Italy reports 0.7 pct economic growth in 2023

STORY: Italy reports 0.7 pct economic growth in 2023 SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 1, 2024 DATELINE: Feb. 1, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:44 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of shops in Rome 2. various of markets in Rome STORYLINE: Italy's economy grew by 0.7 percent year-on-year in 2023 after calendar and seasonal adjustment, according to Italy's National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) on Tuesday. The statistics entity also said that the Italian economy increased by 0.2 percent in the final quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter, and by 0.5 percent compared to the same quarter of 2022. The economic change in the fourth quarter was the result of a decrease of value added in agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as an increase in that of both industry and services, ISTAT said. Italy's economy showed positive growth for two consecutive economic quarters after alternating expansion and contraction over the four previous quarters, it said. According to recent estimates from ISTAT, the coun

Border port sees booming trade between China, Mongolia

STORY: Border port sees booming trade between China, Mongolia SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 22, 2023 DATELINE: Jan. 21, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:16 LOCATION: ERENHOT, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the land port 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI WEI, Manager of an import-export trade supermarket in Erenhot 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): UNEEN, Head of the Office of the Administrative Committee, Erenhot Border Trading Zone 4. various of the land port 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LI DAWEI, Customs officer of the Erenhot railway port STORYLINE: China's biggest land port with Mongolia, Erenhot, has witnessed flourishing bilateral trade in recent months. A border trading zone between China and Mongolia opened in Erenhot in 2016. It covers a wide range of business activities including border trade, logistics and e-commerce, among others. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI WEI, Manager of an import-export trade supermarket in Erenhot "When we first opened this supermarket, we could only provide products from a few neighboring coun

Sudan's army chief rules out reconciliation with paramilitary forces

STORY: Sudan's army chief rules out reconciliation with paramilitary forces SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 5, 2024 DATELINE: Jan. 6, 2024 LENGTH: 00:02:45 LOCATION: Khartoum CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of a military base 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) 3. various of Al-Burhan among a crowd 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) 5. various of Al-Burhan among soldiers STORYLINE: Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Friday said the army would continue fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). "There is no reconciliation or agreement with the rebels. We will fight until the militia ends, or we end," Al-Burhan said in a video speech posted by the sovereign coun

Developing countries need climate funds: Malawian minister

STORY: Developing countries need climate funds: Malawian minister SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 5, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 7, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:46 LOCATION: Dubai CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of COP28 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IBRAHIM MATOLA, Malawian Minister of Energy 3. various of COP28 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): IBRAHIM MATOLA, Malawian Minister of Energy 5. various of COP28 STORYLINE: At the ongoing COP28 climate conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Malawian Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola urged developed countries to fulfill their promise of delivering climate funds. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IBRAHIM MATOLA, Malawian Minister of Energy "Talk shows are over now. Time to implement what we have agreed. I would like to propose that, if there was a mechanism of moving in motion, that at this COP28, should leave with actions, not only words." They need to "walk the talk," said Matola, adding: "It's time to implement what we have agreed." At the 2009 climate conference in Copenhagen, developed coun

Kenya fetes new world marathon record holder

STORY: Kenya fetes new world marathon record holder DATELINE: Oct. 12, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:03 LOCATION: Nairobi CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of exteriors of the hotel 2. various of Kenya's new world marathon record holder 3. various of Kiptum being awarded 4. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ABABU NAMWAMBA, Kenya's sports cabinet secretary 5. various of the awarding ceremony 6. various of celebrations 7. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): KELVIN KIPTUM, Marathon world record holder 8. various of the awarding ceremony STORYLINE: The Kenyan government on Tuesday feted new marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum for his astonishing 2:00:35 victory in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. The 23-year-old broke the previous record of 2:01:09, set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in last year's Berlin Marathon. Kiptum, who also holds the Valencia and London marathon titles, was awarded 5 million shillings (about 33,580 U.S. dollars) by the Kenyan government. Kenya's sports cabinet secretary Ababu Namwamba said it was the coun

Chinese-made guitars gain popularity in Russia through BRI

STORY: Chinese-made guitars gain popularity in Russia through BRI DATELINE: Sept. 20, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:40 LOCATION: Moscow/GUIZHOU, China CATEGORY: CULTURE/ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Russia 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHAO JIANFENG, Founder of Guizhou Zheng'an Natasha Musical Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 3. various of guitars 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Russian): GRIGORY NOVIKOV, Russian guitarist 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHAO JIANFENG, Founder of Guizhou Zheng'an Natasha Musical Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 6. various of International Fingerstyle Competition 7. various of guitar production 8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ZHU ZECHEN, Chinese guitar lover 9. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): ZHAO JIANFENG, Founder of Guizhou Zheng'an Natasha Musical Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 10. SOUNDBITE 6 (Russian): GRIGORY NOVIKOV, Russian guitarist STORYLINE: Exquisite guitars crafted in southwest China's Zheng'an County have reached wider markets via the Belt and Road Initiative, fostering cultural bonds between the coun

