U.S. tariff hikes on China's clean energy goods draws backlash

STORY: U.S. tariff hikes on China's clean energy goods draws backlash SHOOTING TIME: File DATELINE: May 15, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:20 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: POLITICS/ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the White House 2. various of China's EV industry 3. photo of U.S. President Joe Biden during an event in Washington, D.C. on May 14 4. various of screenshots of media reports STORYLINE: The United States announced on Tuesday new tariffs on an array of clean energy products from China, including electric vehicles (EVs), with EV tariffs jumping from 25 percent to 100 percent. Shortly after the announcement, China's commerce ministry said Tuesday that China firmly opposes and lodges solemn representations over U.S. further increase of additional tariffs on some Chinese goods, and will take resolute measures to safeguard its own rights and interests. The newly announced tariff hike is mostly a symbolic gesture as the Biden administration is trying to look tough on China amid the increasingly fierce presidential

OECD urges reforms in Italian economy report

STORY: OECD urges reforms in Italian economy report SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 22, 2024 DATELINE: Jan. 23, 2024 LENGTH: 00:00:50 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of screenshots of the report 2. various of street views in Rome STORYLINE: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Monday released a report on Italian economy, suggesting an array of reforms that it said would help the country avoid an economic slowdown. The Italian government's statistics entity has estimated that the country's economy grew 0.7 percent in 2023, slightly better than the EU estimate of 0.6 percent for the eurozone. In its report, the OECD said Italy was at risk of slower growth if it did not make certain reforms, including scaling back pensions for the wealthiest residents. "Reducing the generosity of pensions for high-income households could limit the increase in spending (on pensions), while maintaining adequate public services and social protections," the report said. The

Italy returned 10 pct of failed asylum requests in 2022: EU data

STORY: Italy returned 10 pct of failed asylum requests in 2022: EU data SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 19, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 20, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:53 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of screenshots of the Commission's Atlas of Migration 2. various of migrants in Rome STORYLINE: Italy repatriated almost 10 percent of asylum seekers last year, data released Monday by the European Commission showed. The latest edition of the Commission's Atlas of Migration showed that Italy repatriated 2,790 out of 28,185 migrants whose asylum requests were turned down. Meanwhile, the average repatriation rate in the European Union (EU) as a whole was 17 percent. EU data showed that the bloc received a total of 884,985 new asylum applications for international protection in 2022, up by nearly 65 percent from the previous year. More than half of all asylum requests in the bloc were rejected last year. The 2022 repatriation rate in Italy is slightly higher than the previous year (9 percent), but remains lower th

Mediterranean Route to Europe still busiest for irregular migrants

STORY: Mediterranean Route to Europe still busiest for irregular migrants SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 12, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 13, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of screenshots of the report released by Frontex 2. various of migrants in Rome STORYLINE: Irregular border crossings into the European Union (EU) have dramatically increased this year, the EU's border control agency said Monday. In the first 11 months of 2023, the number of arrivals has already surpassed full-year totals in any year since 2016, according to data released by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). The total number of migrants arriving in the EU via non-regular means this year reached at least 355,300 by the end of November, Frontex said. Nevertheless, the number of irregular arrivals is slowing, and the balance between different routes is changing. The Central Mediterranean Route, marked by crossings to Italy from Tunisia or Libya, remained the most common means of

Hawaii wildfires death toll climbs, residents slam gov't response

STORY: Hawaii wildfires death toll climbs, residents slam gov't response DATELINE: Aug. 16, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:15 LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, U.S. CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Lahaina (Courtesy of Digital Photo Buzz) 2. screenshots of media reports and comments 3. various of aerial footage (Courtesy of Digital Photo Buzz) 4. various of the aerial view of West Maui (Courtesy of Richard Olsen, Air Maui Helicopters) STORYLINE: The death toll from the Maui wildfires in the U.S. state of Hawaii reached 106 as of Tuesday. The Biden administration is facing renewed criticism for its response to the devastating wildfires after offering victims 700 U.S. dollars per household in emergency aid. Critics described the sum as "insulting" and compared it with the more than 113 billion-U.S. dollar worth of aid the country has sent to Ukraine. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden was on vacation during the weekend and said little about the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in a century. When pressed by reporters on

Volkswagen Group to strengthen cooperation with Chinese partner on EV market

STORY: Volkswagen Group to strengthen cooperation with Chinese partner on EV market DATELINE: July 31, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:22 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Volkswagen Group 2. various of XPeng 3. screenshots of media reports 4. various of city views in China STORYLINE: The Volkswagen Group, Germany's leading carmaker, has announced it will acquire a 4.99 percent stake in the Chinese electric vehicle startup XPeng by way of a capital increase worth around 700 million U.S. dollars. According to a technological framework agreement with XPeng, two Volkswagen-branded electric models for the mid-sized segment will be rolled out in 2026 in China. Reuters said in a report that the new models will plug a gap in Volkswagen's product lineup in China, where the market for new energy vehicles has grown faster than expected. CNN reported that China is the single largest market for Volkswagen and the German group said it "is stepping up the pace of its transformation in China, where the gr

