介绍:
This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.
A recent survey has found that Chinese people are almost twice as optimistic about the world as those from other countries, while Britons are the fifth most pessimistic.
British polling company YouGov surveyed more than 18,000 people in 17 countries. It found that 41 percent of internet users in China say the world is getting better. This sunny outlook is almost double the next most optimistic country, Indonesia, with 23 percent and fourfold of the global average of 10 percent.
While it is said in most places that the chances of being killed by another human, life expectancy, poverty, democracy and the rule of law have all improved significantly over the past 200 years, 65 percent of adults in Britain disagree.
But the British are far less pessimistic than the French, because 81 percent of internet users in France say the world is getting worse, while only 3 percent say it is getting better.
Meanwhile, Australia, which is the second most pessimistic country, has almost 20 times more wealth per person than the second most optimistic, Indonesia.
Research suggests that the huge gap between China and the rest of the world when it comes to the fate of the planet reveals something special. The country's sheer rate of growth, the prioritization of health and quality of food are all contributory factors to this belief in a bright future.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
Leading experts are working on a revision to a national regulation on the management of laboratory animals. If adopted, the law is expected to greatly improve the management and protection of such animals.
A draft to the new rules includes changes to the "Regulation on the Management of Laboratory Animals", which was adopted in 1988.
However, it remains unknown as to when the new regulations will come into force.
The "Regulation on the Management of Laboratory Animals" is a major guideline on the management of animals used in scientific research, and has been revised several times since it was enacted. It is primarily intended to ensure that animals used in laboratory experiments are of sufficiently high quality, in terms of health, to meet the demands of scientific research.
The regulation also includes a number of articles related to animals' welfare, including stipulations that the scientists conducting experiments must "take a good care of the animals and not provoke or abuse them".
Other guidelines have also been introduced since 1988, including many related to the welfare of laboratory animals.
However, China still lags behind many other countries in legislation to promote the welfare of laboratory animals.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
A journalist has sued the Bijie city government and Guizhou provincial government for having failed to publicize how they had used 177 million yuan, roughly 27 million U.S. dollars, in funds specially allocated to help left-behind children. Beijing Youth Daily says the local officials responsible should be held accountable for any misuse of funds.
Previously, five children died of carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to make a fire to keep themselves warm in a skip in Bijie in the winter of 2012. The public anger at the tragedy prompted the local government to promise to spend 60 million yuan each year to help left-behind children whose parents work in cities far away from home.
Yet another four left-behind children committed suicide last June by drinking pesticide because of their extreme poverty. Journalist Zhou Xiaoyun earlier requested the local government to disclose how the money had been used. When the government said the information did not exist, Zhou took the Bijie and provincial governments to court to find out.
The local government's unwillingness to tell how it has spent the money has raised doubts about its sincerity, as well as speculation about possible corruption.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
A store owner in eastern China is facing a fine of 200,000 yuan, roughly 30,500 U.S. dollars, after advertising its products as "the best" in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province.
The law enforcement authority says the store violated the country's Advertising Law and relevant regulations when it used the phases "the best" and "the most" in its advertising.
The store specializes in sugar-roasted chestnuts. Its owner Fang Linfu says he was shocked when he received the notice earlier this month. The ticket was written by the marketing supervision administration of the city's Xihu district.
Fang has refused to pay the money. He claims that he has used the same ad for more than 15 years, and no one has ever questioned him or asked him to stop using it. He added that the fine is too much for a small store like his.
Fang has been roasting and selling sugar-roasted chestnuts for more than two decades and his products are popular in the city.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
China has begun a new round of lunar exploration and will send the "Chang'e-4" probe to the far side of the moon in 2018.
The far side of the moon is never visible to Earth because of gravitational forces and has never been explored by humans. "Chang'e-4" will be the first mission in human history to embark on this expedition.
Officials say China already boasts mature science and technology for sending a probe to the far side of the moon, and is open to cooperation with international society.
China achieved its first soft-landing on the moon in December 2013, and the moon rover is still sending messages back to Earth.
The new rover "Chang'e-4" is very similar to its predecessor in structure but can handle more payloads. It will be used to study the geological conditions of the dark side of the moon.
China sent a letter of intent of cooperation to foreign countries early last year.
The country also plans to launch its next generation lunar probe, the Chang'e-5, to finish the last chapter in China's three-step moon exploration program, namely, orbiting and landing on the moon, as well as return to earth from it.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
China's new unmanned submarine "Qianlong No. 2" has completed its maiden dive in the southwest Indian Ocean.
The underwater robot was independently designed by Chinese scientists and can dive to a depth of 4,500 meters below the ocean surface.
During the test dive, the submarine entered a mineral-rich area of the Indian Ocean and remained underwater for around nine hours. It has explored the area's landforms and hydrothermal sulfides, and conducted magnetism studies.
The dive is part of a final test for the vessel to be put into practical use.
The submarine was transported by its support ship, the "Xiang-yang-hong 10", a scientific expedition vessel. The support ship is on its maiden voyage in deep-sea areas, and is expected to remain in the ocean until early June.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging onto NEWSPlusRadio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.
A dispute has erupted between two of China's powerful medical and scientific organizations after the sudden death of a pregnant employee at one of the groups at a Beijing hospital.
The victim's family was accused by the hospital of destroying hospital property and attacking hospital staff. The victim's husband has denied the accusation.
But while physical altercations over treatment disputes have repeatedly made news, a confrontation between prestigious organizations is rare, if not unprecedented.
The deceased woman, 34-year-old Yang was an employee of an institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. She was admitted to Peking University Third Hospital for hypertension on Dec 28.
Yang was 26 weeks pregnant and was in a stable condition after treatment in the hospital. However, after complaining of feeling pain, her heart stopped in the early morning on Jan 11. The patient died the same day despite emergency resuscitation efforts.
Autopsy results found that Yang died of an aortic rupture, which is fatal in most cases. Hypertension and pregnancy are among the risk factors for the condition.
The institute that employed Yang has sent an official letter to the hospital, requesting a thorough investigation into Yang's death in response to her family's concerns. It demanded a "fair, transparent and thorough" investigation.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
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