I think, better than BBC News is BBC four- bbc.co.uk/radio4 - and the sound is really good, i mean in live (podcast is always in mp3) and I'm particularly struggling with "Fortunately" with Fi and Jane...

I think at every piece of reading will help you to improve your Englisch. I'd also recommend BBC news or literature like Harry Potter.

By repetition, I mean that if you read any text over and over, probably the next time that you see the same lines, you instantly could increase your ability to read faster. 

I actually recommend children's literature to learners.