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EU agrees to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's defense

STORY: EU agrees to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's defense SHOOTING TIME: May 21, 2024 DATELINE: May 22, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:41 LOCATION: Brussels CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the European Commission Berlaymont building 2. various of the Europa and Justus Lipsius building STORYLINE: The Council of the European Union (EU) announced on Tuesday that ministers from EU member states have agreed to use proceeds from frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) to support Ukraine's military efforts. Under the agreement, 90 percent of the profits from these assets will be allocated to the European Peace Facility, an EU-run fund providing military aid for Ukraine. The remaining 10 percent will bolster Ukraine's defense industry capacities and reconstruction needs. "Up to 3 billion euros (3.26 billion U.S. dollars) this year alone, 90 percent goes for Ukraine's military," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky stated on social media platform X. According to data from the Council,

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

General view of the Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

General view of the Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

General view of the Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

General view of the Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron and Microsoft CEO Brad Smith at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron and Microsoft CEO Brad Smith at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

Microsoft CEO Brad Smith at Microsoft's French headquarters, during visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

French President Emmanuel Macron and Microsoft CEO Brad Smith at Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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President Macron At The Microsoft Headquarters In Issy-les-Moulineaux

General view of the Microsoft's French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris, France, on May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. Photo by Stephane Lemouton/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Mongolia plants 42 mln trees since 2021 to combat desertification

STORY: Mongolia plants 42 mln trees since 2021 to combat desertification SHOOTING TIME: files DATELINE: May 2, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:41 LOCATION: Ulan Bator CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of tree-planting in Mongolia STORYLINE: Mongolia has planted a total of 42 million trees across the country since the launch of its national tree-planting campaign in 2021, the country's presidential press office said Thursday. In addition, at least 63 million seedlings have so far been stocked, it said, urging the public to actively take part in the upcoming National Tree Planting Day. The land-locked Asian country is expected to observe the country's largest tree-planting and nature care event on May 11. In October 2021, Mongolia launched the nationwide tree-planting campaign "Billion Trees" as the country's President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh told the United Nations General Assembly that the campaign aims to plant at least a billion trees by 2030 to combat desertification. Desertification related to cl

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Lianjia Store in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 5, 2024 - A real estate agency Lianjia store in Pudong New Area in Shanghai, China, April 5, 2024. According to the monitoring data released recently by the Shanghai Lianjia Research Institute, in March this year, a total of 5,370 sets of new commercial housing were transacted in Shanghai, an increase of 299% month-on-month and a decrease of 41% year-on-year; The transaction value was 59.4 billion yuan, an increase of 440% quarter-on-quarter and a decrease of 3% year-on-year; The average total price of a set of 11.05 million yuan/set, an increase of 35% quarter-on-quarter and 65% year-on-year; The average transaction price was 86,050 yuan/square meter, an increase of 29% from the previous quarter and 41% from the previous year.

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Lianjia Store in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 5, 2024 - A real estate agency Lianjia store in Pudong New Area in Shanghai, China, April 5, 2024. According to the monitoring data released recently by the Shanghai Lianjia Research Institute, in March this year, a total of 5,370 sets of new commercial housing were transacted in Shanghai, an increase of 299% month-on-month and a decrease of 41% year-on-year; The transaction value was 59.4 billion yuan, an increase of 440% quarter-on-quarter and a decrease of 3% year-on-year; The average total price of a set of 11.05 million yuan/set, an increase of 35% quarter-on-quarter and 65% year-on-year; The average transaction price was 86,050 yuan/square meter, an increase of 29% from the previous quarter and 41% from the previous year.

