Maui emergency management chief resigns, citing health reasons

STORY: Maui emergency management chief resigns, citing health reasons DATELINE: Aug. 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:40 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Herman Andaya speaking to the press in Maui STORYLINE: Herman Andaya, the administrator of Maui Emergency Management Agency, resigned Thursday, citing health reasons, according to the official Facebook page of Maui County. The county's Mayor Richard Bissen accepted the resignation. "Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible and I look forward to making that announcement soon," Bissen said. The death toll from the Maui wildfires in the U.S. state of Hawaii reached 110 on Wednesday. In Maui, it's not difficult to spot one of the 80 green siren towers used to alert residents in times of danger, which are tested monthly. However, the robust emergency siren warning system simply sat silent during the deadly wildfires. Xinhua News Agency corresp

Vlog: A scientific research journey at foot of Mt. Qomolangma

STORY: Vlog: A scientific research journey at foot of Mt. Qomolangma DATELINE: May 24, 2023 LENGTH: 0:05:04 LOCATION: LHASA, China CATEGORY: SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of the journey 2. STANDUP 1 (English): ZHU CONG, Xinhua correspondent 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHU CONG, Xinhua correspondent 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WU GUANGJIAN, Professor, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS 5. STANDUP 2 (English): ZHU CONG, Xinhua correspondent 6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHU CONG, Xinhua correspondent 7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): WU GUANGJIAN, Professor, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS 8. STANDUP 3 (English): ZHU CONG, Xinhua correspondent 9. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): CAO BIN, Xinhua correspondent 10. STANDUP 4 (English): ZHU CONG, Xinhua correspondent 11. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): QIU HAIYING, Doctoral candidate, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS 12. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): WU GUANGJIAN, Professor, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS 13. STANDUP 5 (English): ZHU CONG, Xinhua corresp

13 killed, 20 injured in road accident in Pakistan's eastern province

STORY: 13 killed, 20 injured in road accident in Pakistan's eastern province DATELINE: Feb. 25, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:29 LOCATION: Islamabad CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of the site of the accident STORYLINE: At least 13 people were killed and over 20 others injured in a road accident in east Pakistan's Punjab province on early Saturday morning, said a police official. District Police Officer Rizwan Umar Gondal told local media that the incident took place at the superhighway M-5 near the Rukanpur area of the province's Rahim Yar Khan district. A passenger van overturned on the superhighway due to a tire burst but another speeding passenger coach and a jeep rammed into it, killing 13 people on the spot, said the official. Rescue teams and patrolling police rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and injured to a nearby hospital. Hospital officials feared that the death toll might rise further because several of the injured were in critical condition. Xinhua News Agency corresp

Technology recreates images of Ip Man, Bruce Lee practicing martial arts

STORY: Technology recreates images of Ip Man, Bruce Lee practicing martial arts DATELINE: Feb. 23, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:00 LOCATION: GUANGZHOU, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Ip Man and Bruce Lee practicing martial arts STORYLINE: A Chinese culture tech company has used modern technology to recreate the scenes of Chinese martial arts master Ip Man and Kung Fu film star Bruce Lee practicing martial arts. According to Guangzhou Time Network Technology Co., Ltd., the two characters are made through three-dimensional modeling, combined with motion capture and animation sequence. By showing the essence of Foshan martial arts, it aims at helping more people understand Chinese Kung Fu. Ip Man was born in south China's Guangdong in 1893, and began to learn Wing Chun when he was a boy. Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco in the U.S. in 1940, and later learned from Ip Man. The systematical study of Wing Chun laid a good foundation for Lee to initiate his own Jeet Kune Do. Xinhua News Agency corresp

Mongolia registers record high number of livestock

STORY: Mongolia registers record high number of livestock DATELINE: Dec. 28, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:10 LOCATION: Ulan Bator CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: 1. various of livestock animals in Mongolia STORYLINE: Mongolia logged 71.1 million head of livestock, a record high since the nomadic country began a livestock animal census in 1918, said a senior expert of the National Statistics Office (NSO) Wednesday. A preliminary result of the annual livestock census by the NSO showed that the number of livestock in 2022 increased by 3.8 million, or 5.6 percent, from the previous year, Erdene-Ochir Myagmarkhand told a press conference. Sheep accounted for 46.0 percent of all livestock, goats 38.8 percent, cattle 7.7 percent, horses 6.8 percent and camels 0.7 percent, said Myagmarkhand. Mongolia is one of the world's last surviving nomadic countries. The promotion of livestock husbandry is seen as the most viable solution to diversify the landlocked country's mining-dependent economy. Xinhua News Agency corresp

