16/05/2025
FTS 8.30
*Palestine: Israeli strikes leave nearly 200 dead
*Colombia pres. accuses senators of corruption
FTS 8.30
*Palestine: Israeli strikes leave nearly 200 dead
*Colombia pres. accuses senators of corruption
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NewsTranscript
00:00The first direct talks since 2022 between delegations of Russia and Ukraine are taking
00:15place in Istanbul. Impala sign attacks on refugee camps, hospitals and schools
00:23leave nearly 200 people dead.
00:30And the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, accused several senators of receiving money
00:35to block the popular consultation that sought to improve the labor and social conditions
00:40of Colombian citizens.
00:47Hello and welcome to From the South. My name is Belén de los Santos. I'm from the Telesor
00:51Studios in Havana, Cuba. We'll begin with the news.
01:00We now begin with the information. The first direct talks since 2022 between the delegations
01:09of Russia and Ukraine are taking place in Istanbul. Chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Vidana,
01:16the delegations headed by Presidential Secretary Vladimir Merinsky on the Russian side and Defense
01:23Minister Rustem Umarov representing Ukraine are gathering at the Dolmavash Palace. The meeting,
01:30an initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was originally scheduled for Thursday but was
01:35postponed after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to participate. In this context,
01:42while kicking off the reunion, the Turkish Foreign Minister stressed the importance of the event
01:47and called on all parts to seize the opportunity to advance on the path towards peace.
02:02As you appreciate at this stage, there are two paths. One of the paths will begin a process that will
02:08lead us to peace. The other will lead to more destruction and loss of life.
02:13I would like to draw your attention to a point. This meeting is the first direct contact between
02:21the parties since March 2022. We must seize this opportunity to advance on the path to peace.
02:28Every day we are late causes more lives to be lost.
02:35And earlier on Friday, an initial round of meetings arising from the Ukrainian disagreement took place in
02:42Istanbul. The gathering between delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States was hosted by the
02:48Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, and included on the U.S. side, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio,
02:54Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tomas Barak.
03:00Representing Ukraine were Foreign Minister Andriy Siva, Defense Minister Rustem Umarov,
03:06and head of the presidential office, Andrey Yemak. The three-way talks opened after on Thursday,
03:14Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to attend the scheduled meetings with the Russian delegation.
03:19And meanwhile, the European Union has announced that it will impose the 17th package of sanctions against Russia
03:34next Tuesday with immediate effect. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that the package was ready
03:41and to be adopted in Brussels on Tuesday. For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
03:47said that the EU is further limiting Russia's access to combat technology, adding that the restrictions would
03:54impact 189 ships in Russia's fleet. It is important to note that since the beginning of the Russian special
04:01military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the EU has approved 16 sanctions packages with no clearly
04:10visible effects.
04:17And the signing of the agreement on joint development of mineral resources on the territory of Ukraine between
04:24Kiev and Washington gives the U.S. absolute priority in the development and sale of resources.
04:30Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky divided Ukraine's mineral resources and infrastructure between
04:43his two main partners. He handed over the nuclear power plants, ports and strategic assets to the European
04:49elites and the rest to the United States. The 100-year agreement with Britain, however, left little to the United States,
04:55hence the theatrical maneuvers on the issue of security guarantees.
05:02Formally, this agreement enslaves the resource base of Ukraine, putting it at the complete disposal of a country
05:14that does not want to deal with it. I cannot imagine a single private investor who, on the basis of such major data,
05:20would invest not just a billion, but even a million dollars in the development of a field.
05:33There is not even the most primary data that can serve as a basis for any kind of exploratory and detailed work.
05:39That is, you can name a thousand more parameters that will scare any normal investor who values his money.
05:54Today, Cargill, Monsanto and DuPont investors Vanguard, BlackRock and Blackstone own 40% of Ukraine's arable land.
06:01For these deals, Kyiv received $17 billion in loans from the International Monetary Found
06:07and from the offices of the three corporations on its territory.
06:10In short, Ukrainian land does not belong to the country, but to multinational corporations.
06:23But Zelensky, of course, will not talk about this in his next interview, and in the context of some idiotic images.
06:29It's all sold out there. Sovereignty has been sold. That's what it can be called briefly and unequivocally.
06:35Although it was previously sold to BlackRock, and of course, to the British according to the 100-year agreement.
06:41And also to the Ukrainian oligarchs. It's all theirs for a long time. I wonder who will get all this later.
06:47I wonder who will get all this later.
06:50According to the recent agreement signed between the United States and Ukraine, new and unlistened mineral sites will be transferred to United States control.
07:01The fund provides for equal contributions from both countries, but Ukraine does not have the funds.
07:06Its foreign debt exceeds $169 billion, and additional budgetary investments are impossible.
07:12This agreement has absolutely nothing to do with military actions. But Trump is including it in the terms of the agreement.
07:26We understand that the United States is money, and this determines United States policy from a political point of view.
07:32And the authorities, if their money is there, their business, great, they will continue to negotiate.