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Global biz leader's 1st stop in 2024: German meter manufacturer confident on China's market prospect

STORY: Global biz leader's 1st stop in 2024: German meter manufacturer confident on China's market prospect SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 17, 2024 DATELINE: Jan. 25, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:41 LOCATION: SHANGHAI, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of employees working at Zenner's factory in Shanghai 2. SOUNDBITE (English): ALEXANDER LEHMANN, President of Minol-ZENNER Group STORYLINE: Alexander Lehmann, chairman of a leading German meter manufacturer, said that his company has kept increasing its investment in China, as the country remains an outstanding investment destination with rosy innovation. Lehmann chose China as the destination of his first global business trip in 2024. In the first half of 2023, Minol-ZENNER Group established a foreign-funded research and development (R&D) center in Shanghai and continued to increase its investment on R&D in China. With strong R&D, production and manufacturing capabilities, the group's output value in China has reached about 2.5 billion yuan (about 349 million U.

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WM Motor Bankruptcy

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 11, 2023 - A WM Motor(Weltmeister) sales store waits for rental in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Oct 11, 2023. According to public information, WM Motor had A total of 12 rounds of financing from A to D before filing for bankruptcy review, raising a total of more than 41 billion yuan.

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WM Motor Bankruptcy

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 11, 2023 - The logo of WM Motor(Weltmeister) is pictured in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Oct 11, 2023. According to public information, WM Motor had A total of 12 rounds of financing from A to D before filing for bankruptcy review, raising a total of more than 41 billion yuan.

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WM Motor Bankruptcy

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 11, 2023 - The logo of WM Motor(Weltmeister) is pictured in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Oct 11, 2023. According to public information, WM Motor had A total of 12 rounds of financing from A to D before filing for bankruptcy review, raising a total of more than 41 billion yuan.

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WM Motor Bankruptcy

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 11, 2023 - The logo of WM Motor(Weltmeister) is pictured in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Oct 11, 2023. According to public information, WM Motor had A total of 12 rounds of financing from A to D before filing for bankruptcy review, raising a total of more than 41 billion yuan.

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WM Motor Bankruptcy

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 11, 2023 - A WM Motor(Weltmeister) sales store waits for rental in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Oct 11, 2023. According to public information, WM Motor had A total of 12 rounds of financing from A to D before filing for bankruptcy review, raising a total of more than 41 billion yuan.

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WM Motor Bankruptcy

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 11, 2023 - The logo of WM Motor (Weltmeister) is pictured in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Oct 11, 2023. According to public information, WM Motor had A total of 12 rounds of financing from A to D before filing for bankruptcy review, raising a total of more than 41 billion yuan.

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Transnational gas pipeline witnesses China-Central Asia energy cooperation

STORY: Transnational gas pipeline witnesses China-Central Asia energy cooperation DATELINE: Aug. 23, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:58 LOCATION: Nur-Sultan CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SONG XIAONING, Head of a gas compressor station of China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZUO DONG, Staff, SINO-PIPELINE International Company 4. various of the Horgos initial compressor station 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): YUAN TAO, Staff, PipeChina West Pipeline Company STORYLINE: The Amu Darya Natural Gas Project is located in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan, a Central Asian inland country. The natural gas project has an annual output of over 10 billion cubic meters, with a peak production of 41 million cubic meters per day. After being extracted and processed, the natural gas is sent to the southern region of Uzbekistan, where it flows into the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SONG XIAONING,

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India announces new scheme to support traditional artisans

STORY: India announces new scheme to support traditional artisans DATELINE: Aug. 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:41 LOCATION: New Delhi CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of traditional artisans and craftspeople in India STORYLINE: The Indian government on Wednesday announced a new scheme worth 130 billion Indian Rupees (1.56 billion U.S. dollars) to provide financial support to traditional artisans and craftspeople engaged in small family businesses. One of the broad objectives of the scheme is to integrate these artisans and craftspeople in urban and rural areas of the South Asian country into both domestic and global value chains. The scheme is expected to cover 18 traditional trades, benefiting carpenters, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, shoe smiths, masons, barbers, garland-makers, tailors, and fishing-net makers, among others. Besides credit support offered over a period of five years beginning fiscal year 2023-24, "the scheme will further provide skill up-gradation, toolkit incentive, incentive for digital t

