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

Coming up on the program this morning...

China's state counselor calling for increased Sino-US cooperation on major strategic issues...

China's Foreign Ministry confirming that a Chinese national be in the hands of the terror group calling itself the Islamic State...

And the death toll from a crane collapse in Mecca topping 100, with hundereds more said to be injured...

In our weekly business review... China revising down its growth projections for 2015...

In Sports...Serena Williams makes a stunning exit out of the US open...

In Entertainment... Taiwan designer Jason Wu unveils his Spring 2016 collection...

Top NewsChinese state councilor calls for proper handling of sensitive issues between China, USAnchor:

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi has urged more cooperation on sensitive issues between China and the United States so as to pursue stronger ties between the two nations.

Yang made the remarks during an interview with China Central Television ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States this month.

CRI's Xie Cheng has moreReporter:

During the interview, Yang Jiechi addressed the question of whether Asia-Pacific countries need to take sides between the two Pacific powers.

"I do believe that no country needs to take sides between China and the United States because President Xi said that we're working really for a community of interests. So if there are friends of China who would like to be friends of the United States, or the other way around, both countries should work on that. We should have more mutual friends."Yang also called for concerted efforts to safeguard cyber security between the two sides.

"Cyber security is important for all countries. Let me say that China itself is a victim of hacking activities. We are firmly against hacking activities. We believe that if there is a suspected case, wherever it happens, it should be investigated and handled on a solid factual basis. And China and the United States actually can make cyber security a point of cooperation between our two countries."Regarding human rights, the state councilor says China is ready to have more human rights dialogue with other countries including the United States on the basis of mutual respect.

The senior official says China is pushing the establishment of a new type of major-country relationship between China and the United States, and working to ensure it stays on a healthy track.

"A new model of major country relationship between our two countries will work in the best interests of China and the United States, and for the rest of the world. What is important is really to adhere to the principles of avoiding conflict and confrontation, and to respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and pursue win-win solution."Yang said a closer trade and economic relationship will further benefit both countries, noting that the China-U.S. economic relationship has been a bedrock of the progress that the two sides have made.

"I still believe that the business community in the United States is very much interested in the Chinese economy and they see a growing and expanding Chinese economy. And there will be more and more opportunities for them, not only along the eastern shore, but also in the hinterland of China as well.

He says China will do its best to improve the investment and trading environment and to further its efforts to improve intellectual property rights protection.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States later this month and attend a series of UN gatherings as the global body marks its 70th anniversary.

This will be the first state visit to the United States by President Xi Jinping since he took office.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Lord Mayor of the City of London: China's Stock Market "Hiccup" Part of Market EvolutionAnchor:

In an interview with a group of Chinese journalists in London, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Alan Yarrow described the recent Chinese stock market turbulence as an inevitable evolutionary process towards a mature institutional market.

CRI's London correspondent Duan Xuelian reports.

Reporter:

In a press briefing with journalists on his planned visit to China next week, the Lord Mayor says it is a common episode in any emerging market to have overblown stock bubbles burst at a certain point.

"We are talking about a market which is very very young and I think to archive what they have archived so far in that period of time, inevitably there will be hiccups and bits of volatility. We've just been through one, it will stabilize and so it's about finding ways to actually smoothing the volatility of these markets. "A specialist in investment banking and a successful businessman himself, the Lord Mayor explains that the stock market turbulence is part of a process in China's evolution to an institutional economy.

"Each market goes through processes of evolution, it starts off with individuals, dynasties, companies and families and so on. It's all about the individual in the beginning. But it takes the evolution of the institutional market to take place. The institutional market normally took place actually after a crash like this because people suddenly realize they aren't as good at judging things as individual and therefore they decided to go and hire professional managers."Carrying on the annual duty as the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alan Yarrow will lead a business delegation to a ten-day trip to Hong Kong and Chinese mainland cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

In October, the Lord Mayor is also scheduled to host a banquet at the City of London in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the UK. The Lord Mayor says he's looking forward to welcoming the Chinese President in the year which marked the "golden era" in China-UK relations.

