レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

Africa was the world’s fastest-growing solar market in 2025, defying a global slowdown and reshaping where the momentum in renewable energy is concentrated, according to an industry report released in late January. The report by the Africa Solar Industry Association says the continent's solar installed capacity expanded 17% in 2025, boosted by imports of Chinese-made solar panels. Global solar power capacity rose 23% in 2025 to 618 gigawatts, slowing from a 44% increase in 2024. “Chinese companies are the main drivers in Africa’s green transition,” said Cynthia Angweya-Muhati, acting CEO of the Kenya Renewable Energy Association. “They are aggressively investing in and building robust supply chains in Africa...

A dozen people outside a Milan metro station on February 11 stared intently at their phones until 8 a.m., when an Instagram post provided a location. “Run, don’t walk: we’re in the Castello area,” said the post. “Pins are available while supplies last.” It sent the group sprinting. Early each morning in Milan, eager collectors gathered to await word of the exact spot where they could score highly prized, limited-edition Olympic pins that—if they were fast enough—were free. Ilaria Pasqua got up and out early every day from February 7 to snag the coveted pins from YesMilano, the city's promotion...

Adam Mosseri, the head of Meta's Instagram, testified during a landmark social media trial in Los Angeles that he disagrees with the idea that people can be clinically addicted to social media platforms. The question of addiction is a key pillar of the case, where plaintiffs seek to hold social media companies responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Meta Platforms and Google's YouTube are the two remaining defendants in the case, which TikTok and Snap have settled. At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 20-year-old identified only by the initials "KGM," whose lawsuit could...

Scientists are testing an entirely new way to fight heart disease: a gene-editing treatment that might offer a one-time fix for high cholesterol. It's very early-stage research, tried in only a few dozen people so far. But gene-editing approaches being developed by two companies show hints that switching off certain genes could dramatically lower artery-clogging cholesterol, raising hopes of one day being able to prevent heart attacks without having to take pills. "People want a fix, not a bandage," said Dr. Luke Laffin, a preventive cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. After co-authoring a promising study published in the New England...

The computers inside modern trains are already doing much of the driving. At train maker Alstom’s factory in Derby, engineers are testing how far that technology could eventually go. From braking to controlling doors to making passenger announcements, every part of a train now runs through a central computer. And inside a lab known as ‘Train Zero,’ those systems are being tested in depth before the trains are ever put on track. Class 701 Aventra is a brand-new, fresh-off-the-production-line British-built train being put through its paces on a dedicated test track at Alstom’s Derby site. Before it enters passenger service...

In Singapore, the question being asked is not if there will be flying taxis, but when. They're not taking off just yet, but flying taxis are taking center stage at Singapore's Air Show. The event is considered Asia's largest aerospace and defense exhibition. The week-long event attracts thousands of visitors. Phil Swinsburg is the director of Asia Pacific Operations & Business Development for Wisk Aero. He's keen to demonstrate the comforts on hand for passengers, at what the company describes as the world's first autonomous four-passenger air taxi. “A roller bag goes in the ‘frunk,’ which is our front trunk, and then p...

In France, civil servants will ditch Zoom and Teams for a homegrown video conference system. Soldiers in Austria are using open-source office software to write reports after the military dropped Microsoft Office. Bureaucrats in a German state have also turned to free software for their administrative work. Around Europe, governments and institutions are seeking to reduce their use of digital services from U.S. Big Tech companies and turning to domestic or free alternatives. The push for “digital sovereignty” is gaining attention as the Trump administration strikes an increasingly belligerent posture toward the continent, highlighted by recent tensions over Greenland that...

Cigarette smoking is part of daily life in New Delhi. Smokers standing outside tobacco vendors are a common sight. The Finance Ministry has begun imposing a higher rate of tax starting February 1, ranging from 2,050 rupees ($22) to 8,500 rupees ($92) per thousand cigarettes, depending on their size. The new tax is applied in addition to the existing 40% Goods and Services Tax. Rajeev Malhotra, a cigarette and betel leaf seller in the heart of the capital city, says while the increase in cigarette prices is likely to impact sales, “people who want to consume nicotine will always find a way to.” According to the Worl...

