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NIGERIA-LAGOS-CHINESE-BUILT LIGHT RAIL PROJECT (CN)

(240326) -- LAGOS, March 26, 2024 (Xinhua) -- A local driver is pictured beside a train of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line in Lagos, Nigeria, March 2, 2024. Undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in July 2010 and completed in Dec. 2022, the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line corridor spans 13 km and covers five stations. It began commercial operation in Sept. of 2023. As a symbolic project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Blue Line project is the first electrified railroad and cross-sea light rail project in West Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

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NIGERIA-LAGOS-CHINESE-BUILT LIGHT RAIL PROJECT (CN)

(240326) -- LAGOS, March 26, 2024 (Xinhua) -- An aerial drone photo taken on March 2, 2024 shows a train of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line pulling in the Marina Station in Lagos, Nigeria. Undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in July 2010 and completed in Dec. 2022, the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line corridor spans 13 km and covers five stations. It began commercial operation in Sept. of 2023. As a symbolic project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Blue Line project is the first electrified railroad and cross-sea light rail project in West Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

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NIGERIA-LAGOS-CHINESE-BUILT LIGHT RAIL PROJECT (CN)

(240326) -- LAGOS, March 26, 2024 (Xinhua) -- Chinese driver Wang Aofei (rear) and a local driver co-drive a train of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line in Lagos, Nigeria, March 2, 2024. Undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in July 2010 and completed in Dec. 2022, the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line corridor spans 13 km and covers five stations. It began commercial operation in Sept. of 2023. As a symbolic project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Blue Line project is the first electrified railroad and cross-sea light rail project in West Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

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NIGERIA-LAGOS-CHINESE-BUILT LIGHT RAIL PROJECT (CN)

(240326) -- LAGOS, March 26, 2024 (Xinhua) -- A train of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line prepares for departure at Mile 2 Station in Lagos, Nigeria, Feb. 29, 2024. Undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in July 2010 and completed in Dec. 2022, the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line corridor spans 13 km and covers five stations. It began commercial operation in Sept. of 2023. As a symbolic project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Blue Line project is the first electrified railroad and cross-sea light rail project in West Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

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HK Palace Museum unveils special exhibition on cultural treasures from Sanxingdui Ruins

STORY: HK Palace Museum unveils special exhibition on cultural treasures from Sanxingdui Ruins DATELINE: Sept. 27, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:03 LOCATION: HONG KONG, China CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the exhibition 2. SOUNDBITE (English): SHENGYU WANG, Assistant curator of Hong Kong Palace Museum STORYLINE: The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) unveiled Tuesday a special exhibition featuring new archaeological discoveries at world-renowned Sanxingdui Ruins. Fifty-five important items, including bronzeware, jade and goldware, unearthed in the most recent excavations at the Sanxingdui Ruins between 2020 and 2022, are among the 120 artifacts on display. SOUNDBITE (English): SHENGYU WANG, Assistant curator of Hong Kong Palace Museum "So I think the most fascinating part of our show is that we really want to give you a sense of interdisciplinary and inviting feeling. We also have a lot of multimedia items which help you to see the details of the objects. So some of the objects which are 3D printed now in

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IOC president hails China's contribution to global Olympic movement

STORY: IOC president hails China's contribution to global Olympic movement DATELINE: Sept. 23, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:53 LOCATION: HANGZHOU, China CATEGORY: SPORT SHOTLIST: 1. various of Xinhua's exclusive interview with IOC president Thomas Bach 2. SOUNDBITE (English): THOMAS BACH, International Olympic Committee President STORYLINE: International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has hailed China's contribution to global Olympic movement. SOUNDBITE (English): THOMAS BACH, International Olympic Committee President "China has tremendous importance in the Olympic movement. And we have seen there is an ever-growing commitment of China and the Chinese people to the Olympic Games and the Olympic movement. We could see this, the full scale, the first time, with the unforgettable Olympic Games Beijing 2008. The Asian Games in Guangzhou was a great success and many other events. And now there was a truly exceptional Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, bringing the Olympic Winter Games to new heights, with regard

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Egypt's central bank keeps interest rates unchanged

