23/02/2025
FTS 16.30
*Hundreds of people attend Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Lebanon.
*Venezuela: 6th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bridges.
teleSUR
These and more stories now!
FTS 16.30
*Hundreds of people attend Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Lebanon.
*Venezuela: 6th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bridges.
teleSUR
These and more stories now!
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NewsTranscript
00:00In Germany, polls closed in the early federal elections, with polls showing opposition and
00:14conservatives, the Christian Democratic Union ahead, followed by the far-right AFD party.
00:23In Lebanon, tens of thousands of people attended the funeral of Hezbollah's former leader Hassan
00:27Nasrallah.
00:29And in Venezuela, citizens commemorated the 6th anniversary of the Battle of the Bridges.
00:42Hello, welcome to From the South, I'm Luis Alberto Matos from Televisu Studios in Havana, Cuba.
00:47We begin with the news. In Germany, polls closed in the early federal elections and the first results are out.
00:54Exit polls show Germany's opposition conservatives, the Christian Democratic Union, ahead in the
00:59national election, putting leader Friedrich Merz on track to be the next chancellor, with the far-right
01:04alternative for Germany in second, its best ever result. In addition, the exit polls show in third place
01:10the Social Democratic Party, led by the current chancellor Olaf Scholz, with 16% of the ballots.
01:15Germany's election authority reported an over 80% turnout.
01:24And Vatican authorities reported on Sunday, February 23rd, that Pope Francis has had a peaceful night
01:30and has been able to rest. The Vatican press office indicated that from Saturday to Sunday, the Pope
01:36has remained calm and has been able to rest at the Gemelli University Hospital, located in Rome, Italy.
01:42Previously, the Vatican has reportedly stressed that the Supreme Pontiff is in critical condition due
01:47to a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis that has required the administration of high-flow oxygen
01:52and the supply of blood transfusions. For the moment, the Pope remains conscious, with his prognosis
01:57completely reserved, and he is not out of danger.
02:06Russian Vice Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov informed that the first meeting of Russian and U.S.
02:12experts to normalize relations will be held in the next two weeks in a third country.
02:17The diplomat also said that the meeting of the directors of the corresponding departments will precede
02:21the meeting of deputy foreign ministers of the two nations. Ryabkov emphasized that Moscow confirmed
02:27its intention to start working as soon as possible to eliminate annoyances in bilateral relations.
02:33Both countries agreed to create a favorable climate for the full resumption of bilateral cooperation
02:38in various fields of common interest.
02:44A Russian President Vladimir Putin laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as the country observed
02:49the Day of the Defender of the Homeland. The soldiers of the Honor Guard laid a wreath at the monument
02:56located outside the Kremlin Wall in Moscow. Also attending the ceremony were the Minister of Defense
03:02and decorated soldiers who paid tribute to fallen Russian heroes. President Putin exalted Russian Army
03:08and Navy soldiers for keeping their homeland safe.
03:14The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defense forces shot down at least 20 Ukrainian drones
03:21in six provinces. The ministry detailed that the largest number of drones were shot down in Oryol, Belgorod and Kursk.
03:28During the attacks, the civilian population was forced to seek shelter and flee crowded areas.
03:33Russian provinces bordering Ukraine regularly report attacks on citizens by the Kiev regime in the framework
03:39of the special operation that Russia has been conducting since 2022 in Ukraine to defend civilians.
04:01And in Botswana, sustained heavy rains and floods have left at least seven people dead and over a thousand displaced.
04:08Authorities report that among the dead there were three minors and that some 1,700 people have been evacuated
04:15from affected areas. In the capital, Gabaron, floodwaters washed away cars and belongings.
04:21After more than a week of downpours, schools have been declared temporarily closed and access to some roads
04:28and dangerous areas has been blocked. Meanwhile, rescue teams continue to work to tend to the emergency
04:34and cope with the rain.
04:40Meanwhile, in Guatemala, the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology
04:44is on alert due to increased activity of the Santiago volcano. Meteorological authorities warn that part of the
04:51accumulated material could collapse and generate gas mixtures and that long-range volcanic material may be
04:58expelled to the southwest, south and southeast of the country. For this reason, they urge people to abstain
05:04from climbing the volcano or even approaching it within a radius of less than 20 km.
05:09The authorities are warning about a risk of eruption, for this is a risk-danger Category 5 volcano.
05:19We now have our first short break coming up. Remember you can join us on TikTok at TELUS for English
05:23where you'll find news in different formats, news updates and much more. We'll be right back, stay with us.
05:53Welcome back. In Lebanon, tens of thousands of people attended the funeral of Hezbollah's former leader Hassan Nasrallah.
06:03Nasrallah, the group's leader for more than 30 years and one of its founders, was killed in September 2024 in an Israeli
06:09airstrike. Many men, women and children from Lebanon and beyond walked on foot to reach the site of the ceremony.
06:16Mourners also paid homage to Hashem Safiyyedin, Nasrallah's chosen successor, killed in another Israeli air raid
06:24before he could assume the post. The two had temporarily been buried in secret locations.
06:29Over 800 personalities from 65 countries attended the funeral, in addition to thousands of individuals and activists from around the world.
06:37Hezbollah Secretary General Naeem Qassem said Islamic leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah dedicated his life to the struggle for freedom.
06:49We bid farewell to an exceptional, extraordinary historical leader.
06:56Today, we bid farewell to an Arab Muslim nationalist leader
07:04who represents the freemen of the world.
07:09Moreover, Hezbollah Secretary General Naeem Qassem exalted the work of Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah
07:14in unifying the struggle of the Lebanese people and creating the resistance movement.
07:18This man, beloved to us, led the resistance. He led the nation.
07:31We no longer make a distinction between the resistance and the nation.
07:37It is one heart, one soul. Together we fight, we listen, we work.
07:44Guided by his instructions and advice.
07:51Hezbollah leader Naeem Qassem said they will continue their struggle to free all the people kidnapped by the Zionist forces.
07:59We tell you that we will not abandon you to the hand of the Zionists.
08:05To all those who have been kidnapped, we will set you free.
08:11We will do everything in our power to set you free.
08:15Israel suspended the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Saturday, February 22,
08:22in violation of the ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and the Israeli regime.
08:27Under the agreement between Hamas and Israel, the Zionist regime was to release at least 602 Palestinian prisoners
08:33after the release of six Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, as part of the seventh round of prisoner exchanges.
08:39In a statement, Hamas declared that Netanyahu is playing dirty games to sabotage the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
08:45In this regard, the Palestinian resistance movement called on the mediators and guarantors of the agreement
08:51to exert pressure on the Zionist entities so that the agreement is respected.
08:59Israeli forces continue their operation against the West Bank, killing at least 27 civilians and injuring dozens more.
09:06Palestinian authorities report that the Israeli occupation deployed tanks around the city of Jenin,
09:11the first time since the 2002 offensive in the region.
09:15They also denounce that the Tel Aviv forces are preparing for a lengthy offensive against refugee camps
09:20after suspending the operations of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East.
09:26Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive against the West Bank, which is now in its 34th day,
09:32some 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes.
09:37And in Israel, thousands of people demonstrated Saturday in the streets of Tel Aviv for the weekly protests
09:43demanding the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
09:47One week away from the end of the first phase of the ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave,
09:51the Israelis in Tel Aviv demanded the government of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
09:55to speed up the return process of the more than 60 hostages that are held by Hamas
10:00and to stop interfering with the ceasefire agreement.
10:03The last hostage exchange took place last Thursday.
10:06Hamas released six Israelis, while the Zionist entity failed to comply with their part of the exchange
10:11and did not release over 600 Palestinians.
10:18We have a criminal prime minister whose only goal is to try to survive politically
10:26and he is sacrificing Israeli citizens.
10:30He is sacrificing Israeli citizens who are now in Gaza
10:35and instead of stopping the war and signing an agreement which will stop the war,
10:43end the war, end the bloodshed and bring all the hostages back,
10:47he is willing to continue the war, to continue the killing.
