Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong up 20 pct in May

STORY: Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong up 20 pct in May SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage DATELINE: June 18, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:41 LOCATION: HONG KONG, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of tourists in Hong Kong, China STORYLINE: Hong Kong saw about 3.4 million visitor arrivals in May, up around 20 percent year on year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said Monday. In the first five months of this year, Hong Kong registered about 18 million tourist arrivals, an increase of about 80 percent year-on-year, the tourism board said in a press release. The initial data showed that in May, Hong Kong recorded about 2.63 million visitor arrivals from the Chinese mainland, up 15 percent from last year. The number of visitors outside the mainland saw a year-on-year increase of 43 percent to about 770,000. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong, China. (XHTV)

Türkiye hosts over 12 mln visitors in first 4 months of 2024

STORY: Türkiye hosts over 12 million visitors in first 4 months of 2024 SHOOTING TIME: May 20/23/25, 2024 DATELINE: May 25, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:18 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of tourists in Türkiye (Courtesy of ihlas news agency) STORYLINE: Türkiye hosted over 12 million visitors in the first four months of 2024, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This total includes over 10 million foreign tourists and around 2 million Turkish citizens residing abroad, marking an 11.75 percent increase in foreign visitors compared to last year. Germany led the influx of visitors, which was followed by Russia and Iran. Istanbul remained the top destination, hosting 5.24 million foreign tourists, nearly half of all arrivals. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said Türkiye targets 60 million visitors and 60 billion dollars of tourism revenue in 2024. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara. (XHTV)

Yangtze River Delta, a magnet for foreign investors

STORY: Yangtze River Delta, a magnet for foreign investors SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage DATELINE: May 20, 2024 LENGTH: 0:01:35 LOCATION: NANJING/HANGZHOU, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Yangtze River Delta 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RUDOLF HAUSLADEN, CEO of Beumer Group 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YANG JUN, Vice President of SKF China 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): XU LIN, Nidec Pinghu Industrial Park in Zhejiang Province STORYLINE: The Yangtze River Delta is one of China's most economically vibrant regions. With just 4 percent of China's total land area, the delta generates nearly a quarter of China's GDP. It attracts investors worldwide with multiple advantages, including a complete industrial chain and a sound business environment. Many foreign companies have beefed up their investment to build production bases and R&D centers here. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RUDOLF HAUSLADEN, CEO of Beumer Group "When we had to decide where we invest in China, we were looking around and we found that Taic

Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong double in first 4 months

STORY: Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong double in first 4 months SHOOTING TIME: May 14, 2024 / File DATELINE: May 15, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:00 LOCATION: HONG KONG, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of tourists in Hong Kong 2. SOUNDBITE (Cantonese): JOHN LEE, Chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) STORYLINE: Hong Kong saw 3.4 million visitor arrivals in April, up around 20 percent year on year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said Tuesday. In the first four months of this year, Hong Kong registered about 14.62 million tourist arrivals, doubling the number of the same period last year, the tourism board said in a press release. Data showed that in April, Hong Kong recorded about 2.48 million visitor arrivals from the Chinese mainland. SOUNDBITE (Cantonese): JOHN LEE, Chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) "The HKSAR government will roll out a series of measures to attract tourists and make them feel at home and experience the charm of Hong K

China will continue to be engine of world economy: BiH expert

STORY: China will continue to be engine of world economy: BiH expert SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 18, 2024 DATELINE: Jan. 20, 2024 LENGTH: 00:02:36 LOCATION: Sarajevo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): FARUK BORIC, President of Association of Friendship between China and BiH 2. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): FARUK BORIC, President of Association of Friendship between China and BiH STORYLINE: China's GDP growth grew 5.2 percent year on year in 2023, meeting the government's target of around 5 percent despite domestic challenges and external pressure. An expert of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has highlighted the resilience of the Chinese economy, noting that it will continue to be the engine of the world economy. SOUNDBITE (English): FARUK BORIC, President of Association of Friendship between China and BiH "Last year it was, generally speaking in global level, very challenging for all world. And of course, China faced also some challenges. The Chinese government took a lot of measures to maintain a perma

