna Royo Crowned "Miss World" in SanyaSpain's Mireia Lalaguna Royo has been crowned this year's "Miss World" at a ceremony on Saturday night, held in the southern Chinese island resort town of Sanya.

The 23-year-old model could hardly hold back her excitement as being the first-ever Spanish contestant to win the Miss World crown.

winner"I think I had a lot of challenges because Miss World is not looking only for external beauty, it's looking for a girl with educations, with a story, with some love to share with all the world and I think there were lots of girls that have these capacities, but finally I am very happy that the jury has chosen me."Royo is from Barcelona with a degree in pharmacology, and plans to pursue a master's degree in nutrition.

It's reported that she impressed the judges with her excellent public speaking skills.

"Miss Russia" finished as the runner-up, and "Miss Indonesia" took the third place in this year's competition featuring 114 women.

Since 2003, China has hosted the competition seven times.

First held 64 years ago in Britain, Miss World is the oldest surviving beauty pageant in the world.

'Mojin: The Lost Legend' Rules China's Box Office, Breaking RecordsChinese adventure fantasy film 'Mojin: The Lost Legend' has earned over 400 million yuan just two days after its release, breaking three records in China's box office history.

The film is recognized as the highest-grossing domestic 3D film for a midnight screening.

It has earned a record 171 million yuan in ticket sales for the opening day, and surpassed 'Monster Hunt' to enjoy the single-day box office champion with 230 million yuan.

Adapted from popular adventure novel series 'Ghost Blows out the Light', or 'Gui Chui Deng in Chinese', the film features the adventure of a trio of legendary grave robbers.

Director of the film, Wu Ershan says he has designed triple obstructions in this treasure-hunt film, to make it more appealing to audiences.

"Firstly, it's the external resistance, such as tomb gimmicks and mysterious conundrums, which can display the confrontation between human and the surrounding environment. Second is the resistance from antagonists, who pursue the same goal with the hero but shares totally different values. Thirdly, it's the inner-struggle and self-contradiction of the hero. All these three barriers can make the film more rich and appealing."Produced by Chen Kuo-fu, the film has gathered some of China's A-list stars, including Chen Kun, Xia Yu, Liu Xiaoqing, Shu Qi, and Angelababy.

Besides China, 'Mojin: The Lost Legend' has also been released in the US, Canada and Australia on December 18th.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Tops North America Friday Box OfficeThe latest 'Star Wars' installment has sits atop the North America's box office, opening with a record 121 million U.S. dollars in sales.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' has grabbed the record held by 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2', becoming the highest-grossing film in the North American box office for advanced screening and first-day opening.

Directed by J.J Abrams, addition has earned around 130-million US dollars since hitting non-North American theatres.

That puts it within striking distance of the international opening weekend record of 316.1 million US dollars and the record for a worldwide opening weekend of 524.9 million US dollars set by 'Jurassic World'.

Meanwhile, 'Sisters' sits in the second place at Friday's box office, snatching over 49 million dollars in sales.

Starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, this American comedy film follows the story of two sisters, who decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their family home.

The film opened on December 18th.

In addition, comedy film 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip' opened in the third spot with some 41.3 million dollars.

Mariah Carey Holds Concert in New York City Celebrating the Christmas SeasonMariah Carey has finished her second Christmas residency at New York City's 2,900-capacity Beacon Theatre, as a delightful way to celebrate the season.

Although her iconic Christmas classic 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' has slightly dropped to the No.2 spot on charts, the 45-year-old singer remains leading YouTube's Most Popular Holiday Music video for this December.

Carey has performed a mix of materials, from her 1994's album 'Merry Christmas' and the 2010 follow-up album 'Merry Christmas II You'.

Billboard has described these songs as much Christmas classics as the traditional Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular and Rockefeller Center's tree.

According to Billboard's report, the stage was set against a red curtain and monogrammed wreath, which is awash in Christmas colors, trees and falling snowflakes.

The iconic singer opened the show with a gorgeous and uplifting version of 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing', and concluded the concert with a cheerful 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'.

The next stop of Mariah Carey's Christmas concert will be Las Vegas in February 2016.

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

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

At least a dozen people remain missing after a landslide hit an industrial park in Shenzhen and as rescue work is underway...

The new free trade agreement between China and South Korea officially coming into effect as of today....

And the 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO wrapping up in Nairobi with teh accession of Liberia and Afghanistan into the organization...

On behalf of the whole Beijing Hour team, This is Spencer Musick in Beijing. Join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together.