TikTok, AI and other security threats to the EU

 

The geopolitical tensions in the world are making the European Union think twice about the communication apps that are safe, and those that could be manipulated by foreign powers to eavesdrop on politicians' and high-profile officials' sensitive information, Cynthia Kroet & Romane Armangau report in the Euronews article "From TikTok to AI: What the EU now calls a security threat". 

The article is not difficult to read, but many students will not be so familiar with the topic and with the range of vocabulary, particularly the synonyms it displays, so it is recommended for C1 students, who can pick up expressions like: a burner phone, to ban, stripped-down [laptops], surveillance, to black-list, an [EU] agency, the budgetary watchdog, to gather [data], [to deny] these claims, to compel, alleged, to muddle, to launch [an investigation], to breach [a law], to come under fire, to curb [offences], fraud, promotion of terrorism, [to have] leverage, to hold the keys, encryption, [to impose]   restrictions, disinformation, so-called, to be [AI Act] compliant, to decline [to comment], to be charged, a [corruption] probe, to bribe, a backdoor, critical [infrastructure], build-out, to crop up, ongoing [doubts], to be in line with [regulations], to advise against [using], to comply with [the law], [to flee] fled, [fled], dissatisfied, unchecked, a conspiracy theory, hate speech, to quit, [to find yourself] in hot water, to uncover, a [major security] breach, to track [the movements], a high-profile [official], to deploy.

If you want to learn more about hackers and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, you can watch this long BBC News programme, AI Decoded (20':57") which was published 9 months ago, where some experts discuss AI threats to critical national infrastructure, disinformation and deep fakes. This video can be recommended for C2 students, experts and teachers:

Bike Buses to School in Cardiff, Valencia and Barcelona

 

Cardiff has started a new scheme to help children bike to school safely, Hywel Griffith and Antonia Matthews report for BBC News in "Bike bus in Cardiff creates safety in numbers on school run". The idea is to plan bike routes where groups of children, with the supervision of some adults, can start the day with energy and oxygen in their brains, an initiative that was promoted by Bike Bus World, an American non-profit group, and Sustrans in the U.K., and has caught on in Spain -Violeta Peraita reports for Levante newspaper- in CEIP Cervantes de Alboraia, Valencia and in other schoolos like Xirinacs school, Barcelona. The BBC article is short and simple, so it can be recommended for B1 students who can pick up expressions like: a [bike] ride, to set [pupils] up for [a successful school day], non-profit, a charity, a marshal, to pick up [children], to foster [a sense of community], a convoy, loads [of fun], [to have a] chat. 

Below you can watch a video where folk singer and nationalist politician Dafydd Iwan sings along with many school children Yma o Hyd, the song that is mentioned in the BBC News article. This song is usually chanted when Wales plays international rugby or football matches to intimidate their rivals. You can watch Yma o Hyd in Welsh with Welsh subtitles right underneath these lines, to have a first exposure to Welsh language:

Justice, Politics and Money in Wisconsin

Wisconsin, a key swing state in the Midwest, will vote today to choose a state Supreme Court judge, who can tilt the balance of power towards the right or towards the left, and billionaires like Elon Musk and George Soros are pouring millions of dollars to influence voters and get either conservative Brad Schimel or liberal Susan Crawford elected.

Here you can listen to the NPR's Morning Edition story by Anya van Wagtendonk "Out-of-state billionaires donate big money in Wisconsin Supreme Court race" (03':52"), which comes with a script, but, due to the density of the information and the references to American law and political campaigns, this story is recommended for C2 students and Experts, who will find interesting expressions like: to rake in, to be fueled, the tally, to funnel, to back, a non-partisan [Wisconsin Supreme Court], an issue, at stake, a cap, a rally, to spell out, a stake, [President Trump`s] agenda, to take over [Schimel's campaign], a megadonor, to fire back, a boogeyman, an endorsement, an heir, distressed, the fundraising, to hit, a recusal, to chill, to be beholden. 

If you want to do class practice, here you can find a C2 listening, vocabulary and speaking task with the key, based on the Anya van Wagtendonk's radio report above. 

For further background information about the pecularities of this election, you can read the article "The Wisconsin Supreme Court vote is getting national attention and millions from Musk", which can be suitable for C1 students and above, where you will find words like: a rally, a contested [issue], partisan [politics], to play out, voting rights, a court ruling, to redraw [congressional districts], to end up, to pour, to hand out, a [legal] back-and-forth, to bribe, a [democracy] advocacy [group], a swing state, to face off, a seat opening, non-partisan, a justice, the ballot, liberal-leaning [judges], the attorney general, to endorse, a [legal] counsel, a bid, to barrage, an issue, to tee up [issues], on the books, to overturn [the right to abortion], collective bargaining, the ballot, to end up, to deploy, the GOP, transgender [rights], to feature, to side with [radicals], fearmongering, [to run] misleading [adds], a buzzword, a sweepstake, to redraw [the districts], to enforce [the law], the legislature, a matter, to sue, a [car] dealer, a backer.

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Today, Anya van Wagtendok reports for Wisconsin Public Radio that Susan Crawford has won her judiciary election race and liberals have kept the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the article "Trump and Musk's backing wasn't enough to flip Wisconsin Supreme Court". This story can be read by C1 students and above, who can pick up words like: to back, to flip, endorsement, advocacy, to top, to fuel, a bruising [election cycle], the [national] stakes, a swing state, to cheer, to concede [the race], to take on, to vow, to yell, to cheat, turnout, to supersede [state law], collective bargaining, to end up [redrawing], to sue, a dealership, a private attorney, attorney general, a general counsel, a circuit court [judge], the will [of the people], a megadonor, to endorse, to recuse, to portray, beholden, latitude, to serve [a term of ten years]. 

If you want to take a look at the full election results in Wisconsin, you can check out Wisconsin Public Radio's Election Results 2025 on this link.