China-made buses to hit the road in Mongolia's capital

STORY: China-made buses to hit the road in Mongolia's capital SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 15, 2024/late December 2023 DATELINE: Jan. 15, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:20 LOCATION: Ulan Bator CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of buses STORYLINE: Eighty-five buses manufactured by Chinese bus maker Yutong have arrived in Ulan Bator and are being put into operation, the municipal government of the Mongolian capital said Friday. The first 35 Yutong buses were delivered to Mongolia from China in late December, and were part of the country's efforts to upgrade its public transport, said the municipal government. Mongolia has planned to buy a total of 600 Yutong buses, and all remaining buses will be transported to Mongolia by February, it said. Buses are the most popular means of public transport in Ulan Bator. There are now more than 980 buses used for public transport in Ulan Bator, but around 60 percent of them are outdated. Authorities hope the new buses will reduce congestion by encouraging more people to use public

Dutch king calls for action on poverty

STORY: Dutch king calls for action on poverty DATELINE: Sept. 20, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:15 LOCATION: THE HAGUE, the Netherlands CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the royal family's coach ride on the streets of The Hague on the Prince's Day STORYLINE: Dutch King Willem-Alexander on Tuesday drew attention to the need to prevent a rise in poverty in the country, around two months before the next general parliamentary elections. "The first thing that someone looking at Dutch society from the outside will see is an attractive country with good public services and a strong economy," the king said in his annual speech in The Hague. "But beyond that rosy picture lies an enduring task: to continue working to ensure equal opportunities, socioeconomic security and future prospects." The message of the king came one week after the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) said that as a result of rising inflation, the purchasing power of the Dutch population fell by 1.2 percent in 2022, compared to th

Foreign tourist arrivals in Türkiye's Antalya tops 10 million

STORY: Foreign tourist arrivals in Türkiye's Antalya tops 10 million DATELINE: Aug. 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:28 LOCATION: ANTANYA, Türkiye CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of tourists arriving at Antalya, Türkiye (courtesy of ihlas news agency) STORYLINE: More than 10 million foreign tourists have already arrived by air this year in Antalya, a major tourist destination on Türkiye's southern Mediterranean coast, according to data from local culture and tourism authorities on Friday. The number of foreign visitors between Jan. 1 and Aug. 22 increased by 20 percent from a year earlier, the local culture and tourism authorities said, adding that from Aug. 1 to Aug. 22, around 1.88 million foreign tourists entered the city, marking a 10 percent increase compared with the same period of last year. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the global travel and tourism industry, Antalya welcomed a record 15.6 million foreign tourists. Antalya is keen on attracting more tourists throughout the whole year by

Türkiye's summer wheat harvest hampered by severe drought

STORY: Türkiye's summer wheat harvest hampered by severe drought DATELINE: July 19, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:03 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of combine harvesters working in the field in Türkiye 2. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): CEMAL POLAT, Head of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers Tekirdag Branch STORYLINE: Halim Orta, a wheat farmer in the Thrace region, one of the granaries of Türkiye, had high hopes for the summer harvest when he sowed seeds in October last year. But the yield fell far short of expectations due to the severe drought that had badly affected agriculture throughout Türkiye. "The average wheat crop this year in my field dipped by about 20 percent due to uneven rainfall and dry season in general," Orta told Xinhua. Farmers planted wheat on nearly 4.5 million hectares of land in the region, mainly in Edirne, Kirklareli and Tekirdag provinces, to meet around 15 percent of domestic wheat needs. "The lack of precipitation, water stress, and agricultural drought su

TÜRKIYE-ISTANBUL-LIRA PLUNGES TO NEW LOWS

TÜRKIYE-ISTANBUL-LIRA PLUNGES TO NEW LOWS

(230624) -- ISTANBUL, June 24, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Tourists are seen at an exchange office in Istanbul, Türkiye, on June 23, 2023. Turkish currency on Friday sank to fresh lows against the U.S. dollar a day after the central bank hiked its key interest rate well below market expectations. The lira hit 25.0 against the greenback at around 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT). The currency's depreciation has exceeded 20 percent since the beginning of the year. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

TÜRKIYE-ISTANBUL-LIRA PLUNGES TO NEW LOWS

TÜRKIYE-ISTANBUL-LIRA PLUNGES TO NEW LOWS

(230624) -- ISTANBUL, June 24, 2023 (Xinhua) -- People walk past a billboard displaying exchange rates in Istanbul, Türkiye, on June 23, 2023. Turkish currency on Friday sank to fresh lows against the U.S. dollar a day after the central bank hiked its key interest rate well below market expectations. The lira hit 25.0 against the greenback at around 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT). The currency's depreciation has exceeded 20 percent since the beginning of the year. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

