- 7 weeks ago
* Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on US imports take effect
* Qatar warns of global crisis due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
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00:08Cuba followed denouncement mounted the toll of the U.S. economic and energy blockade on
00:12the people, a report that will be discussed at the U.N. on October.
00:20And Canada's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods took effect just after midnight on Tuesday as
00:25the 18-month-old trade war escalated after negotiations collapsed last month.
00:34And Qatar warns about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz while it predicts an unprecedented
00:39global industrial crisis.
00:46Hello, welcome from the South, I'm Luis Alberto Matos from the Dresos Studios in Caracas,
00:50Venezuela.
00:51We begin with the news.
01:06Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez presented a report on the damage caused by the U.S.
01:11blockade at a press conference on Monday.
01:13The report will be discussed at the U.N. on October 28th.
01:16Our correspondent, Evelyn Leyva Romero, provides more details.
01:21The document, which covers the period from March 2025 to February 2026, estimates the
01:28damages at $8,083 million, a historic record.
01:31The cumulative damages over six decades amount to $78,700 million.
01:36The foreign minister emphasized the human cost.
01:38The blockade takes a toll on the daily lives of Cuban families.
01:46It is an act of collective punishment that manifests itself over the long months.
01:57Living with only two or three hours of electricity, a day or less with food going to waste, the heat
02:03keeping people awake, parents fanning their babies, children doing their homework in the dusk, teenagers
02:16without Internet access or recreational activities, and family life completely disrupted.
02:29Rodriguez emphasized that these figures reflect only the first month of the effects of the
02:33energy blockade illegally imposed by the United States on January 29.
02:37He denounced the threats from Washington are preventing the import of fuel.
02:40A single 100,000 metric ton ship would alleviate the power shortage for two weeks, as would solar
02:45panels and batteries for the new photovoltaic parks.
02:55Now shipping companies are being threatened not to bring in solar panels or batteries for
03:00the new photovoltaic parks that we've learned to install in just 45 days.
03:05The punishment takes the form of weeks without water supply.
03:14A water supply source operates using electric motor units that obviously shut down during
03:19a power outage.
03:25Even a brief power interruption shuts them down, and it then takes several hours to restore water
03:31pressure in the pipelines.
03:33The same is true for pumping stations, booster stations and pipe pumps.
03:39These systems are backed up by generators.
03:44But these also run on fuel or diesel, which we are not allowed to import.
03:51The blockade deprives us of resources and also prevents us from importing parts and components
03:57for these generator sets.
04:04The impact on health is the most painful.
04:07Infant mortality rate rose from 4 to 99 per 1000 live births between 2018 and 2025.
04:14More than 7,000 containers of medicines and medical equipment remain held up.
04:17Rodriguez described the blockade as a silent Gaza.
04:28They are children, not numbers.
04:32They are deaths that should not have occurred because Cuba and its solid and effective public
04:37health system were deprived of legitimate resources.
04:41We are talking, for example, about the system that is supposed to care for a pregnant woman,
04:46treat a sick child, and attend to those who arrive at an emergency room.
04:56Despite the stranglehold, the foreign minister asserted that there will be no humanitarian crisis.
05:00He expressed confidence in majority support from the UN on October 28, despite pressure
05:04from Washington, and reaffirmed that Cuba is making progress on the 176 economic and social
05:09reforms approved by the National Assembly.
05:18The electricity crisis in Ecuador is worsening and costs are rising.
05:23The agreement signed by Presidents Daniel Novo and Abelardo de la Espella, the Colombian
05:26head of state, cripples the cost of electricity for Ecuadorians.
05:31According to Ecuador's national electricity operator, Senase, the price of Colombian electricity
05:36electricity.
05:36The country's imports skyrocketed to $0.87 per kilowatt hour, that is almost three times
05:43the $0.33 paid in early August.
05:46In light of this increase, the operator has decided to suspend electricity purchases from
05:53Colombia.
05:54Quito's silence is surprising given that the country's energy situation is becoming increasingly
05:59serious.
06:00However, the national government has not reacted with the same vehemence it did when it
06:06even penalized Bogota with higher taxes and other unilateral sanctions to which the
06:11neighboring country later responded.
06:12The drought reported in Ecuador exacerbates the vulnerability of the electricity system in
06:17addition to the lack of planning.
06:25Researchers from Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council are set to protest
06:32against layoffs and delays in appointments to positions they have already won through
06:37competitive examinations.
06:39Over 1,000 professionals are reportedly affected including around 600 researchers who passed selection
06:44processes in 2023 and over 400 who did so in 2024.
06:49Many say they have been waiting years to formally enter the institution's permanent staff.
06:54Researchers accused CONICET authorities of creating a bottleneck in appointments while also
06:59pointing to low salaries, budget cuts and growing job insecurity across Argentina's scientific sector.
07:05They will mobilize Wednesday in Buenos Aires and at locations across the country demanding
07:09their appointments and what they describe as an end to the dismantling of Argentina's public
07:14science system.
07:24Inflation in Colombia reached 6.24% over the last 12 months marking its highest rate in two
07:32years according to official data released by the National Initiative Department of Statistics.
07:37Year to date price growth reached 5.3% already surpassing total inflation recorded throughout 2025.
07:44Statistics show that price increases are concentrated in essential household categories including
07:49housing, electricity, water, health services and staple foods.
07:53Regional disparities persist across the country with cities like Medellin experiencing annual
07:58inflation surges up to 7.07%, increasing pressure on wage, purchasing power and low-income families.
08:13And Venezuela continues to hold strategic importance on the energy map of Latin America and the Caribbean.
08:18According to the Latin American Energy Organization, the country currently accounts for 11% of the region's
08:24oil production and holds proven reserves estimated at over 330 billion barrels.
08:29Venezuela currently ranks behind Brazil, which accounts for 42% of regional production and Mexico with 17%.
08:36However, experts believe this scenario could change following the oil agreement reached between Caracas and Washington,
08:42which contemplates progressively increasing Venezuelan production by up to 1.4 million barrels per day by the end of 2026.
08:49Latin American oil production is also growing.
08:52By 2026, output is estimated at around 4 billion barrels compared with nearly 3 billion barrels annually recorded between 2016
09:00and 2024.
09:24In Caracas, the national government carried out a rehabilitation campaign in the Venezuelan capital as part of
09:29the Venezuela
09:30In Caracas, the national government carried out a rehabilitation campaign in the Venezuelan capital as part of the Venezuela ricer
09:30plan,
09:30Work crews reinforce columns, beams, and slabs, waterproof roofs, and work to repair structural damage caused by the twin earthquakes
09:38on June 24.
09:39The work focuses on replacing pipes and electrical wiring, repairing elevators, and restoring water pumping systems in the affected areas.
09:47In addition, the work includes renovating facades and common areas.
09:51The National Executive, through the Venezuelan Crisis Plan, is maintaining its technical deployment in the capital and in the affected
09:58states to continue the recovery of buildings damaged by the double earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
10:11At this Monday in Venezuela, the Technical Advisory Committee was sworn in to work on drafting the new seismic design
10:18code for reconstruction of our new earthquakes on June 24.
10:22The team, comprised of specialists in civil engineering and seismology, will establish the standards for evaluating affected buildings and define
10:29the safety criteria that new projects must meet.
10:32The authorities explained that repair plans will be processed through the municipalities and subsequently reviewed by the Presidential Commission responsible
10:40for evaluating the habitability of infrastructure.
10:44In this way, the goal is to standardize the technical criteria for recovery and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas.
11:07In Mexico, torrential rains pelted the country's metropolitan area for 48 hours, causing canals to overflow and the drainage system
11:15to collapse in several towns.
11:17The accumulation of water caused flooding on several main roads, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded and forcing dozens of families
11:23to evacuate their homes.
11:25In the state of Mexico, six people lost their lives when the passenger bus they were traveling in suffered a
11:30fuel leak into the passenger compartment amid the rain.
11:34Local authorities reported damage to water infrastructure and power outages in large areas.
11:39Meanwhile, rescue teams and forensic experts are working at the scene to recover the bodies and secure evidence, while the
11:45local prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to determine the causes of this incident.
11:56And Nepal is seeking $20 million in climate compensation after devastating floods left more than 1,300 people dead and
12:04more than 5,500 still missing.
12:06Foreign Minister Shisir Kanao is calling on the world's most polluting countries to wake up and accept shared responsibility for
12:14the disaster.
12:15The floods began in late August after a melting glacier partially collapsed, triggering a landslide and flash flooding across Chinese
12:21Tibet and Nepal.
12:23Scientists believe the climate crisis played a role in the disaster.
12:26After 12 days of rescue operations, hopes of finding survivors are fading.
12:29In this context, Hanal said this scale of destruction is comparable to Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake and is calling for
12:36international support to help the country recover and rebuild.
12:45The main international airport in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and four other airports reopened earlier on Tuesday after being
12:52closed for several days due to ash from a volcanic eruption, the Ministry of Transportation reported.
12:57The Anak Krakatoa volcano, located about 150 kilometers from the capital of Jakarta, erupted on Saturday spruing lava and emitting
13:05a powerful roar that was heard hundreds of kilometers away.
13:08The Ministry reported that the airports serving Jakarta and four others near the city or around the island of Java
13:14are once again operational.
13:15In this regard, more than 340,000 passengers were affected by the disruptions to air traffic caused by the eruption,
13:22which forced seven airports to remain closed on Monday due to volcanic ash.
