Transcripts For RT News 20240712

Hello from moscow midday here now im kevin 0 in live from arties world news h. Q. This sunday its the weekly the big stories we brought you over the last 7 days and recap so 1st the rushes overhauled constitution came into effect on saturday following a weeklong vote which wrapped up on wednesday the majority of voters indorse the changes in the end with 78 percent in favor from a turn of her own 68 percent followed the final day of polling. Now this really was a vote of us the 1st time people were in mosques and gloves the 1st time they were using disposable pants walks in through temperatures counts voting online for some as for the voting process itself while does that was a situation where security footage allegedly caught a woman stuffing ballots now that counting in that area of moscow has been suspended pending an investigation otherwise the Central Electoral Commission says that it found no irregularities that was so many. Amendments on the table 147. 00 in total that its difficult to decide what it was that ultimately secured public backing but undoubtedly its the package of social amendments that house particularly white appeal im talking about things like adjusting pensions in line with inflation and showing that the minimum wage never ever floors below the cost of living as well as giving additional Financial Support to low income families these prove popular because they have such a tangible impact on peoples day to day lives but that is not to say that this was an easy decision for anyone or that it was without control to see a few amendments proved to be particularly polarizing and one that paints a lot of media traction was concerting the socalled searing out of president putins previous tubs paving the way for him potentially if he wanted to do so run again twice as president on top of the some of the more conservative amendments proved to be divisive such as defining marriage so many as a union between a man and a woman reiterating traditional family values as well as mentioning god despite the fact that russia is officially a secular the nation but let him the people themselves and what they have to say. Why have i come here to vote because im a citizen of russia and a green with all of them men mints i am not ok with them and about 0 and out of president ial term i absolutely do not agree with. I became familiar with all of the amendments in the constitution the member of the most important for me is the prevalence of russian you over international the head of the Central Election Commission of says something about voting being like a meal deal you either take everything or you do not take it at all and i already do not like one dish in this meal deal so i will not take Everything Else i think it is nonsense according to all legal logical and ethical norms i love my country and you think everything that has been done is right i think. That its needed because the current constitution is out of date it is a modern time and even the view of life is new the bit of a mixed bag in tubs of reaction and people decide to show that disapproval not just at the polls but also protests peaceful ones both hit in the capital and also in the us and petersburg but true to 20 or 20 fold it was safety fust. Rate its not. Honest and ultimately many who put a tick in the yes box with dogs here but the russia of 9293 when this current constitution was born was full of political and economic instability it was still finding its feet after the collapse of the soviet union and that russia is not the same as the russia of 2020 that almost entirely Different Countries so i think this is yes to the changes was born from a desire for the countrys top document to move with the times to set russia on a new course and shape its future as envisaged by russians now today and not as envisaged by russians always thought years ago. And there was a long list of moments in the package on offer but it was one particular element the much the foreign media followed up. Russias parliament basically paving the way for Vladimir Putin to potentially stay on as russian president hes the longest serving russian leader since Joseph Stalin but what if you tim wants to stay in power even longer addressing lawmakers afterwards said he backed the amendment allowing him to seek another term in office but there are dozens of interesting lucians that should also be discussed and the one that caught my eye was on children the role of children and all fronts i explicitly mentioned in one of the constitutional monarch moments which i think is worse while reflecting the Russian Federation of the year 2020 is in many regards i would say in a different situation than was the country in 1903 when we compare the International Circumstances but also of course the National Economic and political situation the early ninetys were marked by the implosion of the soviet union marked by the down brutal communists and. It was more about being a fax s. Of the then the Russian Federation that we have today i think there is a need for. Meeting this new circumstances because a constitution is almost a reflection of a society and also of the circumstances of the countries in seoul and the future of the legislature the parliament in order to respond to these new exigencies. Despite a lot of headlines as reported by us to you the campaign to take down statues linked to racism kept at the post through the week while some of the ling serb irrefutable the vandalism of denmarks Little Mermaid was a little harder to comprehend it was dogged with racist fish but academics say they cant see what could be racially insensitive about the Hans Christian andersen fairy tale all that aside the Big Questions are no being asked of course worldwide about how best to remember our history the good and the bad people over explains how germany may just have the answer. When it