Babbel News - English Only

Senegal tries to solve prison overcrowding, and British shoppers spend less on gifts. In Senegal, the use of electronic bracelets allows prisoners to be watched at home, and in the UK, the high cost of living is changing holiday shopping habits. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your lis...

Climate activists protest the strong presence of oil and gas companies at COP28. The COP28 climate conference faces criticism for inviting representatives from the oil and gas industry, whose motivation to find a solution for climate change is being called into question. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabu...

Climate change puts Hungarian pine forests at risk, causing harm to local businesses. A village in Hungary which provides the country with Christmas trees suffers losses, as climate change is causing harm to its pine forests and the people depending on them. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and impr...

Police at the border of the Canary Islands falsely register young migrants as adults. Migrant children and teenagers in the Canaries are mistakenly sent to relocation centers for adults. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. If you’d like to read along, you can find the...

A Chinese bank is hit by hackers, and Chad aims to compete on the global meat market. The computer systems of the ICBC, the world’s biggest bank, are targeted by a cyberattack, while Chad works to develop its meat industry to boost its economy. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your liste...

Swiss laws on blood donation are updated to allow gay men to give blood more easily. The blood donation process in Switzerland becomes more inclusive towards homosexual men. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. If you’d like to read along, you can find the transcript f...

Kenyan breakdancers dream of the Olympics, while Russians reflect on wartime comedy. The Paris Olympics inspire high hopes for the future of breakdancing in Kenya, while Russian comedians consider what it means to make jokes during wartime. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listenin...

A referendum to give a “Voice” to Indigenous people in Australia faces challenges. Indigenous communities in Australia are divided over an upcoming referendum that aims to give them more rights and official recognition. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. If you’d lik...

An all-female newsroom in Somalia breaks media taboos around women’s issues, while Thailand faces changes in ocean ecosystems due to climate change Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. If you’d like to read along, you can find the transcript for this episode here: htt...

Argentinians find themselves struggling during the worsening economic situation. Record level inflation rates have left citizens unable to afford basic necessities in the South American country. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. If you’d like to read along, you can...

In Hong Kong, legal recognition for same-sex partnerships may become a possibility. A court decision in Hong Kong has put forward a demand to the government to create an official legal status for same-sex couples that could give them rights similar to marriage. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and i...

France bans Muslim dress in schools, and a Swiss lake is polluted with microplastics. A French ban on Muslim women’s clothing in schools divides public opinion, while in Switzerland, a worrying amount of microplastic is found in one of Europe’s largest lakes. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and im...

Despite high unemployment in China, livestreaming provides a new career opportunity. In China, more and more young people are finding jobs in the livestreaming industry, working as online sales hosts and redefining the relationship between customers and companies. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary an...

South Africa makes signing official, a Spanish discovery holds long-lost answers. Sign language is declared the 12th official language in South Africa, and in Spain, people hope for answers as the missing bodies of people killed during Franco’s rule in 1939 are finally discovered. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand...

Ukrainian holiday goers take a break from the war, putting riverside nature at risk. Unable to go to the beach because of the war, crowds of Ukrainian vacationers are turning a river into a new holiday spot - causing unintended damage to nature. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your list...

Yeezys still popular despite bad press, and crowdfunding builds wells in Senegal. Yeezy sneakers designed by Kanye West remain popular despite hateful comments ending his partnership with Adidas, and online crowdfunding provides a solution to the water crisis in Senegal. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocab...

Keep up with the news and improve your English listening skills at the same time. In each episode, you’ll hear the news in English, sourced from Reuters. Useful tips and guidance along the way will help you focus on improving your English while you learn what’s happening around the world!

Actor, singer, songwriter, and activist Harry Belafonte has died at 96 years of age. Belafonte became famous in show business before getting involved in causes such as the American Civil Rights Movement and the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Hear about this recent event in English with a news clip sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve you...

Germany shuts down its nuclear power plants as it moves to other sources of energy. Germany promised to end its nuclear energy program after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, and that promise is now a reality. Hear about this recent event in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. If you’d like to read alo...

Texas is the center of a debate over removing certain books from public libraries. Some local officials and residents want books about LGBTQ issues and racism removed from public libraries, while others see the move as undemocratic. Hear about this recent event in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills....

African activists join a climate protest in Vienna, and Germans strike for fair pay. Zimbabwean activists with the group “Don’t Gas Africa” protest at the European Gas Conference, and Germans organize the largest strike in decades to push their employers for a pay raise. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocab...

Thousands of people protest in Senegal and heavy rains cause problems in California. Senegal’s capital sees large protests against a possible third term for President Macky Sall, and unusually heavy rain creates a dangerous situation in California after nearly twenty years of dry weather. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you...

An advocate hopes for a Disney princess with disabilities, and rice becomes plastic. A young Australian woman is working to convince Disney to create a new princess with disabilities, and in Japan, rice grown near Fukushima is being used to make low-carbon plastic. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary...

A new kind of charcoal helps protect forests, and archeologists dig under Miami. An entrepreneur in Benin, Africa, has found a way to make charcoal without destroying forests, and community members in Miami work to preserve prehistoric artifacts. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your li...

Musicians sing for peace in the DRC, and lawmakers in the US have concerns about AI. A music festival in the Democratic Republic of Congo spreads a message of peace, and US lawmakers are worried about problems that could be caused by artificial intelligence. Hear about these recent events in English with news clips sourced from Reuters, including guidance to help you expand your vocabulary and imp...