Protests Continue in Iran

Protests Continue in Iran

Security forces detain protesters outside a commercial building on Ahmadabad Street in Mashhad, Iran on January 3, 2026. Iran has experienced recurrent waves of protests in recent years driven by political repression, economic hardship, rising living costs, and restrictions on civil and social freedoms, including women’s rights. Demonstrations have frequently been met with arrests, heavy security deployments, internet disruptions, and, according to activists and rights groups, the killing of protesters, as authorities move to suppress dissent. Photo by Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Asia's largest cat-themed exhibition kicks off in Hong Kong

STORY: Asia's largest cat-themed exhibition kicks off in Hong Kong DATELINE: Aug. 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:06 LOCATION: HONG KONG, China CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the expo STORYLINE: Hong Kong Cat Expo 2023 opens at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday, expecting 150,000 attendees to the three-day event. Supported by the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau's 1.4-billion-Hong Kong dollar "Incentive Scheme for Recurrent Exhibitions," the expo has become Asia's largest cat-themed exhibition. This year's expo brings together over 130 exhibitors, showcasing a variety of cat-themed products and artworks. The public can bring their pet cats to participate in a number of activities in the exhibition area. Event organizers' data shows that the Hong Kong pet market is huge, with over 100,000 cat-raising households. The spending on cat care continues to grow with an estimated industry scale of 1.8 billion Hong Kong dollars. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from H

Iran summons Danish ambassador again over recurrent Quran desecration

STORY: Iran summons Danish ambassador again over recurrent Quran desecration DATELINE: Aug. 8, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:00 LOCATION: Tehran CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the press conference STORYLINE: Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned, for the second time in less than a month, Danish Ambassador to Tehran Jasper Vahr over the recurrent desecration of the Quran in the Scandinavian country, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Speaking at a weekly press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday, ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the ministry had asked the Danish envoy to convey to the Danish government Tehran's strong protest against the continuation of the sacrilegious acts against the Islamic holy book. Vahr was also informed of Iran's expectation from the Danish government to take responsible and deterrent measures against the desecration of the Quran in Denmark, said Kanaani. He said the Danish ambassador elaborated on his government's measures to stop

China opposes all forms of Islamophobia: Ambassador in Geneva

STORY: China opposes all forms of Islamophobia: Ambassador in Geneva DATELINE: July 13, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:27 LOCATION: GENEVA, Switzerland CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Palais des Nations 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): CHEN XU, Head of the Chinese Mission to UN at Geneva 3. various of the 53rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council STORYLINE: China is against all forms of Islamophobia, the country's top diplomat in Geneva said at a debate during the ongoing 53rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR). Ambassador Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, stressed that China has always advocated mutual respect, tolerance and understanding between different civilizations. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): CHEN XU, Head of Chinese Mission to UN at Geneva "China supports holding this urgent debate and condemns the recurrent desecration of the Holy Quran incidents in some countries. China has always been advocating mutual respect, tolerance, and understanding amo

Malta to spend over 500 mln euros to tackle rising energy costs

STORY: Malta to spend over 500 mln euros to tackle rising energy costs DATELINE: Oct. 26, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:37 LOCATION: Valletta CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Finance Minister Clyde Caruana presenting 2023 budget speech to President Vella in San Anton Palace in Attard 2. various of Finance Minister Clyde Caruana reading out the budget for 2023 in Parliament in Valletta 3. various of press conference in Valletta STORYLINE: Malta plans to spend 508 million euros (501.4 million U.S. dollars) in 2023 to ease the impacts of the rising energy costs, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Monday. In Malta's 2023 budget plan unveiled by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana on Monday, energy expenditures account for 9.3 percent of the government's recurrent expenditure. Tax cuts would have saved families with two working adults 510 euros (503.4 dollars) a year, Caruana said, while subsidizing energy costs will save them electricity costs and car fuel. Among the measures announced were a living grant of

Sudanese refugees in Chad face challenges in education

STORY: Sudanese refugees in Chad face challenges in education DATELINE: Oct. 20, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:10 LOCATION: N'Djamena CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY/EDUCATION SHOTLIST: 1. various of the refugee camp and children 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): HASSANIE AHMAD HUSSEIN, Sudanese refugee, teacher 3. various of the children in classroom 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): HASSANIE AHMAD HUSSEIN, Sudanese refugee, teacher STORYLINE: Following an influx of refugees from Sudan to eastern Chad, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has started providing vital support to meet education needs of the children fleeing with their parents. Recurrent fighting in the troubled region has forced people to abandon their homes and seek safety in neighboring countries. Around 400,000 Darfur refugees have lived in Chad since the conflict began nearly two decades ago. Kouchagine-Moura Camp hosts around 14,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled clashes in Darfur since February 2020. The United Nations has overseen the constru

Kenyan president vows to cut borrowing

STORY: Kenyan president vows to cut borrowing DATELINE: Sept. 30, 2022 LENGTH: 00:03:21 LOCATION: Nairobi CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Kenyan president at the opening of parliament 2. Various of Kenya's new parliament 3. SOUNDBITE(English): WILLIAM RUTO, Kenya's President 4. various of Kenyan parliament legislators STORYLINE: Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday pledged to contain large domestic and foreign borrowing by the government within three years to help spur economic growth. Ruto who officially opened the 13th Parliament said the very large government borrowing requirement has undermined the business sector's contribution to the national savings and investment effort. "Over the next three years, we must reverse this and go back to the situation where the government contributes to the national savings effort by keeping recurrent expenditure below revenue," Ruto told the lawmakers in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. He said he will also address the problem of the government crowding

