新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2016/02/21（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Morning Edition

Spencer Musick with you on this Sunday Feburary 21st 2016.

Welcome the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the program this morning...

China's commerce minister expressing confidence in the recovery of the country's foreign trade figures...

China rolling out a new plan to boost traditional Chinese medicine, as the ancient science continues to gain international use and acclaim...

And nationwide rallies in at least 40 cities across the US have been held on behalf of NYPD officer Peter Liang...

In the 2nd half of the hour- its the latest edition of our weekly sci-tech feature...

In sports.... FA Cup holders Arsenal have been held to a scoreless draw at Emirates by second division Hull City...

In entertainment...The 2016 Berlin Film Festival is drawing to a close after nine days...

Top News

China's Commerce Minister Confident in Stable Trade Growth in 2016

China's commerce minister has expressed confidence in the recovery of foreign trade despite the global economic prospects remainng grim this year.

Gao Hucheng notes that the country is still faced with difficulties such as the global economic slowdown.

"Based on the global markets, the difficulties in 2015 will not decrease or be solved this year. Instead, it might get worse. This, in fact, has seriously affected international trade. No one can be immune from it in today's globalized economy. This is a judgment on the situation, and we must take precautions and be fully aware of the difficulties."

Gao also says that though the country has seen declines in foreign trade recently, its share in international trade has climbed.

"According to our preliminary calculation, China's share in international trade increases 1 percent from 12.2 to 13.2 percent, making it the fastest growth year in the past few years."

Official stats show that last month saw China's exports fell 6.6 percent year on year while imports are down 14 percent.

The total value of both exports and imports declined 7 percent for the whole year of last year.

At the same time, the minister refutes sayings of the "large-scale departures of foreign investment" in China.

"If foreign investment does depart from China, then two sets of numbers would show problems. The amount of foreign investment which was introduced earlier would drop. But our level of foreign investment actually increased in 2014 and 2015. The second judgment is to see whether there is a decline in gross. From the period of opening and reforming until now, we absorbed 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars of foreign capital stock."

China attracted some 126 billion U.S. dollars of foreign investment in 2015, a year-on-year increase of 5.6 percent.

Foreign direct investment also increased by 3.2 percent last month.

Lagarde Confident about Chinese Economy

Anchor

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde has made a statement expressing confidence in the Chinese economy.

She made the remarks in Washington, D.C., after she was acclaimed for a second five year term as the head of the IMF.

CRI's Guo Yan has details.

Reporter

Lagarde said the effort to transit the Chinese economy comes at a tough time, with declining oil prices and fluctuating global markets.

"You know, we clearly understand the multiple layered transitions through which the Chinese economy is going and will continue to go, if I am to read the various interviews that I have been given recently, and the conversation that I have had with Premier Li .And, those transitions are not going to be just a walk-in-the-park. There will be difficulties on the way, turbulences, and it will not necessarily be as--, as smooth as, as I said, as a walk-in-the-park."

The IMF chief stresses that China needs better policy communication with financial markets during its economic transition.

She praised recent clarifications about Chinese exchange rate policy by Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China's central bank, as a good example of effective communications.

"So, what's critical is, number one, a good and solid communication.　This is something I have said before and that I think is--, is being heard.　I believe, in particular, that the interview by Governor Zhou, a few days ago was a good example of how communication can actually clear the uncertainties and the trepidation."

In a recent interview, Bank of China head Zhou Xiaochuan said there is no basis for the continued depreciation of the Chinese currency, and that "China would not let market sentiment be dominated by speculative forces."

According to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System, Zhou's comments helped ease the depreciation pressure on the yuan, with the currency rising about 0.84 percent against the U.S. dollar, capping the biggest weekly gain in almost a year.

Legarde says China needs to move forward with the major reforms it is planning.

She is confident that China will handle its economic structural reforms well.

"There are structural reforms, there are restructurings to be had in the Chinese economy, which the leaders know well about and are anticipating. You know, it's one of the largest economies in the world. And I think the sense of responsibility that I've always seen in the Chinese leadership should certainly make us understand that they themselves know what role they play in the global economy."

The IMF chief said she hoped China would move through its economic transition "at the right pace" for the sake of global financial stability.

Lagarde, the sole candidate nominated for the post of IMF chief, will officially start her second term on July 5.

