- 2 months ago
17/09/2026
FTS 8.30
*E.U. adopts strict social media age restrictions
*Severe flooding in Eastern Spain leaves one dead
FTS 8.30
*E.U. adopts strict social media age restrictions
*Severe flooding in Eastern Spain leaves one dead
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:11The United States government removed Venezuela from the list of countries
00:15allegedly failing to combat drug trafficking.
00:23The European Commission adopted the EU Kids Act prohibiting children under 13
00:28from accessing social media and restricting independent accounts to 15 and over.
00:38And the operation rains and flash floods in eastern Spain left one person dead in Barcelona,
00:43prompting emergency alerts and widespread transit suspensions across Catalonia, Valencia
00:48and Murcia.
00:54Hello, welcome from the South, I'm Luis Alberto Matos from the Leso Studios in Caracas,
00:59Venezuela.
00:59We begin with the news.
01:15The United States government removed Venezuela from the list of countries allegedly failing
01:20to combat drug trafficking.
01:21President Donald Trump announced a change stating that Caracas is complying with its obligations
01:25in the fight against drug trafficking.
01:27The U.S. President attributed the change in Venezuela's status to greater cooperation
01:31with the country's acting President de los Rodríguez.
01:34According to the White House, Venezuela's removal from the list represents the President's
01:38determination regarding major drug transit or illicit drug-producing countries for fiscal
01:42year 2027.
01:51Venezuela's acting President de los Rodríguez presided over the presentation of the 2026 Simón
01:56Bolívar National Journalist Award, now in its 84th edition.
02:00During the ceremony, Venezuela's acting President de los Rodríguez called for respectful communication
02:05that would no longer be held hostage or stifled by extremism, fascism or intolerance.
02:11In addition, Rodríguez recalled that the year began with external aggression from the United
02:15States, saying that the government maintained that disputes and differences should be resolved
02:20through diplomacy, a path the country continues to pursue.
02:23In this regard, she stated that Venezuela seeks to preserve its tranquility, peace, independence
02:28and its right to development and a future.
02:30Finally, the awards were presented to the winners in the categories of print journalism, opinion,
02:36graphic, image, radio, television, digital journalism community, and alternative journalism, and
02:41teaching and research.
02:52This is an award being presented at a particularly important juncture for Venezuela, for many
02:58reasons.
02:59Clodovaldo referred to what this year, 2026, has been like.
03:03We began the year with external aggression.
03:08At that time, we said that we would resolve disputes and differences through diplomacy, and
03:14that is the path we are pursuing.
03:18In the face of the uncertainties and questions that may arise, the answer lies in Bolívar,
03:26the answer lies in the struggle for Venezuela's independence.
03:29In Bolívar, the answer lies in the struggle for Venezuela's independence.
03:53Nearly three months after the double earthquake that struck Venezuela's central coast, more
03:57than 3,000 service providers are joining forces with local authorities to rebuild the beach
04:02resorts in La Guayra state and promote regional tourism.
04:05Luis Tavera shares more details.
04:09This is Coral Beach, located in the state of La Guayra, on the central coast of Venezuela.
04:16It is one of the tourist areas most affected by the double earthquake on June 24.
04:22Of the 60 resorts that make up this coastal state, 43 are undergoing rehabilitation.
04:28The impact of the earthquakes is now giving way to a reconstruction process for the region.
04:34We all have to work together to make our beach what it used to be, to bring tourism back and,
04:39God willing, if possible.
04:43With the materials ready and a clear plan for the tasks, more than 120 tourism service providers
04:49in this area are joining forces to move forward with the comprehensive renovation of the facilities.
04:56That's where the classes are being held outdoors.
04:59In this first phase of collective efforts, the women of La Guayra are determinedly leading
05:04every reconstruction effort to revitalize the local economy.
05:11We're here, rebirthing ourselves, coming together as a family, because we are a family here in Coral Beach.
05:19And despite the circumstances, well, we want to work, we've been beach workers all our lives,
05:24born on the beaches were from La Guayra and, well, let's move forward together, rebuilding our beach with help from
05:30the state,
05:31though they didn't provide the materials, and on our own, moving forward.
