CHINA-SHANXI-CHANGZHI-HOMESTAY OWNER-MILLET FIELDS (CN)

CHINA-SHANXI-CHANGZHI-HOMESTAY OWNER-MILLET FIELDS (CN)

(240730) -- CHANGZHI, July 30, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- Wei Meiling introduces the growth of millet via livestreaming in Yanjing Village, Changzhi City of north China's Shanxi Province, July 25, 2024. Changzhi City, located in the southeast of Shanxi Province, has a long history of millet planting. Wei Meiling, 44 years old, who had been worked in the millet fields with her parents since her childhood, returned to her hometown in 2015 after years of working in the city. Here in Changzhi City, she set up a cooperative which now owns more than 2,000 mu (about 133.3 hectares) of millet fields, and has helped 800 plus villagers increase their incomes. She often does livestreaming in the millet fields to introduce and promote local millet products, attracting many customers by the stunning natural scenery. She opened a homestay in 2023, which was transformed from her old houses. The homestay is popular among tourists especially during vacations. Wei also plans to expand the millet planting area, whi

New Development Bank organizes int'l seminar in Egypt

STORY: New Development Bank organizes int'l seminar in Egypt SHOOTING TIME: June 11, 2024 DATELINE: June 12, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:52 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the seminar 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): MOSTAFA MADBOULY, Egyptian Prime Minister STORYLINE: An international seminar organized by the New Development Bank (NDB) kicked off on Tuesday in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. Themed "Navigating New Horizons," the two-day seminar aims to introduce the NDB's operations, enhance cooperation between the government and the private sector, and explore future collaboration opportunities among founding and new BRICS members, Egypt's Ministry of International Cooperation, a co-organizer, said in a statement. The seminar, held for the first time outside BRICS founding member states, comes after Egypt joined the NDB in March 2023, and was officially approved for membership in the BRICS group earlier this year. Whi

European logistics company expands business thanks to China-Europe Express Rail

STORY: European logistics company expands business thanks to China-Europe Express Rail SHOOTING TIME: March 19, 2024 DATELINE: March 30, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:50 LOCATION: Bratislava CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of China-Europe Express Rail 2. SOUNDBITE (English): MARTIN KOUBEK, Director of Silk Road and CIS division of Metrans 3. various of China-Europe Express Rail STORYLINE: Metrans, a major player in seaport container traffic in Europe, has expanded its rail services linking the growing markets of Asia and Europe, thanks to rapid cargo transport connections from the China-Europe Express Rail project. The China-Europe Express Rail allows cargo to be delivered from China to Europe within 14 days, a fast transportation solution costing only slightly more than sea freight, but significantly lower than air freight. SOUNDBITE (English): MARTIN KOUBEK, Director of Silk Road and CIS division of Metrans "We have started with the Chinese trains in 2017. The first train was from Zhengzhou to Hamburg, whi

Türkiye detains 18 suspects over links to failed 2016 coup

STORY: Türkiye detains 18 suspects over links to failed 2016 coup SHOOTING TIME: Earlier footage, 2024 DATELINE: March 12, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:56 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: LAW SHOTLIST: 1. various of Turkish security forces arresting suspects (courtesy of Turkish Interior Ministry) STORYLINE: Turkish security forces have detained 18 suspects across seven provinces over alleged links to a network accused of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, the state-run TRT broadcaster reported Tuesday. The suspects were allegedly linked to the Gulen movement, which the Turkish government accuses of attempting a coup that killed at least 250 people on July 15, 2016. Also on Tuesday, an arrest warrant was issued for 23 suspects in line with the investigations by the prosecutor's office of the western province of Izmir into the "covered structure of the group (the Gulen movement) within the Turkish armed forces," said the TRT. Nine of those wanted were soldiers, with six of them still active-duty members, whi

Jordanian king warns of Gaza conflict expansion during Ramadan

STORY: Jordanian king warns of Gaza conflict expansion during Ramadan SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 25, 2023 DATELINE: Feb. 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:30 LOCATION: Amman CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the meeting between King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman (courtesy: Royal Hashemite Court) STORYLINE: King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday warned that a continued war in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan could risk expanding the conflict. King Abdullah made the remarks at a meeting in Amman with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, during which he called for maximum efforts to reach an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and to protect innocent civilians, according to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court. The king noted that Jordan will continue to provide humanitarian, relief, and medical assistance to the people in Gaza, the statement added. The king reiterated Jordan's rejection of any attempts to separate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, whi

Thai ballet dancer chases dream in SW China's Chongqing

STORY: Thai ballet dancer chases dream in SW China's Chongqing DATELINE: May 3, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:55 LOCATION: CHONGQING, China CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of Sakura practicing and performing ballet dance 2. SOUNDBITE (English): SAKURA, Thai ballet dancer STORYLINE: SOUNDBITE (English): SAKURA, Thai ballet dancer "Hello, my name is Sakura, and I'm from Bangkok, Thailand. Now I'm a ballet dancer with Chongqing Ballet Theater. I started ballet when I was eight. And the more I dance, the more I kind of fall in love with it. And so I decided to become a professional ballet dancer and be serious on dancing. So at that time, my teacher recommended me the ballet company which is in Chongqing. And at that time, I also really liked China. I really liked Chongqing, because it's quite like a popular place for Thai people to come visit. So I was very interested, so I decided to come to the Chongqing Ballet Theater and audition here. And then I got in. So I was really happy to be working in Chongqing, whi