07:37In fact, we will never see the full text of the agreement in the first place, because there is a closed part.
07:42That is, they are dividing something there and we won't be able to know the details.
07:48All these agreements do not correspond to national interests, do not contribute to the state budget, national security and the country's development prospects.
08:01It is simply the sale of the homeland by Zelensky in the name of personal security guarantees.
08:10Now, we have a short break coming up.
08:12But first, remember, you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English, where you offer news in different formats, news updates and much more.
08:19We'll be right back. Stay with us.
08:45Welcome back to From the South.
08:56We continue with more information.
08:58In Palestine, attacks on refugee camps, hospitals and schools have left nearly 200 people dead.
09:04At the close of midnight on Thursday, authorities recorded 143 fatalities, while Israeli military forces continue to bombard the areas it plans to displace.
09:16Rescue groups report several bombings with dozens of dead that they have not been able to rescue because they are assisting survivors.
09:25And in this context, the neighborhood of Al Sultan in Beit Laya has been one of the hardest hit.
09:32The genocidal massacres this Thursday and Friday also extended to the occupied West Bank, where five young men were killed in the city of Tamun.
09:49More than 1,500 Gazans have lost their sight as a result of the war, while thousands more are at risk of losing it due to the lack of resources and medical supplies.
10:00Let's find out more.
10:02The injuries suffered by the citizens are multiple, shrapnel, strange bodies inside the eye, tears caused by nearby explosions.
10:14All of these cause internal trauma that severely affect vision.
10:17The ophthalmology hospital and ophthalmology services in the Gaza Strip suffer enormously due to the strict siege on Gaza the non-entry of medical aids.
10:30Medical and surgical supplies, especially medicines and consumables,
10:38as well as the prohibition of entering medical equipment necessary to perform complex eye surgeries, retinal surgeries,
10:45and diagnostic equipment that were destroyed during the raid and assault on the hospital at the beginning of the war in 2023.
10:51The ophthalmology hospital in Gaza, which performed 14 surgeries a day before the war,
11:05can now perform only four operations a day prioritizing the most serious cases.
11:09Approximately 1,500 patients have lost all or part of their sight, most of them as a result of direct attacks on their eyes from the constant bombardment.
11:24Many of them have lost their sight because of the lack of essential treatments such as patients,
11:38such as patients with glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy.
11:50And also because of the lack of medical and surgical avenues and necessary equipment such as lasers and other equipment to perform complex surgeries.
11:59The occupation forces destroyed parts of the hospital during their incursion, causing the breakdown and deterioration of approximately 90 of the essential medical equipment.
12:1690% of the diagnostic equipment has been completely destroyed.
12:23100% of the equipment used in complex surgeries such as fec emulsification and vitrectomy for cataracts and retina has also been destroyed.
12:35The hospital had four of these devices, all of which were smashed and their screens broken in the raid.
12:44Ocular diagnostic equipment such as slit lamps were also damaged.
12:50Health authorities reiterate the urgent appeal to the international community as well as to all humanitarian organizations.
13:04To support patients in the Gaza Strip and to press for the entry of medical equipment needed for eye examinations and surgical interventions.
13:11China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, urged all nations to promote the implementation of the two-state solution, describing it as the only viable resolution to the Middle East conflict.
13:29Speaking at the commemoration held by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people at the UN headquarters in New York, Geng marked the 77th anniversary of the Nakba.
13:43In this case, Geng emphasized that the Nakba remains a profound trauma in Palestinian collective memory and continues to fuel their struggle for justice and the right of return.
13:54He called for concrete steps towards a comprehensive and lasting solution, stressing that only through the two-state framework can the Nakba be consigned to history.
14:10On the question of Palestine, China upholding fairness and justice, remains steadfast in its support for the justice cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights for the earliest.
14:23Establishment of the fully sovereign and independent state of Palestine based on the 1,967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and for the early admission of the state of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.
14:38Now we have a second short break coming up, but before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Tell Us Your English, there you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverages and much more.
14:49Follow the page and activate the notifications to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
14:55Final short break, don't go away.
14:57Welcome back to From the South. We continue with the information through a message published on his ex-account. The person of Colombia, Gustavo Pedro, accused several senators of receiving money to block the popular consultation.
15:26That sought to improve the labor and social conditions of Colombian citizens.
15:31The president criticized the actions of a group of congressmen who, according to him, act as against the general interest and violate the principles of the Constitution.
15:42He urged citizens to mobilize to demand labor and health reforms and warned of possible strikes as a response to this situation.
15:51Furthermore, he emphasized the need for the people to take an active role in the creation of laws that promote social welfare, rejecting corruption and paramilitarism.
16:01We continue on topic as there have been several reactions of rejection to the Senate's refusal to carry out the popular consultation on changes in the labor policy.
16:17The government announces multiple irregularities during the session held on May 14th. Let's hear details with our correspondent, Hernando Barra.
