- 2 years ago
21/02/2023
FTS 14.30
*Israel commits 11 massacres in Gaza in the last 24 hours
*UK: Stella Assange denounces criminalization of journalism amid extradition trial
FTS 14.30
*Israel commits 11 massacres in Gaza in the last 24 hours
*UK: Stella Assange denounces criminalization of journalism amid extradition trial
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NewsTranscript
00:00 During the third day of hearing at the International Court of Justice, the Cuban delegation accused
00:15 the Israeli occupation of committing massacres against the Palestinian people and denounced
00:21 the United States of complicity in the massacres committed in the Gaza Strip.
00:43 And on this second day of hearing on Julian Assange's extradition, Stella Assange claimed
00:48 attempts against her husband are a criminalization of journalism and truth.
00:59 Hello and welcome to From the South.
01:02 My name is Belén de los Santos.
01:03 I'm from the Telesur studios in Havana, Cuba.
01:06 We begin with the news.
01:24 During the third day of hearing at the International Court of Justice, the Cuban delegation accused
01:28 the Israeli occupation of committing massacres against the Palestinian people and denounced
01:34 the United States of complicity in the massacres committed in the Gaza Strip.
01:38 The jury of the International Justice Organism continues to hear the arguments of the different
01:44 countries condemning the actions of Israel for its illegal actions of forcibly occupying
01:49 the Palestinian territories.
01:51 Several representatives of the Caribbean countries gave their position on the silence of the
01:56 international community and the complicity of the United States in sponsoring the siege
02:01 that Israel maintains in Palestine.
02:04 The representative of the Cuban delegation, Ana Yassi Rodriguez, denounced the Tel Aviv
02:09 regime of committing apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territories.
02:17 The Palestinian people, its girls, boys, women and civilian population as a whole, continue
02:26 to be massacred due to the illegal use of force by Israel, the occupying power.
02:33 And all this takes place with the complicity of countries such as the United States of
02:41 America, responsible on the international law for genocide, war crimes, crimes against
02:50 humanity and the apartheid regime that determines where people can live, work and move around
03:00 depending on their ethnic and religious backgrounds.
03:05 The representative of the Cuban delegation stressed that Israel must assume legal responsibility
03:11 and involvement for its actions in the Palestinian territory.
03:15 The presentation of the Cuban delegation has been structured as follows.
03:20 In the first part, we will discuss the essential legal elements that should serve as the basis
03:26 for establishing the international responsibility of the occupying power and all other international
03:33 actors involved.
03:35 In the second part, we will focus on the legal implications and consequences that should
03:42 be demanded for such internationally wrongful acts or omissions.
03:49 In Palestine, on Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Deir el-Bala
03:54 killed at least 25 people in the central Gaza Strip.
03:58 According to local media, among the victims of the bombings were four women and four children,
04:03 and so far the number of wounded is unknown.
04:06 It should be noted that also on Tuesday, six people were killed after an attack on a vehicle
04:10 in the same locality.
04:12 On the other hand, the health authorities denounced that in the last 24 hours, Israel
04:16 has committed 11 massacres, killing 118 civilians and wounding more than 163 locals.
04:25 In this regard, Gazans warn that meanwhile hundreds of corpses remain in the streets
04:31 and under the rubble.
04:32 The Israeli army prevents rescue teams and residents from reaching them, while the latest
04:37 overall death toll stands at 29,708 since October 7th.
04:48 Israeli troops killed three Palestinian militants during an overnight raid in the northern West
04:53 Bank city of Yenin.
04:55 The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed at least one death in the Israeli operation,
05:00 the latest in a month-long military offensive across the occupied West Bank.
05:06 An army release said that the IDF soldiers detained 14 people, killed three and shot
05:11 down others.
05:12 Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, said that Israeli troops stormed the
05:17 town of Yenin overnight, besieged two houses and provoked violent clashes, during which
05:23 three Palestinians were injured.
05:25 Wafa added that the army hit a house with a missile in the adjacent refugee camps.
05:32 "There is a need now to escalate every struggle and solidarity effort everywhere, not only
05:41 in Palestine but throughout the world, in order to thwart the conspiracy of any cleansing
05:46 and break the conspiracy of starvation.
05:49 The Israeli occupation is committing a major crime, eliminating Palestinians through murder,
05:54 destruction, bombing, starvation and diseases."
05:58 The United States on Tuesday vetoed an Arab-backed UN resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian
06:04 ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip.
