新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2015/08/16(在线收听) |
The Beijing Hour (Saturday-Sunday)Evening EditionIt's Shane Bigham with you here on this Sunday, August 16th, 2015. Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the program this evening...
Work to clean up tonnes of toxic chemicals found at the blast site in Tianjin is now underway...
A photo exhibition on Japan's bacterial and chemical warfare has opened in Tokyo...
Contact has been lost with a small passenger plane with people 54 aboard in Indonesia...
In the 2nd half of the hour, we'll bring you some of the science & technology stories making headlines this past week.
In Sports...lots of football actions -- from China, Germany, England, and France...
And in Entertainment...World War II- themed cartoons will be on Chinese TV starting tomorrow...
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 NewsTianjin cleaning cyanide at deadly blasts siteAuthorities say they have located the toxic chemicals remaining at blast site in Tianjin, following the massive explosions on Wednesday.
Initial estimates put the amount of cyanide at the site at hundreds of tonnes, most of which was unaffected by the explosions and fire.
Shi Luze, chief of staff of the Beijing Military Area Command, says special methods are being adopted to prevent the toxic chemical from spreading.
"Sodium cyanide, 25 kilograms per barrel and exposed by the explosions, will be neutralized by hydrogen peroxide in a place we've cleared up. Later, we will adopt better solutions. For the sodium cyanide that has been already mixed with many other materials, we will build a one-meter-high wall to isolate it."No rescuers have been sickened by the chemicals they are dealing with.
Meanwhile contamination has been detected beyond the accident zone.
Chief engineer Bao Jingling with the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau, says among the 17 monitoring sites outside the alert zone, two reported readings of hydrogen cyanide slightly above the normal standards but which still does not pose a threat to health.
He notes that further measures are being taken to prevent further pollution.
"The first measure is to deal with the cyanide, which causes people's worry. The discharge of all rain water and waste water in the accident zone is blocked by cement to ensure that no waste water in the zone will flow out into external environment and to make sure that waters outside the zone and Bohai Sea are safe. Second, cofferdams will be built to separate the accident zone from the outside, to make sure that rain water will not flow out from the zone in case there's rain."Wednesday's explosions have killed 112 dead and injured more than 700.
But 95 people are missing, including 85 firefighters.
DNA testing is being used to identify victims, with 24 names confirmed so far.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is now in Tianjin to direct the rescue and relief effort.
He also visited fire fighters, rescuers and those injured in the tragedy.
At the same time, Prosecutors have started an investigation and are trying to determine if anyone is at fault for the explosions due to dereliction of duty.
Websites punished for spreading rumors about Tianjin blastsChina's Internet regulator has ratcheted up its crackdown on online rumors after the explosions in Tianjin.
The Cyberspace Administration of China has accused 50 websites of creating panic by publishing unverified information or letting users spread groundless rumors.
Rumors circulating on these websites included false information on the impact of the blasts and words of looting at the port where the explosions occurred.
The CAC shut down and revoked licenses of 18 websites, and suspended operation of another 32 websites.
No signs of life detected in NW China landslideIt's now been three days since rescuers last detected any signs of life at the scene of a landslide that buried the living quarters at a mining company in Shaanxi province.
The landslide struck the dorms on Wednesday. Sixty-four people were buried under tonnes of debris.
Local authorities say seven children between the ages of eight months and six years old are among the missing.
The volume of mud and rubble, and the risk of a secondary slide, has hindered search efforts.
Ten people escaped the slide unhurt while four others were dug out by rescuers and taken to hospital. The missing include, villagers, mine workers and their families, and construction workers.
Exhibition on Japan's Bacteriological Chemical Warfare Kicks off in TokyoAnchor:
A photo exhibition on Japan's bacterial and chemical warfare has kicked off in Tokyo, Japan.
CRI's Guo Yan has more.
Reporter:
A four-day photo exhibition with the theme "Concerned about the future of victims" has been jointly held by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and some Japanese non-government institutes.
More than 400 vivid pictures reveal the atrocities of the Japanese army and its cruel human experiments during its aggression against China.
Ci Aimin, Vice Chairman of the Chinese foundation, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Saturday. The day also marked the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender.
"On such a special day, the exhibition in Tokyo has profound significance. It makes us think about war, peace and human rights. Looking back through history, we cannot forget the painful experience."Ci Aimin adds that the exhibition aims to promote communication between the two peoples and to maintain historical facts.
Meanwhile, a large number of historical materials showing the crimes of violating human rights committed by the Japanese are on display.
The exhibition has also selected newly captured photos to reflect the abandoned chemical weapons that have been affecting people in China after the war.
