Thank you for listening to Pictures Media Radio. Welcome to Policy and Rights,
the show about the government, Policy and human rights. Welcome back to Policy
and Rates here in Depictions Media Radio. Turkey has suspended all trade to Israel,
citing worsening tragedies in Gaza, especially after the deadly Hamas attack on October
seventh, dubbing the Israeli Prime Minister the butcher of Gaza. The Prime minister
has rejected any criticism from Turkey, accusing Turkey of supporting the mass murderers of
Hamas. Turkey said the trade restrictions, which expand a measure of approval last
month affecting fifty four products exported to Israel, would last till until Tel Aviv
allows uninterrupted, sufficient and sufficient flow of mianitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli's Foreign
minister is now looking to find alternatives for trade with Turkey. Worth and this
is in pounds five point six billion pounds last year, so it's quite a
bit of trade and expense to to both countries to find trade partners that they
can keep that sort of pace up. Okay, and we're moving to me
or Mar. Miramar military regime regime is eager to find new army recruits to
fight rebel groups across the country in the In the latest move to bulk up
its forces, the government is no longer allowing conscription age men to travel out
of the country for work. Moving to the latest in CNN reports, President
Joe Biden made his first extensive remarks on the wave of unrest at colleges Thursday,
drawing a line between what he called peaceful and violent protests, while while
reiterating his support for Israel and dismissing the calls for the National Guard to intervene.
He emphasized that both groups have a right to free speech, but also
said the US was a civil society where order must prevail. When asked if
the protests have forced him to reconsider American policies towards the US, mister Biden
said no. Nationwide, more than two thousand people have been arrested on college
and university campus since April eighteen. Protests in solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli siege
in have also spread to campuses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Moving forward to the Trump trial, Keith Davison, a key witness who negotiated
with Stormy Daniels and Karen mcdonagal hush money agreements, was on the stand Thursday
in the former Donald President's Donald Trump hush money trial. The defense tried to
poke holes in Davison's character by questioning his involvement in other celebrity cases. Davison
admitted he told former Trump attorney Michael Cohen that Trump lost the election in twenty
sixteen, Daniels would lose her leverage against him. The witness was digital was
digital evidence analysts Doug Das, who testified that Cohen had nearly forty thousand contacts
on one cell phone, calling it unusual, dos could potentially share other things
he found on Cohen's phone when testimony resumes, so a beef recall in the
United States, possible E Coli recalled from the USDA by cargo meat solutions could
be effected, according to a report in Dubai Ooh. Another round of heavy
rains returned to the United Arab Immirates on Thursday, forcing widespread business closures and
flight cancellations. The storm comes just two weeks after record setting rainfall triggered by
damaging floods and severe per several parts of the country, which killed at least
four people in the UAE and brought the bustling region to a halt. The
floods also killed at least nineteen others in Amman, including ten children whose school
bus was swept away by the deluge. The rainfall fall has a heavy not
as heavy as the event two weeks ago, but Dubai experience nearly an inch
of rain in twelve hours, which is more than twice the usual receipt of
rain over the months of April and May combined. Authorities are have ordered remote
working in study they will affect the areas affected and going to the space race,
China has launched an uncrude lunar mission today and aims to bring back samples
from the far side of the Moon for the first time, in a potentially
major step towards the country's ambitious space program. And we'll have to see how
that actually pans out for China. So we have recording from the UN press
floor. They are going to be talking about, of course Gaza again and
amongst other things, the wolf is going through a nut. They will be
also talking highlights of East Africa again, talking about humanitarian efforts because of all
the rain there will also be talking about things happening in South Africa, Madagascars,
Sudan and as well as Syria, Ukraine, Cyprus and World Tuna Day.
So we also have a statement because May third, which I am actually
recording, this is World Press Freedom Day and that statement will be coming from
mister Gerrius himself as he talks about freedom of the press and how it is
important for the press to remain free so that information can be shared. The
world is going through an unprecedented environmental emergency which poses an existential threat to these
and future generations. People need to know about these and journalists and media workers
have a role in informing and educating them. Local, national, and global
media outlets can I hide stories about the climate crisis, biodiversity laws and environmental
injustice so their work people come to understand the plight of our planet and are
mobilized and empowered to take action for change. Media workers also document environmental degradation
and they provide evidence of environmental vandalism that helps to hold those responsible to account.
