Episode notes
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. Learn about the news in a level of English you can understand with Becca and Phil. Get a free…
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Learning English from the News
BBC Radio · Learning · English
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…
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27 May 2026 · 10 min
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20 May 2026 · 9 min
Deadly Ebola virus spreads
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 suspected cases means that this outbreak is already one of the largest on record Get a free worksheet for…
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13 May 2026 · 8 min
Hantavirus ship evacuated
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 content by level on our website. Find the 'easy', 'medium' and 'hard' buttons here:…
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6 May 2026 · 9 min
Iran war puts global food production at risk, says fertiliser boss
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 strait. Less fertiliser means less food is grown, and if there is less food available, then prices…
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29 Apr 2026 · 9 min
Trump shooting attempt
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 election in 2024. Learn about the news in a level of English you can understand with Becca and Pippa. Get…
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15 Apr 2026 · 9 min
Hungary election landslide
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 Hungary’s global relationships. Learn about the news in a level of English you can understand with…
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8 Apr 2026 · 8 min
Artemis II takes humans further from Earth than ever before
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.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260408 Learn about all…
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1 Apr 2026 · 8 min
US Court: YouTube and Meta built addictive platforms
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27 Mar 2026 · 14 min
Our World in English: Fighting child marriage through football
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25 Mar 2026 · 9 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_2026/260325 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 your English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 Find us on social media @bbclearningenglish
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