TÜRKIYE-ISTANBUL-LIRA PLUNGES TO NEW LOWS

TÜRKIYE-ISTANBUL-LIRA PLUNGES TO NEW LOWS

(230624) -- ISTANBUL, June 24, 2023 (Xinhua) -- People change money at an exchange office in Istanbul, Türkiye, on June 23, 2023. Turkish currency on Friday sank to fresh lows against the U.S. dollar a day after the central bank hiked its key interest rate well below market expectations. The lira hit 25.0 against the greenback at around 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT). The currency's depreciation has exceeded 20 percent since the beginning of the year. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

VivaTech 2023 held in Paris

STORY: VivaTech 2023 held in Paris DATELINE: June 15, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:43 LOCATION: Paris CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre 2. various of the exhibition 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LIUYUGE TAO, Picca Electronics Limited 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MICHELLE LAU, Managing director, Alibaba France STORYLINE: The 7th edition of Viva Technology, or VivaTech, kicked off Wednesday at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris. VivaTech is Europe's leading startup and tech event. This year's exhibition area is 20 percent larger than that in previous years. The four-day event brings together startups, technology leaders, large corporations, public institutions and investors from around the world. People come together to tackle major challenges of our time and offer solutions that are decisive for both business and society. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LIUYUGE TAO, Picca Electronics Limited "We're very happy with this exhibition because we have seen a lot of r

GLOBALink | How China safeguards water resources

China feeds around 20 percent of the world's population with only 6 percent of the world's fresh water. How does the country manage to safeguard its water resources? #WorldWaterDay Produced by Xinhua Global Service

China's major grain producer develops high-standard farmland

STORY: China's major grain producer develops high-standard farmland DATELINE: Feb. 12, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:20 LOCATION: HOHHOT, China CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of farmland STORYLINE: North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, one of the country's major grain-producing regions, has so far developed 49.89 million mu (around 3.3 million hectares) of high-standard farmland, local authorities said. The figure represents 29 percent of the total arable land area and supports more than two-thirds of the grain production capacity of the region, according to the regional agriculture and animal husbandry department. Of the total high-standard farmland, the high-efficiency water-saving irrigation area in Inner Mongolia has reached 32.73 million mu, saving 3.3 billion cubic meters of water annually and achieving a win-win result between high grain yield and green ecological agriculture development. Inner Mongolia is one of the four regions with over 100 million mu of cultivated land and also one

Israeli innovative startups struggle for growth amid inflation

STORY: Israeli innovative startups struggle for growth amid inflation DATELINE: Feb. 6, 2023 LENGTH: 0:02:13 LOCATION: Jerusalem CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Israel 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JENNIFER SCHWARZ, Executive director of EcoMotion 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EITAN KYIET, CEO of Road2 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): YARON GOLGHER, CEO and co-founder of I Know First STORYLINE: The year 2022 was harsh for innovative startups in Israel, as inflation hit its highest level in 20 years. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the annual inflation in Israel reached 5.3 percent in 2022, the highest since 2002. Bank of Israel, the country's central bank, has raised the base interest rate for seven consecutive times since April 2022 to curb inflation. The rise in interest rates made financing more difficult for young startups. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JENNIFER SCHWARZ, Executive director of EcoMotion "When 2022 came around, with the war in Ukraine and the start of economic concerns glob

Dust storm hits SE Mongolian province

STORY: Dust storm hits SE Mongolian province DATELINE: Jan. 28, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:05 LOCATION: Ulan Bator CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of dust storm in Mongolia STORYLINE: A dust storm hit the southeastern Mongolian province of Dornogovi on Friday, causing low visibility on roads. The unstable weather is expected to prevail during the weekend, the provincial weather monitoring agency said in a statement. Dornogovi, located in the Gobi Desert region of southern Mongolia, is one of the provinces most affected by desertification. Around 90 percent of the province's total territory had been somehow affected by desertification and land degradation, according to the provincial governor's office. In 2021, Mongolia launched a national campaign initiated by President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh to plant a billion trees by 2030 to combat climate change and desertification, in which Dornogovi set a target of planting at least 20 million trees. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ulan Bator.