It is no surprise that some powerful people, companies, and institutions will
stop at nothing to prevent environmental journalists from doing their jobs. Media freedom is
er siege and environmental journalism is an increasingly dangerous profession. Journalists covering illegal mining,
logging, poaching, and other environmental issues have been killed in recent decades.
In the vast majority of cases, no one has been held to account.
UNESCU reports that in the past fifteen years there have been some seven hundred
and fifty attacks on journalists and news outlets reporting on environmental issues, and the
frequency of such attacks is rising. Legal processes are also misused to censor,
silence, detain and the ras environmental reporters, while a new era of climat
is information focuses on under mining proven solutions, including renewable energy. But environmental
journalists are not the only ones at risk. Around the world, many workers
are risking their lives trying to bring us news on everything from war to democracy.
I am shocked and appalled by the high number of journalists killed in Israeli
military opening in Gaza. The United Nations recognizes the invariable work of journalists and
media professionals to ensure that the public is informed and engaged. Without facts,
we cannot fight means and this information. Without accountability, we will not have
strong policies in place. Without press freedom, we won't have any freedom.
A free press is not a choice, but a necessity. Our World Press
Freedom Day is very important, and so I call on governments, the private
sector and civil society to join us in reaffirming our commitment to safeguarding press freedom
and the rights of journalists and media professionals around the world. Okay, Bank
to our regular programming. These Secretary General, as we've told you a number
of times, is in Chile to attend the meeting of the Chief Executive Board
for Coordination of the United Nation. This afternoon, he will have a bilateral
meeting with the President of Chili, Gabrielle Borich, and that will be followed
by a joint press encounter that'll be around six forty five pm here in New
York. For those of you who are interested, it'll be should be up
on our UN web TV platform. Last night you saw we issued a statement
in which the Secretary General expressed his deep distress at the news of the hundreds
of lives lost and many others affected by the heavy flooding in Burundi and Kenya,
Somalia, in Tanzania as well as other parts of East Africa. The
United Nations and its partners are working closely with national authorities to address the humanitarian
requirements. The Secretary General stresses that the United Nations stands ready to offer any
additional assistance that may be needed during this very difficult period. The Secretary General
is extremely concerned about the impacts of El Nino triggered extreme weather, which risks
further devastating communities and undermining livelihoods. In that regard, the Martin Griffiths,
our Emergency Relief Coordinator, has released thirteen point five million dollars from the Central
Emergency Response Fund to shore up a support to address El Nino induced disasters in
Southern Africa. The funds will go towards providing food, cash support for irrigation
systems, drought resistance, seeds for farmers for planting, among other assistants.
This latest allocation brings the total amount earmark to confront Del Nino crisis globally to
more than sixty million dollars and staying in the region and turning to Madagascar,
we have a humanitarian update for you on the response following the past sege of
tropical cyclone Goman in late March. The storm impacted more than five hundred and
thirty thousand men, women and children. Hundreds of houses in schools and health
centers were flooded and damaged. We continue to support the Government of Madagascar led
response, focusing on the health response due to the risk of epidemics Following the
storm. Humanitarian organizations have provided medicine, mosquito nets, water purification products.
