Podcasts about English language

Gavin Brookes provides insights into the language that people use when they talk about dementia. Language plays an important part in making sense of a health condition. In this episode we cover a wide range of topics - from stigma tohumour. Gavin has some very concrete messages for all of us - whether you have lived experience of dementia, work in social care, or do not know that much about the condition yet. Dr Gavin Brookes is a UKRI Future Leader Fellow in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University (UK). His research uses corpus linguistic, critical and multimodal approaches to discourse analysis in order to examine how language and image are used to representhealth and illness. He is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Corpus Linguistics and Co-Editor of the BloomsburyCorpus and Discourse book series.

On 21 June 1991, the last transport carrying Soviet troops crossed Czechoslovakia's eastern border, bringing to an end the 23-year military presence that followed the Warsaw Pact invasion of August 1968. Today, we look back on the events that shaped an entire generation with historian Peter Jašek from the National Memory Institute (ÚPN). Together, we trace the story from the invasion and subsequent occupation to the withdrawal of Soviet forces in the wake of the Velvet Revolution. Drawing on archival recordings, we also revisit the memories of key figures from the period, including Michael Kocáb, who served as deputy chairman of the parliamentary commission overseeing the withdrawal of the Central Group of Soviet Forces from Czechoslovakia.

This week on RSI, we begin by sharing reception reports and messages from our listeners around the world. We then continue with another edition of our regular feature, Window to the World. To close the programme, we mark International Moon Day with Slovakia After Dark - a selection of songs by Slovak artists inspired by night-time atmospheres, open skies and moments when the world slows down.

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

One of Slovakia's most effective ambassadors of cultural diplomacy is the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. In the summer of 2026, the Slovak Philharmonic has been invited to tour Japan for the fifteenth time since 1980. While 30th edition of Pohoda begins on 8 July — extended this year by an additional opening day featuring a concert by The Cure — numerous other festivals will also be taking place across Slovakia. One of them is the Kvantum Festival, held in the village of Podhradie beneath Topoľčany Castle.

Special Offer [ends 23:59 June 28th] Get “Students of Murder” course (worth €49) for free: https://dripl.ink/Anyn5 ---In 1975, a French mercenary landed in the Comoros, a chain of small islands off East Africa, and decided he was going to run the place. Bob Denard staged four coups, converted to Islam, built a farm, and controlled the country from the shadows for over a decade. It was a story of Cold War deals, shifting loyalties, and one last coup that ended his run. Location and poverty of the Comoros IslandsFrench rule and 1975 independence under Ahmed AbdallahFirst coup by French mercenary Robert DenardDenard's mercenary past and French Africa linksAli Soilih's radical rule and the Moissy youth militia1978 coup restores Abdallah and Soilih killedDenard becomes Comorian farmer and leads Presidential Guard1989 power struggle and suspicious death of Ahmed Abdallah1995 final coup and French Operation Azalee interventionDenard's trial and death in 2007 Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/bob-denard ---You might like:

According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, 68 criminal offenses with a racial or extremist motive were recorded in 2025. However, these figures do not reflect the large number of cases that go unreported. Hate crimes are a problem affecting society as a whole because they target victims based on their perceived “difference” — such as nationality, ethnic origin, religion, language, skin color, or sexual orientation. For years, the Human Rights League, with the support of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, has provided accredited professional assistance—including legal, social, and psychological support—to victims of such crimes. On the occasion of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech (June 18), we spoke about the situation in Slovakia, the impact of hate crimes, and the support available to victims with Lukáš Novák, lawyer at the Human Rights League and coordinator of its victim-support project, Silvia Moravčíková, a social worker, and Marianna Heřmánková, a psychologist from IPčko.

This might be the darkest trivia history ever brought into the studio...

In this feature, we explore two innovative research projects being developed in Slovakia. One aims to make rehabilitation more personalized through smart sensors and artificial intelligence, while the other investigates the extraordinary potential of cold plasma in medicine and environmental protection. Together, they offer a glimpse into how Slovak science is helping shape the future of healthcare and technology.

Ben Pascoe visits Slovakia's biggest Slowfood festival, Degustorium, to find out more about slowfood in Slovakia today.

Ruth Ozeki is a novelist, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest. Her new short story collection is called The Typing Lady and Other Fictions. Her novels — My Year of Meats , All Over Creation, A Tale for the Time Being, and The Book of Form and Emptiness — have been translated and published in over thirty countries. Her third novel, A Tale for the Time Being, won the LA Times Book Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. The Book of Form and Emptiness was the winner of the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction as well as the 22nd Annual Massachusetts Book Award, the BC Yukon Book Prize, and the Julia Ward Howe Prize for Fiction. She is Professor Emerita of English Language & Literature at Smith College, where she was the Grace Jarcho Ross 1933 Professor of Humanities. Support First Draft and listen ad-free and pitch-free with monthly extras at www.patreon.com/firstdraftwriters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RERUN: May 2nd, 2025 marked the 30th anniversary of Dežo Ursíny's passing. This radio show looks at the life and work of this Slovak musical legend, filmmaker, and thinker. With the help of his son Jakub Ursiny, film producer Marián Urban and music journalist Marián Jaslovský we explore what made him so special. From his early music to his deep, personal films, Dežo Ursiny's art still speaks to people today and his legacy remains.

Sunday show dedicated to letters from our listeners and some inspiration for summertime music.

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

The Bratislava literary festival, commonly known as BRaK, brought together readers and the wider community of authors, poets, translators, critics, and professionals working in the book industry, including publishers, distributors, illustrators, and even book reviewers from all across Slovakia. Although it is called the Bratislava literary festival, it also hosted several public readings and discussions with authors from abroad. At the same time, several discussions were dedicated to Slovak—and not only Slovak—literature in translation. In modern science, particularly in physics, a quantum is the smallest unit of reality capable of interacting with its surroundings. In Slovakia, KVANTUM is an interdisciplinary festival that combines science and art. It is one of several festivals currently taking place across the country that cater to English speakers living in or visiting Slovakia.

