新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2016/02/14（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour (Saturday-Sunday)

Evening Edition

Shane Bigham with you on this Sunday, February 14th, 2016...

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

Coming up on the program this evening...

A Chinese official at the Munich Security Conference has told delegates that China stands for common security and an inclusive global order...

The head of China's central bank says there is no basis for any further devaluation of the yuan...

And Turkish artillery has shelled Kurdish positions near Aleppo in Syria...

Our weekly Science & Technology roundup will be heard in the second half of the program...

In sports...a shock defeat for Rafael Nadal in Argentina...

And in entertainment...the Chinese box office sets a new revenue record for the seven-day Spring Festival Holiday...

All of that coming up in the next hour, but first, just a reminder there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

You can follow us on our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

We're also on WeChat. Type in "Beijing Hour" to find us.

Email us directly at [email protected].

You can also visit crienglish.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top News

China stands for common security, inclusive world order: official

Anchor:

A senior Chinese official says Beijing stands for common security and calls for an inclusive world order.

Fu Ying, chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, made the remark during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference.

Our reporter Niu Honglin has the details.

Reporter:

Fu Ying says China does not want to see the world divided again by exclusive military blocks, and opposes the repression of China's political system by the U.S. and other Western countries.

She says China stands firmly for the international order and a system that is based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as Chinese President Xi Jinping put it in his speech in Seattle during his U.S. visit last September.

The remark was in response to concerns such as "China challenges the present international order" and "China is to establish a parallel system with the current international order."

She notes that China's role in international politics is garnering attention from the world because of China's position in the world economy.

The official adds that China advocates reform and the establishment of an equal and mutually beneficial international order and system, and aims to make more contributions to the world.

The panel discussion, titled "China and the International Order," was also joined by former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Robert Corker.

Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, praised China's participation in the Munich meetings.

"Chinese participation in Munich each year has become more and more important, even central. Chinese foreign policy is one of the most important elements in our joint efforts to have global stability and peace and to resolve conflicts, if possible peacefully. So I'm interested in having the strongest and the most senior-level Chinese participation."

Ischinger also expressed appreciation of the positive role played by China on the Syrian issue.

"I think China is playing a very constructive and important role. The important next step now is to get the parties on the ground, the government in Syria, and the rebel groups to actually implement what was agreed last night. This will be very difficult and complex, and this is why the major powers in the world including China will need to stand firm and united to make sure that we can now end this bloody civil war in Syria after almost five years."

The Munich Security Conference, an annual informal meeting on international security policy, focuses this year on the war in Syria, the refugee crisis, and the European security order.

For CRI, this is Niu Honglin.

China central bank: no reason for yuan to fall further

People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan says the Chinese yuan has no basis for further depreciation.

The central banks chief was interviewed by Caixin magazine and blamed foreign speculators in part for volatility in the yuan.

He said China would keep the yuan basically stable versus a basket of currencies while allowing greater volatility against the U.S. dollar.

In addition, Zhou Xiaochuan suggested that speculators should not be allowed to dominate market sentiment regarding China's foreign exchange reserves and it was quite normal for reserves to fall and rise.

China's foreign reserves fell for a third straight month in January, as the central bank dumped dollars to defend the yuan and prevent an increase in capital outflows.

Zhou said he believes yuan exchange reform will help the market be more flexible in dealing with speculative forces.

Beijing official to HK, local officials condemn Mong Kok riot

Anchor:

Top Chinese central government official in Hong Kong has strongly condemned the radical separatist forces behind the mob violence in Mong Kok during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Our reporter Huang Yue has details.

Reporter:

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the central government in Hong Kong, says he was shocked and saddened to learn about the Mong Kok riot.

"We strongly condemn those rioters who maliciously committed beatings, smashed property, committed arson and other violent crimes. We strongly condemn those radical separatists whose behaviors got more and more violent and even showed terror tendencies."

The incident started late on February 8, after a handful of illegal street vendors refused to halt business in Mong Kok, a busy commercial district, and clashed with law enforcement officials.

Hundreds of rioters then arrived, attacking police officers and journalists, smashing police vehicles and committing arson.

The police were forced to fire two warning shots in a bid to rescue personnel.

Zhang Xiaoming says he believes the Hong Kong government can and will handle the criminal cases appropriately.

In the meantime, he also dismissed remarks that attempt to whitewash the bloody violence.

He says people in Hong Kong have a consensus on the building of a peaceful society.

"It is the largest consensus in Hong Kong that Hong Kong should never be "in chaos'. They won't tolerate any radical minority separatists to ruin the most precious legal environment."

