News of the week from March 29 to April 4, 2020:
- Covid-19: the World Bank could release 160 billion dollars to help the poorest countries.
- War between America and France to obtain masks
- The automotive industry switches to ventilator production
- COP26 2020 postponed to 2021
- Terrorist knife attack in France
- Vocabulary of the week explained
Transcription
Hello,
Welcome to the HelloFrench news review, the podcast that immerses you in the week's news to help you improve your French.
Headlines for the week of March 29 to April 4, 2020:
- Headlines for the week of March 29 to April 4, 2020:
- Covid-19: the World Bank could release 160 billion dollars to help the poorest countries.
- A mask war is raging on the tarmacs of Chinese airports
- A Tesla factory will soon start manufacturing ventilators
- The international climate conference COP26 2020 postponed to 2021
- Two dead in a terrorist knife attack in southeastern France.
160 billion dollars to help the poorest countries. That is the sum the World Bank is ready to provide over the next 15 months. the goal (L'objectif)? to fight against (Lutter contre) the coronavirus epidemic and prepare for the looming economic crisis. In a first phase, 1.9 billion dollars will be distributed among 25 countries. India alone is expected to receive one billion dollars. Among the first countries to receive aid, we also find Pakistan, which is set to receive 200 million dollars, and Afghanistan, which will receive 100 million. Very poor countries with therefore more vulnerable populations. In this crisis context, the World Bank is also helping the most disadvantaged countries access essential medical supplies. The World Bank is currently conducting health aid operations in 65 countries.
Facing the Covid-19 epidemic, All is fair (tous les coups sont permis). Indeed, a real war is being waged on the tarmacs of Chinese airports. This week, the Americans outbid to purchase masks originally ordered by France. To obtain these precious masks, they are willing to pay three to four times the initially planned price, all in cash (en liquide). These masks therefore ended up flying to America rather than Europe. These practices were denounced by regional leaders in France who face a real obstacle course (parcours du combattant). Rather than using air transport, some have decided to turn to shipping companies to reduce the risks of theft. (vol);
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, announced this week that he will reopen (rouvrir) one of his factories to manufacture ventilators, in Buffalo, New York State. He announced on Twitter that Tesla would do whatever is necessary to help in these difficult times. To be able to manufacture these ventilators, Tesla is working in collaboration with Medtronic, a company specializing in medical equipment. Other automotive manufacturers also stepped forward this week to offer their help. This includes Jaguar, Toyota, and Ford. Italian manufacturer Fiat and Czech manufacturer Skoda, for their part, started producing masks. A Renault factory in France also transformed its operations: workers now manufacture protective visors (visières) for cargiver (soignants) healthcare workers.
COP 26, the international climate conference, was supposed to take place in November in Glasgow, Scotland. The British government announced its postponement to 2021, without specifying a date. The cause, as with the cancellation (l'annulation) or postponement of most major events of the year: the Covid-19 crisis. The decision was made by the UN, in consultation with British authorities. No postponement planned, however, for the ecological transition targets set by the European Union.
Knife knife (couteau) attack in southeastern France. A refugee from Sudan killed (tué) two people on Saturday. Witnesses reported to investigators (enquêteurs) that the man had been feeling very unwell for several days due to the lockdown. Two other people were also injured in the attack. It took place in the streets and shops of the town center of Romans-sur-Isere. Until now, the attacker (l'assaillant) was not known to police services. He says he does not remember the event. A psychiatric assessment is planned.
Vocabulary of the week
Expand your French vocabulary - download our list of key words from the week of March 29 to April 4, 2020.
| L'objectif | The goal to reach, the target to achieve. |
| Lutter contre | To oppose something, to fight against. |
| L'épidémie | A disease that spreads, that propagates. |
| Pauvre (adjective) | Not rich, not having much money. |
| Vulnérable (adjective) | Quite fragile, easily hurt by a situation or someone. |
| Défavorisé (adjective) | Not rich, not having much money. Not having many resources to live on. |
| Tous les coups sont permis | Anything goes, there is no more fairness. |
| Le masque | Something you put on your face to disguise yourself, to hide it, or to protect yourself. You can wear a mask for carnival or a protective mask to avoid catching a disease. |
| Le tarmac | The airport ground, the area where planes land. |
| En liquide | In cash. |
| La pratique | The act of doing something, the way of doing something. |
| Le parcours du combattant | Very complicated, very difficult procedures. |
| Limiter les risques | To prevent something bad from happening, something that could hurt people or prevent success. |
| Le vol | Taking something from someone that does not belong to us. |
| Rouvrir (verb) | To open again. Something had been closed and is finally open again. |
| Le respirateur | A device in hospitals that helps people who have breathing problems. This device allows the patient to breathe artificially. |
| L'industriel | The owner of a factory, a brand that owns factories. |
| La visière | The front of a cap, the part that protects the eyes. |
| Le soignant | The person who cares for us, medical staff. For example, a doctor or a nurse. |
| L'annulation | Cancelling something or an event. For example: "Mon train a encore été annulé ce matin. Je n'arrête pas d'avoir des annulations ces derniers temps" (My train was cancelled again this morning. I keep having cancellations lately). |
| Le report | An event is not cancelled but is pushed back, it will be organized at another time. |
| Le couteau | A cutting tool used for eating with a fork. It can also be used as a weapon to hurt people. |
| Le réfugié | Someone who had to leave their country because their life is in danger due to their ideas, their ethnicity... They are therefore a refugee in another country. |
| Tuer (verb) | To make someone die, to take their life. |
| Les enquêteurs | Police officers working on an investigation, searching for the truth about an event. |
| L'assaillant | The person who attacks, the aggressor. |