Japanese lawyer Norio Minami as a representative of the Japanese organizers has expressed that the exhibition is helpful to the younger Japanese generation to recognize history.
"The photo exhibition aims to pass on information that bacteriological chemical warfare is terrible. At the same time, we want to tell people that the warfare has been hurting numerous Chinese citizens over the past 70 years."These photos have shocked the Japanese people attending the exhibition. They say it's necessary to let more people understand the historical facts.
"I have seen a lot of pictures that I had never known before. They make me feel like the war is not over yet. The government has been covering up the truth, and has not told us. I think it still needs more time to let others know the facts."Some have also said that recognizing the history is the basis of friendship between China and Japan.
Representatives from local non-government organizations and overseas Chinese in Japan have attended the event.
The exhibition is set to continue until Tuesday.
For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.
Hong Kong marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War TwoA memorial service was held in Hong Kong on Sunday to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
War veterans and dignitaries laid wreaths during the service.
"Wow. I have attended this ceremony many times. In uniform and also as a civilian. Today I'll be laying a wreath. Most probably for the last time. ""If you're human, you would be angry. They (The Japanese) invaded us in China, they insulted us, anyone would be angry. And now they do not even admit their fault."Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation for three years and eight months during World War Two.
The occupation ended when Japan surrendered on August 15th, 1945.
V-day commemoration in UKVeterans wearing medals, some in wheelchairs festooned with the Union flag, attended a Drumhead service in London on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory over Japan during World War II.
Queen Elizabeth II led the nation's commemoration, attending a morning service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, near London's Trafalgar Square.
Prime Minister David Cameron attended the ceremony at Horse Guards Parade and laid a wreath.
"I think it is hugely important that we remember this anniversary because thousands of people died, thousands of people suffered appalling injuries and torture during this conflict, and it's right that we remember, it's right that we thank them, it's right that we recognise that they suffered for our freedoms, and perhaps particularly on this 70th anniversary with the participants now well into their 90s, it's particularly poignant that we stand with them and think of what they've went through."Many veterans still remember the ordeal they suffered throughout the war.
Among them is Fergus Anckorn, former prisoner of war who was one of the Allied prisoners forced to build a bridge over the River Kwai.
"I was told I was just like an animal, where you see these farmers belting cows with a stick or something, it happened to us and we just took it. When we got beaten up it was no big deal. The only thing is, when they were beating you up try not to fall over because they'll kick you to death then."A parade also took place with veterans marching from Horse Guards Parade to Westminster Abbey, stopping to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph.
China FTZ city begins cargo train service to PolandThe city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Free Trade Zone opened a cargo train service to Poland on Sunday.
The direct cargo rail line goes through Kazakstan, Russia and Belarus before reaching Poland.
The service will depart Xiamen once each week and arrive in Poland within 15 days.
The trains will cut transportation time by half.
The link is the first of its kind, connecting a Chinese Free Trade Zone to Central Asia and Europe.
China's O2O catering industry makes eating easyAnchor:
Ordering meals online is becoming more and more popular, and industry insiders are excited about the potential of this kind of service in China.
CRI's Fu Yu brings more details.
Reporter:
You can get almost whatever you want to eat at any time just with a click on your phone.
A local in Beijing surnamed Chen says he is a loyal customer of online ordering.
"I basically order take-out online once or twice a week, mostly on weekend when I want to take a little rest. Now ordering food is more common than before. We can see both the price and menu from the internet. With online menu, we can clearly know what we are ordering. And by paying with master card, I don't need to worry about changes."Currently, internet giant Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent all participate in this business, which is known as online to offline catering.
To make food delivered faster, a special delivery team is usually set up by the internet companies.
The delivery staff are deployed in different districts of a city so that they can move quickly once they receive an order.
Consumers can also follow the order through the internet.
Meanwhile, some companies also present discounts to attract more customers.
A staffer from Baidu Takeaway, surnamed Zhu, says O2O catering service has great potential in China.
"Now the Chinese take-out market only takes up 6 percent of the total food and restaurant business in China. This is far behind the 30 percent target reached in some developed countries. However, China's take-out business has great potential, especially when it comes to online ordering. Ten percent of all the take-order is made online, which ranks only after Britain, Germany and France."Statistics from Enfodesk, a provider of information products, services and solutions in the Chinese internet market, show the volume of O2O catering surged quickly last year, reaching 15 billion Yuan, or 2.3 billion US dollars.
Most of the customers are students and white-collar workers born in the 1980s and 1990s.
Lu Zhenxi, an E-commerce observer, says there is more at stake here than just convenient food orders.
