Lure of an unfinished metropolis

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the growing number of artists moving to Germany's capital, Berlin, because of low living costs and the tolerance of the city.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Tiger leaves golf in the rough

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the sportsman Tiger Woods and the impact of his decision to stop playing golf.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

January word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'words relating to the classroom'(Easy), 'types of scenery' (Average) and 'adjectives describing scenery' (Difficult).

January 5^th - Canadian forests offer giant carbon storage

This news item is about plans in Canada to protect 100 million hectares of forests from logging, mining and oil drilling.

December 29^th - India grows its crop of billionaires

This news item is about a debate in India over the growing economy and the country's increasing number of billionaires.

December 22^nd - German banker labelled Robin Hood

This news item is about an employee at a German bank who took money from the rich to give to the poor.

All three news items were adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly.

You can find these stories in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

World cup pitches to go greener

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about an order by FIFA, the world governing body of football, that European grass must be used for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

December word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'adjectives to describe a restaurant'(Easy), 'words that follow ''self-''' (Average) and 'past participles to follow ''I had my hair''' (Difficult).  

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'the natural world' (Easy), 'health'(Average) and 'words which mean ''exclude''' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'space travel'(Easy), 'parts of newspaper' (Average) and 'adjectives describing animals'(Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

UN representative meets homeless victims of American property dream

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a United Nations representative who is investigating the growing problem of homelessness in the USA.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Climate change at the end of the world

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the effects of global warming on a region in northwest Siberia.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Bidding war starts for Mandela's revelatory personal archive

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about Nelson Mandela releasing his personal archive of diaries, letters and notes to the public.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Land of history, land of legends

This week’s news item is our monthly news item for teens. It is about the south-west of England and the various attractions that can be found there.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

You can also find longer versions of the news item with extension activities by logging in to our teachers’ area here.

November word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'places in and around the house'(Easy), 'items that can be used when you are camping' (Average) and 'adjectives describing build' (Difficult).  

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'words related to shopping' (Easy), 'words related to money'(Average) and 'materials' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'office items' (Easy), 'travelling by plane' (Average) and 'words meaning ''miserable''' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

Lost Greek city emerges from the deep

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about an ancient Greek city that archeologists have discovered under the sea.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Shock at early Nobel Peace Prize for Obama

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the reaction to US President Barack Obama winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Waste means want for others

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the way rich countries waste food that could ease world hunger.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

The medium but not the subject

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about universities in northern Europe that are leading a growing trend to deliver degrees only in English.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

For lots of fantastic resources for teaching primary and secondary-level subjects through the medium of English, plus CLIL teacher training material and methodological debate check out the Onestopclil website.

New technology to save the planet

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a new study looking at practical solutions to fight climate change.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Merkel retains title of world's top woman

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a list of the world's most powerful women. The list features 100 top women in politics, business and philanthropy, and was published by the US magazine Forbes.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

September word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'sports'(Easy), 'weights or measures' (Average) and 'words that can form a compound with ''well''' (Difficult).  

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'holidays' (Easy), 'verbs to do with speaking' (Average) and 'describing a feeling or mood' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'the way people look' (Easy), 'nouns connected with work' (Average) and 'verbs connected with cooking' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

Asia lacks the means to feed extra 1.5 billion people

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a report that expects an extra 1.5 billion people to live in Asia by 2050. The report urges Asian countries to invest in irrigation systems so they can grow enough crops to feed their fast-growing populations.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Call to protect rare Himalayan species

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the WWF's call to protect species that have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas over the last 10 years.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Organic food not healthier, says report

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a report that says organic food provides no significant nutritional benefit compared with conventionally produced food.

You can find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Bigger, taller, stronger, faster

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about new research that suggests reasons for elite athletes performing better than they did 100 years ago.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

Global greying will test rich and poor nations

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the increasing number of old people around the world and the consequences of this ageing population.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

Costa Rica is the greenest, happiest country

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a report that measures how happy and environmentally friendly different countries are.

You’ll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

Bank that loans money to the poor is still a success

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about Grameen Bank, a bank that lends small amounts of money to poor people. It is also starting to create businesses with a social purpose in Bangladesh.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

You can find out more about Grameen bank by visiting its website:

Grameen bank

July word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'countries' (Easy), 'school subjects' (Average) and 'containers for liquids' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'all sorts of things' (Easy), 'things you put things in' (Average) and 'words that follow ''go''' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'nouns connected with theatre' (Easy), 'adjectives describing people who are good at things' (Average) and 'humour' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

Kosovo clubbers fight for their right to party

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the club scene in Kosovo and the challenges faced by the region's electronic musicians.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

Climate change creates new 'global battlefield'

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about an important report on the impact of climate change on humanity.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

You could get students to find out more about the organization that published the report by looking at their website: Global Humanitarian Forum

Indus artefacts may contain a language

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the discovery of artefacts belonging to an ancient civilization, the Indus. The artefacts contain symbols which a group of scientists is claiming form a primitive language.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

Animal populations under threat in the Masai Mara

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a study of the wildlife in the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya. The study suggests that animal populations are declining.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

MEC Managing Editor, Jeremy Smith, writes:

The search for Africa's Einsteins

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a higher education institute in South Africa which helps young African graduates to develop their skills.

You’ll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

World library seeks global balance

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the World Digital Library. This is an online library project which aims to display many of the world's artefacts free of charge.

You’ll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

Don't pay as you go: New York shop gives away goods for free

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a shop in New York that was opened by two artists. For a short time, the shop gave away items for free.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

World's cheapest car is India's answer for cash-strapped drivers

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the world's cheapest car, called the Nano. Tata Motors has developed the Nano for the Indian car market. Tata Motors now plans to develop versions of the Nano for the European and US markets.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

Spacecraft seeks planets that are 'just right' for life

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about NASA's launch of the spacecraft Kepler. The spacecraft is using a very powerful camera to look for Earth-like planets in the Milky Way.

You'll find this story in the News Items section on your Work Area.

You could also direct students to NASA's website to find out more about the Kepler mission.

MEC Managing Editor, Jeremy Smith, writes:

Computer decides 2,400 hours of fame

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a new art project in the centre of London. A computer program will choose members of the public to stand like statues for a total of 2,400 hours as a representation of modern society.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

Twitter gets political

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the online social network site Twitter and its use as a forum for political debates and news stories.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

March word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'types of fruit' (Easy), '''electrical'' words' (Average) and 'adjectives which describe colours' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'irregular past forms' (Easy), 'describing objects' (Average) and 'wrongdoers' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'food words that follow ''some''' (Easy), 'adjectives that describe the weather' (Average) and 'adjectives describing sights' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

The swankiest shelter around

This news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a refuge for homeless people in Berlin which has been renovated to look like a luxury hotel.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

Argentina and Uruguay tango together

This news item is about the origins and history of tango. Argentina and Uruguay are applying for UNESCO world heritage status for the dance.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

Obama moves quickly to put words into deeds

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about Barack Obama becoming President of the United States and the policies he has begun to put in place during his first days in office.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

February word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'types of sports equipment and sports clothing' (Easy), 'space-related words' (Average) and 'expressions connected with environmental issues' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'going out' (Easy), 'words preceded by ''on''' (Average) and 'wrong prepositions' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'getting married' (Easy), 'star signs' (Average) and 'medical words' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

Inventor's 2020 vision to restore sight

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a pair of glasses which people can adjust to correct their eyesight.

Three million customers and counting

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a bank in Kenya which is having success by attracting poor people as customers.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more about how and why the bank does this.

French fall for the cult of the soap

The first news item of 2009, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a soap opera that is proving to be very popular in France, a country which has previously not been very interested in them.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

January word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'family members' (Easy), 'parts of the body' (Average) and 'adjectives that describe hair' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'at work' (Easy), 'animals and their habitats' (Average) and ‘words that follow ''have''' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'furniture' (Easy), 'adjectives describing character' (Average) and 'adjectives describing men and women' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

Poet sought: royal job, quite fraught

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the Uk's search for a new poet laureate.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

MP's arrest in 'systematic leaks' probe shocks Parliament

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the arrest of a British Member of Parliament after he leaked documents allegedly sent to his party by a government official.  

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

Maldives seek to buy a new homeland

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the prospect of the Maldives having to buy a new homeland because of the impact of climate change on the islands.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

December word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'means of transport' (Easy), 'extreme sports or pastimes' (Average) and 'minor health problems' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'the environment' (Easy), 'time expressions' (Average) and 'in court' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'Houses and homes' (Easy), 'kinds of writing' (Average) and 'crimes' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

Say au revoir to the long lunch

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the effect the current economic crisis is having on French people's eating habits.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

Obama proclaims rebirth of freedom

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the USA.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more about the significance of Obama becoming president.

Here is a selection of websites you and your students could look at in order to help them answer the Food for thought questions in the news item:

Long Island University - African American Slavery

Abraham Lincoln

Segregation in the United States

Fair for all

This week's news item is our monthly news item for teens. It is about young people involved in the Fairtrade system.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

You can also find longer versions of the news item with extension activities by logging in to our teachers' area here. 