Tourists hoping to get close to the Trevi Fountain had to pay 2 euros ($2.35) starting February 2 as the city of Rome inaugurated a new fee structure to help raise money and control crowds at one of the world's most celebrated waterworks. The first tourists to pass through the new ticket check seemed unfazed by the tariff, noting it was a small price to pay for quality access to a fountain made famous by Federico Fellini's movie La Dolce Vita. "Before, there were problems accessing the fountain. There were a lot of people. Now, it's very easy," said Ilhan Musbah, a tourist...

PepsiCo is cutting prices on Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, and Tostitos chips this year to win back customers exasperated by years of price hikes. “For some consumers, low- and middle-income consumers, the biggest friction they have today in our category... is affordability,” PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said during a conference call with investors. “So, we have been testing multiple ways to give them affordability.” PepsiCo has leaned on price increases as the cost of packaging, ingredients, and transportation rose. In the fourth quarter, PepsiCo hiked prices by 4.5% globally. Prices for PepsiCo beverages rose 7% in North America, while prices for the comp...

By age 2, most kids know how to play pretend. They turn their bedrooms into faraway castles and hold make-believe tea parties. The ability to make something out of nothing may seem uniquely human—a bedrock of creativity that's led to new kinds of art, music, and more. Now, for the first time, an experiment hints that an ape in captivity can have an imagination. "What's really exciting about this work is that it suggests that the roots of this capacity for imagination are not unique to our species," said study co-author Christopher Krupenye with Johns Hopkins University. Kanzi is a bo...

A gym that's free to join that makes you feel fitter and healthier and gives back to the community—sounds too good to be true. This is GoodGym, where volunteers run to community projects, socialize, and improve their surroundings at the same time. Shoveling piles of compost and clearing weeds on a cold, damp January evening might not be most people’s idea of fun. But it’s smiles and chatter all around as a group of fitness enthusiasts put on their headlamps and get to work on the chores at a community garden in Battersea, South London. The group is one...

Digital content makers from across Africa gathered at the African Creators Summit, calling for content creation to be recognized as full-time work rather than a side hustle. Under the 2026 theme, “Building a Sustainable Ecosystem: Where Africa Trades Its SWAG,” more than 2,500 digital creators from 15 countries came together to examine how Africa can turn its cultural capital into income. Participants focused on monetizing what they described as “SWAG,” an acronym for Sound, Walk, Attire, and Grubs, which they said form the cultural pillars behind the continent’s growing global influence. Speakers said the fast-growing creator economy now functions like a full business e...

The Bank of Thailand has tightened regulations on online gold trading to curb the impact of fluctuating prices on the local currency. The new measures will not have a big impact on gold trading, which has become increasingly popular, but will improve the transparency of online platforms, the central bank's assistant governor, Pimpan Charoenkwan, said. The regulations, which took effect this month, cap online gold transactions conducted in Thai baht at 50 million baht ($1.6 million) per user per day. Any transaction exceeding that limit requires approval from the authorities. However, the rules do not apply to users who were already holding...

A new high-resolution map of distant galaxies may help scientists understand a mysterious invisible substance that helps hold the universe together. The ordinary matter all around us—stars, planets, and people—makes up just 5% of the universe. For decades, researchers have hoped to demystify what's known as dark matter, a material that comprises just over a quarter of our universe. Another equally mysterious force called dark energy makes up the rest. Dark matter doesn't absorb or give off light, so scientists can't study it directly. But they can observe how its gravity warps and bends the star stuff around it—for ex...

Some blind and low-vision fans had unprecedented access to the Super Bowl thanks to a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays, and provides real-time audio. The NFL teamed up with OneCourt and Ticketmaster to pilot the game-enhancing experience 15 times during the regular season games hosted by the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, and Minnesota Vikings. About 10 blind and low-vision fans had an opportunity to use the same technology at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where Seattle played the New England Patriots on February 8. With their hands on the device, they...

