19/02/2025
FTS 12.30
*Cuban govt. accuses USAID of allocating over $120m to destabilize the island
*Moscow willing to negotiate stable relations with the U.S.
FTS 12.30
*Cuban govt. accuses USAID of allocating over $120m to destabilize the island
*Moscow willing to negotiate stable relations with the U.S.
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NewsTranscript
00:00China sends humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed its wish for continued dialogue and international
00:14cooperation.
00:15That is one of the main news right now.
00:22Also the Cuban government denounced the United States Agency for International Development,
00:27USAID allocated more than $120 million to destabilize the island.
00:36And also among the headlines, the Russian government expressed Wednesday its interest
00:41in creating conditions for negotiating stable relations with the United States.
00:49Hello and welcome to From the South.
00:51My name is Belinda de los Santos.
00:52I'm from the headquarters in Havana, Cuba.
00:55Let's begin with the news.
01:13Now we begin with the information.
01:15China sent humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed its wish for continued dialogue and international
01:21cooperation to solve the conflict with Israel.
01:25According to Chinese authorities, the aid includes at least 60,000 emergency packages,
01:3012,000 of which are of food which will be delivered to the World Food Program, the Palestinian
01:36Red Crescent and other organizations within the reach of Gaza.
01:40The Secretary General of the Hashemi Charity Organization, Hussein Shpili, expressed his
01:46gratitude for the support and gratitude towards Gaza and its inhabitants.
01:52On the other hand, the Spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wu Jiankong, pointed
01:57out that Beijing's priority is to support Gaza in the face of the humanitarian crisis,
02:02but also to ensure that the parties involved reach an agreement.
02:11Also in this context, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi advocated at the UN Security Council
02:17the Palestinians' right to rule over their own country and considered it a basic principle
02:23to be upheld in any post-conflict scenario.
02:28The situation in the Middle East remains tense and fragile.
02:32Gaza and the West Bank are the homeland of the Palestinian people, not a bargaining chip
02:36in political trade-offs.
02:38Palestinians governing Palestine is an important principle that must be followed in the post-conflict
02:42governance of Gaza.
02:43It is vital to uphold the two-state solution, press for a comprehensive, just and lasting
02:47settlement of the Palestinian question and bring lasting peace and security to the Middle
02:51East.
02:52Now, we continue in Palestine as Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in Rafah in southern
02:59Gaza on Tuesday, in another violation of the ceasefire agreement.
03:03Medical officials confirmed that two bodies were taken to a nearby hospital after the
03:07Israeli tank attack.
03:09In this sense, the Israeli army tried to justify the killings by claiming that it had opened
03:13fire on a number of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who were approaching its forces.
03:19The attack highlights the Israeli regime's continued disregard for the ceasefire agreement
03:25reached with the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas.
03:34The continuing siege of the occupied West Bank by Israeli troops and settlers has generated
03:39a humanitarian crisis that has resulted in massive displacement in the territory.
03:45Experts have noted that Israel's tactics in the West Bank have become almost indistinguishable
03:50from those in the Gaza Strip, ransacking homes and expelling residents using ruthless intimidation.
03:57In recent weeks, Zionist forces advanced into towns such as Tul Karem, Farah and Nour Shams,
04:03separating families and awakening bitter memories of the war for the creation of Israel in 1948.
04:10According to figures published by several NGOs, Israel's military operations in the
04:15occupied West Bank have displaced at least 45,000 Palestinians, the largest number since
04:21the Middle East war of 1967.
04:29The Emir of Qatar arrived in Iran and was welcomed at Tehran's Mehrabat airport as
04:35part of his official visit to strengthen historical ties.
04:40The Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a meeting with Iranian President Massoud
04:46Peshaskian and other senior Iranian officials to strengthen bilateral relations.
04:51The topics discussed included politics, the economy, regional issues with a focus on Palestine
04:58as well as the situation in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria.
05:02Qatar had expressed its willingness to mediate between Tehran and Washington following statements
05:07by U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who said that Trump would talk to Iran if
05:13it suspended its nuclear program.
05:21Also in Japan, on Wednesday, Rikiya Kimura, the perpetrator of the 2023 attack on former
05:27Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
05:32The Wakayama court sentenced Kimura to five charges, including attempted murder and violation
05:38of the explosive control law.
05:40Defense lawyers argued that the defendant's intention was not to kill the former prime
05:44minister but to injure him.
05:46However, the persecution demanded 15 years in prison because an explosive test conducted
05:52a month earlier showed that the manufactured weapon had the capacity to kill.
05:57The attack on the former minister, from which he escaped unharmed, took place on April 15,
06:032023, at the port of Wakayama city, where Kishida's speech was scheduled to take place
06:09and hundreds of people were waiting to hear him.
06:18The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, Rafael Grossi,
06:24made his fifth visit to Japan to monitor the land contaminated by the Fukushima disaster
06:30and to visit the Kashiwasaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant.
