レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

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レアジョブオリジナルの英会話ニュース教材です。世界の時事ネタを中心に、ビジネスから科学やスポーツまで、幅広いトピックのニュースを毎日更新しています。本教材を通して、ビジネスで使える実用的な英会話表現や英単語を身に付けることができます。

  1. 1H AGO

    Move over, kids—adults fuel boost in toy market sales

    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 sector the toy industry can't ignore. Technically, a kidult is for the 12-year-and-over range, but it's adults who are a major part of this growth sector.  At the Toy Fair in London's Olympia, Kerri Atherton, head of public affairs at the British Toy and Hobby Association, says, “But what I think we've seen shifted a little bit is sort of how wide the audience really is now for toys. So obviously, for a few years now, we've been talking about the rise of kidults, which is toys for 12 plus. But adults are a big chunk of that category as well.” “So three quarters of 18 to 34-year-olds say that they've purchased a toy either for themselves or another adult in the last year,” says Melissa Symonds, executive director of toys for market research company Circana. They have been closely monitoring the rise of kidults, and their love of nostalgia and their spending power is a welcome boost for the toy sector. Another key trend is the growth of Asian-influenced toys. South Korean and Japanese brands like K-POP Demon Hunters, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z are all contributing to the year's collectibles boom. Collectible toys grew by 12 percent year-on-year in 2025, and Far East Asian licenses were a clear factor in this growth. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    2 min

  2. 1D AGO

    Lucerne’s old town becomes a canvas for its giant interactive festival of lights

    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 structures brought the visuals to life, projecting small light displays onto the walls of Lucerne’s Central and University Library. Nearby, “Coloured” by Immersive Light Factory illuminated the Torbogen arch outside Lucerne’s main rail station. The combination of historic squares and cutting-edge installations created a surreal winter landscape, where centuries-old architecture met modern art and dynamic color. Along the river Reuss, Jesuitenkirche, the Jesuit church is bathed in light. Inside, the ticketed projection mapping show “SOUL” by PROJEKTIL immersed visitors in dynamic visuals all over the church’s interior, creating a spectacular reshaping of the space and music. André Bulli, marketing manager at Lucerne Tourism, says the festival has grown into Switzerland’s largest light event. “It’s the biggest light festival in Switzerland, with around 150,000 people every year. So, we have around 15,000 people in the city each day, which is a lot. We sell more than 80,000 tickets for the light show here in the Jesuit church, and we have more than 70 light shows in the church during the whole festival,” he says. Bulli explains why the festival began in 2017. He says, “The reason was that in January, Lucerne is always empty for tourists and there’s not much going on. It’s cold, and people are inside. So, we tried, in cooperation with the hotels, to do something to attract more people to the city. And this was the light festival.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    3 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Sleep-tracking devices have limits. Experts want users to know what they are

    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 continue to gain popularity, experts say it is important to understand what they can and cannot tell you, and how their data should be used. Whether it's an Apple Watch, a Fitbit, an Oura Ring, or one of innumerable other competitors, health and fitness trackers largely take the same basic approach by recording the wearer's movements and heart rate while at rest, according to Daniel Forger, a University of Michigan math professor who researches the science behind sleep wearables. The algorithms used by major brands have become highly accurate for determining when someone is asleep, Forger said. The devices are also somewhat helpful for estimating sleep stages, though an in-lab study would be more precise, he said. "If you really want to know definitively how much non-REM sleep you're having versus REM sleep, that's where the in-lab studies really excel," Forger said. Dr. Chantale Branson, a neurologist and professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine, said she frequently has patients showing up with sleep scores from fitness trackers in hand, sometimes fixated on granular details such as how much REM sleep they got on a certain night. Branson says those patients are taking the wrong approach: the devices help highlight trends over time, but should not be viewed as a definitive measure of one's sleep health. Nor should any single night's data be seen as significant. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    2 min

  4. 3D AGO

    UN human rights chief calls on US to ensure that its migration policies ‘respect human dignity’

    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 term, the immigration enforcement and removal operation that has been a cornerstone of his domestic and foreign policy agenda is rapidly transforming into something else—a national law enforcement presence with billions upon billions of dollars in new spending from US taxpayers. The shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis showed the alarming reach of the new federalized force, sparking unrelenting protests against the military-style officers seen going door to door to find and detain immigrants. Amid the outpouring of opposition, Trump revived threats to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell the demonstrations, and the U.S. Army has 1,500 soldiers ready to deploy. To be sure, illegal crossings into the U.S. at the Mexico border have fallen to historic lows under Trump, a remarkable shift from just a few years ago when President Joe Biden's Democratic administration allowed millions of people to temporarily enter the U.S. as they adjudicated their claims to stay. Yet as enforcement moves away from the border, the newly hired army of immigration officers swarming city streets with aggressive tactics—in Los Angeles, Chicago, and elsewhere—is something not normally seen in the U.S. Armed and masked law enforcement officers are being witnessed smashing car windows, yanking people from vehicles, chasing and wrestling others to the ground, and hauling them away—images playing out in endless loops on TVs and other screens. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    2 min

