Religious Coming-of-Age - Iran

Religious Coming-of-Age - Iran

Girls gather around a table adorned with a Quran and celebratory decorations during her Jashn-e Taklif in Shazand, Iran on January 12, 2019. Jashn-e Taklif is a coming-of-age ceremony held for girls who reach the Islamic age of religious accountability at nine years old. Photo by Sina Yaghoobpoor/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Religious Coming-of-Age - Iran

Religious Coming-of-Age - Iran

Girls gather around a table adorned with a Quran and celebratory decorations during her Jashn-e Taklif in Shazand, Iran on January 12, 2019. Jashn-e Taklif is a coming-of-age ceremony held for girls who reach the Islamic age of religious accountability at nine years old. Photo by Sina Yaghoobpoor/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Religious Coming-of-Age - Iran

Religious Coming-of-Age - Iran

Girls gather around a table adorned with a Quran and celebratory decorations during her Jashn-e Taklif in Shazand, Iran on January 12, 2019. Jashn-e Taklif is a coming-of-age ceremony held for girls who reach the Islamic age of religious accountability at nine years old. Photo by Sina Yaghoobpoor/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Record amount of green energy installed in Italy this year: data

STORY: Record amount of green energy installed in Italy this year: data SHOOTING DATE: Dec. 27, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 27, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:49 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of solar photovoltaic panels in Rome 2. various of windmill generators in Lampedusa STORYLINE: Italy installed a record amount of renewable energy this year, according to new data released on Tuesday by a monitoring group in the sector. The country installed 3.1 gigawatts of renewable energy over the first nine months of this year, a record high compared with the same period in previous years, said the Renewable Energy Sources (FER) Observatory. The total amount of new renewable energy -- enough to power around 2.5 million homes for one year -- represents an increase of 57 percent compared to the same period last year. The total amount of renewable energy produced in Italy as of Sept. 30 also increased to 63.8 gigawatts, or around 37 percent of the country's total energy needs, the Observatory said. Hydroelectr

Math teacher leading rural children to triumphs on football field

STORY: Math teacher leading rural children to triumphs on football field SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage DATELINE: Dec. 9, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:11 LOCATION: XI'AN, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Zhu Xiaolong and his students 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZHU XIAOLONG, Teacher, Weifeng Central School STORYLINE: Wearing a whistle around his neck, Zhu Xiaolong, 35, was providing football coaching to 14 students of a primary school in northwest China's Shaanxi Province when the school bell suddenly rang. Swiftly returning to the classroom, he grabbed a ruler and switched to his role as a math teacher. "Now who can tell me the formula used to calculate the area of a circle?" asked Zhu, who teaches at the Weifeng Central School in Huyi District of Xi'an, Shaanxi's capital. Speaking about his role, Zhu said "I want to become the best football coach among math teachers, and the best math teacher among football coaches." As an ardent football fan since childhood, over the last nine years, he has coached mo

European Juggling Convention concludes in Lublin, Poland

STORY: European Juggling Convention concludes in Lublin, Poland DATELINE: Aug. 7, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:57 LOCATION: LUBLIN, Poland CATEGORY: ENTERTAINMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of street views of Lublin 2. various of parade 3. various of shows 4. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MANUEL MITASCH, Performer 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MAXIMUS BARNABY, Audience from Germany 6. various of jugglers in the hall of Lublin Culture Center 7. a camping site STORYLINE: The European Juggling Convention concluded in the eastern Polish city of Lublin on Sunday. The nine-day event gathered circus and street artists from Europe and around the globe. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MANUEL MITASCH, Performer "It's a wonderful and a very successful show. It's a very big honor to be in this venue. For jugglers, it's the most prestigious place to perform, and we have been able to perform beautifully in this beautiful theater. So, we created this act initially almost three years ago. And since that, we are touring it and performing it all around the

Cross-border bus service links China, Vietnam

STORY: Cross-border bus service links China, Vietnam DATELINE: June 15, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:50 LOCATION: KUNMING, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of launch ceremony of the cross-border bus service 2. SOUNDBITE (Vietnamese): PHAM VAN TUAN, Vietnamese tourist 3. various of launch ceremony of the cross-border bus service STORYLINE: The launch ceremony of a cross-border bus service linking China and Vietnam was held on Tuesday at the Jinshuihe Port in southwestern China's Yunnan Province. The newly established bus route sees four round trips scheduled daily between China's Jinping County and Lai Chau City in Vietnam. The single trip takes around 2 hours. SOUNDBITE (Vietnamese): PHAM VAN TUAN, Vietnamese tourist "I am very happy. There have been bus services from Hanoi to Kunming since 2014. Nine years later, with the launch of this cross-border bus service, it will be easy for us to come and learn about the culture, history, and economic development in China. Without this bus route, travel betwe

Middle-aged woman pursuing new career as porcelain artist

Middle-aged woman pursuing new career as porcelain artist

KANAZAWA, Japan - Photo taken Feb. 26, 2013, shows the painting process for "Kutani-yaki" porcelain by Ruri Takeuchi at a Kutani-yaki craft center in Nomi, Ishikawa Prefecture. Takeuchi has begun pursuing a new career as a Kutani-yaki porcelain artist at a kiln she recently opened in Komatsu in the prefecture, after training for around nine years. (Photo by Makoto Hori)

Middle-aged woman pursuing new career as porcelain artist

Middle-aged woman pursuing new career as porcelain artist

KANAZAWA, Japan - Ruri Takeuchi paints a plate on Feb. 26, 2013, at a "Kutani-yaki" craft center in Nomi, Ishikawa Prefecture. Takeuchi has begun pursuing a new career as a Kutani-yaki porcelain artist at a kiln she recently opened in Komatsu in the prefecture, after training for around nine years. (Photo by Makoto Hori)

UK inflation hits successive new highs

STORY: UK inflation hits successive new highs DATELINE: Sept. 1, 2022 LENGTH: 00:06:27 LOCATION: London CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): ZHAO XIAONA, Xinhua correspondent 2. SOUNDBITE (English): FRANCIS, London resident 3. SOUNDBITE (English): KIKI, London resident 4. various of the UK supermarkets STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): ZHAO XIAONA, Xinhua correspondent "Inflation in Britain has hit successive new highs this year. The annual CPI surged by 10.1 percent in July, the highest level in 40 years. However, higher energy prices are expected to push the UK's inflation to 13 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022. An official report in August said, around nine in 10 adults reported their cost of living had risen. Around three-quarters of adults reported being very or somewhat worried about rising costs of living." Experts warned that inflation could rise even further, alongside a huge increase in the energy price cap. In late August, Britain's energy regulator announced that, the cap for av

BRICS significantly contributes to our economy: South African entrepreneur in Shanghai

STORY: BRICS significantly contributes to our economy: South African entrepreneur in Shanghai DATELINE: June 25, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:53 LOCATION: SHANGHAI, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1 various of views in Shanghai 2 various of Sikander Peer at work 3 SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SIKANDER PEER, South African entrepreneur in Shanghai 4 various of views in Shanghai 5 SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SIKANDER PEER, South African entrepreneur in Shanghai STORYLINE: Sikander Peer, a South African entrepreneur who has lived and worked in China's Shanghai for nine years, says that the BRICS mechanism offers great opportunities for people in the five countries. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SIKANDER PEER, South African entrepreneur in Shanghai "I've only lived in Shanghai, although I've traveled to numerous cities all around China, but Shanghai is kind of my second home now. Our restaurant business actually has one dining restaurant and two delivery-only restaurants in Lujiazui and in Xuhui. China is such a valuable trading partner