comes to assessing and dealing with difficult periods of history germany has more experience than most but we havent seen the type of scenes here that have played out in the United States britain belgium. I. Ave was. Was. I. Thought germany isnt without its own controversial statues otto von bismarck has been dogged with red paint in hamburg while as an Ongoing Campaign to block the renovation of another monument to the eye and chancellor in the port city bismarck wasnt just crucial in german unification he was also a driving force in colonialism and by todays standards and on t. C. Might here in berlin sell end of district anime as hassam and 1920 s. Depiction of a needling black woman was decapitated last week castleman remains controversial in germany he was a committed nazi and despite that fact his works continue to be displayed across the german capital this particular monument had been slated for removal by city authorities whod already deemed it earlier this year on suitable for display in the city fell in and if it had Diverse Society cannot exist with this kind of bigotry and prejudice you cannot live together if you do not treat each other equally people shouldnt be discriminated against based on the color of their skin say what happens to stand cheese in germany that no longer justify. Exhibition well here in berlin theyve got just the place for them the spandau citadel although the 16th century fortress has its own troubled past it was used as a chemical weapon storage by the nazis but the proposal was to bring news that you to a museum to show it is an example of racism these mistakes are not repeated this racial stereotype should not be demonstrated on the streets but in a museum where we could demonstrate it to people within context 6 as we move through the exhibition we see hundreds of years of prussian military strongman into monuments of naziism the 3rd reich didnt really do sculpture but this castle it was one of few described by hitler is irreplaceable the nazis preferred buildings as their monuments to time and theres plenty of those still visible in modern belin. One of the most i can change in this collection of discarded start juice is this gigantic granite head of blood to me a lemon its all that remains of a 19 metre high monument that was built in 1970 to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. In the United States and also in Great Britain the red discussions at the moment about what to do with dismantle memorials but here we have already found a possible solutions for memorials that are so to speak toxic if you put them in a museum that doesnt mean its over we put them here so that people can continue to Pay Attention to them but in a different context germany is often cited as the example to follow when it comes to assessing periods of history troubling to modern sensibilities even if there are 2 named after nazi field Marshall Erwin rommel that the German Military calls home to this day they glossed over as they dont fit the particular narrative because history has a tendency not to be as neat as we might like it when its really examined peter all of r. T. Early in. This cause in concert part of spains catalonia region is back on the lockdown after a surge in coronavirus coaches the the authorities in the say it was a difficult decision to keep over 200000 people at home just weeks after the nation began easing restrictions. In the last hours in the day weve seen an exponential growth in the number of infections and thats prompted us to take action its a difficult decision the government must prioritize lives and the health of peoples and will take all the necessary measures catalonia has been one of spains worst affected regions with more than 12000 dead the area now back under restrictions of c. New cases more than double over the past week or 200 Police Officers have been deployed to try to help in force the checkpoints locals though so they were braced for the move. They actually got effect and i thought this is right because we had too many spikes too many infractions and eventually they would have to close out of the region in more will come it seems this is necessary because were seeing whats of cases this is a good decision or right at the moment then spade ranks 4th in europe for the number of corona virus related deaths at over 28000 the countries log nearly 300000 cases in total spain had been moving to reopen its borders to attract much needed to rest income during the peak of the Summer Season still just about ahead one spanish doctor we spoke to believes a selective strategy is good is needed but also worries a tourism boom right now could lead to a much bigger problem to. Ensure my belief that given the current circumstances this is the only option going back to a total lockdown that supplies the whole country is not the way to go the other issues here is that the e. U. Countries have acted on their own since the start of the lock down now the 27. 00 countries have opened their borders except to americans brazilians and russians but they still allow the british to enter and visit Spanish Islands with little or no screening its very important to either debate the need for a biological passport or to at least require a virus test 3 days before any trip within europe. International hi there more from moscow coming up the rush to revise the race is that even the Us National Anthems under the microscope will tell you more in 90 seconds. So what weve got to do is identify the threats that we have its crazy confrontation let it be an arms race in this spear in Dramatic Development only and going to exist i dont see how that strategy will be successful very critical time to sit down and talk. For past midday moscow time americas 4th of july traditions have extra scrutiny this year in light of the reenergized lives Matter Movement President Trump called people the determined to destroy slavery linked monuments in an address beneath Mount Rushmore but it did little to heal the racial divide as well as statues and street names even the u. S. National anthem is in frame for revision more on it from hawkins. 