FTS 16:30 17-01: In Argentina, deputies resume debates on "Omnibus bill"
Noboa confirms U.S. aid to fight local armed conflicts. // In Argentina, deputies resume debates on "Omnibus bill". // Over 80 killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in last hours. teleSUR
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00:00 In Argentina, the plenary of commissions of the Chamber of Deputies resumed a new day
00:12 of debate on the so-called "Omnibus Bill" promoted by the government of Javier Milet.
00:22 The President of Ecuador, Daniel Novoa, requested assistance from the government of the United
00:26 States under the pretext of controlling the internal armed conflict in the country.
00:35 And in Palestine, the Israeli regime killed more than 80 civilians in the latest shelling
00:40 of Gaza.
00:47 Hello and welcome.
00:48 From the south, I'm Alejandra GarcĂa from Telesur Studios in Havana, Cuba.
00:52 We begin with the news.
00:54 In Argentina, the plenary of commissions of the Chamber of Deputies resumed a new day
00:58 of debate on the so-called "Omnibus Bill" promoted by the government of Javier Milet.
01:04 For the sixth day, deputies will address the articles of the bill related to issues concerning
01:09 security, education, health and the modification of the civil code.
01:14 It is also expected that by this Wednesday the private sector entities will make their
01:19 statements to the deputies.
01:21 In Tuesday, several human rights organizations and sectors of the civil society called for
01:26 the rejection of the "Omnibus Bill", stating that it is unacceptable that the executive
01:32 power can modify an unprecedented number of norms that affect the essential rights of
01:37 the Argentine people.
01:43 The President of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, Estela de Carlotto, questioned the
01:48 mega package of measures of the President of Argentina Javier Milet and warned that
01:53 it endangers the country's democracy.
01:55 During a speech at the plenary sessions of the commissions debating the so-called "Omnibus
02:00 Bill" in the Chamber of Deputies, the renowned activist focused on the independence of the
02:06 powers, recalling that with the President's super-bill, the executive is trying to grant
02:11 itself powers that do not correspond to it.
02:14 In this sense, Estela de Carlotto ratified that if these reforms were to go forward,
02:20 they would imply a great step backwards and a clear deterioration of acquired rights.
02:31 We ask those present to remember and reject this unacceptable "Omnibus Bill".
02:36 It is unacceptable that the executive power can modify an unprecedented amount of norms
02:41 that would affect the essential rights of all Argentines, essential rights such as the
02:46 right to health, housing, education, culture, among many others.
02:53 The President of the Historic Organization warned about the serious setback in human
02:57 rights that the country is heading towards with the approval of the presidential decrees.
03:05 Our democracy is in danger because the executive branch not only pretends to modify and suppress
03:10 laws, but also abrogates powers that do not correspond to it.
03:15 We call to the people's representatives to reflect on the need for the national government
03:20 to respect the international treaties that have a constitutional rank in our country.
03:27 On Tuesday, Chile became the first country in the world to ratify the historic United
03:32 Nations Agreement for the Protection of the Oceans.
03:35 The National Senate unanimously approved the so-called Agreement on Marine Biodiversity
03:41 beyond national jurisdiction.
03:43 This pact, reached in March 2023, guarantees the conservation of 30% of seas by 2030.
03:51 Environmental groups have insisted for years that this treaty is vital to save the oceans
03:56 threatened by pollution, the climate crisis and new technologies.
03:59 And Chilean environmentalists have played a key role in the debate that led to this
04:04 important agreement.
04:10 The President of Ecuador, Daniel Novoa, requested assistance from the government of the United
04:14 States under the pretext of controlling the internal armed conflict in the country.
04:19 Novoa assured that he would accept all possible international assistance to deal with the
04:25 current contingency.
04:27 In the meantime, social movements criticized the decision and pointed out that the new
04:31 President for his intentions to strengthen ties with Washington and facilitate the entry
04:36 of troops from that North American country to Ecuador.
04:40 In this sense, President Novoa assured that in the next few days, the United States will
04:45 send to the country the commander of the Southern Command of the United States Army, General
04:50 Laura Richardson, along with a delegation to Quito with the objective of materializing
04:57 military logistics support.
04:58 We have had contact with the United States and Commander Fitzpatrick is coming here with
05:10 a delegation to talk to our armed forces and police in the next few days.