STORY: Egypt's central bank keeps interest rates unchanged DATELINE: Sept. 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:57 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Central Bank of Egypt 2. various of an accountant counting banknotes 3. various of the National Bank of Egypt 4. various of Banque Misr STORYLINE: The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) decided Thursday to maintain interest rates at current levels. During its meeting, the CBE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the overnight deposit rate, overnight lending rate and the rate of the main operation at 19.25 percent, 20.25 percent and 19.75 percent, respectively. The discount rate remained at 19.75 percent. According to Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, the country's year-on-year headline inflation hit a record high of 39.7 percent in August, compared to 38.2 percent in July and 15.3 percent in August 2022. In early August, the CBE raised the interest rates by 100 basis points, or 1 percent, in a bid to contain high inflat

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Ship with Ukrainian grain arrives off Türkiye's Bosphorus Strait via "humanitarian corridor"

STORY: Ship with Ukrainian grain arrives off Türkiye's Bosphorus Strait via "humanitarian corridor" DATELINE: Sept. 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:22 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Turkiye CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Istanbul 2. various of a cargo ship STORYLINE: The first cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain arrived off Türkiye's Bosphorus Strait on Thursday using a temporary "humanitarian corridor." The Ihlas news agency said the ship "Resilient Africa" anchored off the Sariyer district at the Black Sea entrance of the Bosphorus Strait. The vessel will later pass through the strait, heading to Israel, according to the agency. Ukraine announced in August a "humanitarian corridor" to allow grain shipment after Russia withdrew from a UN-brokered grain agreement. Russia and Ukraine separately signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative in Istanbul in July 2022, allowing Ukraine to export its grain and other agricultural products from its Black Sea ports. Renewed twice, the agreement collapsed on July 17

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U.S. unabated cyberespionage activities highlight unbridled hegemony

STORY: U.S. unabated cyberespionage activities highlight unbridled hegemony DATELINE: Sept. 19, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:09 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of U.S.-related footage 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): TUNC AKKOC, Head of Harici Media, Türkiye 3. various of U.S.-related footage 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SHAKEEL AHMAD RAMAY, CEO, Islamabad-based Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research & Development 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MAGDY AMER, Former ambassador of Egypt to China 6. various of U.S.-related footage 7. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): TUGHRAL YAMIN, Senior research fellow at Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad STORYLINE: The latest investigation into the 2022 cyberattack on China's Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) has unequivocally pinpointed personnel from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as the hand behind it. In 2022, the NPU fell victim to a cyberattack involving the utilization of 41 specialized cyber weapons to launch cyber theft operations over 1,000 time

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How China-ASEAN synergy contributes to global economic growth

STORY: How China-ASEAN synergy contributes to global economic growth DATELINE: Sept. 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:03 LOCATION: NANNING, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of China-ASEAN Expo 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): KAO KIM HOURN, Secretary-general of ASEAN 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHU SHENGHUI, Agent, Vietnam Trung Nguyen coffee 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LI ZHUHUAN, Deputy general manager, Marketing Department of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Logistics Co., LTD STORYLINE: The 20th China-ASEAN Expo is being held in China's Nanning, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. The participation figure marks an 18.2-percent rise from last year's expo. Connected by both land and sea, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have enjoyed ever-growing trade ties over the years. Official data show that the bilateral trade volume between China and ASEAN had increased from about 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2004 to more than 975 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. China has been ASEAN's largest trading par

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Indonesian men's volleyball team expresses high hopes for Asian Games

STORY: Indonesian men's volleyball team expresses high hopes for Asian Games DATELINE: Sept. 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:30 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the training 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): JIANG JIE, Head coach of Indonesian men's volleyball team 3. various of the training 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Indonesian): HERNANDA ZULFI, Indonesian men's volleyball team player 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Indonesian): FAHRI SEPTIAN PUTRATAMA, Indonesian men's volleyball team player 6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): JIANG JIE, Head coach of Indonesian men's volleyball team STORYLINE: The Indonesian men's volleyball team has expressed high hopes for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. The team is led by Jiang Jie, a former Chinese national volleyball team player. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): JIANG JIE, Head coach of Indonesian men's volleyball team "I started to lead the Indonesian national team in March 2022. I led the team to participate in the Southeast Asian Games twice and each time we won the championship. Through the (

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China's computing industry scale hit 2.6 tln yuan in 2022