The remark was echoed by Hong Kong's chief executive CY Leung who said on Sunday that the rioters represent only a small segment of society.

"Of the people who have been arrested by police so far, the jobless constituted the majority, instead of middle school or university students. And a large number of them belong to radical political groups. Therefore, their political demands and violent means were not representative of the society, nor did they represent the majority."

Leung also voiced support for the upgrading of police equipment and the reinforcement of manpower in response to the increasing violence lately.

"The government is calling on the public, especially the political parties, not to make excuses for or attempt to rationalize the violence and the motivations behind it, let alone whitewashing the rioters."

Nearly 100 people were injured during the confrontation.

As of Saturday, police have arrested more than 60 suspects and 41 of them have been charged with rioting.

For CRI, I'm Huang Yue.

Traffic authorities beef up measures to cope with travel rush

China's traffic authorities have tightened measures to deal with travel rush on Sunday as over 10 million trips are expected to be made.

The pressure on railways has been intensified as many passengers are diverted from taking flights or buses to travel back home after a strong cold front has swept across China.

Huang Zhaoling is a senior official with Guiyang railway station.

"We have improved the rail capacity by increasing and reconnecting trains. We have increased 14.5 pairs of conventional trains. And the number of high-speed trains is gaining at all times. We have increased 13 more pairs of trains heading to Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, and Nanjing."

Rail authorities have reported that 10.3 million trips were made by train on Saturday.

This has set a daily record for the Spring Festival travel rush, known as "Chunyun."

Over 840 thousand of the rail trips on Saturday were made by the Beijing Railway Bureau, up 5.6 percent year on year.

Railway passenger numbers started to rise on Friday as the week-long Chinese lunar New Year holiday ended on Saturday.

Highway authorities have estimated a 12 percent increase in traffic volume compared with the same period of last year.

Low temperatures and rain or snow brought by the cold front sweeping the country are hampering the traffic flow.

Extra traffic policemen were dispatched to roads in various parts of the country with large traffic flow to ease gridlock.

Yu Kai is an officer working at the highway connecting Chengdu and Ya'an city in Sichuan province.

"We have implemented measures to disperse and control the traffic. We have tightened controls on trucks and vehicles that carry dangerous chemicals from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon."

The civil aviation authority also estimates that more than 8.5 million trips have been made during the Spring Festival holiday a 3 percent increase from last year.

Many airlines have announced extra flights to ease traffic pressure.

China Southern Airlines implemented nearly 1800 flights on Saturday. Nearly 300,000 trips have been made. According to the airline, around 200 extra flights are set to be put in use from Sunday.

The "Chunyun" period is regarded as the world's largest annual human migration.

The return rush is expected to last until Lantern Festival which falls next Monday.

China sees 11.2 percent increase in Spring Festival consumption

China's consumers market boomed during the week-long holiday for the Spring Festival.

Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows retail and catering industries achieved sales volume of 750 billion yuan, or 115 billion U.S. dollars during the holiday.

It represents an increase of 11.2 percent over the holiday week last year.

Sales volumes of key monitored enterprises in Hubei, Guangxi, Shaanxi and Heilongjiang saw year-on-year growth of over 10 percent.

Sales of traditional festival-related goods, catering, recreation and sports, and tourism were the backbone of Spring Festival spending.

High-end goods such as jewelry and digital products also saw big growth, with monkey-shaped gold and silver accessories especially popular with consumers.

China launches online platform to register fund-raising victims

China has launched an online platform to record investors and investments in illegal fundraising cases.

The Ministry of Public Security says the website will be used to help investigation in such cases.

It will also be the basis for investors who were swindled out of money to receive compensation for their losses.

Investors in online peer-to-peer broker ezubao and its related companies, which are under investigation for illegal fundraising, will be given priority when registering their losses.

Hong Daode, professor at China University of Political science and Law, says compared with the traditional financial fund-raising, Internet financing has more risk.

"The Internet is a virtual space. Especially for fund-raising, we don't know how many people involve in the activities. There are so many uncertainty in the process. Investors raise a huge amount of money in a short time with illegal purpose, which will bring them more risk."

Industry experts say the Internet financial sector will enter a phase of adjustment this year.

Regulators will safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of investors.

China to approve its first sound trademark

The signature tune of China Radio International is to be approved as China's first sound trademark.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce said on Sunday that it has reviewed the application from CRI and plans to approve it.

A sound trademark protects a sound that is used to perform the trademark function, uniquely identifying the commercial origin of products or services.

Famous examples include the Nokia tune and the "I'm lovin' it" jingle of McDonald's.

China's top legislature revised the Trademark Law to allow sound to be registered as a trademark in 2013.

