- 5 weeks ago
31/08/2026
FTS 08.30
*Nepal rescuers race to save over 900 trapped tunnel workers.
*1 dead, at least 15 missing after flash flood in U.S.' Grand Canyon.
teleSUR
FTS 08.30
*Nepal rescuers race to save over 900 trapped tunnel workers.
*1 dead, at least 15 missing after flash flood in U.S.' Grand Canyon.
teleSUR
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NewsTranscript
00:10Iranian forces launched drone and missile strikes against United States
00:15military installations in the Emirates in Jordan in retaliation for Washington's
00:19attack on Ladakh Island. Rescue crews in Nepal are in a race against time to reach over 900 workers
00:31trapped in the hydropower tunnels as the flood death toll surpasses 900. One person was killed
00:44and at least 15 remained missing after a massive flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon,
00:48prompting helicopter evacuations at Phantom Ranch.
00:58Hello, welcome to Front the South. I'm Lorena Font from the Telesur Studios in Caracas, Venezuela.
01:03We'll begin with the news. Stay with us.
01:24The United States attacked Iran's Ladakh Island on Sunday marking the first aggression in weeks amid
01:29regional conflict. The United States has struck Ladakh Island in southern Iran in the first attack
01:34against the country since late July risking renewing the military confrontation as the United States
01:40shifts the bombing campaign to a financial pressure strategy as the United States-Israel war on Iran
01:47enters its seventh month. Iranian officials confirmed the strike saying that several soldiers were killed
01:53or injured. On the other hand, as a weak excuse to justify the illegal aggression, U.S. officials said that
01:59the strike targeted launchers that were set to fire, rockets scaring nine mines toward the Strait of Ramos.
02:11In this context, Iran's Revolutionary War says it launched air attacks early on Monday against the
02:16two United States military bases in Jordan in retaliation for the strike by the United States on
02:22Iran's Ladakh Island just hours earlier. In a statement carried by several Iranian news agencies,
02:28the Revolutionary War said that the operation involved missiles and drones targeting technical and
02:33maintenance infrastructure as well as areas where enemy fighter jets were stationed at the Al-Asraq and
02:40King Hussein bases. The RGC warned that hostile actions will not weaken Iran's control over the Strait
02:46of Ramos and said that any further attack would be met with a more severe response.
02:58Iranian army also targeted a United States military installation at Al-Minhad air base in the United
03:04Arab Emirates on a Monday with suicide drones describing the operations as a response to the
03:11United States attack on Laran Island in southern Iran. According to the statement issued by the Iranian
03:16Army's Public Retaliations Department, the drones targeted positions used by U.S. forces and helicopter
03:22units at the installation, which serves as an important sport and air transport hub for foreign
03:28military forces. The operation comes following United States attacks on Iranian territory and the
03:33series of Iranian retaliatory operations against U.S. military positions across the region. Tehran
03:40considered the operation as a direct response to the U.S. attack on Ladakh Island, where two people were
03:45murdered and others were wounded, according to Iranian reports.
03:54Tehran's President, Massoud Pesizkian, stated on Monday that Tehran is not seeking war,
03:59but warned what it will respond decisively in the face of the most recent provocations
04:04by the United States against his country. The President also called on countries in the region
04:09to join forces to preserve security and prevent an escalation of the conflict,
04:14while Washington describes its operation as limited and precise. Iran claimed to have responded with
04:21attacks against U.S. positions and forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The situation is
04:27keeping tensions high in the Middle East and raising concern about a possible escalation of hostilities in
04:32the region.
04:39Asia's major stock markets started this week with losses amid the expectations of a possible interest rate hike in the
04:46United States
04:47and escalating tensions in the Middle East. The MSCI regional stock index fell 0.3%
04:53after dropping more than 1% earlier in the date. The tendency spread after comments by Federal Reserve
05:00Chairman Kevin Warsh fueled expectations of a possible rate hike in September. At the same time,
05:06oil prices rose nearly 3% and Brent crude surpassed $90 per barrel, while gold and bitcoin also posed
05:14to the decline. In this regard, investors remain focused on the evolution of tensions in the Middle East.
05:25In Mexico, the International Conference on Palestine, Genocide, Upper Hate and Resistance was held in Mexico City,
05:32organized by several Mexican solidarity groups. The event brings together activists, academics and human rights defenders
05:39to analyze the situation in Palestine, denounce Israeli genocide and upper hate and coordinate actions
05:45in support of the Palestinian people. Likewise, the conference seeks to examine the current situation
05:50in the Gaza Strip, raise awareness of allegations of human rights abuses and strengthen the network
05:56of international solidarity with the Palestinian people.
06:05The well-known Palestinian activist Jamal Juma, a staunch defender of human rights, continues his
06:11schedule of activities in Mexico as part of a toward aimed to strengthening international solidarity
06:17with the Palestinian cause. The activist held a meeting with civil society organizations and various groups
06:23supporting a free Palestine to deliver a lecture in Mexico City. One of the main focuses of his visit
06:29is to promote the boycott, diversity and sanctions movement, an international campaign calling
06:34for the suspension of trade agreements with Israeli entities in response to the genocide being committed
06:40in Gaza. The initiative seeks to increase pressure on the Netanyahu government to cease its aggressions
06:46to the Palestinian people. Juma recognized the importance of international solidarity in ensuring that the campaign
06:52against the upper hate wall continues to grow.
07:02In other information, in the United States at least two people were killed and nine others were injured
07:07in a shooting on the capital of New Jersey. Police authorities reported that the shooting occurred
07:12during a neighborhood meeting in one of Trenton's district early this morning. They also noted that
07:19upon arriving at the scene they found that 11 people had been hit by gunshots. The city's mayor emphasized
07:26that this attack took place during a large unauthorized gathering that broke together more than 200
07:31people on a residential street and that the appropriate authorities have already launched
07:36an investigation to clarify the circumstances of this incident.
07:46And now we have a short break coming up but first remember you can join us on tiktok at telestreetenglish.
07:51There
07:51you will find news in different formats, news updates and much more. We'll be right back. Stay with us.
08:20Welcome back to From the South. Emergency crews in Nepal are engaged in a critical race against
08:24Afghanistan to reach more than 900 workers trapped inside underground hydropower tunnels
08:29swamped to bite the flash floods. As a death toll from the Himalayan deluge surpasses 900 people,
08:35specialized rescue teams are utilizing heavy machinery and drilling equipment to penetrate
08:40mud-clogged facilities and on the affected river basins. Specialized personals joined the international
08:46experts have begun pumping oxygen and lowering surge cameras through water shafts into multi-kilometer
08:53tunnel networks. Hopping survivors have secured refuge in internal safety zones. Despite severe
09:00mud accumulations reaching chest level and damaged infrastructure, emergency workers are maintaining
09:05continuous operations to break through our reinforced structures and rescue the trapped workers.
09:16In this regard, Nepal's disaster authorities updated the flood told Monday reporting at least 903
09:22deaths and more than 4,247 people still missing as rescue operations entered their sixth day near
09:29the border with China. In neighboring China, state media reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing in
09:36Tibet after the floods struck on Wednesday. Taking together the latest figure put the death toll across
09:43Nepal and Tibet at 919 with nearly 4,800 people still unaccounted for. In Nepal, families have continued gathering
09:54in rescue centers and hospitals searching for relatives who remain missing while others face the difficult task
10:00of identifying bodies in overcrowded morgues. Authorities say the number of recovered bodies and a lack of adequate
10:08refrigeration have forced them to begin burials before all victims can be identified.
10:19In the United States, one person died and at least 15 others may be missing or unaccounted for
10:25after a major flood swept throughout the current canyon national park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon.
10:31The flooding struck the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas, prompting park staff and the
10:38Arizona Department of Public Safety to evacuate more than 60 people by Sunday morning. No injuries
10:43have been reported so far. The National Park Service says the flood destroyed nearly all of the foot
10:49bridges over Bright Angel Creek while metal structures and debris were carried out into the Colorado River,
10:55which has now been closed to river traffic until further notice. In this context, several areas and trails
11:01remain closed as authorities work to determine who may still be unaccounted for. Officials are also asking
11:07anyone with information about hikers, backpackers or campers in the affected area to contact the Park Service.
11:21Tropical storm Carina has intensified and is now a Category 3 hurricane moving across the Pacific Ocean
11:28with sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour. According to the United States National Hurricane Center,
11:35the storm could still gain strength in the next few hours. Carina is located about 1,500 kilometers
11:42southwest of Baja California, Mexico, and is moving westward at a speed of about 9 kilometers per hour.