STORY: China's computing industry scale hit 2.6 tln yuan in 2022 DATELINE: Sept. 16, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:48 LOCATION: CHANGSHA, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the conference 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): XUE QIKUN, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, President of Southern University of Science and Technology STORYLINE: The scale of China's computing industry hit 2.6 trillion yuan (about 362.2 billion dollars) in 2022, according to the 2023 World Computing Conference, which is held in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province from Sept. 14-16. Over the last six years, China has shipped over 20.91 million general servers and 820,000 artificial intelligence (AI) servers, according to a white paper released at the conference by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): XUE QIKUN, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, President of Southern University of Science and Technology "Now we are facing the second quantum revolution. On the foundatio

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Türkiye experiences driest August in 33 years: report

STORY: Türkiye experiences driest August in 33 years: report DATELINE: Sept. 15, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:03 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. aerial view of Istanbul City 2. various of dams in Istanbul and dry land STORYLINE: Türkiye has experienced the driest August in the last 33 years, the country's meteorological authority said on Thursday. In a report, the General Directorate of Meteorology noted a 57-percent decrease in precipitation in August compared to the 1991-2021 averages and a 60-percent drop from last August. The report highlights the meteorological drought as a widespread concern, which impacted nearly the entire Marmara and Black Sea regions in August. In the month, the northwestern region of Marmara, known as the country's granary, saw a 74-percent decrease in precipitation compared to the 1991-2021 averages and a 90-percent decline from August 2022. The region is also home to Türkiye's largest city, Istanbul, where the water levels in its ten dams dropped to 26

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Exhibition goods from Vanuatu being shipped to China for CIIE

STORY: Exhibition goods from Vanuatu being shipped to China for CIIE DATELINE: Sept. 13, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:05 LOCATION: CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Vanuatu 2. SOUNDBITE (English): JOE PACOA, Director of Vanuatu's Department of External Trade 3. various of Vanuatu STORYLINE: Products to be exhibited at the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) from Vanuatu embarked on a local transport flight to transit through New Zealand on Monday. The Vanuatu products will join the New Zealand exhibition products and set to sail from New Zealand to east China's Shanghai in mid-September, which marks the first shipment of exhibition products for this year's CIIE, undertaken by COSCO SHIPPING. Vanuatu is an island nation located in the southwestern Pacific, with its economy primarily based on agriculture, fisheries and livestock. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1982, China and Vanuatu have maintained stable and positive economic and trade ties. In 2022, th

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China's FDI into Kenya expected to grow 10 pct in 2023: official

STORY: China's FDI into Kenya expected to grow 10 pct in 2023: official DATELINE: Sept. 12, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:04 LOCATION: Nairobi CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the press conference 2. SOUNDBITE (English): JUNE CHEPKEMEI, Acting managing director of KenInvest STORYLINE: China's foreign direct investment (FDI) into Kenya is projected to grow 10 percent this year, a government official said Monday. June Chepkemei, acting managing director of state-owned Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest), made the remarks during a media briefing on the upcoming sixth Kenya International Industrial Expo and the Kenya Import and Export Fair in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The event is scheduled to take place from Sept. 21 to 23. SOUNDBITE (English): JUNE CHEPKEMEI, Acting managing director of KenInvest "Foreign direct inflows from China stood at 348 million U.S. dollars (in 2022). Going forward, we hope to see that grow by at least 10 percent, going by the incentives and the programs that the government h

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Egypt's inflation hits record 39.7 pct

STORY: Egypt's inflation hits record 39.7 pct DATELINE: Sept. 11, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:20 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of markets and customers in Cairo 2. various of restaurants in Cairo 3. various of goods in store 4. various of streets in Cairo STORYLINE: Egypt's year-on-year headline inflation hit a record high of 39.7 percent in August, compared to 38.2 percent in July and 15.3 percent in August 2022, data from the country's official statistics authority showed on Sunday. According to Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, the prices of food and beverages surged by 71.9 percent, alcoholics and tobacco by 57.6 percent, restaurant and hotel services by 49.5 percent, and furniture and household appliances by 42 percent in the past 12 months. Egypt has been struggling to curb the inflation rates that have been rising over the past few years, amid local currency depreciation and foreign currency shortage. In early August, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)

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Türkiye revises medium-term inflation, growth forecasts