After a triggering event we're calling Legislativegate, producer Wojciech has a bone to pick with the English language and all of its irregularities. This week, Katy arranges a therapy session for Wojciech with Rob Watts, the Berlin-based host of the wildly popular YouTube channel RobWords, to discuss the peculiarities of the English language and the joys of being a “word nerd”. We're also talking about Nikol Pashinyan's ✨pivotal✨win in Armenia's election, and whether or not we can forgive Dua Lipa for her Sicilian destination wedding.GOT A HOT TAKE ABOUT BREXIT? If you have a personal experience to share for our next episode, or just something (Brexit-related!) to get off your chest, we want to hear from you. Record a voice memo at your earliest convenience and send it to hello@europeanspodcast.com. JOIN OUR FIRST-EVER OFFICE HOUR! Next week, come hang out with Katy and Dominic, have a friendly chat, ask questions, and get to know a few more members of the Europeans family. You don't even have to be a Patreon member to join. The first Office Hour is 18 June at 9pm CET, and you'll find a link to join the call on our website and all our social media channels an hour before the event.This week in the Inspiration Station, listener Federico recommended the Free Refugee Week Film Festival.Contribute to the EUROPEANS SUMMER PLAYLIST! We're rounding up our favorite tracks that keep the summery vibes going in dozens of languages from across the continent. Special credit will go to songs by lesser-known artists that aren't in Europe's most widely spoken languages. Send your picks to hello@europeanspodcast.com or @europeanspodcast on Instagram/Mastodon. Resources for this episode:Macron's recent jam session with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Our inaugural book club podcast (just as good as Dua Lipa's)RobWords on YouTube and his podcast Words UnravelledRobWords Live at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival “The Chaos” (poem) by Gerard Nolst TrenitéInvestigation suggesting Karapetyan had ties to Russia's FSBEVN Report – a great news source for anyone who wants to stay up to date with the Armenian election.This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. But it's contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number.Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Produced by Morgan ChildsMixing and mastering by Wojciech OleksiakMusic by Jim Barne and Mariska MartinaThe Europeans is proudly produced using Europe's own Hindenburg.YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Join us as we take a look at the second edition of the biennial Teen Theatre Festival in Trnava, organized by the Ján Palárik Theatre. The motto of this year's edition – WE ARE NOT ALONE – invited audiences to see the world, and themselves, from an entirely new perspective. The festival featured performances and artistic works that connected imagination, the realities of adolescence, and scientific discoveries. Audiences were taken on a journey from microscopic worlds, where even the smallest movement can change everything, to the inner universes of young people filled with questions, chaos, hopes, desires, and fears. You will hear recordings from performances and productions, interviews with artists, actors, and festival participants, and, last but not least, insights from the festival's Executive Director, Ivica Franeková.

One of the few things in our modern world that has not changed for centuries is our need for forests. They provide so much more than the wood we all consume in myriads of forms in our daily lives. Forests are the lungs of the planet. They sequester carbon, provide habitat for many animals, and offer people a place to rest and reset. To keep many of our private and public forests healthy and productive, we turn to foresters. They employ skills that have been handed down for generations and use the most advanced science for understanding how forests grow and change. In Slovakia, many start their education path in the handful of forestry high schools spread across the country. One of the oldest of these schools is still in operation today. It lies in the low Tatras in a village called Liptovský Hrádok. Stredná odborná škola lesnícka a drevárska Jozefa Dekreta Matejovie is a school like no other. In the show, we toured the school to discover the traditions and science driving this unusual but important education path.

Ben Pascoe visits Bratislava's Jewish Community Museum and talks with director Maros Borsky about the newly opened exhibit Heritage Rediscovered II and about the Jewish Community in Bratislava.

International cooperation, digital skills and real-life learning define the European eTwinning platform, which has been part of Slovak schools for more than 20 years. To we explore how Europe's largest online community of schools connects teachers and students across borders through projects that develop key competences for life in the 21st century we speak with Katarína Hrbáňová, coordinator of eTwinning Slovakia, the National Support Organisation based at the University of Žilina, and Ivana Bršťáková, an English teacher at Business Academy Dudova in Bratislava, who presents her award-winning project Eco-Heritage: Cultures United for Nature. The project won third place in the Slovak National eTwinning Competition 2025 in the secondary school category and brought together students from Slovakia, Spain and Turkey to explore cultural heritage, environmental protection and eco-tourism. As always, the programme includes a new edition of our language corner, Slovak Sound Check.

5th part of RSI 2026 Competition series. Drawing of winners of the 4th round.

Past week's breaking headlines and broadcast selection of RSI English section.

​ @Quillette  The Death of Dating Apps | Why Tinder, Bumble & Hinge Are Failing https://youtu.be/Z_-tar5ZZM4?si=z0yyhBCSMq0L-K3K   @DrJordanBCooper  Is the Orthodox Church the True Church? A Protestant Theologian reacts https://youtu.be/42srSYn17MA?si=nmT6cIZmIQ3VLVQE   @JustPearlyThings  Based Orthodox Wife Says She OBEYs Her Husband and Her Pastor! https://youtu.be/ogIsDwwrN0o?si=fux9Zic_nNYayRfa    What is the TLC? ("This little corner of the Internet" also know as "the corner" https://youtu.be/Y3vqSjywot8?si=IVS3bnriwje5syPO TLC Search tool. https://thislittlecorner.net The Flotilla List: https://thislittlecorner.net/channels https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give Ireland in June https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/finding-god-in-nature-and-culture-tickets-1988447493982 Event in Ireland London Breakwater Event link https://www.tickettailor.com/events/flowinthedarkproductions/2159501 Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Bridges of meaning https://discord.gg/yXtv7fcH Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give

As we prepare for the release of the next installment of the RSI Competition Series in 2026, we take a look back at the previous round.

