Monthly topical news lessons

In this subsection

• New this month: Galápagos giant tortoise saved from extinction by breeding programme

  Scientists have successfully reintroduced giant tortoises to the Galápagos island of Española. The population reached a low of 15 in the 1970s, due to sailors eating them and goats destroying their habitat, but is now thriving at around 2,000.

• News lesson: Barack Obama 'surprised' and 'humbled' by Nobel Peace Prize

  US President Barack Obama has received the Nobel Peace Prize. He recognized that many people were sceptical about awarding the Prize to a president who had been in office less than a fortnight when the deadline passed for nominations. The Nobel Committee said reasons for awarding the Prize to him were his emphasis on dialogue over confrontation in international diplomacy and his commitment to nuclear disarmament.

• News lesson: Climate change in Russia's Arctic tundra

  For 1,000 years the indigenous Nenets people have migrated along the 450-mile-long Yamal peninsula in northern Russia. But this remote region of north-west Siberia is now being affected by global warming. If Russia's permafrost melted, it would have catastrophic results for the world.

• News lesson: Hellraiser Dennis Hopper dies from cancer

  The Hollywood actor Dennis Hopper has died at the age of 74. Best known for his portrayals of psychotic villains, Hopper led a colourful life and leaves a legacy of critically acclaimed performances including those in Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet.

• News lesson: Is Stephen Hawking right about aliens?

  Stephen Hawking says that, instead of trying to find and communicate with life in cosmos, humans should be doing everything they can to avoid contact with aliens.

• News lesson: Life through a lens

  A survey has shown that in modern-day Britain many children spend a lot of their daily lives watching television. They watch TV before they go to school, when they return home, as they eat their evening meal and then in bed at night.

• News lesson: Mobile phones have transformed the way we communicate

  Only 25 years ago, mobile phones weighed almost a kilogram and cost several thousand pounds. But, through increased competition and use of digital technology, companies were able to reach a mass market.

• News lesson: Pakistan's youth put their faith in rock'n'roll

  Even in a summer of Taliban violence young Pakistanis are continuing to rock. An underground music scene is quietly growing in Pakistan's major cities, fed by the Internet and the passion of mostly amateur bands.

• News lesson: South Africa celebrates 20 years of freedom for Nelson Mandela

  Nelson Mandela's release from prison was the beginning of the transition from apartheid to multiracial democracy in South Africa. The 20th anniversary of this important event has started a debate on whether the promise of that great day has been fulfilled.

• News lesson: The formula for a hit film sequel

  Researchers have examined data from all 101 movie sequels released in North America between 1998 and 2006 and a sample of stand-alone films with similar characteristics. They say they can calculate what producers of a sequel can expect to gross based on a number of factors.

• News lesson: The richest person in the world

  The US business magazine Forbes has announced its latest list of the world's richest people. Top of the pile is the Mexican mobile phone tycoon Carlos Slim, with a staggering net worth of $53.5bn.

• News lesson: World's biggest cities merging into 'mega-regions'

  According to a major UN report, the world's mega-cities are expanding to form huge 'mega-regions'. The percentage of people in the world who live in cities is estimated to rise to 70% by the year 2050.