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00:12In Colombia tensions are rising ahead of the general elections.
00:30The United States Southern Command attack another alleged drug trafficking vessel in Eastern
00:34Pacific waters, killing one person.
00:41And Muslims around the world celebrate with prayers the Eid al-Adha festival, one of the
00:46most important holidays in Islam.
00:55Hello, welcome to From the South, I'm Luis Alberto Matos from Derso Studios in Caracas,
01:00Venezuela.
01:01We begin with the news.
01:21In light of the influx of Colombian borders in various cities around the world, the government
01:26of the South American country is providing guarantees for overseas voting and encouraging
01:31nationals to participate in the democratic process.
01:34The National Civil History Office and the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported high
01:38poor turnout in cities such as Miami, Barcelona, London and Toronto on the first day elections
01:43for Colombian nationals living abroad.
01:45In this regard, the Colombian Foreign Affairs Minister Rosa Villavicencio stated that the
01:49process has the necessary accreditation to ensure the legitimacy of the results.
01:54Villavicencio also emphasized the role of the electoral authorities who are working to
01:58guarantee transparent elections.
02:10The National Registrar of Colombia Hernan Penagos warned of legal action against those who
02:15spread false information about electoral results abroad.
02:22False information is circulating regarding the results of the elections from polling stations
02:27abroad.
02:27This is impossible because such information can be disclosed.
02:32Furthermore, the information will only become available once the elections close in
02:36Colombia next Sunday.
02:37It should also be noted that polling jurors and electoral witnesses who disseminate partial voting
02:43data from different polling stations abroad may face disciplinary actions and even criminal penalties.
02:55The four years of President Gustavo Petro were marked by several achievements
02:59thanks to reforms implemented during his government such as the increase in minimum wage.
03:04With the elections just days away, let's take a look at some important details.
03:08Our correspondent Hernan Tawar with all of them.
03:13Four years of the first progressive government have come to an end and important changes were
03:18made in economic matters that allowed poverty, inflation and unemployment to be reduced.
03:23This was achieved despite the opposition's efforts to boycott the reforms promoted by Gustavo Petro.
03:29The country reached a historically low within the rate of monetary poverty,
03:33which measures access to the basic basket, in 2024 when this indicator fell to 31.8%,
03:40the lowest since 2014.
03:43The decline in multidimensional poverty, which measures access to services, also continued in 2025,
03:49falling to 9.9% from 11.5% in 2024, representing the exit of at least 793,000 people
04:00from this condition.
04:02This is possible thanks to a social and economic policy that has put redistribution of wealth at the center of
04:11efforts
04:12to overcome the inequality gaps that greatly affect social and economic development in Colombia.
04:21For the first time in the country's history, the minimum wage increased in real terms,
04:26surpassing inflation.
04:28The adjustment fixed by presidential decree at 23% for 2026 determined the remuneration at approximately 466 US dollars,
04:38plus a transport subsidy.
04:43It is a race that should be valued, not only for the worth of goods,
04:46but also for the satisfaction of the whole family.
04:49This had never been done in Colombia before, and only this year was the race made with criteria of a
04:54vital salary,
04:55increasing by 23%.
04:56It is important because it strengthens the position of workers, increases their income and that of their families,
05:03and will undoubtedly lead to greater consumption in Colombia households.
05:07Despite warnings from some critics about a possible inflationary surge following the wage increase,
05:13annual inflation in April 2026, for example, remained stable at 5.68%,
05:19thus protecting purchasing power, according to the government.
05:23The increase in the price of some foods, which has led to inflationary pressure,
05:28is due to climatic factors and the rising cost of production inputs,
05:33such as fertilizers, and not to the minimum wage.
05:42Controlled inflation means stable prices, which benefits everyone, as it allows us to buy things at the same price.
05:50However, you need money in your pocket to be able to buy things.
05:56Therefore, unlike what is happening in Argentina, for example,
06:02where salaries are being cut and the labor market is being made as flexible as possible,
06:09generating hunger and misery, the Colombian government has increased the minimum wage.
06:17This means that those who receive it have more money in their pockets,
06:23or that they can spend and, therefore, improve their well-being.
06:35According to analysts, the decline on unemployment in Colombia from 10.6% in 2022 to 8.2% and
06:448.8% between 2025 and 2026
06:48is due to the reactivation and creation of jobs in the strategic sectors such as manufacturing, construction, transport and the
06:56public sector.