They're also providing training on water treatment. The education sector is also a priority
as it is the last semester of school. Humanitarian aid organizations have distributed tents
for temporary classrooms for students. Our colleagues from Mocha say that access to some
areas remains challenging as the national road connecting the northeast, one of the most
affected regions, is still cut off. Both humanitarian supplies and staff need to
be transported by sea or air, which, as you can image, increases
the cost of the response. Humanitarian partners are calling for additional funds to support
relief efforts. The flash Appeal for Madagascar, which will require ninety million dollars
this year, is under thirteen percent funded, with only eleven point five million
dollars in the bank. Moving to Sudan or Humanitarian colleagues say they are deeply
concerned about the humanitarian crisis that is ongoing there. A group of ten emergency
directors from UN agencies and non governmental organizations wrapped up a joint mission to Sudan
today to sound the alarm over the absolutely devastating situation across the country, including
catastrophic food insecurity levels and a growing risk of famine. Humanitarians urgently need to
expand access across conflict, conflict lines and borders to reach people in need wherever
they are. They also need more resources. Despite generous pleasures made in Paris
about two weeks ago at the conference there, down humanitarian appeal remains only ten
percent funded. Our colleagues are deeply disturbed by the situation for civilians in and
around El Fasher, where Clasher's intentions have escalated. We're particularly alarmed about restrictions
on civilian movements and reports that civilians are being attacked and robbed while attempting to
flee south from the capital of North darfor state fighting in and around the city
has already cut off humanitarian access to civilians who desperately need assistance. If the
violence in Al Fasher escalates more than three hundred and sixty thousand people will be
deprived of food assistants and livelihood support and more than one hundred thousand will lose
out on shelter assistance. It could also have impact a negative impact on our
humanitarian access to other states in the Darfur region. And just a flag that
Tomorrow Friday, we will be joined virtually by Lenny Kinsley from Nairobi. She
is the Food program spokesperson for Sudan and she will brief you in more detail
on the situation in Darfur and Al Fasher. Turning to the situation in Gaza,
or humanitarian colleagues continue to warn about the catastrophic impact that a potential ground
invasion in Rafa could have, especially on the civilians and obviously on the aid
operation that supports those civilians. Rafa is at the heart of our Gaza humanitarian
operations. It is a transhipment point for life saving assistants that arrives in Gaza
from Rafa. From the Rafa and the current shoal On crossings. It is
where dozens of aid organizations store the life saving supplies they delivered to civilians who
cross the Gaza Strip. Among other things, our colleagues from the UN Population
Fund operate clinics for sexual and reproductive health at field hospitals in Rafa. UNICEF
and partners are providing outpatient treatment for acutely malnourished children at more than fifty sites
in Rafa. The Wolf Food Program and its partners distributing nutrition supplements to children
under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women in Rafa. Three of Anhua's eight health
centers in Gaza are in Rafa. They provide primary care, medication, vaccination,
pre and post natal services, and wound dressings for injured patients. Most
importantly, there are hundreds of thousands of civilians who fled to Rafa to escape
bombardment, famine, disease. For them, a ground operation would be more
mean, more suffering civilians must be protected and international humanitarian law must be respected
by all. Moving to Syria, where we are told that extreme weather there
has left thousands of people in the northwest of the country in urgent needs of
tents and other shelter support. In Idab and northern Aleppo, nearly two five
hundred people were heavily impacted by the rainfall, Some two hundred and fifty tents
and more than one hundred and eighty shelters were damaged. Our colla at Ocha
say that among those working to assess the damage and our partners on the ground
are distributing tents, mattresses, blankets, insulators and other assistants. We along
with our partners, have been providing to work have been working, excuse me,
to move some eight hundred thousand men, women and children in Northwest Syria
to safer and more durable shelters. That's while recurrent flooding. Amid recurrent flooding
since the start of the year, however, the funding shortfalls are challenging efforts
to provide support in the area. Just eight percent of the one point four
billion dollars needed for the cross border humanitarian response in northwest Syria is in the
bank and moving up to Europe and Ukraine. The Humanitarian Coordinator for the United
Nations in Ukraine, Denise Brown, was in the Kharkiv region in the east
of the country today where she condemned the recent wave of attacks on the region.
Attacks have also continued for a third day in a row in Odessa,
causing dozens of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. That's according to what
local authorities are telling us. Our humanitarian partners have warned about the impact of
the increase in attacks on education institutions and health facilities in recent months. In
the first four months of this year alone, nearly ninety schools were damaged in
attacks across the country. That's what our partners are telling us, and humanitarian
organizations are mobilized and are mobilized and are providing emergency repair materials, psychological and
legal assistance to those who need it. Almost lastly, the Secretary General's Personal
ne Void for Cyprus, Marie Anela Holgun, will undertake her third visit to
Cyprus and that will take place on the seventh to the fourteenth of May of
this year. During the visit, she's expected to meet with the Greek and
Sypriot, Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as a broad
range of additional interlocutors. Before the visit to Cyprus, she traveled to Brussels
for meeting with European Union officials as well as to other relevant capitals. And
today is World Tuna Day. Don't roll your eyes at me, Edie letter.
The fish has some amazing qualities. It's rich, in Omega three.
It contains minerals, proteins, and vitamin B twelve, among other advantages.