2020 is a year of change and im not talking about coronavirus popular t. V. Shows axed statues torn down even food brands updated to meet 21st century criteria of inclusive u. T. Equality justice and tolerance but is it enough can more be done while in the United States protests during the National Anthem have been a bone of contention for quite a few years but what about the National Anthem itself well now some people are saying enough is enough. I. I well thats thats you that just came off the plinth was Francis Scott key the man behind the lyrics that the starspangled banner and former slave owner and anti abolitionist so whats the deal with the anthem itself. To do so warm these walls. What you can sing the 3rd verse all right of course the rarely performed that 3rd verse was directed by key black slaves whod been freed or escaped and fought alongside the british in the war of 1812 his message to them was clear your fight for freedom will bring you nothing but death and downfall Little Wonder then the anthems attracted increasing scandal across the United States with both soccer teams and High School Students refusing to play or sing at keys that only profited from slavery he apparently also harbored some pretty backward views on race and nationality and this widely attributed quote certainly has no place in this day and age. You dont want to hear me sing in french. But that was the mossie years familiar to all around the world for centuries truly a symbol of French National identity both in times of joy and tragedy and. Did. You knew that you know. Who or who. d you so well some of those lyrics furious soldiers coming to cut throats grabbing weapons impure blood may seem to some at least to be appropriated by the far right and certainly having no place in the modern republic calls for change remain theres even a movement for a new master yes and while theyre still far off their goal theyre not alone various french figures throughout history have had issues with them from the right of victor hugo to socialist leaders. Even seeing a surge gains ball who wrote his own reggae version back in 1979 have called for a make over. To seeing or not to seeing that is the question well former u. K. Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn found himself at the center of a media storm when he really got the wrong answer are you saying that you will sing the National Anthem im going to be many of them ill take part fully in those events i dont see a problem but this is the issue surely is that we had a memorial for the battle of britain i was there and despite his explanation the press was merciless branding him all but a traitor but what would they say in 2020 beyond the 1st verse which we all know the lyrics do get a little strange especially in a Secular Society talk of a day theorizing to scatter enemies and punish those rebellious scots hardly makes any friends up north and whatever his reasons corbin isnt alone for example indigenous members of parliament in all taria recently announced they wont be taking part in any of them singing. God save the queen is an archaic tribute to the British Colonial period in the centuries of violence oppression and discrimination the British Empire carried out against nations and peoples are considered inferior Indigenous Peoples in canada a glaring example among them perhaps corbin was just ahead of his time as was canada they officially passed the motion back in 2018 making their National Anthem gender neutral through. Was this was the debates around symbols such as anthem statues or brands dont seem to be going anywhere anytime soon but as the calls for transformation grow louder many may question what fundamentals they really change beyond just that symbolism. Still in the states like police finally moved in to clear out the celtic later thomas protests so in seattle or wednesday although pockets of protests are ongoing in neighboring districts activists occupy the citys capitol hill which became known as chop about a month ago now after police moved out of their precinct building the campaigners said they had hoped to create a Peaceful Police free utopia but the peace didnt last long in the 3 weeks of protests the zone saw 4 shootings 2 of them fatal and also been reports of assaults burglaries and rape the protesters some armed were warned that they could face arrest if they didnt leave in the end over 30 were to turn a Seattle Police released video of some of the violence to. Oh im going to go. For a smoke. The mayor wanted to leave the activists there take over hoping as he put it the time for a summer of love but it was later for take action a decision came after protesters. On the home demanding Police Funding be slashed and activists to the sites watched as police moved the protest is on. So i am outside of the pine street entrance of the shop right now where a bunch of police have set up a barricade and the protesters are now beginning to gather you know just. You know cut their block in the street and try to cause a little bit more awareness and the officers took that as an opportunity to play enforce their version of law oh yeah i dont know where you thought it was. But the police came and chopped and ousted the remaining people who were staying there does that have around 30 to a rest and theyve been spraying people pepper spray them in aggressive from your perspective what exactly happened basically i was at the bar and. Bar and and it all started when bang bang bang screams and then my. Back there were a couple individuals who were speaking loudly red megaphone switching the crowd energized to actually bringing people in off the streets and the cops in a little bike brigade actually charged and targeted those people arresting them individually and throwing them into the back of cop cars far end of chop. Not too long ago there were a bunch of tents in these areas there were people hanging out just living but in 5 hours everyone has been evacuated you know like you had a 40. 