05:36In addition to infrastructure projects, the strategy includes training.
05:40More than 4,000 Venezuelan business owners have already registered for the workshops offered by the La Guayra School of
05:46Tourism.
05:51When we reopen the beaches, they will be the same as before.
05:54But both the beaches themselves and the quality of the service we'll be providing will be improved,
05:58since we're preparing in both areas, preparing the beach so it will be better than it was on the 24th,
06:03and training the beach workers through courses so they can provide better service to tourists.
06:06To ensure, La Guayra remains the same as always that La Guayra that reigns supreme because the beaches are being
06:11reborn,
06:12as you can see, thanks to the efforts of the beach workers themselves, we ourselves.
06:16With our sense of belonging, we are reclaiming our spaces, as we always have,
06:19giving our love and affection to our Guayra, from which we would never leave for anything in the world.
06:26More than 3,000 workers from the area have joined these volunteer efforts along the Venezuelan coast,
06:32organizing to restore commercial premises, sanitary facilities, and public service areas.
06:44Come here and see the more than 120 service providers who make Coral Beach come alive,
06:49working to renovate their space and its 39 vendor stands,
06:52where there are stores selling all kinds of beach utensils, restaurants, beach services, and beach umbrellas.
06:57And to see them repairing these spaces with their own hands, which will revitalize their beaches, is undoubtedly very rewarding.
07:05This is thanks to the support of the national government, the Venezuela Rises Plan, promoted by our President Delcy Rodriguez,
07:11and the plan from the Governor's Office, which has also been carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism,
07:17distributing materials to continue supporting service providers in restoring their commercial spaces.
07:25The results of this recovery effort include the cleanup of 43 beaches in this region of northern Venezuela,
07:31with the removal of tons of debris, and the implementation of a comprehensive social assistance program.
07:37On camera, Jose Luis Preseños, Luis Tavera Telesur, La Guayra, Venezuela.
07:43In other topics, the city of Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon began a 72-hour regional strike called by trade
07:49unions organizations in Loreto.
07:51The protest demands responses from President Keiko Fujimori's government regarding rising fuel prices,
07:57frequent power outages, and the spread of illegal mining in the Peruvian rainforest.
08:01Protesters set up roadblocks on strategic avenues and organized community kitchens to sustain the protest throughout the three days.
08:08Furthermore, labor unions are maintaining their demands despite the agreements announced in August
08:13by the executive branch to expand subsidies for transportation and motorcycle taxi drivers.
08:23We now have our first break coming up. Remember, you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English,
08:27where you'll find news in different formats, news updates, and more.
08:30We're going to be right back. Stay with us.
08:53Welcome back. The European Commission adopted the EU Kids Act establishing strict age restrictions and safety standards
08:59for social media platforms across the block. This legislation prohibits children under 13 from accessing social networks
09:06and sets 15 as a minimum age for opening independent personal accounts.
09:11Under the new regulatory framework, teenagers aged 13 and 14 will only access supervised mini-accounts
09:17capped at one hour of daily screen time. The law imposed heavy obligations on tech companies to ban addictive algorithms,
09:25infinite scrolling, and AI chatbots simulating emotional dependency while reversing the burden of proof
09:31to require platforms to audit and verify that their digital services are safe by design.
09:43U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening the European Union with what he called very serious tariffs
09:48and a possible halt to trade after the block proposed making Canada its first ever associate member.
09:53Trump described the proposal as a potentially hostile act, saying the U.S. could impose heavy tariffs on Europe
09:59or stop trading with the block depending on its intentions.
10:02The warning came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invited Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
10:08to pursue associate membership with closer cooperation in technology, defence, and energy.
10:13Canada and the EU already have a trade agreement and several bilateral deals, but relations have grown closer
10:18since Trump returned to the White House and imposed tariffs on both Canada and European allies.
10:24The proposal also comes as Trump has repeatedly criticised the EU and suggested that Canada could become the first U
10:31.S. state.
10:39President Trump has been a terrible trade partner, and no, I don't see that.