06:34Grossi expected a storage facility for contaminated soil from the 2011 disaster, while the Japanese
06:41government is debating how to dispose of it.
06:44The head of the IAEA will also visit the plant known as KK, with a capacity of more than
06:518,000 megawatts, which has been inoperative since the nuclear shutdown ordered by the
06:57Japanese authorities after the atomic disaster.
07:00Grossi's visit comes on the same day that Japan approved its new energy plan for the
07:06next five years.
07:12We move now to other topics.
07:14Vietnam's parliament has approved a multi-billion dollar rail project that will boost trade
07:19by linking the country's main northern port to the Chinese border.
07:23The $8 billion project won the support of 95% of lawmakers in the National Assembly.
07:31The railway will pass through some of Vietnam's manufacturing hubs, where global factories
07:36such as Samsung, Foxconn and Pegatron operate and rely on component supplies from China.
07:42The voyage will travel 390 kilometers from the port of Haiphong to the mountainous city
07:48of Lao Cai in China's Yunnan province and into the capital city of Hanoi.
07:55It should be noted that a large part of the link will be financed by loans granted by
08:02the Asian giant.
08:09And in other news, more than 10,000 people have been displaced by the armed conflict
08:13in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have sought refuge in Burundi.
08:18The Burundian authorities reported that searches were being carried out in homes and hotels
08:22to ensure that Congolese were in possession of the necessary documents to stay in the
08:27country.
08:28They also expressed concern about the border between the two countries due to the displacement
08:33of people in the midst of the conflict in Goma and Bukavu, and warned of the possibility
08:39of the conflict in the DRC spilling over into their country.
08:44On the other hand, the authorities pointed to Rwanda as a factor of regional instability.
08:54Also in this context, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
08:59that the M23 rebel group in DRC killed three children for carrying weapons and clothes
09:06abandoned by the army.
09:08The organization also expressed its concern for journalists, human rights defenders and
09:13members of civil society organizations who seek protection from retaliation by M23 rebels.
09:20On the other hand, maritime traffic returned to Lake Kibu after the reopening of the ports
09:25of the cities of Goma and Bukavu, which according to the UN could facilitate the entry of humanitarian
09:32aid into the country after weeks of fighting and looting.
09:41Now we have a short break coming up, but first, remember you can join us on TikTok at Tell
09:45Us Your English, where you will find news in different formats, news updates and much
09:50more.
09:52Stay with us.
09:55Welcome back to From the South.
10:12We continue with more information.
10:14The Cuban government denounced that the United States Agency for International Development,
10:18the USAID, allocated more than $120 million to destabilize the island.
10:25According to Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, the government of the United States
10:29has financially backed multiple initiatives that seek to destroy the Cuban revolution.
10:35The island's top diplomat also rejected the pressures to undermine the nation's economy
10:40promoted by Washington.
10:47In other news, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, denounced that there are various
10:51groups of drug traffickers and smugglers who intend to make an attempt on his life.
10:57The Colombian president made the statements during the ceremony of transfer of command
11:01of the new Director General of the National Police at the Francisco de Paula Santander
11:06Cadet School.
11:07The president also assured that they know the identity of those who would be behind
11:12the alleged attack and expressed his concern for their safety, for which reason he entrusted
11:18the new general with the task of dismantling the illegal networks and confronting them.
11:23This is not the first time that the Colombian president denounces an attempt on his life.
11:34Panamanian students staged a new protest on the Trans-Tibetan Highway in front of the
11:40University of Panama denouncing the violation of university autonomy by the National Police.
11:45The meeting defended university autonomy, the right to protest, and the defense of solidarity
11:50pensions.
11:51The mobilization took place after the police repressed a protest of students of the university,
11:57beating them, throwing gas at them, and throwing firebombs inside the university.
12:02After what happened, two students were apprehended by police agents, cases were opened against
12:07them, and they have precautionary measures of periodic notification, as well as a prohibition
12:14to leave the country.
12:23The 48th meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community,
12:28CARICOM, opens on Wednesday in Barbados.
12:30The Caribbean heads of state will meet for three days to discuss various issues, such
12:35as food and nutritional security, climate change, and the current challenges in Haiti,
12:40among other topics of interest.
12:42The meeting will be led by the President of the Bloc and the Prime Minister of Barbados,
12:47Mia Motley, and CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Bernet.
12:51The meeting was convened under the theme, Strength in Unity, Forging Caribbean Resilience,
12:57Inclusive Growth, and Sustainable Development.
13:05And more on migration in Latin America and the Caribbean, as the Dominican Republic announced
13:09that it will extend the wall it is building on the border with Haiti by 10 to 12 kilometers.
13:16The decision responds to a request from ranchers in the border area of TachavĆ³n, in the north
13:22of the country, this according to Dominican President Luis Avinader.
13:26The country began building the barrier in 2021, claiming protection from irregular immigration,
13:33violence and smuggling from Haiti.
13:36The construction of the wall, which will extend over half of the 340-kilometer border shared
13:42by the two countries, has already advanced to 80% in a first phase.
