Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
The World Meteorological Organization said this El Niño is likely to strengthen over the rest of 2026, driving more extreme weather around much of the globe. El Niño is the name for a natural climate event where sea water temperatures rise in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. It creates unusually hot and stormy weather. Several forecasts from national weather agencies suggest it could end up as one of the strongest ever recorded – a possible so-called ‘super’ El Niño. Learn about this story an...
A group of senior doctors in the UK compare the harms of social media to smoking, not because it has the same physical health impacts, but because they believe it’s an important health issue that people need to take seriously. Learn about this story and learn some vocabulary from the headlines with Pippa and Georgie. Get a free worksheet for this episode to practise what you've learnt: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260527. We have lots...
An Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo was announced by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. Ebola is a serious disease caused by a virus caught from wild animals and is usually found in certain parts of Africa. It spreads from person to person when you come in to contact with infected body fluids, such as blood, urine and vomit. Officials in Uganda reported that the deadly disease had spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The total number of suspect...
All passengers have now left the Dutch cruise ship, MV Hondius after a voyage that lead to the death of three passengers from hantavirus. The virus is usually found in rats. One passenger is thought to have caught the virus while birdwatching in Ushuaia, Argentina, where the ship's journey began. Get a free worksheet for this episode to practise what you've learnt: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260513 Navigate BBC Learning English cont...
Global food production is being threatened by an interruption to the supply of fertiliser, according to the boss of one of the world's biggest fertiliser producers. Fertiliser is something that farmers put on fields to help plants grow. When the United States and Israel struck Iran on 28 February, the Strait of Hormuz, which is a narrow waterway between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, effectively shut down. About one-third of the world's fertiliser trade normally passes through the stra...
An attempt to shoot US President Donald Trump took place at the Washington Hilton hotel during the White House Correspondents' dinner. This dinner happens every year and political journalists are invited. Alongside Trump, Frist Lady Melania Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and other White House officials were rushed from the hotel ballroom after gunfire was heard. There have been two previous unsuccessful attempts to kill President Trump. Both of these happened while he was campaigning for electio...
A lone gunman attacked tourists at Mexico's historic Teotihuacan pyramids. One person was killed and at least 13 people were injured. The shooter then killed himself. Teotihuacan is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country. The attacker has been named as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso Ramirez. On 20th April 1999, 13 people were killed in an attack at Columbine High School in Colorado. It has been suggested that Ramirez was inspired by this attack...
Péter Magyar has won a historic victory in Hungary's elections, bringing to an end Viktor Orbán's 16 years in power. Orban had been a close partner of US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Whereas Magyar wants a better relationship with the rest of the EU and Ukraine. Almost 80% of people who could, turned out to vote, which broke records. Magyar’s Tisza party has won a huge majority, which will allow him to change both Orbán's increasingly unpopular domestic policies and Hungar...
Astronauts on the Nasa spacecraft Artemis II are on their way back to Earth after travelling around the Moon. The spacecraft broke the record for the furthest distance humans have travelled into space, reaching 406,771km away from the Earth. While the crew did not land on the Moon, this is the first time humans have travelled to the Moon since 1972. Learn about the news in a level of English you can understand with Georgie and Pippa. Get a free worksheet for this episode here: https://www.bbc.co...
Meta and YouTube have been found legally responsible for creating addictive platforms. Meta is the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. Kaley, known only by her first name, started the lawsuit against Meta and YouTube in Los Angeles in the US, claiming that they had negatively impacted her mental health. She received $6m in damages. Meta argued that it’s worked over the years to fight these problems and promoted safe experiences for young people. However, a separate trial in New M...
Though illegal, child marriage is widely practiced in India. UNICEF’s latest estimate is that 216 million girls and women in India today have been married before they turned 18. But some girls and young women are trying to resist the practice. In this short documentary, we meet Munna, who found an unusual way out of becoming a child bride - through playing football. This episode of is based on the documentary India's sportswomen playing to be seen from Assignment on the BBC World Service. The or...
The latest report from the World Meteorological Organization, part of the UN, shows concerning statistics around climate change. Learn about the news in language you can understand with Phil and Becca. Get a free worksheet for this episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260325 Try 6 Minute English here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english Sign up to our weekly newsletter for more tips to improve...
