Learning English from the News

AI has been hacking other companies during tests, causing fears over safety. There’s been a series of hacks by AI software in recent months. A hack is when secure technology is broken into in order to steal data or cause disruption.
The AI hacks have occurred during testing of security systems which have gone wrong. For example, in July, the company OpenAI said its AI models hacked a company called Hugging Face. OpenAI said it lost control of the models during a security test.
Many people are concerned about the recent hacks because AI has been able to get out of control and do things its creators didn’t want it to do.
But technology companies that develop AI say that they care about security. For example, after its AI models hacked a company during security tests, OpenAI has said it’s slowing down training some of its AI software to improve security.
Learn more about this story with Becca and Phil. For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260826
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Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has gone on trial, accused of breaking state and federal laws around child privacy. The trial is expected to last around six weeks.
The lawsuit has been filed by 29 US states, representing more than two thirds of the country's population. This is the largest of a number of lawsuits against Meta relating to child safety.
This trial may require a payout of $200 billion in damages from Meta if they lose the case and the court could also force the company to make changes to its products.
Meta denies the allegations saying that it removes child accounts and that it is taking steps to improve teenagers' wellbeing on their platforms.
Learn more about this story with Becca and Phil. For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260819
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Many parts of Europe will experience a solar eclipse, when the Moon blocks the light from the Sun, on Wednesday evening. It will be the first in Europe since 1999.
Total eclipses are rare events but in the next few years, there will be a few. Following this summer's eclipse there will be a total eclipse in Egypt next August, and a third in Australia and New Zealand in July 2028.
Looking directly at the Sun can damage your eyes, even during an eclipse. You can wear special eclipse glasses which block out most of the light so you can look at the Sun safely.
Learn more about this story with Georgie and Becca.
For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260812
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Around 60,000 migrants swam around the border from Morocco into Ceuta, part of Spain.
Spanish officials said almost all those who reached the enclave have now returned, but at least 72 migrants died attempting the journey. Many EU leaders called for an urgent meeting, asking for the end of policies that could encourage illegal migration.
But Spain says the problems in Ceuta are not caused by its immigration policies, and that Ceuta is not part of mainland Spain, so there was never a security threat to other EU countries.
Learn English about this story with Pippa and Georgie.
For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260805
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New PlayStation games will no longer be released on discs from January 2028, the gaming giant has announced. It’s owner Sony said that games will still be able to be bought in shops, but they would come with a digital code. There has been criticism of the announcement from some gamers online. But Sony says it has to adapt to consumer trends and a growing preference for digital downloads over physical discs. Learn English from the headlines about this story with Pippa and Georgie.
For a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260729
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