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Vietnam's coffee exports slow in Q1 as domestic prices rise

STORY: Vietnam's coffee exports slow in Q1 as domestic prices rise DATELINE: April 7, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:41 LOCATION: Hanoi CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of coffee harvesting in Vietnam 2. various of roasting and packaging process of coffee beans in Vietnam 3. various of the coffee festival in the central highlands Dak Lak province STORYLINE: Vietnam's coffee exports in the first quarter this year edged down 1.6 percent to 572,000 tons from a year ago, the General Statistics Office has said, adding that coffee export revenue for the same period reached 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, down 2.3 percent on the year. Vietnamese coffee prices surging this year, coupled with rising interest rates on bank loans, have made exporters refrain from building their stockpiles and reluctant to have contracts for delivery in the future on concerns about global price volatility, said Nguyen Xuan Hien, head of staff of the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association (Vicofa). Also, Vietnamese farmers are in no rush to sell their

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Türkiye's current account deficit hits nearly 9.85 bln USD in Jan.

STORY: Türkiye's current account deficit hits nearly 9.85 bln USD in Jan. DATELINE: March 14, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:09 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Turkish central bank and banknote counting 2. various of jewellery store and gas station in Türkiye 3. various of a container port STORYLINE: Türkiye's central bank said Monday the country's current account deficit reached nearly 9.85 billion U.S. dollars in January, following a rapid increase in gold imports and soaring energy import bills. The central bank's statistics showed that excluding gold and energy, the current account has a net surplus of 2.6 billion dollars in January. Among items constituting the current account balance, foreign trade in goods recorded a deficit of 12.43 billion dollars, while the services registered a net surplus of 3.16 billion dollars. The current account deficit in January beats the record 9. 41 billion dollars deficit in March 2011, according to official statistics. Meanwhile, Türkiy

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China's Olympic economy a "blue ocean" for sports goods manufacturers

STORY: China's Olympic economy a "blue ocean" for sports goods manufacturers DATELINE: Feb. 13, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:41 LOCATION: GUANGZHOU, China CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP 1 (English): YE TING, Xinhua correspondent 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MING WENFANG, Operation Manager, Guangdong Yijia Optical Technology Co., Ltd. 3. STANDUP 2 (English): YE TING, Xinhua correspondent STORYLINE: STANDUP 1 (English): YE TING, Xinhua correspondent "As winter sports are gaining popularity, the markets for winter sports equipment are expanding. According to the Ice and Snow Sports Development Program (2016-2025), the ice and snow industry scale is expected to reach 1 trillion yuan (147 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025. Today, I'll take you to a manufacturer to find out how the winter sports products market has boomed and evolved." Guangdong Province is China's manufacturing heartland. Many of the country's leading winter sports gear and clothing manufacturers are based here. Covering an area of 40,000 square meter

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Malaysia's exports rise 25 pct in 2022

STORY: Malaysia's exports rise 25 pct in 2022 DATELINE: Jan. 19, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:41 LOCATION: Kuala Lumpur CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Malaysia's national flag and Kuala Lumpur city views 2. various of Kuala Lumpur city views 3. various of container vessels at Port Klang 4. various of container vessels at Penang Port STORYLINE: Malaysia's exports rose 25 percent year on year to 1.55 trillion ringgit (358.26 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022, official data showed Wednesday. The expansion in exports was driven by robust exports of electrical and electronic products (E&E), petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), palm oil and palm oil-based agriculture products, crude petroleum as well as machinery, equipment and parts, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said in a statement Meanwhile, exports to major trading partners, notably the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, the United States, the European Union and Japan, registered a new record high. A

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Italian PM reaffirms commitment to EU recovery plan