STORY: Türkiye revises medium-term inflation, growth forecasts DATELINE: Sept. 7, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:08 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the press conference (courtesy of ihlas news agency) 2. various of the speech of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz at the press conference (courtesy of Justice and Development Party) 3. various of the press conference (courtesy of ihlas news agency) 4. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President (courtesy of ihlas news agency) STORYLINE: The Turkish government on Wednesday lowered its economic growth forecasts while raising its expected inflation rate for the upcoming three years in its annual Medium-Term Program. The country's economy is projected to grow 4 percent in 2024, 4.5 percent in 2025, and 5 percent in 2026, said Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz at a press conference during which he unveiled the program. The previous program announced in 2022 had set growth targets of 5 percent in 2023 and 5.5 percent in

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Football World Cup in Qatar

DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 6 Kyodo - Shogo Taniguchi of Japan celebrates after Japan's 2-1 win over Spain in a World Cup Group E football match at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2022. (Kyodo)

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RCEP boosts cooperation between China, ASEAN

STORY: RCEP boosts cooperation between China, ASEAN DATELINE: Sept. 6, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:10 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SUN LEI, Xinhua correspondent 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DR. MOHAMMAD FAISAL, Executive director of Center of Reform on Economics Indonesia 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LI JIFENG, Deputy Director of China-Indonesia Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LIU YAN, Marketing operation director of Wuling Indonesia STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SUN LEI, Xinhua correspondent "China and ASEAN share deep and close cooperation in trade and economy. And RCEP brings them even closer. The RCEP, the world's largest free trade deal, comprises 15 members: the 10 ASEAN member states, plus China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The pact entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022, with the goal of gradually eliminating tariffs on more than 90 percent of goods traded among its members." SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MOHAMMAD FAISAL, Exec

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Türkiye's inflation climbs to 58.94 pct in Aug.

STORY: Türkiye's inflation climbs to 58.94 pct in Aug. DATELINE: Sept. 5, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:17 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Turkish shopping in a bazaar, stationery and fish shop (courtesy of ihlas news agency) 2. various of Turkish central bank 3. various of Hafize Gaye Erkan, governor of the Turkish Central Bank 4. various of Mehmet Simsek, Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister 5. various of Turkish shopping in a bazaar STORYLINE: Türkiye's annual inflation rose to 58.94 percent in August, marking the second consecutive month of increase since October last year due to the declining value of Turkish Lira and recent tax hikes, according to official figures on Monday. The figures from the Turkish Statistic Institute showed the consumer price index (CPI) in August rose by 9.09 percent monthly. The CPI experienced a consecutive decline from a peak of 85.51 percent in October 2022 to 38.21 percent in June 2023. The annual inflation rose to 47.83 percent in July, marking the fir

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CHINA-U.S.-RELATIONS-GUEST OPINION (CN)

(230902) -- BEIJING, Sept. 2, 2023 (Xinhua) -- People visit a lantern display celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 29, 2022. TO GO WITH "Guest Opinion: Resetting China-U.S. relations through people" (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

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Normalization of Türkiye-Syria ties in limbo, says expert

STORY: Normalization of Türkiye-Syria ties in limbo, says expert DATELINE: Sept. 2, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:30 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of a patrol of Turkish and Russian troops in Northern Syria 2. various of the four-way meeting of Türkiye-Syria-Russia-Iran in May 2023 in Moscow 3. various of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 4. various of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad 5. various of Turkish Lira 6. various of the militants of YPG in Northern Syria 7. various of Syrian refugees at one of the Türkiye-Syria border gates 8. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): SERKAN DEMIRTAS, Foreign policy analyst, Ankara Bureau Chief Of Hurriyet Daily News STORYLINE: The future of relations between Türkiye and Syria remains uncertain as little progress has been made in normalization talks revolving around Turkish military presence in northern Syria, said experts. Since the end of 2022, Turkish and Syrian officials have met several times to restore ties. Moscow has tried to mediate talks between Damasc

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Dutch industry insider confident in Chinese NEVs

STORY: Dutch industry insider confident in Chinese NEVs DATELINE: Sept. 1, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:05 LOCATION: ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the new-energy vehicle (NEV) 2. SOUNDBITE (English): ERIC LOUWMAN, President of Louwman group STORYLINE: Eric Louwman, president of Dutch car dealer Louwman Group, said that China is at the forefront of "all the technological developments around electrification." Since October 2022, Louwman has been collaborating with China's leading new-energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer BYD to open BYD dealerships in the Netherlands. So far, they have sold over 700 BYD EVs. SOUNDBITE (English): ERIC LOUWMAN, President of Louwman group "We have been active in automotive for 100 years, and we've always been at the forefront of new developments, but we have never experienced something like what we're experiencing at this moment. There's a huge change, transformation going into the car business at the moment, especially with electrification, but also