" It is a big market closely linked to the online payment sector, which may later develop into internet financing. So the online ordering business can inspire many other business opportunities."However, food safety is a concern with O2O catering. Some internet companies are looking for solutions, such as seeking consumer complaints, cooperating with insurance companies for food insurance business, and so on.
For CRI, this is Fu Yu.
Military Band of China's PLA attends Royal Edinburgh Military TattooAnchor:
It's been 11 years since the Chinese army sent a Military Band to Edinburgh, Scotland to join the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
This year's event is also part of the 2015 China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange, which has a special theme "East-Meets-West".
CRI's Wang Wei, has more.
Reporter:
It's a formidable international cast, with massed pipes and drums marching in lockstep. Every August, as part of the Edinburgh Festival, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo brings together military bands from all over the world to perform on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.
As the Tattoo's producer David Allfrey explains, the event weds contrasting elements.
"Underneath the whole show is the essence of a little bit of 'Dao.' We have 'Yin Yang' in the show. You will see it in the formations, you will see the contrasts between male and female, between light and shade, between fire and ice, night and day. All of these things are in there for somebody who is looking for them. We have blue and red, of course, which are the colors, if you like, of East meets West. These colors come together at various points in the show."The PLA military band joining in the tattoo has performed more than 7,000 times in its 63-year history, including at National Day celebrations, state visits, and even the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008.
Cheng Daming, Artistic Director of the band, says it's all about putting together a great performance.
"The performance by the PLA is divided into three parts. The first part is to show the PLA's image; the second part is to show a combination of British and Chinese musical traditions; and the last part is to convey a sense of the glory of the PLA."As the Chinese band has joined the performance for more than a decade, Allfrey says he now has the idea to bring the Tattoo to China.
"I have a passionate vision to bring this tattoo to China in 2020. I would absolutely love to do that. China is the home of large international events. You did the Beijing Games, China has just won the (bid for the) Winter Olympics. All of these things, China has so much to show us."Over the next three weeks, more than 200,000 people are expected to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is part of the ongoing Edinburgh Festival.
The Edinburgh Festival features a wide range of arts and cultural events, and takes place each August, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
For CRI, this is Wang Wei.
Plane with 54 people on board loses contact in Papua, IndonesiaContact with a small passenger plane with 54 people on board has been lost in eastern Indonesia.
Five children and infants are said to be on board the plane.
The plane lost contact shortly after taking off in the regional capital Jayapura.
In confirming the plane is missing, a spokesman for the transport ministry says authorities are still looking for it and no details of what happened to the plane are known.
He noted that bad weather is hampering the search operation in the mountainous area.
4 killed in clashes between Turkish troops, PKKTurkish security forces have been involved in another deadly clash with the banned Kurdish Workers' Party, known as the PKK.
One security soldier was killed and two others were injured.
The fighting in northeastern Turkey today also resulted in the deaths of three PKK members.
The clashes erupted as security forces were staging a large-scale military operation in Kars province against PKK militants in the region.
The latest fighting comes just one day after another skirmish between the two sides, which left one Turkish soldier dead.
Tensions have been increasing in Turkey evern since an Islamic State suicide bombing in July killed 32 in the town of Suruc bordering Syria.
Turkish security forces have detained over 1,300 individuals with suspected ties to IS, PKK and leftist groups, as the military unleashes air strikes on PKK positions in northern Iraq.
Suicide Bomb Kills Pakistani OfficialLocal media has reported a suicide bomb attack in the Pakistani city Attock, which has killed 10 people and injured 20 others.
The attack happened today at the camp of the Punjab provincial home minister, where a meeting of 30 to 40 people was taking place.
Local sources, citing a government official, say the home minister, Colonel Shuja Khanzada, was killed in the attack.
The minister was reportedly receiving threatening calls from various terrorist organizations, since an anti-terrorism operation was launched in the province in July.
Local Urdu News channel Dawn reported that outlawed group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.
The camp was located about 95 km west of the country's capital Islamabad.
Greek Islands Grapple with Unprecedented Numbers of MigrantsAnchor:
There was violence on Saturday among the refugees on the Greek island of Kos. As Greece struggles for a better financial future, its islands are grappling with unprecedented numbers of refugees. CRI's Victor Ning has more.
Reporter:
The fights happened on Saturday as migrants scrambled for bottled water.
In recent weeks, Kos has seen a spike in refugees from the Middle East and Asia, as hundreds arrive every day.
On Friday, a cruise ship, chartered by the Greek government and with a capacity to accommodate 2,500 people, arrived on the island to house some of the refugees.
A migrant from Pakistan said food and water are in short supply.
