World Today

①We hear from a Moldovan diplomat about how the Belt and Road Initiative has benefited his country. (00:57)

②US President Joe Biden will travel to Israel to try to influence its conduct of war against Hamas. What will Biden's trip be able to accomplish? And what might be beyond Biden's control? (13:29)

③In Poland, opposition parties appear to have gained enough votes in the general election to oust the ruling Law and Justice party. What’s at stake here? (25:02)

④In New Zealand, conservative former businessman Christopher Luxon will be the next prime minister after winning a decisive election. What does his business background mean for his governance style? (33:57)

⑤Recent industry reports have highlighted China's advances in the cloud computing industry. (41:34)

①China will send special envoy on a Middle East de-escalation mission. Is China deepening its involvement in facilitating a potential ceasefire in the Gaza crisis? (00:59)

②We hear from a former project director of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor about the achievements of the flagship BRI project over the past decade. (13:32)

③We take a look at China's new foreign trade figures. (24:59)

④The US seeks to tackle the so-called loopholes in chip restrictions against China. Does this risk complicating the diplomatic efforts to stabilize the ties between Beijing and Washington? (34:27)

⑤We explore why Australia has overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give greater political rights to Indigenous people in a referendum. (43:43)

A week into the Israel-Hamas war, the crisis is continuing to escalate. The surprise weekend attack by Hamas was the biggest single mass killing of Israelis since 1948. Israel is retaliating by targeting the Gaza Strip, a small territory that has been under the control of Hamas since 2007.

In this edition of the program, we continue to explore the underlying issues behind this crisis, and whether it will spiral into a bigger conflict.

Host Ding Heng is joined by Dr. Guy Burton, Adjunct Professor at the Department of International Affairs, Vesalius College in Brussels; Dr. Wang Jin, Middle East expert and Associate Professor with Northwest University in Xi'an, China; Ricardo Laremont, Professor of Political Science and Sociology with the State University of New York in Binghamton.

① Is the waning U.S. impact in the Middle East evident amid recent Palestine-Israel conflicts? (00:56)

② Borrell's trip to China: How will China, EU enhance cooperation amidst trade challenges? (15:02)

③ What’s behind the better-than-expected growth in China's auto market? (35:27)

④ How U.S. partisan polarization hampering progress on critical issues? (44:53)

① China calls for efforts to advance the two-state solution to resolve the newly erupted conflict between Israel and Palestine. (00:51)

② How China-Europe freight trains linking 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries and regions contributed to global development over the past decade? (24:24)

③ Why IMF slashes 2023 global growth forecasts: insights into the downward revision. (33:30)

④ What prompted Malaysia to use its currency for international trade to reduce reliance on US dollar? (43:27)

① Xi calls China-US relations "the most important bilateral relationship in the world." (00:57)

② Highlights of a white paper on Belt and Road cooperation. (14:04)

③ China urges the Philippines to stop its infringement of Chinese territorial waters in the South China Sea. (25:20)

④ China's manufacturing PMI bounces back to expansion territory in Sept as economy improves. (35:09)

⑤ Iran, Sudan decide to restore diplomatic relations after a seven-year strain. (45:16)

① How Palestine and Israel tensions reshape the regional landscape? (00:44)

② Thailand’s PM visits Hong Kong. What role HK plays in facilitating collaboration between ASEAN nations? (24:19)

③ China to encourage participation of more private enterprises in telecommunications sector. What is the prospect? (35:09)

④ Is soaring U.S. debt threatening a global economic slowdown? (45:01)

In the US, the United Auto Workers strike has been going on for three weeks, and it looks like the labor union is prepared for a long fight.

For the first time, the UAW is striking against all of the Big Three — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — at the same time.

Anderson Economic Group, a Michigan-based research company, estimates the first two weeks of the movement alone have cost the US economy almost $4 billion.

What has made these auto workers put down their tools? Is the strike a reflection of a bigger social movement in the country?

Host Ding Heng is joined by Paul Fabrizio, Professor of Political Science with McMurry University; Derek Catsam, Professor of History at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin; Aubrey Jewett, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Florida.

① China expresses strong dissatisfaction over the European Union's probe into Chinese electric cars. Is the EU's investigation protectionist in nature, as China has argued? (00:50)

② Japan releases a second round of nuclear-contaminated water. What could be the long-term impact on the marine environment and public health as the discharges are expected to continue for decades? (13:16)

③ What's behind the repeated incidents between the China Coast Guard and Filipino vessels in waters near Ren'ai reef? (24:11)

④ London is on the cusp of becoming the biggest stock market in Europe again. (33:44)

⑤ Hangzhou Asian Games: How are sports evolving in digital age? (43:07)

①Kevin McCarthy has become the first Speaker of the US House of Representatives to be ousted. What happens next? (00:47)

②The European Union will assess export controls on sensitive technology. We examine the evolving definition of "national security" in the context of international trade. (13:44)

③In a sharp escalation of a weeks-long crisis, India has told Canada to withdraw dozens of diplomatic staff. What does the future hold for India-Canada relations? (23:52)

④Mexico president slams US military support for Ukraine and urges Washington to invest more in assisting Latin American nations. (31:39)

⑤The Resurgence of Squash: highlights from the 19th Asian Games & its growth potential (41:08)