However, it is threatened by the overwhelming demand. And I'm part of that
overwhelming demand because I love tuna, but we need to fish sustainably. This
day highlights the importance of the conservation of management of tuna. Edie the Big
Tuna. Thank you. I have to say, I do like to yes
exactly on on Sudan and what's happening around ol Fasher, Can you tell us
what mister Lemamra is doing. Is he trying to get a lot of the
key players too together with the two generals to actually try and bring it in
to at least this offensive and the broader company. That's that's the aim.
He has been talking to various parties and those who have influence over the parties
and he will continue his activities in that regard. Can can we get a
more granular update on on what's what's happening with it? With with that,
thanks, I'll come back Joe than Beno. Yes. First, in honor
of this International Tuna Day, I'm going to have tunic cast role tonight.
So I just wanted to let you know anyway, I'm more serious. There
is a ceasefire proposal on the table, and Israel's offer of a six week
ceasefire, reducing the number of hostages is demanding or asking to be released,
and proposing a much larger number of Palestinian prisoners to be released. It's been
described as very generous by the US and the UK. Does a Secretary General
have any message for Hamas to accept this proposal? So far? Indications are
that is reluctant to accept the proposal. Well, I mean, you're listing
a proposal that you know the Secretary journal has not seen. We are not
a party to these negotiations. We've seen different variations of it in the press.
Secretary General's messages I think as he delivered it on Tuesday. So the
parties to agree to a humanitarian cease fire, to agree to release all of
the hostages, to agree for greater humanitarian access. So we are not party
to the agreement. We have not seen the proposals, We've seen press reports.
We want we want to see an agreement. And I think he was
much more eloquent than I'm being in his expressing his opinion on Tuesday. But
it looks like for more reports. It is Hamas that's standing in the way.
Israel has made several offers, and Hamas so far has said no unless
it gets its ways. I mean, it's we're basing this discussion on press
reports unless you have seen the agreement. I have not, so I can
since I don't have the details of it. I'm just reiterating what the Secretary
of General has said. Benno, I'd like to have some authority here now.
I'm gonna go with Beno. I know, I know, I changed
my mind. Beno, go go ahead. No go, no go go,
Beno, go no. God. I feel so bad. Thank you
for bringing me in that situation. Switzerland announced the Ukraine Peace Summit for fifteenth
and sixteenth of June. Who will go for the Unite? I don't have
any details for you to share this point. And the second thing, the
EU wants to pay Libanon around a billion euro to stop migration of Syrian refugees
to Cyprus and the EU. Do you have any comment to this? Okay,
I think it is whatever decisions are taken on efforts to you know,
I would I would use the term manage the flow of human beings, whether
they be migrants or refugees needs to be done in a holistic in a holistic
manner that deals with the countries of origin, the countries of destination, and
the countries of transit. So you mean this is not holistic life. I
haven't seen all the details. I'm just stating my principles. Nada, Hi,
thank you, Stan, thank you. Vanna. I wanted to follow
up on Edie's questions. She asked about any progress has been made with negotiations
between the RSF and the SAF on completely stopping the fighting and a CSI.
But my question is after today you said that ten emergency directors from you and
agencies had a mission today, has there been any progress on maybe just cross
line negotiations and just AID access. Maybe not at whole land. As far
as I know, there's not been sufficient progress, uh, Maggie, then
Michelle, then Deji following up on Sudan. Where in Sudan did the ten
emergency directors go? Because it's very hard to move around, So do you
know where they went? No? I do not, but I will get
un answered shortly. Yep, go ahead, Sorry, just three quick questions
on Gaza aid, has the UN had any communications from Israel on how imminent
an assault on Rafa. We are not privy to military their military operations.
They gave a warning in October when they were going to go in. You've
had nothing, okay. And on the peer, the US led peer,
has there been any kind of has the UN resolved how what their involvement will
be in excuse me? Those discussions are also ongoing. And then last question
from Rafa, how many people is the UN been observed leaving in recently leaving
Rafa and leaving Gaza like, has there been a surgeon people leaving ahead of
going back north well or leaving crossing into Egypt. I don't have those numbers.
I'm not aware that we've seen any large movements of people uh Deji.
Sorry, yes. A couple of questions Steph. Starting with Syria border crossings.