13:52We were worried because traveling abroad requires us to prepare well in advance with immigrants.
13:57Migration procedures, baggage weighing, and all that.
14:03We couldn't just rush through everything at the last minute.
14:07We were relieved, but we still rushed here to confirm whether we could depart today.
14:13In Turkey, forest fires destroyed wooded areas in the Axu district of Antalya province on Monday as emergency crews battled
14:22the flames from the ground and the air.
14:24According to local media, three planes, nine helicopters, 45 fire trucks, two heavy-duty vehicles, and 275 people are participating
14:30in the efforts to extinguish the fire.
14:32Turkey's General Directorate of Forestry reported that several fires in non-forested areas near the border at Kata y Sali
14:39in Adana, as well as in the Feke district of Adana, had been largely brought under control.
14:47The urgency urged the public to avoid lighting fires in open areas, pointing that even minor negligence could threaten the
14:54country's vegetation cover.
15:03In Spain, on Tuesday, teachers on strike set up temporary blockades on several roads in Catalonia, including some of the
15:11main entrances and exits to Barcelona.
15:14The protest took place early in the morning and caused traffic congestion at various locations.
15:19The protest coincides with the start of the 2026-2027 school year, with more than 1.6 million students returning
15:26to school in the region.
15:27The organizing unions are demanding that the Catalan government improve working conditions, reduce and implement measures to address the sector's
15:33structural problems.
15:35The protest will spread to 11 locations throughout Catalonia.
15:47Canada's retaliatory trials on U.S. goods took effect just after midnight on Tuesday, as the 18-month-old trade
15:53war escalates after negotiations collapsed last month.
15:56The measures that pertain $20 billion worth of U.S. imports enter into force at 12.01 a.m. on
16:03Tuesday, ranging from 15 to 50%.
16:06They target sectors including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.
16:13The Canadian government has stated the tariffs are a response to a 50% U.S. tariff on Canadian goods
16:18that took effect on August 22.
16:20In this context, the Canadian government said the contract measures do not apply to U.S. products already in transit
16:26when the new tariffs took effect.
16:28Last month, President Donald Trump also announced a new 50% tariff on Canadian cars and raw materials.
16:33Since then, tensions have intensified, with Prime Minister Mark Carney urging to take the trade dispute seriously.
17:02The crisis created by the United States and Israel in the Strait of Hormuz threatens to become an industrial catastrophe
17:07of a magnitude never before seen in the world, the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated on Monday.
17:11At a press conference held in Doha on Monday, the spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mayed Al
17:17Ansari, said that only 10 cargo ships pass through the Strait daily, the lowest level since May.
17:23Qatar's claim is backed by numerous poor socials, one by Kepeler, a firm specializing in market intelligence, which confirms a
17:30critical level of goods traffic.
17:31This, it warned, is leading to rising prices for food, medicines and fuel around the world.
17:44A Lebanese journalist Ali Shabib was injured alone with his cameraman during an Israeli airstrike in the city of Namathieh
17:51in southern Lebanon.
17:52The incident occurred while the team was preparing for a live broadcast and the footage captured the exact moment when
17:57an Israeli drone struck near their location, causing partial damage to several buildings and setting cars on fire.
18:03The journalists were taken to Sheikh Krakbek Hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.
18:08The attack is part of an escalation of Israeli operations against residential areas in the south of the country, which
18:16has left a dozen deaths in recent days.
18:25The organization Freedom Flotilla to Gaza announced a new expedition to the Palestinian territories scheduled for October.
18:31The group, which currently has a dozen crew members, will begin a journey this Tuesday from Bilbao, Spain, heading to
18:37Vigo to bring on board new participants.
18:39Its members stated that they aim to deliver humanitarian aid, denounce restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza, and
18:45draw the government's attention to the situation of the Palestinian population.
18:49The organization noted that since 2010, it has conducted several expeditions to Gaza and that this new mission could face
18:55arrests or incidents as has happened on previous occasions.
19:05The UK government is set to announce what Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described as a broad reset in Britain's relations
19:13with Israel.
19:13Miliband is expected to impose a UK ban on trading goods and some services from illegal Israeli settlements, a move
19:20likely to draw strong criticism from both Israel and the United States.
19:24He is also expected to reaffirm Britain's support for a two-state solution and a call for greater protection of
19:29Palestinian rights and respect for international law.
19:31In a statement to lawmakers, Miliband is expected to use stronger language about the humanitarian situation in Gaza than recent
19:37British foreign secretaries.
19:39The measures are likely to fall short of demands from Palestinian advocacy groups, but they signal a shift toward more
19:45active UK efforts to oppose the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
19:56For this information, we have come to the end of this newsgroup.
19:58You can find this and many other stories on our website at www.telestoryenglish.net.
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20:06For Telestory English, I'm Mr. Roberto Matos.