See-off ceremony held for Chinese astronauts of Shenzhou-15 mission

STORY: See-off ceremony held for Chinese astronauts of Shenzhou-15 mission DATELINE: Nov. 29, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:39 LOCATION: JIUQUAN, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the see-off ceremony for three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-15 manned space mission STORYLINE: A see-off ceremony for three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-15 manned space mission was held on Tuesday evening at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. At the command of Xu Xueqiang, commander-in-chief of China's manned space program, astronauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, and Zhang Lu set off at 8:19 p.m. (Beijing Time). According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the three astronauts have received years of arduous training for this six-month mission, during which the construction of China's space station will be officially completed. The Shenzhou-15 spaceship is expected to be launched at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Xinhua News Agency corresp

What China has done for wetland conservation?

STORY: What China has done for wetland conservation? DATELINE: Nov. 6, 2022 LENGTH: 00:06:25 LOCATION: WUHAN, China CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP 1 (English): ZHAO YUCHAO, Xinhua correspondent 2. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XU HUI, Breeder at Zhalong National Nature Reserve 3. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): XU HUI, Breeder at Zhalong National Nature Reserve 4. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): WANG WENFENG, Researcher, Zhalong National Nature 5. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): SHEN YICHEN, Assistant to General Manager of Hangzhou Xixi Wetland Management and Operation Co., Ltd. 6. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): LIU XIANG, Staff of Ecological Culture Research Center of Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park 7. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): LIU XIANG, Staff of Ecological Culture Research Center of Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park 8. STANDUP 8 (English): ZHAO YUCHAO, Xinhua correspondent 9. SOUNDBITE 9 (Chinese): WANG WANCAI, Bird watcher 10. SOUNDBITE 10 (Chinese): YUE CHANGHONG, Photographer 11. STANDUP 11 (English): ZHAO YUCHAO, Xinhua corresp

China's C919 jet obtains milestone certificate for commercial flight

STORY: China's C919 jet obtains milestone certificate for commercial flight DATELINE: Oct. 1, 2022 LENGTH: 0:00:56 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: ECONOMY/TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of C919 planes STORYLINE: The C919, China's first homegrown large jetliner, has obtained the type certificate, a milestone step on its journey to market operation. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the C919's developer, got the certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Thursday. It indicates that the C919's design meets airworthiness standards and environmental requirements. The C919 has to get another two certificates during airworthiness certification, the prerequisite step for civil aircraft entry into the market. The plane conducted its successful maiden flight in 2017. In the following five years, the C919 did six test flights in different locations to test the plane's capabilities. The C919 currently has 28 customers with orders totaling 815 planes. Xinhua News Agency corresp

3 die in weekend downpours in Senegal

STORY: 3 die in weekend downpours in Senegal DATELINE: Sept. 6, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:07 LOCATION: Dakar CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of flooding in Dakar STORYLINE: The torrential rains that have been falling since Saturday in the capital of Dakar and several other places in Senegal have left three people dead, Senegalese President Macky Sall said on Sunday. Two of the fatalities were reported in the Dakar suburbs of Camberene and Yeumbeul, and the third in Sadel in northern Senegal, he said. "The rains fell with great intensity and in a very short time," Sall said, adding that his country was experiencing periods of "climatic disruption that make it unpredictable." The Senegalese president said he had instructed the ministers of the interior, of water and sanitation and of national solidarity to stand by the affected populations. Senegal is experiencing excess rainfall this year, which has caused flooding in several districts of Dakar and other parts of the country. Xinhua News Agency corresp

Construction machinery exported to RCEP countries from Guangxi, China

STORY: Construction machinery exported to RCEP countries from Guangxi, China DATELINE: July 15, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:45 LOCATION: NANNING, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of construction machinery 2. various of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region STORYLINE: More than 130 pieces of construction machinery were on their way to Australia and Indonesia, departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Monday. Officials say this was the first whole-vehicle export to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries from Qinzhou Port. Produced by Guangxi Liugong Group Co., Ltd., the exports included loaders, road rollers, and excavators. In the first five months of this year, imports and exports with the RCEP member countries via Qinzhou Port grew 28.6 percent year on year to 26.25 billion yuan (about 3.9 billion U.S. dollars). RCEP is the world's largest free trade deal that entered into force in January. Xinhua News Agency corresp