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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

BBC Radio

Learn the language you need to understand news stories in English. 

Every week we talk about one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it. 

And in our special Our World in English episodes, we share documentaries from around the world and across the BBC in simple English. 

Find more at bbclearningenglish.com 

Follow us at bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus

Learning English News Review

Head of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, published an essay explaining how he feared that humans could lose control of AI systems. Following recent hacking incidents Amodei said that it is possible that AI systems could attempt to take over the entire internet.

Meanwhile, AI experts have raised fears that AI systems could decide in future to kill all humans. These experts have said that the risks include: cyberattacks, biological warfare and disruption to economies.

These statements have been criticised. Some have said that the fears are exaggerated while others have suggested that AI companies are overstating the potential impact of AI, so that their companies maintain a high value. Others have suggested that they want regulators to block their competitors.

Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260916

Learn more English about the topic of technology here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/topics/technology

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Humans could lose control of AI systems, AI boss says

A transplanted pig kidney has worked inside a patient for a record nine months. Learn about this news story in simpler English with Becca and Phil.

Get a worksheet for this episode to practise the vocabulary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260909

Learn more English about the topic of health here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/topics/health

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here for more ways to improve your English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/topics/health

Man survives longest ever pig kidney transplant

More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead after last week’s flash floods on the border of Nepal and Tibet, according to Nepal’s disaster agency.

Almost 4,000 people are still missing. Rescuers are trying to reach hundreds of workers who have been trapped in a large network of tunnels at hydropower sites.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Monday that 279 people had been rescued from the sites.

A key cause of the deadly floods is thought to be a glacier collapse in the Himalayas. A glacier is a large area of dense ice.

Learn more about this story with Georgie 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_2026/260902

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Nepal recovering from impact of flash floods

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

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

AI hacking other companies by itself, causing security fears

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

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Meta on trial

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

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Europe's first solar eclipse since 1999

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

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Ceuta migrant crisis

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

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

The end of PlayStation discs

Trust in news around the world is the lowest it's ever been since annual reports began in 2015.

The 2026 Digital News Report, published by the Reuters Institute suggests that public trust in the news it at 27%, three points down from last year.

For the first time, social media and video networks are, on average, more popular than both TV and news websites and apps as sources of news. The use of AI chatbots for news is also growing quickly.

Learn English from the headlines about this new study.

Test what you've learnt with a free worksheet about this episode:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260722

Subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

Do people trust the news?

New studies suggest that coffee can help our brain in many ways - one of which is preventing memory diseases such as dementia. Learn English from headlines about this new research.

Test what you've learnt with a free worksheet about this episode:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260715

Subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly tips and updates: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

If learning English from the news is useful for your studies, you should check out 'The Listening Room' - BBC news reports with exam-style questions to help you with your listening skills: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_room

Is coffee good for your brain?

Neil and Pippa look at some of the biggest headlines from the year. Learn about this story and some useful vocabulary from the headlines. 

Find full subtitles for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251231

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2025: The year's big news stories

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