Authorities have received 450 applications so far.

China to launch domestic gravitational wave research project

A Chinese project to research gravitational waves is awaiting government approval, following the news that a US team has become the first-ever to detect gravitational waves.

The Chinese project - called Tianqin - was initiated by Sun Yat-sen University in July of last year.

Tianqin has made progress on some key technologies and will be carried out in four stages in the next two decades.

Sun Yat-sen University is planning to build a 5,000-square-meter observatory and a new lab on Fenghuang Mountain in Zhuhai City.

Love hotels business growing on Valentine's Day

Anchor:

More love hotels can be seen in many of China's big cities after entrepreneurs spotted a business opportunity in the country's changing sexual attitudes.

The business is especially booming around Valentine's Day.

CRI's reporter Guo Yan has the details.

Reporter:

Queues formed at the reception desk at a love hotel in Wuhan, the capital city of central China's Hubei Province.

They are popular among young couples who are looking to try something new.

"We're tired of normal hotels where there is nothing new. So we decided to try something special."

The decor of the rooms is a key feature that sets them apart from normal hotels.

They have various themes, but mainly consist of fantasy interiors, decorated in bright colors and are dimly lit to create a romantic atmosphere in each room.

A circular mattress and jacuzzi are standard.

However, opinions are divided on the love-themed hotels.

Some residents believe that such hotels are made for young, unmarried couples.

"We won't go there, because we are already married. Those are for young couples"

Yet some are interested.

"We will definitely try the love hotels, because we are in love. I think the love hotel rooms must be very romantic."

Love hotels have been popular in Japan for decades.

Statistics show that there are more than 30,000 love hotels in Japan.

Even in the most serious economic recession after the second world war, the business was particularly thriving in the country with an astonishing growth of 40 billion US dollars per year.

Now the theme hotels have sprung up across China.

Yet for business insiders, this is nothing romantic - it's a serious industry.

Various businesses and investors are eager to get a chunk of the emerging market.

Wang Fang is the manager of the Tian E Lian Love Hotel.

She says the hotel chain hopes to build an empire of 100 locations in five years.

"We don't feel any competition from other love hotels, because China has a large market indeed. There are 300 to 500 theme hotels across the country. Compared with China's large population, it is just a drop in the bucket."

But some customers say the standards at these hotels have a long way to go before they are adequate.

"I think the love hotel industry in Taiwan and Japan is more mature. The love hotels in China are just trying to imitate the environment and styles of those in Japan, but there is still a gap."

Experts believe the booming industry reflects a changing attitude towards sex in Chinese society.

Peng Xiaohui is a sex education professor at Central China Normal University.

"According to the psychologist Abraham Maslow, people pursue higher needs and happiness in their lives if their living conditions have already reached a certain level. So with the development of the economy, there is obviously huge potential for the sex-related market in China."

Experts say that this potential for growth has led entrepreneurs to believe there are more business opportunities in China's sex-related industry.

For CRI this is Guo Yan.

NY Valentines Day chocolate package

Anchor:

Valentines Day means big business for chocolate makers around the world.

But fears over the price of chocolate's main ingredient cocoa has seen US manufacturers hike the cost of their candy in recent years.

That means getting into your Valentine's good graces could cost a little extra.

CRI's William Denselow reports from New York.

Reporter:

Whipping up another batch of chocolate covered marzipan. As Margaret Schmidt gets ready for the Valentine's Day rush.

She's been running Schmidt's Candies in Queens New York for 30 years and expects to sell about 40,000 hand dipped chocolates for the holiday.

"I have never sold as many dark walnuts ever in my entire life here but now it's healthy combined with the dark chocolate. We don't stand by the milk chocolate, the hipsters that come in know they want the dark."

But this change in taste comes at a cost. A growing desire for richer chocolate and more demand from emerging markets is putting strain on the supply of cocoa.

In 2014 the price for cocoa beans rose 60% compared to 2012. In response US chocolate giant Hershey's rose its average wholesale price by 8%.

Cocoa prices have dipped since then but economics professor at New York University Lawrence White says it's not easy for supply to catch up with demand.

"You can get cycles but the basic thing is it takes a while, not a short while being multiple years before you can get responsiveness."

And for now not everyone in New York seems convinced it's worth paying a little extra for their chocolate fix. Even around Valentine's Day.

"We still buy them but perhaps not as much as we used to"

"Bars are just so small now, it's ridiculous and they have gone up in price."

"I feel that chocolate's just my go to so I'm just always going to buy it."

At the expense of their bottom line- Schmidt's Candies have kept prices unchanged.