 How did a small band of Norman soldiers in 1170 begin 800 years of English control over Ireland?  It started as a deal between rival Irish kings. It ended in plantation, dispossession, and a divided island.  This is the story of how a short-term alliance became a centuries-long occupation, and why it still shapes politics in Ireland today.  Anglo-Normans enter Ireland: Diarmait seeks Strongbow's help. Henry II claims authority; Dublin-centred foothold established. The Pale forms; Normans adopt Irish ways, Old English. Henry VIII breaks with Rome; declares himself King of Ireland. Surrender and regrant changes land and inheritance rules. Elizabeth I's conquest; Nine Years' War threatens English control. Battle of Kinsale defeat; O'Neill's submission follows. Flight of the Earls ends Gaelic political power. Plantation of Ulster seeds division leading to later partition. Cromwell's massacres; “To Hell or to Connacht” resettlement. Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/conquest-of-ireland ---You might like:

In this Thursday's programme, we first look at the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi and the 800th anniversary of his passing, reflecting on the experiences of Slovak Franciscans during communist persecution and the continuing relevance of Franciscan values today. You will hear from Capuchin Brother Félix and Franciscan Brother Peter. In the second part, we turn to economics and examine how Slovaks perceive inflation. Why do rising food prices dominate public perceptions of the cost of living, and how does this shape economic expectations? These questions will be answered by Michal Marenčák, an expert in econometric modelling from the National Bank of Slovakia.

What happens when an abandoned railway station becomes a thriving cultural centre? And what does it feel like to spend almost four hours inside Philip Glass's groundbreaking opera Einstein on the Beach? In this feature, Radio Slovakia International explores two remarkable cultural stories from Slovakia - one about community, creativity and independent culture in Žilina, the other about a landmark musical event that brought one of the world's most influential contemporary works to Bratislava for the first time.

What happens when our modern visual culture, which demands we constantly observe global atrocities on our phones, actually leads to apathy instead of a meaningful moral response? The University of Chicago's Associate Professor of English Language and Literature, Dr. Ben Saltzman, joins host PJ Wehry to discuss the overlooked significance of a common, deeply human reaction.Dr. Saltzman explores the history and meaning of this physical act in his book, Turning Away, The Poetics of an Ancient Gesture. They examine how looking away is frequently not a sign of disengagement, but rather an indication of deep emotional involvement, and how understanding this can help us navigate the horrors of the contemporary world.In this conversation they explore: How the book traces archaic scenes—like the ancient painting of Agamemnon's sacrifice of Iphigenia—by treating them as rocks tossed into a pool, following their cultural and artistic ripples across time. The surprising realization that turning away from a distressing event often signifies a deep engagement with the pain of the world, rather than simple indifference. Why our contemporary habit of scrolling through images of suffering on our phones can create a false sense of moral duty while actually fostering an empty act of looking. The concept of the divided soul, exemplified by Plato's tale of Leontius, which demonstrates how humans experience an inner conflict and oscillation between looking and turning away. How ancient rhetoric and art utilized the covered face to convey states of emotional extremity that existed entirely at the limits of representation. The relationship between covering one's eyes and the acquisition of painful knowledge, illustrated by figures ranging from a newly fallen Adam and Eve to a young girl watching a cruel scientific experiment on a bird.This is a conversation for anyone interested in literary studies, art history, and the humanities who wants to understand the historical weight behind our everyday instincts and how we process the painful realities of our modern age.Make sure to check out Dr. Saltzman's book: Turning Away: The Poetics of an Ancient Gesture

Ben Pascoe talks with Zuzana Novotova Godalova from the antenna network of independent cultural centers about what these centers do and why it is important to Slovakia today. She also introduces us to some of the many festivals and events that these centers are organizing all across Slovakia all summer long.

 Who should decide if you are guilty: the state, or a group of 12 ordinary citizens?  England is now considering getting rid of jury trials for thousands of cases. It would be the biggest change to the justice system since the Middle Ages.  Crown Court backlog: years-long waits for trials. Government bill to limit juries for mid-level offences. Serious crimes still keep juries: murder, rape, terrorism. Legal community warns against losing a key safeguard. How jury trials work in England and Wales. England uses juries; Europe uses judge-led trials. History: Athens, Assize of Clarendon, Magna Carta. Purpose of juries: legitimacy, independence, protect against state power. Jury nullification shown: Penn, Ponting, Bristol Colston statue. Debate: efficiency versus rights, slippery slope concerns. Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/jury-trials ---You might like:

The word "like" has been around for centuries, but it reached a new cultural prominence in the 1980s, partially thanks to Frank Zappa's song "Valley Girl." Since then, "like" has taken on a life of its own, inspiring strong emotions. This hour, we look at the meaning and evolution of "like." Plus, how movies like the now 30-year-old Clueless have impacted our language. GUESTS: Megan C. Reynolds: Former editor at Dwell and author of Like: A History of the English Language’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word Kory Stamper: Lexicographer and author of Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries Veronica Litt: English Professor and author of Ugh! As If!: Clueless The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Isaac Moss contributed to this show, which originally aired August 20, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A large poll carried out by the Guardian has resulted in ‘Middlemarch' being voted the greatest novel ever published in the English language. But, why is it so influential, and how do you go about reading a book that is almost 1,000 pages long?Joining Seán to discuss is novelist Edel Coffey, whose latest novel is entitled ‘In Glass Houses'...

