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This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Yun Feng in Beijing. Here is the news.
Air China will offer non-stop flights between Beijing and Washington, D.C. four times a week from June 10 this year in the latest move to expand its network in the United States.
The flight is scheduled to leave Beijing at 1 p.m. Beijing time and arrive at 2:35 p.m. Washington time on the same day. The return flight is expected to depart at 4:35 p.m. and arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport at 6:15 p.m. the next day.
Flight numbers for the Beijing-Washington service will be CA 817 and 818.
The United States is a popular destination for the increasingly affluent Chinese travelers. China is expected to be the top tourist source market for the United States in 2018 with the number of Chinese visitors hitting almost 5 million.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
China's eastern city of Suzhou has been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize for its sound planning principles and good urban management.
The nominating committee for the prize praised Suzhou for its achievements in economic prosperity and preservation of celebrated cultural and historic heritage, despite numerous challenges amid the rapid industrialization and urbanization processes in China.
Suzhou was selected from among 36 cities.
The biennial Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize honors outstanding achievements and contributions to the creation of livable and vibrant urban communities around the world. It seeks to recognize and celebrate efforts in furthering urban solutions and sustainable urban development.
The Orange County Water District, which manages a groundwater basin in Orange County, California in the United States, also received the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize at the same ceremony. Orange County is honored for its pioneering work in groundwater management and water reclamation using advanced water reuse technologies.
The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is the highlight of the Singapore International Water Week. It was launched in 2008 to honor outstanding contributions by individuals or organizations towards solving the world's water problems by applying innovative technologies or implementing policies and programs which benefit humanity.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Yun Feng in Beijing.
Mobile devices have become part of people's daily life nowadays and many passengers bring their devices aboard the plane; but without in-flight WiFi service, they only can play Angry Birds game during the boring flight period.
That will change on the flights of Air China, the country's flag carrier.
Air China has signed an agreement with U.S. technology company Honeywell International, and will begin testing the system in the second quarter of next year.
The system, GX Aviation, is a high-speed in-flight connectivity service powered by satellite networks to enable ships to stay in touch with the shore or call for help.
With this technology, passengers on the airplane can expect a 60 percent faster download speed compared with now.
The first GX satellite was launched last December, and two new ones are scheduled for launch by the end of this year. The satellites will span the globe and provide a more stable signal.
The service can provide real-time data to the ground maintenance center when the airplane is flying, and display the flight routes to passengers.
Currently, there are two different solutions to provide in-flight connectivity services, either through ground bases or satellites.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
Samsung Electronics, one of the world's biggest smartphone makers, has unveiled its first smartphone powered by Tizen, an open-source operating system, to rely less on Google's Android.
The Samsung Z was on show at the Tizen Developer Conference held last week in San Francisco, the United States.
The South Korean tech giant says that the phone is optimized with the Tizen software, which will offer a faster startup time and immediate multi-tasking capabilities.
The smartphone comes with a 4.8-inch display and Quad-core processor. It features a distinctive home and application layout for easy access to favorite apps.
Samsung has been struggling to develop its own operating system to rely less on the Android, which has been working on supports for other Android-based device makers.
The Samsung Z will be available in Russia in the third quarter of this year, and is planned to expand to other markets.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
Japan has begun its first 4K ultra high-definition broadcasting trail TV service.
The Channel 4K is operated by "NexTV-F", meaning "Next Generation Television and Broadcasting Promotion Forum".
The channel will air contents provided by member TV stations, covering live music, travel and sports programs, for roughly six hours a day during the preliminary period.
Viewers need a 4K television, tuner and antenna. They also need to send an application to the operator to watch the channel.
NexTV-F was set up in Japan in May last year to promote 4K broadcasting. It has over 60 corporate members consisting mainly of TV stations, electronics makers, ad agencies and trading houses.
The Japanese government is aiming to begin the commercial service for 4K broadcasting in 2016.
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