French bakers worry about rising energy prices

STORY: French bakers worry about rising energy prices DATELINE: Jan. 11, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:48 LOCATION: LYON, France CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of a baker making bread 2. SOUNDBITE (French): ADRIEN FAGES, Baker 3. various of bread for sale 4. bread close-ups STORYLINE: With the new electricity tariffs, some French bakeries are facing a very significant increase in their energy cost. SOUNDBITE (French): ADRIEN FAGES, Baker "In the post-pandemic era, we first met the difficulty of inflation of raw materials, such as wheat, dairy products and canned fruit. Now the difficulty is energy. Our cost has increased by at least 50 percent because flour increased by around 20 to 30 percent, and the price of energy for my bakery has multiplied by three times." The European countries have been suffering under painfully high energy prices as a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and the spillover of the United States' aggressive interest rate hikes. Xinhua News Age

Mitsubishi Motors to trim domestic production

Mitsubishi Motors to trim domestic production

OSAKA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s Mizushima plant in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 22, 2013. The automaker said the same day it will trim its annual domestic production capacity by around 20 percent, consolidating four production lines at the main factory into two around December 2013.

Mitsubishi Motors to trim domestic production

Mitsubishi Motors to trim domestic production

OSAKA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s Mizushima plant in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 22, 2013. The automaker said the same day it will trim its annual domestic production capacity by around 20 percent, consolidating four production lines at the main factory into two around December 2013.

Mitsubishi Motors to trim domestic production

Mitsubishi Motors to trim domestic production

OSAKA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s Mizushima plant in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 22, 2013. The automaker said the same day it will trim its annual domestic production capacity by around 20 percent, consolidating four production lines at the main factory into two around December 2013.

Hokuetsu Kishu to become largest stockholder of Daio Paper

Hokuetsu Kishu to become largest stockholder of Daio Paper

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows a building housing the Tokyo headquarters of Daio Paper Corp. in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on June 20, 2012. Hokuetsu Kishu Paper Co. is considering purchasing a stake of around 20 percent in scandal-tainted Daio Paper for around 10 billion yen to become its largest stockholder, a company source said the same day.

Hokuetsu Kishu to become largest stockholder of Daio Paper

Hokuetsu Kishu to become largest stockholder of Daio Paper

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows the headquarters of Hokuetsu Kishu Paper Co. in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on June 20, 2012. Hokuetsu Kishu Paper is considering purchasing a stake of around 20 percent in scandal-tainted Daio Paper Corp. for around 10 billion yen to become its largest stockholder, a company source said the same day.

Dell aims to boost market share in Japan's PC market to near 20%

Dell aims to boost market share in Japan's PC market to near 20%

TOKYO, Japan - Dell Inc. President Kevin Rollins speaks during an interview in Tokyo on July 27. He said the U.S. computer maker aims to boost its share in Japan's personal computer market to around 20 percent from the current 12.2 percent. ''Our global market share is between 18 and 19 percent...I would expect that over time our Japanese business would achieve at least the same market share goal between 18 and 19 percent,'' Rollins said.

Mongolia holds annual horse festival

STORY: Mongolia holds annual horse festival DATELINE: Nov. 20, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:15 LOCATION: Ulan Bator CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the horse festival STORYLINE: An annual horse festival was held in the eastern Mongolian province of Khentii on Saturday. Almost 200 participants and around 1,000 horses across Mongolia attended the eighth edition of the festival called "Horses of Mongolian Steppe", which was held in Batnorov soum of the province. Multiple activities such as horse racing, lasso competition, parade of children on horseback and horse-related exhibition were organized within the framework of the annual event co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Governor's Office of Khentii Province. Mongolia ranks among the top worldwide in terms of horse population. As of the end of 2021, the number of Mongolia's livestock reached 67.3 million and 6.4 percent of them were horses. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ulan Bator. (XHTV)

