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Learning English from the News

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Rating
★★★★★
4.6
from
216 reviews
This podcast has
398 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
BBC Radio
Explicit
No
Date created
2017/10/02
Latest episode
2026/10/14
Average duration
9 min.
Release period
8 days

Description

Learn the language you need to understand news stories in English. Every week we talk about one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it. And in our special Our World in English episodes, we share documentaries from around the world and across the BBC in simple English. Find more at bbclearningenglish.com Follow us at bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus

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Check latest episodes from Learning English from the News podcast


Deadly Saudi airport attacks
2026/10/14
14 people have been killed and over 300 injured in two attacks on Riyadh international airport in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. There were also a series of other attacks earlier in the week. The Houthis, a militant group in Yemen, said they were behind the attacks, and that they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen's civil war. A Saudi government minister has said the country will have a ‘serious response’ to the attacks. Get the headlines, vocabulary and defenitions here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/261014 And don't forget to sign up to our email newsletter to get our latest tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 Write to us at [email protected]
French school protests
2026/10/07
Pupils say that they are protesting because their schools are not being well funded. Since protests began, over 6,000 people have been arrested and a number of students and police officers have been hurt. For all the headlines, definitions and a free worksheet to practise, head to our website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/261007 And don't forget to sign up to our email newsletter to get weekly tips and updates from your favourite presenters. Want to get in touch? Let us know what you think of our programmes by emailing us at [email protected]
Young people's mental distress is real, according to the head of a new review in the UK
2026/09/30
An independent review into mental health has found a rise in mental distress among children and young people, with anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders among the most common issues. Head of the review, Professor Peter Fonagy, says that accusations that young people are overly sensitive are wrong. He says it is now “harder to be young” due to challenges such as economic and employment uncertainty and problems caused by social media. Some are unsure about the new data as some of the sources rely on self-reporting. There is also an argument which says that the higher mental distress numbers could be because of changing attitudes and greater awareness, so more people feel able to report their problems. Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260930 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
AI and trade: Will US and China agree?
2026/09/23
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping will meet in a summit at the White House this week for the first time since 2023, following on from a President Trump’s visit to China earlier this year in which a truce was agreed. Before the truce was agreed, both the US and China had imposed high tarrifs on products coming in from the other country. The truce will end in November and many experts say that the two countries will try to extend their truce and make more agreements on trade. Alongside trade tariffs, there are other potential disagreements between the two leaders. For example over AI and the war in Iran. There are talks about a warning system for AI that Trump plans to share with Xi. Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260923 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Humans could lose control of AI systems, AI boss says
2026/09/16
Head of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, published an essay explaining how he feared that humans could lose control of AI systems. Following recent hacking incidents Amodei said that it is possible that AI systems could attempt to take over the entire internet. Meanwhile, AI experts have raised fears that AI systems could decide in future to kill all humans. These experts have said that the risks include: cyberattacks, biological warfare and disruption to economies. These statements have been criticised. Some have said that the fears are exaggerated while others have suggested that AI companies are overstating the potential impact of AI, so that their companies maintain a high value. Others have suggested that they want regulators to block their competitors. Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260916 Learn more English about the topic of technology here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/topics/technology Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Man survives longest ever pig kidney transplant
2026/09/09
A transplanted pig kidney has worked inside a patient for a record nine months. Learn about this news story in simpler English with Becca and Phil. Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260909 Learn more English about the topic of health here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/topics/health Sign up to our weekly newsletter here for more ways to improve your English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/topics/health
Nepal recovering from impact of flash floods
2026/09/02
More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead after last week’s flash floods on the border of Nepal and Tibet, according to Nepal’s disaster agency. Almost 4,000 people are still missing. Rescuers are trying to reach hundreds of workers who have been trapped in a large network of tunnels at hydropower sites. Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Monday that 279 people had been rescued from the sites. A key cause of the deadly floods is thought to be a glacier collapse in the Himalayas. A glacier is a large area of dense ice. Learn more about this story with Georgie and Phil. For more language-learning tips, head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260902 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
AI hacking other companies by itself, causing security fears
2026/08/26