The former French finance minister took over as the IMF head in 2011 following the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn amid scandal.

For CRI this is Guo Yan.

China Unveils Plans to Boost Traditional Chinese Medicine

Anchor

China has announced that basic traditional Chinese medicine services will be available to all Chinese citizens by 2020.

This national development strategy for TCM has been discussed at an executive meeting of the State Council, China’s Cabinet.

CRI's Huang Yue has the story.

Reporter

A traditional Chinese medicine service network will be established to help TCM departments across the country work together and pool resources.

Yu Wenming, deputy director of China's State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, says the industry support policy is expected to upgrade the TCM service level and bring healthcare convenience to patients.

"The comprehensive network will be based on traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, supported by TCM departments in general hospitals, primary medical institutions and clinics. The strengthened role of TCM services will bring more medical capacity to patients, which can help the system cope with the problems of high costs and doctor shortages."

Meanwhile, the plan also highlights that the pharmaceutical industry is encouraged to apply modern technology in researching traditional medicine, while hospitals and researchers are encouraged to use traditional therapies in treating complex chronic diseases.

Zhang Bin, an analyst for the TCM industry says the combination of Chinese traditional and western medicine will give a boost to TCM's development.

"The combination of Chinese traditional and Western medicine has complementary advantages. Western medicine has quicker effect for symptomatic relieves while the traditional Chinese medicine has special advantage in radical treatment, health preservation and dealing with complex diseases. The policy-makers have paid close attention to the importance of this combination."

In 2014, 530 million patients visited TCM hospitals, accounting for nearly 20 percent of total hospital visits across the country.

The average expense of TCM services is 10 to 20 percent lower than the treatment costs in general hospitals.

Yu Wenming says a two-phased plan has been made to ensure that TCM services have a bigger presence in people's healthcare.

"Basic TCM services are expected to be accessible to all Chinese citizens by 2020. The plan gives the first mention of providing 0.55 bed per thousand person in public TCM hospitals, and 0.4 TCM doctors per thousand person in all medical institutions. The services will reach a higher level and play a bigger role in ensuring people's health by 2030."

In China, the health authorities have set a guideline to provide 3.3 beds per thousand person in public general hospitals by 2020.

The plan also says that more traditional medicines will be added to the national list of essential drugs in China.

The TCM industry has seen a rapid growth in recent years.

China made 730 billion yuan, or some 110 billion U.S. dollars in the TCM industry in 2014. That represents one third of the total output of the country's medical industry.

Also, the number of traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in China has increased by 500 in five years.

Traditional Chinese medicine also has an international presence. Its reach has spread to 183 countries and regions worldwide.

Chinese pharmacist Tu Youyou's winning of the Nobel Prize for the discovery of artemisinin, a TCM-based drug widely used to fight malaria, has also served as a boom to the wider industry.

For CRI, this is Huang Yue .

Beijing's Average PM2.5 Density in 2015 Drops by 9.9 Pct from 2013

Beijing's average PM2.5 density in 2015 dropped by 9.9 percent from that in 2013.

The decrease comes after the city's two-year long effort to curb pollution.

The city's Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said the average densities of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in 2015 also decreased by 49 percent and 11 percent respectively from two years prior.

Yu Jianhua, chief engineer with the bureau, details Beijing's efforts.

"Four gas-fired heat and power centers have been put into use in the past two years and three of the four coal-fired power plants were shut down. Nearly no coal-fired boilers are used in the six urban districts. We should say that the city's total coal use in the past two years has been reduced by nearly half."

Beijing's coal use in 2015 dropped to 12 million tonnes, but reducing coal use and vehicle emissions have remained important tasks for the capital city in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Commission of Urban Planning in Beijing is planning to build a web of ventilation corridors to facilitate air flow and blow away smog and pollutants.

Deputy director of the commission, Wang Fei, said the five primary ventilation corridors are designed to be more than 500 meters in width. Some secondary corridors will be over 80 meters wide.

"Five first-level and a dozen of second-level ventilation tunnels will be built. There might even be third-level ones in the future. Based on the different conditions of the tunnels, we will conduct further studies with meteorological departments and related experts. Each tunnel will have a model. The aim is to ease the urban heat island effect and decrease air pollution."

