Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: Myanmar Coup Updates / COVID-19 Global Updates / US Border Control Crisis

【Timecode】
00:26-01:55 News [Myanmar Coup Updates]
01:56-03:03 News [COVID-19 Global Updates]
03:04-04:15 News [US Border Control Crisis]
04:20-04:37 Sentence of the Day
04:43-05:44 Vocabulary
05:52-end Epilogue


【Transcript】

[Myanmar Coup Updates]

For our first news of the day, we’re bringing you back to Myanmar. The unrest has not calmed down since a military takeover took place there last month. Over the weekend, dozens of people were killed, certain factories were set on fire, and China got involved in calling for the government to stop the violence. When the military took over last month, it said there was a widespread fraud in the election that was held in November. The election gave an overwhelming victory to Myanmar's civilian leader, but the opposition party that the military supported didn't do as well as it had hoped.

On February 1, the military removed and replaced the civilian government, which led to the massive civil protest. So far, activist groups and media organizations say that Burmese security forces killed at least 38 people. It's not known exactly who did that, but Burmese protesters who opposed the military coup have accused China of supporting it. On Sunday, China called for the Burmese military to stop all acts of violence and punish those responsible for targeting Chinese factories and civilians. However, in terms of the confrontation, neither the military nor the protesters in Myanmar are indicating they'll stand down.


[COVID-19 Global Updates]

Italy has just implemented a strict lockdown, with people only allowed to leave their homes for essential reasons. And now with the schools shut, millions of schoolchildren are now forced to stay at home, and the restriction is due to last until at least April 6.

And now moving onto the news of COVID-19 vaccines.

Ireland and the Netherlands are the latest European member states to pause their rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clots after injection, including two deaths last week in Denmark and Austria. More than a third of EU countries have now fully, or partially, paused AstraZeneca even while acknowledging there is no proof of a connection to the vaccine. The company says its data from more than 17 million vaccine recipients shows no increased risk of blood coagulation, and the European Medicines Agency is maintaining its green light for AstraZeneca as it reviews the incidents.


[US Border Control Crisis]

The Rio Grande is a river that forms a natural border between Mexico and the United States, and that’s also where there's been a dramatic increase in the number of people trying to cross into the US this year. The Biden administration has called it a challenge, and one of the reasons behind the increase is a change in US law. Under the Trump administration last year, US border officials were allowed to turn the people who illegally entered America away, out of the concerns that they could bring in new cases of coronavirus. But now, under the Biden administration this year, children who are caught illegally crossing the border are allowed to stay in the US while their cases for immigration are reviewed. There are many reasons why people try to enter America: Violence and poverty in their home countries, problems made worse in Central America by the coronavirus pandemic, and of course, new opportunities in the United States. Check out today’s CNN10 video to witness countless immigrant families risking their lives to cross the river.


【Sentence of the Day】

Neither the military nor the protesters in Myanmar are indicating they'll stand down.


【Vocabulary】

1. indicate
to show, point, or make clear in another way

Ex: When John was asked whether he wanted to come to the party, his hesitation indicated his unwillingness.

2. stand down
to give up your job or position.

Ex: The Queen has finally decided to stand down at the age of 95.

3. neither...nor
used when you want to say that two or more things are not true

Ex: I could not understand (make out) what they were talking about. They spoke neither French nor German, but a strange mixture of the two languages.


【Epilogue】

Alright and that’s all the time we have today.
The multiple news from CNN10 are generally serious international issues.
And I know it’s sometimes not easy to fully understand.
Please feel free to leave any question down below
and I’ll be glad to answer them one by one as quickly as I can.
Thanks for listening and I’ll see you guys again next week. Bye!

Thanks, Ken.Have a good one, everyone.

Neither the military nor the protesters in Myanmar are indicating they'll stand down.

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