But larger chocolate makers are taking steps to ensure their main ingredient is protected.

Roughly 70% of the world's cocoa comes from West and Central Africa and major chocolate makers like Hershey's say they're committed to helping local farmers in these areas thrive.

And with harsh weather threatening to affect crops there this year- chocoholics hope these companies are putting their money where their mouths are.

For CRI, I'm William Denselow in New York

Turkey shells Kurdish controlled areas near Syria's Aleppo

It's been confirmed that Turkish artillery shelled positions of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, in Syria's northern province of Aleppo on Saturday.

So far, no causalities or losses have been reported.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey retaliated after YPG fighters carried out "harassing actions" on the border.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also demanded the group withdraw from the area.

"We will retaliate against every step by the YPG. YPG and the forces behind it should be aware of Turkey's stance. The YPG will immediately withdraw from Azaz and the surrounding area and will not go close to it again. It will not attempt to shut that corridor ever again. It will not have delusions of using Menagh base to attack the Syrian opposition. It will evacuate that airbase. I have conveyed these issues to US Vice President Joe Biden."

The Kurds have been Turkey's worst nightmare, especially after they have made notable gains in northern Syria.

Turkish officials have repeatedly said they will not allow the Kurds in Syria to take more territory near the Turkish border.

The recent escalation also came as the talks about a ground intervention by Saudi and Turkish troops in Syria have made headlines in recent days.

Brazilian troops begin public action phase against Zika

Anchor:

Brazilian troops have started the first phase of a nation-wide campaign against the mosquito carrying the Zika virus.

CRI's Fei Fei reports.

Reporter:

The public action phase involves 220 thousand military personnel from the army, navy and air force.

They were deployed on the streets to hand out leaflets warning of dangers of still and stagnant water as breeding grounds for the yellow fever mosquito and methods for them to be removed and prevented.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff says the aim of the operation is to get each and every person to do their part in the war aginst the mosquito.

"The government will do its part together with the state governors, mayors, health agents and the armed forces. However, just us will not be enough. We need the population engaged in the fight in the spirit of Zika Zero and stop the mosquito from reproducing. The mosquito cannot be born."

She also says Rio will be prioritized in the operation as it is this year's Olympic host city.

"Here, Rio de Janeiro, is where the Olympics will take place, so we are in the process of an operation focused towards this issue. It is important to highlight that the virus has harmful effects for pregnant women, so we are carrying out an extremely focused operation to exterminate the mosquito whilst we do not have a vaccine. Certain cities will be prioritised, one of which is Rio de Janeiro, for obvious reasons."

The first phase was received positively on Saturday, as residents like Alan Lima welcomed the new approach.

"The Armed Forces have a lot of credibility, not only the army, but the navy and air force too, they have greater facilities than we do to address these things."

In the next phase of the operation, armed forces will visit three million homes to identify problem areas and distribute larvicide and insecticide.

It will start on Monday and cost 500 million reals or 125 million U.S. dollars.

The outbreak of Zika has affected Brazil's tourism industry and raised concerns among health officials preparing for the Olympic Games.

The Zika virus is believed to be linked to a surge in Brazil of babies being born with the brain defect microcephaly.

But there is no effective vaccine for Zika at the moment and little known about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly.

Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,300 suspected cases of microcephaly.

The WHO earlier said that it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of Zika vaccine.

For CRI, this is Fei Fei.

Democratic White House on collision course with Republican Congress on Supreme Court nomination

U.S. President Barack Obama says he plans to nominate a new Supreme Court justice to replace Antonin Scalia following news of the 79-year-old's death.

Obama paid tribute to Scalia's legacy on the bench in brief remarks to reporters in California on Saturday.

"Today is a time to remember Justice Scalia's legacy. I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibilities to nominate a successor in due time. There will be plenty of time for me to do so and for the Senate to fulfill its responsibility to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote. These are responsibilities that I take seriously as should everyone."

However, the US president did not give any indication about who he would nominate to replace Scalia.

The judge's death sets up a major political showdown between Obama and the Republican-controlled Senate over who will replace him on the top bench just months before a presidential election.

Scalia died at a ranch resort in West Texas.

The Supreme Court has lowered its U.S. flag in honor of him.

Al-Shaabab claims responsibility for Daallo Airlines bomb attack

The militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack on Daallo Airlines last week.

The group said it carried out the operation as a campaign to hit Western targets and Turkish NATO forces present in Somalia.

The Daallo Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off last week from Mogadishu.

The statement came as investigations by Somali intelligence and the US FBI are underway, as the Somali government has declared the incident an act of terror.

Over 40 people have been arrested.