STORY: Italian PM reaffirms commitment to EU recovery plan DATELINE: Jan. 10, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:41 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Giorgia Meloni and Ursula von der Leyen at Palazzo Chigi STORYLINE: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the challenges of economic growth and European migration policy in Rome on Monday. Meloni reaffirmed Italy's commitment to the European Union's (EU) National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPRR), which provides Italy with around 200 billion euros (215 billion U.S. dollars) in grants and low-interest loans as long as the country follows through with a series of reforms to make its economy stronger and more sustainable. Von der Leyen is holding a series of bilateral discussions with EU leaders ahead of the Feb. 9-10 meeting of the European Council, scheduled specifically to discuss European economic growth and migration. It comes as the bloc faces challenges ranging from high inflati

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S. Korean nuclear reactors

ULSAN, South Korea - Photo taken Feb. 5, 2013, shows dome-type Advanced Power Reactor 1400 reactors at the Kori nuclear power plant in Ulsan, South Korea. In 2009, South Korea landed a $41 billion contract to export four APR 1400 reactors to the UAE together with operational skills and nuclear fuel.

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Chinese-invested industrial parks inject new vitality into Indonesia's economic growth

STORY: Chinese-invested industrial parks inject new vitality into Indonesia's economic growth DATELINE: Nov. 15, 2022 LENGTH: 0:02:41 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of two industrial parks 2. various of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHANG FAN, Head of IMIP 4. various of Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HE XIAOZHEN, Head of IWIP 6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Indonesian): FITRIANI, Engineer of IMIP 7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Indonesian): FRILEKS ARBABEN, Head of Lelilef Sawai village STORYLINE: Two industrial parks invested by a Chinese company in Indonesia have injected new vitality into Indonesia's economic growth. Located in central Sulawesi province, the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) was built in 2013 as a joint venture between Indonesia's Bintang Delapan Group and China's Tsingshan Iron and Steel. It has made a total accumulated investment of more than 13 billion U.S. dollars, elevating Indonesia to the second largest stainles

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A new ski season kicks off in NE China's Jilin

STORY: A new ski season kicks off in NE China's Jilin DATELINE: Nov. 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:02 LOCATION: CHANGCHUN, China CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the opening ceremony 2. various of ski fields in Jilin STORYLINE: A new ski season kicked off Friday in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province. Located at 41 to 43 degrees north latitude, Jilin is endowed with excellent natural conditions for developing the ice and snow industry. It has long been one of the most popular skiing destinations in China. Due to the rising skiing boom around the country in recent years, the ski resorts in Jilin have seized the opportunity to improve their infrastructures and services. Jilin has built 54 ski resorts and 279 snow tracks with a maximum daily capacity of about 100,000 visitors. According to a blueprint unveiled by Jilin in October 2021, by 2025, the value of the province's ice and snow industry is expected to exceed 250 billion yuan (about 39.4 billion U.S. dollars) with a total number

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U.S. political system flaws reflected in midterm elections

STORY: U.S. political system flaws reflected in midterm elections DATELINE: Nov. 11, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:41 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of people voting 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JAMES GANSKY, Voter 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): AARON SMITH, Voter 4. various of people voting 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): NOREEN CHOUDHURY, College student 6. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): BOBBY, Voter 7. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): MICHAEL CROCE, Voter 8. various of people voting STORYLINE: "Big money." "A lot of polarization." "Not just polarized but radicalized"... While U.S. midterm election results continue to roll in, flaws in the U.S. political system have been once again reflected during the process. Here are what the voters have been concerned about and struggled with. ALL ABOUT MONEY The 2022 U.S. midterms are set to be the most expensive non-presidential races in history. The total cost of state and federal elections is projected to exceed 16.7 billion U.S. dollars. Voters complain that

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Malaysia's wholesale, retail trade sales value up 41 pct on year in July