Turks fleeing Sudan clashes arrive in Istanbul: media

STORY: Turks fleeing Sudan clashes arrive in Istanbul: media DATELINE: April 27, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:43 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Turkish citizens evacuated from Sudan arriving at the airport STORYLINE: Nearly 500 Turkish citizens who were in Sudan when clashes broke out earlier this month arrived in Türkiye's Istanbul on Wednesday, the state-run Anadolu agency reported. According to the agency, the first plane carrying the evacuees landed at Istanbul Airport at 01:10 a.m. local time (2210 GMT) and the second at 9:30 a.m. local time. The passengers travelled by bus from Sudan to Addis Ababa in neighboring Ethiopia, where they were transferred to Istanbul by planes of Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier. According to Anadolu, evacuated Turks faced many difficulties in entering Ethiopia as many countries try to evacuate their citizens at the same time. The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, whi

India to get relief from scorching heatwave

STORY: India to get relief from scorching heatwave DATELINE: April 25, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:31 LOCATION: New Delhi CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of regions affected by the heatwave 2. various of a heavy rain 3. various of Indian people dealing with the heat STORYLINE: According to a report released by the India Meteorological Department, India has received some relief from the heatwave that has been sweeping across the country in recent weeks. The report stated that "no heatwave conditions over most parts of India during the next 5 days," in its daily weather bulletin released on Sunday. The news brings relief to many states, including Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal, which have been experiencing scorching heat and heatwaves recently. Maharashtra has even announced an early summer vacation for schools until June 15, while West Bengal has shut schools and colleges due to rising temperatures. Temperatures in many parts of the country were in the range of 30 to 35 degrees Celsius, whi

Kenya steps up distribution of relief food amid lingering drought

STORY: Kenya steps up distribution of relief food amid lingering drought DATELINE: Nov. 9, 2022 LENGTH: 00:03:25 LOCATION: TURKANA, Kenya CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of residents come to receive relief food 2. various of trucks ferrying relief food 3. various of the Kenyan president 4. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): WILLIAM RUTO, Kenyan President 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DR. STEPHEN JACKSON, United Nations resident coordinator in Kenya 6. various of envoys and the president distributing relief food 7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Swahili): SIMON LEKULAT, Resident 8. various of Kenya Red Cross officials buying livestock from locals 9. SOUNDBITE 4 (Swahili): EKURU LORIO, Resident STORYLINE: Kenya stepped up relief food distribution in drought-stricken northern Kenya on Monday, with president William Ruto calling on development partners to provide more support to combat the effects of the drought and promote food security. Kenya has been distributing relief food and water to communities most affected by the drought, whi

Forum highlights Hong Kong's advantages as int'l financial hub

STORY: Forum highlights Hong Kong's advantages as int'l financial hub DATELINE: Nov. 3, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:22 LOCATION: HONG KONG, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of attendees speaking at the forum 2. SOUNDBITE (English): JOHN LEE, HKSAR Chief Executive 3. various of the forum STORYLINE: A forum attended by high-ranking Hong Kong officials, mainland regulators, and international financial heavyweights highlighted Hong Kong's advantages as an international financial center on Wednesday. John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said at the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit that Hong Kong's seamless connection with the mainland affords Hong Kong advantages available to no other economy. Lee said in his speech at the forum that the unique convergence makes Hong Kong an important connection between the mainland and the rest of the world. Hong Kong has the talent, infrastructure, and know-how to help mainland enterprises and capital go abroad whi

Afghanistan's Bamiyan recovers as tourist destination, but poor facilities remain an obstacle

STORY: Afghanistan's Bamiyan recovers as tourist destination, but poor facilities remain an obstacle DATELINE: July 18, 2022 LENGTH: 00:04:29 LOCATION: BAMIYAN, Afghanistan CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Bamiyan province 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): MAWLAWI SAIFURAHMAN MOHAMMADI, Provincial head of Information and Culture of Bamiyan 3. various of Bamiyan province 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): ISMAEL, Official of the national park 5. various of Bamiyan province 6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): SAYED MILAD, Visitor 7. various of Bamiyan province 8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Dari): ZAHRA, Visitor 9. various of Bamiyan province STORYLINE: Once a popular destination for tourists, Afghanistan's central Bamiyan province has been gradually recovering from the war aftermath to attract sightseers. But the scarcity of accommodations has become a new problem. The provincial head of Information and Culture Mawlawi Saifurahman Mohammadi said the number of daily visitors to Bamiyan had crossed 1,000 during the three-day Eid al-Adha holiday whi

Chile's Santiago, China's Xiamen sign cooperative agreement

STORY: Chile's Santiago, China's Xiamen sign cooperative agreement DATELINE: April 8, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:28 LOCATION: Santiago CATEGORY: POLITICS/ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the virtual signing ceremony 2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): CLAUDIO ORREGO, Governor of Metro Santiago Region 3. various of the virtual signing ceremony 4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): CLAUDIO ORREGO, Governor of Metro Santiago Region 5. various of the virtual signing ceremony STORYLINE: The Metropolitan Region of the Chilean capital Santiago and eastern China's Xiamen City signed a cooperative agreement during a virtual signing ceremony on Wednesday, aiming to expand cooperative relations and exchanges between both sides, with an emphasis on areas of infrastructure, green transport, protection of the environment and technology, among others. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): CLAUDIO ORREGO, Governor of Metro Santiago Region "We have some important themes in common, sustainable transport, climate change and economic development. These are some topics in whi