11:48At this time, there is no warning of a direct impact on the coast nor is the hurricane expected to
11:54make
11:54a landfall. However, over the next few days, the storm may generate high waves and dangerous
11:59reef currents along parts of the southeastern coast of Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula.
12:12The high temperatures recorded so far in 2026 have claimed the lives of at least 5,232 people in
12:19southern Europe, according to estimates from the Momo Daily Mortality Monitoring System.
12:24This figure represents the worst summer record since the beginning of the historical cities in 2015,
12:31far exceeding the death toll from the deadly summers of 2022 and 2023, with a particularly severe impact
12:37concentrated in the month of August, which saw 2,147 deaths. Statistical analysis by the Ministry of
12:46Health reveals that those aged 65 and older account for the vast majority of fatalities amounting to
12:535,048 cases, among which the population group aged 85 and older accounts for 62 percent of the total.
13:01Furthermore, demographic data shows that women have proven to be the most vulnerable to heat waves,
13:08accounting for 60 percent of estimated deaths since the prevention plan was activated on May 15.
13:20In Spain, the government announced a new aid package to support the economy and employment in Ceuta and
13:26Melilla. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that companies in both cities will receive a 75 percent
13:32reduction in their social security contributions. The plan, which will be approved by the Council of
13:38Ministers, includes 168 million euros in direct aid for small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed
13:45workers. The government states that the goal is to protect jobs and contribute to the recovery of
13:51economic activity in both cities.
14:00And Italy has announced a 15-day extension of water controls with Spain's following ongoing tensions
14:07over a massive migration surge in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Italian authorities maintained that
14:12security conditions along the water remain critical. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed that the
14:18measure to his Spanish counterpart after thousands of irregular migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco.
14:25Italy has already notified European Union authorities regarding the extended air and sea water inspections.
14:32While Spanish officials have slammed the decision as politically motivated, Italian officials
14:37stressed that the checks do not target European citizens and aim solely to manage potential security
14:43risks for stemming from the enclave.
14:52In Guinea-Bissau went to the polls Sunday in a referendum on a proposed new constitution that
14:57will significantly strengthen the powers of the president ahead of general elections planned for
15:03December. The changes will replace the country's current semi-presidential system with a stronger
15:09presidency, giving the head of state greater control over the prime minister and government,
15:14including the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and the self-parliament.
15:19The National People's Assembly will also be reduced from 102 seats to 65. Supporters of the referendum are
15:26calling for broad participation, while the opposition has urged the voters to stay away,
15:31warning that the changes could concentrate too much power in the presidency and weaken
15:36parliament and the prime minister. The vote comes nine months after the military seized power following
15:41disputed residential and legislative elections.
15:53Let's take a short break now, but before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at TELESURY English.
15:57There you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverage and much more. Follow our page and
16:03activate the notification button to stay up to date on the world's most recent events. Financial break, don't go away.
16:34Welcome back to From the South. We continue now. In Colombia, it's 20 days after the earthquake that struck the
16:39country.
16:40President Abelardo de la Esprilla announced a reconstruction plan for the country without specifying that it entailed.
16:46The president spoke about what he called a new phase of reconstruction for Colombia.
16:50The president made statements and noted that there are more than 452,000 Colombians affected by the earthquake.
16:59497 municipalities impacted and the official death toll remains at 331, while the number of injured has reached to 4
17:06,500.
17:09Regarding the fires affecting Tolima, a department in the central western part of the country,
17:14the president stated that the fire had already consumed more than 5,000 hectares and asserted that the fire had
17:20been set in almost all cases.
17:23For those affected by the fire, he offered subsidies for rural housing and feed aid for livestock.
17:36And the Colombist president, Abelardo de la Esprilla, officially announced on Sunday that the end of three negotiation processes led
17:43by the Gustavo Petro administration.
17:45This action follows the signing of nine resolutions that bring an end to the dialogue tables with the general staff
17:51of the Magdalena Media Blocks, the Frontier Commanders and the Conquistadoras Self-Defense Groups of the Sierra Nevada.
17:58The president justified his decision by stating that these groups have not demonstrated a real and verifiable commitment to peace
18:07and warned that he will not allow the dialogues to be used as a mechanism for impunity.