10:52We now have a second break coming up.
10:54Before we invite you to visit our YouTube channel, Atelers for English,
10:57there you will be able to re-watch our interviews, top stories, special broadcastings and more.
11:01Hit the subscribe button and activate the notification bell to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
11:06Found your break? Don't go away.
11:16Welcome back.
11:17This Sunday Venezuela commemorates the 6th anniversary of the Battle of the Bridges,
11:21a date that recalls the heroism of the Venezuelan people
11:24who together with the armed forces thwarted the attempts of foreign destabilization.
11:28Minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace Diosdado Cabello led the main ceremony,
11:33who from the border city of Ureña in the state of Tachira
11:36recalled the strength of the people defending national sovereignty.
11:40Cabello pointed out that the failed coup attempts by the far right are supported by Western countries.
11:45During the event, Diosdado Cabello assured that the Battle of the Bridges
11:49prevented the development of a plan to turn the Colombian-Venezuelan border
11:53into a safe haven for drug trafficking.
12:02What was their objective? To cross the border, to settle on this side.
12:06Narnia, it was going to stop being called Ureña, San Antonio.
12:10It was going to start being called Narnia.
12:17And the president of Narnia was going to want to rule from here.
12:21And from here, they were going to request from Narnia the invasion of Venezuela
12:26entering through Colombia. In exchange for what?
12:34In exchange for opening the doors of Venezuela to drug trafficking.
12:37Because that was the agreement that Juan Guaido had with Uribe and Duque.
12:42That Venezuela would be a haven for drug trafficking.
12:46And U.S. Special Envoy Richard Grenell assured that Donald Trump's administration
12:50rules out making any changes in the government of Venezuela.
12:53During an interview, the official recalled that he held a meeting
12:57with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the month of January.
13:00He also emphasized that the Trump administration has a posture of dialogue,
13:04respect and understanding.
13:06The meeting between the diplomat and President Maduro in January
13:09reaffirmed the policy of the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace,
13:12guaranteeing a democratic model of cooperation and dialogue
13:15with the nations and peoples.
13:43And in Peru, doctors protested in front of Congress against a law
13:47that allows dentists to perform medical acts, warning that it puts public health
13:52at risk and demanding an annulment.
13:55The Peruvian Medical Association emphasized that only a physician
13:59can determine whether a procedure is necessary.
14:02This regulation ignores that principle and endangers public health.
14:06However, surgeons and dentists defend the recent changes in the health system,
14:10pointing out that they recognize their work and will generate opportunities for them.
14:15Congress is facing pressure from both the Medical Association
14:18and the dentists and surgeon sectors.
14:24In Peru, eight people have died when the roof of a shopping mall collapsed
14:28in the city of Trujillo, north of the country.
14:31Authorities say at least eight people were injured,
14:33with four of them still buried under the rubble.
14:35Rescue and police teams continue to carry out rescue work in the shopping center.
14:40The Peruvian government has ordered to open an investigation to punish those responsible,
14:45and they have declared a regional mourning, say, for this Sunday, February 23rd.
14:54And in Colombia, President Gustavo Petro called more than 4,000 farmers
14:58to a large mobilization to defend the agrarian reform
15:01and their rights to land and a dignified life.
15:04Petro called on agrarian representatives to mobilize to defend social conquest
15:07and vindicate the work of the farmers.
15:10During the ceremony, the new Chicoral Pact was signed,
15:13which is considered a roadmap to promote agrarian reform,
15:17guarantee rural well-being, and contribute to peace with social justice.
15:21Previously, on February 14th and 15th,
15:24some 6,000 representatives of farmers, indigenous and Afro-descendant communities
15:30formed municipal committees to strengthen farmers' popular organization
15:34and those participate in the land distribution process.
15:41Like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
15:43You can find this and many other stories on our website at telestroenglish.net.
15:47You can join us on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok.
15:51For Telestro English, I'm Luis Alberto Matos. Thank you for watching.
15:59TELESTRO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS