- 9 hours ago
31/12/2025
FTS 16.30
*Bolivian workers continue protests against Decree 5503.
*World celebrates arrival of the new year.
teleSUR
These and many more stories now!
FTS 16.30
*Bolivian workers continue protests against Decree 5503.
*World celebrates arrival of the new year.
teleSUR
These and many more stories now!
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00In Honduras, the Public Prosecutor's Office announced legal actions after the
00:15November 30th general elections results were announced. The Bolivian Central
00:22Workers Union reaffirmed the continuation of protest on the 10th day of action
00:26against Decree 5503. And in Asia and Oceania, people are already celebrating the arrival
00:36of the New Year with tradition, joy and astonishing fireworks displays.
00:41Hello and welcome to From the South, I'm Alejandra Garcia from Telesurf Studios in
00:49Havana, Cuba. We begin with the news.
01:05The Honduran Public Prosecutor's Office announced legal actions after the results of the November
01:1030th general elections were announced. Prosecutor Joel Zelaya affirmed that the Public Prosecutor's
01:16Office acted in accordance with the Constitution and democratic order by not intervening in
01:22or interrupting the electoral process. However, in the context of an election marked by allegations
01:27of irregularities, the authorities stated that the appropriate legal mechanisms would be
01:32activated to clarify the truth about the events that occurred during the electoral process.
01:38Zelaya also reiterated that no act that violates the will or sovereignty of the people will go
01:43unpunished and that the investigations aim to prevent these events from being repeated in the future.
01:54On other news, the Bolivian Central Workers Union reaffirmed the continuation of protest on the 10th day of action
02:01in rejection of Decree 5503, which eliminates fuel subsidies. The organization states that the
02:08the indefinite general strike and marches have spread to different cities in the multinational state,
02:13demanding the repel of the supreme decree promoted by the government of Rodrigo Paz. The trade union
02:19group declares that it will maintain the broad participation of all members who support its rejection
02:25of the imposition of neoliberal measures. In this scenario, the workers also reiterate that it is
02:30unaware of the alleged invitation from the national government to participate in a dialogue.
02:42And now we go to Brazil. The leftist government made several advances in 2025, but also hit a few
02:49roadblocks with its conservative Congress. Here's a look at a year of political victories and challenges
02:55from our correspondent, Ray Amir, in Brazil.
02:56Brazil is governed by a left-wing president, but his workers' party and its inner coalition,
03:02which includes the communists and the Greens, only controls 15% of parliament. When all other
03:08left-of-center parties are added, they control 24% of the 513 seats in the lower house. In order to govern,
03:16the president has to make deals with conservative parties, and 2025 was marked by political wins and losses.
03:22Brazil's Congress has been historically conservative and reactionary in part because of the political
03:34system in place in Brazil, which is based primarily on the personal vote. People vote for individuals. We
03:44need political reform so people can start voting for parties and platforms that are based on political and
03:51economic frameworks for voters to choose from. Congressional victories for President Lula in 2025
03:57include raising the maximum income level for income tax exemption by 79%, increasing taxes on large
04:05fortunes and establishing a unified front against the Trump administration's demand to free convicted
04:11ex-president Bolsonaro, forcing it to back down and cancel its imperialist sanctions and tariffs. But
04:18everything wasn't smooth sailing. In terms of defeat and challenges this year,
04:24I would highlight the issue of parliamentary amendments. Congress was able to increase its
04:29participation in the budget and will have control over 61 billion reais, the equivalent of over 10
04:35billion dollars, in the federal budget for 2026, which they can allocate with little democratic oversight.
04:43Although 2025 was marked by victories and losses for the Lula administration in Congress,
04:472026 is an election year and new coalitions are forming around different potential presidential candidates.
04:54So what will change in 2026?
04:56I think that President Lula learned a lot in 2025 and that, knowing what he does know about how this
05:07Congress has been operating in 2026, he will take a harder line with Congress. He isn't going to rely
05:16as much on the type of dialogue his coalition governments have been known for. I believe
05:22he is going to put more pressure on Congress next year. Brazil's presidential elections will take
05:27place on October 4th, 2026. Brian Meir, Telesur, Recife.
05:38And we stay in Brazil. The economy reached a historic milestone in November 2025 when it
05:44registered an unemployment rate of 55.2%, the lowest figure since official records began in 2012.
05:52In addition, the employed population also reached a new record, achieving an unemployment rate of
05:5759% of the working-age people. Currently, only 5.6 million people remain unemployed in Brazil,
06:05although according to experts that the economy still faces some challenges, such as wage increases
06:11and the depreciation of the real, of the real. The central bank, led by Gabriel Galipolo, is evaluating
06:18possible rate cuts for the beginning of 2026, and fiscal sustainability continues to be monitored
06:25following the recent approval of the national budget.