AI has been hacking other companies during tests, causing fears over safety. There’s been a series of hacks by AI software in recent months. A hack is when secure technology is broken into in order to steal data or cause disruption. The AI hacks have occurred during testing of security systems which have gone wrong. For example, in July, the company OpenAI said its AI models hacked a company called Hugging Face. OpenAI said it lost control of the models during a security test. Many people are concerned about the recent hacks because AI has been able to get out of control and do things its creators didn’t want it to do. But technology companies that develop AI say that they care about security. For example, after its AI models hacked a company during security tests, OpenAI has said it’s slowing down training some of its AI software to improve security. Learn more about this story with Becca and Phil. For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260826 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Meta on trial
2026/08/19
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has gone on trial, accused of breaking state and federal laws around child privacy. The trial is expected to last around six weeks. The lawsuit has been filed by 29 US states, representing more than two thirds of the country's population. This is the largest of a number of lawsuits against Meta relating to child safety. This trial may require a payout of $200 billion in damages from Meta if they lose the case and the court could also force the company to make changes to its products. Meta denies the allegations saying that it removes child accounts and that it is taking steps to improve teenagers' wellbeing on their platforms. Learn more about this story with Becca and Phil. For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260819 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Europe's first solar eclipse since 1999
2026/08/12
Many parts of Europe will experience a solar eclipse, when the Moon blocks the light from the Sun, on Wednesday evening. It will be the first in Europe since 1999. Total eclipses are rare events but in the next few years, there will be a few. Following this summer's eclipse there will be a total eclipse in Egypt next August, and a third in Australia and New Zealand in July 2028. Looking directly at the Sun can damage your eyes, even during an eclipse. You can wear special eclipse glasses which block out most of the light so you can look at the Sun safely. Learn more about this story with Georgie and Becca. For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260812 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Ceuta migrant crisis
2026/08/05
Around 60,000 migrants swam around the border from Morocco into Ceuta, part of Spain. Spanish officials said almost all those who reached the enclave have now returned, but at least 72 migrants died attempting the journey. Many EU leaders called for an urgent meeting, asking for the end of policies that could encourage illegal migration. But Spain says the problems in Ceuta are not caused by its immigration policies, and that Ceuta is not part of mainland Spain, so there was never a security threat to other EU countries. Learn English about this story with Pippa and Georgie. For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260805 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
The end of PlayStation discs
2026/07/30
New PlayStation games will no longer be released on discs from January 2028, the gaming giant has announced. It’s owner Sony said that games will still be able to be bought in shops, but they would come with a digital code. There has been criticism of the announcement from some gamers online. But Sony says it has to adapt to consumer trends and a growing preference for digital downloads over physical discs. Learn English from the headlines about this story with Pippa and Georgie. For a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260729 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Do people trust the news?
2026/07/22
Trust in news around the world is the lowest it's ever been since annual reports began in 2015. The 2026 Digital News Report, published by the Reuters Institute suggests that public trust in the news it at 27%, three points down from last year. For the first time, social media and video networks are, on average, more popular than both TV and news websites and apps as sources of news. The use of AI chatbots for news is also growing quickly. Learn English from the headlines about this new study. Test what you've learnt with a free worksheet about this episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260722 Subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Is coffee good for your brain?
2026/07/15
New studies suggest that coffee can help our brain in many ways - one of which is preventing memory diseases such as dementia. Learn English from headlines about this new research. Test what you've learnt with a free worksheet about this episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260715 Subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 If learning English from the news is useful for your studies, you should check out 'The Listening Room' - BBC news reports with exam-style questions to help you with your listening skills: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_room
Taylor Swift wedding
2026/07/08
Taylor Swift has married American football player Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Hear about this news story in simpler English and learn interesting vocabulary from the news headlines. Test what you've learnt with a free worksheet about this episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260708 Subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 If learning English from the news is useful for your studies, you should check out 'The Listening Room' - BBC news reports with exam-style questions to help you with your listening skills: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_room

Podcast reviews

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4.6 out of 5
216 reviews
★★★★★
Afsaneharzi 2024/12/21
👏🏻
The efforts you make to produce these valuable and great podcasts are admirable. I highly appreciate your hard work. Also, I extremely enjoy listening...
★★★☆☆
California Now 2022/05/02
Ed Sheehan pop star
Valuable lessons pandemic war stories
★★★★☆
tomatnPaPa 2019/11/08
please help
why the sequence of these resources on your website didn’t sort by the publishing time. Then we hardly fing the related web reources on your website ...
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