Beijing began monitoring PM 2.5 levels in 2013 amid rising public concerns over pollution in the city.

The city recorded 186 days of adequate air quality in 2015.

In total, that is 14 days more than the year previous.

Rallies Held across US for NYPD Officer Peter Liang

Anchor

Nationwide rallies in at least 40 cities across the US have been held on behalf of NYPD officer Peter Liang on Saturday.

CRI's New York correspondent Su Yi reports.

Reporter

Almost 10-thousand protesters gathered at Brooklyn's Cadman Plaza Park Saturday morning.

They chanted "justice now" or "no selective jury" and handed out petitions demanding a reconsideration of the verdict.

New York City council member Gu Yaming says the tragedy is a failure of the government and police system, but not a crime.

"It was a failure of our public housing. Their lightless stairwells are common place and endanger both residents and police. It was a failure of NYPD's training because rookie police officers should not be patrolling in such an unsafe district."

The rally in Brooklyn also began with a moment of silence for Akai Gurley, the African American victim of the fatal incident.

The Brooklyn rally is the largest among the over 40 rallies held across the country.

This comes after Liang was found guilty of manslaughter earlier this month in the death of the unarmed black man.

Liang's defense team says the killing was an accident, as the gun was mistakenly fired in the stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project. The bullet ricocheted off a wall killing 28-year-old Gurley.

Supporters say Liang is being used as a scapegoat, after other police officers across the US were cleared in police shootings.

Police coach Tang Baibin with California-based Great Wall security personnel training school, says it was an accident as the firing posture the officers put on was in line with policing protocol.

"Their handguns were rightfully loaded under such circumstances as the officers were in a dim place with potential dangers. I cannot agree with the argument that there was no apparent dangers. The officers were in danger the minute after answering the call."

New York-based criminal defense attorney Nicholas Fortuna echoes this view, saying it was a politicized verdict.

"If you look at the legal definition of manslaughter, he should not have ever been convicted. I think the political winds have pushed the prosecutors in this case to bring this to trial. The Brooklyn district attorney recently ran for reelection in that office on the promise of cracking down on police. I think this person was a scapegoat in this compound tragedy of what had happened that night. I do not see there is validity to the verdict. I think it is driven by emotion."

Police coach Tang Baibin says, apart from judicial reform, better understanding and integration of minority groups is also what they want.

"First of all, money talks in the American society. Establishing a foundation is a proper way to help officer Liang. Secondly, the tragedy of the shot African American brother should also be taken into consideration. His family deserves financial support from the foundation. Looking into the issue thoroughly and comprehensively helps to make different communities integrate and make them understand and respect each other. We should leave legal issues to experts and do what we can do. Also what we can do is to better protect ourselves and get to know more legal knowledge."

The final sentencing decision in the case is set to be announced in mid April.

Liang could face up to a maximimum of 15 years in prison, but some legal observers say he could end up serving a much shorter sentence, as he is not accused of deliberately causing the death of Gurley.

For CRI, I am Su Yi in New York.

Voters Cast Ballots in Nominating Contests for Republicans in South Carolina

Voters in South Carolina are now casting their ballots to pick the Republican nominee for the forthcoming presidential election in November.

Opinion polls show front-runner Donald Trump trying to solidify his spot at the top of the pack, while rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are fighting for a second-place finish.

Many of the voters in the "First in the South" contest gave the reasons why Rubio was their top choice.

"I think he's reasonable, and he doesn't... I like where he came from, he seems to have a normal home, a normal family, just like the rest of us."

"I think he's the only candidate that I think can win in an election against Hillary Clinton. As for the other candidates, they're either too far in one direction or the other, and I think Rubio makes the most sense as far as Republicans being able to get the presidency back and god knows we need that this time."

A poll released on Friday showed Trump in the lead with support from 28 percent of likely Republican primary voters, followed by Cruz at 23 percent.

Meantime, results in the Nevada caucuses where Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face off are rolling in.

They show a very tight race with Clinton holding a very narrow lead over Sanders.

Britain to Make Historic Decision on EU Membership

Anchor

Following Britain's reform deal with the EU about its membership in the bloc, politicians and voters alike in Britain have expressed their opinions about Britain's future within the EU.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

Reporter

British Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Saturday that Britain would hold a referendum on its EU membership on June 23rd.