"This system is not good. Me, I've already stayed here for 7 days. My friend is 20 days stay here. No food, no water, no others, no others. This is a very dangerous situation."The migrant camp on Kos is run by Doctors without Borders. Julia Kourafa, an official with the organization's Greek chapter, says additional help is urgently needed.
"We are asking the authorities to help us. To provide the space for us to be actually doing the work that we are supposed do. And yeah, we are alone. We are alone and this place it's impossible to work and it's impossible to have people staying here for 20 days and to provide any assistance. We are reaching a point that we can not, we can not give anymore help because it's too much."The International Organization for Migration said about a quarter of a million migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe this year, and half of them came to the Greek islands. Greek authorities are attempting to move as many of them as possible to other parts of Greece. Most migrants are intent on reaching northern Europe.
George Kyritsis, mayor of Kos, does not expect the migrants to stop coming until situations in their home countries have stabilized.
"The problem will be solved when the community of the European Union will understand than in Syria there is war and in others countries there are major economic problems and if they don't find a solution for those countries to end those problems over there then we will always have immigration problems in Europe."Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European commissioner responsible of migration, stressed that the migrant issue needs participation from all European nations. "No country in Europe can really address this issue alone. It doesn't matter if it's a big country or a small country, it's a European problem and it needs a European response and my presence there (in Calais) will be a sign, a signal that Europe is present."Avramopoulos made the remarks as he planned to visit the French coastal town of Calais, another migrant flashpoint where many are making nightly attempts to breach security on roads and railways to cross the Channel into Britain.
Authorities said increased security has lowered the number of nightly attempts to around 150, compared to as many as 2000 a night last month. These break-ins have interrupted cross-channel services.
For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.
IAAF presidential candidates respond to doping claimsThe International Association of Athletics Federations will elect a new president on August 19 from two candidates: former Olympic champions Sebastian Coe and Sergei Bubka.
The presidential vote is believed to be the first in IAAF history as previous leaders were nominated and accepted.
The vote will be held against a backdrop of controversy after media reports accused the IAAF of failing to investigate hundreds of what they called "suspicious" drugs tests between 2001 and 2012.
The IAAF said the allegations were sensationalist and confusing because the results referred to were not positive tests, while the media reports acknowledged their evaluation of the data did not prove doping.
Current IAAF vice-president Sebastian Coe said the vast majority of athletes are 'clean' and systems are in place to tackle drug abuse, but he has also called for the establishment of a Values Commission.
"I think it's very important that we make sure that all systems we have in place and all the partnerships that we have, including our work with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and all the 214 federations and the education for young people. So, one of my proposals is to set up a Values Commission that will allow young people to understand about the history of their sport, the tradition of their sport."Sergei Bubka also responded to the allegations, saying that doping cases in athletics need to be dealt with quicker and cheats punished with tougher sanctions.
"We need co-operation and strong support from the government's side, because (the) government has resources, (the) government has institutions, medical, research specialists. For that, of course the big issue (is) we need to continue to invest together with the government."The allegations regarding the suspicious test results were published by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper and German broadcaster ARD/WDR.
The two news organizations said they had obtained 'secret' test data from the vaults of the IAAF, supplied by a whistleblower disgusted by the extent of doping in track and field.
The reports said 800 of the 12,000 blood tests involving 5,000 athletes were suspicious, indicating suspected widespread blood doping in athletics between 2001 and 2012.
Ecaudor under State of Emergency as Vocalno Registers ActvitiesEcuador has declared a state of emergency as its Cotopaxi Volcano has registered a number of small eruptions since Friday.
The country's president Rafael Correa has also ordered some communities near the volcano to evacuate.
Ecuador's Environment Ministry closed Cotopaxi National Park on Friday.
The park's director Fernanda Navas, says a yellow alert was issued at the same time.
"Today, there were three explosions inside the Cotopaxi volcano with ash emissions. That's also a sign that it's already in an eruptive state. Today, the Risk Management Secretary changed the alert to yellow to protect the lives of people and, obviously, to be prepared. "Cotopaxi volcano started showing signs of activity in April.
It is located around 50 km south of the capital Quito.
The Ecuadorian government has prepared a number of contingency plans.
An eruption is expected to cause severe material damage.
The volcano's snow-covered peaks could also cause avalanches and flooding.
The volcano's last major erruption was recorded in 1904.
AT&T helps U.S. spying on Internet: N.Y.TimesNewly released documents show that US telecom giant AT&T help the US National Security Agency spy on internet traffic.
The information is from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and has now been published by American media.
The company gave the NSA access, through several ways, to billions of emails flowing across domestic networks, and all internet communications at the United Nations headquarters, an AT&T customer.