I WAS THINKING: A Tour of Thousands of Places Your CCA Money is Going // "Overburdened Communities" with "Vulnerable Populations" In Washington State To Get Billions To Reduce Carbon Emissions -- Or Just To Line Their Pockets? // Aaron Granillo - Checking in on the M's at the Quarter Season Mark // Cal Raleigh placed on injured list for the first time in his career // The most beautiful sounding words in the english language 

Yeah! My bday is Tuesday! Caffeinatrix is back! She did something really cool I can't wait for her to share. And, as usual, we'll nerd out on stuff we're watching, eating, music, lightsabers, and no… we won't just stand there and bleed. We will do something about it. Sprite brings Natalie back to life. Devil Wears Prada 2, The Housemaid, Tiki bars, and what the FRACK is a berry?!? A BANANA?!? The English language is a SCAM! Welcome to The Real Brian Show! This is THE show for the multipassionate. We get to nerd out on all of the best things life has to offer! Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/iamtherealbrian Patreon: https://patreon.com/realbrianshow Music Spotify Playlists: TRBS 2026 Playlist on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0EprZvxDDnvRiExPyc0mEF?si=701914d867114060) TRB's GLORIOUSNESS (New Music) Playlist on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/user/geechao/playlist/6qr3H7qrrlyMYROQhj3cGo?si=yQV1BJgqT8CZ5gFdvJwsOA) The Captain Influence Playlist on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/49ppCbP5CFvEHE7shtNgSc?si=628An5g9R-uhwmYuSg0Utg) Subscribe to The Real Brian Show Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-brian-show/id1160475222 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3UsRunmoQzHkrWbwmAjmLM?si=e76f534378ec4b8f YouTube: https://youtube.com/therealbrian Support The Real Brian Show Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/iamtherealbrian Patreon: https://patreon.com/realbrianshow AMAZON LINK: Any time you purchase something off of Amazon, please consider using the TRBS affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3OVl49o Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support the channel at no additional cost to you! Connect With TRB and The Show! Website: https://realbrianshow.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamtherealbrian/ TRBS Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/realbrianshow/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/iamtherealbrian

From The Vault

What's the difference between English and Olde English? How are words added to the English Language? Is English the most widely used language in the world? Have you started your FREE TRIAL of Who Smarted?+ for AD FREE listening, an EXTRA episode every week & bonus content? Sign up right in the Apple app, or directly at WhoSmarted.com and find out why more than 1,000 families are LOVING their subscription! Get official Who Smarted? Merch: tee-shirts, mugs, hoodies and more, at Who Smarted?

We're getting so close to our 200th episode, but first, we have a book club episode for you. In Episode 198, we're talking about Gen's pick—Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit.Show NotesThis book felt extremely relevant to everything happening in the world these days, like oof.Truly so many topics were covered in this book! The rise of Communism and the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War, the Carboniferous Era, coal mining, rose production in Colombia, and actually so much more. What a ride.Rebecca Solnit, we are so impressed with the structuring of this book.You can read Orwell's essay, "Politics and the English Language," on the Orwell Foundation website and it is very much worth the read. Don't be surprised if Gen picks Nineteen Eighty-Four as a future book club read.If you follow us on Instagram, you may know that we've fallen down the romance rabbit hole, so we decided that our next episode would be all about the romance genre.After that, it's time for our 200th episode! We still can't believe it. Our next book club book is Jette's pick, and we're following the romance train still with In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde, which is a spin off of the extremely popular Windy City series. Other Books and Media MentionedThe Giver by Lois LowryThe Trotsky (2009)By George Orwell:Nineteen Eighty-FourAnimal FarmDown and Out in Paris and LondonHomage to CataloniaBy Rebecca Solnit:Men Explain Things to MeHope In the DarkA Field Guide to Getting LostThe Beginning Comes After the End

 When Thomas Aikenhead was hanged in 1697 for questioning the Bible, it was the last time someone was executed for blasphemy in Britain. But it didn't mean that debates around blasphemy went away.  In this episode, we'll trace the history of blasphemy in Britain, and discover how debates about insulting religion still shape British law and public life today.  Thomas Aikenhead: last execution for blasphemy in Britain, 1697. Blasphemy's Greek roots: harmful speech, not originally religious. Church and Crown fused; blasphemy protected political order. Percy Shelley expelled for publishing The Necessity of Atheism. Richard Carlile imprisoned for publishing Paine's The Age of Reason. 1977 Gay News case: editor convicted for blasphemous poem. Life of Brian controversy showed debate still alive. Blasphemy law protected Christianity only; Muslims unprotected during Rushdie. 2008 abolition followed debate: protect people, not ideas. Tahir Ali proposed new blasphemy law; government rejected. Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/blasphemy-britain ---You might like:

In Trabaho, Visa, atbp, Melbourne-based English language teacher May Red Zafra explains the rising popularity of the PTE and its impact on Filipino migration to Australia. - Sa Trabaho, Visa, atbp, hinimay ng English teacher mula Melbourne na si May Red Zafra ang katotohanan sa likod ng popularidad ng PTE at kung paano ito nagsisilbing susi sa migration pathways sa Australia.

Culture Friday on telling the truth about life and death, a review of Animal Farm and The Devil Wears Prada 2, and Word Play on the Dutch influence on the English language. Plus, the Friday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Moody Publishers and Dr. Kathy Koch's book Resolve Conflict and Find Peace and Hope with Adult Children which offers biblical wisdom for parents navigating challenging relationships with their grown kids. With practical insight and compassionate guidance, the book helps parents pursue peace while maintaining healthy boundaries and hope for the future. Order hereAnd from St. Dunstan's, inviting young men into the building arts and the adventure of holiness on a Blue Ridge Mountains farm... stdunstansacademy.org

From The Vault

 JD Vance grew up in a struggling Ohio town, escaped poverty, and wrote a memoir that made him famous across the world.   Then, having spent years attacking Donald Trump, he became his most loyal ally — and, in January 2025, Vice President of the United States.   In this episode, we look at the life, the book, and the unlikely journey of one of the most controversial figures in American politics.  Hillbilly Elegy explains Rust Belt; 2016 spotlight, bestseller, film Chosen as Trump's running mate for Vice President Tough childhood in Ohio; addiction, instability, grandparents' support Military gave structure; Ohio State, Yale Law, mentors, memoir Backed by Peter Thiel; critics question working-class image From Trump critic to ally; won Ohio Senate seat America First ideas: sceptical on Ukraine aid, protect manufacturing Very conservative socially; anti-abortion, pro-family, strict immigration Seen as 2028 favourite; young potential future president Debate: does he truly understand and represent working-class America? Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/jd-vance ---You might like:

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 21, 2026 is: orthography • or-THAH-gruh-fee • noun Orthography refers to the way in which the words of a language are spelled, or to the art of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage. // As the winner of several spelling bees, she impressed her teachers with her exceptional grasp of orthography. See the entry > Examples: “Ormin, a medieval monk, sought to bring order to English orthography by addinng morre letterrs to worrds. August Thibaudin, a London professor, tried 9dding n3mbers. Our ideas for simplifying spelling have ranged from the rashonal to the redikulus to the döunnryt ubsërrd, and with each whimsical solution we seem to get further away from cognitive stability.” — Gabe Henry, Enough is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell, 2025 Did you know? The concept of orthography (a term that comes from the Greek words orthos, meaning “right or true,” and graphein, meaning “to write”) was not something that really concerned English speakers until the introduction of the printing press in England during the 15th century. From that point on, English spelling became progressively more uniform. Our orthography has been relatively stable since the 1755 publication of Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language, with the notable exception of certain spelling reforms, such as the change of musick to music. Incidentally, many of these reforms were championed by Merriam-Webster's own Noah Webster.

Today's guest host is Joao Chavez and he speaks with BSIR scholars Paul Fiddes and Raimundo Baarreto on everyday christianity with global voices. João B. Chaves joined the Department of Religion at Baylor University in the fall semester of 2023. His research focuses on the history of religion in the Américas, the influence of U.S. Protestantism in Latin America, and the development of Latin American/Latinx religious networks in the United States. Dr. Chaves is an award-winning author whose books include The Global Mission of the Jim Crow South: Southern Baptist Missionaries and the Shaping of Latin American Evangelicalism (Mercer University Press, 2022), and Remembering Antônia Teixeira: A Story of Missions, Violence, and Institutional Hypocrisy (Eerdmans, 2023), co-authored with Dr. Mikeal Parsons. Dr. Chaves also co-edited a book with Dr. T. Laine Scales, titled Baptists and the Kingdom of God: Global Perspectives (Baylor University Press, 2023). Paul S. Fiddes took first class degrees in English Language and Literature (1968) and in Theology (1970) at the University of Oxford (St. Peter's College), followed by a D.Phil from Oxford (1975), and was awarded the D.D. of the University of Oxford for published work in 2004. At Regent's Park College, Oxford, he was successively Research Fellow in Old Testament and Hebrew (1972–75), Fellow in Christian Doctrine (1975–89), Principal (1989–2007), Professorial Research Fellow and Director of Research (2007–2018) and Senior Research Fellow (2018 to the present). He was also Lecturer in Theology at St. Peter's College, Oxford (1979-85). He was Chairman of the Board of Faculty of Theology of the University of Oxford from 1996–98, and received the title of Professor of Systematic Theology from the University of Oxford in 2002. He is Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Bucharest, and Honorary Fellow of St. Peter's College, Oxford. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2020. He was ordained as a minister in the Baptist Union of Great Britain in 1972, and has extensive ecumenical concerns, including being a Canon Emeritus of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and Prebendary of St Endellion in North Cornwall.  Raimundo C. Barreto is an associate professor of World Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he has been teaching since 2014. He holds a bachelor's degree in theology from Seminário Teológico Batista do Norte do Brasil, an MDiv degree from McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, and a PhD in religion and society from Princeton Theological Seminary. Before coming to Princeton, he taught at various institutions in Brazil and was the director of the Division on Freedom and Justice at the Baptist World Alliance. Barreto is the author of Protesting Poverty: Protestants, Social Ethics, and the Poor in Brazil (Baylor University Press, 2023) and Base Ecumenism: A Latin American Contribution to Ecumenical Praxis and Theology (Augsburg Fortress, 2025). He is working on a new book titled Christians in the City of São Paulo: The Shaping of World Christianity in a Brazilian Megacity (Bloomsbury). He is also the co-editor of the Journal of World Christianity, the general editor of the World Christianity and Public Religion Series published by Fortress Press (2017–24), and a convener of the World Christianity Conference since 2018. In addition to his publications, which include numerous journal articles and book chapters, he has served on boards and committees of various organizations, including the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI), Overseas Ministries Study Center (OMSC), Baptist World Alliance (BWA), Aliança de Batistas do Brasil, American Baptist Churches (ABCUSA), the Alliance of Baptists, the National Council of Churches USA, and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Happy “Tax Day”! I wonder what the American Revolutionary Founders would think of ‘Tax Day’, on this momentous 250th Anniversary of our American Independence…? Links Videos / Clips [x] = Played The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer – American Archive of Public Broadcasting [x] 48:56--49:39 JIM LEHRER: What is the proper relationship, what should be the proper relationship between a chairman of the Fed and a president of the United States? ALAN GREENSPAN: Well, first of all, the Federal Reserve is an independent agency, and that means, basically, that there is no other agency of government which can overrule actions that we take. So long as that is in place and there is no evidence that the administration or the Congress or anybody else is requesting that we do things other than what we think is the appropriate thing, then what the relationships are don’t, frankly, matter. And I’ve had very good relationships with presidents. 1. [x] Understanding Fractional Reserve Banking: How It Fuels Economic Growth Fractional reserve banking is the banking system most countries use today. It requires banks to hold only a fraction of the money their customers deposit. That amount is the reserve requirement, and in most countries, it is set by the central bank. Banks can loan the rest of their deposits to other customers, which serves to expand the economy. It works like this. Banks accept deposits from individuals and businesses providing them with savings and checking accounts in return. Banks can loan out the bulk of those deposits to other customers to buy homes or cars, start businesses, or to fund other projects. If a customer deposits $100,000 into a bank and the reserve requirement is 5%, the bank can loan $95,000 out to other customers. Once the bank has loaned out $95,000, it in essence has created $195,000. Customers borrow that $95,000 and deposit some or all of it into other banks. If the reserve requirement is still 5%, then the other banks can loan $90,250 to new customers. And the process keeps repeating itself. Financial crisis occurs when the fractional banking system breaks down and the money supply does not expand. Many US banks had to shut down during the Great Depression, because so many people attempted to withdraw their money at the same time. Today, safeguards exist to prevent such an occurrence. 