New nation of Asgardia established in space
29th June - "Harder"
A Russian billionaire has attended his inauguration as leader of humankind's first ever nation in space.
Singer calls world leaders "cowards" over refugee crisis
27th June - "Easier"
British singer Sting has called world leaders "half-men and cowards" for their failure to solve the refugee crisis.
Birds' stomachs too full of plastic to eat
25th June - "Harder"
A BBC team has filmed disturbing footage of the devastating impact plastic pollution is having on seabirds.
Algeria turns off Internet to stop exam cheats
23rd June - "Easier"
Algeria has turned off its Internet all over the country to stop students cheating in high school exams.
Ex-US soccer player criticized for supporting Mexico
21st June - "Harder"
A former U.S. soccer player has justified his support of rivals Mexico at the Russia World Cup.
U.K. politician blocks passing of upskirting law
19th June - "Easier"
A politician in the United Kingdom has blocked a new law on upskirting from being passed.
Japan lowers age of adulthood to 18
17th June - "Harder"
Japan's government has lowered the age at which people become adults. It is the first time since 1876 that this has happened.
Trump and Kim Jong-un could get the Nobel Peace Prize
15th June - "Easier"
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un could be in line for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Pope warns fossil fuels threaten humanity
13th June - "Harder"
Pope Francis has given a stark warning to around 50 of the world's top oil company executives about the threat to humanity from fossil fuels.
Scientists close to turning air into fuel
11th June - "Easier"
Scientists at the Canadian company Carbon Engineering have said they are close to making carbon capture work.
Women hold most government positions in Spain
9th June - "Harder"
Women are on the rise in Spanish politics. Spain's newly-formed government consists of eleven women and six men.
Man aims to swim across the Pacific Ocean
7th June - "Easier"
A French swimmer will try to become the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean.
Chinese couples asked to take divorce exam
5th June - "Harder"
Authorities in China are asking couples who file for divorce to take an exam to reduce the rising divorce rate.
Malaysians give cash to help government
3rd June - "Easier"
Malaysians have helped their government with its money problems. They gave nearly $2 million to help the country.
Hotter weather lowers exam results
1st June - "Harder"
Hotter weather leads to lower exam results, and may reduce learning in both the short term and long term.
Korean boy band BTS No.1 in US album chart
30th May - "Easier"
A South Korean pop act has reached number one in the U.S. album charts for the first time ever with their new album, "Love Yourself: Tear".
Cockroach milk may be the next superfood
28th May - "Harder"
It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but scientists say cockroach milk could become a new superfood.
Scientists to use DNA to find Loch Ness Monster
26th May - "Easier"
Scientists from New Zealand will use a special technique to see if there really is a Loch Ness Monster.
Half of life on Earth gone since humans arrived
24th May - "Harder"
There are 7.6 billion people on Earth, but they represent just 0.01% of all living things.
No purchase needed to sit in Starbucks cafes
22nd May - "Easier"
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has announced that anyone can enter a Starbucks cafe in the USA without needing to make a purchase.
Humans causing big shifts in freshwater locations
20th May - "Harder"
The USA's space agency NASA has confirmed that human activity is responsible for a massive redistribution of freshwater across Earth.
Scientists close to cure for the common cold
18th May - "Easier"
British researchers say they are close to finding a cure for the common cold.
Time travelers invited to Stephen Hawking memorial
16th May - "Harder"
Time travelers have been invited to attend the memorial service for Professor Stephen Hawking.
Robo-caller fined for 96 million phone calls
14th May - "Easier"
America's Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, has fined a man who they say placed nearly 100 million robocalls.
Malaysia to have 92-year-old leader
12th May - "Harder"
Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad has staged a remarkable political comeback to end the six-decade rule of the Barisan Nasional party.
Carbon footprint of global tourism is huge
10th May - "Easier"
Climate scientists from the University of Sydney in Australia say tourism causes over 8 per cent of greenhouse gasses.
Number of Japanese children at record low
8th May - "Harder"
The number of children in Japan has fallen to its lowest number since records began.
Singapore-Kuala Lumpur world's busiest air route
6th May - "Easier"
A new report says Singapore to Kuala Lumpur is the world's busiest international air route.
Best to learn a new language before age of 10
4th May - "Harder"
New research suggests that to achieve native-like proficiency in a new language, people should start learning before the age of ten.
Every Indian village now has electricity
2nd May - "Easier"
All villages in India now have electricity. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement on Monday.
Cold noodles help nuclear-free Korea talks
30th April - "Harder"
Historic talks have taken place between the leaders of North and South Korea, aided by the dish of cold noodles.