It installed surveillance equipment in at least 17 of its internet hubs on US soil, far more than its competitor Verizon.
One document says AT&T's corporate relationships also provided unique access to other telecom or internet service providers.
WeatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 23, tomorrow will have thunderstorm with a high of 31.
Shanghai will be overcast tonight with a low of 25, tomorrow will be cloudy, high of 32.
Chongqing will have shower tonight with a low of 25, heavier rain is expected tomorrow with a high of 30.
Lhasa will be rainy tonight with a low of 12, also rainy tomorrow with a high of 23.
Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will have slight rain tomorrow with a high of 35.
Kabul, cloudy, 30.
Down in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sydney, cloudy, high of 18,Brisbane, slight rain,20,Perth, rainy, 20,And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be rainy with a high of 20 degrees Celsius.
Headline newsNo rescuers harmed by chemicals in Tianjin blastsAuthorities say no rescuers have harmed by the chemical contamination around the site of the warehouse explosion in Tianjin.
The comment was made after chemical experts located several hundred tons of sodium cyanide at the blast sites.
Some of the chemical has been neutralized already, using hydrogen peroxide.
And some of the chemical remain inside of containers will be transported to a safe location.
The area has been cordoned off to prevent the toxic compound from spreading in sewage.
Wednesday's massive blasts have left 112 dead and over 700 injured.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is now in Tianjin to direct the rescue and relief effort.
He also visited fire fighters, rescuers and those injured in the tragedy.
At the same time, Prosecutors have started an investigation and are trying to determine if anyone is at fault for the explosions due to dereliction of duty.
No signs of life detected in NW China landslideNo signs of life has been detected at the scene of a landslide that buried the living quarters at a mining company in Shaanxi province on Wednesday.
Sixty-four people were buried under tonnes of debris.
The volume of mud and rubble, and the risk of a secondary slide, has hindered search efforts.
Ten people escaped the slide unhurt while four others were dug out by rescuers and taken to hospital.
Plane with 54 people on board loses contact in Papua, IndonesiaContact with a small passenger plane with 54 people on board has been lost in eastern Indonesia.
Five children and infants are said to be on board the plane.
The plane lost contact shortly after taking off in the regional capital Jayapura.
In confirming the plane is missing, a spokesman for the transport ministry says authorities are still looking for it and no details of what happened to the plane are known.
He noted that bad weather is hampering the search operation in the mountainous area.
Death toll in India, Pakistan skirmish on LoC rises to 6 in Indian-controlled KashmirThe death toll on Indian-controlled Kashmir side in deadly clashes near the Line of Control has gone up to six.
The exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops broke out in Balkot sector of Poonch, southwest of the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Pakistan's army also reported 2 deaths.
The fresh skirmish has triggered panic among the civilians on both sides of LoC.
LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.
The skirmishes came before the first-ever security talks between the two neighbors on Aug. 23 in New Delhi.
Sci&Tech (Sunday)It's time now to check on the news of the week from the science and technology sector.
A national big data network is being developed here in China using cloud technology.
China's 19th Beidou navigation satellite is working autonomously and has set up a link with another satellite.
Astronauts on board the International Space Station have for the first time eaten food that was grown entirely in space.
Here's CRI's Wen Jie.
Reporter:
A national big data network is being developed here in China using cloud technology.
This comes after two big data centers were put into service by China Telecom, a leading Chinese telecommunications company.
The two big data centers, one in southwest China's Guizhou Province and the other in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, are the largest big data centers in Asia.
The big data centers are connected to eight regional nodes in China and will allow storage of big data across China.
Han Zhencong is the general manager of China Telecom's Government and Enterprise Customers Division.
"In the past, only a few major cities in the country had access to powerful big data operations and storage facilities. But the second- and third-tier cities and remote areas also have big data operation and storage needs. Our big data network satisfies these demands. Our use of China-made equipment also adds safeguards to our internet security system."The network is also expected to add impetus to the Chinese government's Internet-plus initiative, which aims to stimulate economic growth.
After more than 10 days in space, China's 19th Beidou navigation satellite is working autonomously and has set up a link with another satellite.
The two satellites were launched by the same rocket on July 25. The "twin sats" surpass their predecessors in speed, accuracy and weight.
One chief engineer on the project says the inter-satellite link realizes communication and distance measurement among satellites, bringing autonomous control of the navigation system a step closer.
Autonomous navigation is the project's key to global operation. It enables satellites to work independently, providing users with more accurate data.
The first satellite for Beidou was launched in 2000. China plans to set up a complete constellation of 35 satellites, achieving global coverage by 2020.
