Mongolia holds int'l motorsports festival to promote special interest tourism

STORY: Mongolia holds int'l motorsports festival to promote special interest tourism SHOOTING DATE: June 8, 2024 DATELINE: June 8, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:00 LOCATION: Ulan Bator CATEGORY: SOCIETY/SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of motorsports festival STORYLINE: The ninth edition of an international motorsports festival kicked off in Ulan Bator on Saturday, aimed at promoting the development of special interest tourism. More than 1,000 motorcyclists from all 21 provinces of Mongolia and over 450 bikers from several countries and regions, including China, Russia, and South Korea, are participating in the annual event entitled "Steppe Wind." The festival is co-organized by the tourism department of Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital, and the "Mongolian Choppers Brotherhood" non-governmental organization. The two-day festival features numerous activities, including a motorcycle parade, a concert by famous Mongolian rock bands, a DJ show, and an exhibition of rare and antique motorcycles. Xinhua News Agenc

Iran holds int'l summit on situation in Gaza

STORY: Iran holds int'l summit on situation in Gaza SHOOTING TIME: June 1, 2024 DATELINE: June 2, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:21 LOCATION: Tehran CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the summit STORYLINE: Iran on Saturday held an international conference in the capital Tehran to discuss the ongoing situation in Gaza. The conference, titled "International Summit on Gaza: The Oppressed but Resilient," was attended by Iran's Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the late founder of Iran's Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini, as well as a number of Iranian and foreign guests and figures. Speaking at the summit, the Iranian caretaker foreign minister said Palestine had always been a strategic issue in the West Asia region and the world. The Iranian parliament speaker said his country had always stood by the Palestinian people, adding Iran maintained that Palestinians were the ones to decide their own country's fate. Xinhua News Agenc

Valletta Green Festival attracts crowds of tourists

STORY: Valletta Green Festival attracts crowds of tourists SHOOTING TIME: May 12/17, 2024 DATELINE: May 18, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:47 LOCATION: Valletta CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of people visiting St. George's Square STORYLINE: St. George's Square in Valletta, the capital of Malta, has been transformed into a lush temporary garden of flowers, trees and shrubs during the Valletta Green Festival, which attracts crowds of tourists. The green festival kicked off on May 10 and will remain open until May 19. In the beautiful garden, there are 62 trees, around 5,000 shrubs, 13,000 plants and two small fountains. Some of the trees reach heights of up to three meters and consist of a diverse selection of Mediterranean varieties, many of which are between 60 and 80 years old. This year's Valletta Green Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary. The Valletta Green Festival, hosted by the Valletta Cultural Agency, serves as a platform to champion environmental awareness and education. Xinhua News Agenc

Xinjiang sees increasing new energy installed capacity

STORY: Xinjiang sees increasing new energy installed capacity SHOOTING TIME: April 23, 2024 DATELINE: April 24, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:39 LOCATION: URUMQI, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of windmills in Xinjiang STORYLINE: The installed capacity of new energy in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has exceeded 70 million kilowatts, nearly a half of the region's total installed capacity, said local electricity authorities on Tuesday. According to the State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., the region is expected to notch up some 89 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity by the end of this year, which will mark new energy becoming Xinjiang's most important electricity source. Last year, Xinjiang generated 502.6 billion kWh of electricity, of which 90.5 billion kWh were contributed by its new energy, said the company. Rich in wind and solar power resources, Xinjiang is one of the leading regions in the country in terms of new energy development. Xinhua News Agenc

Iron-smelting plant opened in Kabul

STORY: Iron-smelting plant opened in Kabul SHOOTING TIME: March 26, 2024 DATELINE: March 27, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:09 LOCATION: Kabul CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the iron-smelting plant STORYLINE: An iron-smelting plant has been opened in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, as part of efforts to get the war-torn country towards achieving self-sufficiency, local television TOLOnews reported on Monday. "The opening of the iron-smelting factory is important for the economic growth and development of the country," the private media outlet quoted Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, acting deputy prime minister on economic affairs, as saying. Baradar also noted that the administration would continue to support the investment in Afghanistan as part of efforts to stand on its feet. Earlier, Nooruddin Azizi, acting minister of industry and commerce, stated that the country had achieved self-sufficiency in 134 domestic products and semi-self-sufficiency in another 100 items. Xinhua News Agenc

India allows onion exports to Bangladesh, UAE

STORY: India allows onion exports to Bangladesh, UAE SHOOTING TIME: March 4, 2024 DATELINE: March 6, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:34 LOCATION: New Delhi CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of India gate 2. various of onion wholesale market 3. various of export containers STORYLINE: The Indian government has amended its ban order on the export of onions, excluding to Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), confirmed a senior official with the Federal Ministry of Commerce on Monday. The change was made at the "request of the friendly countries," added the official. In a bid to meet the demand of the domestic market, the ban on onion exports was imposed by India's federal government in the first week of December 2023, which will last till the end of March. According to two separate notifications issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the commerce ministry, 50,000 tonnes of onions are allowed to be exported to Bangladesh, and 14,400 tonnes to the UAE. Xinhua News Agenc

Mongolia issues warning of spring floods in capital

STORY: Mongolia issues warning of spring floods in capital SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 15, 2024 DATELINE: Feb. 15, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:10 LOCATION: Ulan Bator CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of warning of spring floods in Mongolia's capital STORYLINE: The Emergency Commission of Mongolia's capital on Thursday issued a warning of spring floods. "A projected sudden warmer temperature can cause snow and ice to melt quickly, increasing the risk for flash floods in at least 30 locations in Ulan Bator," the commission said in a statement. Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene has ordered the evacuation of residents who may be affected by floods, according to the government's press office. Ulan Bator is home to around half of the Asian country's population of 3.5 million. This winter, Mongolia has seen a lot more snow than usual and around 90 percent of the country's total territory has so far been covered with snow up to 100 cm thick, according to the country's weather monitoring agenc

Latin Grammy Awards held in Spain's Seville, first time outside U.S.

STORY: Latin Grammy Awards held in Spain's Seville, first time outside U.S. SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 16, 2023 DATELINE: Nov. 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: SEVILLE, Spain CATEGORY: ENTERTAINMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of Seville, Spain 2. various of the Latin Grammy Awards 2023 STORYLINE: The Spanish city of Seville hosted the Latin Grammys on Thursday, the first time the prestigious Latin music award ceremony has been held outside the United States. The big winners on the night were Colombian singers Shakira and Karol G, and Mexican artist Natalia Lafourcade. Each of them received three awards. Other winners included American singer-songwriter Edgar Barrera, who won "Best Composer" and "Best Producer," while Venezuelan youngster Joaquina was named "Best New Artist." While Seville has a contract to host the awards for three years, the next edition will be held as usual in Las Vegas because it is the 25th-anniversary edition. The event is due to return to Spain for a second time in 2025. Xinhua News Agenc

Death toll of Indonesia's quake rises to 268, 151 still missing

STORY: Death toll of Indonesia's quake rises to 268, 151 still missing DATELINE: Nov. 23, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:21 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the earthquake and rescue operations 2. various of Indonesian president Joko Widodo visiting Cianjur 3. various of local hospital STORYLINE: An official of the National Disaster Management Agency told a press conference on Tuesday that the death toll from Monday's earthquake in west Indonesia has reached 268 while 151 others are still missing. The search and rescue operations for the quake victims are still underway. Earlier on Tuesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo asked the authorities to prioritize the operation and to rescue the victims first. When visiting the quake-affected areas, the president said the government would compensate the houses damaged by the tremors. New houses to be built must be able to resist earthquake tremors, said the president. According to Indonesia's meteorological, climatological and geophysical agenc

19 killed, 12 injured as bus falls into ditch in SW Pakistan

STORY: 19 killed, 12 injured as bus falls into ditch in SW Pakistan DATELINE: July 3, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:03 LOCATION: Islamabad CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: various shots of the incident site STORYLINE: At least 19 passengers were killed and 12 others injured when a passenger bus fell into a ravine on Sunday near Sherani District of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, local media reported. According to the reports, the incident took place near Dana Sar area of the district along the border with northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province after the driver lost control due to over-speeding amid rain. The bus fell deep and overturned multiple times in the process, local media said. The victims were shifted to local hospitals, police told local media, adding that more deaths were possible as some of the injured were in critical condition. Over 30 passengers were on the bus which was heading to Balochistan's provincial capital Quetta from the country's capital Islamabad. Xinhua News Agenc

Wildfire breaks out in Turkey's Mediterranean province

STORY: Wildfire breaks out in Turkey's Mediterranean province DATELINE: June 22, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:10 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: various of forest firesvarious of fire teams working STORYLINE: Forest fires erupted Tuesday in Turkey's southwestern province of Mugla, a Mediterranean resort province that was ravaged by weeks-long wildfires last year. The fire started at 8:02 p.m. local time (0502 GMT) near the resort town of Marmaris, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Vahit Kirisci tweeted. The semi-official Anadolu Agency reported that the fire broke out in the forest area of Hisaronu neighborhood named Bordubet for an unknown reason and the flames spread in a short time with the effect of the wind. Fire teams are making intense efforts to control the fire which is growing rapidly, according to the report. Turkey was hit by one of the worst wildfires in the summer of 2021, which swept 53 provinces and killed at least eight people and numerous animals. Xinhua News Agenc

At least 9 killed in twin blasts in Afghanistan

STORY: At least 9 killed in twin blasts in Afghanistan DATELINE: April 29, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:54 LOCATION: MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the blast site in Mazar-i-Sharif 2. various of injured people receiving treatment in a hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif STORYLINE: At least nine civilians were killed and 13 others wounded in twin blasts on Thursday in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Afghanistan's northern Balkh province, a provincial police spokesman confirmed. "The blasts occurred in a span of short time roughly at 7:00 p.m. local time in Police District (PD) 3 and PD 10 of the city," spokesman Mohammad Asif Waziri told Xinhua. The first explosion hit a passenger bus at a bus stop while the second one came 10 minutes later in a separate location, he said. The nature of the blasts was not immediately known, the source said, adding investigation into the incidents was still on. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. Xinhua News Agenc

Jordanians rally to condemn Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

STORY: Jordanians rally to condemn Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound DATELINE: April 23, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:53 LOCATION: Amman CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the rally STORYLINE: Thousands of Jordanians on Friday took to the streets of the capital Amman and a number of governorates in protest against Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. They called on the international community to take a firm stance to protect the holy sites in Jerusalem and Palestinians. The protesters praised Jordan's role in facing any attempts to impose the spatial and temporal division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. On Thursday, the Arab ministerial committee in charge of international action to confront illegal Israeli policies and measures in Jerusalem convened an emergency meeting in Amman, condemning the Israeli attacks against worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which resulted in the injuries and detentions of hundreds of worshippers, and damages to the facilities of the holy site. Xinhua News Agenc

Level of resources of coastal fish in Japan low: Fisheries Agenc

Level of resources of coastal fish in Japan low: Fisheries Agenc

TOKYO, Japan - The level of resources of 40 species of coastal fish in Japan's coastal areas is low, while the stock of 14 species such as sardines and groupers has been in decline, according to a survey compiled by the Fisheries Agency. Picture shows fish market in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Photo taken in June 2003. (Kyodo)

Sompo Japan Vice President Murase to head Social Insurance Agenc

Sompo Japan Vice President Murase to head Social Insurance Agenc

TOKYO, Japan - Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. Vice President Kiyoshi Murase (in undated file photo) has been named as commissioner of the Social Insurance Agency, making him the first from a private firm to head the auxiliary body of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. Murase, 57, will replace Akira Mano, who will retire. (Kyodo)