
Show Notes
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 Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/our-world-in-english/251215
More from Learning English from the News
Gen Zs, those are people born between the late 90s and early 2010s, are protesting different issues, such as the quality of their education, job opportunities and voter rights. There have been protests in many countries including Albania, France, Italy, India and Spain. Learn more about this story with Becca and Georgie. And don't forget to sign up to our email newsletter to get our latest tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 Write to us at [email protected]
14 people have been killed and over 300 injured in two attacks on Riyadh international airport in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. There were also a series of other attacks earlier in the week. The Houthis, a militant group in Yemen, said they were behind the attacks, and that they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen's civil war. A Saudi government minister has said the country will have a ‘serious response’ to the attacks. Get the headlines, vocabulary and defenitions here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/261014 And don't forget to sign up to our email newsletter to get our latest tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 Write to us at [email protected]
Pupils say that they are protesting because their schools are not being well funded. Since protests began, over 6,000 people have been arrested and a number of students and police officers have been hurt. For all the headlines, definitions and a free worksheet to practise, head to our website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/261007 And don't forget to sign up to our email newsletter to get weekly tips and updates from your favourite presenters. Want to get in touch? Let us know what you think of our programmes by emailing us at [email protected]
An independent review into mental health has found a rise in mental distress among children and young people, with anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders among the most common issues. Head of the review, Professor Peter Fonagy, says that accusations that young people are overly sensitive are wrong. He says it is now “harder to be young” due to challenges such as economic and employment uncertainty and problems caused by social media. Some are unsure about the new data as some of the sources rely on self-reporting. There is also an argument which says that the higher mental distress numbers could be because of changing attitudes and greater awareness, so more people feel able to report their problems. Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260930 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping will meet in a summit at the White House this week for the first time since 2023, following on from a President Trump’s visit to China earlier this year in which a truce was agreed. Before the truce was agreed, both the US and China had imposed high tarrifs on products coming in from the other country. The truce will end in November and many experts say that the two countries will try to extend their truce and make more agreements on trade. Alongside trade tariffs, there are other potential disagreements between the two leaders. For example over AI and the war in Iran. There are talks about a warning system for AI that Trump plans to share with Xi. Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260923 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599