Calling the EU a "strong economic unit', Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he will campaign for the country to remain in the EU.

"Our recommendation as a party, most of the trade unions affiliated with the Labour party are of a similar point of view, that the best interests of ordinary people and workers in Britain is to remain part of the European Union in order to protect those jobs and ensure investment for the future. If we leave, it's very difficult to see what the trade patterns of the future will be."

On Saturday, Cameron called a cabinet meeting over the issue. It was Britain's first cabinet meeting on a Saturday since 1982 during the Falklands War. Cameron says he has won the cabinet's support in staying in the EU.

"This morning, I have just chaired a meeting of the cabinet in which I updated them on the special status we have secured for Britain and the cabinet agreed that the government's position would be to recommend that Britain remains in a reformed European Union."

Cameron then went on to persuade the British people over his stance, mainly citing economic and security reasons.

Despite the government support, some senior British politicians have said they would back Britain's exit from the EU, including Justice Minister Michael Gove. London mayor Boris Johnson is also expected to join the exit campaign.

What UK Thinks is an independent research institute. Its average of the six most recent polls of voting intentions show the British voters are almost equally divided over the matter. 51% of voters have said they want to stay in the EU, while the other 49% said they would choose to exit.

"What don't I like? I don't like the fact that our decisions on our own country are taken out of our hands. I feel that we have lost all our border controls. I don't mind having eastern Europeans here providing they live their lives according to our rules."

“I think we should be part of Europe. Without Europe I don't think the UK will survive as a country and a lot of companies, particularly financial centres, will lose out to Europe and it's a big part of our economy."

Under the reform deal that Cameron secured with other EU leaders, Britain will not be forced to adopt the euro currency or give up certain government powers. It can also restrict on some welfare payments to the citizens of other EU countries who work in Britain.

For CRI, this is Victor Ning.

2 Serbian Embassy Staffers Abducted in Libya Killed in U.S. Air Strikes: Officials

Serbian officials have confirmed the death of two of the country's embassy staffers held hostage in Libya since November.

Communications officer Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic, a driver, were among 49 people killed in U.S. air strikes on a suspected Islamic State group camp in the city of Sabratha.

Officials added that Serbian authorities will be seeking official explanation from both Libya and the U.S. about the available facts and the selection of targets.

Virgin Galactic Rolls out New Space Tourism Rocket Plane

Anchor

The commercial spaceflight company Virgin Galactic has rolled out a new version of its space tourism rocket plane.

The move comes nearly 16 months after a fatal accident destroyed its sister ship during a test flight in California's Mojave Desert.

CRI's Fei Fei has more.

Reporter

The rollout of the gleaming craft marks Virgin Galactic's return to the race to become the world's first major private space tourism company.

The new passenger spacecraft is expected to take thrill-seekers, researchers and commercial customers on short hops into space.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, says the new vehicle means the dream of private space tourism can now be made accessible.

"Together, we can make space accessible in a way that has only been dreamt of before now. And by doing that, we can truly bring positive change to life on Earth. This spaceship is the embodiment of that goal."

The ship is named Virgin Spaceship Unity at the suggestion of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, to whom Richard Branson promised a free ride into space.

From outward appearances, the spacecraft is nearly identical to the one lost in 2014, which killed one of its pilots and set back the nascent industry.

The unveiling ceremony has set the stage for the new ship's first round of test flights, which will likely incrementally test the new ship at higher speeds and altitudes.

The first spaceship had not yet traveled beyond the atmosphere.

Branson says the priority for his team is to make sure that safety of the new flights comes first.

"The most important thing is that, after the unveiling today, that we spend month after month with our test pilots testing, testing the craft until we're absolutely sure that we're ready to safely send people into space."

The new ship is the size of a small corporate jet.

It is designed to be flown by a crew of two and carry up to six passengers on a high-speed suborbital flight to the fringes of space.

At an altitude above 62 miles, passengers will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and a view out the window of Earth set against the blackness of space.

Doug Shane, president of The Spaceship Company, says the craft will bring a fantastic experience to the passengers.

