Italy bears severest weather on record in 2023: reports

STORY: Italy bears severest weather on record in 2023: reports SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 29, 2023 / File DATELINE: Dec. 29, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:32 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of seashores and rivers in Rome 2. various of extreme weather conditions in Italy (File) STORYLINE: Italy has experienced a record-setting number of extreme weather events in 2023, a year that is set to be the warmest in more than 150 years, reports said on Thursday. According to the climate observatory run by the environmental lobby group Legambiente, Italy reported 378 severe weather events in 2023, an increase of 22 percent compared to last year -- ranging from heatwaves to drought and from hailstorms to floods and extreme winds, which were directly responsible for at least 31 deaths. On the other hand, the agriculture sector union Coldiretti said there were more than nine harsh weather events per day this year across Italy's boot-shaped peninsula. In its report, Coldiretti estimated that extreme w

China, New Zealand to further enhance science cooperation

STORY: China, New Zealand to further enhance science cooperation DATELINE: June 1, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:58 LOCATION: Wellington CATEGORY: SCIENCE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the 6th China-New Zealand Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation 2. various of the China-New Zealand cooperation (in food, environmental and health sciences) STORYLINE: Science officials of China and New Zealand on Tuesday discussed ways to deepen cooperation in science and technology innovation in Wellington. Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang and New Zealand's Research, Science and Innovation Minister Ayesha Verrall co-chaired the 6th China-New Zealand Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation. The two ministers discussed the signing of the next five-year roadmap of cooperation in science and technology, setting priority areas for deeper collaboration. Wang said science and technology was one of the important areas of cooperation between China and New Zealand.