Egypt to push forward efforts to support developing countries at G20 summit

STORY: Egypt to push forward efforts to support developing countries at G20 summit DATELINE: Sept. 9, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:07 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Cairo streets 2. screenshot of the statement on the official website of the Egyptian presidency 3. various of the headquarters of the Egyptian presidency 4. various of Egyptian president leaving Cairo and arriving in India (courtesy of Egyptian presidency) STORYLINE: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi will discuss issues of great concern to developing countries, particularly African countries, at the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit in New Delhi, India, on Saturday and Sunday, according to an Egyptian presidency statement on Friday. "President Sisi will focus on the importance of promoting the international efforts to facilitate the fair inclusion of the developing countries in the world economy," said the statement. It added that the president would also emphasize the necessity of providing support for developing coun

China-ASEAN cooperation to help global economy: expert

STORY: China-ASEAN cooperation to help global economy: expert DATELINE: Sept. 8, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:05 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Jakarta 2. SOUNDBITE (English): MOHAMMAD FAISAL, Executive director, Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia STORYLINE: The 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit concluded in Jakarta on Thursday with a series of outcomes despite rising uncertainties globally. The summit under Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship this year is themed "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth." An Indonesian expert has said that cooperation between China and ASEAN will help the global economy to prevent further slowdown. SOUNDBITE (English): MOHAMMAD FAISAL, Executive director, Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia "If you look at this recent development, especially with the slowdown of global growth, ASEAN's economic growth is relatively more resilient. I think it's partly because of ASEAN's exposure or cooperation with many other coun

Swedish gov't to reform energy policy to prevent power shortage

STORY: Swedish gov't to reform energy policy to prevent power shortage DATELINE: July 5, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:30 LOCATION: Stockholm CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the press conference (source: Government offices of Sweden) 2. various of a harbor in Stockholm 3. Stockholm city hall 4. Stockholm street view 5. various of energy company 6. electricity power plant STORYLINE: The Swedish government said on Tuesday that it aims to reform the country's energy policy to ensure that the strained power supply situation of last summer and winter will not be repeated. In order to make the country's electricity transmission system "more reliable and robust to ensure cheap electricity at all times," the government has tasked national power grid operator Svenska Kraftnat with producing a new standard for measuring the reliability of the system to increase transparency and with identifying the transmission grid and electricity production facilities where further investments are needed. Although the coun

Passenger flight routes launched between China's Xi'an and Turkmenistan's Ashgabat, Tajikistan's Dushanbe

STORY: Passenger flight routes launched between China's Xi'an and Turkmenistan's Ashgabat, Tajikistan's Dushanbe DATELINE: May 14, 2023 LENGTH: 0:00:52 LOCATION: XI'AN, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the airport 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): LI JIUQUAN, Deputy general manager of the Xi'an branch of China Southern Airlines STORYLINE: The first passenger flight route between Xi'an, capital of China's northwestern Shaanxi Province, and Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, was officially launched on Saturday. A similar route between Xi'an and the Tajik capital of Dushanbe will be launched on May 18. The two routes will mark the complete linkage of passenger flight routes from Xi'an, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, to the five countries in Central Asia. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): LI JIUQUAN, Deputy general manager of the Xi'an branch of China Southern Airlines "With the opening of the 'Air Silk Road,' we will surely enhance the level and scope of our cooperation with the Central Asian coun

Ethiopia sees education crisis due to internal conflict, climate change -- UN official

STORY: Ethiopia sees education crisis due to internal conflict, climate change -- UN official DATELINE: Dec. 21, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:17 LOCATION: Addis Ababa CATEGORY: EDUCATION SHOTLIST: 1. various of Graham Lang's tour to Ethiopia 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): GRAHAM LANG, chief of education at Education Cannot Wait (ECW) 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GRAHAM LANG, chief of education at Education Cannot Wait (ECW) 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): GRAHAM LANG, chief of education at Education Cannot Wait (ECW) STORYLINE: Ethiopia is experiencing one of the largest education crises globally, mainly due to internal conflict and the effects of climate change, a senior UN official has said. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): GRAHAM LANG, Chief of education at Education Cannot Wait (ECW) "More than 3.6 million children across Ethiopia are out of school directly as a result of conflict and climate-induced disasters." Based on estimates by the government of Ethiopia, over 13 million children are out of school in the east African coun