1. Dollar Decline, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) & IMF as World Federal Bank – Jim Rickards – The Triffin Dilemma Headlines [x] = Mentioned / Discussed [x] Secretive Bilderberg group just met – but who knows what global elite said? | Washington DC | The Guardian [x] Prosecutors from Jeanine Pirro’s office tried to access Federal Reserve headquarters, but were turned away | CBS News [x] Grand jury declines criminal charges against 6 Democrats who urged military to reject illegal orders | CBS News [x] Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit | 404 Media WebinarTV Secretly Scraped Zoom Meetings of Anonymous Recovery Programs | 404 Media Farmer Arrested for Speaking Too Long at Datacenter Town Hall Vows to Fight | 404 Media The Rest [x] = Mentioned / Discussed Previous RWR Episodes [x] Road Warrior Radio with Chris Hinkley, April 14, 2026 | Hour 1 | Hour 2 Administrative Fourth Branch [x] The Birth of the Administrative State: Where It Came From and What It Means for Limited Government | The Heritage Foundation [x] The Rise and Rise of the Administrative State on JSTOR [x] America Is A Don't Ask Don't Tell Nation – Road Warrior Radio The Paper Ponzi Scheme [x] Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 27 May 1788 The bankruptcies in London have recommenced with new force. There is no saying where this fire will end. Perhaps in the general conflagration of all their paper. …nothing is necessary but a general panic, produced either by failures, invasion or any other cause, and the whole visionary fabric vanishes into air and shews that paper is poverty, that it is only the ghost of money, and not money itself. [x] Money, whence it came, where it went : Galbraith, John Kenneth, 1908-2006 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive The process by which banks create money is so simple that the mind is repelled. Where something so important is involved, a deeper mystery seems only decent. [x] Economists John Kenneth Galbraith and Alan Greenspan appeared before… News Photo – Getty Images [x] Crash Could Not Happen Again, Heller, Galbraith and Greenspan Tell Congress – The New York Times [x] FRB Speech, Bernanke – On Milton Friedman’s ninetieth birthday – November 8, 2002 Let me end my talk by abusing slightly my status as an official representative of the Federal Reserve. I would like to say to Milton and Anna: Regarding the Great Depression. You’re right, we did it. We’re very sorry. But thanks to you, we won’t do it again. [x] Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval (1816) – Teaching American History We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debts, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our callings and our creeds, as the people of England are, our people, like them, must come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty-four, give the earnings of fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily expenses; and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread, we must live, as they now do, on oatmeal and potatoes; have no time to think, no means of calling the mismanagers to account; but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers. Our landholders, too, like theirs, retaining indeed the title and stewardship of estates called theirs, but held really in trust for the treasury, must wander, like theirs, in foreign countries, and be contented with penury, obscurity, exile, and the glory of the nation. This example reads to us the salutary lesson, that private fortunes are destroyed by public as well as by private extravagance. And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on, till the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, and to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering. Then begins, indeed, the bellum omnium in omnia, which some philosophers observing to be so general in this world, have mistaken it for the natural, instead of the abusive state of man. And the fore horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression. [x] Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address (Mar 4, 1837) | The American Presidency Project The severe lessons of experience will, I doubt not, be sufficient to prevent Congress from again chartering such a monopoly, even if the Constitution did not present an insuperable objection to it. But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your States as well as in the Federal Government. The power which the moneyed interest can exercise, when concentrated under a single head and with our present system of currency, was sufficiently demonstrated in the struggle made by the Bank of the United States. [x] Federal Reserve Act – Wikisource, the free online library Sec. 30.. The right to amend, alter, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. [x] hypothecate – definition and meaning [x] Websters 1828 – Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Hypothecate HYPOTH’ECATE, verb transitive [Latin hypotheca, a pledge; Gr. to put under, to suppose.] 1. To pledge, and properly to pledge the keel of a ship, that is, the ship itself, as security for the repayment of money borrowed to carry on a voyage. In this case the lender hazards the loss of his money by the loss of the ship, but if the ship returns safe, he received his principal, with the premium or interest agreed on, though it may exceed the legal rate of interest. 2. To pledge, as goods. [x] 321gold: Gold and Economic Freedom by Alan Greenspan 1966 In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value. If there were, the government would have to make its holding illegal, as was done in the case of gold. If everyone decided, for example, to convert all his bank deposits to silver or copper or any other good, and thereafter declined to accept checks as payment for goods, bank deposits would lose their purchasing power and government-created bank credit would be worthless as a claim on goods. The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves. This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists’ tirades against gold. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights. If one grasps this, one has no difficulty in understanding the statists’ antagonism toward the gold standard. Triffin dilemma – Wikipedia The Shot Heard Round The World [x] Battles of Lexington and Concord – Wikipedia On This Day Events April 2026 Calendar of Public Holidays | Office Holidays Holidays and Observances in the United States in 2026 What day is it today? Important events every day ad-free | United States OTD Worldwide Public Holidays Wednesday April 15th 2026 | Office Holidays On This Day – What Happened on April 15 Today in History: April 15, the Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic | AP News What Happened on April 15 – On This Day What Happened on April 15 | HISTORY April 15 – Wikipedia What Happened On April 15 In History? 15 | April | 2020 | Executed Today Holidays Tax Day (US) Father Damien Day (Hawaii) Jackie Robinson Day (US) Titanic Remembrance Day (US) American Sign Language (ASL) Day (US) Historical Events 2013 – Boston Marathon Bombing: Two bombs made from pressure cookers exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing two women and an 8-year-old boy and injuring more than 260. But: Who is Graham Fuller, and who is Uncle Ruslan…?123456789 1998 – Pol Pot, the architect of Cambodia's killing fields, dies of apparently natural causes while serving a life sentence imposed against him by his own Khmer Rouge. 1994 – The World Trade Organization is founded: The WTO coordinates and strives to liberalize international trade. It has been criticized for ignoring and escalating the negative social and environmental side-effects of globalization. 1990 – Sketch comedy TV series In Living Color premieres on FOX TV 1989 – A small group of students initiates pro-democracy protest on Tiananmen Square in Beijing: The death of reformer Hu Yaobang triggered the demonstrations, which grew in size and were brutally dispersed in the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4. 