06:58We are seeing that policies, which were previously thought to be unworkable due to their lack of effectiveness,
07:04are now producing the desired results.
07:07Increasing salaries is good because it reduces unemployment and stimulates the economy, therefore.
07:12Colombia should be a kind of laboratory to see what this risk represents,
07:16more job opportunities for people, better quality jobs and better paid jobs.
07:24Among the achievements of the current government, it paid off the total debt with the IMF,
07:30which amounted to $8 billion, implemented a policy of reducing legislative privileges
07:35and strengthening the currency.
07:37Around $1.09 billion in financing for leasing, modernization and productive investment was granted to 63,000 small businesses.
07:53The acting president of Venezuela, Delcio Rodriguez, led a council of insurance meeting where she announced projects aiming to ensure
07:59the wellbeing of the people.
08:01From the Miraflores Palace, the acting president appointed the Minister of Education, Hector Rodriguez, as presidential commissioner.
08:10Within 90 days, he must develop a proposal for a new governmental structure,
08:14accompanied by the sectoral vice president for planning, Ricardo Menendez.
08:18Meanwhile, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Anabel Pereira, was appointed commissioner for the efficient management of the national government.
08:26The aim is to adapt the public administration to the country's reality and create an executive branch that ensures the
08:32common good.
08:33In this scenario, the acting president stated that despite the economic blockade, Venezuela has achieved sustained growth over the past
08:40five years
08:41and emphasized that the country will continue to move forward towards a homeland free of sanctions and at peace.
08:54I have said that even with our hands tied, we have achieved sustained growth over the past five years.
09:02Just imagine what Venezuela could keep if we were free of sanctions.
09:07Consider the immense potential of our nation, and most importantly, the identity that has enabled us, as Venezuelan men and
09:15women,
09:16to reach this point despite the severe economic blockade, unlike anything our republic has ever experienced.
09:23And, I will argue, unlike what few other countries have experienced in terms of limitation on their economic, financial and
09:30commercial potential.
09:32So, with great hope, we embark on this pilgrimage.
09:37We are pilgrims, men and women alike, and we march, pray, and sing together for a Venezuela free of sanctions
09:45and at peace.
09:46Libre de sanciones y una Venezuela en paz.
09:51And appearing...
10:04Appearing before the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez,
10:10called for peace in response to the United States escalating aggression and threats against the island.
10:18No justification can be invoked for aggressive or coercive in human acts or similar acts.
10:26Given the humanitarian impact, let Cuba live in peace.
10:30For more than six decades, the United States government has fabricated pretexts in an attempt to justify its criminal conduct.
10:42It has absolutely portrayed the small symbolic island as a threat to the national security of a nuclear superpower.
10:52An idea that defies the logic and common sense and is based on false assertions and insinuations.
11:01As President Miguel Diaz-Canel has reiterated, Cuba is not and cannot be a threat.
11:08It is not an enemy to the United States and does not seek to be one,
11:13despite its significant difference with the U.S. government.
11:22In this context, Rodriguez urged the international community to unite and put an end to the U.S. aggression
11:28that endangers Cuba's peace and sovereignty.
11:34I call the international community to mobilize in order to prevent a possible humanitarian catastrophe,
11:42whether through armed action or our energy siege,
11:46and the extreme tightening of the blockage, which also kills and cause suffering.
11:50I urge Latin America and the Caribbean to take action to preserve their status as a son of peace
11:57and avoid the adverse consequences that would destabilize the region.
12:03The time has come for extensive international coordination,
12:07transcending political difference, ideological approaches, and historical disputes
12:12to establish boundaries and prevent violations that engager and harm the national interests,
12:19peoples, and sovereign prerogative of all states.
12:39The United Kingdom reports a record heat wave with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius during the day
12:45and nighttime temperatures remaining above 20 degrees.
12:47The British Meteorological Office reported that the record temperature was registered southwest of London.
12:53In response to this situation, authorities activated an orange-level health alert across much of the country,
12:59while also confirming several accidents, including the drowning deaths of four teenagers.
13:09Likewise, in France, the heat index exceeding 24 degrees Celsius may dismay the hottest in the country's history.
13:16The high temperatures are forcing people to drink more water and cool off in public fountains,
13:20in clear evidence of the impact of climate change.
13:31The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo called for the creation of a humanitarian corridor to address the
13:37Ebola outbreak ravaging the country,
13:39emphasizing the need for a unified national response to contain the epidemic and prevent its spread to new areas.
13:45During a press conference held at the Mama and Heavy Studio in the capital of Kinshasa,
13:50Minister of Public Health Samuel Rokekamba Bulamba highlighted the challenges authorities face in convincing the public of the severity of
13:57the disease and its forms of transmission,
13:59noting that popular beliefs are hindering public health response efforts.
14:04On May 15, Congolese authorities announced the outbreak of an epidemic caused by the Buntibu-Gyo virus,
14:11one of the Ebola strains for which there is still no vaccine or treatment,
14:14with a mortality rate reaching 50 percent, according to official data.
14:19The health minister also urged a unified response across the different regions,
14:22as otherwise it would not be effective in his words.
14:32Let's take our break, we're going to be right back.
15:00Welcome back.
15:01In Palestine, despite the Saroni's occupation and custom aggressions,
15:04over 140,000 Palestinians performed Adal-Adha prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
15:10Tens of thousands of worshippers took part in the Adal-Adha prayer on Wednesday morning,
15:14the couriers of the Al-Aqsa Mosque defying restrictions and facing attacks by Israeli occupation forces.
15:19During their religious ceremonies, attendees chanted the traditional Takbirs of Id from the Holy Site,
15:25creating an emotional scene of devotion, connection and commitment to the preservation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
15:31For its part, Saroni's military had a strong presence in the Old City,
15:35with reported acts of aggression and detained worshippers and journalists.
15:48On Tuesday, at least 31 people in Lebanon were killed and over 40 injured,
15:52and repeated and intensified Israeli attacks in violation of the ceasefire.
15:57According to Lebanon's Ministry of Health, among the victims of the latest attacks were numerous children.
16:02The Saroni's aggressions targeted multiple areas across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley,
16:06including intensive bombings, drone raids and ulterior shelling targeting towns and villages in Nabatyeh, Bint Valeh, Tireh and western Bekaa.
16:15In this regard, Lebanese sources describe these as deliberate attacks on populated residential zones,
16:21consistent with the Saroni's pattern of war crimes aimed at punishing the Lebanese people for resisting.
16:28Furthermore, these attacks come amid the existing ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon,
16:33and the Saroni's entity has consistently violated almost daily.
16:41The Lebanese Ministry of Health's Emergency Operations Center announced Tuesday evening
16:46that the death toll from the Israeli aggression against Lebanon has risen to 3,213 since March 2,
16:53with 9,737 people wounded.
16:55This comes after Saroni's forces issued force evacuation warnings on Tuesday evening
16:59to residents of 47 villages and towns in southern Lebanon,
17:02and continued its aerial and ulterior bombardment of dozens of villages while drones flew over Lebanese airspace.
17:09The continued Israeli strikes against Lebanon have been internationally condemned
17:13as violations of humanitarian law and also represent violations of the ceasefire agreed between Lebanon and Israel on April 16.
17:28African leaders, government officials, and representatives of civil organizations gathered at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa
17:35to commemorate the 63rd African Day.
17:38Under the slogan 63 years of unity, integration and development,
17:44heads of state called for strengthening the continent's sovereignty and demanded a greater global role,
17:50highlighting water security as a strategic priority.
17:53In their speeches, they emphasize that Africa is not asking for charity but for respect,
17:58and urgently called for comprehensive reforms to the United Nations Security Council
18:02that would include permanent representation for the continent.
18:08Likewise, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali urged leaders to move from words to action
18:13in order to fulfill the dreams of the Founding Fathers.
18:24Muslim worshippers in South Korea gather at the country's central mosque to celebrate the Feast of Sacrifice,
18:30the most important holiday on the Islamic calendar.
18:33This celebration, which commemorates the obedience of the Prophet Abraham in his willingness to sacrifice his son by divine command,
18:41is marked by massive prayers from the faithful.
18:44After the prayers, worshippers head to authorized centers to carry out the ritual sacrifice.
18:49The government remind the citizens that those wishing to perform this rite in their locality
18:53must do so only at approved establishments.
19:04Well, at least you have come to the end of this newspaper.
19:06You can find more on our website at telestoreenglish.net
19:08and also on our social media.
19:09For Telestore English, I'm Mr. Alberto Matos.
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