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UN chief cautions military coups only worsen crises, urges democratic governance

STORY: UN chief cautions military coups only worsen crises, urges democratic governance DATELINE: Sept. 1, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:29 LOCATION: UN Headquarters CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrives 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General STORYLINE: Addressing the recent series of military coups predominantly in Africa, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday underscored the importance of establishing lasting democratic governance backed by the rule of law. Wednesday's military takeover in Gabon came on the heels of Niger last month, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Mali in the years prior to that. The Gabonese military takeover was announced not long after the electoral authorities declared that President Ali Bongo had secured another term, even though there were allegations of electoral irregularities. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secreta

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Spain welcomes record 10.1 mln tourists in July

STORY: Spain welcomes record 10.1 mln tourists in July DATELINE: Sept. 2, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:48 LOCATION: Madrid CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of tourists in Spain STORYLINE: For the first time ever, Spain welcomed over 10 million foreign tourists in July as the tourism sector completed its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish Statistical Office (INE) said on Friday. The INE's "Tourist Movements at Borders" (Frontur) study shows that 10.1 million foreign tourists visited Spain during the month, 11.4 percent more than in July 2022 and 2.6 percent more than in 2019, the year that saw the previous record for visitor numbers. In the first seven months of 2023, 47.6 million foreigners visited Spain, almost 21 percent more than in 2022 but 0.8 percent fewer than in 2019. Tourist spending between January and July was up 14.7 percent. The United Kingdom continues to be Spain's biggest source market, with 9.8 million Britons visiting the country in the first seven months of the year,

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French government to pay back-to-school allowances to 3 mln families

STORY: French government to pay back-to-school allowances to 3 mln families DATELINE: Aug. 12, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:12 LOCATION: LYON, France CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of school supplies in a store 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): CELINE, Parent 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): GERALDINE, Parent 4. various of school supplies STORYLINE: While the start of the school year will take place on Sept. 4 in France, the government will pay back-to-school allowances (ARS) on Aug. 16 to help low-income families buy school supplies. It will be paid on August 16 to 3 million families. To benefit from the ARS, the child must be between six and 18 years old on Dec. 31 of the school year and be enrolled in a public or private establishment. This financial aid of around 400 euros depending on the age of the child has been increased by 5.6 percent compared to 2022. Granted subject to resources, this back-to-school financial aid amounts this year to 398.09 euros for children aged 6 to 10, 420.05 euros for children aged 11 to

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Xinhua Headlines: Report on CPC's "Second Integration" theory unlocks understanding of China

(230702) -- BEIJING, July 2, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Visitors are seen at the 19th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

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Xinhua Headlines: World's biggest trade deal takes effect for all members, boosting regional economic integration

(230602) -- BEIJING, June 2, 2023 (Xinhua) -- People visit the RCEP pavilions during the 19th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

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Lebanon launches "Capital of Arab Media 2023" celebration

STORY: Lebanon launches "Capital of Arab Media 2023" celebration DATELINE: May 25, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:28 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the launch ceremony 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): ZIAD MAKARY, Lebanese caretaker Information Minister STORYLINE: Lebanese caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makary on Tuesday launched the "Beirut, Capital of Arab Media 2023" activities, in a bid to reinforce Lebanon's Arab identity. Hundreds of politicians, diplomats and media representatives attended a ceremony held in Lebanon's capital Beirut under the auspices of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the National News Agency reported. "We want the celebration to be an energy of relief, hope, and a gateway to the return of the Lebanese-Arab relations to their natural course," Makary said at the ceremony. The Arab Information Ministers Council decided on Sept. 22, 2022 to name Beirut as the "Capital of Arab Media 2023," which aims to consolidate the ties between Lebanese and Arab media. SOUNDBITE (Arabic)

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Lebanon approves wage increase for public sector employees

