English News Weekly

This week’s ENW podcast reports on a fantastic new scheme from the Danish capital city of Copenhagen. Late last year the Copenhagen City government a introduced a radical plan to help improve the health of its citizens – free fruit trees! That’s right the city will plant thousands of new trees – that once ready – will be free for anyone who wishes to munch on a piece of fruit! How did the plan come about? Will it really work? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Download MP3

In this special edition podcast ENW looks ahead to some events that will be happening around the world in 2020! (PDF) Download MP3

In this 400th ENW episode will take a special look at some events that happened 400 years, months, weeks and days ago! (PDF) Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast rreports on 3 famous cats who have become immensely popular around the world. These cats are working cats – employed by the British Government to help keep the mouse population in check. So popular have they become that they even have their own social media pages! But it can also be a stressful life and with less than one week to go before the UK General Election some of them have been off work with stress. What has happened? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast rreports on comments made by Pope Francis during his visit to Japan in November 2019. The Pope, head of the 1.2 billion Catholic Church visited the cities of Nagasaki, Tokyo and Hiroshima. At the peace parks in both Nagasaki and Hiroshima Pope Francis spoke of the immoral waste of atomic energy when used for weapons. Why did the pope visit Japan, a country with around 500,000 Catholics out of a population of 125 million? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Image credit: Korea.net via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 2.0. Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast reports on three news stories from Nepal, Bougainville Island and Austria. The first story is uplifting news where one of the most endangered species in the world maybe about to turn a corner. Next ENW skips down to a Pacific island that is on the verge of becoming the newest country in the world. Before finally heading to Europe and a birthplace of one of the 20th Century’s most infamous leaders. Why are these three news stories interesting? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Image credit: Harsha K R via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 2.0. Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast goes back to one of our earlier podcast templates and reports on three news stories from three different parts of the globe. We first go to NSW in Australia where humour has been found amongst the bushfire devastation. Then to southern Africa and Zimbabwe where new banknotes it is hoped will help the country slowly rebuild. Finally, to England where the home of football will be the first country to play 1,000 international matches. ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast reports on a decision by one Japanese city to try and combat what has become a modern trend across the world – selfie tourism. The city of Kyoto – home to some of the country’s most significant cultural sites has decided to implement a selfie ban. Their focus is the city’s 400 Geisha – who have complained that requests for selfies have become out of control. How will this ban be enforced? What will be the result on tourism? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast reports on the final of 2019 Rugby World Cup final where history was made as South Africa triumphed for the third time. They defeated England 35-12 in a one-sided game at the final held at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. The victory also created a new piece of sporting history when South African captain Siya Kolisi lifted the Webb Ellis Cup. What history was created? Why is it significant? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Image credit: Edomura no Tokuzou via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0. Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast reports on a horrible developing situation in Chile – a country we were thrilled to have visited last year for ENW 358 & ENW 359. This week has seen growing violent clashes between government forces and ordinary Chilean citizens. Major cities such as Santiago and Concepcion have witnessed looting, rioting and police and military using rubber bullets. What has caused such a tragic situation to develop? Is there any sign of a solution? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Image credit: Carlos Figueroa via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0. Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast - the 1,001st episode presented by Hiroshima University - reports on the frontrunners for the coveted and prestigious title of Word of the Year for 2019! Each year the three major dictionaries of English from the UK, Australian and the US select one word that they feel has come to represent the previous 12 months. Which words are likely to be selected? Are there any surprises as to what the word might be? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all. (PDF) Note: Episode 392 was originally scheduled to be posted on 18 October. We apologise for the delay. Download MP3

This is a special programme by Jaime and Joe to commemorate the milestone 1,000th episode of their podcasts - English News Weekly and Hiroshima University's English Podcast - presented by the Institute for Foreign Language Research and Education (FLaRE), Hiroshima University! We thank all the listeners for their support over the last 11 years. We will continue to present fun and high-quality English programmes, so please stay tuned! Download MP3 BGM: Flying to the sky by soundorbis

This week’s ENW podcast reports on the dilemma facing New Zealand over its colonial past. This month is the 250th anniversary of the landing of Captain James Cook on the north-east shore of the country’s North Island. Modern-day New Zealand stems from that first European incursion, yet the landing also spelled the death-nail for the country’s aboriginal peoples. How is New Zealand marking the anniversary? What is the reaction from the iwi people? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all. (PDF) Download MP3 Countdown to Our 1,000th Episode The English learning podcasts from Hiroshima University (English News Weekly and Hiroshima University's English Podcast) will soon reach the milestone 1,000th episode! For our 1,000th episode, we will present a special programme by Joe and Jaime.

In this special edition podcast, ENW visits four mind- blowing locations from the German city of Leipzig! (PDF) Image credit: Appaloosa via Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 3.0. Download MP3

In this special edition podcast, ENW visits four fascinating locations from the Japanese capital city of Tokyo! (PDF) Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast reports on a wonderfully strange gesture by a man in Indonesia who is protesting against deforestation. Indonesia has the 3rd highest global deforestation in the world – behind only Brazil and the Congo. At the current rate of tree felling, the percentage of the forest in Indonesia will continue to decrease at an alarming high rate. So, how is the protest strange? How long will it last? What is hoped to have been achieved by its end? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast reports on one of the most remarkable endings in any sporting contest. After seven weeks and 48 matches the final of the cricket world cup – which is behind only the football world cup and the Olympic Games for global TV viewing figures – came down to a sudden death play-off. Never before in the history of the tournament had two teams finished with a tied score. Even after extra play the scores were still tied! Unique in cricket history. What happened next? Was there a winner? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Image credit: Wikipedia. Download MP3

This week’s ENW podcast reports on how linguistic differences are fuelling an ongoing bloody tragedy in Africa. The northwest African country of Cameroon has seen growing violence over perceived grievances by people who speak a language that is a minority in the country. Demands for greater autonomy and linguistic equality have been met by brutal and often violent suppression by the government. Which languages are fighting? ENGLISH NEWS WEEKLY will try and explain all! (PDF) Download MP3