News Review from April 5 to 11, 2020

News of the week from April 5 to 11, 2020: 

• An update on the condition of Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, infected with Covid-19. [spp-timestamp time=”00:00:48″]
• Social network TikTok to donate 230 million to help fight the coronavirus. [spp-timestamp time=”00:01:31″]
• In Colombia, police give zumba classes to the confined population. [spp-timestamp time=”00:02:41″]
• In the United States, Bernie Sanders withdraws from the election. [spp-timestamp time=”00:03:10″]
• Life slowly resumes in Wuhan. [spp-timestamp time=”00:03:47″]
• Vocabulary of the week explained [spp-timestamp time=”00:04:21″]

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 April 5 to 11, 2020:

• Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, [tooltips keyword=”infecté” content=”To be infected”] infected with Covid-19, leaves intensive care but remains [tooltips keyword=”hospitalisé” content=”To be hospitalized”] hospitalized.
• Social network TikTok to donate 230 million to help fight the coronavirus.
• In Colombia, police [tooltips keyword=”donne des cours” content=”To give lessons”] give zumba classes to [tooltips keyword=”divertir” content=”to entertain”] entertain the confined population.
• In the United States, Bernie Sanders has [tooltips keyword=”s’est retiré” content=”To withdraw from”] withdrawn. Democrat Joe Biden will therefore face Donald Trump in November.
• Life slowly resumes in Wuhan, [tooltips keyword=”foyer de” content=”the centerl”] the epicenter of the Covid-19 epidemic.

This week, the condition of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had deteriorated. Sick with Covid-19, he had entered intensive care on Monday. After three days, the 55-year-old leader left the intensive care unit on Thursday evening. He is still currently being treated in hospital. He therefore remains [tooltips keyword=”sous étroite surveillance” content=”Close monitoring”] under close monitoring during the [tooltips keyword=”guérison” content=”recovery”] recovery phase. Today, Boris Johnson remains the only head of state to have [tooltips keyword=”être contaminé” content=”To be infected”] been infected by the coronavirus. It is Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary, who now serves as [tooltips keyword=”par intérim” content=”acting, interim”] acting Prime Minister. A complex task in this country very hard hit by the crisis.

TikTok, the social network that makes the world dance on video, is about to donate 230 million euros to help healthcare workers, teachers, and professionals impacted by the virus. This app, which has seen great success since the beginning of lockdown, was [tooltips keyword=”téléchargée” content=”To downloadl”] downloaded 65 million times in March. The company has notably planned 130 million euros directly for healthcare workers in the countries most affected by the disease, for the purchase of masks and protective equipment. It has thus created a support fund for healthcare heroes that will be distributed to major organizations like the Red Cross, which is in charge of redistributing the donations. But TikTok does not stop there, as the company also plans to help professionals who represent the communities that use the app, such as artists, for example, who have lost all [tooltips keyword=”source de revenu” content=”the income”] sources of income with the closure of concert halls and theaters. TikTok is not the only social network to have shown [tooltips keyword=”solidaire” content=”supportive”] solidarity in the face of the disease. The founder of Twitter, for his part, donated 920 million euros to help fight Covid-19.

Continuing to party while in lockdown is possible. In Colombia, police give zumba classes from the [tooltips keyword=”trottoirs” content=”sidewalks”] sidewalks to entertain the confined population. In uniform and wearing masks, the Bogota police meet residents three times a day. Residents are invited to participate from their [tooltips keyword=”balcon” content=”balcony”] balcony or their [tooltips keyword=”fenêtre” content=”window”] window. For the government, this activity helps maintain both the physical and mental health of Colombians. 

This week, Bernie Sanders withdrew his candidacy from the American presidential election. He therefore leaves the field to his [tooltips keyword=”concurrent” content=”competitor”] competitor in the ongoing Democratic primary: Joe Biden. In 2016, Bernie Sanders, already a [tooltips keyword=”candidat” content=”candidate”] candidate, had lost in the Democratic primaries to Hillary Clinton. In these 2020 primaries, he was already far [tooltips keyword=”à la traîne” content=”To lag behind”] behind his rival. However, Bernie Sanders assured that he would work [tooltips keyword=”main dans la main” content=”together, side by side”] hand in hand with Joe Biden to move toward a more progressive America. The Democrat will therefore face Republican Donald Trump on November 3.

Life is resuming in Wuhan, the epicenter of the Covid-19 epidemic. On January 23, Chinese authorities had placed the 11 million inhabitants in quarantine, forced to stay confined at home. 75 days later, life is gradually returning to normal. The regional quarantine has been lifted, transportation is getting back on track, shops are beginning to reopen, and residents are going out into the streets. For the first time in two months, China is no longer recording new [tooltips keyword=”décès” content=”death”] deaths linked to the coronavirus.

Vocabulary of the week

Expand your French vocabulary - download our list of key words from the week of April 5 to 11, 2020.

Être infecté, être contaminé	To be affected by a disease, to have contracted a disease.
Être hospitalisé	To be in the hospital, to be in a facility where you receive medical care.
Donner des cours	To be a teacher, to give lessons.
Se retire de la course	To stop a competition, to withdraw from a contest or election, to no longer participate.
Le foyer de...	The place of origin, the place where it all started, the epicenter.
Sous étroite surveillance	When you are closely monitored, when someone watches what you do or your condition.
La guérison	When you have been sick and are in the process of fighting off the disease or are no longer sick.
Par intérim	As a replacement, for a short duration. You replace someone for a short period, for a temporary period.
Le confinement	The act of staying locked in at home, of not going out, of staying indoors.
Télécharger	To take a document, software, or application from the internet and put it on your phone or computer.
La source de revenu	The money you earn. This can be through working, via investments, or through rental income from housing you rent out, for example.
Solidaire (adjective)	Willing to help others, supportive.
Le trottoir	The area next to the road where pedestrians walk (sidewalk).
Le balcon	An outdoor space, elevated, in a house or apartment (balcony).
La fenêtre	An opening in the wall of an apartment or house that allows you to see outside, thanks to a pane of glass. You can open a window.
Le concurrent	Your adversary, a person you are opposed to, generally in a fight or competition (competitor).
Le candidat	Someone who applies for a position, a role, or a job. For example: "Je suis candidate pour le poste de chargée de communication" (I am a candidate for the communications manager position).
Le rival	Your adversary, a person you are opposed to, your competitor (rival).
Être à la traîne	To be late, to be behind someone (to lag behind).
Travailler main dans la main	To work together, in collaboration (to work hand in hand).
La quarantaine/Être mis en quarantaine	To separate people from others, to prevent them from going to other places. Generally, this is to prevent a disease from spreading.
Le décès	The death of a person.