06:33Any other news? Thousands of customers in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires,
06:36in the capital of Argentina, were affected by power outages. During the night of Tuesday and the early
06:43hours of Wednesday, more than 38,000 customers were without service. Most of the outages were concentrated in
06:51the Edesur concession zone as a result of unscheduled failures in the medium voltage network. Among the
06:58most affected areas were Alejandro Cuaren, in the district of San Vicente, where more than 6,000 users
07:05were left without power, and the neighborhood of Almagro, with a similar number of people affected.
07:11Significant outages were also reported in other locations in southern Buenos Aires. Also, distribution
07:17companies reported that repair work is continuing, and that power will be progressively restored.
07:28And now we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at
07:31TELESUR English, where you will see news in different formats, news updates, and much more.
07:36We'll be right back, stay with us.
07:57Welcome back to From the South. Mexican authorities have declared a state of high alert in response to
08:03the forecast of extreme cold for Wednesday, December 31st. The Secretariat of Integral Rescue
08:09Management and Civil Protection has issued a red alert in the Tlalpan district, where temperatures
08:15are expected to drop to minus 2 degrees Celsius and severe frost is forecast. The emergency in the
08:22capital of Mexico extends with an orange alert for Álvaro Obregón, Guajimalpa, La Magdalena Contreras,
08:30among other cities with minimums between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius. For its part, the yellow alert
08:36is in effect in the rest of the city, including areas such as Distapalapa, with temperatures between
08:424 and 6 degrees Celsius. Given this scenario, critical alerts have been issued to the population,
08:48such as taking extra care of children and elderly adults, and sealing cold air leaks in homes.
08:54And now we go to Venezuela. The President, Nicolás Maduro, shared on Wednesday a message to the nation
09:05on New Year's Eve. Through a post and his social networks, the head of state reflected, 2025 comes to
09:11a close, leaving us with invaluable memories and lessons in the struggle for our homeland, the birthplace
09:18of Bolívar, which maintains its right to access to peace and to comprehensive development. Furthermore,
09:24the Venezuelan President underscored that each battle and trial overcome is a testament to the
09:30vitality of people who have become men and women to defend their destiny. In this context, President
09:38Maduro assured that 2026 will be a year of blessings and miracles to consolidate national recovery,
09:44deepen the transformations outlined in the 7th plan, and safeguard peace as our most precious asset,
09:52ending the message by sharing a toast to a future of independence.
10:05In Russia, the head of Air Defense Troops of the Aerospace Forces, Major General Alexander Romanenkov,
10:16has revealed that the recent drone attack on an official residence of President Vladimir Putin was
10:21launched from the Ukrainian provinces of Sumy and Cherinovk. In total, 91 drones were used in an
10:28attack that was directed from several directions towards the presidential residence in the province of
10:32Novgorod. Despite the Ukrainian deployment, Russian air defense systems managed to neutralize the threat
10:38without causing casualties or damage in the area. The offensive was described by the Russian military
10:44high command as a deliberate and carefully planned act by the GKF regime. In this regard, the Ministry of
10:51Foreign Affairs also described the incident as an obstacle to peace efforts amid negotiations between
10:57Russia and the United States. The strike structure, the number of air attack assets deployed, and their
11:09action from the south, southeast, and west directed toward the Russian president residents in the Rinov-Garov region
11:17clearly confirmed that the Kyiv regime's terrorist attack was targeted, carefully planned and multi-layered.
11:24As a result of repelling the terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime, there was no casualties or damage on
11:31the territory of the Russian Federation. There was no damage to the residence of the president of the
11:37Russian Federation.
11:44The Venezuelan government condemned on Wednesday the attack against residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin,
11:49which took place during the night of December 28th to 29th. Through an official statement, Caracas denounced
11:56the incident constitutes an extremely serious terrorist act that openly violates international law and
12:02directly threatens regional and international security. In addition, the Venezuelan government
12:07stressed that the deliberate use of long-range weapons against facilities linked to the head of state
12:13reveals reckless and criminal behavior aimed at sowing chaos, political intimidation, and global instability.
12:21In this context, Caracas closed the official communication by expressing its full solidarity with the
12:27people and government of the Russian Federation and demanding an immediate end to terrorist actions that
12:33endanger the lives of civilians, the security of nations, and the balance of the international system.
12:43And now we have a short break coming up, a second short break. Before we want to invite you to visit our
12:48Facebook page at Telesur English that you'll be able to watch our top stories, special life coverage,
12:53and much more. Follow our page and activate the notification button to stay up to date on the
12:58world's most recent events. Final show break, we'll be right back.