"The spaceship to cabin has been designed to give you lots of room. You have big windows, you're very strategically located in proximity to those windows, so you have a great view. And then the vision is that you'll be able to unstrap and float free during the weightless portion of the flight, and be able to really experience weightlessness and the whole space experience. And it should be pretty cool."

Nearly 700 people have signed up for rides, which cost 250-thousand US dollars each.

Virgin Galactic is among a handful of companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stratolaunch Systems and Boeing, planning to fly people into space on a commercial basis.

For CRI, this is Fei Fei.

Headline News

Liu Shiyu Replaces Xiao Gang as Head of China's Securities Watchdog

Authorities announced that Liu Shiyu has been appointed as the head of China's Securities Regulatory Commission.

The decision was made by Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

Liu was previously the board chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China.

Xiao Gang, former head of CSRC, was removed from his post as head of the country's securities watchdog.

Chinese Court Grants 4th Extension for Review of 20-year-old Rape, Murder Case

A court in Shandong Province has extended the review of a 2-decade-old rape and murder case to June this year.

This is the fourth time that the review period has been extended.

Nie Shubin, from Hebei Province, was convicted and executed in 1995 for the rape and murder of a woman in Shijiazhuang.

Ten years later, another man, Wang Shujin confessed to the crime.

This extension was granted after Nie's lawyer submitted new materials.

ICBC's Madrid Branch Runs Normal

The Madrid branch of China's biggest bank by market value, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, continues its businesses as usual after the reported raid by Spanish law enforcers.

An ICBC official says the Madrid offices are cooperating with the local police in the investigation of a money laundering case.

The bank told its Madrid branch to cooperate with the investigation, while hiring lawyers to protect the lawful rights and interests of the bank and the staff.

The ICBC Madrid branch has informed the Chinese Embassy in Spain that the bank used the latest anti-money laundering system provided by Spanish authorities to control capital.

Central African Republic's Defeated Candidate to Respect Provisional Results

Central African Republic's defeated candidate Anicet-Georges Dologuele says he'll respect the interim election results released by election authorities.

According to National Election Authority, the former prime minister got some 37 percent of the votes cast in the polls last Sunday.

Another former prime minister Faustin-Archange Touadera won the remaining 63 percent.

The country is trying to turn the page after 3 years of unprecedented violence since the overthrow of former President Francois Bozize.

Over 38 percent of the country's total population were registered on the electoral lists of the NEA.

Sci&Tech

Sci-tech Weekly

Anchor

It's time for our weekly Science and Technology report.

In this edition, we will tell you about Chinese scientists unveiling a new plan to detect gravitational waves.

And developers in Jerusalem claim they have invented the world's first touch free smartphone.

Let's catch up on all the latest with CRI's Wen Jie.

Reporter

Chinese scientists have announced a gravitational wave research plan they're dubbing "Taiji."

The Chinese Academy of Sciences says a research plan will be finalized later this year.

Academy member Wu Yueliang says the research will focus on low and medium-frequency gravitational waves, which are different from those found by US researchers last week.

"Gravitational waves can be categorized into three types according to their frequency bands. Low-frequency gravitational waves come from a larger variety of sources than the other two types, like the merger of binary galaxies or supermassive binary black holes and celestial body explosions. But these sources are yet to be found and this is what we are striving for."

The new "Taiji" project will be similar to the "Tianqin" plan being launched by Sun Yat-sen University.

"Tianqin" is due to be carried out in four stages over the next 15 to 20 years, ultimately launching three high-orbit satellites to detect gravitational waves.

However, Wu says Taiji and Tianqin have different objectives.

"Tianqin project is aimed at something different from ours. The two projects target gravitational waves of different frequencies. The satellites for Tianqin project will orbit the earth and try to observe the waves, while ours fly around sun and help with study the theories behind the waves as well as the evolution of the universe."

US researchers confirmed last week that they detected gravitational waves for the first time, coming from the collision of two black holes 1.3-billion years ago.

The waves from that collision were first detected back in September after making their long journey through the cosmos.

This discovery is expected to give scientists and entirely new way to study the universe. It's been compared to "hearing" the universe for the first time.

The annual Mobile World Congress is set to take the stage in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday.

This year's event will see some Chinese tech giants expanding into the European market, such as Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo.

Xiaomi is to hold an event on Wednesday that will be seen simultaneously in Beijing and Barcelona.