STORY: Malaysia's wholesale, retail trade sales value up 41 pct on year in July DATELINE: Sept. 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:06 LOCATION: Kuala Lumpur CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers 2. various of new cars at car yard 3. various of crowds doing their grocery shopping in supermarket STORYLINE: Malaysia's wholesale and retail trade sales value rose 41 percent year on year to 130.7 billion ringgit (29.02 billion U.S. dollars) in July, official data showed Monday. The positive growth was contributed by all sub-sectors, namely motor vehicles which surged 613.8 percent, retail trade which jumped 37.5 percent, and wholesale trade which grew 20.6 percent, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement. In terms of volume index, wholesale and retail trade registered a growth of 33.7 percent year-on-year to record 142.5 points. The growth was supported by the increases in motor vehicles (681.6 percent), retail trade (31.6 percent), and wholesale trade (10.8

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U.S. sanctions slow down post-earthquake reconstruction in Afghanistan

STORY: U.S. sanctions slow down post-earthquake reconstruction in Afghanistan DATELINE: July 26, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:03 LOCATION: Kabul CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the houses hit by the earthquake 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Pashto): ZARIF, Resident of Ziruk district 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Pashto): JASSIM KHAN, Resident of Ziruk district 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Pashto): MOHAMMAD NASIM HAQQANI, Spokesperson of State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs 5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Pashto): ZARIF, Resident of Ziruk district STORYLINE: Living in a China-donated tent, 41-year-old Zarif believed that the U.S. freezing of Afghanistan's assets has undermined the local post-earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction. A destructive earthquake that hit Afghanistan on June 22 killed more than 1,000 people, and destroyed more than 17,000 houses, mostly in Paktika and the neighboring Khost provinces. Following the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces from the Asian country, Afghanistan's assets worth more than 9 billion

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Chinese-built railway to benefit local socio-economic development: Malawi officials

STORY: Chinese-built railway to benefit local socio-economic development: Malawi officials DATELINE: May 23, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:41 LOCATION: NSANJE, Malawi CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: various of local officials and engineers, workers at the project siteSOUNDBITE 1 (English): MALEMIA, Senior ChiefSOUNDBITE 2 (English): MEDSON MATCHAYA, Nsanje District CommonerSOUNDBITE 3 (English): HASTINGS CHIUDZU, Secretary for transport in Malawi STORYLINE: A Chinese company started to help Malawi build a railway on Saturday in south Malawi's Nsanje. The 72-kilometer MK 68.8 billion railway is contracted by the China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation (CR20). It will be part of the Sena Corridor that provides a rail connection to the Beira Port in Mozambique for landlocked Malawi. The construction work is expected to take 18 months. Local officials say, upon completion, the railway project will benefit the local socio-economic development. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MALEMIA, Senior Chief "It is a project that is going

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Yangtze River Delta railway network to expand in 2022

STORY: Yangtze River Delta railway network to expand in 2022 DATELINE: March 5, 2022 LENGTH: 00:04:41 LOCATION: SHANGHAI, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of railway construction 2. various of railways STORYLINE: Yangtze River Delta railway system has set a 2022 investment target of 68.6 billion yuan (about 10.9 billion U.S. dollars) with more than 20 key projects, including Huzhou-Hangzhou Railway, Chaohu-Ma'anshan Intercity Railway, South Yanjiang Intercity railway, etc. It's expected to connect cities and provinces along the Yangtze River and support strategic programmes across the board in China, including infrastructure, job market, domestic demand, people's livelihood, logistics and industrial chain. Official data show that last year, the Yangtze River Delta railway system had completed 90.19 billion yuan (14.3 billion U.S. dollars) of investment, ranking first in China for the sixth consecutive year. With 585.2 kilometers of new railways completed, by the end of 2021, the length of ra

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Japan's lower house OKs extra budget to support economy

Japan's House of Representatives approves an extra budget of 4.11 trillion yen ($41 billion) in Tokyo on Oct. 4, 2016 to support a domestic economy facing sluggish growth amid weak consumer demand and business investment. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan's lower house OKs extra budget to support economy

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R in front row) and Finance Minister Taro Aso (2nd from R) bow as the House of Representatives approve an extra budget of 4.11 trillion yen ($41 billion) in Tokyo on Oct. 4, 2016 to support a domestic economy facing sluggish growth amid weak consumer demand and business investment. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo