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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 Islands
• French rule and 1975 independence under Ahmed Abdallah
• First coup by French mercenary Robert Denard
• Denard's mercenary past and French Africa links
• Ali Soilih's radical rule and the Moissy youth militia
• 1978 coup restores Abdallah and Soilih killed
• Denard becomes Comorian farmer and leads Presidential Guard
• 1989 power struggle and suspicious death of Ahmed Abdallah
• 1995 final coup and French Operation Azalee intervention
• Denard's trial and death in 2007

Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/bob-denard

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Ever since ChatGPT was released, people have declared the "death of language learning". It still hasn't happened.

Today, we'll look at how AI can help with reading, writing, listening, and speaking in 2026, and where it still falls short.

Can AI really make you fluent at English in 2026?

• AI and English learning: what changed since 2022.
• Input versus output: a simpler skills framework.
• Reading help: summaries, explanations, but avoid passive learning.
• Guess first, then ask AI to check.
• Listening: better AI voices, but prefer real human audio.
• Use AI to scaffold podcasts into active learning.
• Writing: get feedback, not AI-written text.
• Self-correct first, then see fixes with explanations.
• Speaking: use AI for rehearsal, not as replacement.
• Consistency beats tools; do real English daily.

Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/ai-learning-english

Try FixMyEnglish: www.fixmyenglish.ai

ChatGPT + Podcasts = English Fluency? Try These 12 Prompts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM0zLtfXVOU

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Why do dogs understand us so well, and how did the "wild" wolf become man's closest companion? This episode tells the remarkable story of how a partnership thousands of years ago changed both species forever.

From ancient myths to modern living rooms, it shows how dogs helped build human civilisation and captured our hearts.

• The story of Argos, Odysseus' loyal hunting dog
• Friendlier Ice Age wolves scavenged leftovers and formed a partnership.
• Dogs read human signals; puppy dog eyes win care.
• Tameness changed bodies and diet, including starch digestion.
• Fox experiment proved tameness reshapes bodies within generations.
• Working dogs helped herding, travel, and growing settlements.
• Dogs used in war and as status symbols.
• Ancient grave shows care for a sick dog.
• Victorians made dogs pets; Kennel Club set breeds.
• After war, pet dogs spread; today ownership and spending soar.

Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/dogs

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