16:25Another blow to the country's workers was dealt by a sector of the Colombian Senate, which has generated several complaints about the irregularities that were presented against the popular consultation, which generated actions on the part of legislators of the government coalition.
16:44I filed a formal request before the Senate's board of directors to repeat the vote of the popular consultation since my appeal request was illegally disregarded due to voting irregularities.
17:05Already in the plenary the agenda was modified, which delayed the approach of the popular consultation.
17:10A sector of the opposition made possible the discussion and vote of an appeal that revived the labor reform discarded some time ago by some senators present here further delaying the processing of the consultation in a delaying strategy.
17:21In the late afternoon the vote of the consultation was held, which was sunk in this corporation by the opposition sectors and with allegations of several irregularities and fraud in the procedure.
17:32The board of directors voted the popular consultation in the blink of an eye as many of you saw.
17:41It did not even last three minutes in the voting and they closed it when they saw that they effectively had one or two votes of gain here we have not really lost the war, the people have always had to resist.
17:53And of course there will also be a popular reaction because they believe they are going to fool the people.
18:03The people are going to increase their indignation with this Congress of the Republic and with these dark actions headed by Efrain Cepeda.
18:12The President of the country described this as fraud and indicated that he will resubmit to the Senate the popular consultation.
18:22He requested the mobilization of the people and their organization in permanent meetings throughout the country in view of
18:27the affront that a sector of the Senate made against the participation of the people in key determinations such as the labor reform.
18:34So the meetings and strategies of the social, popular and political sectors have already begun.
18:39The President is telling us, there is the people who are the sovereign, if the Congress of the Republic and a handful of senators are above more than 30 million Colombians who make up the social and popular base.
18:56Then the people have to wake up if the people wake up in a calm and peaceful way.
19:01Not asking for respect for their sovereignty but demanding and making their sovereignty respected surely the President can go further.
19:16And we are going to define a course that will be taken in general by 1,105 municipalities that will hold popular councils and we will effectively mandate that in Colombia.
19:26Popular sovereignty takes precedence over representative democracy.
19:35Alternatively, the government has already initiated legal actions in view of the irregularities denounced in the voting process,
19:45including complaints to the control agencies and the investigation of the President of the Senate.
19:54In other news in Colombia, Director of the National Police Carlos Fernando Triana announced the arrest of one of the accused in the killing of 13 people inside a mine in the province of Patas in northern Peru.
20:06Joint work and coordinated actions to locate the suspect led to the arrest of Miguel Antonio Rodriguez Diaz, who will be charged for the crimes of criminal organization, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated homicide.
20:19According to Peruvian judicial records, Rodriguez Diaz entered the mine shaft with 20 other people, presumably to take the material previously stolen by other miners.
20:30This was allegedly followed by an armed confrontation that resulted in 13 fatal victims.
20:36The next few hours could bring Rodriguez Diaz repatriation so that he can face justice in Peru.
20:42Precisely in Peru, the Public Prosecutor's Office has filed two constitutional complaints against the President, Dina Boluarte, in less than 12 hours, adding to the endless list she has accumulated.
20:59The most recent is related to the National School Feeding Program, Cali Warma, and the National Program of Platforms for Social Inclusion.
21:08The Public Ministry accuses President Boluarte of aggravated collusion for favoring Victor Torres Merino, a close friend of her brother, Nicanor Boluarte, who is also linked to serious crimes.
21:20The facts occurred when the current president was Minister of Development and Social Inclusion and awarded a contract of almost €12,000 to Torres Merino, a childhood friend of her brother's.
21:41In other news, a massive blackout has been affecting Haiti since Thursday after a group of unknown assailants attacked the Peliger Hydroelectric Power Plant.
21:50According to Haiti's state-owned electricity company, the attack, which has not yet been claimed by any group, is forcing them to suspend service to preserve the equipment.
22:01They point out that the chaos in the country has delayed the restitution of the service in the power plant located in Plateau Central, an inland basin shared with the Dominican Republic.
22:13Although the state company does not specify the real extent of the failure nor the time it will take to repair it, they assure that it is an atrocious act and ask the authorities to guarantee the security of these strategic installations.
22:28The 22nd Ibero-American Judicial Summit will conclude this Friday with a packed agenda in Santo Domingo. Highlights include the election of the next pro-temporary and permanent secretariats for the 2025-2027 and 2025-2029 time periods, which will steer future regional judicial cooperation.
22:58Delegates will also sign the Santo Domingo Declaration reaffirming their commitment to justice, liberty, equality and solidarity through Ibero-America.
23:08The closing ceremony will feature awards recognizing gender-sensitive rulings, best legal practices and a special honor for Judge Jorge Subero-Isa.
23:18The final day's event at the Eduardo Brito National Theatre will mark a significant step towards strengthening and modernizing justice systems across the region.
23:30And like this we have come to the end of this news brief.
23:38You can find these and many other stories on our website at www.telesourenglish.net.
23:42Also join us on social media, we are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok as well.
23:47For tell us your English, my name is Belen de los Santos.