World News for Students of English

06-05-2026 07:00

Mali is having a very difficult time. In the north of the country, the army is losing many towns to rebels.

Some people think that soldiers inside the army are helping the rebels. For example, a bomb recently killed a leader because the rebels knew exactly where he was.

The government is trying to hold on to big cities, but it is hard. In 2012, France helped Mali, but now France and Mali are not friends anymore. The capital city is also in trouble. Rebels are blocking the roads so that food and supplies cannot get in easily. The government only has one main partner left: Russia. Russia has soldiers in Mali, but there are not enough of them to protect the whole country.

Experts are worried that if the rebels win in the north, they will become stronger and start attacking other countries nearby. It is a very scary situation for the whole region.

Difficult words: rebel (a person who fights against the government of their country), supply (food, medicine, or fuel needed), protect (to keep safe).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.