STORY: Lebanon approves wage increase for public sector employees DATELINE: April 19, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:14 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of ministers in cabinet meeting 2. various of Information Minister ZIAD AL-MAKARI speaking to reporters 3. SOUNDBITE (French): Information Minister ZIAD AL-MAKARI, Beirut 4. various of demonstrators in Beirut Downtown 5. various of riot police 6. various of a soldier STORYLINE: The Lebanese government on Tuesday approved four additional monthly salaries for public sector employees, in addition to the two previous rises approved in Sept. 2022, the National News Agency reported. Public sector employees will start receiving seven salaries per month two months later. They are requested to complete a minimum of 14 working days per month to be eligible for the wage increase. They are only requested to attend 14 working days as the government cannot afford to pay the high cost of their daily transport to work. Meanwhile, the transportation allowanc

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Europeans raise questions on alleged U.S. involvement in Nord Stream blasts

STORY: Europeans raise questions on alleged U.S. involvement in Nord Stream blasts DATELINE: Feb. 24, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:26 LOCATION: Copenhagen CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Europe 2. Photo released by the Danish Ministry of Defense on Sept. 27, 2022 that shows the Nord Stream gas pipeline leak site (Danish Defense Ministry, Handout via Xinhua) 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): FABIEN BOUGLE, French energy policy expert 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EMILE KOKHOLM, Musician in Copenhagen 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): NIELS GARDE, Danish entrepreneur 6. various aerial shots of Copenhagen STORYLINE: Europeans have raised questions about the U.S. role in the Russia-Ukraine conflicts in a recent article by the U.S. investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. Hersh revealed that the United States partnered with Norway in a secret operation in June 2022 to plant remotely triggered explosives that destruct the Nord Stream pipelines three months later. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): FABIEN BOUGLE, French energy policy expert "It

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CHINA-HUBEI-WUHAN-ANCIENT IRRIGATION & FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM (CN)

(230223) -- WUHAN, Feb. 23, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Sept. 2, 2022 shows Fang Qin, head of Hubei provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology, at the site of Shijiahe, the ruins of a prehistoric city in central China's Hubei Province. A 5,000-year-old city in central China was found to have a water conservancy system that effectively utilized rivers for irrigation and prevented flooding with the use of dams, archaeologists have said. TO GO WITH "Ancient irrigation, flood control system unearthed in central China" (Xinhua)

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UN Security Council probe into Nord Stream explosions is global priority: U.S. scholar

STORY: UN Security Council probe into Nord Stream explosions is global priority: U.S. scholar DATELINE: Feb. 23, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:06 LOCATION: UN Headquarters CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Security Council Chamber 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JEFFREY SACHS, Director, Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JEFFREY SACHS, Director, Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University STORYLINE: A world-renowned economist said that an investigation by the UN Security Council into the explosions that blew up the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in September 2022 is a high global priority. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JEFFREY SACHS, Director, Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University "The destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines on Sept. 26, 2022, constitutes an act of international terrorism and represents a threat to the peace. It is the responsibility of the UN Security Council to take up the question of who might have carried out the

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Xinhua Headlines: China sends fresh signals on advancing rural revitalization, building agricultural strength

(230214) -- BEIJING, Feb. 14, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Sept. 2, 2022 shows a weather monitoring device in a paddy rice technology demonstration park in Fujin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

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U.S. foreign arms sales increase significantly in fiscal 2022

STORY: U.S. foreign arms sales increase significantly in fiscal 2022 DATELINE: Jan. 28, 2023 LENGTH: 0:02:16 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the U.S. Air Force loading cargo bound for Ukraine (January 13, 2023) 2. various of the U.S. Air Force loading explosives bound for Ukraine (August 9, 2022) STORYLINE: U.S. foreign arms sales grew significantly in fiscal year 2022, according to data released by the Department of State, which attributed the increase mainly to U.S. military support for Ukraine during the latter's conflict with Russia. The total value of State Department-authorized government-to-government foreign military sales was 51.9 billion U.S. dollars in fiscal 2022, the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2022, up 49.1 percent from the previous fiscal year's 34.8 billion dollars, the data showed. The so-called direct commercial sales, or sales of weapons and military equipment to foreign governments by U.S. defense contractors, also ticked up in fiscal 20

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Xinhua Headlines: A happy holiday feast for Chinese amid global inflation woes -- how?