4040 ton i still cant tell. My message right now and her friend you know i dont think anybody in seattle did not see this coming ever since the string of 4 to 5 shootings that has shot recently found out that the last shooting it was a 14 of a 16 year old kid who were killed so i think that it was. The cops who decided that it was time. To prevent theres a lot of demoralization right now especially in the crowd of protesters because i think a lot of people are taking this is a bit of a law its barely where i was 2. Told. This entire idea. Seems to have not only but come to an end. Then this show made news in the wake of viewers in latvia can no longer watch our t. V. On the t. V. s we are pulled off air on choose day along with 6 other multilingual channels by the countrys Media Council it says its because the network is controlled by a broadcaster currently under e. U. Sanctions but of course as ever the devils in the detail because the person in question actually heads a perp separate Russian News Agency its not us who are against the of explains the confusion. What you see here may look like news to you but others perhaps those that dont like the color green were made of soft stuff those working in latvian intelligence agencies all government this is horrible the evidence we have obtained is very strong and we call on the regulators of all other e. U. Member states to follow our example and ban r. T. In the territory such programs have no place in latvia or elsewhere in the e. U. Personally ive looked all over fairbairns watched r. T. Arabic with subtitles tried r. T. Spanish i even checked behind attorneys and know nothing just cables the very evidence that latvia has the literally made up and didnt try very hard perhaps it was just before the end of the working day that everyone iching to go home see theres an umbrella of News Agencies and russia hauled but i see a civil order which translates to english as russian today and this organization is led by a fellow whos on european sanctions list this organization by the way has nothing to do with r t thats been our name for more than a decade were at sea and there i see a subordinate even our names are in different languages but the Latvian Special agent or official is other than easily scared apparently a lazy thing given the subject to sanctions throughout the u. The National Electronic Media Council will inform media regulators in other countries of the decision taken and considers that a similar ban on distribution would be acceptable throughout the e. U. Book im sorry that was mean we just put last the other intelligence agencies on red alert agents running around their headquarters waving their arms and complaining loudly about our t. Scaring them again but it really is funny even the fellow who in the sanctions list. Seems to think so this decision is an indicator of the level of stupidity and ignorance of the latvian austerities blinded virus a phobia we laughed at this announcement the lab you know authorities got into a simple mess but seriously speaking the reason for the ban they have stated does not have any legal basis therefore latvia should immediately return the broadcast of r. T. And apologize to our colleagues to be honest it isnt hurting our feelings that they should be worried about you can censor things not in the modern world people will always find a way to find what theyre looking for what they should be worried about is you know undermining the very foundations of the European Union no country can join the e. U. Without guaranteed freedom of expression as a basic human right fine if latvia which seems to have a thing for trying to silence media have been able to come up with a good excuse to ban see a solid reason to violate a founding principle of the European Union but they didnt they came up with a laughable excuse and even then managed to get it wrong then look stupid in front of their own allies the burning of our to channels and violence freedom of the press the wants of citizens to media pluralism and is a clear censorship Member Councils decision be lifted immediately at the end of the day if Latvian Special services and authorities are of this incompetent capable of confusing 2 different media organizations and everyone who leads them and in the process undermine the entire European Union well theres really nothing to be afraid of little latvia flexing its muscles trying to lead the European Union on our merry dance of censorship and media repression has dropped the store and on. On feet they may have been counting on the fact that nobody would notice this rather gigantic elephant in the corner of the room but they have named the wrong guy so i think it will now be a laughingstock the European Union claims to be the boss no Free Speech Free expression democracy and all of that and yet just goes to show thats all lipstick when the d when the lipsticks rubbed off its a rather plain our face underneath it so to say pity is no trip out there soon and well lets not show the stories he brought in the last 7 days thanks to watching the weekly you know not International Reporting from moscow kevin 0 in here bye for now and enjoy the rest the weekend. Before. All the trumpet came out now states and the other world over. Washington ceased to be a city that. Tended toward the compromised bike might is a sure National Interest people talked about gridlock in congress its people talk about. The rights of the radicals in both bodies. Right but its a centrist approach to politics both domestic and foreign. Stuff thats for sure. About. What. I believe