U.S. inaction on gun control fuels mass shooting tragedies: observers

STORY: U.S. inaction on gun control fuels mass shooting tragedies: observers DATELINE: May 28, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:28 LOCATION: Caracas CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: various of people mourningpics of the schoolvarious of street view in U.S.SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): ANTONIO GONZALEZ PLESSMAN, Human rights activist in VenezuelaSOUNDBITE 2 (English): STEPHEN NDEGWA, United States International University (USIU-Africa) in Kenya STORYLINE: A day of turmoil and grief gripped America's public schools Thursday, as thousands of students staged walkouts across the country to protest the Uvalde shooting in Texas that killed 19 elementary school children and two adults on Tuesday. Some observers say that the U.S. government's inaction on gun control has led to the recurrent gun violence in the country. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): ANTONIO GONZALEZ PLESSMAN, Human rights activist in Venezuela "Now, what is the truth behind this? The real face of the United States is that the country is the primary producer of guns

Texas school mass shooting reveals recurrent, deep-rooted gun violence in U.S.

STORY: Texas school mass shooting reveals recurrent, deep-rooted gun violence in U.S. DATELINE: May 25, 2022 LENGTH: 0:03:03 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of recent mass shootings in the U.S. 2. SOUNDBITE (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President 3. SOUNDBITE (English): CHRISTOPHER HERRMANN, Assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York 4. SOUNDBITE (English) MIKE, Resident in New York City 5. SOUNDBITE (English): CHRIS MURPHY, U.S. Senator STORYLINE: An 18-year-old man opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde city in the U.S. state of Texas on Tuesday afternoon, leaving at least 21 people dead, including 19 children. SOUNDBITE (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President "The idea that an 18-year-old kid can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons is just wrong." While American residents are still in shock about the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York that killed 10 people, continuous shootings have happened across the

GLOBALink | Texas school mass shooting reveals recurrent, deep-rooted gun violence in U.S.

"Nowhere else do little kids go to school thinking that they might be shot that day. Nowhere else does that happen except here in the United States of America." An 18-year-old man opened fire at an elementary school in the U.S. state of Texas on Tuesday, revealing again the recurrent and deep-rooted problem of gun violence in the United States. Produced by Xinhua Global Service

Gun violence becomes top cause of American youth death: research

STORY: Gun violence becomes top cause of American youth death: research DATELINE: May 21, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Buffalo, New York 2. various of the exterior of Geneva Presbyterian Church 3. various of the street view of the U.S. STORYLINE: The recent shootings in the United States have again laid bare the recurrent and deep-rooted problems of gun violence and racism in the country. In a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, at least 10 people died, which is seen as one of the deadliest racist massacres in recent memory. While the number of similar shootings in the U.S. continues to rise, the country's gun production has tripled since 2000. According to Gun Violence Archive, more than 29,000 people have either been killed or injured in gun violence-related incidents over the past five months or so across the country. And according to U.S. non-profit journalism outlet The Trace, citing an analysis by a Boston-based research, gun violence ha

China-aided borehole project boosts water access in eastern Rwanda

STORY: China-aided borehole project boosts water access in eastern Rwanda DATELINE: May 8, 2022 LENGTH: 00:03:29 LOCATION: Kigali CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the project 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Kinyarwanda): MAGNIFIQUE HABIMANA, Headteacher of GS Rwinkwavu school 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Kinyarwanda): MAGNIFIQUE HABIMANA, Headteacher of GS Rwinkwavu school 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): PROSPER MANIKUZE, Standards and quality control specialist in Rwanda's Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) 5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Kinyarwanda): CLARISSE UWERA, Resident of Murambi in Gatsibo district 6. SOUNDBITE 5 (Kinyarwanda): JEAN DAMASCENE HARELIMANA, Vice mayor of Kayonza district 7. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): CHEN JINKE, Manager of the Chinese borehole drilling project STORYLINE: Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distance to reach th

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

(220507) -- KIGALI, May 7, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on April 28, 2022 shows a solar panel of a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

(220507) -- KIGALI, May 7, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Reisdents fetch water from a borehole in Gatsibo district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 11, 2022. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

(220507) -- KIGALI, May 7, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Chinese staff members check the water quality of a borehole in Gatsibo district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 11, 2022. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

(220507) -- KIGALI, May 7, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Students fetch water from a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 28, 2022. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

RWANDA-KIGALI-CHINA AIDED BOREHOLE

(220507) -- KIGALI, May 7, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on April 28, 2022 shows a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

KENYA-NAIROBI-CHINESE FOOD AID PROGRAM

KENYA-NAIROBI-CHINESE FOOD AID PROGRAM

(220215) -- NAIROBI, Feb. 15, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Officials of China and Kenya sign documents during the handover ceremony of the eighth and last batch of 2018 Chinese Food Aid Program in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Feb. 14, 2022. Kenya on Monday held handover ceremony of the eighth and last batch of 2018 Chinese Food Aid Program to boost the war against hunger and malnutrition in Kenya that has escalated amid recurrent droughts. (Photo by Charles Onyango/Xinhua)