It's been reported that some aviation staff are believed to have been involved in the attack.

Cuba returns American missile mistakenly shipped to Havana

The Cuban government has announced that it has returned a dummy U.S. Hellfire missile, which was mistakenly shipped to Havana from Europe in 2014.

The Hellfire, a laser-guided air-to-surface missile, arrived in Havana in July 2014 from Paris.

Cuba decided to initiate talks to return it, as the US government made an official explanation to Havana and requested the missile's return.

U.S. defense experts traveled to Havana and brought the missile home on Saturday.

Weather

Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of minus 7; sunny tomorrow with a high of 5.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a low of 0; tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 5.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 4; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 7.

Lhasa, clear tonight with a low of -1; sunny tomorrow with a high of 14.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad will be sunny tommorrow with a high of 20.

Kabul, cloudy, 0.

In the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will have slight rain with a high of 26.

Brisbane, cloudy, 31.

Perth, cloudy, 36.

And finally Auckland will see some clouds with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Headline news

China reports safer lunar New Year holiday

Security officials in Beijing say the seven-day Spring Festival holiday recorded fewer traffic accidents compared to previous years.

The Ministry of Public Security says road accidents and deaths were down more than 30 percent compared to last year. More than 1.5 million traffic violations were recorded across the country, of which more than 4,700 were for drunk driving.

Police face increasing pressure each year to maintain traffic safety, as more and more cars are on the road each year. More than 140-thousand police officers and 40-thousand cop cars were deployed during the holiday.

In addition, festive celebrations in major cities and scenic spots were safe and orderly this year, with no serious fires, firework explosions, or stampedes reported.

Beijing official denounces Mong Kok riot

A central government official in Hong Kong has extended sympathy with the police and reporters in Hong Kong who were injured in the recent Mong Kok riot, and have voiced condemnation of the violence.

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the central government in Hong Kong, denounced the unrest carried out by radical minority separatsts, saying it had characteristics of terrorism.

The official says he believes it is the largest consensus in Hong Kong that the city should never be "in chaos."

China's first Zika patient discharged from hospital

China's first Zika patient was discharged from hospital today.

The 34-year-old man, surnamed Liu, had traveled to Venezuela and showed symptoms of fever, headache and dizziness on Jan. 28, before returning to Jiangxi Province.

He was admitted to hospital last week and was confirmed to be China's first Zika patient.

Doctor say all of his symptoms have subsided.

Suspected Ebola case reported in Vietnam

It's being reported that a man has been quarantined at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after coming back from Africa with Ebola symptoms.

The 27-year-old man arrived in the city on Thursday with symptoms including high fever and a dry cough.

He was transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases for quarantine and observation.

The man worked as a photographer in Sierra Leone and was being treated as a tuberculosis patient.

Ebola has killed over 11-thousand people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since December 2013.

Sci&Tech (Sunday)

Anchor:

It's time to catch up on the latest from the science and technology sector in our Weekly Sci-Tech feature.

This week we look at some tech savvy travelers finding a new way to avoid the Spring Festival travel rush.

UK scientists are looking into beards for solutions to the looming antibiotic crisis.

And Rio de Janeiro is set to use cloud technology to monitor the upcoming Olympic games.

All the latest with CRI's Wen Jie.

Reporter:

An emerging smartphone app is changing the way people travel during the annual Spring Festival holiday.

Some tech savvy travelers are now using the online ride-sharing app "Hitch" to make trips in time for New Year celebrations.

35-year-old Chen Xiao, who works in real estate in Shanghai, is one of the pioneers.

"If I try and buy plane tickets, I can't be guaranteed that I will get a flight on the day I want to leave, and train tickets are really hard to buy, so I decided to drive back. But if I'm driving on my own it's too lonely, so I thought I would try this ride-sharing app and pool some people together."

The app, offered by taxi-hailing service Didi Chuxing, provides an opportunity for people traveling between the same cities to find fellow passengers with whom they can share the journey and the expenses.

During China's peak travel season, almost 2.9 billion trips are estimated to take place during the 40-day period between January 21st and March 3rd.

Many plane tickets are expensive or only have limited availability as a result.

Train tickets are also traditionally booked up well in advance.

Didi spokesperson Wang Mingze says they hope to provide another option for the public.

"We launched this matchmaking function (in order to help us) make this inter-city car sharing service become another (regular) method of transport alongside planes, trains and public transport. We want to be included in this list because for Chinese people getting home at Spring Festival is the most important thing."

It was estimated that by the end of the festival period, more than one million will have pooled their journeys home and back again.

China has launched a new-generation satellite to support and expand its global navigation and positioning network "Beidou."

