World record gathering of people with same name
31st October - "Harder"
A group of 178 Tanaka Hirokazus broke the world record for the largest gathering of people with the same first and last name.
Anti-cheating exam hats used in Philippines college
27th October - "Easier"
A college is getting students to make and wear anti-cheating hats during tests.
Congo gold mining threatening endangered species
24th October - "Harder"
Gold mining in a national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is putting at risk an animal called the okapi.
K-pop stars BTS to do military service
20th October - "Easier"
Members of one of the world's most popular pop bands, BTS, will soon be in the army.
Former Malaysia leader to run for office aged 97
17th October - "Harder"
The former prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, is running for office again at the age of 97.
Eating late at night might be making us sick
13th October - "Easier"
Eating a few hours before bed means there is a higher risk of obesity.
Women, girls and students protesting in Iran
10th October - "Harder"
Protests by women, school girls and university students are gaining in momentum in Iran.
Britain's King Charles to miss climate summit
6th October - "Easier"
The UK's King Charles III will not be attending the COP27 climate change conference.
'Quiet quitting' becoming common in workplaces
3rd October - "Harder"
The new culture of 'quiet quitting' has been quietly spreading around offices, factories and workplaces worldwide.
NASA spacecraft hits asteroid in Earth-protection test
29th September - "Easier"
NASA tested a spacecraft that could change the direction of an asteroid.
Japanese company allow pets into the office
26th September - "Harder"
A Japanese company is allowing some of its workers to bring their pet dogs to the office with them.
Ability to move to the beat of music is genetic
22nd September - "Easier"
New research suggests that moving our body to musical beats is genetic.
Soccer star waits in line for 13 hours to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth
19th September - "Harder"
David Beckham waited in line for over 13 hours to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
UN says 50 million are in 'modern slavery'
15th September - "Easier"
A report from the U.N. says about 50 million people are in modern-day slavery.
Ultra-processed food linked to cancer risk
12th September - "Harder"
A new study reveals that consuming ultra-processed food can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease or an earlier death.
Space travel changes astronauts' DNA
8th September - "Easier"
Scientists have found that space travel could change our DNA.
Tennis legend Serena Williams plays her final match
5th September - "Harder"
Serena Williams, one of sport's greatest ever legends, has played her final professional match.
Dogs cry for joy after reuniting with their owners
1st September - "Easier"
Scientists say dogs cry tears of joy when they see their owners after a period of absence.
Big rise in rates of depression among students
29th August - "Harder"
Rates of depression among college students have surged in the past decade.
'Poo-nami' of raw sewage hits English beaches
25th August - "Easier"
Beaches in England have closed because water companies pumped raw sewage into the sea.
Airplane pilots fall asleep instead of landing
22nd August - "Harder"
Two pilots fell asleep instead of landing their jumbo jet passenger plane.
Why thinking makes us feel tired
18th August - "Easier"
A new study has found out one reason why thinking makes us tired.
'Warm banks' spread in UK as heating costs rise
15th August - "Harder"
The U.K. is a rich country, but people cannot pay their energy bills.
Mosquitoes bite some people more than others
11th August - "Easier"
A website has discovered found out why mosquitoes like some people more than others.
Life expectancy in Africa grows by 10 years
8th August - "Harder"
People's life expectancy in Africa rose by nearly 10 years in the first two decades of this century.
UN says nuclear annihilation is one mistake away
4th August - "Easier"
The UN has warned that one small mistake could lead to a nuclear war.
Ditch neckties to save energy, says Spain's PM
1st August - "Harder"
Spain's leader has urged people to ditch their neckties to help save energy.
Czech police turn criminal's Ferrari into patrol car
28th July - "Easier"
Police in the Czech Republic turned a criminal's Ferrari into a patrol car.
Ukraine and Russia sign deal to resume grain exports
25th July - "Harder"
Ukraine and Russia have signed a deal to allow much-needed exports of grain.
Australia's "shocking" decline in environment
21st July - "Easier"
Scientists have reported a shocking loss of biodiversity in Australia.
Feeling hungry can make us feel "hangry"
18th July - "Harder"
Research that suggests "hanger" is a diagnosable feeling of anger caused by hunger.
Bigger risk of being killed by falling space rocket
14th July - "Easier"
There is a growing likelihood that rocket parts falling back to Earth could kill someone.
Brad Pitt says he suffers from facial blindness
11th July - "Harder"
Hollywood heart-throb Brad Pitt has revealed he suffers from facial blindness.
Eiffel Tower full of rust and in need of repair
7th July - "Easier"
Engineers have found that the Eiffel Tower is full of rust.
Octopuses and humans share intelligence gene
4th July - "Harder"
Octopuses have a gene that also determines the intelligence of humans.
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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