"We by definition do 44% of foreign exchange in global trade here in the City of London. We can not afford not to be interested in countries which are growing fast and actually have a very big impact on the world economy. So we are here to support, in partnership, the development to the Chinese economy. And there's a lot we can do to support China. I think we hear more about collaborations in his visit. We are very proactive and we want to be there and be a firm partner of China."For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian in LondonChina urges U.S. to stop "groundless accusations" about cyber attacksChina on Friday urged the United States to stop its "groundless accusations" of cyber attacks, saying cyber security should be an area of cooperation rather than a source of friction.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei highlighted China's firm stance against cyber attacks, adding that China is also a victim of cyber attacks.

"China and the U.S. are both countries with a large internet (presence), maintaining internet safety is of mutual benefit and (we) face the same challenges, maintaining cyber security should be a point of cooperation rather than a source of friction between the two countries."The spokesperson also called on the United States to participate in dialogue and cooperation with China on the basis of mutual respect and trust.

IS abductee matches description of missing ChineseChina's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that the description given by Islamic State insurgents of a Chinese citizen they claim to have captured matches that of a Chinese national missing abroad.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told a regular press briefing that relevant government departments in China have launched an emergency response immediately after they were informed of the situation.

He added that China is firmly opposed to violence against innocent civiliansIS announced on Wednesday that it had captured a Chinese consultant and a Norwegian man.

The pair were identified in its official online magazine, Dabiq, as Fan Jinghui, a freelance consultant from Beijing, and Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad from Oslo.

Economists at Summer Davos optimistic about China's economyEconomists who are attending the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as Summer Davos, have expressed optimism about China's economy.

Randall Kroszner, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, says the slower growth rate China is experiencing is normal.

"It's a transition to a lower but still relatively high growth rate. It's a natural thing. The volatility we have seen doesn't necessarily have an impact on overall economic growth."Benedikt Sobotka is the CEO of the Eurasian Resources Group, which has secured 2.5 billion U.S. dollars from Chinese banks for projects in Africa and Kazakhstan.

His outlook is positive about China's long term prospects.

"We know that our recent round of projects that we have just signed with China's Development Bank, Exim Bank, ICBC, supported by Sinosure – the recent round that was signed last week was 2.5 billion U.S. dollars. For the long term, I'm positive about China: it will continue to industrialize, it will continue to urbanize, it has a very productive workforce and a lot of very good investments have been made."This year's Summer Davos wrapped up in the northeast Chinese city of Dalian on Friday afternoon.

More than 1,600 participants from over 90 countries and regions have met for discussions at the forum, under the theme of "Describe a new blueprint for growth".

In his speech at the opening of the event on Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has dispelled worries that China's economy might make a hard landing.

He says China is comprehensively deepening reform, accelerating structural reform and pursuing an innovation-driven development strategy to fully unleash the potential of economic growth.

For more on this year's meeting, CRI's Luo Yu caught up with Sebastian Buckup, Head of Programming with the World Economic Forum, at the closing ceremony.

107 Killed in Mecca Crane AccidentThe death toll in a crane accident at the Grand Mosque in Mecca has risen to 107 with 237 others listed as injured.

The accident came just weeks before Islam's annual haj pilgrimage to the city.

Local media outlets said the crane fell due to strong sand storms which have been hitting western Saudi Arabia in the last few days.

Authorities have tried their best to prepare for the millions of Muslims who will converge on Mecca to perform their pilgrimage.

Last year, the numbers permitted to perform haj was reduced for safety reasons due to construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque.

A large sum of money has been allocated to expand the main haj sites as well as improve the city's transportation system.

Syrian Refugees continue streaming into deep EuropeThousands of Syrian refugees and migrants continue crossing into Macedonia from Greece.

They are being processed at a reception centre set up by the authorities and then placed on buses to Serbia, from where almost all will continue deeper into Europe.