Swedes brace for dark, cold winter as energy crisis ravages northern Europe

STORY: Swedes brace for dark, cold winter as energy crisis ravages northern Europe DATELINE: Nov. 7, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:58 LOCATION: Stockholm CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Stockholm's street view 2. various of a lighting shop STORYLINE: The energy crisis resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Western sanctions against Russia, a major energy exporter, has hit Europe hard, affecting also Sweden, a country that was traditionally electricity self-sufficient. Sweden, located in northern Europe, has shorter days in the winter months. In deep winter, the Stockholm area has only around 5.5 daylight hours, while in the north of the country almost 20 hours per day are in complete darkness. According to Statistics Sweden, the price of electricity increased by 54.2 percent in September year-on-year. Consumers have been particularly hard hit in the south of the country, where spot electricity prices recently surged to five times more expensive than a year ago, according to statistics provided

More Lebanese students forced to quit private schools amid economic crisis

STORY: More Lebanese students forced to quit private schools amid economic crisis DATELINE: Sept. 20, 2022 LENGTH: 00:05:33 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: EDUCATION SHOTLIST: 1. various of students 2. various of classes 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MAJED FAYYAD, Director of Shouf National College 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MAJED FAYYAD, Director of Shouf National College 5. various of books and pens 6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMAD GHAMLOUSH, Local resident STORYLINE: An increasing number of Lebanese parents have been moving their children from private schools to public establishments due to the steep economic crisis. Lebanon's Ministry of Education told Xinhua that 30 percent of students attended public schools and the rest went to private schools ahead of the crisis in 2019. This year, the ministry expects around 100,000 students to move from private to public establishments. Since 2019, Lebanon's financial meltdown, dubbed by the World Bank as one of the worst crises since the 1850s, has decimated the country's

Global COVID-19 cases surpass 600 mln -- Johns Hopkins University

STORY: Global COVID-19 cases surpass 600 mln -- Johns Hopkins University DATELINE: Aug. 28, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:02 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of the street view in Manhattan, New York City STORYLINE: Global COVID-19 cases topped 600 million on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The data showed that the global case count amounted to 600,449,934, with 6,485,233 deaths worldwide, as of 8:20 p.m. local time (0020 GMT on Sunday). The United States reported 94,184,146 cases and 1,043,838 deaths, both the highest counts around the world, accounting for nearly 16 percent of the global cases and more than 16 percent of the global deaths. India recorded the world's second largest caseload of 44,398,696, followed by France with 34,662,834 cases. Countries with more than 20 million cases also include Brazil, Germany, Britain, South Korea and Italy, according to the university's tally. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from New York,

Turkish currency hits lowest in 2022 against U.S. dollar

STORY: Turkish currency hits lowest in 2022 against U.S. dollar DATELINE: July 20, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:59 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Turkiye CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Istanbul 2. various of banks 3. various of Istanbul STORYLINE: Turkish currency hit its lowest point against the U.S. dollar as of 2022 on Tuesday, accelerating its continuous downward trend. One dollar was traded at 17.57 Turkish liras at 13:45 a.m. local time (1045 GMT), losing around 25 percent of its value this year. The record low of 18.00 was broken last December for a short period after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to keep cutting interest rates, aiming to increase exports and production to stabilize the currency. Wildly fluctuating exchange rates since then have steadily crept closer to the record low. Turkiye's five-year credit default swap (CDS) risk also rose to over 900 points, a point high above the levels of the 2008 crisis. CDS increases effectively complicate the country's efforts to acquire fo

New energy vehicles gaining popularity in China's Xinjiang

STORY: New energy vehicles gaining popularity in China's Xinjiang DATELINE: July 1, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:20 LOCATION: URUMQI, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: STORYLINE: New energy vehicles (NEV) are gaining popularity in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Official figures show that from January to May this year, nearly 1,800 NEVs were sold in Urumqi, the regional capital, an increase of over 380 percent year on year. In Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, 2,200 NEVs were sold in the first half of this year, up 64 percent year on year. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): GU MAOGUO, New energy vehicle owner in Xinjiang "We are answering the call of the country for peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. In addition, global oil prices have kept rising, and we can easily find charging stations around here, so we have decided to buy a new energy vehicle. China has taken measures to bolster the NEV industry, including extending the preferential policy for NEV p