Can a few lines of verse make commuting less worse? That, in essence, is the question asked four decades ago by Judith Chernaik, an American writer in London who wondered whether posting poems inside subway cars might enlighten, amuse, and inspire riders. The result was Poems on the Underground, a project that turns 40 this year and has been copied in cities around the world. Since 1986, many millions of London Underground passengers have seen posters adorned with poems nestled among the advertisements on their daily journeys. More than a dozen poets whose work has featured in the project gathered in a...

Cheers rose from a bundled-up crowd as a loggerhead sea turtle that survived a likely shark attack trundled back into the ocean after months of rehabilitation in Florida, carrying a satellite tracker to see how she fares with only three flippers. The air on the beach was chilly, with temperatures in the 40s Fahrenheit (roughly 4 to 9°C). But the Atlantic Ocean has hovered around a comfortable 77°F (25°C), said Heather Barron, chief science officer and a veterinarian at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. To acclimate the turtle for reentry, the facility kept her tank’s water temperature at aroun...

The UK toy market returns to growth for the first time in five years, but it's adults buying toys for themselves who are helping fuel the boom. The so-called kidults have helped the toy market in the UK post a year-on-year growth of six percent, according to figures by the British Toy and Hobby Association, with one in three pounds of toy sales being spent by kidults. Retro arcade cabinets and LEGO floral bouquets are some of the toys kidults can't get enough of. The kidult market now represents one-third of all toy spending in the UK, so it's a s...

Tens of thousands of visitors flocked to Lucerne as the Lilu Light Festival turned the city’s cobbled streets and riverfront into a glowing, interactive art experience. The festival drew artists from across Europe, blending inspiration and technology, to transform the city into one of Switzerland’s most picturesque winter destinations. In the square of Vögeligärti, the planet “Venus” by Immersive Light Factory glowed at the center, radiating warm light and showing one of Earth’s closest neighbors in wonderful detail. The planet installation was flanked on one side by the swirling “Carnival of Lights” by Lightspray Visual. Mechanical struc...

Your watch says you had three hours of deep sleep. Should you believe it? Millions of people rely on phone apps and wearable devices like rings, smartwatches, and sensors to monitor how well they're sleeping, but these trackers don't necessarily measure sleep directly. Instead, they infer states of slumber from signals like heart rate and movement, raising questions about how reliable the information is and how seriously it should be taken. The U.S. sleep-tracking devices market generated about $5 billion in 2023 and is expected to double in revenue by 2030, according to market research firm Grand View Research. As the devices...

The United Nations human rights chief has called on the United States to ensure that its migration policies and enforcement practices “respect human dignity and due process rights.” Volker Turk, in a statement relayed by spokesperson Marta Hurtado, decried the “dehumanizing portrayal and harmful treatment of migrants and refugees.” Hurtado said Turk called on leaders "at all levels in the U.S. to halt the use of scapegoating tactics that seeks to distract and divide, and which increase the exposure of migrants and refugees to xenophobic hostility and abuse." As US President Donald Trump marks the first year of his second t...

Deep in the Ecuadorian Andes, an ancient forest stands as a final sanctuary against the encroachment of human activity. This is the Yanacocha Reserve, the last refuge for the Black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), a tiny hummingbird teetering on the edge of extinction. Measuring just 9 centimeters (3.5 inches), this emblematic bird of Quito is one of the most threatened species on the planet. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, its global population has dwindled to between 150 and 200 birds. Founded 25 years ago by the Jocotoco Foundation, the Yanacocha Reserve has become a centerpiece for Andean biodiversity. "We realized we were...