Israeli students experience Chinese culture at "Confucius Day" festival

STORY: Israeli students experience Chinese culture at "Confucius Day" festival DATELINE: Dec. 6, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:46 LOCATION: Jerusalem CATEGORY: SOCIETY/CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the festival at Confucius Institute of the Hebrew University 2. SOUNDBITE (English): JANA HAMOUD, Student at Hebrew University STORYLINE: The Confucius Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem held the "Confucius Day" festival on Monday to deepen understanding of Chinese culture among Israeli young people. Nearly 70 middle school students were invited to the campus to experience Chinese culture-related activities with university students, such as calligraphy practicing, knot tying, dumpling making, and tea brewing. Chinese volunteers also gave a special performance of Chinese Kung Fu, traditional dance, and folk music. SOUNDBITE (English): JANA HAMOUD, Student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem "I'm Jana. I'm studying Chinese in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I'm also studying history of East Asian coun

20th CPC National Congress, a meeting of great significance

STORY: 20th CPC National Congress, a meeting of great significance DATELINE: Oct. 15, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:10 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOSEPH MATTHEWS, Senior professor, BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh 2. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): CHARLES ONUNAIJU, Director of Center for China Studies in Nigeria 3. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MAHMOUD ALLAM, Egypt's former ambassador to China 4. SOUNDBITE 4 (Russian): ALEXEY MASLOV, Head of Institute of Asian and African Studies, Moscow State University 5. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): AHMET FARUK ISIK, Asia Pacific Relations Coordinator, Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye STORYLINE: The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will be convened from Oct. 16 in Beijing. It's seen as a significant conference held at a critical moment in China's new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-around way. The conference will plan out the goals, tasks and major policies for the party and coun

CHINA-TIBET-TSONYI-SINGPORI-RELOCATION (CN)

CHINA-TIBET-TSONYI-SINGPORI-RELOCATION (CN)

(220719) -- NAGQU, July 19, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Villagers prepare to transport furniture for relocation in Doima Township of Tsonyi County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 12, 2022. Tsonyi County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, started the relocation of its second batch of residents on Tuesday, as part of the region's plan to improve people's living conditions and protect the fragile local ecosystem. With an average altitude of over 5,000 meters, Tsonyi County covers a total area of 120,000 square km and is part of the Changtang National Nature Reserve, China's biggest and highest nature reserve. Due to the high altitude and harsh environment, the county is not suitable for human habitation. The oxygen in the air is a mere 40 percent of that on the plain. Its winter lasts 10 months each year, with the lowest temperatures reaching minus 40 degrees Celsius. At around 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, more than 300 residents left their hometown in Doima Township of Tsonyi, China's highest coun

Zambia launches program to enhance investment in water sector

STORY: Zambia launches program to enhance investment in water sector DATELINE: July 17, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:44 LOCATION: Lusaka CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the launch event 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, Zambian President 3. various of the meeting 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOSEFA SACKO, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture 5. various of a video about the program STORYLINE: Zambia on Saturday launched a water investment program aimed at enhancing investment in the water and sanitation sectors for the benefit of people. The Zambia Water Investment Program is an offshoot of the Africa Water Investment Program (AIP) adopted by the Assembly of the African Union (AU) as part of program for infrastructure development in Africa in 2021. The objectives of the project include transforming and improving the investment outlook for water security and sustainable sanitation, enhancing job creation through gender-sensitive investments in water security and ensuring that the coun

5th wave of COVID-19 infections subsides in Egypt: health ministry

STORY: 5th wave of COVID-19 infections subsides in Egypt: health ministry DATELINE: March 13, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:08 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. exterior shots of Egypt's Health Ministry headquarters in Cairo 2. Egypt's acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar speaking 3. shots of people undergoing medical examinations 4. photo of the latest update on the coronavirus situation (Published by Egypt's Health Ministry) STORYLINE: Egypt's Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that the fifth wave of the COVID-19 infections has gradually subsided in the country. The decline of the pandemic has prompted the ministry to issue a weekly bulletin on infections and deaths and stop publishing the numbers every day. The decision was made after Egypt had started witnessing a consistent decline in infection rates as well as the occupancy rates at isolation hospitals in the last two weeks. Egypt reported on Friday 854 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number to 495,373. The coun

CHARLES CHAPLIN seen here directing his final film, THE COUN

CHARLES CHAPLIN seen here directing his final film, THE COUN

CHARLES CHAPLIN seen here directing his final film, THE COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG [BR 1962]. He also had a small acting part, as a ship's steward. Date: 1962