The World Today on CGTN at 2024/4/27

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News and analysis of the biggest business stories from China and across the world. Brought to you from CGTN's European headquarters in London. Watch live each day at 16:00GMT.
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 [MUSIC]
00:20 Live from London, this is The World Today.
00:36 Hello, I'm Sally Birgit. Our top stories this hour. More than a dozen Palestinians killed in the latest Israeli bombardment in Gaza,
00:45 as fears grow of a looming ground assault on the southern city of Raqqa.
00:51 Not enough evidence. The UN says Israel has failed to back up claims that some of its aid agency staff in Gaza were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks.
01:02 All the wars have got to go.
01:07 Protests against the Gaza conflict sweep campuses across the United States, with students urging free Palestine and free the hostages.
01:18 And on board the Bel-Em, the Olympic flame departs Greece on an historic French vessel as it begins its journey to the Paris Olympic Games.
01:31 [MUSIC]
01:41 The Palestinian armed group Hamas says it has received Israel's response to its latest ceasefire proposal and will study it before submitting a reply.
01:51 Meanwhile, concern is growing over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, after an infant girl died from extreme heat.
01:59 The ministry says rising temperatures, along with sewage and rubbish overflows, are increasing the risk of disease.
02:06 Israel's bombardment continues across the enclave. More than a dozen people have been killed in strikes on central Gaza's Nazareth refugee camp and in the southern city of Raqqa.
02:20 Today, we were bombarded without prior warning. And after more than 200 days of war, we ask all Arab people to support us against occupation and help us reach ceasefire.
02:32 A correspondent at Kram al-Satari reports from Raqqa.
02:37 Well, the overnight strikes have taken the lives of around 15 Palestinians and a very recent strike just around 35 minutes ago targeted a house in a neighborhood in Raqqa.
02:51 And a very large number of citizens and residents of that house are already either killed or injured.
02:57 So, the situation is getting tense. The bombardments are continuous. Daesal occupation is targeting either evacuated homes or homes that have their dwellers in them.
03:09 And that results in widespread destruction. Overnight, there were recurrent strikes, not only in Raqqa, but also all over the Gaza Strip.
03:17 And they took the lives of around 20 Palestinians. And now we have news of a fresh strike that took place in Raqqa that has taken the lives of a large number of Palestinians.
03:29 We are still waiting for the health authorities to inform us about the exact number of people who are injured and killed that were received by the Gaza European Hospital.
03:37 So, the situation continues to be very tense. The bombardments are continuous and they seem to be part of an Israeli plan to create a pressure on Hamas by intensifying the bombardments, the death and the destruction.
03:51 It's so extremely worrying because it's not only this aerial bombardment and the fear of a looming ground offensive, but there's also this very real fear of disease and the rising heat which has already claimed a little one's life.
04:04 Tell us more about that.
04:07 I was just talking to a pediatrician, a doctor who has been seeing many different children cases that are affected by the water-prone diseases.
04:17 He told me they have managed finally to recognize the cause of the widespread hepatitis A amongst the children in the Gaza Strip and some of the others.
04:27 It's the water pollution. 70% of the water plants in the Gaza North are already destroyed.
04:36 The ones that are staying are either partially functioning or are not providing the quality water that people need for their health.
04:45 The children in Gaza have been suffering not only from water-prone diseases, but they have also been suffering from upper respiratory symptoms.
04:54 Around one million children in Gaza are already diagnosed and recognized as high-risk vulnerable groups that are already affected by the ongoing war, blockade and destruction.
05:08 So the situation is again very catastrophic and is likely to continue to be that catastrophic and even exacerbate.
05:15 Akram al-Sadhuri in Rafa. Israel says it's carried out strikes on 25 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, targeting buildings being used by Hamas as well as tunnels and weapons stores.
05:28 Associated Press correspondent John Gambrel has more from Jerusalem.
05:33 The Israeli military has put out some video showing what appears to be targeted strikes on a couple of different buildings.
05:40 Now they describe trying to hit Hamas militant positions in the Gaza Strip.
05:45 Now one of these attacks targeted a vehicle that they said had Hamas militants inside of it.
05:50 The AP cannot independently verify that.
05:53 Also showed a couple of fixed positions, one of which appeared to be what the Israelis were trying to call a missile launch site.
06:00 Another one was a position they described as having Hamas gunmen inside of it.
06:04 Again, we're unable to verify what the Israelis are saying, but it does come, as your other correspondent just mentioned,
06:10 amid a pretty intense barrage of fire that we're seeing from the Israelis, continual strikes, including on Rafa, where half of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people now are.
06:20 And this is all coming as there seems to be movement towards a potential ceasefire.
06:24 Hamas is acknowledged receiving this ceasefire proposal.
06:28 We don't know exactly what's inside of it, but what we have heard over the last few days is the Israelis want to try to get some 40 hostages out of the Gaza Strip,
06:37 those people who were taken from the initial Hamas attack on October 7th, in exchange for potentially hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held inside of Israeli jails here,
06:46 and with an agreement potentially to allow some of those Palestinians stuck in the southern part of the Gaza Strip to go back north to Gaza City and other areas where they've been pushed out by the Israeli offensive.
06:56 Again, it's unclear if this ceasefire proposal is going to be successful.
06:59 We've had months since we saw the last ceasefire, but we did see a visit by the Egyptian intelligence chief to Tel Aviv,
07:07 and we do see Hamas acknowledging that they have this proposal.
07:10 So, Sally, we could see movement, but as of yet, still too early to say.
07:15 And, John, what can you tell us about this investigation into UNRWA, which, of course, is refugee staff in Gaza.
07:22 They've been stopped from operating. Israel has accused them of being in cahoots with Hamas.
07:28 But it seems there isn't the evidence to back up those claims. What can you tell us, though?
07:37 Yes, this is part of a long-running dispute that Israel has had with the UN agency in charge of Palestinian aid.
07:43 It's known by the acronym UNRWA.
07:45 They basically, the Israelis have said, since UNRWA was created after the creation of Israel in 1948,
07:51 that it has perpetuated the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
07:54 The agency itself denies that.
07:56 And you have to keep in mind that part of the reason why the agency still exists is because there is no independent Palestinian state.
08:01 The Palestinians have sought both Gaza and the West Bank to be part of their independent state.
08:06 That has yet to happen and remains the main block towards any sort of wider reconciliation.
08:12 Now, after the October 7th attack, a few months afterwards, rather, the Israelis came out and accused over a dozen UNRWA staff
08:19 who were Palestinians of being allied with Hamas.
08:23 That saw the United States and others immediately withdraw their funding.
08:26 That really took a hit to UNRWA, which is still providing humanitarian aid, including food, medical care and education,
08:33 to Palestinians who were displaced by the creation of Israel in 1948.
08:37 Now, in the time since, there have been several investigations, and we did hear from the UN spokesman
08:42 who described what they have found so far in their own internal investigation.
08:46 Let's listen to what he had to say.
08:48 One case was closed as no evidence was provided by Israel to support the allegations against the staff member.
08:56 We are exploring corrective administrative action to be taken in that person's case.
09:01 Also, three cases were suspended by OIOS as the information provided by Israel is not sufficient for OIOS to proceed with an investigation.
09:12 UNRWA is now also considering what administrative action to take while these three people are under investigation.
09:22 And so, overall, as you heard, some of these cases can't be investigated because, as he said,
09:27 the Israelis haven't provided additional information to substantiate their claims,
09:31 but there are still some 14 UNRWA employees that are still being investigated as part of that UN internal investigation,
09:38 but we're going to have to wait to see what they ultimately determine about those allegations.
09:43 AP correspondent John Gambrel in Jerusalem there.
09:48 Now, students at universities across the United States continue to demonstrate against the conflict in Gaza,
09:54 despite efforts from campus leaders and police to quell the protest.
09:58 They're demanding a boycott on Israel and companies that support the military campaign.
10:03 Sally Patterson reports from New York.
10:08 Protesters at Columbia University calling for a free Palestine by any means necessary.
10:14 Nine days in, they've triggered an avalanche of demonstrations across the nation, with more than 500 arrests made,
10:22 many of them not university students or staff.
10:26 Protesters say they will not be moved until their demands are met, for colleges to boycott Israeli companies,
10:32 an amnesty for students facing disciplinary action over their involvement.
10:36 University deadlines have come and gone to no avail.
10:40 They so far refuse to take our demands seriously.
10:43 They refuse to negotiate in good faith, and they continue to delay and delay and just try to tire us out.
10:49 Free, free, free Palestine!
10:51 In recent days, clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators have become violent.
10:56 From Atlanta, Georgia, to Austin, Texas, police used rubber bullets and tasers to disperse the crowds,
11:03 drawing criticism from some lawmakers.
11:06 More than a week after this encampment popped up here at Columbia University,
11:11 this tense city shows no sign of coming down, even as counter-protests get louder every day.
11:18 Bring them home alive now!
11:21 Outside the campus gates, demonstrators demand the immediate release of hostages still being held in Gaza.
11:28 These are human beings, they're alive, they're living souls, children, elderly, who are being held hostage, captive.
11:37 Some Jewish students say they don't feel safe enough to walk through campus,
11:42 with one pro-Palestinian protest leader forced to apologize on Friday for saying Zionists don't deserve to live.
11:50 I'm a proud Jew, I'm a proud American, and I believe in the free right to demonstrate, but not to harass other people.
11:57 This "free Palestine" graffiti scrawled outside Columbia University replaced with the words "free hostages."
12:04 It's a clash of two causes, with neither side feeling heard.
12:09 Sally Patterson, CGTN, New York.
12:13 In London, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets once more to repeat their calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
12:21 CGTN's Jen Kopsteik reports.
12:24 The march is underway here in central London, where people are here in their thousands,
12:29 waving flags, drumming and chanting loud slogans.
12:32 Organizers from the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign say they are expecting hundreds of thousands of people
12:38 to join this protest, marking six months since Israel launched its ground invasion into the Gaza Strip
12:44 with a stated aim of destroying Hamas.
12:47 While these protests have become regular events, people remain impassioned.
12:51 What message do you have for people who are watching?
12:54 Peace. No hatred. Peace.
12:58 I think the main thing is just the silence of everyone else. I think that's what's really upsetting.
13:02 We're constantly seeing these just devastating images on the, just videos from everywhere.
13:09 And we feel it's everybody's responsibility, including ours and our children's, to show them that, you know what,
13:13 we're going to stand for what is right and you should stand for humanity and those people who are weak at any time.
13:20 To make my boys proud, hopefully, when they grow up and they see that mum and dad did something,
13:25 while other people did nothing. So we're here.
13:28 I want the people of Palestine to know as well that there are people who care and there are people who are here
13:33 to fight for them and to stand up for them and be their voice when the rest of the world and the government doesn't seem to care.
13:40 We need to give children of Gaza hope, not hatred.
13:44 And it's about building bonds across the globe, regardless of what religion, ethnicity you are,
13:49 and know and send a strong message to people of Gaza that we stand in solidarity with them and their children are our children.
13:57 Another march due to be held in London by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism was cancelled at the last minute due to concerns over safety.
14:05 That protest wanted to highlight the 133 hostages still held in Gaza since the October 7th attacks.
14:12 London's Metropolitan Police say these months of protests have led to fear and uncertainty among the Jewish community.
14:18 With no immediate end to the conflict in sight, these protests and counter-protests will continue in the weeks ahead.
14:25 Jen Koepstake, CGTN, London.
14:28 Still ahead on CGTN, heading out of the city as the countdown to the Olympics gets underway,
14:35 Parisians put their apartments up for rent, hoping to cash in on the summer games.
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16:01 Welcome back. A reminder of our top story.
16:04 More than a dozen Palestinians killed in the latest Israeli bombardment in Gaza
16:11 as fears grow of a looming ground assault on the southern city of Rafa.
16:15 ♪
16:18 Six months into the Gaza conflict, the fighting is taking a significant toll on people's mental health,
16:25 with huge numbers suffering from depression and anxiety.
16:28 Aid organizations are trying to offer psychological support.
16:34 A correspondent, Noor Harazeen, spoke to those helping women who've lost family members.
16:39 About 1.1 million women lived at the Gaza Strip before the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023.
16:49 Women constitute 49.3% of the total population in the Strip.
16:55 Many women in Gaza suffer the bitterness of war and risk their lives in order to feed their children.
17:02 Many have lost their lives due to the spread of diseases, lack of medicines, and also during childbirth.
17:10 This war has had a deep psychological impact on women, including Om Mohamed Wadi,
17:17 whose son was injured in an Israeli strike on the Ashijaiah neighborhood in November 2023.
17:24 As the bombing intensified, she decided to move from northern Gaza to the south, where she now lives in a tent.
17:32 But what caused her depression was that she lost contact with one of her sons, who tried to return to northern Gaza.
17:42 I suffer a lot from the difficult living conditions in tents and the high temperatures.
17:49 My son has also been missing for two weeks. He was trying to return to Gaza City, from which we were displaced.
17:56 Despite his food getting amputated, we pray to God that this war ends and we get to live in peace.
18:04 We have been tested enough.
18:07 It is high time women in Gaza get mental support.
18:11 So Hiba al-Najjar and many other female doctors and trainers volunteered to provide psychological relief services
18:20 to Palestinian women under projects sponsored by the Women's Affairs Center.
18:25 We have received training on how to work in times of crisis and emergencies,
18:33 in accordance with the international guidelines of the World Health Organization.
18:38 We have also received training on how to provide primary health care in cases of injuries, childbirth and other emergencies.
18:46 This group of women meets for three hours a day, where they talk about the pain and the difficulties they faced due to the war.
18:55 Then they have playing, entertaining, screaming sessions and other activities that help reduce the severity of the psychological impact on them.
19:05 They also get training in first aid and leadership.
19:09 We benefited from the first aid course, as it helped us in being able to provide primary medical care to our children and relatives in case they got injured,
19:21 and it took time to reach the hospital.
19:24 We also benefited from the psychological support course by learning how to help our children and offer them mental support.
19:32 According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the number of women killed has touched 9,000.
19:39 In terms of numbers, during this war in Gaza, 45 women are killed every day,
19:46 and at least 3,000 became widows who have to support their families in an extremely dangerous environment.
19:54 Nohara Zin, CGTN, Gaza.
19:58 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a fresh appeal for air defenses following the latest Russian strike on the country's energy infrastructure.
20:16 Officials say power facilities in the center and west of Ukraine were targeted in Moscow's latest aerial assault.
20:24 In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, a missile struck outside a hospital, treating dozens of patients.
20:30 At least one woman was injured.
20:32 The Pentagon has said it will rush Patriot air defense missiles and artillery ammunition to Ukraine as part of its new $6 billion military aid package.
20:43 This is the largest security assistance package that we've committed to date.
20:48 It will include critical interceptors for Ukraine's Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems,
20:56 more counter-drone systems and support equipment, significant amounts of artillery ammunition and air-to-ground munitions,
21:06 and maintenance and sustainment support.
21:10 Thousands of people have gathered outside the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in Madrid to urge Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to remain in office.
21:21 A meeting of the party to express support for Sánchez was live-streamed to waiting supporters outside.
21:27 Sánchez said Wednesday he was halting public duties after a judicial investigation was launched into corruption allegations against his wife.
21:37 He's expected to make an announcement on Monday.
21:41 Thousands of people in Australia have been demanding tougher laws on gender violence.
21:47 Rallies were held in cities across the country, including Sydney.
21:51 It follows a wave of violence against women that the government says has seen one woman killed every four days this year.
21:58 Earlier this month, six people, including five women, were killed in a mass stabbing in Sydney's Bondi suburb.
22:06 Hundreds of people have been left homeless in Indian-administered Kashmir after landslides destroyed dozens of homes.
22:14 Residents were forced to evacuate after severe land subsidence, the sudden sinking of the earth's surface due to an underground movement.
22:22 The village of Ramban saw all its telecommunication towers knocked down and crops destroyed.
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22:39 The Olympic flame is on its way to France for the Paris Summer Games.
22:44 Following a ceremony at the Greek port of Piraeus, the flame is now travelling by sea on board a 128-year-old vessel.
22:53 It's expected to arrive in Marseille on May the 8th.
22:56 Our correspondent Evangelos Tsipsas reports.
22:59 Another historic moment for the 128-year-old French ship as the Belem left the Greek port of Piraeus with the Olympic flame on board to start its journey across the Mediterranean.
23:13 Hundreds watched as the flame was brought on board in a ceremony at the port's cruise terminal, which was accompanied by Greece's naval band.
23:23 It's reminiscent of another era. The vessel certainly feels like it came out of a movie. It's cinematic.
23:33 I wish we could be closer and see the events up close and personal, but unfortunately that's not possible.
23:39 But just having the opportunity, our city had the honour of welcoming the boat and handing over the flame, I am very happy.
23:46 The Belem, a French three-masted sailing vessel, was built in 1896, when the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens.
23:56 It was first used for cargo, but in 1914 it was sold to a British aristocrat who converted the ship into a luxury yacht.
24:04 After many decades, she became a training vessel for the Italian Navy.
24:09 On Saturday, the ship had the honour of transporting the Olympic flame in a metal laterne made from recycled steel, alongside a Paris 2024 mascot.
24:21 During its 11-day stay in Greece, the historic sailing boat was visited by thousands of people, including many tourists.
24:29 We're very proud the vessel is here in Greece. The Olympic flame will go from Athens to Marseille, passing on the baton from the mythical stadium on an interim basis.
24:44 I'm lucky to be with my wife on vacation in Greece for a week, and I'll be able to see the whole ceremony.
24:50 We got up very early this morning to get a front row seat and also see the vessel.
24:55 Setting sail from the port of Piraeus, the historic ship will dock at the port of Marseille on May 8th, before it takes the flame on tour across France and its overseas regions, including New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
25:12 Evangelos Lipsas for CGTN, from the port of Piraeus.
25:16 With the Summer Olympics just a few months away, some Paris hotels are cashing in by raising prices ahead of the Games.
25:25 There's also been an explosion of first-time rental hosts making their apartments available.
25:30 But with the anticipated influx of tourists, there are concerns the city's transport links may be overwhelmed.
25:37 Ross Cullen reports from Paris.
25:39 Paris is the capital of the most visited country in the world, and it is a year-round hit with tourists.
25:47 Add in the biggest multi-sport show on Earth, and you can see how Paris will also be one of the world's most crowded cities for a time this summer.
25:55 The hotel industry is looking to welcome all those visitors, and according to the hospitality sector, there are still issues surrounding staff working during the Olympics that have not been ironed out with the city and Games authorities.
26:08 There are still concerns about employment. Will we be able to find enough staff to welcome the tourists who will be coming to Paris?
26:19 There's also the question of training new employees.
26:22 We're starting to get some answers about delivery and logistics.
26:26 And then there's the very important question which the government has to answer.
26:31 Site security and how we're going to ensure that the sites are secure enough to welcome our customers.
26:38 Thousands of Parisians are looking to cash in by renting their apartments for the Games.
26:42 The mayor, Ana Dalgo, pleaded earlier this month for them to remain in the city this July and August.
26:48 She is urging them to stay to enjoy the Olympic and Paralympic atmosphere.
26:53 Hundreds of thousands of Parisians traditionally leave the city in the summer and head on holiday.
26:59 This year, despite the mayor's plea, many locals are saying they are still planning to head out and try to make some money while they are away.
27:07 The local government is doubling metro fares and tripling the tourist tax during the Games.
27:12 It argues it needs to raise prices to be able to improve services.
27:16 But some people in the French capital think the authorities are exploiting the expected surge in visitors.
27:23 For the Olympics and Paralympics, the Paris capital region transport body will increase its transport options considerably.
27:32 It is unthinkable that locals would pay for this, so we're going to create a new transport pass to allow people to move around the whole Paris capital region.
27:41 It will cost 16 euros a day. That is a fair price.
27:45 16 euros per day. 16 euros per day is the fair price.
27:49 On the one hand, there are the anticipated pressures on the transport system, an exodus of locals and increased security measures.
27:57 But on the other, these Games will be the greenest ever, and they are forecast to come in on time and with a smaller budget than at the previous Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Rio and London.
28:08 Ross Cullen, CGTN, Paris.
28:11 And that is the World Today. Thank you so much for watching.
28:16 We've got more news at the top of the hour coming up next.
28:19 It's the agenda with Juliette Mann.
28:22 For now, from all of us here in London, goodbye.
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