This February Syrian government UH grant permission for you interviews Arai and Baba Salama
border crossings and that that mandate is due to expire on thirteenth of May.
Is there any update the negotiations? I think, as we said, as
we said last week, our ULTR colleagues are very much in contact with the
Syrian government to ensure the continuation of that. But generally speaking, how's the
how's the border crossing operations? They're working, They're working. They're underfunded,
but they're working. Okay, good. Second question, it's been reported that
Columbia might cut diplomatic ties with Israel because of the Gaza conflict. Any positions
from the issue bilateral relations is a bilateral issue, Stefanie, Thank you,
stepman. After what happened in the last few hours with the students size in
California, would the Secretary General perhaps like to clarify better what he said earlier
about the protests, that when freedom of expression must be respected and when not?
I think I'm not I mean the Secretary John I think was very clear
and it was using very clear words when he spoke about this on Tuesday.
Alan, thank you, Stephan. I have a question on Ukraine. Today
it marks ten years since the one of the milestones that triggered the Ukrainian conflict.
Speaking of the situation on May twenty fourteen, on the what there's a
strade Union's house. As you know, that day nationalists locked up in the
house, the Federalism protesters and then the house was set on fire. About
fifty people were killed there, over two hundred I guess almost two hundred and
fifty people injured. Still no results for the investigation, no accountability. Is
the UN advocating for the proper thorough investigation all this Back at the time of
events, Secretary General issued a statement in which he called for swift and conclusive
investigation, and since then our colleagues in the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine
have also issued similar statements. And I would encourage you to check with excuse
me, check with our human rights colleagues if they've anything had to say,
but they've been there've been updates from them calling for an investigation. Nobody was
brought to justice. Since then. There are a lot of cases around the
world where we have called for investigations and there's been no accountability. Very sadly,
Eadie, thank you Steph. On aid getting into northern Gaza, there
had been somewhere around two hundred trucks getting in per day. Are the aid,
the fool the other items from those trucks actually being delivered or are they
still being held up because of fire? I mean a lot, a lot
of the the goods that are able to cross from Israel into Gaza are not
in a position to be delivered because of the obstacles that we've been mentioning repeatedly.
Abdel Hamid, thank you, Stephan. I have two questions. One
on Egypt. There were fourteen young women, mostly women, demonstrated in support
of Gaza in front of the You and office in Cairo. They were all
arrested. I see you and involved. Do they follow the case because they
were in the front of the new An office? An you an officer following
the case? I will check with our office in Cairo. I was not
aware. But whether it's in Egypt or anywhere else, we continue to believe
in the right for people to express themselves peacefully. Your second question the second
yes, yesterday the House of Representative in the US and vote three twenty to
ninety one atop the era definition of anti Semitism, which mixes the criticism of
Israel and label it as anti Symitism. Do you have any opinion on that?
We don't. We're not in the business of commenting on laws that are
going through a process. It is not as far as I know, it
has not passed through all the But do you agree that criticizing is not any
I have no comment. I will I will just tell I'm not commenting on
the law. I will just tell you that we that you know, in
terms of the UN, there is no Member states have now agreed to an
official written definition of anti semitism just like terrorism. However, that has not
that has not prevented the Secretary, the Secretary General and very Secretary entities to
be consistent in our position against anti semitism and is called for member states to
counter anti Semitism. I will leave it at that. I wish you a
good day, a good afternoon, and my good calling. Mister huck will
be here tomorrow. I'm going tuna fishing. Oh sorry, one more,
one more thing, Uh, the emergency directors were in Port Sudan only.
Okay, So final thoughts. Freedom of the of the press is extremely important,
and in some countries the press isn't so free. And if we have
reported since the pandemic about different areas of the world where the press has come
under attack, and in the US and Canada during the pandemic, the press
did come under fire. Even where it is constitutionally stated that the press should
be allowed freedom, the information that is shared should be allowed to be spread
freely and reporters should be allowed to report on what is happening in our communities
so that we all know what is happening, we all know what the issues
are. At the same time, there is a problem where stories are tainted
and at times twisted to fit agendas, and as the public, we should
be able to question what it is that the press is telling us and find
out for ourselves what is actually true, and that should be welcomed as well.
Thank you for listening to policy and rates here in Depictions Media Radio.
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