World Today

① The United Nations says an Israel’s offensive into Rafah presents a terrifying prospect for Palestinians. (00:52)

② Chinese envoy has lamented the incomplete execution of the new Minsk agreement, urging parties in the Ukraine crisis to reflect. (13:24)

③ International influencers debunk ill-intentioned Western accusations. (27:05)

① Is China's economic future misjudged? Insights from Singaporean official's warning against underestimation. (00:48)

② Year of Dragon starts off with robust box-office takings and booming tourism. (12:00)

③ Can China's ice & snow tourism boom sustain its phenomenal rise? (24:52)

Fresh steam is being added to China's Spring Festival consumption surge as the world's second-largest economy taps its supersized market and creates new scenarios and products for its vast consumer base.

How is China's unleashing of its consumption potential injecting strong impetus into domestic and global economic recovery?

Host Ge Anna is joined by Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow at Taihe Institute and Chairman of Asia Narratives; Prof Qu Qiang, Research Fellow from Beijing Foreign Studies University; Dr. Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow with Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

①We take a look at China's latest consumer prices. Is there such thing as “persistent deflation” in China? (00:55)

②US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has travelled to Israel to try to seal Gaza truce deal, but Israel has sharply rejected an end to fighting. (15:03)

③We explore possible reasons of the latest leakage of radioactive water at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. (24:53)

④For the first time in two decades, US buys more from Mexico than from China. What does this new landscape indicate to the three countries respectively? (34:52)

⑤Why has Sweden decided to closes its probe into Nord Stream pipeline blast? (44:43)

①The Economic Working Group of the US and China have met in Beijing to discuss trade concerns and broader economic issues. What can we read from the meeting? (00:53)

②What’s at stake in Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis’s two-day China visit? (14:26)

③Main takeaways from US National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on Boeing’s blowout incident. (24:38)

④In the wake of funding suspensions by some 15 major donors, the main UN Palestinian relief agency is approaching three Gulf countries to rally financial support. (34:48)

⑤We take a look at a UNESCO meeting on ethical governance of artificial intelligence. (42:59)

①China and Norway have vowed to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, as foreign ministers of the two sides met in Beijing. What’s at stake in Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide’s three-day China trip? (00:49)

②We take a look at the efforts by China's financial regulators to stabilize stocks. (14:35)

③OECD revises 2024 global growth forecast upward. (25:19)

④US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a four-day tour of the Middle East, seeking progress on a deal to pause the war in Gaza. How much optimism is there in achieving this goal? (35:52)

⑤In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele has secured a landslide re-election victory. Is it a sign that voters want a continuation of his tough security measures against organized crimes? (45:17)

①We take a look at China’s “No. 1 central document” for 2024, a document that outlines the country’s priorities for promoting rural revitalization. (00:57)

②In a sign of escalating tensions in the Middle East, the US has carried back-on-back strikes on targets in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. (14:11)

③We take a look at the EU’s new aid package for Ukraine, as well as the unresolved issues in the aid. (24:58)

④Farmers are holding protests across Europe. What are their complaints and grievances? (35:56)

⑤European Union member countries have unanimously endorsed a landmark legislation governing the utilization of artificial intelligence. Is it a “historical first”? (44:39)

Big questions have been raised about Boeing’s quality control after a midair cabin panel blowout from a 737 Max 9 jet in early January. Till the latest incident, Boeing was still working to rebuild public trust after more than 340 people died in two crashes of 737 Max 8 planes in 2018 and 2019. The crisis has overshadowed the company’s latest earnings report. The US aviation regulator has also blocked Boeing from expanding production of the 737 Max, the biggest source of revenue in its commercial aircraft business.

In this edition of the program, we delve into the issues that have led to Boeing’s crisis, as well as their implications for the global aviation market.

Host Ding Heng is joined by David Newberry, aviation consultant and retired captain from Cathay Pacific; Zhang Fan, Associate Professor from Beijing Normal University; Professor Liu Baocheng, Director of the Center for International Business Ethics at University of International Business and Economics.

①Xi Jinping stresses the development of new productive forces and promotion of high-quality development. What are the details? (00:50) ②China urges for the regular and orderly operation of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. What are the contentions? (13:42) ③China opposes U.S. government officials’ baseless accusation of China attacking U.S. public infrastructure.(25:16) ④The U.S. Federal Reserve has left interest rates unchanged at a 22-year high of 5.25 percent to 5.5 percent.(34:55) ⑤Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologized to parents during online child safety hearing.(43:14)

① China, US holding meetings to tackle fentanyl trade in Beijing. (00:47)

② IMF upgrades 2024 global growth forecast to 3.1 percent. (16:23)

③ How can China achieve breakthrough leadership in tech innovation with goals for “future industries”? (26:30)

④ Is West Africa on the brink of unraveling? Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso's withdrawal raises concerns about regional stability and unity. (36:28)

⑤ Elon Musk says Neuralink implanted a wireless brain chip. (45:21)