Meantime, Huawei, the world's third biggest exporter of smartphones, is pushing harder in Europe and North America.

MWC veteran Sascha Pallenberg says it is easy to see why Chinese vendors are doing so well.

"Because right now, you can buy a Chinese phone at the price point of 200 dollars that delivers flagship device specs of devices that costs like seven, eight hundred dollars about two years ago. So, this is where the real disruption, where the real competition is happening."

As for Samsung and LG, they will try to counter the threat from the cheap Chinese smartphones by adding new features, faster processors, better cameras and an overall better Android experience.

During the event, Samsung is expected to debut its next generation flagship Galaxy S7, while LG will unveil the G5.

The Mobile World Congress runs from February 22nd to 25th.

A nucleic acid detection reagent developed in China is being used to detect the Zika virus at the country's borders, after China reported three imported Zika cases earlier this month.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the tests take three hours to determine whether a patient is infected with the virus.

Li Dexin, the director of National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention under the CDC, explains how the method works.

"After collecting samples, we'll use the specific reagent to extract virus nucleic acids from these samples. After the extraction, we'll then use the real-time PCR, or called fluorescence quantitative PCR, to amplify nucleic acids to the certain amount. If the virus nuclei acid is presented in the sample, we can confirm the patient is infected with the Zika virus."

The nucleic acid detection reagents are currently available to the provincial centers for Disease Control and Prevention and inspection and quarantine departments of major ports.

Disease prevention experts said the symptoms of Zika virus, which spreads to people through mosquito bites, include fever, joint pain, a rash, conjunctivitis, headache and muscle pain.

George Washington University scientists are coming up with two potentially life-saving inventions: a medical 'tricorder' and flexible ring that can deliver rapid diagnostic testing.

The 'tricorder' uses advanced microfluidic technology to build complex liquid networks capable of testing blood, urine, and saliva samples.

The system is then connected to a smart phone application that can communicate diagnostic results within minutes.

While still under development, Dr. Li Zhenyu, the Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at George Washington University, says the goal is to eventually make it available at physicians' offices or even a patient's home.

"And the goal of this is to make point of care, medical diagnostic system, is to bring accessibility, so put this thing in potentially physicians' office or even in the patient's home. And then also the speed. You can get the results at least within hours if not minutes, and then you reduce the cost."

The second device under his development is a wearable wireless ECG sensor, which is embedded in a flexible finger ring and can perform electrocardiograms on demand.

The device could be a useful tool in diagnosing symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias and heart attacks, among other conditions.

The results are also delivered via a smart phone app or directly to a physician.

"In terms of wearables, I think a ring is really the only thing that people wear all the time and also it's relatively stable compared to other formats like wristbands or watch. So in order to provide this 24/7 and on-demand measurements we cannot think of another position that really allows you to do that."

However, he acknowledged that not everyone may be keen to adopt this kind of do-it-yourself healthcare.

Some developers in Jerusalem have invented what they claim is the world's first touch free smartphone.

The phone gives people with limited mobility greater access to smartphone technology through voice commands and head tracking.

A small device, called a Sesame Controller, needs to be within a few meters of the person using the smartphone.

It works with an application which can be downloaded to a smartphone using the Android-based operating system.

The application then detects the user's head movements.

Oded Ben Dov is a co-founder of the four year-old company Sesame Enable.

"Sesame is actually the world's first touch free smartphone. There has been solutions in assistive technology to enable use of computers, but those usually require you to put stickers on your head or your nose. They come with specialised hardware and Sesame is unique in that we chose smartphones."

Sesame Enable says as long as someone can move their head, they can learn how to use the device.

The company plans to distribute 5-thousand Sesame phones across Israel to people of all ages who suffer spinal cord injuries, ALS, sever Parkinson's disease and other conditions.

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

Thank you for listening. I'm Wenjie. See you next time.

Sports

Sunday Football Review

Starting things off with football action from Europe this weekend,

FA Cup holders Arsenal have been held to a scoreless draw at Emirates by second division Hull City in the fifth round.

Arsenal's 24 shots including 11 on goal came to nothing under the visitor's defense.

Manager Arsene Wenger noted they may have gone for a wrong tackle for a free kick just outside the box which was their last chance.

