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26/06/2025
FTS 12.30
*Belarus: Eurasian Economic Forum 2025 kicks off in Minsk
*Mexican govt. denies U.S. accusations against national banks
FTS 12.30
*Belarus: Eurasian Economic Forum 2025 kicks off in Minsk
*Mexican govt. denies U.S. accusations against national banks
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NewsTranscript
00:00The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, released a message on Thursday congratulating the nation on what he highlighted as a victory against the Zionist regime of Israel.
00:23The Eurasian Economic Forum 2025 kicked off Thursday in Belarus with the attendance of over 2,700 participants from 33 countries.
00:39And Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pointed out that the U.S. Treasury Department has not provided evidence to support the allegations the three Mexican financial institutions were laundering money.
00:53Hello and welcome to From the South. My name is Belinda Los Santos. I'm from Telstra Studios in Havana, Cuba. We begin with the news.
01:06The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, released a message on Thursday congratulating the nation on what he highlighted as a victory against the Zionist regime of Israel.
01:35In his third televised message since June 13th, when Tel Aviv launched its unprovoked aggressions against Iran, Khamenei underscored the heavy blow dealt to the Israeli military by the local armed forces.
01:51The leader also paid tribute to those killed as a result of the attacks, including senior military commanders and scientists whom he described as valuable and faithful in their service.
02:02Moreover, Khamenei hailed the unity and solidarity displayed by Iranians amid the Israeli-U.S. aggression, adding the nation proved its nobility and strength of character.
02:13I want to congratulate the great Iranian nation.
02:27I would like to offer a few congratulations to the nation.
02:31First, congratulations on the victory over the fallacious Zionist regime.
02:45Despite all the noise and claims, the Zionist regime almost collapsed under the blows of the islamic republic.
02:53In this context, Khamenei disregarded statements by U.S. President Donald Trump on the damage inflicted by the unprovoked strikes on nuclear facilities, stressing they were exaggerated to manipulate the narrative.
03:10The United States attacked our nuclear facilities, a matter that is independently worth pursuing for prosecution in international courts,
03:26but they failed to do anything significant.
03:31The president of the United States greatly exaggerated what had happened.
03:40It became clear that he needed this exaggeration.
03:46The Islamic Republic delivered a hard slap to the United States' face
03:52by attacking one of its key bases in the region, all Udeid Air base, and inflicted damage.
04:06An Israeli media and economic report revealed that Israel has incurred staggering losses, estimated at $12 billion,
04:14from its 12-day aggressive campaign against Iran, with total damages potentially soaring to $20 billion.
04:20These losses encompass military spending, damage from Iranian missile and drone strikes,
04:26compensation claims by civilians and businesses, and reconstruction efforts.
04:31The head of Israel's Tax Authority Compensation Department reported that damage claims related to Iranian ballistic missile attacks
04:38alone have already reached approximately $1.32 billion, with expectations to increase much further.
04:50And we move on to other topics.
05:07Israeli genocidal forces have killed nearly 20 Palestinians in the early hours of Thursday
05:14in attacks across the north and south of the Gaza Strip.
05:17Authorities in the Palestinian enclave confirmed the fatalities as a result of two bombings,
05:22one of which targeted a school sheltering displaced people.
05:26Another strike hit the surroundings of the Jordan Hospital in northern Gaza.
05:30The latest report by the Palestinian Ministry of Health has confirmed that 56,100 Palestinians
05:37have been killed by Israeli forces since the October 2023 onslaught on the enclave,
05:44while more than 129,000 have been injured and 210 kidnapped.
05:51In this context, Zionist troops keep threatening new incursions into the Strip.
05:56Now we have a short break coming up, but first, remember you can join us on TikTok at Tell Us Your English,
06:06where you'll find news in different formats, news updates, and much more.
06:10We'll be right back, stay with us.
06:11Welcome back to From the South.
06:30The Eurasian Economic Forum 2025 kicked off on Thursday in Belarus,
06:35with the attendance of over 2,700 participants from 33 countries.
06:40The keynote encounter is being held at the Minsk International Exhibition Center,
06:45and the main goals of the agenda will be to debate on regional economic integration
06:50and foster the Eurasian Economic Union.
06:53On the opening day, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be addressing the prospects for cooperation
06:59between the bloc and the main global financial structures.
07:03Likewise, Host President Aleksandr Lukashenko will be presiding the sessions alongside other heads of state,
07:09members of the multilateral body.
07:12The forum includes 35 thematic events focused on trade, financial development, digitalization, and economic security.
07:24Meanwhile, China is hosting the Defense Minister's Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
07:29against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict and a summit of NATO countries in Europe
07:35that agreed to increase their military spending.
07:37The meeting of the organization's top defense official comes as a faltering ceasefire holds
07:43between Israel and Iran after 12 days of war.
07:48It also comes a day after a summit of NATO leaders held in The Hague
07:53where members agreed to increase their defense spending to satisfy U.S. President Donald Trump.
08:00The 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a counterweight to Western-led power blocs
08:06and has promoted strength and collaboration among its member countries in politics, security, trade, and science.
