24/12/2024
FTS 12.30
*Cuba continues to pursue its social justice agenda
*Ecuador’s VP denounces coup by Pres. Noboa
FTS 12.30
*Cuba continues to pursue its social justice agenda
*Ecuador’s VP denounces coup by Pres. Noboa
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00A new Israeli aggression into the Palestinian West Bank killed a teenager during an attack
00:15in the Tulkaram camp.
00:19The Cuban government continues to achieve social justice goals, despite the U.S. economically
00:24blocking coups against the Cuban people.
00:30And in Ecuador, Vice President Veronica Abad denounces a coup d'etat by President Novoa
00:34that threatens democracy.
00:41Hello welcome to From the South, I'm Luis Alberto Matos from the Resus Studios in Havana,
00:46Cuba.
00:47We begin with the news.
01:05In Palestine, a new Israeli aggression killed a teenager during an attack by the occupation
01:09forces on the Tulkaram camp in the occupied West Bank.
01:13The minor, identified as Fatih Zayed Odeh Salam, was shot by a Zionist sniper in the
01:18Al-Hara'ida neighborhood.
01:20Israeli regime soldiers then prevented ambulances and medical equipment from reaching the wounded
01:24kid, opening fire to force them to retreat.
01:27The Zionist regime stormed Tulkaram on Tuesday with several vehicles, including two bulldozers,
01:32which carried out demolition on public and private property, such as houses, shops and
01:36shelters.
01:42According to a statement issued by the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli-Zionist army
01:46killed 58 people and wounded 86 others during the past 24 hours.
01:51The document specifies that all the victims were civilians and more than half of them
01:55are women and children who were killed in what the ministry described as horrible and
02:00brutal crimes.
02:01With the latest figures, the authorities announced that the number of people killed in Palestine
02:05since October 7 last year stands at 45,317, while the number of wounded has reached 107,713.
02:19Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in court in Tel Aviv on Monday to
02:23take the stand again in his long-running corruption trial.
02:27Netanyahu will answer charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate
02:33cases during his appearances.
02:35He is accused of accepting goods worth tens of thousands of dollars from a billionaire
02:40Hollywood producer in exchange for assistance for his personal and business interests.
02:44He is also accused of promoting advantageous regulations for media moguls in exchange for
02:50favorable coverage for himself and his family.
02:53For his part, the Zionist Prime Minister claims the charges are a witch-hunt orchestrated
02:57by hostile media in a biased judiciary aimed at toppling his long tenure.
03:02Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli leader to testify as a defendant in a criminal trial.
03:12And the South Korean opposition announced it will submit a motion before the National
03:16Assembly to impeach Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, who currently acts as the country's acting
03:22president.
03:23Precisely, the parliamentary spokesman for the opposition Democratic Party, Yunsung Dong-gun,
03:28revealed to the media on Tuesday that he will present the motion over the course of
03:34the week to be voted on between Saturday and Sunday.
03:38The measure will be presented in retaliation for Han's refusal to ratify two special investigations
03:43into ousted President Jun Suk-yo-il and the First Lady, following the declaration of martial
03:48law on December 3rd, which triggered a serious political crisis in the nation.
03:57And in Turkey, at least 12 workers were killed and four others resulted injured in an explosion
04:03at a munitions factory in the western province of Baliktaşir on Tuesday.
04:07Industrial Guard authorities informed that for the incident at the factory, which had
04:11been producing explosives for years, there is no evidence leading to sabotage, so the
04:15case is being treated as a possible accident.
04:18The provincial governor reported the explosion occurring in the encapsulation section of
04:22the factory, causing the collapse of the building.
04:25In this context, the injured were taken to the hospital, while the existence of additional
04:30victims in the area is unknown so far.
04:38In the news in France, a new cabinet was elected after Prime Minister François Beyrouth announced
04:42his composition and the previous administration was dismissed in a historic vote of no confidence.
04:47After days of negotiations, Beyrouth formed a government made up of members of the outgoing
04:52team, dominated by conservatives and new figures from the center-left.
04:57One of the most urgent tasks for the new team will be to draw up a budget for 2025.