"Because they defended well, because their keeper played well, because our final ball was maybe not good enough and because we, when you could give the ball in the final third we went for an individual solution. At the end of the day it finished with a 0-0."

Wenger's side will have to travel to Hull for a replay two weeks from now.

Before that they have a daunting task to play against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Barcelona have just gotten a 2-1 victory over Las Palmas and moved to nine points clear on top of the table with both teams from Madrid have a game in hand.

In the Bundesliga,

Leaders Bayern Munich came from a goal down to defeat Darmstadt 3-1 at the Allianz Arena.

Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski were on target in their home triumph.

Franck Ribery is back just in time for their mid-week Champions League tie against Juventus.

Finally in France,

Paris Saint Germain's Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi bid farewell to his team after their 4-1 success over Stade de Reims.

The Argentine winger is making a move to newly promoted Hebei China Fortune in the Chinese Super League.

Spieth Misses Cut in California; Lee Takes Lead in Malaysia

In golf,

Jordan Spieth has missed the cut by five shots at the Northern Trust Open in California.

The world number one got off to the worst first round of his career at eight-over.

His second round of 3-under 68 was not enough to make up for the poor start.

Jason Kokrak is the leader by one shot at 7-under.

Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson are tied for third by a further shot behind Chez Reavie.

Rory McIlroy is four shots down and tied for seventh.

Here in Asia,

South Korea's Soomin Lee hit seven birdies in a third round of 7-under 64 to move three shots clear at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia.

Marcus Fraser produced a very solid round of five-under par 66 to stay in contention in second place.

Halfway leader Nathan Holman relinquished the lead with a triple bogey to slip back to four shots off the pace.

China's Wu Ashun shot a round of one-over 72 to share 50th place at one-under overall.

Amateur Jin Cheng did ever better, finishing the day at 2-under to sit at 25th place and 4-under overall.

Sara Errani Wins Dubai Title; Rio Update

In tennis,

Sara Errani has stormed past Barbora Strycova in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 to win the WTA Dubai Championships.

It was the biggest tournament title in the Italian's career to date.

Errani says a relaxed mentality won her the match.

"I was feeling good. I was moving good. I was tired this morning when I woke up but when I was on the court I was ready to run so I am really happy. I think she didn't have her best day - Barbora (Strycova) - but she tried to come to the net and change the game so I just tried to stay focused and with the 6-0 I tried not to think to much about the score."

Errani will stay in the middle east for the Qatar Open next week.

Robertson Reaches Welsh Open Final

In snooker,

Neil Robertson has reached the Welsh Open final by defeating Mark Allen 6-4.

Allen opened with a 2-0 lead before Robertson won the next five frames to clinch the match point.

Allen saved it and the one next to it with a century break.

Robertson sealed it after Allen missed a red at 40-39.

His opponent in the final is Ronnie O'Sullivan who won a 6-3 battle against Joe Perry.

Boassen Hagen Wins Stage 5; Nibali Still in Red

In cycling,

Edvald Boassen Hagen who lost the overall lead yesterday won stage five of the Tour of Oman and closed in on Vincenzo Nibali's overall lead.

Boassen Hagen powered to victory from the last two kilometers, holding off the wheels of Greg van Avermaet and Marco Canola.

It is the Norwegian's second stage win at his Tour.

He is now sixth at just over a minute behind red jersey Nibali.

Nibali still holds a 15 second lead on top of the General Classification heading into the finale.

Two Chinese Pairs on Podium at Figure Skating Championships

Two Chinese pairs were on the podium on day three at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei.

Sui Wenjing/Han Cong won their third gold medals with a career best 221.91 points.

Yu Xiaoyu/Jin Yang are third.

The Chinese pairs were split by Americans Alexa Scimeca/Chris Knierim.

In women's free skate,

Li Zijun, Zhao Ziquan, Zheng Lu are 10th, 16th and 19th respectively.

That event is won by Japanese skater Satoko Miyahara.

Chinese Sports News

Some news flashes from China,

Xinjiang are the first team to reach the WCBA final having defeated Guangdong 96-80 and won their series 3-0.

Beijing downed Shanghai 63-59 in the WCBA semi-finals to take a 2-1 lead of the series.

And Shanghai were the winners against Beijing 3-1 in the second match of men's volleyball league finals.

