Global military spending surges amid conflicts, rising tensions: think tank

STORY: Global military spending surges amid conflicts, rising tensions: think tank SHOOTING TIME: April 22, 2024 DATELINE: April 23, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:13 LOCATION: Stockholm CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute STORYLINE: Global military spending saw its steepest year-on-year increase last year since 2009, amid conflicts, rising tensions and insecurity, a Stockholm-based think tank said on Monday. In its latest report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said that total global military expenditure reached 2,443 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, an increase of 6.8 percent in real terms from 2022. The United States is the largest global spender. Lorenzo Scarazzato, a researcher at SIPRI's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, said that such an unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to a global deterioration in peace and security. While countries are prioritizing military strength, they r

Lebanese cigar lovers hold to hobby despite economic crisis

STORY: Lebanese cigar lovers hold to hobby despite economic crisis DATELINE: July 1, 2023 LENGTH: 00:05:33 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of a man shopping at a cigar shop 2. various of cigars 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): JOSEPH EL KHOURY, Owner of Peter Cigar 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ALI SHMAISANI, Cigar smoker 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): JOSEPH EL KHOURY, Owner of Peter Cigar 6. various of Peter Cigar STORYLINE: Despite suffering the worst financial crisis in its history, Lebanon remains a big spender on cigars. A study released on May 31 by data analysis site Statista revealed that Lebanon ranked number one globally on per capita revenue from cigar sales in 2022. According to the study, Lebanese spends 36.7 U.S. dollars per person on cigars, compared to 35.6 dollars in the second-placed United States, 27.5 dollars in Qatar, 20.2 dollars in Luxembourg, and 15.1 dollars in Iceland. The result surprised many as cigars, often considered luxury products, have retained a strong mark

LEBANON-BEIRUT-LIFESTYLE-CIGAR

LEBANON-BEIRUT-LIFESTYLE-CIGAR

(230619) -- BEIRUT, June 19, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Woody Ghsoubi (L), Co-owner of HandRolled and Co-founder of Lebanese Cigar Aficionado, and Najat Abdo (C), CEO of HandRolled, explain to a customer about their products at the Mareva Cigar Club in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 17, 2023. Despite suffering the worst financial crisis in its history, the Lebanese remain the world's biggest spender on cigars. TO GO WITH "Roundup: Lebanon tops cigar spending list despite economic crisis" (Photo by Dana Halawi/Xinhua)

LEBANON-BEIRUT-LIFESTYLE-CIGAR

LEBANON-BEIRUT-LIFESTYLE-CIGAR

(230619) -- BEIRUT, June 19, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A salesman shows a cigar cutter at the Mareva Cigar Club in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 17, 2023. Despite suffering the worst financial crisis in its history, the Lebanese remain the world's biggest spender on cigars. TO GO WITH "Roundup: Lebanon tops cigar spending list despite economic crisis" (Photo by Dana Halawi/Xinhua)

Ballooning U.S. defense budget makes world less secure

STORY: Ballooning U.S. defense budget makes world less secure DATELINE: May 6, 2023 LENGTH: 00:04:28 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the U.S. troops 2. various of Wall Street and Silicon Valley Bank 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): BARIS DOSTER, Academic at the Istanbul-based Marmara University 4. various of the displaced in Afghanistan and American protesters 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): CAT MCGUIRE, Protester 6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ALEX, Protester 7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): AHMED ALIIBA, Journalist of Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper 8. various of the U.S. army 9. various of Swedish people protesting against joining the NATO 10. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): MIR MOHAMMAD ALI KHAN, Former investment banker at Wall Street 11. various of an Iraqi man showing pictures of his former house destroyed by a U.S. missile in 2005 STORYLINE: The United States remains by far the world's biggest military spender. Its military spending hit 877 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, which was 39 percent of total global

U.S. military spending hampers tackling humanitarian, environmental problems: Turkish intellectuals

STORY: U.S. military spending hampers tackling humanitarian, environmental problems: Turkish intellectuals DATELINE: May 4, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:09 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): BARIS DOSTER, Scholar with the Istanbul-based Marmara University 2. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): ESER KESKIN, Journalist specializing in international relations 3. SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): MEHMET EMRE OZTURK, Journalist STORYLINE: Many Turkish intellectuals believe that the United States growing military spending hampers tackling humanitarian and environmental problems. The United States remains by far the world's biggest military spender, with 877 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, accounting for 39 percent of total global military spending. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): BARIS DOSTER, Scholar with the Istanbul-based Marmara University "The U.S. spends this enormous budget on armament and the arms industry rather than on education, health, infrastructure, public work, transportation, social security