13:47It is important to note that since October, the Dominican government has implemented large-scale
13:53deportation plans for Haitians in irregular migratory situations.
13:58Now we have a second short break coming up, but before we invite you to visit our YouTube
14:07channel at Telstra English, there you will be able to re-watch our interviews, top stories,
14:12special broadcastings and more.
14:14Hit the subscribe button and activate the notification bell to stay up to date on the
14:18world's most recent events.
14:20Final short break, don't go away.
14:28Welcome back to From the South.
14:50The Russian government expressed on Wednesday its interest in creating conditions for negotiating
14:56stable relations with the United States.
14:59According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, his government expects to establish
15:04conditions for talks to address issues on Russian-U.S. security and strategic stability.
15:10Lavrov said that during the dialogue held in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration
15:15showed interest in removing the obstacles to the restoration of relations and moving
15:21towards normalization of the relationship between both nations.
15:25The Russian top diplomat also praised the US President's statements about NATO's expansion
15:30being the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine.
15:41President Trump, when it comes to statements, has mentioned NATO expansion.
15:49He is the first, and so far, in my opinion, the only Western leader who has publicly and
15:55loudly said that one of the root causes of the Ukrainian situation was the previous administration's
16:00pushy line of pulling Ukraine into NATO.
16:04None of the Western leaders has ever said this, and he has made this point several times.
16:08This is already a signal that he understands our position.
16:12Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia
16:18to avoid legitimizing the U.S.-Russia meeting.
16:21The President declared that negotiations between the United States and Russia in Saudi Arabia
16:26were a surprise for his country.
16:29At a press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, he said that
16:34he had postponed the trip to avoid coincidences.
16:38Zelensky informed that they have contacted the Saudi authorities to inform them of the
16:44change of plans and that they had agreed to hold the meeting on March 10.
16:53Moving on to other topics, in the United States, a fire broke out at a Pennsylvania aerospace
16:58factory in the state of Philadelphia, forcing schools to close and residents to stay indoors.
17:04According to the Avington police chief, the fire broke out around 9.35 pm and in the morning
17:10it began to flare up with heavy smoke.
17:13To a press release, the authorities of the municipality of Avington informed that the
17:16building was evacuated with no injured reported so far.
17:20They also noted that as smoke and particles from the fire spread through the area, residents
17:25and merchants around the factory were evacuated.
17:34And the French Parliament was scheduled to vote on Wednesday on a sixth motion of no
17:39confidence presented by the Socialist Party against Prime Minister FranƧois Veyroux.
17:44The motion's approval requires the support of at least 289 of the 577 deputies of the
17:52Assembly.
17:53So far, Veyroux has gone through five motions this year, most of them linked to the state
17:58budget.
17:59The motion involves a scandal for sexual abuse and physical mistreatment at the Catholic
18:04College of Bethlehem when he was an education minister.
18:09However, analysts consider unlikely that the motion can reach the needed majority to be
18:15approved.
18:22And Germany witnessed the last debate between the country's four chancellors' candidates
18:27in the run-up to the federal election on February 23rd, 2025.
18:31In the face-off, the candidates discussed the nation's economic crisis and migration
18:36policy as well as its relations with Ukraine and Russia amid public rejection of German
18:42right-wing extremist parties.
18:44According to surveys conducted after debates, Social Democrat and Conservative candidate
18:49Friedrich Merz leads the voting intention, followed by the sitting chancellor and candidate
18:56Olaf Scholz.
18:58More than 59 million voters will go to the polls this Sunday to elect the next representatives
19:04of the national parliament, who in turn will select the country's chancellor.
19:24And moving now to the world of culture.
19:26In Russia, Moscow Kremlin Museums signed a cooperation agreement with TV BRICS.
19:31This agreement marks the beginning of a new stage for the Kremlin, which started in 2025
19:38with an exhibition of Russian art in Beijing and simultaneous exhibitions in the centre
19:44of Moscow.
19:45Collaborations will focus on strengthening international ties in humanitarian and informational
19:51areas, highlighting Russia's cultural and artistic richness.
19:57The agreement between these two institutions represents a significant step towards the
20:02expansion of the Kremlin's international presence.
20:10And the Carnival of Venice 2025 kicked off with colourful comparses and big parades in
20:15this Italian city.
20:17For ten days, thousands of tourists and locals participate in the event with costumes and
20:22tours through the streets with Venetian masks, symbols of the carnival, which allow attendees
20:28to immerse themselves in the mystery of the festival along with the baroque-style costumes.
20:34The event is one of the country's major tourist attractions, welcoming every year thousands
20:39of people from all over the world who enjoy music, lights and street shows.
20:44This year's edition commemorates the 300th anniversary of the birth of the adventurer
20:49Giacomo Casanova, with thematic activities inspired by his legacy.
21:01And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
21:03You can find these and many other stories on our website at processorenglish.net.
21:07And also join us on social media, we are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and also
21:12on TikTok.
21:13For Processor English, my name is BelƩn De Los Santos.