Austrian police say they are finding accommodation for the continuing influx of migrants and refugees as temperatures drop.

A press officer for the police, Helmut Marban, says authorities have managed to find shelter for 5,000 people arriving at Nickelsdord, on the Austria-Hungary border, and hope to continue to be able to house the rest expected to still arrive.

Marban also says the Austrian border remains open.

"We don't make border controls at the moment. This (closing the border) will be a political question which will be decided if the situation maybe changes, but at the moment we don't close our borders."Officials in small German towns are also marshalling their resources to take in the thousands of migrants and refugees streaming into the country.

A former newspaper printing plant in the town of Neu-Isenburg, southwest Germany, has been turned into a temporary shelter housing 692 people, including 177 children.

Stefan Gruettner with the government of the local state of Hesse, says that officials are doing their best to process refugees and send them on to more permanent quarters.

"The situation in Hesse is a challenge. We have, as of today, 14,500 people in our temporary shelters. This is a difficult job but we manage with the help of the cities, technical aid organisations and many volunteers."Germany expects some 800-thousand new arrivals in total - roughly one percent of the country's population.

Saudi Arabia receives 2.5 million Syrians amid Syrian crisisSaudi Arabia has announced that it has received 2.5 million Syrians since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011.

The Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia said in a statement that they had given the Syrians the freedom to move across the country.

The Syrians have been given residency permits, which allow them to receive free medical care, join the labor market and to attend schools and universities.

Moreover, aid provided by Saudi Arabia to Syrians in and outside camps totals around 700 million U.S. dollars.

Saudi Arabia's announcement came as the migrants' crisis in Europe deepens, and the world urges the Gulf States to do more to deal with the increasing number of Syrian refugees who are fleeing their home country.

Singapore's Ruling Party Wins ElectionThe ruling party in Singapore has won the country's general election.

The People's Action Party has won 83 of the 89 parliamentary seats from 15 group representation constituencies and 12 single member constituencies.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong won his own Constituency, winning 78.6 percent of the vote.

For his part, Lee thanked supporters and promised to work hard in the next 5 years to make the area he represents a better place to live and work.

The ruling People's Action Party has beaten Worker's Party with 60.7 percent of the vote, but the opposition party defended its stronghold in the Hougang Single Member Constituency, with Png Eng Huat retaining his seat with nearly 57.7 percent of the vote.

S.Korea mulls test-firing of 800 km ballistic missileSouth Korea's military is considering test-firing a self-developed ballistic missile with a range of 800 kilometers.

A senior official at the JCS says during the parliamentary audit of government offices that the military was mulling the test-firing of the missile southward into international waters south of the Suyan Rock.

The Suyan Rock is an isolated underwater reef within the overlapping area of exclusive economic zones between China and South Korea.

It is the first time that the South Korean military disclosed plan to test-fire a medium-range ballistic missile.

The military successfully test-fired a ballistic missile with a range of 500 kilometers on June 3.

9/11 Events in the USAnchor:

The United States is remembering the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001.

Almost 3000 people died in what remains the deadliest attack by a foreign entity on American soil in history.

The vast majority were killed when hijackers flew two planes into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan.

CRI's Nick Harper reports from New York.

Reporter:

It's now fourteen years since the Twin Towers fell. But time has not fully taken away the sense of loss. Marking the day on which almost 3000 people died, America again came together to remember the worst terrorist attack in recent history.

In Washington, at the White House, President Obama marked the day with a moment of silence, just a few miles from where one of the four planes was flown into the Pentagon.

The first plane hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

As in years past, relatives and survivors gathered here, standing beside the pools of remembrance, where water cascades into the vast foundations of where the Towers once stood.

And they read the names of every person who died - a task taking almost four hours to complete.

"I lost my husband David Berry."Amanda Berry's husband was working in the World Trade Center on September the 11th 2001.