08:13The organization is made up of China, Russia, India, and Iran, among other Aurasian countries.
08:22It's time to go. It's time to go.
08:24Yes, yes.
08:24And Iran's Defense Minister Raseeg Nassir Sadeh participated in the second day
08:29of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ministerial Summit.
08:33The senior official held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan,
08:39and the host, Minister Dong Yun.
08:43The Shanghai Summit is a key platform for discussing regional security,
08:47counterterrorism cooperation, and broader military collaboration among member states.
08:54The Iranian defense chief arrived a day after Tel Aviv declared a unilateral ceasefire on the nation.
09:00And on Thursday, China addressed statements by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte,
09:11who warned of Beijing's military strength at the bloc summit in The Hague.
09:16The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused NATO of hyping up regional tensions
09:22as an excuse to justify the recent increase in military spending.
09:26The relevant personnel from NATO have been hyping up regional tensions
09:31and smearing China's normal military development.
09:33Their aim is nothing more than to make an excuse to justify NATO's sharp increase in military spending,
09:38reckless expansion of its powers, and its strategic push eastward into the Asia-Pacific.
09:45China urges NATO to deeply reflect on itself, heed the just calls of the international community,
09:50abandon outdated Cold War thinking, block confrontation, and zero-sum games,
09:55correct its wrongful perceptions about China, and stop manipulating China-related issues.
10:01China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests,
10:06and will continue to contribute to global peace and stability through concrete actions.
10:10Precisely in this context, a massive demonstration was held in Spain on a Wednesday
10:17in rejection of the country's involvement in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
10:22after the bloc approved a 5% GDP increase in military expenditure.
10:28Under slogans such as no to war, no to NATO,
10:31the demonstrators demanded in Madrid a change in Spanish foreign policy,
10:35denouncing the submission to the interests of the U.S.
10:39and the non-fulfillment of social commitments in favor of military rearmament.
10:45Furthermore, the protesters are demanding a referendum
10:47on the country's continued membership in the organization.
10:51For its part, the Spanish government has defended its position
10:55of increasing military spending to only 2% of the GDP,
10:59refusing to up the figure to the 5% demanded by the bloc,
11:02citing international commitments and threats to global security.
11:19In accordance with the Istanbul agreements,
11:22the Russian Ministry of Defense announced a new prisoner exchange
11:26with the Ukrainian regime.
11:28The Russian authorities indicated that a group of Russian servicemen
11:32were returned from Ukrainian-controlled territory
11:34in exchange for Ukrainian armed forces prisoners.
11:38The soldiers are currently in Belarus,
11:40receiving necessary psychological and medical care
11:42before being transferred to Russia.
11:45Russia and Ukraine previously agreed to exchange sick
11:47and seriously wounded soldiers,
11:49as well as transfer more than 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen.
11:54Russia! Russia!
11:58Russia!
12:10And we number one to other topics,
12:12severe flooding in Gihu province.
12:15Southwestern China has forced the evacuation
12:18of over 80,000 residents as continuous heavy rains
12:21and upstream inflows caused rivers to burst their banks.
12:26The city of Rongjiang, home to around 300,000 people,
12:30was partially submerged with floodwaters reaching 3 meters in some areas,
12:35sweeping away vehicles and damaging infrastructure,
12:38including power grids and bridges.
12:40The flooding has resulted in at least six confirmed deaths
12:43and caused landslides that damaged roads,
12:46including a partial collapse of a bridge on an expressway in Sandu County.
12:51Meanwhile, meteorologists warn that a tropical depression
12:54may bring further heavy rains to the region,
12:57complicating ongoing rescue and recovery operations.
13:00And torrential rainfalls have battered France,
13:12bringing about collapses, floods and power outages.
13:16As a result, authorities have reported two deaths
13:18and 17 injured so far.
13:21Official briefings inform that near 110,000 homes
13:24have been hit due to these heavy precipitations.
13:27In this context, the meteorological service
13:29had activated alarms and declared orange alert
13:32in the eastern and northern regions,
13:34while the rest of the localities,
13:36except for the western and southern coasts,
13:39are under yellow alert.
13:49We have a second short break coming up,
13:51but before we invite you to visit our Facebook page
13:53at Tell Us Your English,
13:54there you will be able to watch our top stories,
13:56special live coverages and much more.
13:58Follow our page and activate notifications
14:00to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
14:03Final short break, don't go away.
14:05Welcome back to From the South.
14:25We continue with more information.
14:27U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi
14:29has included Mexico in the list of countries
14:31considered adversaries.
14:33During a session at the Capitol this Wednesday,
14:35the U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi
14:38was surprised by including Mexico
14:41in a list of foreign adversaries
14:43alongside countries such as Iran, Russia or China.
14:47The Attorney General qualified her words
14:49by arguing that threats do not only come
14:52from physical attacks,
14:53but also from phenomena such as drug overdoses.
14:57In this sense, she suggested that the flow of fentanyl
14:59and other substances from Mexico
15:01represents a form of direct and indirect aggression
15:05against United States citizens.