  5. 4D AGO

    An ancient forest in Ecuador is the last stand for a tiny hummingbird facing extinction

    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 conserving an entire ecosystem, not just one species," conservationist Paola Villalba told The Associated Press. The bird is easily identified by the striking white "trousers" of feathers around its legs, which contrast sharply with its deep, metallic black chest and bronze-green wings. Despite its beauty, its survival is at risk as high-altitude forests are cleared for grazing and agriculture. Shirley Farinango of the Birds and Conservation Foundation notes that the pressure is most intense because the puffleg occupies a narrow ecological niche between 3,000 and 3,500 meters (9,800 and 11,400 feet) above sea level. This specific elevation, she said, is "prime territory" to be converted to agricultural land. On the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, 45 kilometers (27 miles) northwest of Quito, conservationists are now racing to restore this cloud-shrouded forest. For the "smallest fairies" of the Andes, these dense trees are more than just a habitat—they are their last stand. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    2 min

  6. 5D AGO

    A former flight attendant is accused of fooling airlines into giving him free flights. But how?

    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 discuss the case. According to court documents, Pokornik was a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019, then used fraudulent employee identification from that carrier to obtain tickets reserved for pilots and flight attendants on three other airlines. Court documents contained no explanation of why, in an industry focused on flight and airport safety, the airlines didn't recognize the credentials as invalid. The indictment did not identify any of the airlines involved but said the U.S. carriers are based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas. A spokesperson for Hawaiian Airlines said the company does not comment on litigation. Representatives for United Airlines and American Airlines did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press. John Cox, a retired pilot who runs an aviation safety firm in St. Petersburg, Florida, called the allegations surprising, considering the cross-checking that airlines are able to do to verify the employment of a crew member seeking to fly on another airline. Airlines generally rely on databases of active airline employees maintained on third-party websites to check whether someone is actually an employee. "The only thing I can think is that they did not show him as no longer employed by the airline," Cox said in a phone interview. "Consequently, when the checks were made at the gate, he showed up as a valid employee." Passenger airlines typically offer such free or steeply discounted standby seats, when available, to their own crew members or those of other carriers—a courtesy that makes the whole industry function better, by getting crew members where they need to go. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    3 min

  7. 6D AGO

    Rhode Island may ditch Mr. Potato Head license plates after Hasbro moves to Boston

    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 going to help support the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Rep. Brian Newberry, a Republican from North Smithfield, said in an email that he filed the legislation because Hasbro leaving the state will cause "untold economic harm and loss of tax revenue." "There is no reason we should be advertising their products on our license plates," Newberry said. "It may seem trivial compared to many other things, but it's a matter of self-respect." Mr. Potato Head license plates were first issued in 2002 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the beloved toy, which has notably appeared in the "Toy Story" films. The plates include a small image of Mr. Potato Head holding a sign of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, with "help end hunger" at the bottom of the plate. "The license plate started at a time when Mr. Potato Head was all over the state and was having a moment," said Kate MacDonald, spokesperson for the food bank, which has received nearly $60,000 over the years due to the plate. "And while it has tapered off over the years, it's been a steady way for people to contribute." An email was sent to Hasbro seeking comment. The toy company announced last year that it would be moving to Boston by the end of 2026 after operating in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for nearly 70 years. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    2 min

  8. FEB 17

    Could underwater tsunamis beneath Antarctica’s glaciers be speeding up ice melt

    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 mixing in the region was thought to be primarily caused by wind, tides, and surface cooling. However, early data suggest the force of these calving-generated tsunamis rivals wind-driven mixing in certain areas and exceeds tidal influences in moving ocean heat. The discovery was made when researchers on a previous BAS expedition collected ocean data immediately before and after a calving event. Now, scientists based at Rothera Research Station and aboard the polar ship RRS Sir David Attenborough are conducting a targeted study. The team is deploying a suite of advanced technology, including satellites, drones, underwater robots, and moorings, to capture data from dangerous, inaccessible glacier fronts. The latest technology and underwater imaging are helping scientists, as Dr. Alex Brearley, an oceanographer from the British Antarctic Survey, explains, “At the moment we're waiting for confirmation that our controller back in Cambridge can actually see this. What I always think is really cool about one of these things is I can be sitting in the office in Cambridge, which is 10,000 km away; it's kind of remarkable.” The research aims to determine how different calving events generate tsunamis and how the resulting mixing affects polar ecosystems and climate. Studying deep ice cores is one way scientists can monitor climate change over centuries. There seems to be clearer evidence that human activity has accelerated climate change in the 20th century. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

    3 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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レアジョブオリジナルの英会話ニュース教材です。世界の時事ネタを中心に、ビジネスから科学やスポーツまで、幅広いトピックのニュースを毎日更新しています。本教材を通して、ビジネスで使える実用的な英会話表現や英単語を身に付けることができます。

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