Türkiye's Istanbul feels strain as inflation, cost of living soar

STORY: Türkiye's Istanbul feels strain as inflation, cost of living soar SHOOTING TIME: May 10, 2024 DATELINE: May 14, 2024 LENGTH: 00:02:13 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Istanbul in Türkiye 2. various of local shops 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): ISMAIL HAKKI, Local clothing shop owner 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): FERRUH BUYUKOGLU, Stationery shop owner 5. various of Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek speaking at the press conference in Ankara, Türkiye STORYLINE: Business has been sluggish for Ismail Hakki, who owns a once-thriving clothing shop in Istanbul's old Tahtakale neighborhood. "Business declined to only a fraction of what it used to be," Hakki said as he navigated through the rows of discounted garments in his shop. Hakki's woes mirror the broader struggle gripping Istanbul, Türkiye's economic hub, where inflation has outpaced the already-crippling national rate of 69.8 percent in April, according to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerc

Egypt monitoring Red Sea tension as ships avoid Suez Canal

STORY: Egypt monitoring Red Sea tension as ships avoid Suez Canal SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 16, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:08 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the statement published on the SCA official page on Facebook 2. various of the SCA Chairman Osama Rabie 3. various of vessels passing through the Suez Canal STORYLINE: Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced Sunday it was closely monitoring the impacts of military tensions in the Red Sea, following major carriers taking alternative routes due to safety concerns. The SCA Chairman Osama Rabie said in a statement that maritime traffic was normal in the canal connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. He added that the SCA was closely evaluating the impact of certain shipping lines temporarily shifting their routes to the Cape of Good Hope. In recent days, at least four major freight firms said to reduce or suspend passage through the Red Sea due to repeated attacks from Yemen's Houthi militia on commerc