35 arrested over twin bombing attacks in SE Iran: ministry

STORY: 35 arrested over twin bombing attacks in SE Iran: ministry SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 11, 2024 DATELINE: Jan. 12, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:56 LOCATION: Tehran CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the area after the attacks 2. various of rescue efforts 3. various of bodies collected 4. various of the funeral STORYLINE: The Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced on Thursday the arrest of 35 individuals across six provinces in connection with the recent twin bombings in the southeastern city of Kerman. In an official statement, the ministry provided additional details about the terrorist attack near the tomb of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3, which resulted in over 90 deaths and around 280 injuries. The provinces where arrests were made include Kerman, Sistan and Baluchestan, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Tehran, and West Azarbaijan. The statement also mentioned the identification of some individuals involved in the Kerman attack located abroad, with ongoing efforts to apprehend them. It said inve

CPEC hydropower project achieves dam capping in Pakistan

STORY: CPEC hydropower project achieves dam capping in Pakistan DATELINE: May 16, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:20 LOCATION: Islamabad CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1 various of the dam capping ceremony of the Suki Kinari Hydropower project STORYLINE: Pakistan's Suki Kinari Hydropower project in the northwestern part of the country achieved the dam capping on Monday, marking its entering of a new construction stage. The successful capping of the concrete dam on the Kunhar River will help advance the construction progress of the power station under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Calling the capping a key milestone of the 884-megawatt hydropower project, Chen Jiangbo, deputy manager of the Suki Kinari Hydropower project of China Gezhouba Group Company Ltd., which invests in and implements the project, attributed the achievement to the joint efforts made by the Chinese and Pakistani constructors despite multiple challenges. The hydropower project started construction in January 2017 with a total inve

Petronas FY22 profit surges to record high on higher oil prices

STORY: Petronas FY22 profit surges to record high on higher oil prices DATELINE: March 15, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:00 LOCATION: Kuala Lumpur CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of KLCC Twin Towers, also known as Petronas Twin Towers 2. various of Petronas logo at its office tower 3. various of crowds filling up petrol at Petronas oil station STORYLINE: Malaysia's state-owned oil and gas firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has said that it posted a record high profit after tax in the financial year ending on Dec. 31, 2022 (FY22), underpinned by higher oil prices. Petronas said that the group's profit after tax for FY22 almost doubled to 101.6 billion ringgit (about 22.35 billion U.S. dollars) from 50.9 billion ringgit a year ago. The group's revenue for the year also surged 51.33 percent to 375.3 billion ringgit (about 83.94 billion U.S. dollars) from 248 billion ringgit a year ago, mainly due to the favorable price impact for major products aligned with higher benchmark prices. The group's capital inve

China's growth benefits world: Turkish businessman

STORY: China's growth benefits world: Turkish businessman DATELINE: Oct. 22, 2022 LENGTH: 0:02:04 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): CANTURK ALAGOZ, CEO of Alagoz Holding STORYLINE: A Turkish businessman says China's economic growth has benefited not only itself but also other countries. The CEO of Alagoz Holding Canturk Alagoz says the expanding Chinese market has provided investment opportunities for foreign companies. Meanwhile, Chinese companies could also invest abroad. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): CANTURK ALAGOZ, CEO of Alagoz Holding "China's economic development and the growth of the Chinese market are signs that the policies implemented by the Chinese government are right. Growing markets in China have also benefited other nations. In poor regions, it is hard to find a market, therefore the growth of the Chinese market has benefited countries and companies engaged in business partnerships with China. The growth also has offered an opportunity for Chinese firms to inve

Pakistani PM hails China for timely flood relief aid

STORY: Pakistani PM hails China for timely flood relief aid DATELINE: Sept. 30, 2022 LENGTH: 0:00:42 LOCATION: Islamabad CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1 various of the flooded area 2 various of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif speaking 3 various of Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong 4 various of the arrival of Chinese-donated relief goods for Pakistan 5 various of the flooded area STORYLINE: Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has appreciated China and its leadership for providing timely aid and relief goods for the flood-affected people of the country. Speaking at a meeting to donate funds for the flood-affected people by the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) at the Prime Minister's House in the capital Islamabad on Thursday, Shahbaz expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government, leadership and people who stood by Pakistan during the difficult time. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong and a delegation of the CTG led by the deputy head of the China Three Gorges South Asia Inve

New Zealand faces weaker economic outlook as high inflation, interest rates continue: forecast

STORY: New Zealand faces weaker economic outlook as high inflation, interest rates continue: forecast DATELINE: Sept. 13, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:16 LOCATION: Wellington CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Wellington 2. various of a supermarket 3. various of a gas station STORYLINE: A latest forecast showed expectations of weaker activities across most sectors in New Zealand in 2023 and higher inflation and interest rates. Added to this are the continued global supply chain disruptions due to ongoing uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic, the regional conflict and signs of slowing global growth, according to the forecast by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) released on Monday. Despite a stronger starting point for household spending, the downward revision through to 2025 reflects the expectation that the dampening effect of higher interest rates on spending will become more apparent as households roll into much higher fixed mortgage rates, the forecast said. The residential inve