Haiti: Gang violence crisis: BBC News Review

Gang violence crisis in Haiti.

Prime Minister resigns.

This is News Review from BBC

Learning English where we help you understand news headlines

in English. I'm Neil and I'm Beth.

Make sure you watch to the end to learn the vocabulary

you need to understand this news story in English.

Don't forget to subscribe to our channel

so you can learn more English from news headlines. Now the story.

After weeks of violence

and demands from heavily armed gangs,

the Prime Minister of Haiti has agreed to resign.

Ariel Henri will step down after many Haitians questioned

why he was still in power

despite being unelected. The Caribbean country is under a month-long state

of emergency after attacks, including on the airport,

the prison and the National Palace.

You have been looking at the headlines,

Beth. What's the vocabulary that people need to understand

this story in English?

We have 'run rampant', 'paralyse' and 'tighten grip'.

This is News Review from BBC

Learning English.

Let's have a look at our first headline.

This is from CNN.

Haiti's leader to resign as gangs run rampant through country

engulfed in crisis.

So, the headline says

that gangs run rampant in Haiti.

That's the expression

we are looking at and it contains 'run', which we all know, but 'rampant'

Beth. What does that mean?

OK well, 'rampant' is an adjective.

Let me tell you about my garden,

Neil. It's full of weeds.

They are everywhere! Now, 'rampant' means spread out of control

and to make this a verb we say 'run rampant',

so I could say in my garden weeds run rampant.

OK, so this expression 'run rampant' means spread out of control.

Gangs run rampant.

That means they can't be controlled and they're spreading across Haiti.

The authorities are trying to contain them, but they can't.

It's not working. What else can run rampant?

Well it's not only used for big, serious things.

Maybe children at a birthday party might run rampant.

They're out of control after all that sugar.

OK, let's look at that again.

Let's have a look at our next headline.

This is from the Herald Scotland.

State of emergency extended in Haiti

as gang attacks paralyse capital.

So gang attacks paralyse the capital of Haiti.

Now, this word 'paralyse' is the one

we're looking at and I recognise it,

Beth because it means that someone can't move part of their body,

usually after an accident.

Is there a connection between that 'paralyse'

and the one in the headline?

There is. Now, 'paralyse' in the headline is a verb that means to cause

something to stop moving or operating. Now, in Haiti gangs

have disrupted the capital.

So things aren't working or moving as they normally would.

Yes, that's right.

So, for example, flights have stopped, medical care isn't coming in

or going out. Movement has stopped, basically.

Can we use 'paralyse' in other ways?

Yeah, so 'paralyse' can also mean

that you're unable to think or act in a normal way.

So, maybe if you're really scared,

you might be paralysed with fear -

you can't move.

OK, let's look at that again.

Let's have our next headline.

This is from BBC News.

Haiti spirals to collapse as gangs tighten grip.

So let's break this headline down.

Haiti spirals to collapse. Now, 'spirals' means moves very quickly -

out of control.

It means the country's collapsing.

It's falling apart.

We're looking at the expression 'tighten grip'.

Now, Beth, this mug here.

I have got in my grip and I'm holding it very tight. You can see

maybe my knuckles turning white as I hold it really hard.

You're not going to get this from me.

No, because you are literally tightening your grip.

Now, here in this headline tighten grip is metaphorical.

These gangs are taking more control every day and in a violent way.

It's like they have their country in their grip and they are tightening it.

So, adding pressure to the country,

Yes, and that is damaging the country and its people.

Now, it's common with this expression 'tighten grip'

to add the preposition 'on'.

So, what else can we tighten our grip on?

Well, a football team

at the top of the League might tighten their grip on the title,

if they win three games in a row, for example.

Yes, or a dictator could tighten their grip on power by, for example,

banning elections or making other parties illegal.

Let's have a look at that again.

We've had 'run rampant' - spread out of control.

'Paralyse' - cause something

to stop operating and 'tighten grip' -

take more control.

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