New Zealand GDP falls 0.1 pct in Q1 as recession starts

STORY: New Zealand GDP falls 0.1 pct in Q1 as recession starts DATELINE: June 16, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:37 LOCATION: AUCKLAND, New Zealand CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Auckland and harbor 2. various of Auckland's largest container terminal 3. various of Auckland's commercial streets at night STORYLINE: The New Zealand economy has signaled a recession as the gross domestic product (GDP) fell for the second quarter, according to quarterly figures released by the statistics department Stats NZ on Thursday. The GDP fell 0.1 percent in the March 2023 quarter, following a 0.7 percent fall in the December 2022 quarter, Stats NZ said. The second consecutive quarter of negative economic growth signals the start of an economic recession. "Today's outcome fits the definition of a technical recession by the barest of margins," Finance Minister Grant Robertson said, adding the economy was affected by the second-largest natural disaster to hit New Zealand in the first quarter. This result reflects the impa

Nigerian leader signs amended electoral act ahead of 2023 elections

STORY: Nigerian leader signs amended electoral act ahead of 2023 elections DATELINE: Feb. 27, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:35 LOCATION: Abuja CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: various of the meetingSOUNDBITE (English): MUHAMMADU BUHARI, Nigerian President STORYLINE: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari signed an amended electoral act Friday ahead of next year's general elections in the most populous African country. The re-worked electoral act holds a lot of promises for improving the election processes in Nigeria, with the introduction of new technology, and efforts to engender clarity and transparency, Buhari said at a short signing ceremony at the State House in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. The president had earlier rejected the amended electoral act. But while signing it Friday, he said this re-worked version will reduce to the barest minimum incidences of acrimony arising from dissatisfied candidates and political parties. "These commendable efforts are in line with our policy to bequeath posterity and la