U.S. museum curator detained in Türkiye on suspicion of smuggling endemic species

STORY: U.S. museum curator detained in Türkiye on suspicion of smuggling endemic species SHOOTING TIME: May 13, 2024 DATELINE: May 14, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:49 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Lorenzo Prendini, curator of the American National Museum of Natural History at Istanbul airport 2. various of smuggling police removing endemic species banned for export from a suitcase at the airport 3. various of Lorenzo Prendini being taken out of the airport by police officers 4. various of endemic scorpions, spiders, and tarantulas detected at the airport STORYLINE: Turkish police detained a U.S. museum curator and seized 1,500 endemic scorpions, spiders, and tarantulas from his suitcase in Türkiye's largest Istanbul Airport, local media revealed on Monday. According to the Ihlas news agency, Istanbul's anti-smuggling police teams initiated the operation on Sunday in collaboration with airport security. The police seized the animals within 58 clip-on bags, alongside 88 bo

Bangladesh honors Wushu medalists at int'l invitational tournament

STORY: Bangladesh honors Wushu medalists at int'l invitational tournament SHOOTING TIME: May 5, 2024 DATELINE: May 6, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:58 LOCATION: Dhaka CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the felicitation ceremony STORYLINE: A ceremony was held in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Saturday to honor medal-winners at a Wushu tournament. Bangladeshi competitors won six medals at the 2024 International Wushu Invitational Tournament, which was held from April 23-25 in China's Jiangsu Province. Abdus Sobhan Golap, president of the Bangladesh Wushu Federation, spoke at the ceremony and expressed gratitude to China for supporting the development of Wushu in Bangladesh. Li Shaopeng, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, said that Wushu is an excellent representation of traditional Chinese culture and is a bridge for China-Bangladesh friendship. The Bangladesh Wushu Federation said that the country has more than 600 active players across five official, professional Wushu teams

Almost 100 aftershocks recorded overnight following Taiwan's 7.3-magnitude quake

STORY: Almost 100 aftershocks recorded overnight following Taiwan's 7.3-magnitude quake SHOOTING TIME: April 4, 2024 DATELINE: April 4, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:17 LOCATION: HUALIEN, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of affected areas STORYLINE: A total of 96 aftershocks were recorded on Wednesday night and Thursday early morning following the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that jolted Taiwan, according to Taiwan's meteorological agency. The epicenters of all the aftershocks, which occurred from 11 p.m. Wednesday to 8:20 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), were located in Hualien County's coastal area and nearby waters. The maximum earthquake intensity reached 4 magnitude, the agency said. The 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the sea area near Hualien of China's Taiwan at 7:58 a.m. Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring more than 1,000 people. A total of 101 people are trapped and 34 were missing as of 12 a.m. Thursday, local authorities said. Search and rescue teams from all over Taiwan came to H

7 killed, 18 injured in road accident in south Pakistan

STORY: 7 killed, 18 injured in road accident in south Pakistan SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 6, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 6, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:58 LOCATION: Islamabad CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the accident site STORYLINE: Seven people were killed and 18 others injured in a road accident in Pakistan's south Sindh province, rescue teams said. The accident happened in Kashmore district of the province, where a passenger van collided with a truck at a main highway on Monday, the state-run Rescue 1122 said in a statement. The van's driver could not see the truck coming from the opposite direction due to low visibility caused by fog and hit into it, the statement added. The injured people had been shifted to a nearby hospital, where five of them were in critical condition. Presently, Pakistan is experiencing fluctuations in weather patterns, leading to the emergence of dense fog in various regions during both morning and night hours, which causes certain sections of highways to close temporarily d

China beats Mongolia in Sitting Volleyball World Cup women's opener

STORY: China beats Mongolia in Sitting Volleyball World Cup women's opener SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 12, 2023 DATELINE: Nov. 13, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:58 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the 2023 World ParaVolley (WPV) Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Cairo STORYLINE: China secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Mongolia on Sunday in the women's opening match of the 2023 World ParaVolley (WPV) Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Cairo. China exhibited a dominant performance, triumphing 25-3, 25-7, 25-4 in their first game in Group E, which also includes Egypt, Rwanda, and Germany. The Cairo World Cup presents an opportunity to earn a spot in the Paris Paralympics for one team per gender. China's women's team has already qualified for the Paris games. "It was a very good game. Our women's team already qualified for the Paris Paralympics, so we came here to know more about our competitors and exchange expertise with teams from different countries," Xu Huimin, head coach of the Chinese women's t

Belarus holds martial arts championship

STORY: Belarus holds martial arts championship DATELINE: Oct. 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:58 LOCATION: Minsk CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the championship STORYLINE: The 2023 Belarusian Martial Arts Championship (Chinese Martial Arts Festival) was held in Minsk from Oct. 20 to 22. This year's event attracted more than 300 contestants from 49 teams, with their ages ranging from 6 to 60. It was jointly organized by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Wushu Association, China's Lingnan Normal University and other units. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Minsk. (XHTV)

Kabul University celebrates "Confucius Institute Day" with Chinese language competition

