UN data shows record number of Palestinians displaced from West Bank by Israel

The violence and harassment by Israeli settlers in the West Bank displaced nearly 700 Palestinians in January, a record high since the latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted on Oct 7, 2023, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), violence by Israeli settlers has become the primary driver of forced displacement in the West Bank.

As a result of relentless settler harassment, around 130 Palestinian families have been forced to permanently leave their homes in the region, OCHA said.

Leaders In Future Tech+ (LIFT+), a large-scale documentary program focused on youth sci-tech innovation, made for integrated-media, was officially aired on Oct 3 by China Media Group (CMG).

Starting Oct 3, the program is set to air every Saturday at 17:30 on CMG's CCTV-4 channel and be simultaneously presented across its Yangshipin new media matrix.

The program, jointly produced by China Media Group, the Ministry of Education, and the municipal government of Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, brings together resources from industry, academia, research, and investment sectors to make a comprehensive showcase of the thriving ecosystem and dynamic growth of China's youth-led sci-tech innovation.

Since its launch, LIFT+ has held 15 preliminary rounds spanning 10 cities across China. Following a rigorous selection process involving nearly 500 registered enterprises and innovation teams, 100 groups of young innovators -- with an average age of 28 -- gathered in Nanjing to embark on a journey of growth, bridging technology with capital and connecting creative ideas with industry.

The premiere episode of the program uses a documentary-style perspective to chronicle the journeys of 22 teams of young innovators who unanimously passed the preliminary selection. A panel of "Youth Innovation Ambassadors" -- comprising over a dozen academicians, industry experts, and heads of leading investment firms -- is set up to help the young innovators take the center stage.

LIFT+ has demonstrated significant effectiveness in empowering the industry. Through multiple rounds of selection and a series of implementation-focused events, the program has secured investment intentions totaling over 485 million yuan (nearly 72.5 million US dollars) across 34 participating sci-tech enterprises. Furthermore, its collaboration with the city of Nanjing has led to 31 businesses setting up shop there.