05:15 They have not told us the exact time, but it will be this week.
05:19 But even so, we still don't have a clear idea of the aid package.
05:24 You will see, which we still have to discuss because there are also needs to maintain this
05:29 war and there are also needs to maintain economic stability in the country.
05:36 President Novoa stressed the importance of addressing the problem of narco-terrorism
05:41 because of its global reach.
05:49 We are in direct contact with the Secretary of State of the United States and it is important
05:54 that they understand that this is a global problem.
05:59 This is not a problem only in Ecuador.
06:03 It is us that leave Ecuador from these narco-terrorist groups and are mostly in the United States
06:08 or in Europe.
06:09 We need help from the countries where the product is designated.
06:16 In Guatemala, the new board of directors of the Congress will request a study to the General
06:21 Comptroller's Office, CGC, to know the way in which the ninth legislature, which took
06:26 office last Sunday, used the public funds assigned to the legislative organism.
06:31 The new board of directors explained in a press conference that there was a good disposition
06:36 of their predecessors to provide them with the required information.
06:41 Both the new and outgoing boards held a meeting for several hours and later the new congressional
06:47 authorities received the directors and deputy directors of the legislative branch to learn
06:52 about the state of the institution.
06:54 In this sense, the President of the Congress, Samuel PĂ©rez, informed that besides requesting
06:59 the support of the CGC with a special audit, they will carry out other evaluations that
07:05 they consider necessary for the transparency in the Parliament.
07:13 In Latin America, four out of every five people living in extreme poverty live in rural areas.
07:20 This has been confirmed by the most recent report of the Economic Commission for Latin
07:24 America and the Caribbean, ECLAC.
07:26 At a meeting convened by the Organization and the International Fund for Agricultural
07:31 Development held this Tuesday in Mexico, they warned that rural areas continue to be invisible.
07:37 Despite some progress in the productive sector and the presence of services and industries,
07:44 rural areas continue to lag far behind.
07:46 The organizations presented at the meeting have proposed, among other measures, to define
07:51 a new rurality that addresses some aspects such as reclamation.
07:54 Welcome back.
08:15 The Gaza Health Ministry on Wednesday reported that in the last 12 hours, the Israeli occupation
08:21 troops killed more than 80 Palestinians in different areas of the Gaza Strip.
08:25 On the other hand, the authorities stressed that most of the deaths are the result of
08:30 a series of raids by the Zionist regime in which numerous workers have also been kidnapped.
08:36 In return, the Palestinian authorities confirmed more than 24,400 fatalities in 103 days of
08:44 genocidal operation, most of them are women and children.
08:54 We go to Palestine, where our TeleSUR correspondent, Noor Harassen, gave us details about the reality
09:00 of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and the uncertainty due to the persistent attacks
09:05 of the occupation forces.
09:09 What will happen next, a very important question that Palestinians are asking themselves.
09:16 What will happen now?
09:17 Weeks passed, months passed, and the situation is still the same.
09:22 Israel continue its strikes on Gaza, on the coastal enclave, from its north to its south.
09:30 Today the Israeli warplanes launched several Israeli strikes on places inside the northern
09:38 Gaza, like the Sheikh Ejlin, Sheikh Rodwan, Al-Karama, also on Nafak Street.
09:44 Eyewitnesses are talking about whole buildings that collapsed on the heads of its residents.
09:52 Palestinian medical sources are talking about tens, dozens of people that were killed, and
09:58 the ambulances and the paramedics did not manage to reach them because of the continuous
10:05 firing by the Israeli snipers.
10:07 Here in southern Gaza the situation is no different.
10:11 The overnight attacks, the very intense overnight attacks on the city of Khan Younis forced
10:17 hundreds of residents to evacuate Khan Younis city to the green areas and Rafah, however,
10:24 even though inside the green areas there is also Israeli attacks.
10:28 Noor Harassen, TeleSUR, Gaza.
10:32 On Wednesday the Red Crescent CISR, Organization of the International Red Cross for Arab and
10:37 Arab Countries, denounced a near attack by Israeli troops against its ambulances.
10:42 According to the report, the events took place in Nablus, in the Balara refugee camp in the
10:48 occupied West Bank.
10:50 The paramedics arrived to assist several civilians who were attacked inside a vehicle with a
10:56 drone.
10:57 They denounced that in the middle of the rescue work, the occupation troops continued shooting
11:02 unarmed civilians.
11:04 In this sense, the Registry of Non-Governmental Organizations lists at least 250 attacks against
11:11 medical facilities and vehicles, a fact that qualifies as a war crime.
11:20 Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, arrived
11:26 on Wednesday in Egypt at the request of the Security Council, given the terrible humanitarian
11:31 conditions in which Gazans are living.
11:34 In this sense, the official declared her objective is to facilitate and accelerate and expedite
11:40 all areas of the assistance for the Palestinian people.
11:45 I'm here because of a mandate of the Security Council to see how we can facilitate, accelerate
11:51 and expedite all areas of the assistance that is so much needed for civilians in Gaza, given
11:58 the very acute humanitarian conditions that they have to live with.
12:04 So this visit is for me to see, to discuss with colleagues how to improve, how we can
12:09 assist the government and the Red Crescent as they wish and how they see it useful so
12:15 we can ultimately benefit the civilians, innocent civilians in Gaza.
12:21 In Germany, heavy snowfall and freezing rain on Wednesday caused the cancellation of hundreds
12:41 of flights and trains, accidents on icy roads and the closure of schools.
12:46 At Frankfurt Airport, the country's largest, more than 500 flights were cancelled, while
12:51 in Munich more than 250 arrivals and departures were cancelled.
12:57 In Western Germany, SaarbrĂĽcken Airport was closed for the day, while Dusseldorf and Cologne
13:04 Airports were also affected by delays and cancellations.
13:08 National train operator Deutsche Bahn cancelled several long-distance connections and lowered
13:13 the maximum speed of its ICE fast train to 200 km/h.
13:19 Freezing rain in western and southern Germany also caused countless accidents on icy roads
13:24 in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
13:31 Also in Norway, Oslo Airport announced on Wednesday the temporary closure of air traffic
13:36 due to heavy snowfall affecting transportation throughout Scandinavia.
13:41 In the meantime, authorities announced the closure until 15.30 local time and will later
13:46 consider extending the closure.
13:49 In this sense, most buses in Oslo were cancelled and the railway service announced the closure
13:54 of train lines in much of the eastern part of the country.
13:58 In turn, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute warned of heavy snowfall and winds around
14:04 the nation's capital.
14:10 In Germany, farmers' workers are threatened to resume products if the government does
14:15 not honour agreements to continue fuel subsidies.
14:18 In this sense, the unions of small farmers reiterated that the government must withdraw
14:23 the proposal to increase taxes.
14:26 At least 130,000 workers in the agro-industrial sector have organised mobilisations in the
14:32 main cities of the country due to the policies and measures against fuel subsidies.
14:37 The union has also carried out blockades on the main highways and is threatening to take
14:43 more drastic measures if their demands are not met.
14:46 The government, for its part, reiterated that the suspension of the subsidy will be gradual.
14:56 We have a second short break coming up, but before we invite you to join our WhatsApp
15:00 community for our English-speaking audience.
15:02 You can scan the QR code on screen to join directly and share the link to reach more
15:06 people.
15:07 This is the news coverage of flooding America and the Caribbean, as well as the rest of
15:10 the world.
15:11 Stay connected and informes Telesur.
15:13 Final short break, don't go away.
15:20 An explosion at a fireworks factory in central Thailand killed at least 23 people, according
15:26 to provincial officials.
15:28 The death toll was announced by authorities with Subhanburi province, where the blast
15:33 occurred in mid-afternoon.
15:35 The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said officials were working to
15:39 secure the site and help affected people.
15:42 The cause of the explosions is being investigated.
15:45 The blast came less than a month before Chinese New Year in February, when demand for fireworks
15:51 is strong.
15:52 Rescue workers at the scene said no survivors had been found.
15:56 None were mentioned by provincial authorities, contradicting the department's statements
16:02 that wounded people had been recovered.
16:08 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the fourth meeting of Ukraine on Ukraine at the
16:14 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was a failure for Caib and the Western countries.
16:20 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the outcome was again
16:26 a failure for Ukraine and its Western sponsors.
16:29 She recalled that China refused to participate and many other nations were present, with
16:34 a low profile and as observers.
16:37 In this context, Zakharova emphasized that all meetings in the Copenhagen format, including
16:42 Davos and subsequent rounds, are useless and detrimental to the settlement of the Ukrainian
16:48 crisis.
16:54 Also in statements to the press, Foreign Minister Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova assured that Western
17:00 countries do not care about the fatalities caused by their attacks in Yemen and other
17:05 countries since they carry out bombings on any target when they consider it necessary,
17:10 regardless of the consequences they could have.
17:13 The Spokeswoman criticized the fact that the West does not think about the number of children,
17:19 women, elderly or sick people in the area they attack.
17:23 According to Zakharova, the only thing the West has historically been concerned about
17:29 is the profit it can make through bombing.
17:37 And we stay in Russia.
17:39 More than two million Russians have signed documents supporting President Vladimir Putin's
17:43 candidacy for the March presidential election, his campaign office announced this Wednesday.
17:49 According to Russian law, independent candidates must collect at least 300,000 signatures from
17:55 40 regions or more to be eligible to run in the election.
18:00 Incumbent President Putin, who self-proclaimed himself as a candidate, has so far collected
18:05 2.5 million signatures, almost one million more than in 2018.
18:12 The Election Commission has already approved three candidates for the ballot who were nominated
18:17 by parties with a parliamentary representation and are therefore not required to collect
18:22 signatures.
18:23 Nikolai Karitonov of the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky of the Nationalist Liberal
18:30 Democratic Party and Vladislav Davankov of the New People's Party, none of them pose
18:36 a significant challenge to Putin, who has dominated Russian politics since he became
18:41 president in 2000.
18:48 In Zambia, a cholera outbreak has so far caused 363 deaths, 30% of them children under 5 years
18:56 of age and more than 9,500 cases of illness.
19:02 According to authorities, the outbreak, which began in early October, has spread to most
19:07 parts of the country, but the increase in cases in the capital, Lusaka, is very significant.
19:13 Authorities have mobilized resources to contain the cholera outbreaks in Zambia, coinciding
19:19 with the summer rainy season, which brings heavy rainfall, causing severe flooding in
19:24 many areas.
19:25 Inadequate waste water management systems and lack of access to clean drinking water
19:32 in many underutilized and informal settlements in Lusaka led to cholera outbreaks.
19:39 Zambian authorities accepted the first batch of 1.4 million oral cholera vaccines delivered
19:46 on Monday by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and other partners.
19:55 A huge blast in southwestern Nigerian city Ibadan left at least two people dead and scores
20:01 injured, authorities said on Wednesday, blaming it on explosives stored by illegal miners.
20:08 Two people were killed and 77 others injured in that explosion that has affected seven
20:13 suburbs of Nigeria's third most populated city.
20:17 Crowds have shrunk the site of the blast as rescue efforts continue.
20:23 The explosion ripped through more than two dozen buildings and images from the scene
20:28 showed twisted structures, charred cars and damaged houses.
20:33 The blast took place in the Bodija area late on Tuesday, according to Ojo State Governor
20:39 Seji Makinde.
20:40 The governor said the state would provide temporary housing and make sure the affected
20:45 were supported to rebuild their lives.
20:52 In Africa on Wednesday, local media in the Comoros reported opposition demonstrations
20:57 claiming the annulment of the presidential vote.
21:01 In the turn, Comoros security forces clashed with protesters angry at President Asali Asomani's
21:07 re-election, which they called "fraudulent".
21:10 Police authorities said that some protesters ransacked the house of a minister and set
21:15 fire to it, while others tried to block roads in the capital.
21:20 Security forces responded with tear gas and arrests.
21:23 Local authorities declared on Tuesday that Asomani had obtained 62.97% of the votes in
21:30 Sunday's ballots, but the five opposition candidates denounced the manipulation of the
21:35 ballots.
21:36 In this sense, government spokesman Hamed Saidiye accused the opposition of organizing
21:42 the protests.
21:47 We have come to the end of this news brief, but you can find these and many other stories
21:51 on our website at TELUSURINGLISH.NET and join us on social media, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
21:57 and Telegram as well.
21:58 For TELUSURINGLISH, I'm Alejandra Garcia.