"It was a really horrible day, and it's a tragedy, and for many family members they're still grieving. It's still very painful and raw for them."But controversy still surrounds this site. Rosemary Kane comes here every year to remember her son George, one of the 343 firefighters who died. His unidentified remains are buried beneath the museum - a decision taken without consulting Rosemary.

"They never asked, they never took a poll of the family members, and it's despicable. They've stolen the dead, they've taken ownership of the dead and I want people to know that."Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan followed the 9/11 attacks. Al Qaeda has been diminished.

But with the rise of the Islamic State and other organizations, the US government says the threat against America is still very real.

Indeed former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani says the country is more danger now than 14 years ago.

"Islamic extremist terrorism wants to come here and kill us. And this administration is in more denial and the facts are even more compelling than they were on September 11th 2001."But despite the memorials events the day is less remarkable than it once was. For many people who work near the site of the attacks, it's just another day in the office.

Lower Manhattan, indeed the city in general, is moving on. Last year the 9/11 Museum opened. And just a few months ago One World Trade Center opened to the public - casting its shadow over the site of the terror attacks.

All around the area, other towers are going up. Indeed on this anniversary construction didn't stop. For the cranes and builders of Manhattan today was just like any other day.

For CRI, I'm Nick Harper in New York.

Man stabs Woman in isolated incident in WashingtonA security guard at Washington DC's Union Station shot a man who had allegedly stabbed a woman in an isolated incident.

DC Metropolitan Police Department's Jeff Brown said that it was a domestic-violence related incident.

"This appears to be domestic. What their exact relationship is I'm unaware at this time. But there is some sort of relationship between those two."Police say the woman was in a passageway connected to the train station when the man stabbed her.

The Security guard had chased the man a short distance before the man turned on him with the knife. The guard fired once, hitting the man in the leg.

Both the man and the woman were being treated at area hospitals for their injuries.

Spherical Shell of China's Homemade Submersible Passed Quality TestsThe spherical titanium shell of China's new homemade 45-hundered-meter-deep manned submersible has passed tests to cope with subsea pressure on Thursday.

This ranks China among the world's most advanced countries in the deep-sea-submersible field.

Among all the tests conducted, a high surface finish has been highlighted by Chinese experts.

Deputy director of the Institute of Metal Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences Lei Jiafeng, explains why:

"The surface finish affects its sphericity, which is an important parameter to measure its pressure-resistant capability in deep sea. If the surface of the hull is not smooth enough, some part of the surface will cave inward when the pressure is huge. The craters will decrease the hull's general pressure-resistant capability."The spherical titanium shell, weighing more than three tones, is the first of its kind and size produced by China.

The spherical shell will be used for the crew compartment, the core part of the new submersible.

WeatherBeijing is sunny today with a high of 26 degrees Celsius; tonight clear with a low of 12.

Shanghai will see slight rain today with a high of 24 ; cloudy tonight a low of 20 degrees Celsius.

Chongqing, overcast today with a high of 26, cloudy tonight with a low of 20.

Lhasa will see showers in the day with a high of 22, still wet tonight a low of 11 degrees Celsius.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad, sunny, 36.

Kabul, cloudy, 28.

Over in North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Washington DC, moderate rain, 26.

Honolulu, slight rain, 29.

Toronto, also slight rain, with a high of 19.

In South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 18.

And Rio de Janeiro will be wet with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChinese state councilor calls for proper handling of sensitive issues between China, USChinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi has urged more cooperation on sensitive issues between China and the United States so as to pursue stronger ties between the two nations.

Yang made the remarks during an interview with China Central Television ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States this month.

During the interview, Yang Jiechi called for concerted efforts to safeguard cyber security between the two sides.

He says China itself is a victim of hacking activities and the country is firmly against hacking activities.

Regarding human rights, the state councilor says China is ready to have more human rights dialogue with other countries including the United States on the basis of mutual respect.

The senior official says China is pushing the establishment of a new type of major-country relationship between China and the United States, and working to ensure it stays on a healthy track.