By 2012, a regional network had taken shape and was providing positioning, navigation, timing and short message services in China and other Asian countries.
Astronauts on board the International Space Station have for the first time eaten food that was grown entirely in space.
The lettuce comes from NASA's Veg-01 experiment, aimed at studying how plants grow in orbit in order to give astronauts longer missions in the future.
NASA's Scott Kelly is one of the three astronauts to take the first bites, together with Kjell Lindgren and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui.
"Having lived on the space station here for awhile I understand the logistical complexity of having people live and work in space for long periods and the supply chain that is required to keep us going. And if we're ever going to go to Mars someday, and we will, but whenever that is, we're going to have to have a spacecraft that is much more sustainable with regards to its food supply, as well as other things."This isn't the first time astronauts have harvested greens in space, but it is the first time astronauts were allowed to dine on the fresh space-grown produce.
The first set of harvested greens was sent back to Earth in October of last year for safety analysis.
Scientists from the European Space Agency believe that comets could serve as cosmic laboratories after analyzing the data collected in the Rosetta mission.
The agency successfully dropped a lander - named Philae - on the icy surface of comet 67P nine months ago.
Scientists have learned a great deal about the comet's composition, not least that 67P is rather porous.
Fred Goesmann, the mission's Principal Investigator, says that essential elements for life have been found on the comet.
"It's the typical combination of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen - so it's all kinds of typical bonds you would expect between these atoms. So it's the OH, the alcohols, the aldehydes - that's the reduced...., and the nitrogen bonds, the nitrile, the amide, the amine and the isocyanate, even. So the typical bonds you'd expect between C H O and N were there."The mission is conducive towards answering big questions whether the origin of water and life on earth comes from comets.
A team of engineers from the UK has developed a robotic system that can independently build and improve its "offspring."In the experiments, the "mother robot" can design, build, and test ten generations of "children" - plastic cubes with a small motor inside - largely on its own.
Engineers observed that the "mother robot" was capable of assessing how far its children were able to move, and used the knowledge to enhance the design of the next generation.
The project looks at how robotics can be improved by taking inspiration from nature, whether that's learning about intelligence, or finding ways to improve robotic locomotion.
Engineers in Italy have invented a plug-in device to monitor the activity of honeybees in their hives.
It's hoped the data gathered will eventually help scientists find a solution to stopping the decline in honeybees around the world.
Italian experts believe that clues of their decline are scattered in the environment, but also hidden inside hives.
Their new plug-in device called Melixa connects to beehives and is able to monitor traffic, and it doesn't miss a flight.
Melixa lead engineer, Mauro Martinelli explains:
"The Melixa system has the unique feature of counting the number of bees that come and go from the beehive during the day. This is very useful information because it lets you know the health of the hive, if the colony is growing, if it is producing, or if there are issues that need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis."Major countries in Europe have seen an obvious decline of honeybees. Worst case scenario in 2012-2013 was England where over 30% of honeybees were lost in that period of time.
Besides making honey, honeybees pollinate more than 90 flowering crops. About one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination.
A new study has found that music benefits surgery patients, even when played on the operating table.
Scientists from Brunel University in the UK confirmed this after looking at the impact of music on almost 7,000 surgical patients.
The best outcomes occurred when music was played before the procedure began. But, surprisingly, even listening to music while under general anesthetic appeared to reduce pain levels.
Brunel's lead researcher Dr. Catherine Meads explains:
"If you can think of an example where if you have a grade of pain between nought and ten, where nought is no pain at all and ten is the worst pain imaginable, if you have that for music, we found that the results of music reduced your pain by about two centimetres on a ten centimetre scale like that."In light of this discovery, the research team suggested that they will try to make the practice routine in the UK.
It's estimated that 4.6 million operations are performed in England during a year and most people undergo a surgical procedure at some point.
Huawei announced on Thursday that it would expand its technical training program in Africa.
The program, named "Seeds for the Future", will benefit over 1,000 students across Africa.
Those students will have the opportunity to access high-level technical training in China in the next 5 years.
Meanwhile, Huawei also announced a job creation plan for its local operations in South Africa.
Currently, Huawei has around 1,000 employees in South Africa. In the next 5 years, the company will increase its staff in the country by 50 percent to support fast growing operations there.
Huawei is a Chinese information and communication technology firm.
And that brings us to the end of this edition of our weekly science and technology report.
I'm Wenjie. See you next week.
SportsBadminton resultsThe winners are being decided on this final day of the Badminton World Championships.
History repeated itself as Chen Long beat Lee Chong-Wei again in the final to win the men's singles for the second time.
