Execution Fail

🧠 Vocabulary challenge​
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Which of these is the meaning of the word 'collusion'?

(A) a decision or opinion reached after considering information

(B) an event in which people or things crash into each other

(C) the common goal of a group of people or organisations

(D) a secret agreement to deceive others or gain an unfair advantage

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(answer at bottom of email)

3 big stories…

1. France protests

Secondary school student protests grew in size across France this week, with the government saying that hundreds of people have been injured. The protests have also spread to French-speaking parts of Belgium. More in Wednesday's and yesterday's episodes​

2. Brazil election

The first round of Brazil's presidential election was won by Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote, with President Lula da Silva receiving only 45%. Bolsonaro is now the favourite to win the second round later this month. The Bolsonarist right-wing Liberal Party also won the most seats in Congress.

3. Ethiopia-Eritrea-TPLF

Forces aligned with Ethiopia's government have taken control of the capital of Tigray region, Mekelle, after renewed fighting between the government and the powerful Tigray People's Liberation Front. It's not clear whether the TPLF still controls any territory. There were also reports this week of Ethiopia attacking Eritrean forces with drones after they entered Ethiopian territory.

… and one you might have missed.

Maricarmen, the 87-year-old woman whose eviction two weeks ago sparked ongoing protests in Spain, died in hospital this week. The protests have also led to a snap general election after the government wasn't able to pass housing reforms. Some have said that Maricarmen died because of the eviction.

🔍 Find the synonym​
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Somewhere in the "3 big stories... and one you might have missed" sections above, find a synonym for the word "wounded".

Statistic of the week

Infant mortality has fallen dramatically in all regions of the world. In 1950, almost one in four children did not reach their fifth birthday. Today, it is only one in thirty. This line graph, using United Nations data, shows the percentage of children who died before they turned five.

🌍 World news question​
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Which Central American nation recently announced its official withdrawal from the Central American Parliament, after previously announcing its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council?

Quote of the week:

— UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, this morning, after the US said it would livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan.

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Stephen’s view

On SEND7 we first mentioned Christa Pike the day before her expected execution, saying that she was going to be the first woman to be executed in the US state of Tennessee for 200 years.

As if that news wasn't extreme enough, the story became more absurd after a court blocked her execution a few hours before it was due to happen, and then that block was overturned by the Supreme Court, who said that the execution should go ahead.

But Christa Pike really made international headlines after her execution - or should I say attempted execution? - because she survived it.

Pike survived two 'lethal injections' and then, unconscious, was taken to hospital, where doctors started to do what they always do and worked to save her life. A few days ago her lawyers said that she is conscious and speaking.

In the past the United States has used many ways to kill prisoners sentenced to death: hanging, firing squad, poison gas, and the famous electric chair. However, in the 21st century, almost all executions are carried out using a 'lethal injection'. This is because it is considered the most humane way to execute someone.

As Christa Pike's case demonstrates, there is no humane way to do something inhumane.

As if the death penalty didn't receive enough negative attention over the last week, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has now said that the execution of the mass murderer Nidal Hasan will be livestreamed - making it the first public execution in 90 years.

​According to Amnesty International, only two countries carried out executions in public last year - the Taliban's Afghanistan (6) and Iran (11).

The United States is showing its sense of morality by imitating two regimes it has been at war with.

Have a great weekend.
Stephen

P.S. Looking for the good news? It is in the statistic of the week!

P.P.S. SEND7 supporters - this week we launched our interactive transcripts page. This gives you the ability to listen and read at the same time, start the audio from where you click, and click on the vocabulary list words to see their meaning. You can find it in your purple podcast feed, in the episode description of every episode. This is brand new, and still in a trial phase, so please tell me what you think! So far, the feedback has been great!

ANSWERS​
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(don't look until you've answered all three questions!)

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🧠 VOCABULARY CHALLENGE : (D) collusion means "a secret agreement to deceive others or gain an unfair advantage".

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🔍 Find the synonym : A synonym for "wounded" is "injured" (in the first paragraph).

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🌍 World news question : Nicaragua. Nicaragua faces accusations of human rights abuses from organisations including the United Nations.

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