The satellite was the 21st of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System and the fifth of the new generation.

Once in orbit, the satellite will join its four predecessors in testing inter-satellite crosslinks and a new navigation-signaling system that will set the framework and technical standards to allow a worldwide expansion.

Yang Changfeng is the chief designer of the Beidou system.

"The satellite will further verify our technology of the homegrown inter-satellite crosslink system as well as our global coverage."

Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, the Beidou project began in 1994, 16 years after the GPS system was launched.

China plans to expand the Beidou service to most of the countries covered in its "Belt and Road" initiative by 2018, and offer full global coverage by 2020.

Researchers at MIT are developing stretchable hydrogels that share many of the same properties of human tissue, and which are expected to revolutionize the way doctors diagnose and treat patients.

Zhao Xuanhe is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"Hydrogel is a polymer network infiltrated with water. Even though it is only 5 to 10 percent polymer, this network is extremely important."

The polymer network under development is highly stretchable and adheres easily to surfaces.

Most importantly, the network is specifically designed to be compatible with the human body, and the technology could potentially give rise to a new class of biomedical devices.

Zhao says those types of applications could turn an ordinary band-aid into a tool to actively monitor and heal wounds autonomously.

"Once the sensor senses an abnormal increase in temperature, for example, it will send out a command. Then the controlled drug delivery system can deliver a specific drug to that specific location,"

The researchers hope that soon healing everything from a scratch to an ulcer will be as simple as putting on a band-aid.

Researchers at the University College London have found that beards may be a promising solution to the looming crisis of antibiotic resistance.

The discovery came after a separate study to test the theory that most beards contain traces of faeces.

Swab samples were taken from 20 beards, with at least 100 bacteria growths detected.

Dr. Adam Roberts is a microbiologist from UCL.

"So there was a previous study that showed there was a lot of faecal bacteria present in some of the beards analysed, and the press caught this and ran with the headline 'There's more poo in beards than there is in a toilet'. We wanted to either disprove or prove that that was actually correct, and we could find no evidence of that."

Microbiologists subsequently ran tests on all of the isolates that were taken from the beards as part of the research into new antibiotics.

Of about a hundred bacteria isolates taken from 20 beards, around 25 percent of these showed antibiotic activity against their indicator strain.

The team at UCL has been asking members of the public to send in swab samples to his laboratory from places where bacteria might be thriving.

UK-based budget airline easyJet is working to incorporate an innovative new hydrogen fuel cell system into its future aircraft.

The concept uses a hydrogen fuel cell that captures kinetic energy through the aircraft's wheels as it brakes on landing.

That energy can then be used by the aircraft when taxiing on runways prior to take off, therefore avoiding the need to burn costly fuel through its jet engines.

EasyJet claims this system could save around 50-thousand tonnes of fuel and associated carbon emissions each year.

Ian Davies is head of engineering at easyJet.

"We pulled together a kind of basic idea around could we use a hydrogen fuel cell to power our aircraft now while they're on the ground instead of using diesel engine power or fixed ground power units."

The aviation industry has experimented with hydrogen fuel cell technology in the past.

However, big airlines and aircraft makers are yet to adopt it.

Speed is always a key theme for any Olympics.

As for the upcoming Rio games, the need for speed is not just on the track but also in the cloud.

During the games, the new Technology Operations Centre will be monitoring all 144 venues, analyzing and uploading the results and performance of 14,850 athletes, so fans can get information instantly with the swipe of a screen.

Official video cameras monitor all the games and the videos are stored at a central facility for future reference.

Gustavo Nascimento is the Sports Venues Design Manager.

"Our technology centre gathers all the information regarding results and data networks operating at each installation. They process this data and return them to our clients. So we are having a great amount of work testing the lab, testing the installations, all of the optical fibre networks that feed that data leaving the lab from here to there and back."

Every time an athlete performs at the Olympic and Paralympic games the public will have access to a much greater amount of information than in earlier games.

And that wraps up this edition of our weekly science and technology report.

Thank you for listening. I'm Wen Jie. See you next time.

Sports

Nadal and Thiem talk after Thiem's semi-final win at Argentina Open

Rafael Nadal suffered a shock defeat to Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals of the Argentina Open on Saturday.

Nadal had won his only previous clash with 22-year-old Thiem comfortably on clay at the French Open, but this time the Austrian prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4).

Thiem is the youngest player in the top 20 and showed his growing maturity by saving a match point in the final set.

Thiem called it the biggest win of his career.

"You have to be aggressive against him (Nadal) because once you are on the defence, the chance to win the point is like, zero. I tried to be close to the line and most of the time, it worked out well. I was also lucky of course to save the match point with this forehand winner."