Chen won in straight sets 21-14, 21-17.
With that Chen further consolidated his world number one status.
Lee Chong-wei, however, has finished runner-up in four consecutive world championships.
Despite repeatedly missing out on the crown, 33-year-old Lee says he wants to continue until after the Rio Olympics.
In other action,Top-ranked Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei retained their mixed doubles title, edging out Liu Cheng/Bao Yixin in an all-Chinese final.
All Chinese competitors suffered early exits in women's singles. That event was won by defending champion Carolina Marin.
CSL previewIn action from the Chinese Super League,The games tonight will once again determine the standings for the top four teams.
Shandong Luneng plays Chongqing Lifan,Shanghai SIPG wraps up this round with Hangzhou Greentown.
At one point down on Guangzhou Evergrande, SIPG will re-claim the top spot if it wins tonight.
Both Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guo'an blew their chance at three points by conceding a goal right before time. Each finished at a 2-2 draw.
Tianjin Teda and Changchun Yatai also finished with the same result. The stadium observed a minute of silence before the start for the victims of the Tianjin blast.
Bundesliga, EPL recapIn the Bundesliga in Germany,Coach Thomas Tuchel began his rule of Dortmund with an emphatic victory.
His side trounced Moenchengladbach 4-0.
The result puts Dortmund second on the table, behind Bayern Munich on goal differential.
Shalke 04 is third after defeating Werder Bremen 3-0.
There were also wins for Ingolstadt, Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin.
It was a 2-2 draw between Hannover and Darmstadt.
Later tonight, last season's runner-up and Super Cup winner Wolfsburg takes on Frankfurt.
Cologne goes up against Stuttgart.
In the English Premier League,Swansea City beat 10-man Newcastle 2-0.
Swansea coach Garry Monk says it was tough getting through Newcastle's middle after they pulled back with a man down:
"We looked dangerous at certain points in the game. And I thought today we showed out maturity as well. When they went to ten men they had made it very (much) more difficult. They dropped very deep, just defended very narrow. The spaces were not quite there. But I thought we were mature. We did not force the issue. We kept the ball well and tried to take the openings when we did."Some of the other results from last night,Everton shut out Southampton 3-0,Norwich City downed Sunderland 3-1,And Tottenham was held at a 2-2 tie by Stoke City.
Tonight defending champions Chelsea meet Man City, and Arsenal takes on Crystal Palace.
Ligue 1 recap, previewOver in the French Ligue 1,St. Etienne and Bordeaux tied at one goal apiece.
Early tomorrow morning, Paris Saint-Germain hosts newly-promoted GFC Ajaccio.
Ajaccio is playing in France's top division for the first time in its history but PSG coach Laurent Blanc says his players are going into it like any other game.
"The fact that we want to take three points and want to win is a sign of respect for the opponent. It's been our philosophy for a long time, two and a half years now, even though I think it existed even before. The progress of the match and how it's going to go, no one can say, neither you nor me. We will just play to our strengths."PSG will once again be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker missed the season opener with a knee injury but he could be back as early as next week.
Tennis updateIn tennis,Andy Murray has eased past last week's Citi Open winner Kei Nishikori to reach the Rogers Cup final.
The 6-3, 6-0 victory also moves Murray past Roger Federer as world number two.
Murray thinks it's a great place to be but has higher ambitions.
"Yeah well the first time I did it was actually here a number of years ago - I think it was 2010, maybe, I can't remember exactly. But yeah, it's nice to have done that. There's obviously great players around and the depth in the game is extremely strong and, yeah, after everything I went through last year, to be back near the top of the game is great and I'll try and keep improving and try and get one spot higher."Murray will have to get past current number one Novak Djokovic in the final to begin his quest of replacing him as the world No. 1.
In women's action,Belinda Bencic shocked Serena Williams with a three-sets win to move into the final.
Awaiting her is second seed Simona Halep.
Golf updateIn golf,Jason Day shot a six-under 66 to take a two-shot lead over Jordan Spieth into the final round of the PGA Championship.
Day says his confidence level is high and he is enjoying it.
"I'm enjoying myself so much on the golf course. It's been fun to be out here in pressure situations. It's good to be in contention, especially on Sunday. It's good to have the lead, so that's a plus. To be able to do what I did, especially on the last three days, put myself in position here, I've done what I need to do, now I've just got to focus on round four and just kind of keep pushing forward."Jordan Spieth made a slow start but salvaged the day with six birdies over his last eight holes.
Over at the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic,Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson is going into the final round with a five-shot lead.
Chinese Taipei's Candie Kung is tied at fifth place at 11 under overall.
