2 killed, 10 injured as blast hits market area in SW Pakistan

STORY: 2 killed, 10 injured as blast hits market area in SW Pakistan SHOOTING TIME: April 7, 2024 DATELINE: April 9, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:39 LOCATION: Islamabad CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the bomb attack site STORYLINE: Two people were killed and 10 others injured when a bomb went off in a market area in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Sunday night, officials said. The incident happened at about 9:40 p.m. local time (GMT 1640) when an improvised explosive device planted in a motorbike exploded in Khuzdar district of the province, police sources from the province told Xinhua. "A police vehicle that was on routine patrol in the district was apparently the target which was missed by a few seconds, as it barely crossed the area when the blast occurred," the sources added. The policemen escaped unhurt in the attack, but the civilians who were shopping for the forthcoming Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr near the site were killed and injured in the attack. The injured victims, inclu

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-TIANJIN-YANGLIUQING WOODBLOCK NEW YEAR PICTURES-INHERITOR (CN)

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-TIANJIN-YANGLIUQING WOODBLOCK NEW YEAR PICTURES-INHERITOR (CN)

(240101) -- TIANJIN, Jan. 1, 2024 (Xinhua) -- Xi Wang poses for a photo with an ancient woodblock type at the Tianjin Yangliuqing picture studio in Tianjin, north China, Dec. 26, 2023. Yangliuqing woodblock new year pictures, which originated from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), has a history of over four centuries. The pictures are noted for their delicate engraving, fine patterns, vivid figures and elegant colours. The crafts were listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Tianjin Yangliuqing picture studio has been preserving and popularizing this folk art since its inauguration in 1958. Xi Wang, a Tianjin native born in 1991, became a member of the studio upon his graduation from college in 2014, and dedicated himself as the youngest inheritor of the crafts at the studio. Fascinated by the woodblock new year pictures since childhood, he said the pictures convey the happiness of people during the lunar New Year. The traditional crafts of Yangliuqing woodblock new year pictures inclu

INDONESIA-JAKARTA-BANDUNG HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY-COMMERCIAL OPERATION

INDONESIA-JAKARTA-BANDUNG HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY-COMMERCIAL OPERATION

(231018) -- JAKARTA, Oct. 18, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Oct. 16, 2023 shows a high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train running on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Padalarang, Indonesia. The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) jointly built by China and Indonesia was officially put into commercial operation on Tuesday. The 142.3 km long high-speed line, connecting Jakarta and the fourth largest city Bandung, is a flagship project that synergizes the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy. It is also the first overseas construction project that fully uses Chinese railway systems, technology and industrial components. In addition to greatly cutting the journey between the two cities from over three hours to around 40 minutes, Indonesia's Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi told Xinhua in an interview that the Jakarta-Bandung HSR would greatly promote regional people-to-people exchanges and drive the development sectors inclu

INDONESIA-JAKARTA-BANDUNG HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY-COMMERCIAL OPERATION

INDONESIA-JAKARTA-BANDUNG HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY-COMMERCIAL OPERATION

(231018) -- JAKARTA, Oct. 18, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Oct. 16, 2023 shows a high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train running on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Padalarang, Indonesia. The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) jointly built by China and Indonesia was officially put into commercial operation on Tuesday. The 142.3 km long high-speed line, connecting Jakarta and the fourth largest city Bandung, is a flagship project that synergizes the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy. It is also the first overseas construction project that fully uses Chinese railway systems, technology and industrial components. In addition to greatly cutting the journey between the two cities from over three hours to around 40 minutes, Indonesia's Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi told Xinhua in an interview that the Jakarta-Bandung HSR would greatly promote regional people-to-people exchanges and drive the development sectors inclu

CHINA-FUJIAN-FUZHOU-DRAGON BOAT PRODUCTION (CN)

CHINA-FUJIAN-FUZHOU-DRAGON BOAT PRODUCTION (CN)

(230615) -- FUZHOU, June 15, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Craftsmen make a dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 23, 2023. With the approaching of Dragon Boat Festival, craftsmen in Fangzhuang Village of Minhou County, Fuzhou City of southeast China's Fujian Province, have become increasingly busy. The village's four large dragon boat factories are working tirelessly to fulfill their orders for the upcoming festival. Each year, over 200 dragon boats are sold from here to various parts of China and countries like Japan, Singapore and the United States. Fangzhuang has a rich history of shipbuilding dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Later generations saw the business opportunities presented by dragon boats and began designing and manufacturing traditional Fuzhou-style dragon boats themselves. During its heyday in the 1970s, there were twelve shipyards in the village with hundreds of employees. Making a dragon boat requires several steps inclu

