U.S. homebuilder sentiment turns negative for first time in five months

STORY: U.S. homebuilder sentiment turns negative for first time in five months DATELINE: Sept. 19, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:02 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of construction sites 2. various of local residential areas STORYLINE: U.S. homebuilder confidence dropped below the key break-even measure of 50 for the first time in five months amid high mortgage rates, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released Monday. Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes in September fell five points to 45, as persistently high mortgage rates above 7 percent continue to erode builder confidence, the association said in a statement. The decrease follows a 6-point drop in August. The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage has been over 7 percent since June, due to the U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hikes since March last year. The target range for the federal funds rate is at 5.25 percent to 5

Türkiye hit by severe drought amid lack of precipitation: expert

STORY: Türkiye hit by severe drought amid lack of precipitation: expert DATELINE: Jan. 19, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:51 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of dams, lakes, wetlands and water of Türkiye (courtesy of Ihlas News Agency) 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): ADIL TEK, Head of Istanbul's Kandilli Meteorology Observatory Laboratory 2. various of dams, lakes, wetlands and water of Türkiye (courtesy of Ihlas News Agency) 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): ADIL TEK, Head of Istanbul's Kandilli Meteorology Observatory Laboratory STORYLINE: A Turkish expert has warned that Türkiye is experiencing a serious drought spell in most of its territory amid a lack of precipitation and an unusually warm winter. Especially during the past three months, precipitations are at least 50 percent below the average of many years in every region of Türkiye, Adil Tek, head of Bogazici University Kandilli Meteorology Laboratory, told Xinhua. The Mediterranean Basin, where Türkiye is located, is becoming drier due to the e

Russian media to face limited foreign ownership

Russian media to face limited foreign ownership

MOSCOW, Russia - The Russian business daily Vedomosti is one of the companies expected to be affected by a set of amendments to the law to limit the share of foreign participation in the charter capital of the Russian mass media to 20 percent or less from the present below 50 percent. Photo shows the building housing Vedomosti in Moscow.

Support rate for Abe Cabinet drops to 48.6%: Kyodo poll

Support rate for Abe Cabinet drops to 48.6%: Kyodo poll

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks with reporters at his office on Dec. 6 about a Kyodo News opinion poll, which showed support for his Cabinet came to 48.6 percent, dipping below 50 percent for the first time since he took office in September.

Hospitality industry in Shanghai resuming business

STORY: Hospitality industry in Shanghai resuming business DATELINE: June 8, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:19 LOCATION: SHANGHAI, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Shanghai 2. various of rural tourism in Shanghai 3. various of hotels in Shanghai resuming business 4. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): MENG YUHUA, Chief financial officer, InterContinental Shanghai Sheshan Shimao STORYLINE: As China's megacity Shanghai has largely returned to normal production and life after two months of closed-off management to contain the COVID-19 resurgence, the city's hospitality industry is gradually resuming business. Popular tourist attractions including the Bund and Nanjing Road pedestrian street are now open to the public. The Oriental Pearl Tower, one of Shanghai's landmarks, has reopened its two sightseeing corridors, capping visitor numbers at below 50 percent of maximum capacity. Some tourist sites have offered free trips or ticket discounts to attract visitors. Rural tourism is also heating up, which is leading to a

Support rate for Abe Cabinet drops to 48.6%: Kyodo poll

Support rate for Abe Cabinet drops to 48.6%: Kyodo poll

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks with reporters at his office on Dec. 6 about a Kyodo News opinion poll, which showed support for his Cabinet came to 48.6 percent, dipping below 50 percent for the first time since he took office in September. (Kyodo)