Tests of Fukushima wastewater release facility spark outcry

STORY: Tests of Fukushima wastewater release facility spark outcry DATELINE: June 13, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:42 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: POLITICS/ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of Japan 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Japanese): MIZUHO FUKUSHIMA, Head of Social Democratic Party 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Japanese): TOSHIKO OKADA, Member of a citizens' group 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Japanese): MUKAI, Sanya Labor Center member 5. screenshots of netizens' comments 6. various of Japan STORYLINE: The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has begun testing the equipment to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific amid fierce opposition from home and abroad. Fears of nuclear contamination are growing, as many are worried that the environmental impact will be irreversible and can not be tested. SOUNDBITE 1 (Japanese): MIZUHO FUKUSHIMA, Head of Social Democratic Party "Radioactive materials, once discharged, cannot be retrieved, so they must be intensively managed. Such materials would be beyond management i

U.S. regional bank failures evoke unease in banking sector

STORY: U.S. regional bank failures evoke unease in banking sector DATELINE: March 16, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:37 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the exterior of New York Stock Exchange Silicon Valley Bank 2. various of the exterior of Credit Suisse 3. various of screenshots of Moody's report 4. various of Silicon Valley Bank 5. various of Signature Bank 6. various of street scenes in U.S. 7. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): MURAT TUFAN, Analyst with Turkish broadcaster Ekoturk 8. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XN IRAKI, Kenyan economist STORYLINE: U.S. and European stocks plunged on Wednesday, as turbulence at Credit Suisse renewed fears of a banking crisis. Banking giant Credit Suisse lost nearly a fourth of its value Wednesday, amid the growing fallout from the collapse of two regional banks in the United States. Rating agency Moody's has slashed its outlook on the entire U.S. banking system to negative in the wake of failures at the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank (SNY). Experts hav

Travel restrictions against Chinese tourists "ridiculous": media

STORY: Travel restrictions against Chinese tourists "ridiculous": media reports DATELINE: Jan. 13, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:05 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: POLITICS/HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of airplanes and Chinese tourists 2. various of screenshots of headlines STORYLINE: Travel restrictions imposed by a few countries on Chinese tourists are "ridiculous," said some media reports on the latest discriminatory entry requirements targeting China. On Saturday, an article published by the Atlantic agreed that these measures have "no scientific basis" and pointed out that "travel restrictions can't stop COVID from crossing borders." The story goes on to say that the vast majority of China's locally acquired cases are being caused by two Omicron lineages that are "old news elsewhere." And now, the article says, the most dangerous new variant is "from New York -- XBB.1.5 -- which the U.S. is now busy exporting to the rest of the world." TodayOnline, a Singaporean news website, quoted infectious disease experts as s

U.S. COVID-19 cases surpass 100 mln: Johns Hopkins University

STORY: U.S. COVID-19 cases surpass 100 mln: Johns Hopkins University DATELINE: Dec. 21, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:25 LOCATION: NEW YORK, the United States CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of screenshots of Johns Hopkins University COVID map 2. various of the street view in Times Square, New York City STORYLINE: The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 100 million on Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. U.S. COVID-19 case count rose to 100,002,248, with a total of 1,088,218 deaths, as of 5:21 p.m. Eastern Time (2221 GMT), showed the data. California topped the state-level caseload list, with more than 11.6 million cases. Texas confirmed the second most cases about 8.1 million, followed by Florida with more than 7.3 million cases, and New York with over 6.5 million cases. The United States remains the nation worst hit by the pandemic, with the world's most cases and deaths, accounting for more than 15 percent of the global caseload and more than 16 percent of the g

Biden says COVID-19 cases rising across U.S.

STORY: Biden says COVID-19 cases rising across U.S. DATELINE: Dec. 16, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:16 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): XIA LIN, Xinhua correspondent 2. various of screenshots of U.S. CDC website 3. various of the street view in New York City STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): XIA LIN, Xinhua correspondent "U.S. President Joe Biden said on Dec. 15 that COVID-19 cases 'are rising' across the country. The remarks, which Biden posted on Twitter, came as American families are getting together for the holidays. The White House is resuming a program to send COVID-19 testing kits to households requesting them ahead of a potential winter surge. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the seven-day average of weekly new COVID-19 cases reached more than 65,000 last week, an increase of nearly 50 percent compared to the previous week. More than 99 million COVID-19 cases and 1.08 million deaths had been reported nationwide as of Dec. 7. In addit

