https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/level-2/ Audio versions of Breaking News English - Level 2 articles generated by Google TTS en https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/favicon.ico https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/level-2/ https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-23-260423-looksmaxxing-2/ A new trend is causing doctors to worry about men. The trend is called "looksmaxxing". Men want to "maximize" their looks. They want to have a more attractive face and body. They use some dangerous methods to do this. One method is bone smashing. This is putting pressure on bones in the face to change their shape. Men do this to get a square "power jaw". They want to look stronger. Other men are having cosmetic surgery. They are also using fillers in their cheeks, under their eyes, and in their lips. These things can remove wrinkles and make men look younger. Doctors are worried that men are damaging their physical and mental health. Things can go wrong with bone smashing and cosmetic surgery. Mental health experts say men can develop anxiety if they worry about their looks. An expert on looksmaxxing said problems start for men when looks become the most important thing in their lives. A doctor in California warned that many men are falling "into the trap of dissatisfaction and low self-esteem". He hopes men will "focus on more sustainable ways to generate their self-esteem". Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-23-260423-looksmaxxing-2/ 108 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-16-260416-free-electricity-2/ People in the UK could get free electricity this summer. This is because power companies will have too much energy. They do not want to waste it. In summer, people use less electricity. There is also more energy from solar panels. Power companies say they can generate more than enough energy on sunny days. This means electricity companies could allow houses and businesses to use electricity for free. Energy suppliers say people could use appliances like washing machines or dishwashers and charge electric vehicles at no cost when the sun is shining. The idea for cut-price or free power came from the UK's National Energy System Operator. It is "responsible for planning and delivering the energy of today and the future". It says it will "deliver what is needed to reach a zero-carbon future". A spokeswoman explained what was good about the new idea. She said it would "reward consumers and businesses for flexible electricity use". A spokesman from National Gas believes there could be free electricity this summer even if the Middle East is at war. He said the UK energy market is able to meet demand. Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-16-260416-free-electricity-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-09-260409-hedgehogs-and-lawn-mowers-2/ Animals face many dangers every day. These include climate change, habitat loss, and pollution. Mayors in Germany have found a new danger — robot lawn mowers. These are machines that automatically cut the grass in people's gardens. The mayors say the mowers are killing hedgehogs and other small animals. Two cities have started a night-time ban on using the lawn mowers. However, other mayors want a nationwide ban. Hedgehogs are at risk. They curl up into a ball when there is danger. This makes it more difficult for a robot mower's sensors to detect a hedgehog. German law protects hedgehogs. People who injure, trap, or kill them could get a $75,000 fine. The animals have been on the "near threatened" list since 2024. This is because their numbers dropped by over 30 per cent in the previous 10 years. One German mayor asked lawn mower makers to do more to protect hedgehogs. She said: "We are calling on manufacturers to find solutions to ensure that small animals are no longer endangered by robot lawn mowers." She added: "This is a key step towards protecting animals and enriching the quality of life in the city through biodiversity." Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-09-260409-hedgehogs-and-lawn-mowers-2/ 115 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-02-260402-kimchi-nanoplastics-2/ Scientists have written a lot about how many microplastics and nanoplastics are in the environment and in our bodies. Microplastics are larger than 1 millionth of a metre, while nanoplastics are smaller than that. A new study has found that bacteria from the fermented Korean dish kimchi can help to take nanoplastics out of the body. The World Institute of Kimchi discovered a microbe that attaches itself to nanoplastics in the stomach. The nanoplastic then safely leaves in our bodily waste. It does not pass through our body and into organs like the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver. Nanoplastics are worrying the medical community. There are many side effects. Doctors believe people take in up to 120,000 tiny pieces of nanoplastic every year. Newspapers often print stories about our body having 7 grams of plastic. This is about the size of a credit card. The scientists in Korea believe their research might help to reduce the plastic in our bodies. The lead researcher said fermented foods could be "a new biological approach" to tackle the nanoplastic problem. He will continue to look at how kimchi can help us and our health. Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-04-02-260402-kimchi-nanoplastics-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-26-260326-germany-labour-shortage-2/ Germany is struggling to find enough skilled people to work. This is because older workers are retiring and the birth rate is falling. There are hundreds of thousands of job vacancies. Germany needs to get 288,000 foreign workers a year. The BBC said Germany wants to fix this problem by asking workers from India to fill vacancies. India has 600 million people below the age of 25. Germany needs people to work in engineering, healthcare, and manufacturing. It also needs thousands of nurses and caregivers, and thousands of IT professionals. Germany is Europe's largest economy. It is famous for making cars. Companies like Volkswagen and BMW make some of the world's most popular cars. Germany is also a leader in renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. It has made it easier for people to get work visas. It has increased the number of visas for Indians from 20,000 a year to 90,000. However, many businesses need more workers. Indian employment expert Aditi Banerjee said: "There's a huge labour surplus in India." She is helping many young Indian workers to find work in Germany. Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-26-260326-germany-labour-shortage-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-19-260319-british-banknotes-2/ People in the UK are angry that pictures on banknotes will change. The Bank of England is replacing famous historical figures with wildlife. A democratic process saw 26,000 people have a public discussion and vote. Nature was their most popular theme. This means national heroes like WWII leader Sir Winston Churchill will be replaced by animals and birds. An expert on sustainability said: "This is a powerful reminder of how deeply people feel connected to and value British wildlife." She added: "It's a beautiful opportunity to put biodiversity in our hands." The Bank explained that images of wildlife would make banknotes more difficult to fake. It said nature was great for the security of banknotes. However, many politicians are unhappy about removing the historical figures. The Conservative Party said: "Removing Churchill from banknotes is erasing our history. Changing the pictures…is a silly thing to do." The Liberal Democrat Party leader said: "I can't think of a worse time to do this with a war…in Europe." However, Churchill's granddaughter had no problem with an animal replacing her grandfather. Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-19-260319-british-banknotes-2/ 111 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-12-260312-netflix-the-dinosaurs-2/ A new series has scored 100 per cent on a review site and is at number one on Netflix. The mini-series is a four-episode documentary called The Dinosaurs. Superstar actor Morgan Freeman narrated it. Legendary director Steven Spielberg is the executive producer. He also directed the movie Jurassic Park. He used 50 experts on prehistory to help make the show. They recreated what life on Earth looked like 235 million years ago. The four episodes show how the earliest dinosaurs developed, survived for millions of years, and became extinct. The producers used CGI to create the dinosaurs. CGI designers recreated the ancient supercontinent of Pangea. This was a single land mass that slowly broke up to form the continents of today. The designers also made volcanoes, sand storms, floods, old forests, and the dinosaurs. The series starts with the birth of tiny dinosaurs. It ends with the enormous T. rex. Freeman says these are "the most iconic dinosaurs of all time". It also shows us the asteroid impact that killed off the dinosaurs. A newspaper said, "the geology and meteorology are powerfully made". Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-12-260312-netflix-the-dinosaurs-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-05-260305-racism-red-card-2/ FIFA, the organization that controls world football, wants to make a new rule to stop racism. It wants red cards for players who cover their mouths when they argue with other players. If a player gets a red card, they are sent off. Recently, there have been several cases of racism. Last month, Brazilian international Vinicius Junior, 25, was playing for Real Madrid against Benfica. Vinicius said a Benfica player racially insulted him. The match was then suspended for ten minutes. Vinicius has faced 20 cases of racial abuse since joining Madrid in 2018. The boss of FIFA wants footballers who cover their mouths to be sent off. A player who receives a red card for discrimination can get up to a 10-match ban. The FIFA boss said if a player covered their mouth during an argument, any comments they made could be racist, so that player should be sent off. Real Madrid is happy that FIFA is thinking about a new red-card rule for racism. It said it would also continue working together with all institutions to get rid of racism. It hopes to end racism, violence, and hate in sport and society. Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-03-05-260305-racism-red-card-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-26-260226-birdwatching-2/ Birds are beautiful creatures. Looking at them could be good for us. Researchers in Canada say birdwatching could protect our brains against age-related diseases. The lead researcher said: "Skills from birding could be beneficial for intelligence and thinking as people age." The researchers compared brain scans of 29 veteran and 29 new birdwatchers. The brains of the veteran birders were a lot more active. The veterans had a longer attention span. They also had a better memory than those new to the hobby. In addition, the veterans could process information more quickly. Birdwatching benefits the brain like learning a musical instrument. This is because the brain learns new skills. Birdwatching combines the ability to identify things with a sensitivity to movement and detecting patterns. Other scientists say the hobby is good for our mental and physical health. It can reduce stress. This is because we are outside in the fresh air and sunlight. Other benefits include connecting with nature and the environment. Birdwatchers say their hobby improves their social life. This is because they meet many people who are like them. Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-26-260226-birdwatching-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-19-260219-figure-skating-2/ Japan has won its first Olympic gold medal for pairs figure skating. Figure skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara wowed a very supportive crowd. They were first in the pairs free skate competition. Their dynamic performance set a world record. After the first round, the pair did not look like getting a medal. They knew they would have to do something magical to get a medal. And they did that. Their routine was an amazing display of athleticism, speed, and technique. The spectators at the Milano Ice Skating Arena gave the pair a standing ovation. The couple seemed shocked after winning. An out-of-breath Mr Kihara told reporters: "We were determined to nail it." He added: "It's still unbelievable. I never thought we could win gold today." The couple first skated together in 2019. Ms Miura said: "We have had so many experiences…and we have grown a lot, so I think that is the reason why we managed to win the gold medal." Their coach praised them. He said: "I think today they were able to create magic. They skated with their heart. Their connection really came through, and it was just pure magic." Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-19-260219-figure-skating-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-12-260212-first-date-text-2/ First dates can be romantic. However, many people wonder when the best time is to contact their partner after a first date. Scientists at a university in Germany studied the best time. They asked 500 people about this and published their findings in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. The researchers found the best time to text is the morning after the date. This shows you are happy and are interested in a second date. The researchers said waiting too long could send the wrong message. The other person might think you are not interested in going on more dates. In the study, participants had to imagine an enjoyable first date at an Italian restaurant. They then had to rate how much they wanted a second date. This depended on how long after the date the text was sent. The researchers said a follow-up text the morning after the date made people want to take the relationship further. The Psychology Today website agreed. It wrote: "A next-morning text shows you're interested and had a good time." The study only looked at texting. It did not look into traditional method of communication — phone calls. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-12-260212-first-date-text-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-05-260205-fela-kuti-2/ The legendary musician Fela Kuti has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys. He is the first African to get the award. A Grammy award recognises outstanding achievements in music. Kuti died in 1997, but he left an amazing legacy. Kuti's daughter told Al Jazeera that the award was "better late than never". She said "we still have a way to go" to recognise musicians from Africa. She said her father didn't care about awards. She said: "He played music because he loved music. It was to be acknowledged by his people…that made him happy." Fela Kuti was born in 1938. He was a singer, musician, and bandleader. He revolutionized African music. He pioneered the Afrobeat music genre. This mixed traditional rhythms, jazz, and funk to make a powerful, dynamic sound. He was an amazing live performer. He toured the world many times. His concerts were a celebration of rhythm, African identity, and freedom. Fela fought against corruption, military dictatorship, and colonial influence. Because of this, he was arrested, beaten, and imprisoned. However, his influence on music is still alive today. Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-02-05-260205-fela-kuti-2/ 111 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-29-260129-bamboo-superfood-2/ Many websites have information about superfoods. These are good for our health. The latest superfood being discussed is bamboo shoots. Scientists tried to find out how good they are for us. They said the shoots can be beneficial to our well-being. They are low in calories and high in fibre. This helps with digestion and weight control. They are also full of vitamins and minerals. Bamboo contains magnesium and potassium, which help to control sugar levels and blood pressure. However, raw bamboo shoots contain toxins and must be cooked before eating. The scientists are from a university in the UK. The lead author said: "Our review shows bamboo's clear promise as a possible superfood." Bamboo is eaten in parts of Asia. It is spreading to many dinner tables worldwide. Most of us know what bamboo looks like. It is the world's tallest grass. It can grow up to 90 cm a day. There are around 1,400 species of bamboo. However, people may not know that bamboo shoots are harvested as they emerge from the ground. This is when they are still soft to eat. We do not eat the hard, woody stalks. These are popular with pandas. Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-29-260129-bamboo-superfood-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-22-260122-bags-of-chips-2/ Visitors to a beach saw a strange sight this week. The beach was covered in French fries ("chips" in British English). Thousands of bags of chips washed up on a beach in England. The bags were in containers that fell off ships. Bad weather caused three of the containers to fall into the sea. Tides carried one of the containers to the shore. A local man found the chips. He said: "From a distance, it looked like the golden sand of a Caribbean beach, but on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, but chip bags." He said the chips were 75 cm deep in some places. Many volunteers went to the beach to help clean it up. The local man said the chips were a danger to the environment. He said: "Removing the plastic bags is a priority." He is worried about seals that live near the beach. He said: "If the seals see the bags, they will...try to eat them." A local official warned people to be careful if they go to the beach. She said: "Some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may be harmful." She asked people to report any new food. The chip spill is the second such event recently. Last month, thousands of bananas washed ashore. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-22-260122-bags-of-chips-2/ 113 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-15-260115-risky-behaviour-2/ Teenagers often do crazy things. Once a child becomes a teenager, they take more risks. Some of these are dangerous and lead to injury, or worse. A study of chimpanzees may explain risky behaviour in children. The study is from researchers in the USA. They studied over 100 chimpanzees in a park in Uganda. The chimps were between 2 and 65 years old. The researchers looked at how the animals moved through trees. The youngest chimps did more dangerous things, like letting go of branches and letting themselves fall. Older chimps took fewer risks. The lead researcher suggested why children and young chimpanzees take risks. They are at an age when people control them less. Parents often stop young children from doing risky things. However, young teens have more freedom and want to try risky things. The researcher said the risk-taking was the same for male and female chimps and humans. A website said some researchers want children to have "access to thrill-seeking play, including the old-fashioned monkey bars, as a way to help them develop motor skills and skeletal strength". Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-15-260115-risky-behaviour-2/ 107 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-08-260108-moss-and-forensics-2/ The police often use fingerprints, CCTV, and DNA to find criminals. A new study shows that moss is also used. Moss grows everywhere. These tiny plants can help in police investigations. The study is in the journal Forensic Sciences Research. Scientists looked at all the cases in which moss was used to help solve crimes. Lead scientist Dr Matt von Konrat said: "We wanted to highlight the significance of botanical evidence because...investigators may be overlooking it." He added: "We're hoping that our study helps show how important these tiny plants can be." The earliest reported case of moss helping the police was in 1929. Moss on a skeleton helped police know when a person had died. In 2013, scientists found moss on a man's shoes. This helped the police to find where the man's baby was buried. Dr von Konrat found the baby's body. He said: "Based on the bits of moss, we knew what sort of micro-habitat we were looking for." The father was convicted of murder. Forensic scientist Jenna Merkel said: "We aim to raise awareness of forensic botany." She wants the police to understand how moss can help them in their work. Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-08-260108-moss-and-forensics-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-01-260101-holiday-waste-2/ There are many holidays at the end of the year. People have parties and family get-togethers, and give gifts. However, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year can create a lot of trash. A USA environmental agency said that household waste goes up by 25 per cent over the holiday period. The company Eureka Recycling said we needed to carefully separate what we throw away. It said: "It really does make a difference if you…put those boxes and those bottles and cans in the blue bin." A professor said we should avoid producing waste as much as possible. Many experts have reported on how to deal with waste. They advised people to be aware of the recycling rules in their town. Different places have different rules. One expert said we should be careful when we throw away electronics and Christmas lights. Another expert said it was good to think ahead to reduce waste. She said people could buy "experiences over stuff". This means buying someone a concert ticket instead of buying a present that comes in lots of packaging. She also recommended giving people digital cards and gift cards. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2026-01-01-260101-holiday-waste-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-25-251225-santa-claus-reindeer-2/ Reindeer in Lapland, Finland, are famous worldwide. That's because they help Santa Claus to deliver presents to children all over the world. However, the animals are in danger. Reindeer owners report that increasing numbers of reindeer are being killed by wolves. A reindeer association said wolves killed around 1,950 reindeer this year. That is a 70 per cent increase from last year. Juha Kujala, a reindeer owner, is worried about his animals. He said there has been a sudden increase in the number of wolves in Finland. This has upset the natural balance between reindeer and wolves. Mr Kujala joked to reporters about his animals, even though he is worried. He said: "These are Santa's reindeer. We are really lucky because Santa needs them for only one day of the year, so we can fly them for the other 364 days." Many owners believe the Ukraine War is the reason why there are more wolves. They say that hunters in Russia have gone to fight in Ukraine. This means more wolves are crossing the border between Russia and Finland. Kujala said: "It's worse since the Ukraine War started.…There's nobody left hunting the wolves." Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-25-251225-santa-claus-reindeer-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-18-251218-blinking-and-listening-2/ We all blink 15–20 times a minute, automatically, without thinking. There are several reasons why we blink. One is to stop our eyes from becoming dry. This helps us see. Another reason is to protect our eyes from dust and insect attacks. Scientists think they have found a further reason. Researchers from Concordia University in Canada found that we blink less when we are listening to someone speak. This happens more when there is background noise. The lead researcher said blinking less gives our brain more energy. This allows us to focus on what someone is saying. The researchers carried out two experiments on 49 participants. The participants listened to sentences being read aloud. In one experiment, there was no background noise. In the other, there was background noise. The people in the test with background noise blinked a lot less. When the background noise increased, blink rates dropped even more. Another researcher said we blink less "when important information is coming". The lead researcher agreed. She said: "We don't just blink randomly. In fact, we blink…less when important information is presented." Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-18-251218-blinking-and-listening-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-11-251211-social-media-ban-2/ There is a big change online. Australia has banned children under 16 from using many social media sites. New laws say the under-16s cannot open accounts with famous sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube. It is the responsibility of these companies to make sure their users are aged 16 or above. Australia said it would fine companies if they allowed children to access their sites. The fines are up to $33 million. The companies said they would use different methods to check the age of their users. New users will have to upload identification and scan their faces. Australia's Prime Minister said social media is harming young minds. A study showed that 70 per cent of children aged 10-15 who used social media looked at harmful content. This included information about violence, eating disorders, and suicide. He told children to do different things, like starting a new sport or learning to play a musical instrument. He told children to "spend quality time" with family and friends, "face to face". Many children said they would be lonelier without social media. Two 15-year-olds are suing the government for taking away their "right to free communication". Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-11-251211-social-media-ban-2/ 117 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-04-251204-retiring-in-greece-2/ More people are choosing to spend their retirement overseas. An international lifestyle magazine looked at the most popular places to retire to. It said Greece is the best place for 2026. The magazine released its annual retirement report. This looked at things that were important for older people who wanted to spend their golden years overseas. These included the climate, the cost of living, and housing. It is the first time for Greece to be the number-one choice. Spain and Portugal were usually the most popular choices. Panama and Costa Rica were in the top-ten list for 2026. An editor at the magazine said Greece had what people were looking for. She said it was "beautiful, welcoming, and affordable". She added that it offered a lovely lifestyle "in every sense". A Greek website found that retirees choose Greece because of its beauty. It reported that Greece has thousands of kilometres of spectacular coastline, endless sunshine, great countryside and mountains, and picturesque islands. One retiree left the USA four years ago to live in Greece. She loves the Greek attitude of taking life slowly and the "daily connection with nature". Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-12-04-251204-retiring-in-greece-2/ 115 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-27-251127-music-therapy-anaesthesia-2/ Music played during surgery can help patients recover. A study was conducted by doctors in India. They played flute music to a female patient. She was having an operation. Before the operation, doctors gave the woman drugs to put her to sleep. The drugs blocked pain signals and relaxed the woman's muscles while she was asleep. However, even when the drugs made the woman sleep, the part of her brain that helps her listen stayed partly active. Doctors say she could still hear music. This means she needed fewer painkilling drugs, woke up faster, and was more alert after surgery. The lead researcher explained why music helps patients. She said music is more than just simple background music. She said music helps patients to feel less pain and need fewer painkillers. A co-researcher, who is a specialist in anaesthesia and music therapist, agreed. She believes music is important in the operating theatre. She said: "Our aim is early discharge after surgery. Patients need to wake up clear-headed, alert… and ideally pain-free." She said music helps manage pain and reduces patients' stress after they wake up. Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-27-251127-music-therapy-anaesthesia-2/ 111 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-20-251120-tom-cruise-oscar-2/ Superstar Tom Cruise, 63, has finally won an Oscar. Mr Cruise was nominated for an Oscar four times in his career, but he never won. An Oscars spokeswoman said Cruise won because he is one of the most famous and biggest money-earning actors ever. She added that he inspired people with his huge commitment to filmmaking, to the cinema experience, and to the stunts community. Cruise is famous for doing all of his own stunts. Many of them are very dangerous. A Hollywood actor predicted Cruise would get four more Oscars in the next 20 years. Tom Cruise was very happy to win an Oscar. In a speech, he said he felt very lucky to be a part of cinema. He said: "Making films is not what I do, it is who I am." He added: "My love for cinema began at a very early age.…I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre.…Suddenly, the world was so much larger than the one that I knew." He said: "Cinema takes me around the world.…In the [movie] theatre, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together. And that is the power of this art form." Cruise is famous for the movies Mission: Impossible and Top Gun. Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-20-251120-tom-cruise-oscar-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-13-251113-lucifer-bee-2/ A scientist discovered a new bee species. It has tiny horns on its head. The scientist is a bee ecologist. Her name is Dr Kit Prendergast. She named the bee Megachile lucifer. "Lucifer" is another name for the Devil. Dr Prendergast found the bee while she was studying an endangered flower in Australia. She gave the bee its name because of its horns. She said: "These horns are very...devilish. I wanted to call it a devil-like name." She added: "Lucifer means 'light bringer' in Latin. I want to bring light to issues around the lack of conservation of native bees." Australia has more than 2,000 species of bees. Bee experts say that hundreds of them have not been named yet. Prendergast said there are many bee species in Australia that we do not know about. She said: "We don't know their distribution or where they nest." The Lucifer bee is the first new kind of its bee group to be found in over 20 years. Prendergast said there was a lot of "life we still have to discover". She is worried that the new bee "could be at risk from habitat disturbance" and other "threatening" events like climate change. Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-13-251113-lucifer-bee-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-06-251106-food-and-body-smell-2/ What we eat can affect our bodily smells. Studies at worldwide universities have shown that what we eat and drink changes our body smells. Researchers say we have a unique pattern of smells, like our unique fingerprints. An assistant professor of health and wellness in New York said the odours our body gives off come from two places. One is the stomach, which is full of bacteria. When these bacteria break down food, gases are released when we breathe. These gases can give us bad breath. The second place is the skin. Food changes the smell of our skin when we sweat. The foods that make the strongest body smells contain sulphur. This has a "bad-egg smell". Vegetables like broccoli and cabbage contain sulphur. Another food that affects us is garlic. This makes our breath smell. Researchers say it can also make our armpits smell nicer. Drinks also affect body odours. Alcohol can lead to strong bodily smells and bad breath. Caffeine in coffee and tea produces sweat in places like our armpits and groin. If we want to smell a little sweeter, we should eat fruit, parsley, and yoghurt, and drink water and green tea. Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-11-06-251106-food-and-body-smell-2/ 112 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-30-251030-sushi-chef-jiro-ono-2/ A sushi chef in Japan is continuing in his job, even though he just became 100. His name is Jiro Ono. He celebrated his 100th birthday this week. He is one of 4,380 people in Tokyo who have become or will be 100 this year. Mr Ono spoke to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike. She asked him about his secret to a long and healthy life. He replied, "To work." He said: "Even at 100 years old, I'll try to work if possible. I believe the best medicine is to work." He told Ms Koike: "I plan to keep going for about five more years." Ono said he has no plans to retire from his job. Jiro Ono was born in 1925. He started working when he was seven. Eighteen years later, he moved to Tokyo. He worked in a sushi bar. He qualified as a sushi chef in 1951 and opened his own restaurant in 1965. It was a tiny 10-seat place in a rich area of Tokyo called Ginza. He spent many years trying to make the perfect sushi. He was rewarded when he received three stars in the Michelin Guide. In 2011, a movie was made about him called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". In the film, he said: "I haven't reached perfection yet. I'll continue to climb and try to reach the top." Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-30-251030-sushi-chef-jiro-ono-2/ 113 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-23-251023-sanae-takaichi-2/ Japan has its first female prime minister. Sanae Takaichi, 64, was elected as the country's 104th prime minister. She won 237 votes in Japan's parliament. Her opponent won 149 votes. Ms Takaichi takes over from former leader Shigeru Ishiba. He was in power for a year. To get enough votes to win the election, Takaichi made an alliance with a right-wing party. She has a difficult job ahead of her. Japanese people are unhappy about rising food prices, job security, and a falling birth rate. They are also worried about how to care for the growing number of old people. Sanae Takaichi has had an interesting life. At university, she played drums in a rock band. She supports the Gamba Osaka soccer team and the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. She also had a powerful Kawasaki Z400 motorbike. In 1987, Takaichi moved to the USA. She wrote books about American politics. In 1989, she worked as a TV anchor. Women hope Takaichi's background means she will support gender equality and diversity. However, she does not support same-sex marriage. She also opposes allowing separate surnames for married couples. Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-23-251023-sanae-takaichi-2/ 110 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-16-251016-drug-resistant-superbugs-2/ The WHO has warned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to drugs. Researchers tested many bugs in laboratories. One in six of the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The drugs did not kill the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been saving lives for many years. Drug-resistant bugs will bring new risks to our health. Cuts and infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will not kill harmful bacteria. The WHO said the research was "concerning". It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise…we're putting lives at risk." The WHO conducted a large study. It looked at data from over 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asia. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. Bugs are becoming drug-resistant faster than researchers can make new drugs. More bugs are becoming resistant to modern medicines. Between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria tested in labs. Another worry is that not enough testing is being done to create better drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future threat". Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-16-251016-drug-resistant-superbugs-2/ 113 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-09-251009-spelling-mistake-2/ Everyone makes spelling mistakes, even with easy words. This week, a political party in the UK misspelled a word. The Conservative Party misspelled the name of its own country. The error was on the wrapper of a chocolate bar. The word "Britain" was spelt "Britian" on the bar. The Conservatives were holding their annual conference. Everyone who attended the event got the bar of chocolate. The conference organisers blamed the mistake on a "printing error". After they found the mistake, they immediately stopped giving out the chocolate. People on social media made fun of the mistake. A journalist wrote on X that the Conservative Party wants to run Britain, but "can't spell it". The UK's ruling Labour Party also commented on the mistake. It said the Conservatives "can't proofread five words on a bar of chocolate". This is not the first time for political parties in the UK to make a spelling mistake. Earlier this year, a party misspelt the word "Scottish" on its election leaflets. The handout said "Your Scotish Labour candidate," missing a "t". In 2024, the politician Lee Anderson's surname was incorrectly written as "Andersin". Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-09-251009-spelling-mistake-2/ 113 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-02-251002-heart-attacks-and-strokes-2/ Doctors say people can avoid cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes. These are the leading causes of death. A study from doctors in Chicago and in South Korea said that more than 99 per cent of people who had a heart attack or stroke had at least one warning sign. The doctors said there were some big signs of these, like high blood pressure, cholesterol, high blood sugar, and smoking and drinking. People can reduce all of these things if they change their lifestyles. The most effective changes are to eat a healthier diet, to exercise, and to quit smoking and drinking. In the study, doctors analyzed 10 years of health records of more than nine million people. Nearly all of these patients could have stopped a heart attack. A researcher said: "We have known for many years that there is a small number of [changeable] risk factors for heart disease, and…often more than one is present…leading up to heart attacks, heart failure, or strokes." He said we needed to treat the factors that lead to heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. The researcher said the goal was to work on finding ways to control risk factors. Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-2/2025-10-02-251002-heart-attacks-and-strokes-2/ 113