06:08 The proposal, which received 13 votes in favor with the United Kingdom abstaining, also rejected
06:14 the forcibly displacement of the Palestinian civilian population in violation of international
06:19 law and demanded the immediate cessation of such violations and the immediate and unconditional
06:26 release of all hostages.
06:27 It also called for unrestricted humanitarian access to and throughout the Gaza Strip.
06:33 U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield insisted that approval of the Algerian proposal could
06:39 jeopardize ongoing negotiations.
06:41 This is the third time that the Security Council, whose resolutions are binding, has failed
06:46 to reach a joint statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza because of a U.S. veto.
06:52 Russia accused the United States before the International Court of Justice of maintaining
07:02 an irresponsible approach that has weakened the political processes to resolve the Israeli
07:08 occupation in Palestine.
07:10 During his speech, the Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands Vladimir Evgenievich Tarabin
07:16 assured that the current wave in the Middle East is the result of ignoring the UN Security
07:20 Council's resolutions.
07:22 The diplomat accused Washington of sending military supplies to Tel Aviv, causing a greater
07:28 tension before the international community for the resolution of the conflict between
07:33 the Israel regime and Hamas.
07:35 In this context, the High Diplomat pointed out that the Tel Aviv regime continues to
07:40 carry out illegal aggressions against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
07:50 For his part, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that an immediate full ceasefire
07:54 between Israel and Hamas would not be in anyone's interest ahead of a parliamentary debate on
08:00 this issue.
08:02 Mr. Speaker, this afternoon the House will have an opportunity to consider its approach
08:11 to the situation in Israel and Gaza.
08:14 Our position is crystal clear.
08:16 We have called, and will always call, for an immediate humanitarian pause, which would
08:20 allow the safe release of hostages and more aid going into Gaza to create the conditions
08:26 for a genuinely sustainable ceasefire.
08:28 But just calling for an immediate full ceasefire now, which collapses it back into fighting
08:33 in days or weeks, would not be in anyone's interest.
08:38 We are committed not just to an immediate humanitarian pause, but also to finding a
08:42 lasting resolution to this conflict, which delivers on the promise of a two-state solution
08:47 and ensures that Israelis and Palestinians can live in the future with dignity and security.
08:55 On Wednesday in Syria, at least two civilians were killed after a new attack by Israeli
08:59 forces in a residential area of Damascus.
09:02 In this regard, Syrian authorities reported that approximately 9.40 am local time, Israel
09:08 launched an airstrike with several missiles from the direction of the occupied Syrian
09:13 Golan and targeted a residential building in the Kafr Sousa neighborhood in Damascus.
09:19 In this sense, the bombing caused the killing of two civilians in addition to material damage
09:23 to the targeted building and some nearby buildings.
09:27 On the other hand, Syrian authorities condemned that Israel systematically attacks the Syrian
09:32 territory in spite of numerous denunciations by Damascus before the UN Security Council
09:38 in which it points out that these actions infringe its sovereignty and threaten regional
09:44 stability.
09:49 Now let's take a short break.
09:50 But remember you can join us on TikTok @TelesurEnglish where you will find news in different formats,
09:55 news updates and more.
09:57 Other stories coming up, stay with us.
09:59 Welcome back to From the South.
10:19 In a solidarity act of accompaniment, Stella Assange claimed that attempts to extradite
10:24 her husband, jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, to the United States to face espionage
10:30 charges for publishing secret material and diplomatic files are a criminalization of
10:35 journalism and truth.
10:36 Let's listen.
10:37 What I argue is that state secrets trump revealing state crimes.
10:45 This is the balance they're trying to shift.
10:48 They want impunity, they don't want to be scrutinized and journalism stands in the way.
10:55 And in that courtroom, they are having to make their position increasingly clear.
11:02 They have to admit that what they're doing is criminalizing journalism, is criminalizing
11:10 the truth.
11:11 They are liars, they are criminals and they are persecuting the journalists who expose
11:20 them.
11:29 Julian is a truth teller, he is a political prisoner and the world is watching these courts
11:38 and how they deal with this case.
11:42 On this second day of hearing, the Assistant General Secretary of the International Federation
11:47 of Journalists, Tim Dawson, also addressed Julian Assange's supporters outside the courthouse
11:52 to demand freedom of the press.
11:53 When we ask ourselves why we are here in the rain, why are we here in the cold, I say to
11:54 you it's because we want to defend those civil liberties.
11:55 We want to defend press freedom and we want to see the freedom of Julian Assange.