18:12With this measure, the new government is moving forward with the dismantling of the total peace policy promoted by its
18:19predecessor
18:20and is proposing a strategic shift in its approaching toward the armed groups operating in Colombian territory.
18:33Also on Sunday, President Abelardo de la Esprilla was forced to apologize for the religious ceremony held during his inauguration
18:40on August 7.
18:41The statement followed a court ruling that ordered him to address the ceremony.
18:46The president defended his right to practice the Catholic faith in this context that his presidential inauguration ceremony included
18:53a prayer and praise segment featuring prayers by Catholic priests, an evangelical pastor and a rabbi,
19:00as well as an altar dedicated to the Virgin of Fatima,
19:03actions that caused outrage among Colombian civil society,
19:07triggering the ruling for violating the principle of a secular state established in Article 19 of the Colombian Constitution
19:16that prohibited the state from favoring any particular faith.
19:30In closing, and in compliance with the constitutional protection ruling issued on August 26, 2026,
19:37by the Fifth Laurel Court of the Bogota Circuit,
19:39I would like to point out that the ceremony for the transfer of power
19:43was an item on the agenda of the Joint Session of the Honorable Congress of the Republic,
19:48approved on August 7, the day I took office.
19:57The drafting of the agenda is one of the powers of the leadership of that honorable body,
20:02and it included an item titled, Invocation.
20:05Although I identify as a believer I am Catholic,
20:09I respect the separation of church and state,
20:11and I will guarantee, within the scope of my duties,
20:15the freedoms and rights of all Colombians without distinction,
20:18including the freedom to profess any religion or to profess none,
20:21just as the Constitution protects my right to freely practice my own religion,
20:26both publicly and privately.
20:35If this act caused discomfort or offended anyone in my capacity as head of state,
20:40I offer my apologies for it.
20:42or if he offended someone in my condition as head of state,
20:47I offer excuses for it.
20:51Venezuelan's acting president, Elsie Rodriguez,
20:53referring to the Venezuelan state's sovereignty over its national resources
20:56within the framework of the oil agreement with the United States.
21:00She stated that the country will use capital technology and operational capacity
21:04to drive the recovery of the energy industry,
21:07which has been hard hit by years of sanctions.
21:10Rodriguez emphasized that the country seeks to become an energy powerhouse
21:14by leveraging his oil and gas reserves throughout diplomacy and bilateral cooperation.
21:20Rodriguez expressed her gratitude for the efforts of the parties involved in reaching the agreement,
21:25making it clear that Venezuela's sovereignty over its resources is non-negotiable.
21:37I would like to thank President Donald Trump, Secretary Rubio, and his administration
21:41for the efforts made by both his administration and ours,
21:44as well as the entire Venezuelan team that dedicated their time to reaching this agreement.
21:49But there is one thing that must be absolutely clear.
21:52Venezuela retains ownership and sovereignty over its resources,
21:55while you provide capital, technology, and operational capability
21:58to drive the recovery of a strategic industry that has been hard hit by sanctions.
22:09In Paraguay, it is facing one of the most serious crises in its public health care system.
22:15One and three hundred doctors have notified their resignation following strikes and protests.
22:19They denounce a profound neglect by the government toward health care and its workers.
22:24The Secretary General of the National Doctors' Union confirmed that the professionals
22:28who are resigning belong to various health care facilities,
22:31including the Niño de Acosta New Pediatric Hospital,
22:35one of the most important in the country.
22:37The decision came after a week-long strike,
22:40which mobilized nearly 11,000 health care professionals across the country.
22:45The government of President Santiago Peña shows that it cannot fund
22:49the 76% salary increase demanded by the doctors.
22:53The Minister of Economy, Oscar Lovera,
22:55proposes as an alternative a health care career path
22:58that links salary increases to professional training,
23:01a response that the Union considers insufficient.
23:12And like this, we have gone to the end of this news brief.
23:15Remember, you can find this and many other stories on our website
23:18at TeleStoryEnglish.net
23:19and also joins us on social media.
23:22We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
23:27And we say goodbye with a goodbye video
23:31of the Huayan Kenyan Bridge in Huizhou Province, China,
23:35that recently witnessed a stunning 360% rainbow display
23:39beneath its structure.
23:40For TeleStory English, I'm Lorena Fong.