05:02The new cabinet takes office after months of political deadlock and pressure from financial
05:06markets to reduce France's colossal debt.
05:09Beyrouth replaced Michel Barnier, who resigned earlier this month after a historic no-confidence
05:14vote over the budget forced him to step down along with members of his cabinet.
05:23Also in France, in Paris, the Eiffel Tower reopened after a brief evacuation caused by
05:27a fire alarm this Tuesday.
05:30Some 1,200 tourists were evacuated from the iconic monument, but the situation was resolved
05:35without incident.
05:36Authorities reported that the fire was caused by one of the elevator's cables overheating
05:40at around 10.30 am local time.
05:42The Eiffel Tower has experienced one major fire in the past.
05:46The January 1956 blaze in its TV control room caused significant damage to its top section.
05:52The Parisian landmark is visited by an average of 15,000 to 25,000 visitors daily.
06:04Now we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at Telesul
06:08English where you'll find news in different formats, news updates, and much more.
06:12We'll be right back, stay with us.
06:34Welcome back.
06:35The Cuban government continues to achieve social justice goals despite the U.S. economic
06:39blockade imposed against the Cuban people.
06:41In this regard, while speaking at the 65th anniversary ceremony of the Ministry of Foreign
06:46Affairs, President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted the achievements of the Cuban revolution in
06:50the international arena by positively influencing Latin America and the Caribbean and other
06:55regions.
06:56The Cuban leader pointed out that the world expects from the nation an active role in
07:00the defense of social struggles against imperialism and all its forms of discrimination.
07:06Díaz-Canel also underlined that several international observers, both friends and adversaries of
07:10the country, recognize the influence that the island has had at a global level.
07:21Cuba has been and continues to be a beacon of dignity.
07:25The difficult times we experience will demand from you and from all of us to be more and
07:29more at the level of the heroic people to which we have the privilege of belonging.
07:38For those people who deserve everything, let us work tirelessly and creatively for victory.
07:45Homeland or death, we will triumph.
08:00And after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit eastern Cuba on Monday, authorities report no human
08:08life losses but several damages to infrastructures.
08:11According to the National Seismological Service, the earthquake was registered at 1 a.m. on
08:15December 3, with a depth of 9 km and located at about 35 km southwest of the town of Chivirico
08:22in Santiago de Cuba.
08:24As a result, 90 houses and four state buildings suffered damages, with reports of perceptibility
08:29being issued from provinces such as Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila.
08:33In addition, about 300 aftershocks were recorded.
08:36The event became the perceptible earthquake number 137 registered in Cuba so far in 2024.
08:48And torrential rains battered northwestern Haiti, leading to flash floods which brought
08:52about at least 7 fatalities and another 10 injured.
08:56Authorities specified that about 11,000 buildings have been flooded.
09:00Subsequently, deaths have been reported en route to Accras, Cuaimoses and Montbethel
09:06areas.
09:07In addition, data are still being collected on locations, damages to houses, schools,
09:12private offices and other facilities in various areas of Port-au-Prince city.
09:17In this context, the Hydrometeorological Unit of Haiti issued Monday a flood alert for the
09:22departments of NOR and GRANDANS.
09:31In Haiti also, the government has announced a plan to help the most vulnerable households
09:35in the midst of the climate crisis the country is experiencing.
09:39With the aim of satisfying some of the basic needs of the population, the government will
09:43launch a special program at the end of the year to support the most vulnerable.
09:48They emphasized that priority will be given to the elderly, the disabled and single mothers.
09:54Likewise, in addition to the strategies outlined, they announced that mobile canteens and soup
09:59kitchens will be installed to provide food to people in different communities.
10:09And in Mozambique, the death toll from the passage of Cyclone Chido rose to 120.
10:15The number of people affected now stands at 687,630 in the provinces of Cabo Delgado,
10:23Nampula, Niassa, Tete and Zofala.
10:26Cyclone Chido, which struck the north of the country on December 15 with winds of up to
10:30260 km per hour and 250 mm of rain in just 24 hours, also left 868 people injured.
