Neil and Pippa look at some of the biggest headlines from the year. Learn about this story and some useful vocabulary from the headlines.

Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251231

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

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Japan changes the law to stop parents giving their children names considered strange. Learn about this story and some useful vocabulary from the headlines. Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251224

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

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Australia's social media ban for under-16s has started.

Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251217

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

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How far would you go for love? When Czech writer Adela falls in love with artist Konstantin Zhorkin, she moves to Kharkiv, in Ukraine, to be with him.

Kharkiv is just 30 kilometres from the Russian border and has been hit by some of the worst attacks of the war in Ukraine.

In this short documentary, Adela tells her personal story of what life is like in Kharkiv as the war continues.

Based on the BBC Eye documentary, Kharkiv: Love in a War Zone, first broadcast on 25th September 2025. The orginal programme was reported by Albina Kovalyova and produced by Louise Hidalgo.

Find the full programme here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct82ky

More from BBC Eye: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4fa8LK1lptsvoA_spfJhzda

(Photo: Adela and Konstantin. Credit: Konstantin Zorkin)

TRANSCRIPT

The 8th of December marked a year since Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was forced to leave the capital, Damascus.

Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251210

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

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Hong Kong leader orders investigation into deadly fires which killed at least 151 people

Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251203

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

Practise your listening skills with The Listening Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_listening_room

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A ship that sunk in 1708 is thought to have $20bn worth of treasure on it. Hear about the expedition to recover the treasure, and learn some vocabulary from the headlines with Georgie and Phil.

Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251126

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

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Former prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251119

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

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International leaders gather for COP30 climate talks, but some important people are not attending. Hear about this story and learn some vocabulary from the headlines with Beth and Pippa

Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251112

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

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An Antarctic glacier shrunk by 50% in just two months - this is the fastest retreat recorded in modern history. Hear about this story and learn some vocabulary from the headlines with Beth and Georgie.

Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251105

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room

FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:

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