107 Killed in Mecca Crane AccidentThe death toll in a crane accident at the Grand Mosque in Mecca has risen to 107 with 237 others listed as injured.

The accident came just weeks before Islam's annual haj pilgrimage to the city.

Local media outlets said the crane fell due to strong sand storms which have been hitting western Saudi Arabia in the last few days.

Authorities have tried their best to prepare for the millions of Muslims who will converge on Mecca to perform their pilgrimage.

China unveils more flexible reserve requirement rulesChina's central bank announced on Friday that it will change its reserve requirement rules, replacing the current daily assessment of bank reserves with an averaged approach.

Since 1998, the People's Bank of China or PBOC has required commercial banks to meet the reserve requirement ratio on a daily basis, or to make sure they put aside more deposits as reserves than required.

Starting from Sept. 15, the reserves of commercial banks will be regulated on an average basis during an assessment period, but there will be a minimum daily amount of reserves.

The reserve ratio of commercial banks will be allowed to be less than 1 percent lower than the compulsory ratio set by the central bank by the end of each business day.

The PBOC said the reform will help commercial banks ensure both efficiency in their capital use and a safe liquidity level.

New Sagitar of FAW-Volkswagen unsafe: probe resultChina's top consumer quality watchdog says FAW-Volkswagen's New Sagitar compact cars with coupling rods in rear axles are defective and pose safety hazards for users.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has issued the result of its investigation.

It says the trailing arms on the rear suspension may deform in the case of collision, and the fatigue life of the arms will drop substantially as the deformation increases.

Weekly Biz RoundupAnchor:

It's time to take a look back at some business headlines from this past week in our Weekly Business Review.

China's growth rate has been revised down to 7.3 percent.

China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, climbed to its highest level so far this year in August.

And China is considering the introduction of a Stock Index Circuit Breaker system.

Let's catch up on all of that and more with CRI's Wenjie.

Reporter:

China has lowered the country's growth rate for last year to 7.3 percent based on its preliminary verification.

The revised gross domestic product (GDP) came in at nearly 64 trillion yuan, or 10 trillion U.S. dollars.

The initial figure put the annual rate at 7.4 percent.

==China will reform its quarterly GDP accounting system to better trace information on short-term economic fluctuations.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's quarterly GDP will be announced separately instead of being announced cumulatively.

The result of the quarterly GDP calculation will be released every quarter to the public.

==China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, climbed to 2 percent in August, the highest level seen in 2015.

NBS has attributed the pick-up to higher prices for food, including vegetables and pork.

But with the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and China's National Day holiday, experts expect consumer prices to fluctuate, as pork prices have recently dropped.

Chen Daofu is with Financial Research Institute, Development Research Center of the State Council.

"With the pullback of pork prices, the rise of CPI lacks strong impetus."The government aims to keep consumer inflation at around 3 percent for this year.

NBS data also shows the producer price index, which measures wholesale inflation, slid 5.9 percent year on year in August.

NBS attributes the PPI contraction mainly to dropping prices of industrial products and decreasing costs for oil and natural gas production.

==China's foreign trade in August dropped 9.7 percent year on year.

This is a steeper decline than the 8.8-percent contraction in July.

Official data shows the country's trade volume dropped to 2 trillion yuan, or 320 billion U.S. dollars last month.

Exports fell 6.1 percent year on year, while imports slumped 14.3 percent.

In the first eight months of 2015, foreign trade slipped 7.7 percent year on year.

He Weiwen, senior fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin Univerisy, believes China's foreign trade situation will remain stern in the following months to come.

"I think in Genernal China's foreign trade in next few months will stay at a very low level because the leading export indicator stays at only 34, that's a very low level."China's foreign trade target for this year stays at an increase of 6 percent.

==A latest report by China International Capital Corporation says China is considering more than 1 trillion yuan in fiscal stimulus over the next three years.

The report says the money may be taken from government coffers to replenish capital for investment projects.