NATO chief urges Türkiye to lift opposition to Sweden joining alliance

STORY: NATO chief urges Türkiye to lift opposition to Sweden joining alliance DATELINE: June 6, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:23 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the meeting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Istanbul, Türkiye 2. various of the the press conference of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Istanbul, Türkiye 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO Secretary-General 4. various of the meeting between Turkish delegation and Finnish delegation in Ankara, Türkiye 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO Secretary-General 6. various of NATO headquarters, NATO flag in Brussels, Belgium STORYLINE: The NATO chief urged Türkiye to approve Sweden's membership bid after having a closed-door meeting with the Turkish president on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sweden has taken concrete steps to address Türkiye's security concerns, inclu

Ghanaian innovator converts plastic waste into fashionable, useful products

STORY: Ghanaian innovator converts plastic waste into fashionable, useful products DATELINE: April 23, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:42 LOCATION: Accra CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of plastic waste processing 2. various of Trashy Bags' products 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ELVIS ABOLUAH, Project director of the company 4. various of Trashy Bags' products 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ELVIS ABOLUAH, Project director of the company 6. various of plastic waste processing 7. various of Trashy Bags' products 8. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ELVIS ABOLUAH, Project director of the company 9. various of Trashy Bags' products STORYLINE: As the world grapples with the plastic waste menace, a Ghanaian company has developed a simple means of turning this nuisance into valuable products while cleaning up the city. Trashy Bags, a local waste recycling company in Dzorwulu, a suburb of Accra, the Ghanaian capital, produces different types of bags from used plastics. In the company's showroom, there are different trendy bags, inclu

Myanmar to restore murals at pagodas of world heritage site

STORY: Myanmar to restore murals at pagodas of world heritage site DATELINE: April 12, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:43 LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of views in Bagan STORYLINE: Myanmar will restore mural paintings at the pagodas in the ancient city of Bagan in Mandalay region, a world heritage site, according to the Department of Archaeology and National Museums. "We were restoring all the mural paintings in Bagan. By restoring like this, people of the next generation will be able to view the fine arts of the ancient period and take pride in Myanmar's cultural heritage," U Ar Kar Kyaw, director of the department, told Xinhua. The century-old murals can be seen at pagodas, temples and palaces of ancient kings in the ancient city of Bagan, he said. "To maintain and restore the murals, we also have to take technical assistance from experts of other countries," he said, adding that the countries giving technical assistance for restoring the cultural heritage in Bagan inclu

Christmas activities revive joy in crisis-hit Beirut

STORY: Christmas activities revive joy in crisis-hit Beirut DATELINE: Dec. 26, 2022 LENGTH: 0:03:09 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Christmas events 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): CYNTHIA WARDE, Founder of In Action Events 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): SIMON ABI DAGHER, Visitor 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): GEORGETTE, Visitor STORYLINE: Christmas events continue in Lebanon, attracting hundreds of people who are keen to enjoy the festive season despite the multifaceted crisis prevailing in the country. Organized by In Action Events, an event planning company, "Christmas in Action" is one of the events that succeeded in drawing the attention of citizens and expats from Dec. 16 to 23. The Christmas fair featured fashion, arts, food, entertainment, and music. Children enjoyed dedicated zones where they played and enjoyed a large set of artistic workshops. The fair also gave a chance to people to watch the finals of the FIFA World Cup as well as chances to win prizes from dozens of sponsors inclu

Ecological restoration brings back lucid waters, lush mountains in China's Guilin

STORY: Ecological restoration brings back lucid waters, lush mountains in China's Guilin DATELINE: April 17, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:26 LOCATION: GUILIN, China CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of Lijiang 2. various of Maoershan Mountain 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): TANG ZHONGXIANG, Director of Management Office of Guangxi Guilin Maoershan National Nature Reserve 4. various of Lijiang 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HUANG GANG, Guilin resident 6. various of Huixian Wetland 7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): QIN LIANGXI, Official of Lingui District of Guilin STORYLINE: The picturesque Lijiang River in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is a good example of China's efforts in ecological restoration having born fruits. Only 20 years ago, the river, which now tops the list of tourist destinations for many both at home and abroad, was haunted by pollution and deforestation. To protect the river, local governments rolled out a series of policies and measures and made all-out efforts to reduce pollution, inclu