MEC Senior Editor, Jeremy Smith, writes:

Farmers and vicuña profit from company's compassion

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about Loro Piana, a company which is using its business to help farmers in Peru earn more money and protect the animals they tend.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more about this company and how it is supporting the farmers and animals.

November word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'types of book' (Easy), 'celebrations' (Average) and 'musical nouns' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'words connected with cities' (Easy), 'personality adjectives' (Average) and 'describing landscape' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'travel' (Easy), 'adjectives describing things in a bad condition' (Average) and 'adjectives describing feelings' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

MEC Senior Editor, Jeremy Smith, writes:

Extension to internet surveillance proposed This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a proposal by the British government to increase the powers of security and intelligence agencies to access personal data through the internet.

To find out about these new powers and the implications they could have, go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Overwhelmed Galapagos takes aim at illegal workers

MEC Senior Editor, Jeremy Smith, writes:

Hollywood actor Paul Newman dies

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the life of Paul Newman, one of the great Hollywood actors who was also a philanthropist and political activist. Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out about his life.

October word games

This month’s Witch’s Pot topics are ‘words related to weather’ (Easy), ‘words connected with theatre performance’ (Average) and ‘financial terms’ (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are ‘food and drink’ (Easy), ‘film and music’ (Average) and ‘words that follow “get”’ (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are ‘musical instruments’ (Easy), ‘clothes and make-up’ (Average) and ‘houses and gardens’ (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too. Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

UN balance of power tips against the West

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about how the West is losing its influence in the United Nations as emerging countries become more powerful.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out who these emerging countries are and why the West's influence is declining.

One giant leap as freerunning joins the sporting establishment

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about freerunning, a new sport becoming popular in Britain, which has just held its first world championships.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out about freerunning and its origins.

You could also direct learners to YouTube where there is lots of footage of freerunning. Learners can simply type 'freerunning' into the YouTube search engine to find it.

Football match kick-starts Armenia and Turkey ties

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about improved relations between Armenia and Turkey that have begun with a football match.

Find out about the reasons the two countries are trying to create closer diplomatic relations by going to the News Items section on your Work Area screen.

Have fewer children and help save the planet, Britons told

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly is about an article in the British Medical Journal which calls on family doctors to encourage the view that bigger families are environmentally unfriendly.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

The last resort

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a Swedish centre for troubled teenagers. Living in a family environment, they receive vocational training and learn to take responsibility.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

Belgium to split in two?

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the possible separation of Belgium into two different countries.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out why this might be happening.

August word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are 'types of film' (Easy), 'words or expressions from crime headlines' (Average) and 'words or expressions relating to music' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster topics are 'vehicles' (Easy), 'words preceded by ''at''' (Average) and 'abstract nouns' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'places where people live' (Easy), 'verbs that can be used in different situations instead of 'say'' (Average) and 'ways of speaking' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

Trade not aid?

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about ethical fashion and a new trend of helping people in poorer countries through business opportunities.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

You could also direct students to the website of the organization mentioned in the news item:

Soul of Africa

Spoilt for choice?

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about behavioural economics. Behavioural economists are demonstrating that many traditional economic theories may not reflect how people behave.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more.

Electronic wasteland

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about diesel thefts in Great Britain.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out how the thieves operate and how petrol stations, farmers and householders are affected.

The European middle class is getting poorer

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about young, well-educated Europeans who earn less money and have a lower standard of living than their parents.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out why this is happening and what it means for the future of the European middle class.

July word games

This month's Witch's Pot topics are '-ing words that follow ''go''' (Easy), 'appliances' (Average) and 'driving' (Difficult).

The Swamp Disaster 'words that follow ''take''' (Difficult).

The Wordsearch topics are 'members of your family' (Easy), 'jobs' (Average) and 'positive adjectives describing personality' (Difficult).

There are new Crosswords and Bridge Builders at all levels too.

Visit the Word Games area to find them all.

G8 countries owe $40 billion in aid as refugee numbers increase

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about the failure of G8 countries to meet aid promises for Africa and the growing numbers of refugees around the world.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out what the Africa Progress Panel (APP) suggests to improve the situation.

Cosmic stepping stone

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about an asteroid that could become a landing site for NASA astronauts.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out why NASA is planning these landings.

Big-bucks cricket comes to India

This week's news item, adapted for MEC from a news article originally published in the Guardian Weekly, is about a new cricket tournament in India (the Indian Premier League) that is very popular and worth millions of dollars.

Go to the News Items section on your Work Area screen to find out more about this tournament and why it is proving so successful.