- 7 weeks ago
15/12/2025
FTS 12.30
*Ecuador: health crisis in prison system worsens
*Yemen denounces ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestine
FTS 12.30
*Ecuador: health crisis in prison system worsens
*Yemen denounces ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestine
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NewsTranscript
00:00The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America reaffirmed its commitment to sovereignty and regional integration during the 25th Summit of Heads of State and Government that was celebrated on Sunday.
00:24The health crisis in Ecuador's prison system intensified after at least six inmates died from tuberculosis in the littoral penitentiary in Guayaquil.
00:42And the Yemeni Foreign Ministry denounced new violations by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
00:54Hello and welcome to From the South. My name is Belinda Santos. I'm from a Telsero Studios in Havana, Cuba. We begin with the news.
01:01We begin with the information. The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America reaffirmed its commitment to sovereignty and also regional integration.
01:22During the 25th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Bloc, the member country celebrated 21 years since its founding with a call for unity in the face of new hegemonic pretensions. Let's see.
01:34From the Caribbean, leaders also sent a message of peace and solidarity. Dominique expressed his support for the people of Venezuela and rejected the promotion of military conflicts against the region.
01:47Along the same lines, St. Lucia insisted on the need to maintain the region as a zone of peace, while Antigua and Barbuda emphasized the urgency of collective action and demanded climate justice for the most vulnerable nations.
01:58History has taught us that war solves nothing. What it does is to bring more chaos and destruction in the long term for peoples. Therefore, I hope that we remember that history and that we start promoting war once and for all.
02:19Thank you very much, President, for your invitation. I hope to see you soon in Caracas, but you should know that you have friends and that your friends will stand in solidarity with you and with the people of Venezuela, with the free and dignified people of Venezuela.
02:38We continue to call for a region to remain a zone of peace.
02:43We continue to call for a region to remain a zone of peace and we stand in solidarity with all nations and peoples who wish to improve their lives and the quality of their life in the region.
02:58We strongly contend human trafficking, drug trafficking, and illegal weapons and ammunition.
03:07We are facing this, a major crisis today, which is the climate crisis in all countries. This is not a distant danger, but a very close catastrophe.
03:23ALBA and its solidarity are essential for collective action. We must strengthen cooperation in climate adaptation, resilience, energy sovereignty, and advocate for justice.
03:37In addition, the defense of principles according to the foreign minister of Grenada, Joseph Andal, is crucial in the face of threats that repeat historical patterns.
03:47He urged that the protects used to justify interference in Latin America and the Caribbean be denounced.
03:52While from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, it was recalled that the fundamental principles of the bloc are the guide for current diplomatic action.
04:00What we are seeing is a repetition of ancient history, and this points to the need for us to be vigilant, and to always persevere in solidarity with one another.
04:20We must be able to see and discern the pretexts that have been used to recolonize Latin America and the Caribbean.
04:31The foundations of ALBA help us to build on the cooperation and unity that guides us today.
04:43So it is up to us to continue defending and promoting all the ideals, the purposes and principles of solidarity, complementarity, cooperation, respect for sovereignty, independence, politics, territorial integrity, non-intervention in internal affairs, states, and commitment to democracy and human rights.
05:12The final declaration of the summit reaffirmed the unity of the bloc as a mechanism for defending sovereignty.
05:19In addition, the creation of the International Energy and Electricity Mission was approved with the intention of supporting Cuba in the total restoration of electricity in the country.
05:28In this way, the member countries committed to demanding resolutions to global crises that impact the region.
05:35And precisely in this context, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez thanked on Sunday the approved regional bloc initiative that seeks to bolster the Caribbean island's national power system.
05:47Through a post on his social media acts, the top diplomat shared that they welcomed the decision of the 25th ALBA-TCP summit on the initiative of President Nicolás Maduro to create a special international energy and electricity mission in support of the people of Cuba.
06:04This is yet another showcase of the essence of the alliance as a mechanism that places solidarity and cooperation among brotherly peoples at the center of its work.
06:17In other news, Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, denounced a new cyber attack against its systems, assuring that its cooperations remained unaffected.
06:29In an official statement, the company guaranteed its operational continuity, highlighting that thanks to the expertise of PDVSA's human talent, the operational areas were not affected in any way, with the attack being limited to its administrative system.
06:45PDVSA attributed the aggression to foreign interests, framing it as a part of a strategy to undermine the nation's sovereign energy development, describing the incident as part of the U.S. government's public strategy to seize Venezuelan oil by force and piracy.
07:02In this context, the company recognized its workforce, whose expertise it said was crucial in detecting and neutralizing the threat.
07:09And now we have a short break coming up, but first, remember, you can join us on TikTok at Tell Us of English, where you'll find news in different formats, news updates and much more.
07:22We'll be right back. Stay with us.
07:39Welcome back to From the South. We continue with more information.
07:42The health crisis in Ecuador's prison system intensifies after at least six inmates have died from tuberculosis in the Littoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil, the country's largest prison.
07:53According to reports from the National Police, the deceased were between 22 and 45 years old, and their bodies showed no signs of violence, pointing to health complications as the cause of death.
08:05These new deaths add to a series of them that were attributed to a presumed tuberculosis epidemic within the prison.
08:12Nationwide, 1,131 cases of tuberculosis have been reported in the prison system, of which more than 500 are in the Littoral prison alone, confirming the focus of the epidemic in this prison.
08:27In Guatemala, President Bernardo Arevalo declared a state of emergency in two municipalities in the west of the country following armed attacks on a military post and a police station.
08:44Accompanied by the minister of the interior and the chief of staff, President Arevalo explained that this state of emergency will last for 15 days and will take place in the municipalities of Nahuala and Santa Catarina Ixtacucan.
08:59The minister of the interior, Marco Villeda, reported that at least five people had lost their lives in these attacks.
09:06It is believed that the incidents were perpetrated by criminal groups linked to extortions and drug trafficking.
09:14Today, in the Council of Ministers, we have decided to implement extraordinary measures to address this critical situation.
09:27We have issued a government decree 1-2025 to declare a state of prevention in the municipalities of Nahuala and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan in the Department of State.
09:40In Honduras, tension rises over the electoral process after the senior advisor for the National Electoral Council, Marlon Ochoa, denounced that the institution refused to conduct a full recount of the presidential votes amid allegations of irregularities.
09:56In this regard, Marlon Ochoa warned that the CNE rejected his proposal for a full vote-by-vote recount and will only review 5.6 percent of the presidential tallies, despite inconsistencies having been documented in more than 17,000 ballots.
10:15In other words, Ochoa also argued that this decision compromises electoral transparency and could legitimize a result tainted by errors and manipulation.
10:25In the scenario of irregularities, the CNE advisor demands a thorough review of all records to restore confidence in the country's democratic institutions.
10:35And another one of the main topics in Latin America this week in Chile, Pinochetist candidate José Antonio Kast has won the presidency with a platform marked by anti-migrant rhetoric and harsh punitive policies on security.
10:55Boric's progressivism lost to lawyer and former congressman José Antonio Kast, elected president of Chile after winning the runoff and receiving a public concession from progressive rival Janet Jara.
11:09Kast, known for his xenophobic discourse against migrants and his tough-on-crime agenda, promised longer sentences, more prisons and broader powers to security forces, arriving in power with a mandate that he is presenting as a restoration of order in the country.
11:27Bihara, who campaigned on social rights and labor protections, recognized the results, but warned that democratic and human rights gains could be at risk under a government that links insecurity to migration and prioritizes punitive measures over social policies.
11:44Kast's term in office at La Moneda is seen as a return to Pinochetism.
11:49Kast's term in office at La Moneda is seen as a return to Pinochetist.
12:19Reports of detractors of the far-right candidate expressed their rejection of the results announced by the Electoral Service of Chile, in which Kast emerged victorious with 58.18 percent support against the progressist candidate Janet Jara, who obtained 41.82 percent of the votes.
12:49We now move on to other topics.
12:57India reported traffic accidents, air service disruptions and an increase in respiratory illnesses due to a thick layer of fog covering the north of the country.
13:07The Central Pollution Control Board reported that in the capital city of New Delhi, air quality remained at a severe level, with low visibility resulting in at least 40 vehicles being involved in multiple collisions.
13:20In this regard, airport authorities urged passengers to check the status of their flights due to possible cancellations caused by weather conditions as well.
13:29Authorities also recommended that sport teams suspend their outdoor activities to protect civilians.
13:37And in Morocco, the death toll rose to over 30 after heavy and unexpected rainfall caused flash flooding in the coastal town of Safi.
13:50According to local authorities, the flooding was caused by exceptional torrential rainfall over a short period of time, leaving at least 37 people dead, 32 injured and affecting a total of 70 homes and commercial establishments.
14:03In this scenario, authorities emphasized that a strong mobilization continues for search operations of possible missing people, ensuring security in the affected areas.
14:14Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Meteorology issued several orange-level alerts for snowfall and heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms in several provinces of the country until Wednesday.
14:25And on Sunday in Nigeria, West African leaders gathered for the 68th Summit of the Economic Community of West African State, ECOWAS,
14:40to deliver it on the future of regional integration, peace and stability for this bloc.
14:45During the meeting, officials warned about the growing resurgence of what they called unconstitutional changes of government as a threat to the regional stability of the African bloc.
14:57The debates also included the impact of climate change on food security and the need for coordinated responses to floods and droughts in the region.
15:06In this scenario, leaders also reviewed progress on economic integration, including the ECOWAS trade liberalization plan, energy cooperation and infrastructure development.
15:17We have a second short break coming up now, but before we invite you to visit our Facebook page, as always, at Tell Us for English.
15:28There you can watch our top stories, special live coverages and much more.
15:33Follow the page and activate notifications to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
15:37Final short break, don't go away.
15:47Welcome back.
16:06We continue the information with Palestine as medical authorities report five people that have been killed by Israeli aggressions over the past 24 hours in the Gaza Strip,
16:17despite the ceasefire agreement currently in place.
16:20The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported on Sunday that hospitals across the enclave also received four bodies recovered from beneath the rubble and treated 45 people wounded as well.
16:33With this, the total number of martyrs recorded since the ceasefire came into effect is 391, with over 1,000 injured and over 600 bodies retrieved as well.
16:45These figures come amid warnings from international organizations over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza,
16:53with the World Health Organization declaring that Gaza's health care system is nearing total collapse,
16:59with only 18 of the Strip's 36 hospitals partially operational and just 43 percent of primary health care centers functioning.
17:08And in Yemen, the foreign ministry denounced new violations by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
17:21In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government of Sana'a,
17:26recent violations of the ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave were highlighted,
17:29including the assassination of the leader of the Al-Qasam Brigade, Raed Saeed Saad.
17:35The Yemeni foreign ministry also warned that the Zionist entity has not complied with the entry of humanitarian aid
17:42or ended its aggressions and blocate imposed on the Palestinian people.
17:48In this regard, the Yemeni government called on the international community to urge the occupying forces
17:53to comply with the ceasefire deal and move forward with the second part of this agreement.
18:05We're going now to Australia, where on Sunday a mass shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration left 16 people dead in Sydney
18:13after men armed with rifles opened fire.
18:16According to the local authorities, two men, father and son, attacked a busy area on Bundy Beach,
18:22armed with rifles and killed 16 people, including a 10-year-old girl.
18:27At least 42 people were transferred to different hospitals in Sydney after the attack,
18:32counting among the injured two police officers.
18:35A spokesperson for the New South Wales Ambulance Service indicated that he had treated several people at the scene of the incident.
18:43According to local media, one of the shooters was shot dead by police while the other was arrested.
18:48In this context, on Monday, Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese proposed tougher restrictions on national gun laws.
19:03Albanese announced that the proposed restrictions would include limiting the number of guns a licensed owner can obtain
19:09after Australian authorities revealed that one of the shooters had amassed his six guns legally.
19:15Sunday's massacre on Sydney's Bundy Beach that targeted a Hanukkah celebration was the deadliest shooting in almost three decades in the country.
19:31And we're going now to Germany as the Berlin police arrested 18 people who were participating in an anti-police protest,
19:38which ended in clashes with the officers.
19:40Hundreds took to the streets of the Capitol on Saturday after the city's parliament passed a security law expanding surveillance powers.
19:49The new bill grants the authority increased powers for physical and digital surveillance,
19:54including covert entry into homes to install spyware when remote access is unavailable.
20:00The incidents and the first confrontations with the police began shortly after the start of the demonstration,
20:06after the rally was dispersed and the 18 participants were arrested,
20:11the police maintained a strong presence to prevent the formation of new crowds.
20:17Anti-police demonstrations are held every year on December 13th in Berlin.
20:21In other news, on Monday in France, workers at the Louvre Museum in Paris voted unanimously to continue their strike
20:35over working conditions and facility maintenance, forcing the museum to close its doors.
20:40Union leaders indicated that the 400 employees who attended the General Assembly,
20:45held in the morning at the museum's facilities, voted in favor of the strike, representing a historic figure.
20:53The Louvre's director, Lawrence de Kars, is in the spotlight,
20:57accused of prioritizing celebrations instead of tackling the renovation of the museum.
21:03In this scenario, the workers stated that despite the Minister of Folter recently meeting with the unions,
21:09the conditions to improve the situation are not in place, so the strike will continue.
21:15We want to tell the world that we disagree with the way the Louvre has been managed,
21:25we disagree with the budget allocations, we disagree with priorities that do not take into account our core mission.
21:31We have inherited a universal heritage, we are here to pass it on the future generations,
21:37and we believe that the current conditions do not allow us to be certain of this.
21:41There are two very important issues that keep coming up and that let all the staff present to vote in favor of one-day strike.
21:50These were working conditions and visiting conditions.
21:54I know that some visitors are wondering why we are taking this action.
21:59It is also for them, so that they can enjoy better visiting conditions.
22:03And in Hungary, one of Budapest's most famous Christmas markets was bustling with visitors on Sunday.
22:25This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Advent Basilica Market, one of the most popular Christmas markets in Europe.
22:32While similar events in the Hungarian capital tend to be more popular with locals,
22:37the organizers of this fair hope that tourists and locals alike will take part in these festivities.
22:43This year, a 39-foot-tall Christmas tree has been erected among the stalls on St. Stephen's Square.
22:50The Advent Basilica Market opened on November 14th, marking the start of one of the city's bestest events with countless craft vendors, food and drinks as well.
23:01It is very nice. It has a lot of things I don't know, and I really like it. It's different from ours.
23:15The market in Frankfurt is larger, but this one is different and it's very beautiful. I like it.
23:20We have quite a few different cities that have Christmas markets, but this one, it's selling obviously different stuff to what we can get at home.
23:28So, yeah, very expensive module.
23:32And with this, we have come to the end of this news, where you can find this and many other stories on our website at www.telesourenglish.net.
23:38Also, join us on social media. We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok as well.
23:45For Tell Us Your English, my name is Belen de los Santos. Thank you for watching.
23:50For Tell Us Your English, my name is Belen de los Santos.
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