13:13Welcome back to From the South. Let's talk about Palestine. Abortions have increased and birth rates
13:32have declined in the Gaza Strip as a result of the humanitarian crisis following more than two years of
13:37genocide and restrictions by Israel. According to Gaza's Director General of the Ministry of Health,
13:42the number of newborns has decreased by up to 40% per year, reflecting the deterioration in health
13:49and the humanitarian collapse experienced by the Palestinian people. The health officials said that
13:55the harsh living conditions faced by pregnant women due to the Israeli seizure causing maternal malnutrition
14:03and also the lack of essential nutritional supplements have minimized the number of births.
14:08More than 12,500 Palestinian women have reportedly been killed by Israel since the Zionist genocide
14:14beginning of October 7, 2023.
14:22In other news, as part of a recent ceasefire agreement, the Thai government on Wednesday released
14:2818 Cambodian soldiers held captive for five months. The repatriation ceremony took place on the border
14:34between the Thai province of Shantaburi and the Cambodian province of Pailin. The move seeks to end the
14:40crisis that has claimed nearly a hundred lives this year and displaced the 700,000 people. The conflict
14:48between these nations centers on territorial disputes dating back to the colonial era over the sovereignty of
14:55ancient temples and strategic agricultural areas that both countries consider symbols of national identity.
15:02Despite mutual accusations violating previous agreements, the release of the soldiers removes one of the major obstacles to the pursuit of a diplomatic solution.
15:11In other news, Oceania was the first continent to welcome the new year, 2026 first in Kiribati, followed by Fiji and Australia.
15:26The inhabitants of the coral island of Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, next to Samoa, were the first in the world to welcome the new year,
15:36followed by the Shatham Islands of New Zealand. The arrival of 2026 was celebrated in Auckland
15:42with fireworks that lit up the sky above the iconic sky tower, telecommunications and observations tower.
15:49The five-minute show featured more than 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the tower.
15:56Other countries that are already in 2026 are Tonga, Samoa, Tokelau and the Phoenix island of Kiribati.
16:06Meanwhile, on the Asian continent, the first country to welcome the year 2026 was Japan, together with South Korea.
16:20China, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia followed an hour later in welcoming 2026,
16:26and then Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam in that region. As part of their celebrations, the Japanese also cleaned their homes and Buddhist temples,
16:34ringed their bells 108 times to welcome Toshigami, the god of the new year, to prevent the 108 sins that man could commit.
16:45While events are held throughout Seoul to welcome the new year on the main streets and avenues,
16:50and also in the city of Busan, where a bell-ringing ceremony is held in Jiangsu-dusen Park to usher in the new year.
17:05And in this context, on New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his message for 2026,
17:10highlighting the country's progress, capabilities and strength in the face of today's global challenges.
17:16In the year 2025, March, the culmination of China for a team five-year plan for economic and social development.
17:26Over the past five years, we have moved forward with initiative and strength,
17:30overcoming numerous difficulties and challenges. We have achieved the plans of Yelid and made solid progress
17:37in the new stage of China's modernization. Our economic output has broken through thresholds
17:44one after another and is expected to raise 140 trillion yuan this year. Our economic strength,
17:51scientific and technological capabilities, defense capabilities and overall national strength have
17:57reached new. Also, the Chinese leader recalled the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory
18:02of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war,
18:08as well as the establishment of Taiwan Recovery Day.
18:15This year is full of unforgettable memories. We solemnly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the
18:21victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world's anti-fascist war
18:27and established and whined recovery day. These great national events were majestic and moving,
18:32and the glory of victory will shine in the pages of history. They inspire all the sons and daughters
18:38of the Chinese nation to remember history, honor the fallen heroes, value peace, and create a better
18:44future. They are gathering a powerful force for the great rejuvenation of our nation.
18:53And China is a world leader in technological innovation, productivity, and energy transition.
18:59Tianjin, one of the country's largest cities, is a prime example of this. Our correspondent Bruno
19:04Farsi is there in the city and show us its environmental initiatives and responsibilities
19:09focus and benefit in the people. Let's see.
19:13Tianjin is a coastal city near Beijing, with a port that serves as the capital man's
19:18maritime outlet. It is also one of China's most popular cities, with over 14 million inhabitants.
19:26Its subway system, currently undergoing technological modernization, combines intelligent
19:32operation, predictive maintenance, and advanced security. It is also committed to environment
19:39sustainability. The subway system is moving toward digitalization with intelligent equipment
19:46to meet daily challenges. Cloud computing, big data. Cloud computing, big data, a monitoring system
19:52included.
19:52At the end of this news brief, remember you can find this and many other stories on our website
19:57at telesurenglish.net. Also join us on social media. We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram,
20:03TikTok, as well. Portalesur English, I'm Alejandra García. Thank you for watching.
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