(230121) -- BEIJING, Jan. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Butchers prepare meat for sale at a market in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

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XINHUA-PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2022-WORLD NEWS

(230110) -- BEIJING, Jan. 10, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A Y-20 transport aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force is on display during the "Airpower 2022" airshow in Zeltweg, Austria on Sept. 2, 2022. (Photo by Feng Zhen/Xinhua)

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XINHUA-PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2022-CHINA NEWS

(230110) -- BEIJING, Jan. 10, 2023 (Xinhua) -- An underground neutrino observatory is under construction in Jiangmen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

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Xinhua Headlines: China endeavors to keep ancient city of Pingyao alive

(230102) -- TAIYUAN, Jan. 2, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This aerial photo shows a wall section after maintenance in the ancient city of Pingyao, north China's Shanxi Province, Sept. 29, 2022. (Xinhua)

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Christmas lights on Champs-Elysees are on for reduced hours amid energy crisis

STORY: Christmas lights on Champs-Elysees are on for reduced hours amid energy crisis DATELINE: Nov. 21, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:13 LOCATION: Paris CATEGORY: ECONOMY/ENTERTAINMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of streetscapes of Champs-Elysees 2. various of visitors taking pictures on the Champs-Elysees STORYLINE: Christmas trees and lights began to be lit on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday evening, marking the start of the Christmas season in France. The Christmas lights will be lit until Jan. 2, 2023. Unlike previous years, the lights will be taken down a week earlier due to the energy crisis and will be switched off at 11.45 p.m. instead of 2 a.m. Only on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve will the lights be lit for 24 hours. According to an announcement by the Champs-Elysees committee on Sept. 20, 2022, the shortening of Christmas lights hours this year will realize energy savings of 44 percent over this period. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Paris. (XHTV)

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INDONESIA-CHINA-COOPERATION-JAKARTA-BANDUNG HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY

(221116) -- JAKARTA, Nov. 16, 2022 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Sept. 2, 2022 shows a high-speed electric passenger train, customized for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, being unloaded from a vessel in Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia. With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the railway is a flagship project that synergizes the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy. Built with Chinese technology, it is a model of cooperation between developing countries. TO GO WITH "Feature: Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway construction sees closer China-Indonesia cooperation" (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

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INDONESIA-CHINA-COOPERATION-JAKARTA-BANDUNG HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY

(221116) -- JAKARTA, Nov. 16, 2022 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Sept. 2, 2022 shows a high-speed electric passenger train, customized for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, being unloaded from a vessel in Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia. With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the railway is a flagship project that synergizes the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy. Built with Chinese technology, it is a model of cooperation between developing countries. TO GO WITH "Feature: Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway construction sees closer China-Indonesia cooperation" (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

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Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway project making strides to completion

STORY: Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway project making strides to completion DATELINE: Nov. 15, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:37 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: ECONOMY/TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of hot-running test 2. various of the high-speed railway 3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): TANG WEI, Project director, High Speed Railway Contract Consortium 4. various of the high-speed railway STORYLINE: The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed (HSR) Railway project is making strides to completion as the hot-running test of the catenary system of its trial section was successfully completed last week. This was the first time that the Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) which arrived in Indonesia on Sept. 1 appeared on the Jakarta-Bandung HSR track. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): TANG WEI, Project director, High Speed Railway Contract Consortium "The first step of our work was to pick up the carriages at the port of Jakarta. After customs clearance, all the EMUs were transported to the Tegalluar Station in Bandung by road transport. After that, we unloa

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Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni becomes Italy's first woman PM

STORY: Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni becomes Italy's first woman PM DATELINE: Oct. 22, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:49 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Quirinale Presidential Palace 2. various of President Sergio Mattarella speaking 3. various of Giorgia Meloni announcing the list of the new government STORYLINE: Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right populist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, became Italy's first woman prime minister on Friday. The official announcement came after she met with the country's President, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinale Presidential Palace in the afternoon. Meloni received the mandate to form a new cabinet less than a month after her victory in the country's snap election on Sept. 25. Her new cabinet, which will include 22 ministers, will be sworn in on Saturday, Ugo Zampetti, secretary general of the Presidency of the Republic, told reporters. Meloni's FdI party won 26 percent of the vote in September, and she will now lead the country in a right-wing

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Myanmar exports over 811,812 tons of beans, pulses in H1 of 2022-23 fiscal year