10:45And if they do that, if I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs
10:51or stop trading with Europe on many things.
10:54So, if they do that, if Europe does that with a bad intention, if it's a good intention, that's fine.
11:01If it's a bad intention, we'll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.
11:05An Eastern Pacific U.S. forces intercepted and sunk a vessel that, according to South Command,
11:11was being used as a floating resupply station for drug trafficking operations.
11:14The operation took place on September 15th, and according to Washington,
11:18intelligence information linked the vessel to the Ecuadorian organization Los Joneiros.
11:22The crew was evacuated and handed over to Ecuadorian authorities before the vessel was sunk.
11:27South Command noted that the operation aims to disrupt the logistical and financial networks
11:31that, according to the United States, support drug trafficking in the region.
11:34This action joins other interventions reported by Washington since late August
11:39that have been deemed illegal even by the U.S. Congress.
11:57The range of rains and flash floods swept across eastern Spain, leaving one person dead in Barcelona
12:02and causing widespread transit disruptions.
12:04Authorities in Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia issued emergency alerts and suspended school activities
12:10as rising floodwaters inundate urban infrastructure and transportation networks.
12:15Emergency services reported over 1,000 incident calls as heavy rainfall swept through the Mediterranean coast,
12:22dropping vehicles and forcing the closure of metro lines, regional railways and major airports.
12:28Local governments activated high-level emergency protocols, restricting public movement
12:33and ordering remote learning for nearly 100,000 students due to the risk of overflowing rivers and ravines.
12:46And a new assessment by the World Meteorological Organization has found that rivers around the world
12:51experienced one of their driest years in more than three decades in 2025.
12:55The study found that the amount of fresh water stored on or beneath the ground was 42% below normal
13:02globally last year.
13:03That includes water in rivers, lakes, groundwater, snow, ice, soil and vegetation.
13:09The WMO says the climate crisis is making the global water cycle increasingly erratic,
13:14with regions shifting between extreme drought and flooding.
13:16In 2025, only about one-third of the world's rivers had flows within the normal range.
13:22About 36% of global rivers passed in areas recorded below or well below normal flows,
13:27while 21% experienced above or much above normal conditions.
13:31The assessment was based on simulations from 13 global hydrological models using observed web data.
13:40For the fourth consecutive years in 2025, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass.
13:50Several regions with the smaller glaciers, including the Alps, show signs of having passed peak water.
13:58This is the point at which glaciers can no longer contribute more milk water in a hot year because it
14:05has run out of ice to give.
14:09Traditionally, these slow reserves have acted as the planet's savings account,
14:15a buffer that absorbs bad years so that a single drought or a single dry season does not translate directly
14:23into a water crisis.
14:25One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account.
14:35And the simple answer is that we are depleting it. We are spending our reserves.
14:42Last year was one of the driest years for river discharge in 35 years.
14:47The past seven years have been abnormal river flows.
14:51Water-related extreme events continue to devastate communities and economies
14:56and are at the heart of the early warnings for all initiative championed by the UN Secretary General.
15:03At the World Meteorological Organization, we always say that weather respects no borders.
15:09And this is especially true for water.
15:12A river basin is fed by water upstream, often in another country.
15:18And a glacier disaster in one country can lead to devastation in another, as we saw with the recent tragedy
15:25of China and Nepal.
15:28This is why we need shared data, shared standards, and shared early warnings.
15:37Let's now take our second break.
15:39We invite you to visit our Facebook page at Tell us to English.
15:41There you will be able to watch our top stories, special life coverage, and much more.
15:45Follow our page on the activation of the champion to stay up to date towards most of its events.
15:49Final break. Don't go away.
16:11Welcome back.
16:12Russian President Biden called on the public to turn out in large numbers to vote in the state Duma elections.
16:18The president emphasized that the electoral process reaffirms the nation's unity, sovereignty, and institutional strength in the face of external
16:24pressures.
16:25During his televised address ahead of the election schedule for September 18th through the 20th,
16:30Poland stated that citizens' participation directly contributes the country's stability and success on the battlefield.
