Episode #3 - News Review from December 29, 2019 to January 4, 2020

This Week's News

• One of the main generals of the Iranian regime killed by the United States [spp-timestamp time=”00:00:43″]
• Australia ravaged by terrible wildfires [spp-timestamp time=”00:01:45″]
• Former Renault-Nissan CEO flees Japan to avoid trial [spp-timestamp time=”00:02:48″]
• Anti-abortion and anti-assisted reproduction ad campaign removed from Paris metro [spp-timestamp time=”00:04:05″]
• Vocabulary of the week explained [spp-timestamp time=”00:04:53″]

Every Saturday, HelloFrench publishes a podcast that immerses you in the week's news. Each news review comes with a transcription, a vocabulary list, and a quiz, to help you improve your French and test yourself.

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Transcription

Hello,

Welcome to the Hello French news review, the podcast that immerses you in the week's news to help you improve your French.

Headlines for this week of December 29, 2019 to January 4, 2020

1. Tensions between the USA and Iran. One of the main generals of the Iranian regime killed by an American airstrike.
2. Australia ravaged by terrible wildfires. An area equivalent to twice the size of Belgium already gone up in smoke.
3. Carlos Ghosn, former CEO of Renault-Nissan, flees Japan and takes refuge in Lebanon to avoid his trial.
4. In Paris, an anti-abortion and anti-assisted reproduction advertising campaign removed from the metro.

Tensions are at their peak between Iran and the United States. General Soleimani, one of the main generals of the Iranian regime, was killed by an American drone this Friday in Iraq. The order to [tooltips keyword=”assassiner” content=”murder”] the war leader was given by Donald Trump alone, without consulting Congress. Very popular in Iran, the general was considered the symbol of Iranian foreign policy. The Islamic state guarantees [tooltips keyword=”vengeance” content=”revenge”] in [tooltips keyword=”représailles” content=”retaliation”] for the American action. Bombs already fell this Saturday in Baghdad in the area of the American embassy and on a base housing American soldiers. These attacks caused no casualties. Americans, for their part, are divided. Pro-Trump supporters consider the president's decision courageous and necessary. Conversely, Democrats show strong opposition and demonstrations are being organized in the streets. They fear an [tooltips keyword=”escalade” content=”escalation”] of violence between the two countries. On social media, people are already talking about a third world war.

[tooltips keyword=”incendies” content=”fires”] have been [tooltips keyword=”ravagent” content=”devastate”] Australia since September. 6 million hectares, an area equivalent to twice the size of Belgium, has already completely [tooltips keyword=”partie en fumée” content=”go up in smoke”]. Far from calming down, the situation could last several more months. The cause? Global warming, which is leading to a longer and more intense fire season. At least 23 people have lost their lives and more than 480 million animals have died. An estimate that only takes into account [tooltips keyword=”oiseaux” content=”birds”], reptiles, and [tooltips keyword=”mammifères” content=”mammals”]. The toll could therefore be much heavier if insects, [tooltips keyword=”grenouilles” content=”frogs”], or [tooltips keyword=”chauve-souris” content=”bat”] are added. One thing is certain: these fires will have very serious consequences for the Australian ecosystem. Since this Friday, January 4, hundreds of people [tooltips keyword=”piégées” content=”trapped”] in a town in the south of the country, surrounded by flames, have begun to be evacuated by boat. More than 100,000 people in the southeast of the island have already been forced to leave their homes to flee the wildfires.

An [tooltips keyword=”fuite” content=”escape”] worthy of a James Bond film for the former [tooltips keyword=”PDG” content=”CEO”] of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Carlos Ghosn. Suspected of [tooltips keyword=”détournements de fonds” content=”Embezzlement”] between 2011 and 2015, he was arrested in Japan in November 2018. After several months of detention, then [tooltips keyword=”assignation à résidence” content=”under house arrest”] in Tokyo, with a ban on seeing his wife or speaking to his son, the businessman was awaiting his trial in spring 2020. After learning that his trial would be postponed and would not take place this year, he decided to put into action a plan to organize his escape. Last Sunday, he therefore fled to Lebanon, his family's country of origin. In a statement, Carlos Ghosn explains that he organized this operation to avoid what he considers an unfair Japanese justice system. The former executive reportedly boarded a private jet and passed through Turkey before reaching Beirut. Many aspects remain unclear about how he organized his escape. [tooltips keyword=”zones d'ombres” content=”grey zones”] that give rise to many theories such as this one: Carlos Ghosn allegedly organized a concert at his home and hid in a musical instrument case to be driven to the airport. A theory denied by his entourage.

In Paris, an anti-[tooltips keyword=”avortement” content=”abortion”] and anti-[tooltips keyword=”PMA” content=”medically-assisted procreation”] advertising campaign in train stations and metro stations sparked controversy this week. While parliament had voted for a law [tooltips keyword=”en faveur” content=”support”] of medically-assisted procreation for all women and it will soon be debated in the Senate, the pro-life association "Alliance-Vita" decided to fight back. Among the slogans were "Society will progress on the condition of respecting life" and "Society will progress on the condition of respecting motherhood." [tooltips keyword=”Indignée” content=”outraged”], like many internet users, the Mayor of Paris called for the immediate removal of this advertising campaign from train stations and metros.

Vocabulary of the Week

Enrich your French vocabulary - download our list of key words for the week of December 29, 2019 to January 4, 2020.

🎖Le général, les généraux (plural) (the general): the highest-ranking person in the army.

⚰️Assassiner (verb) (to murder): to murder someone means to kill them, to cause their death.

✈️Le drone (the drone): a very small pilotless aircraft that is controlled remotely. It can be equipped with a camera, for filming, or with weapons.

👀La vengeance (revenge): the act of taking revenge, of committing acts against someone who has harmed us.

🙅Les représailles (retaliation): a counterattack, what is put in place for revenge. Generally, violent actions.

👱La victime (the victim): a person who suffers an accident, who will endure a situation or someone's actions.

📈L'escalade (escalation) as in "l'escalade de la violence": this means that a situation is worsening, getting worse, becoming more intense. In this context, it means violence is rising. The word "escalade" is more commonly used to refer to the sport of rock climbing.

🔥L'incendie (the fire): a large fire that causes significant damage.

😱Ravager (verb) (to ravage): something or someone destroys, damages, or devastates a place or person.

🔥Partir en fumée (verb and expression) (to go up in smoke): nothing remains, everything has been destroyed by fire. This expression is also used figuratively to say there is no more hope. For example, one can say: "I lost my voice, my dream of becoming a singer went up in smoke."

🐦L'oiseau (the bird): a type of animal that has feathers, wings, and a beak. Generally, birds fly.

🐨🐕🐒🦁Le mammifère (the mammal): a type of animal that, like humans, nurses its young. These include, for example, koalas, kangaroos, cows, dogs...

🐍🦎Le reptile (the reptile): a type of animal covered in scales. These include, for example, snakes, lizards, crocodiles...

🐝🐛L'insecte (the insect): a type of small animal with six legs, which often has wings. These include, for example, flies, bees, ants...

🐸La grenouille (the frog):

🦇La chauve-souris (the bat):

🔐Être piégé, piéger quelqu'un (verb) (to be trapped, to trap someone): this means one has been caught, one cannot get out of a situation or a place. One is caught in a trap, an ambush, and is therefore in difficulty getting out.

🌾Un écosystème (an ecosystem): an environment with all the species that live in it.

🏃Évacuer (verb) (to evacuate): to leave a place.

👨‍💼Le PDG (the CEO): the boss of a company, the leader, the head of a business.

🏃Prendre la fuite (verb + expression) (to flee): to leave, to escape, to break free. Generally, one runs away because one wants to avoid someone or a situation.

💸Le détournement de fonds (embezzlement): when money is stolen from one's company, from the state if one works for it, or from someone who trusted them to manage their money.

⛓La détention (detention): when one is put in prison, the fact of being in prison.

🏠Être assigné à résidence (to be under house arrest): this means one is required by the courts to reside in a specific place. Generally, one's home, which becomes a sort of prison.

🌫Des zones floues, des zones d'ombres (expression) (grey areas): these expressions are used to say that not everything is clear, that there is not perfect visibility on how the situation unfolded.

🤰🏽L'avortement (abortion): the act of terminating a pregnancy while pregnant. Abortion can be natural or induced. It is also referred to as IVG: voluntary termination of pregnancy.

💉La PMA (medically-assisted procreation): medically-assisted procreation. These are medical techniques to help with fertility and procreation.

👍Être en faveur (to be in favor of) something or someone: this means one is for it, one agrees with an idea.

😳Être indigné (to be outraged): to be shocked by a situation, to be scandalized.