Cuba was receiving a third of its oil from Venezuela until a US operation removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in January. No fuel had entered the country in three months and the capital, Havana, has seen blackouts of up to 15 hours a day. Protests in Cuba come as a reaction to electricity blackouts and shortages of food, fuel and medicine, which have been worsened by a US blockade on oil. This has affected hospitals, public transport, education, rubbish collection and heavily impacted C...
The US-Israel war with Iran continues. The US military says it has "eliminated" 16 Iranian mine-laying ships in the area. Iran continues its strikes across the region, including in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait. People in Tehran have told BBC News Persian about heavy strikes and powercuts. Meanwhile, three commercial ships have been damaged by "unknown projectiles" in the area. Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-fr...
The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, at least 1,097 civilians have been killed in Iran, says a human rights organisation based in the US. The US and Israel are continuing to carry out air strikes in Iran, and Iran has responded by firing missiles at Israel and other countries in the region with links to the US. Iran has hit military targets, but it has also hit airports and other civilian sites like luxury hotels and s...
Nemesio Osegura Cervantes – known as 'El Mencho', head one the most important criminal organisations in Mexico, was killed by Mexican security forces on Sunday. Following his death, violence erupted across a number of Mexican states leading to the death of at least 74 people and over 9,500 troops have been deployed across the country in response to the violence. President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that normality has returned, but several foreign governments are still warning against travel to s...
Learn language from the news headlines about this story. Two years after opposition politician Alexei Navalny died, European scientists have tested samples from his body. They say they believe he was killed by a poison found in frogs. Russia denies it killed Navalny and says he died of natural causes, but UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said there was no innocent explanation for the poison being found on Navalny’s body. Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish...
People in Montana, US worry that they will lose the land the makes the place special. Nearly half of all the land in the American west is owned by the federal government. Some people want to change that and sell the land to build houses and businesses. But in Montana, a western state known for wide open spaces and cowboys, lots of people rely on the government land. They worry that their cowboy way of life is under threat. In this short documentary, we meet Brud Smith, who owns a farm in Montana...
The singer Bad Bunny has made history by performing the Super Bowl half-time show almost entirely in Spanish. The 14-minute set, which invited celebrities to dance alongside him, had only one line in English: “God Bless America.” Some people have praised the performance for its message of pride and love for his home country, Puerto Rico. But others have been critical of the show, calling it "un-American", and President Trump described the performance as "terrible." Find a transcript and workshee...
Men are secretly filming women on nights outs and then posting these videos online to make money in so-called 'walking tours' videos. Meanwhile, some women have been filmed without their consent by men using Meta glasses. These videos have then been posted online and attracted comments which the women have found offensive and upsetting. For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/f...
Experts have warned that the world is the closest it has ever been to disaster. For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260128 Are you scared of speaking English? Listen to this episode of Beating Speaking Anxiety: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/beating_speaking_anxiety/making_mistakes-podcast Practise your listeni...
US President Trump's latest comments about Greenland have led to criticism. For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260121 Are you scared of speaking English? Listen to this episode of Beating Speaking Anxiety: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/beating_speaking_anxiety/making_mistakes-podcast Practise your listening s...
This episode delves into the severe crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran, where thousands have reportedly been killed. It explores the economic origins of the unrest and the government's harsh methods, including the use of force and internet shutdowns. The discussion also covers the international community's response, particularly the US imposing tariffs and considering further actions, alongside key English vocabulary to understand the news.
The US military attacked the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday and arrested its president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260107 Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room Practise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features...
Neil and Pippa look at some of the biggest headlines from the year. Learn about this story and some useful vocabulary from the headlines. Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251231 Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room Practise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/feature...
Japan changes the law to stop parents giving their children names considered strange. Learn about this story and some useful vocabulary from the headlines. Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251224 Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room Practise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www...
Australia's social media ban for under-16s has started. Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251217 Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room Practise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_listening_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our web...
How far would you go for love? When Czech writer Adela falls in love with artist Konstantin Zhorkin, she moves to Kharkiv, in Ukraine, to be with him. Kharkiv is just 30 kilometres from the Russian border and has been hit by some of the worst attacks of the war in Ukraine. In this short documentary, Adela tells her personal story of what life is like in Kharkiv as the war continues. Based on the BBC Eye documentary, Kharkiv: Love in a War Zone, first broadcast on 25th September 2025. The orginal...
The 8th of December marked a year since Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was forced to leave the capital, Damascus. Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251210 Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room Practise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_l...
Hong Kong leader orders investigation into deadly fires which killed at least 151 people Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251203 Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room Practise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_listening_room FIND BBC LEA...