Top seed Rafael Nadal expressed his disappointment.

"I started the year well and then I obviously did not play well in Australia (lost in first round at Australian Open). It was a bit difficult to adjust to the extreme conditions here. I felt more tired than usual, which is why I said that I need to find more consistency in my game. I know that the Rio Olympics will be as hot as this so I have to keep trying to adapt."

The former world number one finished 2015 in decent form but has struggled so far this year, losing to Novak Djokovic in the final in Doha, and suffering a first-round loss to Fernando Verdasco in the opening round of the Australian Open.

Chinese Olympic champion Zhang makes podium in speeskating worlds

Chinese Olympic champion Zhang Hong has picked up a bronze medal at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Russia.

She finished behind racers from South Korea and the US in the women's 500 meter event.

Zhang posted her second-best time during her first run but was a little slower in her second attempt.

German Neureuther wins World Cup slalom

German veteran Felix Neureuther won a World Cup slalom on Sunday, more than 40 years after his father Christian reached the podium at the same venue.

It was the younger Neureuther's first victory of the season, and the 12th of his career.

He finished just ahead of Sweden's Andre Myhrer and Austria's Marco Schwarz.

Austrian Marcel Hirscher, who failed to complete the first run, remains the overall World Cup leader.

Yao Ming is NBA Hall of Fame finalist

Anchor:

The NBA is honoring some of its past stars -- as Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, and Allen Iverson have all been named as finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming was among the fourteen finalists announced Friday for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2016 Class as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto.

On Friday, many big players gathered for the nominee announcement. Even among those who loom largest, Yao stands alone as he awaits an honor he didn't even know existed growing up in China.

"Honestly, in the early age of my basketball career — I mean, not career, but while I was playing in school — we don't know much about the outside world: in States, hall of fame, those things. We didn't know that until the late '90s, but still that was almost light years away from us."

Back in 2002, after dominating the CBA with the Shanghai Sharks and winning a title, Yao was selected first overall by the NBA's Houston Rockets.

It was a moment in NBA history as the Chinese hero brought the association into millions of households, helping to open up a new, huge market.

Averaging 19 points and nine rebounds over his injury shortened career Yao is loved and respected by his peers, including Dwyane Wade, who calls Yao "groundbreaking."

"He was a heck of a player. You know, a big guy that can shoot the way that he could shoot, that has the touch he had, the footwork he had, and all those things. I mean, he was a big guy to play against. I never got a chance to dunk on him. I tried one time, and I ended up on the ground. But he was just great for our game."

Part player, part ambassador, Yao Ming is seen as a bridge between China and the United States, both on and off the court.

Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner, speaks highly of Yao's role in promoting basketball globally.

"We hosted a Special Olympics game today. Again, just an incredible moment. It was Special Olympics basketball players participating with former NBA players, and there was Yao (Ming) coaching on the sidelines and motivating those kids. So I mean, that's who he is. And while he's here, you also mentioned Basketball without Borders. I mean he's truly a global basketball icon."

Yao was revealed as a finalist for the hall of fame during All Star Weekend in Toronto on Friday, but the official announcement of his enshrinement into the Hall won't come until early April.

If he enters, he will be the first Chinese player to earn such an honour.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

Manchester United's Juan Mata a transfer target for at least THREE Chinese Super League clubs

It's been reported that Manchester United's Juan Mata is the latest big-name who has been asked to join China's football revolution.

Mata, who joined Manchester United from Chelsea in a 41 million U.S. dollars transfer two years ago, is understood to be lining up a move back to Spain with Atletico Madrid this summer.

Diego Simeone's club registered an interest in signing midfielder Mata last month, but were struggling to meet a 33 million U.S. dollars asking price – along with the player's $190 thousand-a-week deal.

But now it's been reported that at least three clubs from the Chinese Super League have been in contact over a potential deal for the 27-year-old.

Mata has two years left on his current contract, and is unlikely to be granted an extension.

The cash on the table would ensure a healthy pay-raise for the Spanish international.

China's Luneng saddened by former coach Santrac' death

Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng was saddened with the sudden death of former coach Slobodan Santrac.

Santrac, also former Yugoslavia coach, died of heart attack on Feb. 13. at his Belgrade home. He was 69.

Luneng later published a statement to express the team's deepest grief to their former coach and send their condolences to Santrac's family.

Santrac had coached former Yugoslavia national team and led it to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.

He led Luneng to China's first league-FA Cup double in the 1999-2000 season.

Entertainment

Spring Festival Box Office Scores Record High

China's box office totaled 3 billion yuan, or 460 million U.S. dollars, during the six days of the Spring Festival holiday, which is a record.

The box office from Feb. 8th till yesterday increased by more-than two-thirds compared to the same period of last year.

Three Chinese films contributed to more than 90 percent of the box office.

"The Mermaid" has topped the box office with almost one and a half billion yuan.

Directed by famous Hong Kong comedian and director Stephen Chow, the film tells the story of a young man rescued by a mermaid after a boat crash and the adventures the two get into.

Meanwhile, "From Vegas to Macau III", has scored 680 million yuan and took second place.

The movie, which is the third episode of the "From Vegas to Macau" franchise, features Hong Kong super star Chow Yun-fat and Andy Lau.

"The Monkey King 2" took third place with the box office of 650 million yuan.

3D animated film "Kung Fu Panda 3" also achieved a good box office of 200 million yuan during the holiday with its total box office reaching 812 million yuan since its debut on Jan. 29th.

China's box office reached about 44 billion yuan in 2015, up almost 50 percent over the previous year.

China has been one of the fastest growing film markets globally and experts have estimated that the country may overtake the United States to be the world's largest film market in the next two to three years.

"Things to Come"Premiers in Competition at the Berlin Film Festival

Iconic French actress Isabelle Huppert joined director Mia Hansen-Love on Saturday night at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of their drama "Things To Come."

The movie centers on Huppert's character Nathalie, a philosophy teacher who, after being confronted with a series of misfortunes, decides to make changes in her life.

"Things To Come" is the fifth feature film from Hansen-Love, and Huppert jumped at the chance to work with the young director.

For the filmmaker, getting the veteran of French cinema on board for the project was also a dream come true.

"It was amazing, because she is such an incredible actress, she's so subtle, she's so smart and she's so involved in the film too. I had never worked with a famous actress before. I used to work with young actors, often unprofessional ones, but it didn't feel that different in the end. I mean, I was very impressed by her, but at the same time, it was quite natural. "

"Things To Come" is one of 18 films screening in-competition at the German festival, and Hansen-Love is one of only two female directors with movies in the category.

The 66th Berlin Film Festival runs from Thursday to next Sunday, with 434 films from 77 countries and regions screened. 18 films will compete for the golden and silver bears awards.

Among them is the Chinese film "Crosscurrent," directed by Chinese director Yang Chao.

Serbian director Emir Kusturica announced jury president for Shanghai International Film Festival

European director Emir Kusturica has been appointed as head of the international jury for the upcoming Shanghai International Film Festival this year.

The announcement was made yesterday in Berlin.

Kusturica and the jury will decide on a series of 'Golden Goblet' awards for the films in competition.

The director himself has won several awards in many international competitions including the Venice Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

The 19th Shanghai International film festival will build on its collaboration with the Tokyo International Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival.

It will also present "Shakespeare on Film - Shakespeare's 400th Anniversary Film Screenings" with the British Film Institute and British Council to celebrate Shakespeare 400 years after his death.

The film festival will be held from June 11th to the 19th.

Academy Hands Out SciTech Awards

The Scientific and Technical Academy Awards, also known as the SciTech Oscars, were handed out in Beverly Hills yesterday to the unsung heroes of Hollywood - the technology designers.

The ceremony was hosted by actors Jason Segel and Olivia Munn.

33 individual recipients have been honored by the Academy for 10 scientific and technical achievements, including a tracker and solver that helps interact digital and live-action elements in the same scene, a ubiquitous 3D digital paint system and a 3D printing technique for animation.

There was a special award to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, for its one hundred years of contribution to motion picture technological standards.

Weather

Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of minus 7; sunny tomorrow with a high of 5.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a low of 0; tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 5.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 4; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 7.

Lhasa, clear tonight with a low of -1; sunny tomorrow with a high of 14.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad will be sunny tommorrow with a high of 20.

Kabul, cloudy, 0.

In the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will have slight rain with a high of 26.

Brisbane, cloudy, 31.

Perth, cloudy, 36.

And finally Auckland will see some clouds with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

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

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

A Chinese official at the Munich Security Conference has told delegates that China stands for common security and an inclusive global order...

The head of China's central bank says there is no basis for any further devaluation of the yuan...

And Turkish artillery has shelled Kurdish positions near Aleppo in Syria...

In sports...a shock defeat for Rafael Nadal in Argentina...

And in entertainment...the Chinese box office sets a new revenue record for the seven-day Spring Festival Holiday...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour team, its Shane Bigham in Beijing. Tune into the next edition of the Beijing Hour. Let's open a window to the world together..