Experts on China's economic prospects

STORY: Experts on China's economic prospects DATELINE: Dec. 15, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:44 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of street view of China 2. various of screenshots of some media reports 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): WICHAI KINCHONG CHOI, Senior vice president of Thai bank Kasikornbank 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): BADIEA SHAUKAT, Economic consultant at Islamabad-based Sustainable Development Policy Institute STORYLINE: China's economy, growing at an average annual rate of more than 5 percent over the past two years, better than the global average. According to some media reports, corporate investors have expressed optimism that China's economic growth will likely pick up in the coming year. According to CNBC, Morgan Stanley raised its outlook for China's economy in 2023, predicting a rebound in activity will come earlier and be sharper than expected. According to IFA Magazine, an investment company manager said they remain "constructive" on China's recovery potential in 2023. Some

Key COVID-19 indicators surge again in U.S., straining hospitals

STORY: Key COVID-19 indicators surge again in U.S., straining hospitals DATELINE: Dec. 14, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:34 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): XIA LIN, Xinhua correspondent 2. various of screenshots of U.S. CDC website 3. various of the exterior of a U.S. hospital in New York City 4. various of the street view in New York City STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): XIA LIN, Xinhua correspondent "Another COVID-19 winter surge is brewing in the Untied States as the key indicators are all rising. It has swamped the country's hospitals with a record number of patients sickened by respiratory diseases. The nation averaged about 65,569 new cases each day in the week ending Dec. 7, a 49.6 percent rise from the previous week. An average of more than 4,800 virus-positive Americans were admitted to hospitals each day in the week ending Dec. 6, a 13.8 percent increase over the week prior. Daily COVID-19 death count was also hiking. The country averaged over 420 COVID-19 deaths in th

This holiday season, U.S. poor buckle under inflation: NYT

STORY: This holiday season, U.S. poor buckle under inflation: NYT DATELINE: Nov. 26, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:37 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): PAN LIJUN, Xinhua correspondent 2. various of screenshots of New York Times report 3. various of street views in Manhattan during holiday season STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): PAN LIJUN, Xinhua correspondent "In Boston, Massachusetts, wealthy people check in at the Langham Hotel, and the 135-U.S. dollar Thanksgiving brunch per adult at its in-house restaurant sold out weeks ago. Meanwhile, many families line up in front of a local charity around 4:30 a.m. for its free pantry and turkeys. This is four hours earlier than its opening time. 'The contrast illustrates a divide that is rippling through America's topsy-turvy economy nearly three years into the pandemic,' said The New York Times on Nov. 25. Many well-off consumers are still flush with savings and faring well financially, bolstering luxury brands and keeping some high-e

Shooting at U.S. supermarket kills 6 people, gunman also dead

STORY: Shooting at U.S. supermarket kills 6 people, gunman also dead DATELINE: Nov. 24, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:13 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the screenshots of the report 2. various of guns 3. various of the screenshots of the Gun Violence Archive website STORYLINE: Local police said on Wednesday that six people, including the suspected shooter, died in a shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake of U.S. state of Virginia late Tuesday night. At least four people remain hospitalized Wednesday. According to Chesapeake police, the call reporting the shooting came in at 10:12 p.m. Tuesday (0312 GMT Wednesday), triggering a large police presence outside the supermarket overnight. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's field office in Norfolk, Virginia, said it continues to assist Chesapeake Police as they investigate the Walmart shooting. The shooting came a day before the United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day. U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on Wednesday m

U.S. public health failures spur RSV surge: nurses

STORY: U.S. public health failures spur RSV surge: nurses DATELINE: Nov. 19, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:30 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): XIA LIN, Xinhua correspondent 2. various of screenshots of Becker's Hospital Review and National Nurses United 3. various of children at play in a park in New York City STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): XIA LIN, Xinhua correspondent "There has been a notion circulating in the United States that rising cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are due to children's lack of exposure to regular bacteria and viruses amid masking and stay-at-home orders. Such a situation is medically termed as 'immunity debt.' However, Becker's Hospital Review has quoted the National Nurses United (NNU) as saying such an idea is 'flawed conjecture that is not based on science.' Instead, said the nation's largest nurses union, 'the uptick in virus activity is due to a "complete abandonment" of public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other re

Global netizens shocked by brutal U.S. police shooting of Jayland Walker

STORY: Global netizens shocked by brutal U.S. police shooting of Jayland Walker DATELINE: July 7, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:04 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of body-worn camera footage released by police of Akron in the U.S. state of Ohio 2. various of screenshots of netizens' comments STORYLINE: The footage of the fatal shooting of African American Jayland Walker has shocked global netizens, with some comments saying the killing is more brutal than a gunfight in video games. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV)