- 2 years ago
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00:00 (music)
00:13 This is CGTN, China Global Television Network.
00:20 (music)
00:32 Live from London, this is The World Today.
00:36 Hello, I'm Jamie Owen. Welcome to the program, Our Top Stories.
00:40 (speaking foreign language)
00:44 Aid begins crossing into Gaza from Egypt's Rafa checkpoint,
00:48 but the United Nations says it's just a drop in the ocean of what's needed.
00:53 Dozens more Palestinians are killed as Israel maintains its heavy bombardment of Gaza.
00:59 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to fight till victory.
01:04 And world leaders and diplomats gather in Cairo for a summit
01:08 to try to find solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
01:16 (music)
01:27 Trucks carrying humanitarian aid have begun entering Gaza from Egypt
01:31 through the Rafa crossing after days of waiting at the border.
01:35 Twenty vehicles have so far gone through, which the United Nations says is far short of what's needed.
01:42 Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate the besieged Palestinian enclave,
01:46 with dozens of people killed overnight.
01:49 It's been two weeks since the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched its assault into southern Israel,
01:55 killing more than 1,400 people.
01:58 Since then, Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed over 4,300,
02:04 more than half of them women and children.
02:07 Our correspondent Akram Al-Satiri is in southern Gaza.
02:12 Well, as was said by the UN, the very same statements and the very same concerns
02:19 were echoed even by the World Food Programme,
02:21 whose director said that this is not sufficient for the people of Gaza.
02:26 This cannot cover the increasing humanitarian need of the people.
02:30 So in the very lacking situation people of Gaza are living,
02:32 with one million people who are already identified as IDPs, internally displaced people,
02:38 and with half a million of them in the UNRWA shelters,
02:42 of course they say it's less than a drop in the ocean,
02:45 and they understand it will never be able to tackle the increasing need
02:49 amongst the people that are already displaced and that are in need of daily care.
02:53 The UNRWA said that Gaza might need 100 truckloads every day
02:59 when it comes to the basic necessities only.
03:02 Israel's aerial bombardment of Gaza continues.
03:06 What more can you tell us about these latest attacks?
03:09 Well, the bombardments have been continuous in the Gaza South and Gaza North
03:19 for a whole time since the 14th past days.
03:22 Just a few minutes ago, the Israeli Air Force was dropping leaflets in Gaza North,
03:28 was asking people in Gaza North to move to the South.
03:32 By the way, the people in Gaza North and the South are not alike.
03:35 They are all subjected to the ongoing bombardment.
03:37 We could hear in Rafah, when we were waiting at the border,
03:40 around five or six different explosions coming from the three-four direction of Rafah city.
03:45 The Israeli government says efforts are underway to secure the release
03:49 of more than 200 hostages who are being held by Hamas.
03:53 On Friday, the Palestinian armed group released two US citizens in a deal brokered by Qatar.
04:00 Our correspondent Ross Cullen is in Tel Aviv.
04:02 Ross, what more have we heard from the Israeli government about hostages?
04:08 Jamie, there's been an increase in the number of hostages, 210 now,
04:14 the Israeli government says.
04:16 Also, we've heard from Hamas, and they have said that they
04:20 will not be ready to discuss the fate of the Israeli army captives
04:24 until Israel stops its aggression and stops its bombing campaign.
04:27 We know that among the people who've been taken captive,
04:30 there are Israeli citizens, non-Israeli citizens,
04:33 there are civilians, and also members of Israel's armed forces.
04:37 Now, we did see two people released, civilians, an American-Israeli mother and daughter,
04:43 Judith and Nathalie Ranam, were released by Hamas unilaterally for humanitarian reasons,
04:49 according to the Palestinian militant group yesterday.
04:53 That news has boosted the chances that there could be further releases of captives.
04:59 But in terms of those who are held hostage and are also members of Israel's armed forces,
05:04 Hamas are saying there won't be any discussions about possible
05:07 releasing of those soldiers until the end of the aggression,
05:10 until the end of this bombing campaign, which is now two weeks long,
05:14 which began in retaliation after the Hamas atrocities here inside Israel on the 7th of October.
05:20 Ross, we've been expecting the Israeli military to start what it says is the next phase of this conflict
05:27 for several days now. Is there any sign when this might happen?
05:33 Well, the war cabinet, Jamie, that's the cabinet that's made up of members of the
05:40 national unity government. So Benjamin Netanyahu, the defence minister Yoav Galant,
05:45 and the former defence minister, opposition figure Benny Gantz,
05:48 they went down to the southern area for a tour of the military reinforcements,
05:53 the military preparations today in and around the Gaza border area,
05:57 where there have been evacuations of residents in those southern towns and villages.
06:02 And instead, they have been taken up by tens of thousands of troops, hundreds of tanks.
06:07 Those, the three members of the government were down there visiting some of the preparations,
06:12 visiting the troops and the generals getting ready for this widely expected and highly anticipated
06:17 incursion into the Gaza Strip, which all of the members of the international community,
06:23 the president's prime ministers, foreign ministers who were attending the Cairo peace summit
06:28 in Egypt earlier today, they've agreed that will be an escalation if there were to be an Israeli
06:34 military incursion into the Gaza Strip, just as the humanitarian effort is getting underway to
06:39 try to bring aid into the Palestinian territory. There have also been Israeli armed forces
06:44 reinforcements taking place and getting into position, Jamie, in the north of the country
06:49 on the Lebanon border, because we have had two people wounded today inside Israel after anti-tank
06:54 missiles were fired by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon. There have also been rockets and mortars
07:00 launched towards Israel as well. And so there have been evacuations in the north, moving people
07:05 out of harm's way, out of, away from that area in the north to safety. And instead, again,
07:11 Israeli soldiers taking up positions in the north of the country to try to fight off if there were
07:16 to be any escalation of the conflict by any kind of incursion or attempted incursion into Israel
07:22 by members of Hezbollah, which is the militant group based in Lebanon, which is backed by Iran.
07:27 So there are still moves and preparations underway on the military side. But yes, as of yet, Jamie,
07:33 no official start date or time for this military incursion by Israeli defense forces into the Gaza
07:40 Strip. Ross, thank you for that. Our correspondent, Ross Cullen in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, several world
07:46 leaders and senior diplomats are gathering in Cairo for a summit hoping to find solutions to
07:52 the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Our correspondent Adel Al Marouki is in the Egyptian capital.
07:58 There is definitely a strong presence from leaders from the Arab world in Africa. And as you said,
08:06 we're seeing less leaders from Europe, for instance, among the attendees is the prime
08:13 minister of Italy, Spain, Greece and the president of Cyprus. These are from Europe countries
08:20 influential enough in the Palestinian crisis from Europe have also had representation on
08:24 the foreign ministry's level. That includes France, the UK and Germany. In general,
08:30 the talks here are trying to focus on four main stages of negotiations. That was more or less a
08:36 plan presented by the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He first wants to guarantee
08:41 humanitarian access into Gaza continuously throughout this continuous war as it enters
08:48 its third week. Secondly, President al-Sisi wants help internationally to push for mediation efforts
08:55 and talks for a ceasefire. From that, he hopes this would lead to a revival of the peace talks
09:00 between the Palestinians and Israelis. And at the end, no matter how long it will take, he
09:06 wants these efforts to aim for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. That comes
09:12 in addition to requests from the Palestinian president for Palestine to be recognized as
09:18 a full member in the United Nations in the meantime. Adel, realistically, what are the
09:24 prospects for any progress at the summit given who's not there? Well, even if people were there,
09:33 the diversity of the countries involved in these talks does not allow it for them to have like
09:42 a kind of an executive plan. We are talking from leaders from Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada,
09:49 the United States has its envoy here, China has its envoy to the Middle East here as well. So,
09:54 by nature, all these countries belong to other regional organizations that are more influential
10:00 in terms of taking executive measures like the African Union, the Arab League, the European Union
10:04 and the United Nations. So, generally, what we're talking here, the summit is basically talking
10:10 about having some sort of global acceptance if that may apply to the countries that are
10:16 participating, which is a decent number of countries, about 34 or 36 are here. So,
10:22 these countries can at least agree on a roadmap for talks and for helping in a ceasefire that is
10:30 expected to last a bit longer, then at least there is a track that the international community agrees
10:36 on. And from there, this could be driven to other rounds of talks within these international or
10:42 regional organizations so that it can be translated into an executive plan. But to expect something
10:48 groundbreaking or a breakthrough from the Cairo summit, I think it's a bit unlikely.
10:54 London's police force says up to 100,000 people have attended a March for Palestine rally.
11:02 Protesters called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the safe delivery of humanitarian aid.
11:08 It's the second rally organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Group.
11:12 Similar protests have been held in Rome, Sydney, Bangkok and other cities.
11:17 India has successfully conducted the first test flight of its Ganga-Nyarn mission aimed at sending
11:25 astronauts into space by the year 2025. The test of the crew escape system has been twice delayed.
11:32 Several unmanned launches are scheduled as part of this mission, including sending a robot into
11:37 space next year. A second red danger warning has been issued in the UK and eastern Scotland
11:44 as Storm Babette continues to present a danger to life. Three people have been killed as torrential
11:50 rain and heavy winds swept across large areas of the country. Thousands of homes are without power.
11:56 The former England and Manchester United footballer Sir Bobby Charlton has died at the age of 86.
12:05 Charlton was a part of the England side that won the 1966 World Cup and was a key figure in
12:12 Manchester United's revival after the Munich air disaster, helping them to become the first
12:17 English club to win the European Cup in 1968. You're watching CGTN Still Ahead, remembering
12:26 Aberfan. 57 years ago today, 116 children and 28 adults killed when a coal tip buried their school.
12:35 Ever wondered what's the difference between a bear and a bull market?
12:47 Where are the cash cows and who are the lame ducks? And what exactly are black swans?
12:56 Grey rhinos and unicorn companies.
13:02 Make sense of it all with global business only on CGTN.
13:10 I think it should be more public oppression.
13:14 I would like to hear more the voice of the developing countries. Globalization has lifted
13:24 more than a billion people out of poverty. The green transition has to happen. It's a necessity.
13:31 For China and the United States, our important powers in the world. What unites us is much more
13:41 than what divides us. And I believe China is committed to this agenda. Join me, Juliet Man,
13:49 to set the agenda at these times every weekend on CGTN.
13:56 Events have consequences. Words create impact. One more offensive in a long line of battles
14:05 that's been ongoing for... Just got to be careful here with some gunshots. Excuse us.
14:10 The world today matters, but your world tomorrow. The number of casualties is growing quickly.
14:17 Why this is one of the hardest hit towns in the region. The world today, every day on CGTN.
14:25 Join us in San Francisco on November 14th through 16th for the most influential meeting of the
14:32 world's leaders and business executives in the Asia Pacific. The Apex CEO Summit 2023 will focus
14:38 on creating economic opportunity. The summit will promote sustainability, inclusion, resilience,
14:45 and innovation across the Asia Pacific. Don't miss your chance to be part of the conversation.
14:50 Request your invitation at ApexCEOSummit2023.com.
14:55 Hello, welcome back. A reminder of our top stories. Aid begins crossing into Gaza from
15:06 Egypt's Rafa checkpoint, but the United Nations says it's just a drop in the ocean of what's
15:12 needed. Dozens more Palestinians are killed as Israel maintains its heavy bombardment of Gaza.
15:19 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to fight till victory. And world leaders and diplomats
15:27 have gathered in Cairo for a summit to try to find solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
15:34 Well, Israel is continuing to mass troops and armored vehicles near Gaza ahead of an expected
15:42 land offensive, but they've yet to cross the border. Sean Bell is a retired Air Vice Marshal
15:48 and military analyst. I think from a military analyst perspective, two most likely reasons,
15:54 one of which is political pressure. You'll remember Anthony Blinken and Lloyd Austin,
15:59 the American diplomats, were pushing very hard to Netanyahu to try to moderate his actions,
16:07 to try to make clear that all civilian lives matter and give some time, buy time for the
16:13 Palestinians to move south. But from the main reason, I think, is almost certainly that if you
16:18 wind the clock back two weeks, Israel was as near to peace as it has been over the last few years.
16:24 And then all of a sudden it's looking to wage its biggest military campaign for decades. And
16:29 they mobilized 350,000 people. They've planned to a joint military operation, air, land and maritime
16:36 together. And I know firsthand those are incredibly difficult operations to pull together.
16:42 So training the people, getting the logistics right, preparing to do the job properly rather
16:47 than fudging it, which will be extremely dangerous. I think those are the main reasons why we've
16:52 seen a delay to date. How complex a military operation will this be when Israeli ground
16:58 forces do go into Gaza? I mean, what exactly will they be seeking to do?
17:06 Well, again, with my military hat on, you always want clear objectives. And it's pretty clear what
17:13 Israel has said is they want to destroy Hamas. Now, that's great as an ideological ambition.
17:20 But when it comes to practically speaking, Hamas is an organization, but it's also a belief system.
17:26 It's also an ideology. And therefore, how do you actually do that? We're seeing the first stages
17:33 of that, the bombing campaign, which is designed to take out the infrastructure, Hamas's leadership,
17:38 probably some weapons supplies, communications nodes and stuff like that. But if you actually
17:43 want to take out individuals, you have to end up going in on foot. And that will be an infantry
17:49 operation. It won't be tanks. Tanks may well encircle Gaza City. But the urban warfare,
17:55 it's no place for a tank. And therefore, it becomes extremely dangerous, extremely difficult.
18:00 And you can only imagine that Hamas will fight. But then as soon as the times get tough,
18:06 they'll just blend away into the Palestinian peace, you know, the civilian population,
18:12 and all of a sudden leave Israel very frustrated. And you can just imagine Israel walking away,
18:17 believing job's done. And the very next day, a rocket barrage firing across the border from a
18:24 petulant Hamas. It's very difficult to see what good success looks like from a military operation
18:30 into Gaza. Is it realistic or even possible to dismantle Hamas in a ground offensive? I mean,
18:37 what would that look like? Well, unfortunately, you would end up getting involved in some form
18:45 of urban conflict. And without which to be melodramatic, the last time we saw that in
18:49 recent times, was the Russians going into Bahrain. And you'll recall that 30,000 Russian soldiers
18:56 died in street to street fighting. Every corner, every window, every door offers a threat.
19:03 And that will be very, very difficult for the idea. Plus the fact Hamas has got a network of
19:09 tunnels under Gaza City, known as the Gaza Metro. And some reports suggest that there are hundreds
19:15 of kilometers of tunnels underneath. And the Israelis will have no idea where they are.
19:21 The Hamas would have spent literally decades investing in these tunnels. By all accounts,
19:26 they've got power, they've got communications, they've got weapons, they've got headquarters
19:30 underground, rest areas, the like. And that means Hamas could pop up almost anywhere in the city
19:36 and cause absolute carnage on the IDF. So if the Israelis do decide to go in, and I think the jury
19:43 is still out about whether they will actually go right into the center of the Gaza City, the real
19:49 question is, it's very difficult to see how they will be able to extinguish Hamas. And it could be
19:54 an extremely costly battle for them. 57 years ago today, a small mining town in South Wales
20:01 suffered a tragic disaster. 116 children and 28 adults were killed when slurry caused by a buildup
20:10 of coal mining waste slid down a hill, burying their school and several houses. The mining
20:16 industry in the UK has largely gone, but its dark legacy, the coal tips and their dangers remain.
20:24 Our correspondent Yonawap David reports. In the Rhondda Valleys at one time, there were 60 coal
20:31 mines and more than 40,000 working underground. The hills weren't green, but covered in spoil
20:38 heaps, hundreds of thousands of tons of coal mining waste. The question is, I suppose, it was
20:43 something that may have been deemed safe in the 1980s or something like that. It doesn't necessarily
20:49 mean that's the case for all time. The industry is gone, the employment that it provided for
20:53 the people of the valleys has gone, but the tips are still here, and they're still
20:58 posing a potential risk, I suppose. Most disused coal tips are overgrown. Vegetation hides the
21:06 waste, but not the risk. Three years ago, more than 60,000 tons of coal waste rushed down the hill
21:12 near the village of Tylerstown after heavy rain during Storm Dennis. No one died and no home was
21:18 wrecked, but it frightened many locals. I don't think none of them are safe. How many are there
21:25 in all of the valleys? I mean, it's not only the Rhondda, it's the Kennan, it's further down and
21:29 everywhere else. I mean, across the country more or less, but everybody seems to ignore them.
21:35 In 1966, disaster struck. 116 children in Aberfan's Pantglass School were killed under
21:42 an avalanche of mining waste. It engulfed houses too, and 28 people also died. The scars from 57
21:49 years ago are deeply painful. Local campaigners argue it's in the public interest for governments
21:56 to publish which old coal tips are dangerous and their precise locations. I think the biggest risk
22:02 at the moment is that these coal tips are still there. They're on the side of hills, above where
22:07 people live, above where people go to the leisure centre, cycle, walk, above infrastructure that's
22:14 critical to the valleys, and currently there's no law in place to ensure that's been safeguarded.
22:21 Near Tylerstown, one tip at least has been removed at a cost of almost 10 million dollars,
22:28 but there are others, unstable after heavy rainfall, and climate change could exacerbate
22:33 the problem. I think there's a lot of secrecy and there's a lot of, oh we are monitoring, and
22:41 then you raise the question of, well what does that monitoring actually mean, and how's that
22:46 going to help if we do find that the water tables are rising, that there is more water in these
22:53 structures as climate change happens. As work continues on the Tylerstown tip, I wanted to ask
22:59 Welsh ministers and local government leaders why won't they say where the at-risk coal tips are,
23:06 especially those which may be problematic or even dangerous in the future. They either didn't reply
23:13 or declined to be interviewed. The UK government won't pay for an industrial cleanup. Wales's
23:19 government is vague despite promising it would help to safeguard properties and people and avoid
23:25 another catastrophe. Yolwab Davies, CGTN, Aberfan, Wales. For decades a trip through the Maracha
23:34 Canyon in Montenegro involved driving on one of the country's most dangerous roads, but that's
23:39 all changed thanks to the opening of a new Chinese-built highway. Our correspondent Aliosha
23:45 Malenkovic reports. Meet Goran Jankovic. He is a local commander in the protection and rescue
23:54 service in Montenegro's capital, Podgorica. Goran lives in a village some 30 kilometers
24:01 north of downtown Podgorica, where his family owns a small tourist farm.
24:06 This highway totally changed my life and the lives of my family. From the city rush,
24:14 we moved to a country-style life and it was more than the right decision.
24:18 And we already had the first tourists last year who came to the village
24:23 just because the highway was opened. Before that, it took Goran over an hour to drive to work on the
24:31 dangerous road of the Maracha Canyon. Now his commute is 20 minutes on a comfortable and most
24:37 importantly much safer road. So far, we've had about 1500 and 1700 casualties on the old road
24:49 through the Maracha Canyon. Now, since this highway is actively used, we've had some accidents,
24:55 but they are incomparable with the numbers from the old road.
24:58 The infamous Maracha Canyon road is bypassed by this Chinese-built feat of engineering.
25:06 It starts at 63 meters above sea level, rising to 1000 meters over its 41 kilometers.
25:14 This project encompasses a series of 20 bridges and 16 tunnels, all built by 3000 Chinese and
25:22 local workers. The highway takes drivers through some of the most challenging terrains on earth,
25:30 but also offers stunning views. That difficult construction was just the beginning of this
25:37 project, which says of vital importance for Montenegro. The government is already considering
25:44 the next step, but financial considerations make future projects more difficult.
25:50 It is evident now that because of the state of the public finances and the turbulent events on
25:57 the financial market, a model of financing the highway from our budget is almost impossible.
26:02 So we are open for the public-private partnership or other concession models.
26:06 The costs of the remaining sections of the highway might be too heavy for Montenegro,
26:12 but would be popular with the people like Goran, who says the new highway has already changed lives
26:19 for the better. Aljoša Milenković, CGTN, Podgorica.
26:26 The headlines again. Aid begins crossing into Gaza from Egypt's Rafa checkpoint. 20 vehicles
26:32 have so far gone through, which the United Nations says is far short of what's needed.
26:38 Dozens more Palestinians are killed as Israel maintains its heavy bombardment of Gaza.
26:45 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to fight until victory. And world leaders and diplomats
26:52 have gathered in Cairo for a summit to try to find solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
26:59 And that is the world today. Thank you for watching. There's more news on CGTN Europe's
27:05 channel on the Telegram app or scan the QR code on the screen to get stories and updates sent
27:11 direct to your phone. More news at the top of this hour. Coming up next, it's the agenda
27:16 with Juliet Man for now from me and all the team here. Goodbye.
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