World Food Prize goes to Nigerian banker
29th June - "Easier"
The president of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, has won the 2017 World Food Prize.
World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) changes name
27th June - "Harder"
The World Taekwondo Federation has changed its name to simply World Taekwondo.
The shape of eggs helps birds fly well
25th June - "Easier"
Scientists believe they know why birds' eggs are different shapes.
Strange deep-sea creatures found near Australia
23rd June - "Harder"
Scientists have found dozens of strange-looking deep-sea creatures off the coast of Australia.
YouTube has plan to fight online terror
21st June - "Easier"
YouTube has announced a plan "to fight online terror". It will find dangerous videos and delete them.
Jay Z receives top songwriting honor
19th June - "Harder"
The rapper Jay Z has been recognized for his prolific and influential songwriting career by being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
New suntan drug could prevent skin cancer
17th June - "Easier"
Scientists have developed a drug that can copy the effects of sunlight. The new drug tricks the skin into making it darker.
Trendy names make vegetables look tastier
15th June - "Harder"
Researchers have discovered that people eat more vegetables if the veggies have trendy labels.
Mixed-gender events added to 2020 Olympics
13th June - "Easier"
There will be more mixed-gender events and more women at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sesame Street and IBM make vocabulary app
11th June - "Harder"
Sesame Street and IBM have teamed up to create a revolutionary new app for kids to learn vocabulary.
Indonesia attempts to count all its islands
9th June - "Harder"
Indonesia has embarked on the task of counting its islands in order to better protect its territory and marine resources.
Arab nations cut ties with Qatar
7th June - "Easier"
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and Yemen have all cut relations with Qatar.
Musk abandons Trump after U.S. dumps Paris Agreement
5th June - "Harder"
Elon Musk leaves Donald Trump's business advisory council after the US pulls out of the Paris Agreement.
The world is 0.28% more peaceful than a year ago
3rd June - "Easier"
A new report says the world is slightly more peaceful than it was a year ago.
Finland to reform education for the digital age
1st June - "Harder"
Finland is planning to reform its education system so that young Finns are better prepared for the digital age.
'Robocop' – first robot police officer starts work
30th May - "Easier"
The world's first robot police officer has started working. Its name is 'RoboCop' and it went into service for the Dubai Police earlier this week.
Fitness trackers 'poor at measuring calories burned'
28th May - "Harder"
A new report says fitness trackers are not so accurate in measuring the amount of calories our body burns while exercising.
Scientists find out how flamingos stand on one leg
26th May - "Easier"
Scientists believe they have found how flamingos stand on one leg. This has puzzled scientists for decades.
Author unhappy with use of the word 'meme'
24th May - "Harder"
Memes are becoming a growing part of our everyday life and popular culture, especially online.
Holland's king reveals secret life as pilot
20th May - "Harder"
Holland's King Willem-Alexander has just revealed he has been secretly flying planes for the Dutch carrier KLM.
Microsoft blames U.S. spy agency for WannaCry
18th May - "Easier"
Microsoft has said the WannaCry ransomware cyber-attack happened because America's National Security Agency keeps cyber-weapons on its computers.
China outlines Silk Road plan for global trade
16th May - "Harder"
China's President Xi Jinping has outlined an ambitious project to regenerate global growth.
Maori haka and language may keep dementia away
14th May - "Easier"
The world-famous Maori war dance, the haka, and being bilingual may help Maori people keep dementia away.
FBI boss thought his firing was a joke
12th May - "Harder"
President Trump has fired James Comey, the now former Director and boss of the FBI.
Nicki Minaj to pay college fees for fans
10th May - "Easier"
The singer Nicki Minaj has told her millions of Twitter followers she would pay university tuition fees for some of them.
Swearing can make you physically stronger
8th May - "Harder"
Researchers have discovered that swearing and using bad or profane language can increase one's physical strength.
Exercise pill could replace exercising
6th May - "Easier"
Scientists are working on a new pill that could help people who do no exercise.
Abu Dhabi opens government 'Happiness Cafe'
4th May - "Harder"
The Abu Dhabi government has opened a special cafe for its employees that is dedicated to their happiness.
A third of the food we produce is wasted
2nd May - "Easier"
The British government has said that a third of the food the world produces is wasted and that this is unacceptable.
Plastic-eating worm could remove the world's waste
30th April - "Harder"
A natural solution to the growing crisis of plastic waste in the environment may be at hand via a tiny caterpillar called a waxworm.
China launches first Chinese-made aircraft carrier
28th April - "Easier"
China's navy is growing stronger and stronger. On Wednesday, it launched its first aircraft carrier that it built completely on its own.
Egg freezing offered as perk to female employees
26th April - "Harder"
Female workers in the UK are to be offered an unusual perk by their employers. British companies are considering offering egg freezing as a perk.
Families get government help with housework
24th April - "Easier"
Working families in two towns in Germany will get government help with the housework.
Exercise is contagious because of social media
22nd April - "Harder"
A new study has shown that physical activity and exercise are 'contagious' because of social media.
USA ends 'patience' with North Korea
20th April - "Easier"
The Vice President of the USA, Mike Pence, said on Monday that US-North Korea relations have changed.
High school changes 'sexist' Women's Studies course
18th April - "Harder"
A high school in Canada has come under fierce criticism on the Internet for a women's studies course it offered to its female students.
Man dragged off plane will sue United Airlines
16th April - "Easier"
An American airline is in trouble for the way it treated one of its passengers.
Dutch towns tell tourists how to behave
14th April - "Harder"
Villagers living in the area known as 'Old Holland' outside of Amsterdam have got together with local tour companies to create rules of conduct for tourists.
People lose money in online dating scam
12th April - "Easier"
There is a new scam on the Internet for those looking for love. Criminals are trying to trick people by using old love letters.
Jungle people with almost no heart problems
10th April - "Harder"
Researchers have discovered that the Tsimane people in Bolivia have almost no risk of serious heart disease.
Halal snack helps bring Australians together
8th April - "Easier"
A new kind of fast food is having a big impact in Australia. It has helped to bring Australian people together.
Sales quotas exploit convenience store workers
6th April - "Harder"
A report from Japan says unrealistic sales quotas are being imposed on many part-time workers.
No shampoo may be better for your hair
4th April - "Easier"
Could shampoo be a thing of the past? is it necessary?
Scientists list 12 new types of cloud
2nd April - "Harder"
The International Cloud Atlas has recognized 'new' types of cloud for the first time since 1987.
Older mothers may raise happier children
31st March - "Easier"
New research suggests that the children of older mothers grow up to be happier.
Laptop ban goes into effect in certain countries
29th March - "Harder"
A number of airports in the Middle East have started implementing the ban on taking laptop computers on board planes.
Scientists find way to mass produce blood
27th March - "Easier"
Scientists from Bristol University in the UK say they have found a way to mass produce blood.
Funeral discounts for Japan's elderly who quit driving
25th March - "Harder"
A funeral home company in Japan is offering a 15 per cent discount on funeral services to any driver over 75 who quit driving.
Face recognition scanner to stop toilet paper thieves
23rd March - "Easier"
A park in Beijing has started a trial to try and save toilet paper and prevent thieves from stealing it.
Subway sues TV station for $210 million
21st March - "Harder"
The international sandwich chain Subway is suing a TV station following a report that said its chicken was only half chicken.
Climate changed the shape of our nose
19th March - "Easier"
The Earth's climate could have something to do with the shape of our nose.
Social media sites face heavy hate speech fines
17th March - "Harder"
Social media websites in Germany could be in for fines of up to 50 million euros for removing illegal content too slowly.
World Wide Web inventor worried about its future
15th March - "Easier"
The man who created the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has warned of the dangers of the Internet.
World faces biggest humanitarian crisis since 1945
13th March - "Harder"
The UN says the world is facing its biggest humanitarian crisis since 1945.
How to become a memory champion
11th March - "Easier"
A new study says pretty much anyone can have an upgraded memory if they train their brain.
Trial of 'female' traffic signals starts in Australia
9th March - "Harder"
Signals at ten pedestrian crossings in the city of Melbourne now show walking red and green people in dresses.
Scientists say there could be life on TRAPPIST-1 planets
7th March - "Easier"
Scientists have been discussing whether planets in the TRAPPIST-1 solar system could contain life.
Japan attempts to ease working hours
5th March - "Harder"
Japan's government has backed an initiative to ease the pressure on Japanese workers and simultaneously boost consumer spending.
Bulgarian radio can play modern music again
3rd March - "Easier"
Radio listeners in Bulgaria can now start listening to modern music again.
Mothers get less sleep than fathers
1st March - "Harder"
A new study confirms that mothers get less sleep than fathers.
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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