- 5/21/2025
21/05/2025
FTS 12.30
*Barbados: Voting underway in St. James North by-election
*Israel opens fire on diplomatic delegation in Jenin refugee camp
FTS 12.30
*Barbados: Voting underway in St. James North by-election
*Israel opens fire on diplomatic delegation in Jenin refugee camp
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NewsTranscript
00:00The Venezuelan government deployed a Republic Plan to guarantee the safety of citizens and to secure progress of the upcoming regional and legislative elections of May 25th.
00:18Voting is underway in the constituency of St. James North in Barbados in a by-election following the resignation of incumbent Labour Party Member of Parliament Edmund Hinson.
00:36The Palestinian Authority has reported an Israeli attack on a diplomatic delegation in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.
00:48Hello, welcome to From the South. I'm Luis Alberto Matos from Adelsu Studios in Havana, Cuba. We begin with the news.
01:07On Wednesday, the Venezuelan Armed Forces deployed a Republic Plan to guarantee the safety of citizens and the secure progress of the upcoming regional and legislative elections of May 25th.
01:17In the face of destabilization attempts by the far-right opposition unveiled by the government in the past week, the Republic operation aims at securing democratic exercise for the deployment of 412,000 troops nationwide.
01:29In addition, a total of 1,419 senior and regional prosecutors will guarantee the progress of the strategic election across the 15,748 election centers.
01:39The operation kickstart headed by the sectoral vice president of political sovereignty, security and peace, Vladimir Padrino, seeks to ensure the safety of over 21.5 million Venezuelans called to vote at 27,736 polling stations across the country on May 25th.
01:57And thanks to the joint effort of the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Venezuela, an Antiguan woman who had been missing for more than three decades was reunited with her family on Tuesday.
02:15More on the story with our journalist Garfield Beaufort.
02:18The moment a private gent from Venezuela arrived at D.C. Berg International Airport carrying an Antiguan citizen who had been missing and presumed dead.
02:27After 32 years and five months, a return to Antigua fit for a fairytale for Denise Odelia Charles.
02:40Charles is welcomed by Prime Minister Honorable Gaston Brown, as well as Minister for Social and Urban Transmission Honorable Roden Turner and other officials at V.C. Berg International Airport on Tuesday morning.
02:51Thanks to God, first, and you and my family.
02:56Pleasure. Pleasure. Good to have you back home.
02:58And Mr. Raul.
03:00Yes.
03:01Minister.
03:02Thank you again, man.
03:04And give our middle president my best.
03:06Good, good.
03:07Absolutely. Thank you.
03:09Blessings.
03:10Blessings.
03:11Good, good.
03:12The government of Antigua and the Barbuda had sponsored a trip to Venezuela for her brother Terence Charles and her nephew Tishon Watson to accompany Denise Charles back to Antigua.
03:20Back on Antiguan soil, the tears flowed.
03:23When I was still in the airport, when you go for a hug, on the other side of Venezuela, she gave me a big hug.
03:29And tears come to my eyes to see my sister again.
03:33I go to the bathroom and I saw her and I pretend not.
03:37So I tell her, look, we go to the bathroom because I actually can't believe.
03:45So I tell her, you wait for the bathroom. I'm going to the bathroom.
03:48I went down first.
03:50Guys, so I'm going to come out.
03:52I'm going to come to the bathroom.
03:53I'm going to talk to the picture.
03:54I spat her.
03:55He went down.
03:56She spat me too.
03:57Yeah.
03:58So I go for the bathroom and let's go.
04:01She's coming to my arms.
04:02Help me, squeeze me.
04:04It's so emotional.
04:07So she's happy to be home because it's her family daily.
04:14The expressions of gratitude for making this possible also flowed.
04:18And I got the prime minister and that was it.
04:21He was so kind.
04:23Yes.
04:24The prime minister is a good man.
04:26Happy year.
04:27Good job.
04:28Good job.
04:29Good job.
04:30Thank God.
04:31Thank God.
04:32Thank God.
04:33And he worked on the situation.
04:47Very quickly.
04:49Prime Minister, he's a good man, he does a very good job, and he work on the situation
04:56really quickly.
