English News Weekly

Japanese manga is one of the country's most famous pop- culture exports. The colourful comic books cover topics as wide-ranging as elderly people, gender issues and blue robotic cats. Yet, manga has also been used to highlight controversial topics in Japanese society. Why has some manga characters become controversial? English News Weekly explains all... Download MP3

The sport of athletics has been rocked this week by serious allegations against Russia, one of the sport’s most successful track and field countries. WADA – the organisation that monitors sport for drug-doping claims Russia has been operating a decades-long drug cheating programme. What does Russia say? What happens next? English News Weekly explains all... Image credit: daveynin via flickr CC BY 2.0. Download MP3

Would you like to own or meet a robot that understands your emotions just by looking at you? Well, if you are then you should meet ‘Pepper’. This robot from Japan has become so popular since its launch in June that when 1,000 new Pepper’s were released this week - all of them sold out in less than 60 seconds. Why is Pepper special...? English News Weekly explains all... Image credit: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima via Wikimedia CC0. Download MP3

Everyday the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu are visited by 5,000 people. The historic site is Peru's most famous tourist attraction and one of the most well-known of the 1,031 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. So why did this iconic location choose an unknown village in Japan as its first 'twinned-town'? English News Weekly explains all... Image credit: Martin St-Amant via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0. Download MP3

The most visited city in the world is Paris. The friendliest is Copenhagen. The richest is New York. The biggest is Tokyo and San Pedro Sula in Honduras is the most violent. But which iconic world city is the most influential city in the world? Well according to Forbes Magazine the most influential is also one of the world's oldest. Which one? English News Weekly explains all... Download MP3

With Halloween coming at the end of the month one Internet company is offering brave travellers the ultimate fight night - a room full of skulls and bones. For one night two people can stay in the catacombs of Paris whilst sleeping next to the bones of some of the city's six million dead bodies. What? Why? And how much? English News Weekly explains all... Download MP3

30 years after the world’s worst nuclear disaster in Chernobyl wildlife has unexpectedly returned to the Ukrainian City. It was in 1986 that a nuclear reactor at the nuclear power station exploded and ever since that April day 29 years ago people have been banned from living there. So why have wild animals returned? English News Weekly explains all... Image credit: Cooper-42 via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0. Download MP3

This week around the world people have been getting their smartphones or cameras ready to take a picture of a very rare event - a Blood Moon! This unusual event last happened in 1982 and the next one will not been seen on Earth until 2033! So what is the Blood Moon? Why is it called Blood Moon? Is it good luck or bad luck? English News Weekly explains all... Image credit: Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0. Download MP3

The rugby world cup is the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world. The 8th rugby world cup is in England and 20 countries are playing for the chance to become World Champions. South Africa have won the world cup TWICE. Japan have only won ONE GAME at the rugby world cup - in 1991! This week Japan beat South Africa in one of the biggest shocks in sports history! But what happened? English News Weekly explains all... Image credit: Jeremy Segrott via flickr CC BY 2.0. Download MP3

This is the third special summer addition of Hiroshima university's English News Weekly Podcast. ENW has travelled to one of the oldest cities in Europe -- the Danish capital of Copenhagen. ENW will start with visiting one of the oldest amusement parks in the world which also contains an iconic roller coaster. The second location is the independently minded neighbourhood of Christiania. On the second day, ENW travelled to a fantastically designed clock, whilst our final visit takes us to seven million litres of water. Image credit: Moveteam~commonswiki via Wikipedia CC BY-NC 3.0. Download MP3

This is the second special summer edition of Hiroshima University's English News Weekly Podcast. ENW has travelled to one of the oldest cities in Europe – the Irish capital of Dublin. ENW will start with visiting the most important building in modern Irish history – Dublin's General Post Office. We follow that by heading to the heartbeat of the city – Temple Bar. On our second day ENW will start with Dublin's smallest museum. Our last visit will be to the famous Guinness brewery for a tour of how Ireland's most famous drink is brewed. Image credit: Donaldytong via Wikipedia CC BY-NC 3.0. Download MP3

English News Weekly... in Venice! This is the first special summer edition of Hiroshima University's English News Weekly Podcast. ENW has travelled to the famous Italian island city of Venice. This is the first time ENW has visited the city of canals and we are looking forward to wandering around and discovering new and exciting places. ENW will start with visiting the heart of Venice – St Mark's Square home of the Doge's Palace. Next we will stroll over to the iconic Rialto Bridge – the symbol of Venice. Third we hop on to a water taxi for the short trip to the nearby island of Murano – and the famous Glass Museum. Our final stop is one of the greatest food and drink shops in the world – who will deliver anything you buy to your home! Image credit: DaniDF1995 via Wikipedia CC BY-NC 3.0. Download MP3

English News Weekly 208 reports on a new invention that could help stop millions of people dying each year from unclean water. Image credit: USAID via flickr CC BY-NC 2.0. Download MP3

English News Weekly 207 reports on the 70th Anniversary Ceremony of the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. *About next week* There will be no ENW next week. We will be back on August 21st. Image credit: Oilstreet via Wikipedia CC BY 2.5. Download MP3

English News Weekly 206 reports on worrying news for coffee drinkers around the world as coffee plants seem to be dying out. Image credit: uroboros via Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. Download MP3

English News Weekly 205 reports on a dramatic situation at a surfing competition in South Africa, when one surfer had a very, very close encounter with a deadly shark. Image credit: Counselling via Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. Download MP3

English News Weekly 204 reports on the sad death of the Nintendo's Chief Executive Officer and President Satoru Iwata. Mr.Iwata was responsible for some of Nintendo's most popular consoles and games, such as the Wii and Mario Bros. Image credit: Adapted from GDC 2011 3/2 (day 2) via Wikipedia CC BY 2.0. Download MP3

English News Weekly 203 reports on the new World Heritage sites that have been added to the UNESCO list. Some of these new sites in Japan have caused anger in South Korea. Image credit: Hisagi via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0. Download MP3

English News Weekly 202 reports on concerns about the future of one of the Seven Great Wonders of the World : The Great Wall of China. Image credit: Jakub Hałun via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0. Download MP3

English News Weekly 201 reports on a big row between some huge musical artists and Apple, over how much money the American tech giant should pay them for using their music. Image credit: ClkerFreeVectorImages via Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. Download MP3