11:56 Join me, free Julian Assange, free Julian Assange, free Julian Assange.
12:19 Julian Assange's legal team made a strong case yesterday that if we allow this to happen,
12:25 it will extinguish a liberty that we have enjoyed for centuries.
12:30 That protection that people have for extradition for political reasons, no parliamentary debate,
12:36 no parliamentary decision has been taken to extinguish that liberty.
12:40 We will be doing so, we will all be losing that liberty simply for the convenience of
12:46 the American people.
12:48 And in Argentina, several press unions and other popular organizations also held a rally
12:53 in the Plaza de Mayo in support of Australian journalist Julian Assange.
12:59 There is no doubt of what Assange has done and therefore what is at stake with the imprisonment
13:04 and according to various UN agencies, the torture of Assange and his arbitrary imprisonment,
13:10 what is at stake in precisely access to information.
13:16 In this context, a representative of the committee for Julian Assange in Argentina assured that
13:21 the United States wants to take revenge on Assange for showing the side of the invasion
13:25 of Iraq and Afghanistan that the world did not know about.
13:31 The United States Armed Forces want revenge for having leaked information that was sensitive
13:35 for them, but that allowed militias in the world to understand the world crimes that
13:40 were being committed at that time by the Bush administration.
13:44 Tony Blair, who was the president of England, the Great Britain and the entire coalition
13:49 that accompanied the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.
13:54 Meanwhile in Brazil, representatives of several popular movements protested demanding freedom
13:59 for journalist Julian Assange as well.
14:02 Activists and organizations in Rio de Janeiro rallied in front of the United Kingdom embassy
14:07 demanding the release of the WikiLeaks founder, detained since 2019 for revealing U.S. war
14:12 crimes.
14:13 The mobilization is part of a global action that seeks to prevent his extradition to U.S.
14:19 territory.
14:20 If Assange's appeal fails in the British courts, he will have exhausted all avenues
14:25 of appeal in the United Kingdom.
14:26 However, his defense highlighted that a final appeal to the European Court of Human Rights
14:31 is still possible.
14:40 We are united and in communion with the whole world that cannot continue to bear the crimes
14:45 committed by the United States, crimes that were disclosed to the whole world through
14:50 a courageous journalist who swore to tell the truth and told the truth.
14:54 And because of that, he is being brutalized.
15:00 The international persecution against Assange is a consequence of the revelations he made
15:04 about the wars, denouncing war crimes.
15:09 In other news, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Brazilian President Luiz
15:14 Ignacio Lula da Silva in the country's capital amid a diplomatic crisis between Brazil and
15:19 Israel over the war in Gaza.
15:21 U.S. Secretary of State landed in Brazil on Tuesday for his first trip to the South American
15:26 nation, arriving in the middle of a diplomatic friction after President Luiz Ignacio Lula
15:32 da Silva enraged Washington ally Israel by comparing its Gaza campaign with the Holocaust.
15:38 The comparison outraged Israel, which declared Lula persona non grata.
15:43 And Joe Biden has been Israel's key backer with the United States on Tuesday, vetoing
15:48 again a ceasefire call at the Security Council.
15:51 For the top U.S. diplomat, the belated first trip to Latin America power had been seen
15:57 as an opportunity to build ties.
16:06 Also Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived at the Foreign Ministry G20 Summit
16:12 in Rio de Janeiro, scheduled to begin on February 21st.
16:16 The conflict in Ukraine and the ongoing genocide from Israel to Hamas in Gaza are expected
16:21 to be chief on the agenda at the upcoming summit.
16:25 There will also be space for bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering, though
16:30 a Blinken-Lavrov encounter looks unlikely given soaring tensions.
16:34 The pair last met in person at the G20 gathering in India in March of the year 2023.
16:46 In Brazil, the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, declared a dengue epidemic
16:51 in the state after 49,450 cases and four deaths were recorded since the beginning of this
16:58 year.
16:59 At a press conference, Governor Carioca emphasized the importance of working calmly, but emphasized
17:05 that declaring the state of emergency would provide faster service.
17:10 He also warned about the approaching difficult days and months.
17:15 It is estimated that some 150,000 cases could be confirmed up to May.
17:24 On Wednesday, Argentine railroad workers announced they will remain on strike after failing to
17:29 reach an agreement with the government of Javier Millet for wage increases.
17:34 In this sense, representatives of the drivers' union pointed out that they did not reach
17:38 an agreement with the national government since it did not dictate the adjustment of
17:43 the purchasing power as a measure to face inflation.