A former flight attendant accused of posing as a pilot and working as an airline employee fooled three U.S. carriers into giving him hundreds of free tickets over a span of four years, federal authorities say. But precisely how he is alleged to have done it—and why the airlines wouldn't have caught on sooner—has industry insiders scratching their heads. Dallas Pokornik, 33, of Toronto, was arrested in Panama after being indicted on wire fraud charges in federal court in Hawaii last October. He pleaded not guilty following his extradition to the United States. His federal public defender declined to d...

It's no small potatoes that Rhode Islanders have been able to choose the image of Mr. Potato Head as a specialty license plate for decades. Yet with Hasbro's decision to move its headquarters from the smallest state in the U.S. to Boston, two lawmakers say it's time to hash out whether Rhode Island should continue promoting one of the company's most iconic characters. Under the proposal introduced last month, Rhode Island's Division of Motor Vehicles would stop providing Mr. Potato Head as an option for a specialty license plate. Currently, the plate costs around $40, with half of that amount...

A major international research mission, led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), is underway to investigate a newly discovered phenomenon: powerful underwater tsunamis triggered by collapsing Antarctic glaciers. These hidden waves are created when icebergs calve (shed and collapse) from the fronts of glaciers, and they can reach several meters in height beneath the ocean surface. They create bursts of mixing that churn together different layers of seawater. This process is now understood to be a critical driver in redistributing heat, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the polar oceans, with profound implications for marine life and global climate regulation. Previously, ocean...

Sparkling Porsches and Jaguars are just some of the sports cars and luxury vehicles that are helping to raise money for a local Detroit charity. About 500 guests spent $250 per person to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s most exclusive cars. The Gallery, a fundraising event for a local food bank, took place in January on the eve of the annual Detroit Auto Show. Attendees got the chance to see dozens of ultra-luxury vehicles, including from Bentley, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Maserati, McLaren, Pagani and Pininfarina. Sam Klemet, Detroit Auto Show's executive director, says, “We're at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, and...

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate is now down to its lowest level in more than three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage eased to 6.06%, down from 6.16%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said. One year ago, the rate averaged 7.04%. The last time the average rate was lower was September 15, 2022, when it was at 6.02%. Meanwhile, borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also fell, dropping to 5.38% from 5.46% last month. A year ago, that average rate was at 6.27%, Freddie Mac said. Lower mortgage rates boost homebuyers' purchasing power, good news for home shoppers at a...

Without federal subsidies, Breyanna Rodriguez's child care bill for her four children would run $4,400 a month, which would eat up most of her husband's paycheck. With child care assistance, Rodriguez, who lives in Cortland, Illinois, is able to work part-time and take community college classes while she prepares for nursing school. Now, citing concerns about fraud, the Trump administration has said it will withhold frozen federal child care funding for Illinois and other states while it conducts an extensive review. If she loses her subsidy, Rodriguez said, "I'll have to drop out of work. I'll have to drop out of...

Apple will rely on Google to help finish its efforts to smarten up its virtual assistant Siri and bring other artificial intelligence features to the iPhone as the trendsetting company plays catch-up in technology's latest craze. The deal allowing Apple to tap into Google's AI technology was disclosed in a joint statement from the Silicon Valley powerhouses. The partnership will draw upon Google's Gemini technology to customize a suite of AI features dubbed "Apple Intelligence" on the iPhone and other products. After Google and others took the early lead in the AI race, Apple promised to plant its first big...

Mattel Inc. is introducing an autistic Barbie as the newest member of its line, intended to celebrate diversity, joining a collection that already includes Barbies with Down syndrome, a blind Barbie, a Barbie and a Ken with vitiligo, and other models the toymaker added to make its fashion dolls more inclusive. Mattel said it developed the autistic doll over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and better media representation of people with autism. The goal: to create a Barbie that reflected some of the ways autistic people...

At a time when productivity means optimizing every second and screens blur the line between work and home, some people are slowing down and disconnecting by looking at communication devices from the past. Tactile activities ranging from writing letters and typewriter clubs to TikTok communities showcasing calligraphy skills and wax seals are giving retro writing instruments a resurgence. More than quaint throwbacks, the pursuits provide their enthusiasts with opportunities to reduce their technology use, be more intentional with time, and build meaningful connections with others. "I feel as though my pen pals are my friends. I don't think of them...