The stimulus is likely to drive a total potential investment of 5 to 7 trillion yuan in the next three years.

That is equivalent to about 2.5 percent to 3.4 percent of the expected 2015 GDP each year.

==China will open its domestic interbank foreign-exchange market to overseas central banks.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made the remark at this year's Summer Davos Forum.

China has already allowed foreign central banks to participate in the interbank bond market.

Premier Li adds China will complete the cross-border yuan payment system that facilitates the development of the offshore yuan market by the end of this year.

==China's Central Bank has announced that the country's foreign exchange reserves fell to nearly 3.6 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of August.

The country's foreign exchange reserves decreased by a total of 90 billion US dollars in August, marking the fourth consecutive month of falling forex reserves.

China's foreign exchange reserves have been on a downward slide since their peak at last June of nearly 4 trillion US dollars.

==Chinese authorities have unveiled new measures to help stabilize the stock market including the proposed implementation of the circuit-breaker mechanism and cutting dividend taxes for long-term investors.

The index circuit breaker system would be similar to trading-curb triggers currently used on the markets in New York.

Zhang Lan with GF Securities' Development Research Center says the creation of the system makes sense.

"The implementation of a circuit breaker system is already available in more mature markets. In case of extreme market volatility, the system will give investors more time to confirm whether a stock's price is reasonable. This will help prevent knee-jerk reactions by investors."Meanwhile, in another move to try to bolster the markets, Chinese authorities have also announced that investors holding a stock for more than a year will be exempt from the 5-percent dividend tax as of this Tuesday.

Authorities have also cut the tax on dividends for those holding shares between a month and a year by half.

==The State Council has approved the establishment of Fuzhou New Area in Southeast China's Fujian Province.

The new administrative area will test reform measures and favorable trade and tax policies for the modern service sector and manufacturing industry.

The area covers a planned space of 800 square kilometers.

The establishment of the area aims to boost cross-Straits exchanges. It is also expected to boost the opening-up of the economy, and cooperation with countries and regions along the maritime silk road.

Chen Jipeng, deputy head of the office for the New Area, highlights the significance of its establishment.

"As a country level new area, it's granted preferential policies. This will definitely bring more investors, logistics, and inflows of new talent. This will help to boost the economic development of Fuzhou."China has 14 national comprehensive reform zones including Shanghai's Pudong and Tianjin's Binhai New Areas.

==In Corporate News,E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the creation of Alibaba Sports Group.

The Chinese company has announced that the new venture will be engaged in all aspects of the sports industry, including sporting event operations, home entertainment, media, business marketing, and ticketing.

Meanwhile, Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma says the company will, in future, explore rural E-commerce markets.

Alibaba shares crashed 4.7 percent at the closing bell on Tuesday. Its market value, for the first time, dipped under that of Tencent.

==CITIC Securities has posted one billion yuan, or 157 million US dollars in net profit last month.

This is down 31 percent from a month ago.

The broker generated revenue totaling 2.1 billion yuan in August, down 43 percent on a monthly basis.

==It is being reported that U.S. ride-hailing service Uber Technologies will enter 100 more Chinese cities over the next year.

Reuters says Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick made the comments at an event held by Uber investor Baidu in Beijing on Tuesday.

On Monday, Uber China said it had raised 1.2 billion US dollars as part of an ongoing fundraising round, while some insiders say larger local rival Didi Kuaidi had brought in 3 billion US dollars.

Uber has been aggressively ramping up operations in Asia: India is already the company's largest market outside the U.S.

==Chinese property developer Dalian Wanda has inked a "close cooperation" deal with China's largest electronics retailer, Suning.

The deal will allow Suning to open stores in Wanda's shopping centers nationwide.

40 Suning stores will be opened at Wanda Plaza outlets before the end of the year.

Suning runs more than 16-hundred outlets across China, together with one of the country's largest online retailing platforms.

And that concludes this edition of the weekly business review.

I'm Wenjie, thank you for listening.

