https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/level-4/ Audio versions of Breaking News English - Level 4 articles generated by Google TTS en https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/favicon.ico https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/level-4/ https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-04-20-260420-harshly-hot-days-4/ Climate change is creating new words. Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) has created a new Japanese word. The word is "kokushobi". It means "cruelly hot day" or "harshly hot day". It will be used when describing days of 40ºC temperatures. There was an online poll to choose the new word. Website visitors selected their preferred word. There were 478,000 responses. The word kokushobi got nearly 203,000 votes. Japan has had record-breaking weather, with days of 40ºC or above every year since 2018. In August 2025, a northern town recorded Japan's highest ever temperature. The mercury rose to 41.8ºC. There were nine more days of 40ºC temperatures. The year 2025 was Japan's hottest since records began in 1898. The Mainichi newspaper said that Kyoto recorded 52 days over 35ºC, compared with an annual average of 18.5 days. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-04-20-260420-harshly-hot-days-4/ 82 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-04-13-260413-air-traffic-controller-gaming-4/ The USA has launched a campaign aimed at gamers. The country wants gamers to become air traffic controllers. There is a lack of controllers. There are around 3,000 vacancies. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it "welcomes innovative approaches to expanding the candidate pool, including outreach to individuals with high-level skills, such as gamers." Candidates must maintain the "rigorous standards" of "this safety-critical profession". The recruitment video has an Xbox logo on it. The video says: "You've been training for this… Become an air traffic controller. It's not a game. It's a career." The US Transportation Secretary said the country needed "young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller". Many controllers believe gaming is a useful skill. They said it had "an influence on their ability to think quickly, stay focused, and manage complexity". Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-04-13-260413-air-traffic-controller-gaming-4/ 91 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-04-06-260406-artemis-ii-microsoft-outlook-4/ NASA's Artemis II spacecraft is travelling to the far side of the Moon. It launched last week. The 10-day trip will take astronauts farther away from Earth than humans have been before. Despite the mission's technical demands, the crew had email problems. An astronaut told Mission Control in Texas: "I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither one of those is working. Reboot it and check our software." NASA then corrected a configuration issue. Artemis II is the first crewed mission to go beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. It is the beginning of NASA's aim to return humans to the Moon. It wants a long-term presence there. The astronauts are preparing for future Moon landings. They will test life support systems and communications. NASA hopes the current mission will pave the way for Artemis IV to land on the Moon. The USA hopes that will take place in 2028. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-04-06-260406-artemis-ii-microsoft-outlook-4/ 86 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-30-260330-fertilizer-shortages-4/ The war in Iran has increased fertilizer prices. Ships cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has pretty much shut down the Strait. The Persian Gulf region is a key supplier of fertilizer ingredients. Gulf nations are the world's top exporters. The war has disrupted around 35 per cent of the world's fertilizer trade. Farmers now have to pay up to 35 per cent more for fertilizer. This will lead to smaller harvests and higher food prices. The U.N. said the crisis will cause a global food shortage. It said that in the worst case, there will be "lower yields and crop failures next season". It added that in the best case, food prices will be higher next year. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said: "It is a systemic shock affecting agrifood systems globally." It added: "Farmers are facing a dual cost shock. They have more expensive fertilizers alongside rising fuel costs." Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-30-260330-fertilizer-shortages-4/ 88 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-23-260323-negative-people-4/ From good friends to bad co-workers, our relations can affect our stress more than jobs and money. A new study suggests that the people around us can affect how long we live. Researchers focused on the effect that people called "hasslers" had on us. A hassler is someone annoying who hassles us. A researcher said, "having more hasslers is associated with accelerated biological aging…and how much wear and tear [people] have on their body". Researchers questioned people about hasslers. Around one third of the participants knew at least one hassler. About 10 per cent had at least two hasslers. Each additional hassler was linked with a 1.5 per cent faster pace of aging. The researcher highlighted the negative effects of accumulated stress from hasslers, saying: "When you experience that chronically, over and over again, it has this long-term effect on the body." Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-23-260323-negative-people-4/ 86 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-16-260316-english-language-music-4/ Since the start of rock 'n' roll, American and British songs have dominated music. Both countries benefited a lot from hit songs in English. However, the dominance of English-language songs is under threat. The music streaming giant Spotify said English songs were losing their stranglehold. There is now a huge demand for songs sung in Spanish, Korean, and Arabic. The number of non-English songs in the charts more than doubled in the past five years. A prime example of the rise in non-English songs is the popularity of Bad Bunny. He sings only in Spanish. He was Spotify's most streamed artist in 2025. In addition, Spanish singer Rosalia made an award-winning album on which she sings in 13 different languages. Three music genres have seen their chart presence rise by 30 per cent or more in the past five years. These are Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino. Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-16-260316-english-language-music-4/ 86 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-09-260309-chocolate-shoplifting-4/ Shops in the UK are taking extreme action to stop shoplifters from stealing chocolate. Stores are locking chocolate in plastic boxes. Customers must ask a member of staff to unlock the box. One supermarket said it is using "boxes on products which are regularly targeted" by thieves. Another store said chocolate theft was a "massive issue" and costs thousands of pounds a week. It said some shoplifters "literally swipe the whole shelf" of chocolate. Chocolate is the latest target of criminal gangs. A store association said "prolific offenders" are stealing chocolate and selling it on the black market. Only alcohol is stolen more often. Another association said chocolate was now a "high-value" target, so stores are installing anti-theft devices. There were more than 5.5 million reported incidents of shoplifting in the UK last year. Sadly, there are 1,600 violent attacks against shop workers every day. Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-09-260309-chocolate-shoplifting-4/ 90 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-02-260302-middle-east-turmoil-4/ The Middle East is in turmoil after the attacks by Israel and the USA on Iran. Several Iranian cities were heavily bombed as the US attempted to destroy Iran's nuclear factories. The strikes also killed Iran's leader Ayatollah Khamenei. President Trump wrote: "We're going to…raze their missile industry to the ground." Trump called for Iranians to rise up. He wrote: "This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country." Iran immediately retaliated. It fired missiles at its neighbours. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they had struck US military targets. They warned: "This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated." There are fears an escalation will create inflation and financial turmoil worldwide. Much of the world's oil travels through the Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Iran could close. Experts also warn of a refugee crisis. Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-03-02-260302-middle-east-turmoil-4/ 90 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-23-260223-andrew-mountbatten-windsor-4/ The UK monarchy is facing its biggest crisis for a century. The former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was held at a police station. There are allegations he gave confidential trade information to Jeffrey Epstein. The UK government is now thinking about removing him from the line to be UK monarch. This can only be changed with a new law. Andrew is currently eighth in line. In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated. The UK government passed a law to recognize Edward was no longer king. A similar law could affect Andrew. Last year, King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of his title of prince. Andrew can no longer be called "Prince Andrew". His name is now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He has yet to talk about the allegations of misconduct. He has always denied doing anything wrong regarding Epstein. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-23-260223-andrew-mountbatten-windsor-4/ 83 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-16-260216-elephant-whiskers-4/ Scientists have found a previously unknown ability in elephants. It explains why the elephant trunk is so dexterous. The whiskers on the trunk are sensitive enough to feel small and delicate objects. The scientists say the incredible sensitivity of the whiskers makes up for the elephant's poor eyesight. The whiskers help the elephant navigate, find food, and communicate. The whiskers are "smart" and give elephants an added sense of intelligence. The research could help advance robotics and neuroscience. A researcher said: "Each whisker…acts as a tactile sensory organ." Elephants can pick up a potato chip without breaking it. The research could help increase dexterity in robots. Another researcher said her research could advance neuroscience. She said we could understand more about "tactile perception". It could also help us to understand how the brain helps us to think, feel, and act. Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-16-260216-elephant-whiskers-4/ 90 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-09-260209-hero-swimmer-4/ A boy is a hero after an epic swim to save his family. Austin Appelbee, 13, and his family were kayaking and paddleboarding in Australia. They were in shallow water, but the wind pushed them four kilometres away from land. It was getting dark. Austin tried to kayak to shore, but the waves flipped his boat over. He knew he was in trouble. He said he had no choice but to swim to land to raise the alarm. He swam through shark-frequented waters. Austin got to the beach and phoned for help. Coastguards found and rescued the boy's mother and two younger sisters. The boy said: "I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed.…I had to sprint two kilometres to get to the phone." Rescuers called him "superhuman". One rescuer could not praise him highly enough. He said Austin's determination and courage saved the lives of his family. Austin's mother called the experience a "nightmare". Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-09-260209-hero-swimmer-4/ 88 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-02-260202-white-teeth-powder-4/ White teeth are widely sought after. Movies, ads, and social media have made perfectly white teeth a must-have. People have long-used chemical whiteners to get perfectly white teeth. However, these can damage the teeth and gums. Researchers have tested a teeth-whitening ceramic powder to rid teeth of stains. Researcher Min Xing said it is a safe teeth-whitening product that also repairs enamel. Min added that it was good for long-term oral health. The researchers said the powder works when the vibrations of an electric toothbrush activate small electric fields over the teeth. These break down stains. The researchers said their laboratory tests were very promising. They tested human teeth that were stained with tea and coffee. After 12 hours of cleaning, the teeth were 50 per cent whiter than those that were brushed normally. The next step is to add the powder to toothpaste. Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-02-02-260202-white-teeth-powder-4/ 87 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-26-260126-having-children-and-lifespan-4/ A study says the number of children a woman has might affect her ageing. The research found that women who had five children or more, or no children, aged faster. A researcher said: "Organisms have limited resources, such as time and energy. When a large amount of energy is invested in reproduction, it is taken away from bodily maintenance...which could reduce lifespan." Surprisingly, women who never gave birth didn't live longer. Researchers analysed blood, DNA, and health data on 14,000 women. Researchers then modelled the effects of reproduction on rates of longevity. They found that fewer pregnancies could have positive effects on a mother's health. One benefit is a possible lower risk of cancer. However, the "wear and tear" from multiple childbirths could reverse this lowered risk. Another factor that could increase longevity is the social support a mother receives. Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-26-260126-having-children-and-lifespan-4/ 87 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-19-260119-greenland-4/ President Donald Trump is increasing his efforts to acquire Greenland. He will put 10 per cent tariffs on several European countries if they do not agree with his plans. The tariffs will start next month. The levy could increase to 25 per cent in June. The tariffs will be "due and payable until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland". The UK prime minister said tariffs for the security of NATO is "completely wrong". Acquiring Greenland has been a priority for President Trump. He said "the national security of the United States and the world at large is at stake". He said strong measures were needed to secure world peace, and to ensure this "potentially perilous situation ends quickly". Thousands of people in Greenland protested yesterday against Trump's plans. In the capital city of Nuuk, people held signs that read "Greenland is not for sale". Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-19-260119-greenland-4/ 88 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-12-260112-hyundai-humanoid-robots-4/ Hyundai has plans to use 30,000 humanoid robots to make its cars. This will happen over the next decade. The humanoids are called Atlas. They are being made by a Hyundai subsidiary. Hyundai said Atlas would advance human-robot collaboration, and assist in "evolving hardware-driven robotics…designed to amplify human potential". Hyundai acknowledged that people could lose their jobs because of Atlas. It added that people would have to train it. A life-sized Atlas was put on show in Las Vegas. It wowed people with its amazing skills. Its movements were very human-like. It swung its arms, marched around, and demonstrated great balance. The humanoids will work alongside humans. The robots will learn movements via AI software. The robot's maker said: "The convergence of robotics and AI…will make human life safer and more enriching." Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-12-260112-hyundai-humanoid-robots-4/ 83 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-05-260105-worlds-richest-people-4/ The world's richest people got richer in 2025. The bank UBS said the 500 richest people on Earth made an extra $2.2 trillion last year. Their collective net worth rose to $11.9 trillion. Bloomberg reported that the eight billionaires who topped the rich list accounted for a quarter of the gains in earnings. The Guardian newspaper said the gains were "bolstered" by Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, "and booming markets in cryptocurrencies". Many organizations were alarmed at so much wealth being in so few hands. The charity Oxfam said: "Inequality is a deliberate policy choice. Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is...declining....Inequality rips away life opportunities and rights from the majority of citizens." A climate scientist warned that "if the economic system that is tearing our planet...and its people apart isn't brought to its knees, then humanity will be". Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2026-01-05-260105-worlds-richest-people-4/ 88 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-29-251229-mood-food-4/ A study suggests ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates increase the risk of mental health problems. The research is in a nutrition journal. A dietitian said there was "a tremendous amount of high-quality data linking food to...worsening mental health." She advised people to cut down on sugary and low-fibre food to lower the chance of getting mood disorders. She said people should limit sugar, refined grains, and ultra-processed foods. The study urged people to eat more high-fibre and fermented foods. It said plant-based diets could reduce depression. Such diets include "omega-3 fatty acids, colourful plants like berries, extra virgin olive oil, leafy greens, and lean sources of protein". These are known to help with depression. Related research from Australia supported the dietitian's findings. It said fermented food may lead to more positive moods and enhance learning. Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-29-251229-mood-food-4/ 88 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-22-251222-trevi-fountain-fee-4/ Rome will charge a fee to get close to its world-famous Trevi Fountain. From February, visitors will have to pay two euros to get close to it. Rome wants to deal with the growing numbers of sightseers at the sight. The famous fountain is suffering because of overtourism. There is a lot of congestion in the summer. Crowds and people taking selfies are damaging the ambiance. Visitors have also damaged the stonework surrounding the fountain. Rome's mayor said the fee could raise $7.6 million a year. He said 30,000 people visited the attraction every day this year. That is over ten million visitors. City residents will not have to pay the fee. The mayor said: "Culture is a fundamental right of citizenship. The citizens of Rome can enjoy our museums free of charge." The fountain was completed in 1762. It depicts the god of all water, and symbolizes the wild force of the world's seas and rivers. Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-22-251222-trevi-fountain-fee-4/ 90 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-15-251215-architects-of-ai-4/ TIME magazine has awarded its 2025 Person of the Year to the "architects of AI". The award is for "the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year". The architects include CEOs from the world's top tech companies. They brought about "one of the biggest physical infrastructure projects of all time." TIME said 2025 was the year that AI showed its potential to change the world. TIME commented on the impact of the AI architects. It wrote that it was difficult to avoid hearing news about the "rapid advancement of a technology and the people driving it," and about how disruptive AI would be. It added that few people "could talk about the future without invoking the impact of this technological revolution". However, it also noted the negatives of AI. These include energy requirements, job losses, misinformation, and cyberattacks. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-15-251215-architects-of-ai-4/ 91 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-08-251208-tiny-kei-cars-4/ Big change may be coming to American roads after a visit to Japan by Donald Trump. America's popular SUVs may soon be rivalled by the four-seater, 660 cc "kei car" from Japan. President Trump has a fondness for this small car. He wants it to be made in the USA. He wrote on his Truth Social website: "I have just approved tiny cars to be built in America." He added that the cars were "inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, and quite simply, amazing". Kei cars make up around a third of all cars in Japan. They are suited to the narrow streets of Japan's big cities. However, laws are needed to make the cars legal in the US. The website Quartz reported that: "There are lingering concerns that [kei cars] are too small and slow to be driven safely." The Transportation Secretary said: "If Toyota or any other company wants to make smaller, more affordable and fuel-efficient cars, we have cleared the deck." Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-08-251208-tiny-kei-cars-4/ 90 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-01-251201-ozempic-weight-loss-pill-4/ New weight-loss drugs could be launched next year. One of them is being dubbed "Ozempic 2.0". It is a pill version of the widely-used Ozempic. The company developing it said its clinical trials showed that it "lowered weight by an average of 10.5 per cent". A rival company also has a new pill. Its spokesman said: "We are moving with urgency toward global regulatory submissions." The drugs are now waiting for approval from the FDA in the USA. The new medicines could make life easier for people with health conditions. The rival company said: "For the majority of patients, this could be the main medicine that they need to control their type 2 diabetes as well as their obesity." Currently, the drug is in the form of a once-weekly injection. If approved, it could be a once-daily pill. The company said the drug could "redefine" how obesity is treated. It is likely that the new drugs will be cheaper. Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-12-01-251201-ozempic-weight-loss-pill-4/ 90 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-24-251124-superman-comic-4/ A copy of the first self-titled Superman comic sold for a world record $9.12 million. The vice-president of the auction house called the rare comic the "pinnacle of comic collecting". He said the copy is "in unprecedented condition". He said: "Superman No. 1 is a milestone in pop culture history." He was proud that his company auctioned the comic. Superman No. 1 first appeared in shops in June 1939. It started a new genre of superhero comics. The copy of Superman No. 1 had been gathering dust in a house for 86 years. Three brothers discovered it covered in cobwebs. The brothers said their mother was an avid comic collector, and that she had "rare comics somewhere". Half a million copies were initially printed. Mint condition copies are rare because people cut off the front cover to use as a poster. Superman No. 1 became the blueprint for today's modern superheroes. Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-24-251124-superman-comic-4/ 87 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-17-251117-japanese-bear-attacks-4/ Japan has created an emergency plan to address record bear attacks. Bears have killed 13 people and injured more than 100 since April. The death toll is the highest since records began. The plan is to cut the numbers of deaths, injuries, and bear encounters. Authorities will try to reduce bear populations. Another feature is the setting of bear-capture targets. Authorities will also try to separate bear habitats from residential areas. There are two species of bear in Japan. Their numbers have surged in the past decade. The black bear population has tripled from 15,000 to 44,000. The larger and more dangerous brown bears have doubled in number. One reason why bear populations are increasing is a shortage of beech nuts. Another reason is a declining number of hunters. Finally, depopulation in rural areas means bears are wandering into towns and villages. Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-17-251117-japanese-bear-attacks-4/ 86 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-10-251110-trillionaire-elon-musk-4/ Elon Musk is the world's wealthiest person. He is now set to become the very first dollar trillionaire. He was awarded a new pay deal by Tesla shareholders last week. Seventy-five per cent of shareholder votes backed a stratospheric $1 trillion pay package. It consists of up to 423.7 million shares of Tesla stock over the next 10 years. This would increase Mr Musk's stake in Tesla to almost 29 per cent. It depends on Musk increasing Tesla's market value. Shareholders backed the deal to stop Mr Musk from leaving Tesla. The Tesla board warned of a "possibility that he may pursue other interests should [the deal] be denied". It said Musk could "achieve goals that others will perceive as impossible". An industry analyst said: "Tesla needs Musk to take it into the autonomous driving, robotic future." Mr Musk hopes to change Tesla's focus to selling self-driving cars, robotaxis, and humanoid autonomous robots. Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-10-251110-trillionaire-elon-musk-4/ 91 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-03-251103-grand-egyptian-museum-4/ A new museum has opened in Cairo, Egypt. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) held an opening ceremony on Saturday. Many dignitaries attended it. Egypt's president said GEM will "become an international cultural and scientific hub" and help Egypt's tourism industry. Authorities hailed the $1.2 billion museum as "Egypt's gift to the world". A tour guide hopes it will "usher in a new golden age of Egyptology". GEM offers panoramic views of the Pyramids. GEM is the world's largest archaeological site dedicated to an ancient civilisation. It has over 50,000 exhibits. A giant 3,200-year-old, 11-metre-tall statue of the Ramesses the Great is in the entrance. GEM also houses the whole Tutankhamun collection. This was unearthed in 1922 in Luxor. Officials hope GEM will mean the return of Egyptian antiquities held in other countries, especially the Rosetta Stone, which is in the British Museum. Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-11-03-251103-grand-egyptian-museum-4/ 88 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-27-251027-snake-pee-crystals-4/ The natural world contains many remedies. The latest discovery is about how reptile waste could help treat human illnesses. Researchers analysed "pee crystals" that reptiles excrete to get rid of waste. The crystals are a solid form of uric acid. This is created when the body breaks down nitrogen in food. It can be harmful. Too much nitrogen can lead to health problems like kidney stones. Our bodies flush uric acid waste away when we pass water. In the study, a team of scientists who study reptiles and amphibians examined waste elimination processes of 20 reptile species. The team focused on excess nitrogen that crystallised. A researcher said the team's findings could help us understand and treat uric acid-related problems like kidney stones. She said knowing how reptiles deal with nitrogen might lead to new approaches to disease prevention and treatment. Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-27-251027-snake-pee-crystals-4/ 86 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-20-251020-gen-z-protests-4/ Young people worldwide are protesting against their governments. Generation Z (people born between 1996 and 2010) is rising to express discontent with their leaders. They are concerned about inequality, corruption, nepotism, corporate greed, and bleak career prospects. This week in Madagascar, a group of protesters helped remove the country's president. In Morocco, people marched calling for better healthcare and education. Protesters have two things in common. One is anger about the state of the world; the other is a flag from a Japanese manga. In the "One Piece" manga, pirates fly the flag and fight against injustice. Al Jazeera reported that in protests in Nepal, the flag was painted on walls, hung from cars, and displayed instead of national flags. The flag is used in satire. Protesters are using it to represent what they view as failures of governments. Mon, 20 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-20-251020-gen-z-protests-4/ 86 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-13-251013-gaza-ceasefire-4/ Half a million Palestinians are returning to Gaza City following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The truce was because of talks between Israel, Hamas, the USA, and Arab nations. It was orchestrated by Donald Trump. Stage one of the deal involves the Israeli army leaving a large section of Gaza, and for Hamas to release 48 Israeli hostages. The end of fighting means hundreds of thousands of Palestinians can go to Gaza City, most of which is in ruins. Emotions are still running high. Alongside the release of the hostages, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will be freed. The relative of a hostage told reporters: "I have yet to process it all. I am naturally happy that this nightmare may soon be over." Gaza City residents are relieved, despite having almost no infrastructure, no electricity, and no running water. However, one resident was cautious after having moved 20 times in the past two years. Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-13-251013-gaza-ceasefire-4/ 91 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-06-251006-real-time-translation-4/ New technology could change language learning and communication. Apple's new AirPods Pro 3 earbuds can translate languages in real time. Translations will automatically appear in people's ears and on their screens. This could greatly change the language teaching industry. Instant translation could stop people learning languages. It is an example of how AI is changing jobs. Teachers now fear this might affect their future. Apple said its earbuds would help people communicate "seamlessly" and overcome language barriers. Users can choose "select languages when messaging or speaking". This is an example of science fiction becoming science fact. Writers have long written about real-time translation tools. The 1979 novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and the Japanese manga "Doraemon" both had novel translation tools. Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-10-06-251006-real-time-translation-4/ 82 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-09-29-250929-huajiang-grand-canyon-bridge-4/ A record-breaking bridge has opened in China. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou Province is the world's tallest bridge. It stands at a height of 625 metres. The 2,890-metre-long bridge also has the longest span of any bridge ever constructed in the mountains. Its main span stretches 1,420 metres. The bridge will greatly improve the rural economy. It will also cut the travel time between the two sides of the bridge from two hours to two minutes. China is an expert in bridge-building. It built the 18 tallest bridges in the world. The top three are in Guizhou, which also has another 32,000 spans. Half of the 100 highest bridges in the world are in Guizhou. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is full of cutting-edge engineering. A spokesperson said the bridge would become a sightseeing spot and attract a million visitors a year. It has a cafe, a geological museum, and a bungee-jumping centre. Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://breakingnewsenglish.pages.dev/articles/level-4/2025-09-29-250929-huajiang-grand-canyon-bridge-4/ 90