04:59The circumstances surrounding Charles ending up in Venezuela and being missing for so long
05:04are not yet clear. Overwhelmed with emotion, Tuesday was determined not the best time to
05:08go into those details. Those are expected to come in the days and weeks ahead. Instead,
05:13she and her family are immersed in a tearful, surreal reunion. Her sister, Joycelyn, was
05:19the one who saw her profile on social media and reached out.
05:22Looking for her all the time, then, you know, I just got in my profile, messenger, and I found
05:28her. See, and I text, called, didn't get me an answer, and I went to look at the profile
05:34again, and then I see the pastor. The pastor that went to church, and I said, you know,
05:43a little bit.
05:45Wow.
05:46The connection made, it was over to the authorities in St. John's and Caracas to get to work on
05:51the arrangements. Charles from Grace Farm is now fluent in Spanish. Having taught herself
05:55over ten of those years, she was in the Bolivarian Republic.
05:58I learned Spanish, and now I talk more Spanish than English.
06:04How are you feeling in Spain? How are you?
06:07Good, thank you.
06:08Are you happy?
06:10Outside, another group of her family was overjoyed to have seen her, embraces, and words fitting
06:16for 32 years of absence.
06:17Prime Minister Honorable Gaston Brown is delighted to have played a part in making this possible.
06:26We are elated, and we are just happy to accommodate her. Our government would have intervened and
06:31we would have collaborated with the government of Venezuela. President Maduro has been extremely
06:37benevolent in making a transportation available. We organized a special charter to apply her
06:44to Atiga, herself and her family, who we sponsored, to travel to Venezuela to repatriate her here.
06:51So, we are very pleased to have her back, and we make sure we put the necessary steps in
06:55place to have her fully integrated or reintegrated in our society. In fact, we have guaranteed her
07:01job. We are quite sure that she can assist us in many areas. She's also, she has language
07:08skills, she speaks Spanish-friendly, so that in itself is an asset.
07:15A similar message from Minister for Social and Urban Transmission Honorable Roden Turner.
07:20It's a message of hope, because I know there are other persons who have gone missing in
07:25Antigua and Urban Transmission Honorable Roden Turner. And to see a family member return
07:30home after thirty-two years, five months, it's a miracle. We just have to thank God for something
07:36like that. And the Ministry of Social Transformation, we will be taking an active role in providing
07:42some assistance to the family and to the lady to reintegrate back into Antigua and Barbican
07:48society. As the bus leaves with Denise and members of her family, a new chapter begins.
07:54I know topics voting is underway in the constituency of St. James North in Barbados in a by-election
08:01following the resignation of incumbent Labour Party Member of Parliament, Edmund Hinkson.
08:07Precisely, Hinkson, who has represented the constituency in the House of Assembly since
08:11the 2013 general election, resigned from the elected position April 25th. That same day,
08:16Prime Minister Mia Motley announced the date of the polls, with President Sandra Mason issuing
08:21a day later a week for the election to take place. Nominees were registered on May 6th,
08:26with the four elected candidates being Chad Blackman from the Barbados Labour Party, Felicia Dujon
08:32from the Democratic Labour Party, Alex Mitchell from the Baham Free Party and Stephanie Williams
08:37from the Community Empowerment Party. In this context, thousands of constituents head to the polls,
08:42which will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, in which constitutes the first by-election held
08:48after Repubato became a republic.
08:53We now have our first break coming up. Remember you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English,
09:00where you'll find news in different formats, news updates, and much more.
09:04We'll be right back. Stay with us.
09:06Welcome back. Inequal, the number of missing persons is increasing as 1,728 disappearances were reported
09:30in the first quarter of the year alone. One of the most impactful cases is that of David Romo,
09:36only solved for more than 11 years. Our colleague Gabriela Mena with the details.
09:41Between January and March 2025, 20 complaints of disappearances were filed in Equator per day,
09:51two more than in the same period of 2024, according to data from the Association of Families and Friends of Disappeared Persons.
09:58For the Association's representative, this reflects how the crisis of insecurity has worsened,
10:02which also shows the impunity on the part of the authorities.
10:06In the first quarter of the year, 1,728 reports of disappearances were reported.
10:11Of these, 353 remain open and 94 were located lifeless.
10:19If we talk about impunity, let us not forget that this justice system is a corrupt system.