SportsVinci, Pennetta, Murray and Peers advance in US Open as Williams crashes outNow for your US Open update:

Big news on the women's court:

Serena Williams suffered one of the greatest shocks in tennis history when unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci ended the American's hopes of a calendar grand slam.　Vinci is ranked 43rd in the world and has never gone further than the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam before.

But this would change when the 32-year-old came from a set down to beat Williams 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.　Serena said that Vinci has played her best game of tennis yet.

"I thought she played the best tennis in her career. You know, she's 33 and, you know, she's going for it at a late age. So that's good for her to keep going for it and playing so well. Actually, I guess it's inspiring. But, yeah, I think she played literally out of her mind."This loss means Williams' run of 33 consecutive Grand Slam victories has come to an end. 　In more more news on the Women's court:

Flavia Pennetta has reached her first Grand Slam final.　The 33-year-old Italian easily defeated second seed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-3.

While Pennetta looked calm and moved freely, Halep, a decade her junior, seemed tense and without much movement or fluidity in her stroke play.

Penetta claims that this victory and many before have been a surprise for her.

"I mean, it's amazing, because also 20 days ago my physio asked me if I was.... if I never think that I can win a Grand Slam or be in final of Grand Slam, and I say no. I mean, for a lot of reason I think my answer was no, but like always say you never know. I mean, you just have to play and try your best, and the good things coming when you never expect most of the time."The Romanian, who reached last year's French Open final, made 23 unforced errors to 10 winners.　Pennetta trailed 3-1 in the second set before winning 15 successive points to move within a game of victory.

The 26th seed will face fellow Italian Roberta Vinci in Saturday's final.

And on the men's court:

Scotsman Jamie Murray and partner John Peers of Australia advanced to men's doubles final after defeating the American duo of Sam Querry and Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-7, 7-6.

Murray, the brother of Andy Murray, and Peers advance to face France's Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Rio Olympic Games will be ready for 2016: Comms directorIn Rio 2016 Olympic news:

Communications Director of Rio 2016 Organizing Committee Mario Andrada said on Friday that his organization "would have everything ready" to start doing viral testing of the city's waters.

He explained the issue during a media briefing to talk about the launch of a train that would be part of the 2016 Cultural Olympiad.

Mario Andrada says that viral tests are already being structured by his committee.

"As you know, the viral tests need a structure, results, benchmark, all of this. So, we are making this structure ready because (Rio 2016 Organising Committee) President (Carlos Arthur) Nuzman said that we have to do this tests before the end of the year."Concern over water conditions comes after the Associated Press conducted a investigation showing dangerously high levels of viruses from human sewage at all Rio Olympic water venues.

South Africa Rugby team looks for supportNow for the latest in Rugby news:

As the South African team departed Johannesburg for the Rugby World Cup in England on Friday, Captain Jean de Villiers called for support from fans following recent race issues associated with their squads selection.

Critics of the South Africa Rugby Union have pointed to the minority of nine non-white players on Coach Heyneke Meyer's 31-man World Cup squad.

South Africa has made strides since Chester Williams broke the race ceiling as the only non-white player in the 1995 World Cup-winning team.

But SARU's goal of having non-white players make up half the national squad by 2019 seems remote.

As the team looked to depart Johannesburg, de Villiers said that his team is ready to play their hardest for their fans.

"There is 30 fine gentlemen here that will never give up. They will never give up when they don the Springbok journey, and they will make you proud. We might let you down at times, it might not be the squad you wanted it to be, but all I can ask you is now to get behind the team. We will, never, give up because we know what we stand for,"Rugby has a fraught history as a symbol of South Africa's racial divisions under apartheid. 　South Africa's team hopes to have full support as they start their campaign with a match against Pool B rivals Japan in Brighton on Saturday.

Matt Fitzpatrick climbing in the KLM OpenIn golf news:

England's Matt Fitzpatrick came agonizingly close to recording the first ever 59 on the European Tour on Friday as he charged into contention in the KLM Open.

