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Learning English from the News

Learning English from the News

BBC Radio · BBC

382 episodesEN

Show overview

Learning English from the News has been publishing since 2017, and across the 9 years since has built a catalogue of 382 episodes. That works out to roughly 55 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.

Episodes typically run under ten minutes — most land between 7 min and 10 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Education show.

The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 months ago, with 27 episodes already out so far this year. Published by BBC.

Episodes
382
Running
2017–2026 · 9y
Median length
9 min
Cadence
Weekly

From the publisher

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

Latest Episodes

View all 382 episodes

Keir Starmer resigns as UK prime minister

Jun 24, 20267 min

US-Iran peace deal

Jun 17, 20268 min

World Cup excitement and concern

Jun 10, 20268 min

El Niño: What to expect

Jun 3, 20268 min

Is social media 'the new smoking'?

May 27, 20269 min

Deadly Ebola virus spreads

May 20, 20268 min

Hantavirus ship evacuated

May 13, 20267 min

Iran war puts global food production at risk, says fertiliser boss

May 6, 20268 min

Trump shooting attempt

Apr 29, 20268 min

Mass shooting at Mexican pyramids

Apr 22, 20268 min

Hungary election landslide

Apr 15, 20269 min

Artemis II takes humans further from Earth than ever before

Apr 8, 20268 min

US Court: YouTube and Meta built addictive platforms

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 Mexico ordered Meta to pay $375m for misleading people about the child safety of their platforms.Learn about the news in language you can understand with Georgie and Becca. Get a free worksheet for this episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260401Learn about all our podcasts here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/podcasts

Apr 1, 20268 min

Our World in English: Fighting child marriage through football

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 original programme was reported by Divya Arya and produced by John Murphy. Find the original programme here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6rcv Get our latest programmes. Subscribe to our free email newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters

Mar 27, 202613 min

Earth ‘pushed beyond its limit’ UN warns

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_2026/260325Try 6 Minute English here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-englishSign up to our weekly newsletter for more tips to improve your English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599Find us on social media @bbclearningenglish

Mar 25, 20268 min

Cuba protests: millions without power

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 Cuba’s economy.It’s been reported that the protest began peacefully but grew more destructive as people started throwing rocks and starting fires. Five people have been arrested in the central city of Moron over the weekend after destroying Communist office buildings.Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260318Are 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 skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_listening_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters For more of our podcasts, search for these in your podcast app: ✔️ Learning English for Work ✔️ Learning English Grammar ✔️ Learning English Stories

Mar 18, 20268 min

Global impact of US-Israel war with Iran

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-from-the-news_2026/260311Are 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-podcastPractise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_listening_roomFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusSUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newslettersFor more of our podcasts, search for these in your podcast app: ✔️ Learning English for Work ✔️ Learning English Grammar ✔️ Learning English Stories

Mar 11, 20268 min

US-Israel war with Iran

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 shopping malls.The lack of detail in US President Donald Trump’s plan has been criticised by politicians in the US congress. Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260304 Try Our World in English - BBC documentaries adapted in simple English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/our-world-in-english Find out about our latest programmes. Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Mar 4, 20267 min

Violence after Mexican drug leader killed

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 some states.Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260225Try Our World in English - BBC documentaries adapted in simple English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/our-world-in-englishFind out about our latest programmes. Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Feb 25, 20268 min

Russia killed opposition leader Alexei Navalny with frog toxin, UK says

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/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260218Try Our World in English - BBC documentaries adapted in simple English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/our-world-in-englishFind out about our latest programmes. Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Feb 18, 20268 min
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