10:31The Association of Relatives and Friends of Disappeared Persons in Equator has been denouncing it,
10:35but nobody has paid attention to us, so that is why we do not have an investigation.
10:39You will see, we do not have justice, we do not have memory.
10:42We do not have reparation, nor do we have the right to non-repetition.
10:45And these cases continue to occur. And every day there are many more.
10:49The fact that a prosecutor changes agents violates justice, the human right that all missing persons have with their families.
11:02But that's not all. In 2024, 6,875 complaints were reported, an approximate of 18 per day.
11:13Of that total, according to the Association, 838 cases continue without answer, 394 were found lifeless.
11:20Disappearances in Equator continue to rise and there are hundreds of unpunished cases.
11:25Meanwhile, in Equator, citizens remain worried and fearful, afraid that insecurity will allow one of their loved ones or close people to go out one day and never return home.
11:41The number of missing persons continues to increase.
11:44Geas, for example, accounted for 39.6% of the missing persons found dead.
11:49Pichincha with 15.2%, and Esmeraldas, 8.1%.
11:56We worry every day because in certain parts of the country insecurities are fatal.
12:03We all have that fear of going out and not coming back.
12:10It is a scary situation, it has not happened to me or to anyone I know, but I have heard of cases.
12:17The concern and fear is clear, and to this is added the concern of the citizens for the forced disappearances committed by military patrols.
12:30According to the Permanent Human Rights Committee of Gaequil, 33 such cases have been documented in 2024 alone, including the case of the four children of Gaequil, where 16 military personnel are charged with the forced disappearance and murder of the four minors.
12:45Gabriela Mena, Telesur Ecuador.
12:51On Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the missile defense shield announced by U.S. President Donald Trump undermines global stability.
12:59The spokesman stated that Beijing has asked Washington to abandon the development and deployment of the global missile defense system as soon as possible.
13:07China claims that the U.S. plan aims to create a non-restricted defense system that proposes increasing research, development and deployment of all types of missile interceptor systems.
13:18This would increase the risk of a global arms race.
13:21On Tuesday, the U.S. President announced the creation of the Gold Dome system, which is expected to cost $175 billion.
13:30The U.S. puts its own interests first by seeking its absolute security, violating the principle non-contraste security should come at the expense of others.
13:40This undermines global strategic balance.
13:42China expresses serious concern over it.
13:44We urge Washington to abandon the development and deployment of a global missile defense system as SAP.
13:49We recommend the U.S. takes concrete actions to enhance strategic mutual trust among powers and uphold global stability.
13:56Beijing confirmed Wednesday that the Ministers of Economy and Commerce of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have successfully concluded negotiations to bolster their free trade zone.
14:08On a video conference, the aforesaid authorities met Tuesday to nearing settlement of negotiations that began in November 2022.
14:16In this context, they signed CAFTA 3.0 regarding the China-Asian free trade area.
14:22Though the Chinese Ministry of Commerce advanced, they were one step away from signing the updating protocol.
14:27Overall, Chinese representatives and the 10 Southeast Asian countries assure CAFTA 3.0 agreement will send a strong message of support for free trade and open cooperation.
14:37In other news, a suicide attack in Pakistan left six people, including children, dead and nearly 40 others wounded.
14:54The Pakistani authorities reported that the attack had targeted a school bus carrying a large number of students from the Armed Forces public schools.
15:02They also confirmed that an investigation had been launched at the scene, while local hospitals were placed on high alert due to the severity of the injuries sustained.
15:11Pakistan's Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif strongly condemned the cowardly attack and expressed his deep sadness at the death of four children.
15:19Pakistan's Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif
15:37Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kurs region for the first time since its liberation.
15:44During his tour of the region on Tuesday, the Russian leader visited the construction site
15:49of the new Kurs II nuclear power plant in the city of Kurshatov.
15:53President Putin also held a meeting with Governor Alexander Hinstein, as well as the heads of
15:58local municipalities and volunteers who have been helping those affected by the Kiev incursion.
16:03The Russian head of state said the country stands united as a team, adding that it was the unquestionable
16:08success of all their endeavors.
16:10The president said that the situation in Kursh remains difficult even after its full liberation
16:15as Ukrainian forces continue their attempts to move towards the Russian border.
16:26We have a second short break coming up. Before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Telesur English.
16:31There you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverage and much more.
16:35Follow our page and activate the notification button to stay up to date on the rules once you see an event.
16:39A final break, we're going to be right back.
17:01Welcome back. The Palestinian authorities has reported an Israeli attack on a diplomatic delegation in northern part of the occupied West Bank.
17:06The attack took place in Jenin refugee camp, where a delegation of Arab and European ambassadors and consuls were assessing the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the area.
17:08The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the attack constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the fundamentals of the attack.
17:15principles of diplomatic relations set out in the Viena Convention.
17:16The institution also stated that the Sionist occupation forces in the U.S.
17:17In the U.S.
17:18In the U.S.
17:19In the U.S.
17:20In the U.S.
17:21In the U.S.
17:22In the U.S.
17:23The attack took place in Jenin refugee camp, where a delegation of Arab and European ambassadors and consuls were assessing the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the area.
17:31The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the attack constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the fundamental principles of diplomatic relations set out in the Viena Convention.
17:42The institution also stated that the Sionist occupation forces intended to intimidate diplomats.
17:47Currently, no injuries have been reported.
17:53In this context, the government of Venezuela condemned the incident through its foreign minister, Ivan Hill.
18:03The denunciation stresses that Venezuela condemns in the strongest possible terms the Israeli attack on an Arab-European diplomatic delegation in Jenin.
18:11Shooting at ambassadors and consuls confirms that Israel does not respect any rule of international law.
18:16They think they are above everything, above life itself, and above diplomacy.
18:20In addition, the Venezuelan authorities stress this barbarism.
18:24This genocide led by the war criminal Netanyahu is a war against humanity itself,
18:29and close by denouncing how even in these circumstances we see the complicit silence of some governments,
18:35it is as criminal as the bullets and bombs falling on the Palestinian people.
18:40Also in Palestine, authorities register at least 326 people dead from malnutrition and lack of medicine as a result of the Ironclad Israeli blockade since March 2.
18:56Authorities said 58 people died from malnutrition, 242 from food and medicine shortages,
19:01and 26 kidney patients died due to lack of adequate nutritional care.
19:06Palestinian health authorities reiterate the dire situation in the Strip's hospitals due to ongoing Israeli attacks and the shortage of life-saving medicines and equipment.
19:15Israel allowed the entry this week of dozens of truckloads of supplies to the territory.
19:19However, the UN said that it is insufficient to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave.
19:33Meanwhile, the Israeli side continues to violate its commitments and obligations by continuing to prevent the entry of life-saving aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing south of the Gaza Strip.
19:43for the third day in a row.
19:45The occupation has stopped the entry of aid without any legal or humanitarian justification at a time when the enclave is suffering from a severe shortage of food, medicine and fuel.
19:55Israel has pursued a policy of systematic starvation against an estimated 2.4 million Palestinians.
20:02On Wednesday, protesters gathered in front of the Italian parliament in Rome in solidarity with Palestine and to demand an end to Israel's attacks on Gaza.
20:16Waving Palestinian flags and holding banners to call for a ceasefire, protesters accused Israel of genocide,
20:22condemning the destruction of hospitals and the Saddam regime's use of hunger as a weapon of war.
20:27Demonstrators denounced Tel Aviv's actions as an ongoing crime against humanity.
20:32The mobilizations happened as Israeli strikes continued to pound the Gaza Strip after the intensification of the offensive,
20:39despite a surge in international anger.
20:41And the Sudanese army reported that after strategic operations, it maintains control of most of the African nation's territory.
20:55Army authorities said it took full control of the greater Khartoum region, that includes the capital,
21:01after a long-running battle against the parliamentary rapid support forces.
21:05After recent operations, the Sudanese army has also succeeded in driving the RSF out of four other states.
21:13Sudan plunged into civil war on April 15, 2023, when tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open war.
21:20The war has killed at least 24,000 people, though the number is likely far higher.
21:25far higher.
21:35Like this we have found the end of this news brief.
21:36You can find this and many other stories on our website at www.telestoryenglish.net.
21:40So join us on social media, Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
21:44That's your English, I'm Mr. Alberto Matos.
21:47Thanks for watching.
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