New Zealand removes pre-departure COVID-19 tests for inbound travelers

STORY: New Zealand removes pre-departure COVID-19 tests for inbound travelers DATELINE: June 17, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:42 LOCATION: Wellington CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of streets in New Zealand STORYLINE: Travelers to New Zealand will no longer need a COVID-19 pre-departure test from 11:59 p.m., June 20, COVID-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall said on Thursday. "We've taken a careful and staged approach to reopening our borders to ensure we aren't overwhelmed with an influx of COVID-19 cases. Our strategy has worked and as a result, it's safe to lift pre-departure test requirements much sooner than planned," Verrall said in a statement. Around 90 percent of international arrivals undertake their required testing once they are in the country, with only a 2-3 percent positivity rate, she said, adding they don't anticipate a significant increase in border cases once the requirement is lifted. "Factors such as the availability of and cost of getting a test are increasingly becoming a ba

Global COVID-19 cases surpass 500 mln, with 6.18 mln deaths

STORY: Global COVID-19 cases surpass 500 mln, with 6.18 mln deaths DATELINE: April 13, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:52 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of the exterior of Pfizer World Headquarters in New York City 2. various of the street view near the Grand Central Terminal STORYLINE: Global COVID-19 cases topped 500 million on Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The global case count amounted to 500,074,490, with 6,183,035 deaths worldwide, as of 12:20 p.m. local time (1720 GMT), showed the data. The United States reported 80,456,912 cases and 986,019 deaths, both the highest counts around the world, accounting for more than 16 percent of the global cases and more than 16 percent of the global deaths. India recorded the world's second-largest caseload of 43,036,928, followed by Brazil with 30,161,909 cases as well as the world's second-largest death toll of 661,576. Countries with more than 15 million cases

Scandal-hit Amari gives economic policy speech

Scandal-hit Amari gives economic policy speech

Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Akira Amari explains on Jan. 22, 2016, at the House of Representatives plenary session about allegations that he received money in return for doing favors for a construction company. In his economic policy speech, Amari called for stimulating private demand to lift Japan's nominal GDP by 20 percent from the current level to 600 trillion yen by around 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Yoshinoya beef rice bowl chain begins bistro service at selected shops

Yoshinoya beef rice bowl chain begins bistro service at selected shops

A waitress at a Tokyo outlet of Yoshinoya Co. known for its low-priced "gyudon" rice bowl topped with beef serves beer on April 20, 2015, at the start of bistro service in the evening. Yoshinoya will increase the number of its restaurants offering the service, under which alcoholic beverages and snacks are provided, to about 300 by the end of June, or around 30 percent of the total. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Business community's energy chief speaks about Japan's nuke power reliance

Business community's energy chief speaks about Japan's nuke power reliance

Teruo Asada, chairman of Marubeni Corp. and head of the business community's energy panel, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on March 24, 2015. In a report released the same day, the Committee for Environment and Energy of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) said Japan should set a lower limit to its reliance on nuclear power generation at around 20 percent of the country's electricity needs for 2030. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

New coronavirus

New coronavirus

Senior officials of Toyama City Hospital attend a press conference in Toyama, central Japan, on April 14, 2020, after the outbreak of a cluster of coronavirus infections at the hospital. Around 20 percent of its medical staff were forced to isolate at home to see if they develop symptoms. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

New coronavirus

New coronavirus

Photo taken April 15, 2020, shows Toyama City Hospital in Toyama, central Japan. The hospital was hit by a cluster of coronavirus infections, with around 20 percent of its medical staff forced to isolate at home to see if they develop symptoms. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

BOJ further delays timing of achieving 2% inflation target

BOJ further delays timing of achieving 2% inflation target

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda attends a press conference at the BOJ's headquarters in Tokyo on July 20, 2017, after the central bank pushed back the timing of achieving its 2 percent inflation target another year to around fiscal 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

BOJ further delays timing of achieving 2% inflation target

BOJ further delays timing of achieving 2% inflation target

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda attends a press conference at the BOJ's headquarters in Tokyo on July 20, 2017, after the central bank pushed back the timing of achieving its 2 percent inflation target another year to around fiscal 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Dell aims to boost market share in Japan's PC market to near 20%

Dell aims to boost market share in Japan's PC market to near 20%

TOKYO, Japan - Dell Inc. President Kevin Rollins speaks during an interview in Tokyo on July 27. He said the U.S. computer maker aims to boost its share in Japan's personal computer market to around 20 percent from the current 12.2 percent. ''Our global market share is between 18 and 19 percent...I would expect that over time our Japanese business would achieve at least the same market share goal between 18 and 19 percent,'' Rollins said. (Kyodo)