Amazon Alexa to reward kids who say 'Please'
28th April - "Easier"
A new device will encourage children to say "please" and "thank you".
Children are as fit as endurance athletes
26th April - "Harder"
Have you ever wondered why children always seem to have bags of energy and never run out of steam?
Get a job riding a Harley-Davidson all summer
24th April - "Easier"
There is a special job opening for eight people who love riding motorbikes, enjoy long, hot summers, and like feeling the wind in their hair.
Swaziland changes its name to eSwatini
22nd April - "Harder"
The king of the tiny African nation of Swaziland has changed his country's name to eSwatini.
Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer Prize for music
20th April - "Easier"
The American rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar has become the first non-classical or jazz musician to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for music.
Social media site reverses LGBT ban after outcry
18th April - "Harder"
One of China's largest social media sites has reversed a ban on content related to LGBT issues.
Going to bed late shortens our life, says study
16th April - "Easier"
A new study says that going to bed late may be bad for our health. It may even shorten our life.
Japan finds enough rare-earth metals to last 700 years
14th April - "Harder"
Japanese researchers have discovered enough reserves of rare-earth metals (REMs) to satisfy global demand for up to 700 years.
France to help make Saudi Arabia's first opera house
12th April - "Easier"
Saudi Arabia will soon have its very first national orchestra and opera, with the help of France.
Former Brazilian president in jail
10th April - "Harder"
Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in jail after surrendering to authorities on Saturday night.
Iceland's First Lady wears charity-shop jacket
8th April - "Easier"
The First Lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid, has turned heads at a movie awards ceremony by wearing a charity shop jacket.
Seed vault now has over a million species
6th April - "Harder"
A special vault storing the world's most precious seeds has now amassed over one million different plant varieties.
Children lack skill in holding pencils due to iPads
4th April - "Easier"
A study shows that new technology is reducing children's ability to use a pencil or pen.
Robots to help us make our own furniture
2nd April - "Harder"
Robots are taking over more and more aspects of our lives, and jobs. The latest occupation at risk is carpentry.
Men to be NFL cheerleaders for first time ever
31st March - "Harder"
Fans of the USA's National Football League (NFL) will soon be able to watch male cheerleaders for the first time ever.
China and Russia lead race to make hypersonic missiles
29th March - "Easier"
The USA is worried about China and Russia developing hypersonic missiles that can travel between five and twenty times the speed of sound.
Facebook apologizes after data breach
27th March - "Harder"
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg apologized for the data breach that was revealed last week. He took out full-page advertisements in broadsheet newspapers to make his apology.
Fears over USA - China trade war
25th March - "Easier"
The world is waiting to see if a trade war breaks out between the USA and China. Stock markets in Asia did badly in Friday's trading because investors are worried.
World's last male northern white rhino dies
23rd March - "Harder"
Conservationists and animal lovers are in mourning today for the loss of Sudan the rhinoceros.
Stephen Hawking explained multiverses in final paper
21st March - "Easier"
The world-famous physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking published an important paper before he died last week.
Calls for everyone in England to speak English
19th March - "Harder"
A top British official has said the UK government should set a target date for everybody in England to speak English.
U.S. student walkout to protest gun violence
17th March - "Easier"
Students in the USA took part in a protest on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of high-schoolers walked out of their schools to protest against gun violence.
3D-printer homes to reduce homelessness
15th March - "Harder"
A revolutionary, low-cost use of 3D printers to construct houses may help the homeless in developing countries.
Disease X is a 'big risk' to the world
13th March - "Easier"
Scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) say the world is possibly at risk from a deadly disease.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to meet
11th March - "Harder"
A historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un will take place.
Japanese robot-wolf to protect farms
9th March - "Easier"
Technology has come to the rescue of Japanese farmers. Engineers have invented the 'Super Monster Wolf' to scare away animals.
Thailand to close famous beach to protect coral
7th March - "Harder"
Thailand will soon close one of its world famous beaches in an effort to reverse the damage done to its coral.
Paris Metro fines woman for walking wrong way
5th March - "Easier"
A pregnant woman got into trouble while she was using the Metro in Paris. She was given a 60-euro fine for walking the wrong way.
Malnutrition goals in Africa 'very far away'
3rd March - "Harder"
A new report shows that no country in Africa will meet goals set to end childhood malnutrition by the year 2030.
Egypt archaeologists find large 'city of the dead'
1st March - "Easier"
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a huge cemetery hidden under the sands south of Cairo.
See the links below for earlier lessons.
Lessons were produced every day between Nov 2004 and Dec 2005.
Lessons were produced at "easier" and "harder" levels between Apr 2005 and Aug 2006.
Podcasts started in Apr 2005.
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