17:48 In this sense, the railroad sector indicated that they will continue with the measure of
17:52 strike and there will be no trains at any point of the country until Thursday's midnight.
17:59 In this sense, union representatives assured that the strike has been almost completely
18:04 complied due to consider the government proposal to demand of the train drivers insufficient.
18:17 We have now a final short break coming up.
18:19 But before we invite you to join our WhatsApp community for our English speaking audience.
18:24 You can scan the QR code on screen to join directly and also share the link to reach
18:28 more people.
18:29 Constant news coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the rest of the world.
18:34 Stay connected and informed with Telesur.
18:36 Final short break.
18:37 Don't go away.
18:37 Welcome back to From the South.
18:58 On Wednesday in India, police officers were pressed with tear gas farmers marching to
19:03 demand legal guarantees for their production.
19:05 The farmers resumed the march after failing to achieve results they considered acceptable
19:10 in the negotiations with the government.
19:13 The sector is demanding an agreement that establishes favorable crop prices for products
19:18 such as legumes, corn and cotton for the next five years.
19:22 Farmers trying to make their way to the Indian capital from the neighboring states of Punjab
19:27 and Haryana have been pressing on the outskirts of the Indian capital for a week.
19:32 However, police forces have fired tear gas shells at the protesters as they try to approach
19:38 New Delhi.
19:44 On Wednesday in Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League and the Pakistan People's Party confirmed
19:49 the agreement to form a new coalition government in the country.
19:53 The agreement marks the end of the political deadlock in Pakistan, where the authorities
19:57 will have until February 19th to convene the first parliamentary session to decide on the
20:02 new government.
20:03 It should be noted that no political party obtained a simple majority in elections, which
20:08 forced the parties to unite in order to come to power, but the lack of consensus had given
20:13 rise to an uncertain scenario.
20:16 Precisely, local media highlighted that the latest elections in Pakistan are facing allegations
20:21 of electoral fraud, as a senior official resigned from his post on Saturday after taking responsibility
20:27 for the manipulation of election results in at least five districts in the Punjab province.
20:38 Thousands of Greek farmers protested in Athens on Tuesday to demand financial aid, escalating
20:43 a four-week showdown with a government that says there has no more funds to help.
20:48 According to local police, some 8,000 farmers took part in the protests, honking horns and
20:54 waving Greek flags on dozens of tractors driven to the capital from across the country.
20:59 The farmers began protesting last month, joining a wider movement that has seen roads blocked
21:05 in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, among other countries.
21:10 Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on the other hand, said the demonstration would be
21:15 useful to persuade the European Union to change its agricultural policies.
21:20 Greek discontent is partially fueled by anger at a slow pace of reconstruction after devastating
21:26 floods in September in Thessaly, the center of Greek agricultural production.
21:32 Farmers want import controls, lower fuel taxes, better prices for products and an easing of
21:39 European Union environmental regulations.
21:46 In Spain, the 31st Criminal Court of Madrid decreed the acquittal of José Manzaneda,
21:52 coordinator of digital media Cuba Información and of Euskadi Cuba.
21:57 The sentence comes four days after a public hearing in Madrid in which Manzaneda and Euskadi
22:03 Cuba were accused by the president of the association, prisoners' defenders Javier
22:08 Larrondo, considered a detractor of the Cuban government.
22:13 The court in Madrid also ordered the head of the prisoner defenders to pay part of the
22:19 costs for his recklessness and bad faith, maintaining that the accusation lacked grounds.
22:25 In a statement, the defense attorney recalled that the private prosecution was asking for
22:29 six years in prison and a fine of 8,400 euros for the journalist.
22:34 The criticism of the so-called anti-Castro focused on the medical collaboration that
22:40 the Cuban government carries out in several countries of the world.
22:48 In Albania, opposition demonstrators protested violently outside the government building
22:54 to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
22:57 Several protesters were arrested after some threw incendiary devices at the police cordon.
23:03 The protest in tyranny was organized by the Democratic Party of former Prime Minister
23:08 Sali Berisha, who is currently serving a sentence for house arrest for corruption offenses.
23:15 The protest was called on the anniversary of the fall of the communist government of
23:20 Mberjonja on February 20th, 1991.
23:29 And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
23:32 You can find these and many other stories on our website at telesoreenglish.net.
23:36 And also join us on social media, we are on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
23:42 For Telesore English, my name is Belén de los Santos.
23:44 Thank you for watching.
23:45 [music]
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