16:35The head of state noted that the election of national legislators and regional officials will strengthen public support for Russian
16:41troops
16:41and demonstrate society's resolve to determine its own destiny without foreign interference.
17:05In Jin Desen, known as China's porcelain capital located in Jiangxi province southeast of Beijing,
17:11Jin Desen's pottery-making history spans more than 2,000 years.
17:15It began during the Han dynasty and its porcelain sites were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2026.
17:22More details in the following will work.
17:25Chinese porcelain artist Chen Qing's family has practiced the craft since around 1860.
17:30For centuries, artisans in Jingdezhen produced porcelain for China's imperial court.
17:34After the imperial kiln system came to an end following the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912,
17:39many of its techniques were carried on by private workshops and artisan families.
17:45Most of Jingdezhen's finest families had painters from families with long traditions in the craft,
17:49and it is very difficult for an outsider to master.
17:51First, few people are willing to spend more than 10 years learning such a painstaking craft.
17:55Second, these techniques are family secrets and are not readily taught to outsiders.
18:03Painting a porcelain piece can take days to complete.
18:05A single particle of dust or sweat could ruin the piece and require her to start from scratch.
18:09For Chen, however, such painstaking work is not a performance stage for visitors.
18:17For centuries, ceramics have been closely intertwined with life in our city.
18:20This is what we do every day.
18:22We don't just pick up a brush and start painting or sit down at the wheel and shape clay
18:25because someone has come to visit or take pictures.
18:28We do this every day.
18:29To me, it's simply a natural part of life.
18:34Jingdezhen's Imperial Kiln Institute researches and restores ceramics excavated from an adjacent complex
18:39where pieces for emperors were crafted in kilns whose remains are still visible today.
18:45Using modern equipment, researchers analyze porcelain fragments,
18:49systematically recording information about their materials, colors, and production techniques.
18:55For Institute's president, Weng Yanjun, recovering knowledge from the past is not only about preserving history.
19:02Jean Shaolin came to Jingdezhen from the countryside at the age of 16 to learn pottery throwing.
19:07After decades of study and practice, he developed his own approach based on traditional techniques.
19:12His methods overcome some of the limitations of conventional throwing
19:15and give artists greater freedom to shape their work.
19:18We use modern technology, modern equipment to do analysis, to analyze, to collect, to achieve information.
19:26And furthermore, with this information, how to make our today's life better.
19:32Jean Shaolin came to Jingdezhen from the countryside at the age of 16 to learn pottery throwing.
19:39After decades of study and practice, he developed his own approach based on traditional techniques.
19:44His methods overcome some of the limitations of conventional throwing
19:48and give artists greater freedom to shape their work.
19:55Today, I understand it as referring to the wonderful young people and artists who come to this city,
20:01bringing with them their creative ideas, ways of thinking, perspectives, and insights.
20:06In their own ways, they transform ceramics into an art form of endless variety, with a hundred flowers blooming.
20:18Today, Jean has nearly 200 apprentices.
20:21His studio also welcomes more than 30,000 vocational college students each year as part of their social practice programs.
20:28While passing on traditional techniques, Jean also encourages his students and apprentices to experiment and innovate.
20:40Paola Masi is an Italian ceramic artist participating in a residency program.
20:47The very, very big study of form on the wheel was thanks to the inspirational song.
20:56Especially, that's very dear to one of us.
20:58So for me, it's like going to the very roots of where this starts.
21:06Chinese artist Huang Chi graduated from Jingdezhen Ceramic University in 2015 and left the city to work elsewhere.
21:14She eventually decided to come back and is also now an artist in residence.
21:21People who come to Jingdezhen may drift here for a while, but eventually they can put down roots and create.
21:28It is a place where dreams begin.
21:32Now, universities and artist residency programs are bringing a new generation of Chinese and international practitioners to Jingdezhen,
21:40where they draw on traditional techniques to express their own creative ideas.
21:46Well, with this information, we have come to the end of this newsgroup.
21:49Remember, you can find this and many others on our website at www.telestofenglish.net.
21:53So join us on social media.
21:54You're on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok.
21:58For Test of English, I'm Alberto Matos. Thank you for watching.