This is People's Daily Tonight, your news source from China.  I'm David Nye in Beijing. I'm Jingjing.

Xiongan to house more SOEs, firms from abroad

China will give Xiongan New Area greater autonomy to attract the headquarters of State-owned enterprises and foreign-owned financial institutions.

The guideline released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council said the goal is to allow Xiongan to undertake the non-capital functions of Beijing and better help with deepening reforms.

It said foreign capital will receive support to establish financial institutions either in the form of wholly foreign-owned ventures or joint ventures.

Ownership caps will be gradually widened or canceled. (China Daily)

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China encourages use of TCM to fight flu

China is encouraging the public to use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the fight against the flu.

Experts have given specific advice on the use of TCM and recommended several common TCM products for patients with mild symptoms in a plan issued by the National Health Commission and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Provincial TCM administrative departments have stepped up raising public awareness through traditional and new media platforms as well as organizing experts to visit families and communities.

Experts said TCM is proven effective in preventing and controlling the flu. It also reduces medical costs. (Xinhua)

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'We don't sell people's data,' says Facebook's Zuckerberg

Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg renewed his defense of the social network's business.

He said targeting ads based on interests was different from selling people's data.

Last year, Facebook faced a series of scandals over data protection and privacy, and concerns that the leading social network had been manipulated by foreign interests for political purposes.

Despite the scandals, Facebook revenue and user numbers have continued to grow. (AFP)

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Trial events to be held at Zhangjiakou's 2022 Winter Olympics venues

All five 2022 Winter Olympics venues in Zhangjiakou will be completed this year in order for trial events to be staged, according to Wu Weidong, Mayor of Zhangjiakou City. 

Located some 200km northwest of Beijing, Zhangjiakou will host all snowboarding, freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined and biathlon competitions at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Zhangjiakou's Genting Resort will host the FIS Freestyle Ski and and Snowboard World Championships in 2021, which are trial events for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Preparation work is planned to start this year. (Xinhua)

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Venezuela to close its US embassy, consulates: Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he will close the country's embassy and consulates in the United States.

This comes a day after severing "diplomatic and political" ties with Washington.

He cut off relations with the US following President Donald Trump's official recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president.

Meanwhile, the US State Department ordered some US government employees to leave Venezuela.

The move comes a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that US diplomatic presence in Venezuela would continue. (Xinhua)

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Growing plants on moon elicits strong scientific interest

Chinese scientists announced last week that one of the cotton seeds carried to the moon by China's Chang'e-4 probe was the first ever to sprout there, arousing plenty of excitement and scientific interest.

Even though it soon died, the sprout marked the latest effort of mankind to grow plants in outer space, which is of great importance to future exploration into deeper space.

Growing plants in space is not only a feasible method to supply food for long-time space travels but also an efficient way to maintain the mental health of astronauts in a closed and isolated environment. (Xinhua)

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Lippi to leave as contract with China ends after AFC Asian Cup tour

And legendary coach Marcello Lippi said he will leave his position with China after his contract ends following the AFC Asian Cup tour.

The World Cup-winning coach did not take questions from the media, but made a brief statement after tournament favorites Iran beat China 3-0 in the Asian Cup quarterfinal.

The Chinese Football Association named Lippi the coach of China's national team in 2016, when China suffered a 4-game losing streak in the last stage of the Asian Zone qualifying campaign.

Although China eventually failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, Lippi impressed fans with their fighting spirit. (Xinhua)

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And that's People's Daily Tonight.  Thanks for joining us.

(Produced by David Nye and Huang Jingjing)