STORY: Kabul University celebrates "Confucius Institute Day" with Chinese language competition DATELINE: Sept. 29, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:58 LOCATION: Kabul CATEGORY: EDUCATION SHOTLIST: 1. various of the venue 2. SOUNDBITE (Dari): HAMID GHULAMI, Lecturer of Chinese Language and Literature Department of Kabul University 3. various of activities STORYLINE: The Chinese Language and Literature Department of Kabul University marked the "Confucius Institute Day" in Kabul on Wednesday by organizing a competition among Chinese learners. SOUNDBITE (Dari): HAMID GHULAMI, Lecturer of Chinese Language and Literature Department of Kabul University "Five teams competed in the public speaking competition of Chinese language today, which was hosted by Kabul University and 17 people found their way to the final." Themed "Chinese Language and Me," the competition attracts some 120 guests from inside and outside the university. Competitors in their speeches revealed how and from when they began learning the Chinese lan

Floods in E. Libya kill over 2,000: eastern-based PM

STORY: Floods in E. Libya kill over 2,000: eastern-based PM DATELINE: Sept. 12, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:58 LOCATION: Tripoli CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: 1. various of floods 2. various of the destroyed houses STORYLINE: Osama Hammad, the eastern-based prime minister of Libya, said on Monday that more than 2,000 people were killed and thousands of others went missing after floods hit eastern Libya on Sunday. Speaking to a local TV channel, Hammad said most of the casualties were reported in the port city of Derna, where "the entire neighborhoods were swept away by floods." He called on medical personnel and rescue teams nationwide to provide assistance to the hard-hit city, while the eastern-based Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Gatrani has appealed for international aid through a local TV channel. Local authorities have declared three days of mourning for the victims. The Mediterranean storm made landfall in eastern Libya on Sunday, triggering flooding and destroying facilities along its path. A

Nagasaki peiron rowing races begin

Nagasaki peiron rowing races begin

NAGASAKI, Japan - Crews power their boats in the traditional summertime peiron rowing races on July 25 at Nagasaki Port in Nagasaki Prefecture. A total of 58 teams are participating in the two-day event.

At least 8 killed, 10 wounded in traffic accident in NW Turkey

STORY: At least 8 killed, 10 wounded in traffic accident in NW Turkey DATELINE: June 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:58 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Turkey CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the traffic accident site STORYLINE: At least 8 people were killed and 10 others were wounded when a minibus was hit by a truck in Turkey's northwestern province of Balikesir on Saturday, local media reported. The minibus filled with passengers going to a marriage ceremony in the city center crashed with a milk-carrying truck soon after it departed the Dursunbey district, the Hurriyet daily said. Ambulances, police, firefighters, and emergency rescue teams were sent to the crash site. The roadway was closed to traffic temporarily. Balikesir Governor Hasan Sildak said law enforcement was still investigating the causes and circumstances of the accident, which was likely caused by heavy rain and improper lane change. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Turkey. (XHTV)

8 children among 18 killed from bus fire in Pakistan's Sindh

STORY: 8 children among 18 killed from bus fire in Pakistan's Sindh DATELINE: Oct. 13, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:58 LOCATION: Islamabad CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: 1. various of accident site and rescuers STORYLINE: At least 18 people, including eight children, were killed and 28 others injured on Wednesday night after a passenger bus caught fire in Pakistan's southern Jamshoro district, police said on Thursday. Deputy Superintendent of Police of the area Wajid Thaheem told the media that the bus was engulfed in the fire when it reached the Nooriabad area of Jamshoror district of Sindh province. According to the police, the initial investigation revealed that the fire erupted due to the vehicle's malfunctioning air conditioning system. The passenger bus was on its way from the port city of Karachi to the Khairpur Nathan Shah area of the Dadu district of the province when it encountered the fatal incident. Police, rescue teams and firefighters rushed to the site, put off the fire, and shifted bodies

Turkey's first nuclear plant to operate in 2023: minister

STORY: Turkey's first nuclear plant to operate in 2023: minister DATELINE: June 15, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:58 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Turkey CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the area where the natural gas reserve is located in the Black Sea 2. various of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant under construction in Mersin, Turkey 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): FATIH DONMEZ, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 4. various of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant under construction, workers pouring concrete on the floor 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): FATIH DONMEZ, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 6. various of the area where the natural gas reserve is located in the Black Sea 7. various of teams carrying out natural gas pipeline work in Zonguldak, Turkey 8. various of drill ship in the Black Sea, Turkey STORYLINE: Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez on Tuesday signaled next year for the start of energy production by Turkey's first nuclear reactor and newly discovered Black Sea gas reserv

China, Tunisia sign new agreements on health care cooperation

STORY: China, Tunisia sign new agreements on health care cooperation DATELINE: April 29, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:57 LOCATION: Tunis CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of the signing ceremony of two agreements 2. various of the China-funded hospital in Sfax STORYLINE: China on Thursday signed with Tunisia two agreements on continuing to dispatch Chinese medical teams to Tunisia and equipping a China-built hospital in southeastern Tunisia's Sfax Province. The two deals were signed at the headquarters of the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs between Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Othman Jerandi and Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia Zhang Jianguo. Zhang said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tunisia 58 years ago, the two countries have always helped each other, treated each other as equals, and supported each other on issues concerning each other's fundamental and major interests. He noted that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has provided more than