Shanghai are 2-0 up in the series with the championship point in hand.

China and Mexico played to a scoreless draw in the Women's Four-Nation football Tournament.

China are up against Vietnam and South Korea next.

Chinese goalkeeper Wang Fei announced her retirement from the sport on her verified Weibo account at midnight but deleted the post shortly after.

Wang is reported to have been at odds with national team manager Bruno Bini and was left out of the squad for the Olympic qualifiers.

Entertainment

Documentary "Fire at Sea" wins Golden Bear in 66th Berlinale

The 2016 Berlin Film Festival is drawing to a close after nine days, with the Italian documentary film "Fire at Sea" winning the Golden Bear, which is the top jury prize awarded to the best film.

Directed by Gianfranco Rosi, the documentary film captured the daily life of the Italian island of Lampedusa where refugees and islanders live together but in two completely different worlds.

Bosnian director Danis Tanovic is happy to be at the festival after his film, "Death in Sarajevo," received acclaim from critics in Berlin, earning the movie the Silver Bear for Grand Jury Prize early on Saturday.

"We have the Critics' Award today, that was a nice surprise, so we're already very happy."

Others to win at this year's Berlinale include female French film director Mia Hansen-Love with her film "Things to Come" winning the Silver Bear for Best Director

Tanwan photographer Li Pingbin won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for the camera in the Chinese-mainland produced film "Crosscurrent".

This year, three-time Oscar-winner and American actress Meryl Streep serves as jury president of the seven-member international panel.

Silk Road Cartoon Series to Hit Chinese TV

A cartoon series "Princess Silk Road" will premiere on Chinese TV in March of this year after two years in production.

The 104-episode cartoon series is divided into 4 seasons with 26 episodes in each season.

The cartoon features a brave girl defeating 4 monsters and guarding the ancient trade route, ensuring the safety of merchants and travelers along the Silk Road.

Being the first animated series about Silk Road culture in China, the cartoon will make audiences worldwide better understand the history and legends of the Silk Road through its adventure story.

With the first season having already been airing on online video platform iqiyi.com, the cartoon will then air on more than 20 TV channels around the country.

Countries along the Silk Road such as Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Indonesia are also considering in importing the series.

Lantern Festival Celebrations Span across China

People across China are celebrating the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on February 22 this year.

The Miao Ethnic groups in Southwest China's Guizhou province will gather in a square, to sing, dance, and play traditional instruments, wearing traditional costumes and exquisite jewelry.

Also in Guizhou Province, Gelao ethnic folk artists stop by households with various lanterns and sing, while householders respond with gifts of money and liquor to ensure good luck for the coming year.

Elsewhere in China, people in Mawei in southeast Fujian province and Mazu Island in Taiwan share the holiday spirit by sending lanterns across the Taiwan Straits.

More than 30 sets of lanterns which feature the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac made their way from Mawei to Mazu.

Initiated in 2003, this gesture of cross-Straits friendship marks the first national intangible cultural heritage coordination undertaken jointly by the mainland and Taiwan.

China's Lantern Festival is also the curtain-closer for Spring Festival holiday.

Alexander McQueen returns to London Fashion Week

Iconic label Alexander McQueen will return to the catwalk during London Fashion week, marking the brand's first womenswear catwalk in London since the death of its founder in 2010.

Moving its runway show from Paris to London exclusively for the Fall 2016 season, the show is scheduled at 7 p.m. local time on Sunday.

Although the brand's menswear shows were relocated from Milan to London permanently in January 2013, the move of the womenswear show is only temporary.

Founder McQueen, who committed suicide in 2010, was honored last year with a retrospective at London's V&A which then became the most visited exhibition in the design museum.

Burberry and Christopher Kane, along with Paul Smith, Topshop Unique and Vivienne Westwood are among 83 designers showcasing their autumn/winter collections over the next five days.

That’s it for this weekend edition of the Beijing Hour. Our main headlines before we go.

China's commerce minister expressing confidence in the recovery of the country's foreign trade figures...

China rolling out a new plan to boost traditional Chinese medicine, as the ancient science continues to gain international use and acclaim...

And nationwide rallies in at least 40 cities across the US have been held on behalf of NYPD officer Peter Liang...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, I'm Spencer Musick. Join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together.