10:39The hurricane destroyed at least 155,532 homes, 52 medical centers and 250 schools.
10:48It also affected 89 public buildings, 338 electricity pylons, 2,700 km of power lines
10:54and 11 mobile phone masts, among other material damage.
11:02The Constitutional Council of Mozambique ratified on Monday the electoral victory of the Frelimo
11:07Party's presidential candidate Daniel Chapo in the October elections.
11:11This way, the authority confirmed the candidate of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front
11:15Party obtained 65% of votes, revising downward the initial results of almost 71%.
11:22For his part, Chapo's main adversary in polls, opposition Venancio Mondlane, obtained
11:27an upward revision with 24.19% of the votes.
11:31The confirmation of the candidate's victory comes after two months of street protests
11:35sparked after Mondlane's party claimed Frelimo had rigged the election results.
11:39According to reports by local NGO, the civil unrest cost the lives of 130 people, mostly
11:44those of demonstrators, who were gunned down.
11:48We now have a second short break coming up, but before we invite you to visit our YouTube
11:54channel at Telesol English.
11:56There you'll be able to re-watch our interviews, top stories, special broadcastings and more.
12:00Hit the subscribe button and activate the notification bell to stay up to date on the
12:03world's most recent events.
12:04Functional break, don't go away.
12:05Welcome back.
12:06In Ecuador, Vice President Veronica Abad denounced that President Daniel Lobo's government staged
12:31a coup d'etat that threatens democracy.
12:33A bad detail that President Lobo intends to undermine democracy after ordering the immediate
12:38transfer of the Vice President to Turquille.
12:40The move comes after the prosecutor's office overturned the sanction imposed by the Labor
12:44Ministry that suspended her from office.
12:47Likewise, Veronica Abad recalled that she was unable to enter the offices of the Vice
12:51Presidency because it was fenced off and surrounded by military personnel, which goes against
12:56the Constitution, the law and democracy in Ecuador.
13:04Also in Ecuador, the justice system will probe the disappearance of four minors detained
13:09by the military in Guayaquil and we grant constitutional guarantees.
13:13The parents of the four missing teenagers will testify before court to determine if
13:17the minors were victims of forced disappearance or human rights violations.
13:22Officials from the Armed Forces, National Police, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry
13:26of Defense and the Ombudsman's Office are also summoned to this hearing.
13:31The State has to investigate and explain what happened to brothers Josue and Ismael Arroyo,
13:36Saul Arboleda and Steven Medina, aged between 11 and 15.
13:41The minors disappeared on December 8 in the city of Guayaquil, with Defense Minister Ian
13:47Carlos Lofredo confirming the aftermath of their detention by the military.
13:56And in El Salvador, ruling deputies passed on Monday afternoon new mining law that approved
14:01mining exploitation, which was banned since 2017.
14:06Social and environmental organizations gathered in front of the Legislative Assembly to show
14:10their rejection of the mining law and also point out environmental and social risks for
14:15the population.
14:17Protesters assured that they will continue with the demonstrations as pressure on the
14:21government to express their dissatisfaction.
14:23The decision was made despite protests from the Council of the University of El Salvador,
14:28which has expressed its concern about the environmental impact that the reactivation
14:32of metal mining would generate in the country.
14:44We want to ask the authorities of our country, both the government and the legislature, not
14:52to approve a new mining law that would allow mining exploitation in our territory.
15:01On the contrary, the law that was approved in 2017 that protects our country from all
15:08mining exploitation should remain in force.
15:14We are facing a life-and-death situation.
15:18It is not a partisan political discussion.
15:23It is about the protection of people's lives, people's health.
15:29That is why we made this request, and that is why the Church raises its voice for the
15:37benefit of all, on behalf of these people who have suffered so much over time, over
15:45the years, since the conquest, and in the name of God Himself.
15:54We ask you not to allow mining exploitation, which would take away the precious metals
16:02of our country, once again stripping us of them, but this time leaving in their place
16:12a large amount of lethal poison, lethal poison that will cause much harm to the population.
16:22Likewise the leader of the Santa Marta community, Peter Natareno, pointed out that the people
16:27are still outraged at the approval of the new mining law.
16:35There is a lot of indignation, people are outraged after, in our case, almost two years
16:41of struggle for the release of the five environmentalists, community leaders.
16:47Then the unconstitutional president that we have spoke, saying that they are going to
16:51open mining in this country, which has outraged the people who fought for many years, even
16:57having environmental martyrs in 2009, having people who fought and had to take refuge in
17:03Europe, such as journalists from Radio Victoria, among other organizations that were exiled.
17:10Meanwhile in Colombia, former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa Vazquez arrived at Bogota's El
17:15Dorado airport on Monday, after serving a 23-year prison sentence in the United States
17:20for drug trafficking.
17:21Former associate of the late drug lord Pablo Escobar, Ochoa Vazquez was released by the
17:26U.S. Justice Department on December 3rd.
17:29The 67-year-old former Medellín cartel leader arrived accompanied by U.S. agents, who turned
17:35him over to Colombian immigration officials.
17:37Vazquez was convicted by a U.S. jury in May 2003 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and
17:42attempted drug smuggling in connection with the shipment of up to 30 tons of cocaine per
17:46month into the United States between 1997 and 1999.
18:05In Mexico, a characteristic element during the Christmas season is the piñatas.
18:09Our correspondent Antonio Aranda visited the International Piñata Fair, where cultural
18:14richness is fused with traditions.
18:17Let's see.
18:20In the municipality of Acolman in the state of Mexico, 500 years ago the Augustinian friars
18:25started the tradition of piñatas.
18:33Tradition has it that they were initially clay pots decorated with colored paper.
18:37Their purpose was to teach elements of Catholic doctrine in a fun way, according to this chronicler.
18:43Here there was a feast dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, it was called Pancuetzalizli, and at the beginning
18:53of that feast that lasted 20 days, they hung from a wood at the entrance of the temple,
18:58a pot full of feathers and precious stones.
19:01Then the Augustinian friars to eradicate these festivities used the same clay pot but instead
19:06of filling them with feathers and precious stones, they filled them with fruit.
19:13The municipality of Acolman is proud to be considered the birthplace of piñatas in Mexico,
19:18which is why it is celebrating the 39th edition of the International Piñata Fair.
19:22Highlights Lord, fourth generation of piñata artisans.
19:29To speak of Acolman in the state of Mexico is to speak of piñatas.
19:32It makes me proud that I continue to preserve an identity in my municipality, that when
19:36people hear about Acolman they think about the piñatas, and above all continue to preserve
19:41the traditions and culture of our country.
19:45In Acolman more than 100 families are dedicated to making piñatas with different materials
19:49and shapes.
19:57Piñatas are a characteristic element of the Mexican festivities but they have transcended
20:00borders.
20:05The piñata came to Peru through television.
20:10You see it on television, in the movies, in cartoons, and in the celebrations as well.
20:17Then Mexicans start arriving to live in Peru and start making piñatas, therefore there
20:22are piñatas in Peru thanks to the Mexicans, who started making them there.
20:28It is mainly used in festivities.
20:30It is used for children's parties also.
20:36The International Piñata Fair also includes gastronomic and cultural activities.
20:40The tradition of piñatas is a clear example of the creativity and joy with which Mexicans
20:45celebrate Christmas and other holidays.
20:50And Venezuela's Executive Vice President José Rodríguez led an event to deliver gifts
20:54to children in El Paya Parish as part of the Merry Christmas 2024 plan.
20:59The Vice President said that this year more than 14 million toys have been distributed
21:03throughout the country, while she affirmed that 2024's greatest achievement is the country's
21:08peace.
21:09Rodríguez highlighted that President Nicolás Maduro, together with the people, are closing
21:13the year with a positive outcome, affirming that the wounds caused by the blockade have
21:17been defeated.
21:18The year 2025 will be one of greater hope.
21:25Like this we have come to the end of this newsbrief.
21:27You can find this and many other stories on our website at telestroenglish.net.
21:31So join us on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
21:36For Telestro English, I'm Luis Alberto Matos, happy holidays and thank you for watching.