15:08Bondi also avoided responding directly
15:11when asked if the Mexican government
15:13was cooperating to address this crisis.
15:16And to strengthen immigration control
15:23on the border with Mexico,
15:25the U.S. Department of Defense plans
15:26to establish two new national defense areas
15:30which will operate as military zones.
15:33New areas will be located in Texas and Arizona.
15:36The Texas one will extend for approximately 400 kilometers
15:40and the Arizona one will be smaller.
15:42The zones will enable the military to detain migrants
15:45without invoking the Contraversial Insurrection Act of 1807.
15:51Several federal judges have dismissed unlawful intrusions
15:54charges against migrants detained in the first two zones
15:58which are located in Texas and New Mexico.
16:01And for her part, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum
16:10pointed out on Thursday that the U.S. Treasury Department
16:12has not provided evidence to support the allegations
16:15that three Mexican financial institutions are laundering money.
16:19During her morning press conference,
16:21the head of state revealed that the Financial Intelligence Unit
16:24and the Ministry of Finance received the information
16:27a few weeks ago.
16:28However, there were no details about the case.
16:31Sheinbaum explained that the allegations
16:33focused on transfers made through these banking institutions
16:38between Chinese companies
16:39and legally constituted Mexican companies.
16:43Furthermore, she unveiled the government
16:45launched an investigation upon receiving the intel
16:48which only found administrative errors
16:51leading to sanctions and reaccommodations
16:53being imposed on the financial institutions.
16:57And the haunting joint forum between China and Venezuela
17:09and Communication and Information Technologies progresses.
17:12At the Teresa Cariño Theater, representatives from both countries
17:16will seek to establish ties and develop joint policies.
17:21They will also address the relationship
17:23between the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, and Venezuelan public media.
17:28The meeting will also strengthen bilateral relations
17:31amid global media development.
17:33On Thursday, Minister of Communication, Fredy Ññáñez,
17:36met with Yang Yang, the general director of Xinhua News Agency
17:41for Latin America, to discuss communication strategies in both countries.
17:45And in Panama, the repression order by President José Raúl Molino
17:55in the northeastern community of Bocas del Toro
17:57has claimed the life of a one-year-old child.
18:00The serious incident was announced by the NGO Aldeas Infantiles SOS.
18:06They informed that the event occurred in Bocas del Toro
18:10when security agents using tear gas attacked the house where the baby was.
18:15To this fact must be added the total blockade of telecommunications
18:19in the region where serious human rights violations
18:22are being committed like the one denounced.
18:26Likewise, a large number of arrests have been reported
18:29while unions and syndicates throughout the country report
18:32that more than 130 leaders have been prosecuted.
18:40The level of cruelty that the government is displaying
18:46is unprecedented in this country.
18:50The people of Bocas del Toro are only guilty of expressing their discontent
18:55with a pension law that takes away their pensions and gives them to bankers.
19:00The government's response to this expression of discontent
19:03shared by the rest of the country
19:06was to declare war on the Bocatori Nose.
19:12This has led to intensified repression.
19:17The persecution of demonstrator leaders has resulted in beatings
19:21and the sadistic torture of detainees.
19:25It has even led to the murder of a baby by tear gas bombs thrown at his home.
19:33The government's inability to find the culprit responsible for the alleged Khiddi Ted conspiracy
19:38has only increased the violence.
19:43The government invented this alleged conspiracy to cover up the fact that the discontent is real
19:48and the rejection of this law is a reality.
19:55Meanwhile, this serious situation in this Panamanian province
19:59has been brought to the attention of international forums
20:02such as the Internet Governance Forum, which was held in Oslo, Norway.
20:07There, representatives from the Pan-American Institute of Law and Technology
20:11denounced the information blockade.
20:13We reject this disproportionate measure, which represents a serious violation of freedom of expression
20:21and the right to information.
20:23It also violates fundamental rights.
20:26Cutting off Internet access during protests limits the ability to document abuses,
20:31communicate with family members, receive reliable information,
20:35access emergency services, and access education.
20:39We call on other organizations, especially those in our region,
20:44to help expose this disproportionate action by the Panamanian government
20:47and lift this measure.
20:51And before wrapping up, the government of Honduras reported
20:55that it is close to becoming a literate society thanks to its alliances with Cuba.
21:01The authorities reported that 17 out of 18 regions are now illiteracy-free,
21:07bringing them closer together to their goal.
21:10They also highlighted the success of the José Manuel Flores Arguijo National Literacy Program,
21:16promoted by President Xiomara Castro, which uses the Cuban Yo Si Puedo, or Yes I Can, methodology.
21:23Regarding the success, Honduras Minister of Education Daniel Sponda said
21:27that learning has changed the lives of Hondurans.
21:30The Cuban ambassador to Honduras also commented on the program's success,
21:34noting that it has helped more than 10 million people in several countries
21:39overcome illiteracy.
21:45And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
21:48You can find these and many other stories on our website at telosurenglish.net.
21:52Also join us on social media.
21:53We are on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok as well.
21:57For Telosur English, my name is Belinda Santos.