A day after Paul Lawrie and Wade Ormsby shot 61 to share the overnight lead at Kennemer Golf Club, the 21-year-old Fitzpatrick went one better with 10 birdies and no bogeys in a flawless 60.

The former US Amateur champion from Sheffield needed to birdie the ninth to break the magical 60 barrier, but his putt came up short of the hole.

Nevertheless, it lifted him 99 places up the leaderboard and meant a halfway total of nine under par, three behind leader Soren Kjeldsen, who carded a second consecutive 64.

EntertainmentChinese film wins Fedeora award at Venice Film FestivalUnderground Fragrance, a film by Chinese director Peng Fei, was awarded Best Film in the Venice Days on Friday at the Venice International Film Festival.

The movie tells the story about three people living in the "Underground City", struggling for their dreams in Beijing: a migrant worker who salvages furniture to re-sell, a pole dancer and one citizen who's fighting for a better compensation deal for his to be demolished house.

In the film, the underground and surface become metaphors of a society undergoing complete transformation. Peng's camera pays particular attention to young generations that he believes need to be encouraged to pursue their dreams with concrete dedication and commitment.

Underground Fragrance is described as "sensitive and intelligent" in revealing the underbelly of modern Chinese society.

Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean, or the federo, says the film is directed with "great skill and conviction."Best Film in the Venice Days is an independent section at the festival promoted by the Italian Association of Filmmakers and Italy's audiovisual authors association 100 Autori.

It is the first time for a Chinese film to win the award.

Jason Wu unveils his Spring 2016 collectionChinese-American Designer Jason Wu has unveiled his Spring 2016 collection during New York Fashion Week on Friday.

Inspired by mid-century modern furniture, Jason Wu gets experimental with fabric, showcasing a collection filled with unusual textiles.

"Raffias, basket weave fabrics, this kind of rough sandy organza, silk organza that felt so modern. And the silk gauze that we frayed at the edges that gave you a sense of sophistication but in a very modern way."The designer, a favorite of first lady Michelle Obama, showcased his runway show in downtown Manhattan.

The 32-year-old, who considers himself a Millennial, said that his work is a reflection of the spirit of his generation.

"We are at an age, we are a buying behemoth. Buying designer clothes, thinking about collecting things that we want to keep forever. We are not so disposable anymore. And I think that mirrors how I design clothes. I don't design clothes that are good for one season, There is something timeless and forever about what I do, not overly trendy. And I think that is what my generation is all about right now."The New York Fashion Week runs through next Thursday, September 17th.

Benedict Cumberbatch Supports Syria Charity SingleActor Benedict Cumberbatch has recorded an introductory video message for a Save The Children charity single which aims to raise funds for the Syrian refugee crisis.

The hard-hitting short film which accompanies the song was made by Mat Whitecross, who uses interviews with children fleeing from Syria along with footage of boats making it to dry land.

Cumberbatch introduces the film, reciting lines from the poem Home.

"There's a poem by Warsan Shire called 'Home' - no-one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. You only run for the border when you see your whole city running as well. You have to understand that no-one puts children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land. As people watching this tragedy unfold from the safety of our homes with our safe children, we want to say that we see you, we hear you and help is coming."The single is a re-issue of the Crowded House hit 'Help is Coming' which was first recorded in 1995.

Speaking about the song, Crowded House's Neil Finn said: "It was always a song about refugees even if, at the time, I was thinking about the immigrants setting off on ships from Europe to America, looking for a better life for their families in America.

The new single is the brainchild of writers Caitlin Moran and Peter Paphides.

All proceeds from the track will go to Save the Children.

The Jackson 5 tops UK single chartThe Jackson 5 are at number one in the UK singles chart this week, after their 1970 hit single ABC was sampled by British DJ Sigala.

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

A recap of your headlines:

China's state counselor calling for increased Sino-US cooperation on major strategic issues...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers: I'm Spencer Musick in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together.