1986 – The United States launches retaliatory air strikes against Libya: Around 40 Libyans died in Operation El Dorado Canyon, including an infant girl. The attack was the United States’ response to the bombing of a Berlin discotheque on April 5, in which 3 people had died. 1974 – Members of the Symbionese Liberation Army held up a branch of the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco; a member of the group was SLA kidnap victim Patricia Hearst. (Hearst later said she had been forced to participate in the robbery.) 1960 – Guy Carawan sings We Shall Overcome to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh, popularizing the song as a protest anthem 1955 – Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. 1945 – The German concentration camp Bergen-Belsen is liberated: British and Canadian troops found about 53,000 prisoners inside the camp. Tens of thousands died before and after the liberation. 1935 – The Eastman Kodak Company launches Kodachrome: The photographic film was one of the most popular media used by professional and hobby photographers around the world. The product was discontinued in 2009 because of the advent of digital photography. 1924 – Rand McNally publishes its first road atlas. 1912 – British luxury liner RMS Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland just over two and a half hours after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Over 1,500 people died; 710 survived. 1900 – Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on U.S. 1892 – The General Electric Company is formed. 1877 – World’s first home telephone is installed in Somerville, Massachusetts at the house of Charles Williams Jr. 1874 – First Impressionist art exhibition opens in Paris, features Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Berthe Morisot 1865 – Abraham Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater the previous evening; Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th president hours later. 1861 – Federal army of 75,000 volunteers is mobilized by President Abraham Lincoln at the start of the American Civil War 1802 – William Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy see a “long belt” of daffodils, inspiring the former to pen I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. 1783 – Preliminary articles of peace ending the American Revolutionary War (or American War of Independence) are ratified. 1755 – Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London 1729 – Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion premieres at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Holy Roman Empire (now Germany) Births 1978 – Chris Stapleton, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (48) 1922 – Harold Washington, American lawyer and politician, 51st Mayor of Chicago (died 1987) 1894 – Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet politician, 7th Premier of the Soviet Union (died 1971) 1858 – Émile Durkheim, French sociologist, psychologist, and philosopher [read Lark’s Collected Musings] (died 1917) 1843 – Henry James, American/English author (died 1916) 1841 – Joseph E. Seagram, Canadian businessman and politician, founded the Seagram Company Ltd (died 1919) 1832 – Wilhelm Busch, German poet, painter, illustrator (died 1908) 1452 – Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter, sculptor, architect (died 1519) Deaths 2025 – Wink Martindale, American DJ, radio personality, and TV personality (born 1933) 2024 – Whitey Herzog, American professional baseball outfielder and manager (born 1931) 2018 – R. Lee Ermey, USMC drill instructor, American actor (born 1944) 1998 – Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (born 1925) 1990 – Greta Garbo, Swedish actress (born 1905) 1980 – Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher, writer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1905) 1912 – Victims of the Titanic disaster: Archibald Butt, American general and journalist (born 1865) Benjamin Guggenheim, American businessman (born 1865) Charles Melville Hays, American businessman (born 1856) Edward Smith, English Captain (born 1850) Henry B. Harris, American producer and manager (born 1866) Henry Tingle Wilde, English chief officer (born 1872) Ida Straus, German-American businesswoman (born 1849) Isidor Straus, German-American businessman and politician (born 1845) Jack Phillips, English telegraphist (born 1887) Jacques Futrelle, American journalist and author (born 1875) James Paul Moody, English Sixth Officer (born 1887) John B. Thayer, American business and sportsman (born 1862) John Jacob Astor IV, American colonel, businessman, and author (born 1864) Thomas Andrews, Irish shipbuilder (born 1873) Wallace Hartley, English violinist and bandleader (born 1878) William McMaster Murdoch, Scottish First Officer (born 1873) William Thomas Stead, English journalist (born 1849) 1889 – Father Damien, Flemish missionary, priest, and saint (born 1840) 1865 – Abraham Lincoln, American lawyer, politician, 16th President of the United States (born 1809) Footnotes Jimenez, Guillermo. “The Tsarnaevs and the CIA: Who Is Graham Fuller?” Traces of Reality by Guillermo Jimenez, 2026, web.archive.org/web/20130503080950/tracesofreality.com/2013/04/29/the-tsarnaevs-and-the-cia-who-is-graham-fuller/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. It has been confirmed that the Tsarnaev family, at least to some degree, have been connected to the Central Intelligence Agency for almost 20 years. In 1995, Ruslan Tsarni (formerly known as Ruslan Tsarnaev, affectionately known as “Uncle Ruslan,” the American corporate media darling who bemoaned the alleged actions of his nephews Dzhokar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev ) married the daughter of the former Deputy Director of the CIA's National Council on Intelligence, Graham Fuller. While the marriage of Samantha Ankara Fuller and Ruslan Tsarnaev was short-lived, reportedly ending in divorce in 1999, it appears that Ruslan and Graham Fuller were more than just father-in-law and son.  They may also been business partners. These key details in the history of the Tsarnaev family and the CIA were first reported by Daniel Hopsicker of Mad Cow Morning News, and the marriage of Fuller's daughter and Ruslan has indeed been confirmed by Al-Monitor reporter, Laura Rozen. ↩ Hopsicker, Daniel. “Boston Bombers' Uncle Married Daughter of Top CIA Official.” MadCow Morning News, 26 Apr. 2013, www.madcowprod.com/2013/04/26/boston-bombers-uncle-married-daughter-of-top-cia-official/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Hopsicker, Daniel. ““Uncle Ruslan” Aided Terrorists from CIA Official's Home.” MadCow Morning News, 29 Apr. 2013, www.madcowprod.com/2013/04/29/uncle-ruslan-aid-to-terrorists-from-cia-officials-home/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Corbett, James. “Who Is Graham Fuller?” The Corbett Report, 2026, corbettreport.com/who-is-graham-fuller/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ “Graham Fuller – Wikispooks.” Wikispooks.com, 2026, wikispooks.com/wiki/Graham_Fuller. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Graham E. Fuller.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_E._Fuller. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Islamism.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamism. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Tablighi Jamaat.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablighi_Jamaat. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Engdahl, F. William. “Graham E. Fuller Where Were You on the Night of July 15?” Archive.org, 9 Aug. 2016, www.williamengdahl.com/englishNEO9Aug2016.php. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩

 In 2016, a 21-year-old American student was arrested in North Korea after allegedly stealing a political poster.  Weeks later, he appeared in a strange public confession and was sentenced to fifteen years of hard labour.  Seventeen months on, he returned home in a coma, raising disturbing questions about what really happened behind closed doors.  Otto Warmbier detained at Pyongyang airport after tour. Background on North Korea's strict control and harsh punishments. Claimed theft of political banner; confession likely forced. Evidence doubts: grainy CCTV, timing issues, unlikely church plot. One-hour trial; sentenced to fifteen years' hard labour. Seventeen months with little information; Sweden helped with messages. Released in coma; food poisoning doubted; died six days later. Public reaction: parents, Fox interviews, Trump's changing position. Theories: accident, suicide attempt, lack of oxygen; truth unknown. Travel bans followed; lesson on North Korea's cruelty. Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/otto-warmbier ---You might like:

Ryan Geertsma and Robin Basselin look at the ways that the telephone has changed the English language. Why does language change?https://spotlightenglish.comDownload our app for Android at http://bit.ly/spotlight-androidDownload our app for iOS at http://bit.ly/spotlight-appleFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotlightradioAre you learning English? Are you looking for a way to practice your English? Listen to Spotlight to learn about people and places all around the world. You can learn English words, and even practice English by writing a comment.Visit our website to follow along with the script: http://spotlightenglish.com

Practise your listening in English with a fascinating conversation with a writer of haiku poetry in English. John Stevenson is one of the world's leading English language haiku poets, and in this episode I had the pleasure of talking to him for an hour. John taught me more about haiku and senryu poetry, revealed how he first became interested in haiku, and then was willing to discuss various haiku poems he has written over the years, giving details of what real events inspired them, what they mean and more about his process of writing haiku in English. I hope this episode is fascinating and inspiring. Keep listening because it becomes more and more revealing as it continues. John was a pleasure to talk to and I think this is the perfect conclusion to the trilogy of episodes I have done on this subject on the podcast recently. Get the PDF transcript

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Misha Glenny and guests discuss the short life and lasting works of Keats (1795-1821), who in one year wrote some of the most loved poems in English. Among these are Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn and Ode on Melancholy. That most productive year began in autumn 1818, when Keats had been stung by some reviews labelling him an uncouth Cockney who should go back to his former work as an apothecary, work he had left for poetry only two years before with the encouragement of enthusiastic friends. Just over two years later, Keats was dead in Rome from tuberculosis, before his work found fame, though some who knew him, including Shelley, believed his true killer was the critics.WithFiona Stafford Professor of English Language and Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Somerville College, University of OxfordNicholas Roe Wardlaw Professor of English Literature at the University of St AndrewsAndMeiko O'Halloran, Senior Lecturer in Romantic Literature at Newcastle UniversityProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:John Barnard, John Keats (Cambridge University Press, 1987)Katie Garner and Nicholas Roe (eds), John Keats and Romantic Scotland (Oxford University Press, 2022)Ian Jack, Keats and the Mirror of Art (Oxford University Press, 1967) John Keats (ed. John Barnard), John Keats: Selected Writings (Oxford University Press, 2020)John Keats (ed. John Barnard), John Keats: Oxford 21st-Century Authors (University Press, 2017)John Keats (ed. John Barnard), Selected Poems (Penguin, 2007)John Keats (ed. John Barnard), The Complete Poems (Penguin, 2nd edition, 1977)John Keats (ed. Jeffrey N. Cox), Keats's Poetry and Prose: A Norton Critical Edition (W. W. Norton & Company, 2008)Carol Kyros Walker, Walking North with Keats (Edinburgh University Press, 2021)Richard Marggraf Turley (ed.), Keats's Places (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)Lucasta Miller, Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph (Jonathan Cape, 2021) Michael O'Neill (ed.), John Keats in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2017)Christopher Ricks, Keats and Embarrassment (Oxford University Press, 1974) Nicholas Roe, John Keats: A New Life (Yale University Press, 2012) Helen Vendler, The Odes of Keats (Belknap Press, 2004)Susan J. Wolfson, Reading John Keats (Cambridge University Press, 2015)Susan J. Wolfson (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Keats (Cambridge University Press, 2001)In Our Time is a BBC Studios ProductionSpanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.