Sleep is usually associated with complex animals with brains and nervous systems. But new research suggests it may be far older and far more basic than previously thought. Scientists at Bar Ilan University in Israel studying jellyfish and sea anemones have found evidence of sleep-like states in animals without brains, helping explain why sleep may have evolved in the first place. Unlike humans and other mammals, jellyfish have no brain and no eyes. Instead, it has a simple nerve net, a loose network of neurons distributed throughout its body. Despite this basic anatomy, scientists have found that jellyfish follow regular...

Crowds flooded the freshly opened showroom floors on Day 2 of the CES and were met by thousands of robots, AI companions, assistants, health longevity tech, wearables, and more. Allergic to dogs or cats but still dreaming of a furry companion? Chinese tech brand Ollobot may have an answer in its new “cyber-pet,” OlloNi, which debuted at the show. The company says the furry AI robot on wheels is meant to be a warm and expressive alternative to the rigid humanoid home robot. A screen mounted at the robot’s neck acts as its face, allowing it to make eye contact with h...

President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the entire United Nations climate-fighting apparatus takes America's environmental isolation to another level and is likely to damage both the United States and the world as the planet flirts with ecological tipping points, experts say. Leaders from around the world say the United States will be left behind as more than 190 other nations join in what they call a blossoming green economy that is transitioning from polluting coal, oil, and gas to cleaner and cheaper solar, wind, and other renewable energies. The action on January 7 starts the process to pull the U.S. out of...

The origins of snowboarding go back to Christmas Day 1965, when an engineer named Sherman Poppen strapped two skis together to give his daughters something to do. He called it a "snurfer" and started selling them the next year. Jake Burton came along, refined the toy, and helped turn snowboarding into a mass-market sport. Along the way, superstars like Shaun White and Chloe Kim redefined what could be done in the air, and the sport is always reinventing itself in terms of tricks. There are three snowboarding events in what's called the park (halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air) and two more...

Dogs are great at learning action commands like "sit" and "stay." They're less good at remembering the names of things, like what their squeaky or stuffed toys are called. Only an elite group of gifted word-learner dogs can retain the names of hundreds of toys. Scientists know of about 50 such pooches, but they aren't yet sure what's behind their wordy skills. Now, new research is pushing the limits of what the dogs can do. Scientists already knew that these extraordinary pups could learn the names of their stuffed pizza and doughnut toys from playtime with their owners. In the latest...

The crisp crinkle of fallen leaves beneath your feet. The swish and trickle of water moving through a stream. A breath of crisp, fresh air. Spending time in nature can be invigorating or produce feelings of peace and calm. But many professions allow little time or access to the outdoors during the workday. After a youth spent climbing trees and playing soccer, Anna Rose Smith found it difficult when her first job as a psychotherapist in Utah required working in a windowless office. So, she spent her lunch breaks outside, walking to nearby fountains or gardens. She picked up flower...

More artificial intelligence is being implanted into Gmail as Google tries to turn the world's most popular email service into a personal assistant that can improve writing, summarize far-flung information buried in inboxes, and deliver daily to-do lists. The new AI features announced could herald a pivotal moment for Gmail, a service that transformed email when it was introduced nearly 22 years ago. Since then, Gmail has amassed more than 3 billion users to become nearly as ubiquitous as Google's search engine. Gmail's new AI options will only be available in English within the United States for starters, but the company is...

Kenza Bennani, a Moroccan fashion designer, has made it her mission to modernize the traditional caftan. The garment recently made it onto the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. A variety of modern caftans are displayed in the New Tangier boutique, each with its own unique color, fabric, and cut, inspired by Moroccan heritage but designed for everyday wear, not only for special occasions. "We design modern Moroccan clothes with a focus on different origins, as we are a crossroad of different civilizations historically. And so we try to reinterpret these different cuts and different heritages in a way that...