STORY: Myanmar exports over 811,812 tons of beans, pulses in H1 of 2022-23 fiscal year DATELINE: Oct. 19, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:32 LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of a beans and pulses processing plant in Yangon, Myanmar 2. various of workers processing beans and pulses 3. various of workers transferring beans and pulses STORYLINE: Myanmar exported more than 811,812 tons of beans and pulses worth over 637 million U.S. dollars in the first half of the 2022-23 fiscal year, showed the Ministry of Commerce's figures on Monday. From April 1 to Sept. 30 this year, Myanmar shipped over 668,092 tons of beans and pulses via sea routes and transported over 143,720 tons of beans and pulses through land borders, the ministry said. Myanmar's current fiscal year started on April 1. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Myanmar has shipped most of its exported beans and pulses via sea routes, official figures showed. Myanmar exported over 249,245 tons of beans and pulses worth more than 217 mill

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BOTSWANA-SOUTHERN DISTRICT-BETESANKWE-WOMEN MASONS-ENERGY TRANSITION-BIOGAS

(221018) -- BETESANKWE (BOTSWANA), Oct. 18, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Atamelang Matale works in a biogas digester pit at Betesankwe Village in the Southern District, Botswana, on Sept. 2, 2022. (Photo by Sharon Tshipa/Xinhua) TO GO WITH Feature: Botswanan women masons partake in energy transition through biogas project

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BOTSWANA-SOUTHERN DISTRICT-BETESANKWE-WOMEN MASONS-ENERGY TRANSITION-BIOGAS

(221018) -- BETESANKWE (BOTSWANA), Oct. 18, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Atamelang Matale works to build a biogas digester at Betesankwe Village in the Southern District, Botswana, on Sept. 2, 2022. (Photo by Sharon Tshipa/Xinhua) TO GO WITH Feature: Botswanan women masons partake in energy transition through biogas project

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Lebanon parliament fails to elect new president over lack of quorum

STORY: Lebanon parliament fails to elect new president over lack of quorum DATELINE: Oct. 14, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:13 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the parliament 2. various of MPs arriving at the parliament 3. various of the parliament STORYLINE: The Lebanese parliament on Thursday failed for the second time in a month to elect a new head of state as President Michel Aoun's term is about to end in about two weeks. House Speaker Nabih Berri announced the postponement of the election session to Oct. 20 after the parliament failed to secure a quorum for the election, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. Only 71 out of 128 members of parliament (MPs) attended Thursday's session, while 86 MPs, or about two-thirds of the parliament, are needed to meet the quorum. On Sept. 29, the parliament failed to elect a successor to President Aoun in a session attended by 122 lawmakers, as no candidate could obtain two-thirds of the MPs' votes. Lebanon suffers from a steep

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Migrants bused into storm eye of U.S. partisan fights amid midterms

STORY: Migrants bused into storm eye of U.S. partisan fights amid midterms DATELINE: Oct. 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:18 LOCATION: EAGLE PASS/HOUSTON, U.S. CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the border river 2. various of the border town 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DAN KINCAID, Farmer and rancher in Eagle Pass 4. various of migrants 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JUANITA MARTINEZ, Democratic Party Chairwoman of Maverick County, Texas 6. various of bus carrying asylum seekers arriving STORYLINE: Buses carrying migrants from Republican-led border states continue to arrive in liberal bastions like New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, dragging the U.S. migrant crisis into the eye of the storm of partisan battles ahead of the November midterm elections. Eagle Pass is a border town in the U.S. state of Texas. It has become one of the busiest crossing points along the Rio Grande river that separates the United States and Mexico during the fiscal year 2022, which ends on Sept. 30. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DAN KI

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Inflation slows in Sept. in France

STORY: Inflation slows in Sept. in France DATELINE: Oct. 11, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:37 LOCATION: Paris CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of customers in a French store 2. various of prices and products in a store 3. various of a retail store STORYLINE: France saw the prices rise by 5.6 percent in September on a year-on-year basis, after increases of 5.9 percent in August and 6.1 percent in July, according to French national statistics institute. This decline in inflation is due to the slowdown in the price rise in energy and service (tariff shield on gas, reductions in fuel prices, etc.), the National Institute of Statistics explained in a press release, while the increase in food prices is accelerating. According to figures from the analysis firm IRI France, the prices of consumer products have increased, in one year, by 9.11 percent. In August, inflation rates stood at 7.9 percent in Germany, 9.1 percent in Italy and 9.9 percent in the UK. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Paris.