EntertainmentWWII-themed Cartoons to Hit Chinese TelevisionThree cartoons featuring Chinese people's resistance against Japanese aggression in World War II will be broadcast from Monday.
The cartoons are part of China's commemoration of the 70th anniversary of its WWII victory.
All three are based on WWII stories such as "Tunnel Warfare", or "Di Dao Zhan" in Chinese.
It is about a small town using a network of tunnels to defend itself and sabotage the invaders.
The other two are "The Letter With Feathers" and "The Defense of Yuan Zi Ya"The cartoons are aimed at teaching China's young people about that period of history.
Young Director Bi Gan Awarded at Locarno Film FestivalChinese director Bi Gan has won Best Emerging Director as well as Special Mention for the First Feature award at the Locarno International Film Festival.
The 26-year-old director is awarded for his feature film -"Kaili Blues", with the Chinese title "Lu Bian Ye Can", with translates to "Roadside Picnic".
"Kaili Blues" is set in Kaili - a city in southwest China's Guizhou Province, which is the center of the ethinic minority Miao culture, and is also the director's hometown.
It tells the story of the protagonist, who, while looking for his niece, stops in an otherworldly town that commingles his past, present and future.
The film has obtained its screening permit in China and is expected to meet with domestic audiences at the end of this year.
"Kali Blues" is the first feature film of the young director, who also wrote the film, after college graduation in 2011.
As one of the oldest film festivals in the world, the Locarno Film Festival is well known as a festival of discovery.
Chinese director Jia Zhangke and Hou Hsiao Hisen have also been awarded by the festival before.
Pink Floyd Officially Breaks UpLegendary British band- Pink Floyd has officially broken up.
Guitarist David Gilmore confirmed the news in an interview.
69-year-old Gimore says the Floyd has run its course, and it would be "fakery" to team up with the band's two surviving members, Roger Waters and Nick Mason.
Pink Floyd formed in 1965 by Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Richard Wright.
Gilmour joined in 1967.
Barrett, who left the group in 1968, died in 2006, and Wright died two years later.
Pink Floyd toured and made music together for nearly 30 years before they took a 20 year hiatus between 1994's "The Division Bell", and 2014's "The Endless River".
In those 20 years, the band has only performed a handful of times–mostly at charity events–and hasn't written or recorded any new songs.
During this hiatus, fans thought the band had officially broken up.
But Pink Floyd reunited in 2005 for the Live 8 global awareness event.
Last year Floyd released "The Endless River", an album that stemmed from the band's '90s recording sessions.
Disney Announces 'Star Wars' Theme ParksDisney chairman Bob Iger has announced the creation of two Star Wars theme parks.
The 14-acre parks will feature humanoids, aliens and droids.
Iger calls it the company's "largest single-themed land expansion ever."One of the single-themed lands will be featured at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.
The other is coming to Disneyland in Anaheim.
Iger says attractions would include a Millennium Falcon ride and iconic settings like the Creature Cantina.
He adds guests will "truly become a part of their favorite Star Wars stories."Meanwhile, Colin Trevorrow, the director of high grossing film-"Jurassic World" has been confirmed to take helm of Star Wars: Episode 9.
Star Wars: Episode 9 is the final part of the new trilogy, which is due for release in 2019.
Rian Johnson is writing and directing "Star Wars: Episode 8", due for release in 2017.
And JJ Abrams's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hits on December 18, 2015.
WeatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 23, tomorrow will have thunderstorm with a high of 31.
Shanghai will be overcast tonight with a low of 25, tomorrow will be cloudy, high of 32.
Chongqing will have shower tonight with a low of 25, heavier rain is expected tomorrow with a high of 30.
Lhasa will be rainy tonight with a low of 12, also rainy tomorrow with a high of 23.
Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will have slight rain tomorrow with a high of 35.
Kabul, cloudy, 30.
Down in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sydney, cloudy, high of 18,Brisbane, slight rain,20,Perth, rainy, 20,And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be rainy with a high of 20 degrees Celsius.
That's it for this weekend edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick look at the headlines before we go...
Work to clean up tonnes of toxic chemicals found at the blast site in Tianjin is now underway...
A photo exhibition on Japan's bacterial and chemical warfare has opened in Tokyo...
Contact has been lost with a small passenger plane with people 54 aboard in Indonesia...
In the 2nd half of the hour, we'll bring you some of the science & technology stories making headlines this past week.
In Sports...lots of football actions -- from China, Germany, England, and France...
And in Entertainment...World War II- themed cartoons will be on Chinese TV starting tomorrow...
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour, and open a window to the world together. |
原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/thebeijinghour/319433.html |