Countries wondering whether to have vaccine passports
1st March - "Easier"
Governments around the world may create 'vaccine passports' to help open up societies.
Scientists explain video-conferencing fatigue
27th February - "Harder"
A study investigated the effects on our health of extended spells of video-conferencing.
Japan government creates a minister of loneliness
25th February - "Easier"
The Japanese government now has a "minister of loneliness". It is the first time Japan has had such a minister. Japan's Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga created the role in early...
Dogs may be self aware
23rd February - "Harder"
A team of scientists explored the question of whether dogs have self-awareness.
Most of world's rivers damaged by humans
21st February - "Easier"
A new study shows that 86 per cent of the world's rivers have been damaged by human activity.
University staff asked not to say 'mother' and 'father'
19th February - "Harder"
Staff at a university have been requested to avoid the use of certain gender-related words.
IKEA starts selling furniture for gamers
17th February - "Easier"
The Swedish furniture maker IKEA has released its new range of products - gaming furniture.
Shell says it is past peak oil production
15th February - "Harder"
The energy giant Royal Dutch Shell has announced it has passed its peak production of oil.
Professor lectures for two hours online - on mute
13th February - "Easier"
A university professor in Singapore gave a two-hour online lecture but didn't realize he was on mute.
London's thinnest house sells for $1.3 million
11th February - "Harder"
A house billed as "the skinniest" in London is on the market for $1.3 million.
World's smallest reptile discovered in Madagascar
9th February - "Easier"
Scientists say they have discovered what could be the smallest reptile in the world.
Myanmar military blocks Facebook after coup
7th February - "Harder"
The military junta that overthrew Myanmar's government on February the 1st has blocked access to Facebook.
Jeff Bezos stepping down as Amazon CEO
5th February - "Easier"
The founder of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, will step down from his role as CEO.
UAE to offer citizenship to 'talented' foreigners
3rd February - "Harder"
The UAE will grant citizenship to foreign residents who "add value" to the nation.
A full moon could give you a bad night's sleep
1st February - "Easier"
If you have trouble sleeping, it could be because of a full moon.
Organizers say Tokyo Olympics will go ahead
30th January - "Harder"
The International Olympic Committee is "confident" the Games will go ahead in July.
Fans get inside space bubbles for rock concert
28th January - "Easier"
A band has played what is being called the 'World's First Space Bubble Concert'.
Job offers $30 an hour for eating and testing candy
26th January - "Harder"
A candy company in Canada is searching for people to taste and review its original creations for the sweet sum of $30 an hour.
Electric-car battery charges in five minutes
24th January - "Easier"
A company in Israel says it has created a lithium-ion car battery that people can charge in just five minutes.
Biden vows to repair global alliances
22nd January - "Harder"
Joe Biden has promised to re-establish global alliances in his first speech as U.S. President.
Wristband lets others know your mood
20th January - "Easier"
A new wearable device can let other people know your mood.
Tennis stars enter Australia ahead of stranded citizens
18th January - "Harder"
Australian citizens are angered at the sight of preferential treatment being given to tennis stars.
Paris' Champs-Elysees to be 'extraordinary garden'
16th January - "Easier"
The mayor of Paris wants to turn the Champs-Elysees avenue into an "extraordinary garden".
Free dumplings for motorists stranded in snow
14th January - "Harder"
A restaurant manager delivered hundreds of dumplings to snowbound drivers.
Harry and Meghan to quit social media
12th January - "Easier"
Reporters are saying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have abandoned social media.
Identical twins are not so identical
10th January - "Harder"
A new study shows that while identical twins can look perfectly alike, it is not a perfect similarity.
Taxi driver offers free rides for singing karaoke
8th January - "Easier"
A taxi driver in Taiwan is offering free rides in exchange for singing a karaoke song.
Man crosses rough sea on jet ski for love
6th January - "Easier"
A British man who broke lockdown rules to be with his girlfriend has spoken to newspapers.
2021 to be huge for space exploration
4th January - "Harder"
Astronomers and space engineers are predicting that 2021 will be a great year for space exploration.
Online learning and lessons to continue in 2021
2nd January - "Harder"
Online learning is set to continue in 2021.
2020 - A year we will never forget
31st December - "Easier"
For billions of people around the world, January the 1st, 2020 seemed like a great day.
Giant Antarctic iceberg A68a splits into three
29th December - "Harder"
An enormous iceberg heading toward the island of South Georgia has broken up into three large chunks.
Early humans may have hibernated in winter
27th December - "Easier"
Scientists believe early human beings may have hibernated.
Scientist finds the 'right' way to cut Christmas cake
25th December - "Harder"
A scientist has found the 'right' way to cut a Christmas cake.
World blocks UK over new mutant virus strain
23rd December - "Easier"
Forty countries have blocked air, sea and land travel to and from the United Kingdom.
Botanists find world's ugliest orchid
21st December - "Harder"
Botanists have just decided on the world's ugliest orchid.
S. Korea lantern festival on UNESCO heritage list
19th December - "Easier"
The United Nations has given a special award to a festival in South Korea.
Healthcare clowns help patients laugh and recover
17th December - "Harder"
Healthcare clowns emerging in hospitals around the globe.
Metal detecting finds ancient treasure in U.K.
15th December - "Easier"
The British Museum in the U.K. has reported record levels of historical discoveries this year.
India sees the biggest protest in history
13th December - "Harder"
A huge protest has taken place in India in what could be the largest demonstration in human history.
Japan to use artificial intelligence to match couples
11th December - "Easier"
Japan is going to use artificial intelligence (AI) to match couples and help residents find love.
Lab-grown meat given green light in Singapore
9th December - "Harder"
Singapore has approved the production, sale and consumption of meat manufactured in a lab.
Dog three times heavier than normal goes on diet
7th December - "Easier"
A dog had to go on a diet. He is a beagle called Wolfgang. He was three times heavier than normal.
Ecocide could become an international crime
5th December - "Harder"
Lawyers across the globe are drafting regulations to make ecocide a crime.
S.Korea, China clash on social media over kimchi
3rd December - "Easier"
China and South Korea are arguing over the savoury pickled cabbage dish kimchi.
Letters to Santa show children's pandemic fears
1st December - "Harder"
Letters to Santa contain emotional outpourings that provide an insight into how the coronavirus pandemic is troubling young minds.
Thousands of Argentinians say goodbye to Maradona
29th November - "Easier"
Thousands of football fans paid their final respects to football legend Diego Maradona.
Childhood home of Jesus Christ found in Nazareth
27th November - "Harder"
Archaeologists working in the city of Nazareth have unearthed what they believe to be the childhood home of Jesus Christ.
Scientists say they can reverse ageing process
25th November - "Easier"
Scientists in Israel say they have conducted tests to successfully stop and reverse the biological ageing process.
Car-licking moose a problem on Canada's roads
23rd November - "Harder"
Moose are becoming a problem on Canada's roads because they are licking salt from cars.
Researchers want to 'correct' Japanese English
21st November - "Easier"
A group of language experts in Japan is troubled by how the government uses English.
New project to recreate smells from centuries ago
19th November - "Harder"
A team of researchers is trying to find out what the sixteenth century smelt like.
Asian nations form world's biggest free trade deal
17th November - "Easier"
Fifteen Asian and Pacific countries have signed the world's biggest free trade deal.
Maldives resort offers $30K 'all-you-can-stay' holiday
15th November - "Harder"
A hotel company in the Maldives is offering guests a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.
Scientists develop COVID-19 vaccine
13th November - "Easier"
Researchers say they have developed a vaccine that has a 90 per cent success rate in protecting against COVID-19.
Poor diet creates 20cm height gap in children
11th November - "Harder"
Poor diet and nutrition may be behind an average height gap of 20cm between the tallest and shortest children.
Kamala Harris to be first woman Vice President
9th November - "Easier"
Kamala Harris has made history by becoming the first woman in U.S. history to be Vice President.
Nintendo Switch game console shatters sales forecasts
7th November - "Harder"
The Japanese gaming company Nintendo has predicted a bumper year for its Switch games console.
Stress baking helped during U.S. election
5th November - "Easier"
The 2020 U.S. presidential election made people bake cakes and bread to reduce stress.
EU says veggie burgers can be called burgers
3rd November - "Harder"
The European Union has declared that companies and eateries can retain meat-like names for their vegetarian products.
Diet drinks may be as unhealthy as sugary ones
1st November - "Easier"
A new study says diet versions of sugary drinks can be as bad for our heart as fizzy drinks.
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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